The Extra's Rise

I returned to Mount Hua Sect with Seraphina, our time in the Northern Sea Ice Palace behind us.

She didn't say much when we arrived, but I could tell—something had shifted. The weight she had carried for so long had lessened, even if only slightly.

When it was time to leave, she hugged me tightly, her arms wrapped around me with a warmth that contradicted the winter chill of her mana.

"See you soon, Arthur," she murmured.

I nodded, my hand briefly squeezing hers before I turned and left.

Avalon.

The city greeted me with its usual hum of activity, the grand capital of the Slatemark Empire ever-moving, ever-thriving. But the moment I stepped through the doors of my home, all the noise of the outside world faded into something quieter, warmer.

Familiar.

"Brother!"

I barely had time to react before Aria practically materialized in front of me, eyes bright with mischief.

"Did you get me a souvenir?" she asked, tone dripping with cheeky expectation.

I narrowed my eyes, reaching into my spatial ring before pulling out a small, elegant box. The faint scent of plum blossoms escaped as I flipped it open, revealing neatly arranged sweets, each one carefully crafted and lightly dusted with sugar.

"For the family," I said pointedly.

Aria pouted, arms crossing in mock offense.

"But I'm your sister," she protested, "that means I get first dibs!"

"That means you get equal dibs," I corrected, shutting the box before she could snatch one.

Before she could escalate the argument into an elaborate scheme to steal them, my mother pulled me into a soft, warm embrace.

"We missed you," she murmured, holding me close.

For a second, I just stood there.

Then, I smiled. Genuinely.

"I missed you too," I admitted.

Because I had.

In my past life, I had no family. No one to return to, no home waiting for me. But here?

Here, I had them.

The four of us—my father, my mother, Aria, and I—settled into the living room, the space comfortable, lived-in, filled with the quiet warmth that only came from being home.

I told them about Mount Hua Sect, my training, the techniques I had learned—skimming over the more dangerous details.

No need to make them worry.

The Northern Sea Ice Palace? That part I left out. Instead, I simply said I had gone to a six-star dungeon with Seraphina under supervision. Technically true, just… missing some details.

"Six-star?" my father mused, his brow lifting. "That's impressive. And you're not half-dead, so I assume it went well?"

"I handled it," I said, smirking slightly.

Aria shot me a skeptical look. "Handled it, or did Seraphina carry you?"

I flicked her forehead.

"Ouch! Rude!"

I chuckled.

For the first time in a while, I could just sit back and breathe.

And so, I put Kali to work.

There were people to recruit, paperwork to handle, and endless bureaucratic nonsense that came with establishing a guild in the Slatemark Empire. Read latest stories on My Virtual Library Empire

A guild master had to be at least a six-star adventurer, and since I wasn't Integration-rank yet, I didn't qualify.

Kali, however, did.

Integration-rank. Six-star adventurer's license. More than qualified.

So, for now, she was the guild master, and I was the vice-guild master. Of course, I had the paperwork signed and sealed to make sure that once I hit six-star, we'd swap places. No arguments.

Other than that?

Well, I gave her money, told her to handle things, and relaxed.

For a few days, at least.

I was having lunch with my family, letting the warm hum of conversation and the clinking of silverware settle into something comfortably mundane.

Then, the doorbell rang.

My mother stood up, brushing her hands off. "Who could that be?"

I glanced toward the door briefly, then went back to eating. Not my problem.

Then—

"Hello, Ms. Nightingale! I'm Kali Maelkith, Arthur's friend!"

I froze.

That voice.

Familiar. But bubbly?

I turned my head, slowly, just in time to see my mother clap her hands together, delighted.

"Oh! Arthur's friend! Please, come in. Are you hungry?"

"Oh, no, I just grabbed a bite on the way," Kali answered smoothly, her long black hair neatly tied back, her expression the very picture of polite innocence.

Which, for the record, was bullshit.

I narrowed my eyes.

Why the hell was she here?

"Hello, Mr. Nightingale," she greeted my father next, "I'm Kali."

My father barely blinked before his gaze sharpened. "Kali Maelkith?"

Of course, he knew the name.

The Maelkiths were a powerhouse in the Western Continent, their influence roughly equivalent to a Marquis house in the Slatemark Empire. It made sense why she could waltz in and handle my guild's paperwork without issue.

But that still didn't explain why she was standing in my house, in my city, with my family.

"Wow, are you Rank 1 of Class 2-A at Mythos Academy?"

I groaned as Aria shot forward, eyes wide and shining, fangirling at speeds that should be illegal.

"Nice to meet you, Aria, right?" Kali smiled—too sweetly. "Your brother talks about you."

Aria beamed, her hands clasped together like she'd just met her idol. "Aww, did he? He didn't say anything bad, right?"

"No, no…" Kali waved a hand dismissively, before adding, "As you know… he's a good guy."

Her tone was too casual, like she was trying to convince herself.

I narrowed my eyes further.

"Kali," I said, standing up, "let's go talk."

"Sure," she said, a little too quickly.

We walked into the living room, stepping into the far corner, away from my family's prying eyes.

Then I turned on her.

"Why are you here?"

Kali crossed her arms, expression shifting from innocent guest to irritated administrator.

"I was wondering why the hell you thought it was a good idea to dump all the work on me," she snapped, "You made me scout, hire a dozen people, and handle all the paperwork for an entire guild—in the Slatemark Empire! During my summer break! While you were having cozy family time!"

I shrugged. "So?"

Her eye twitched.

"Sooo?!" she hissed, fists clenching at her sides.

I could practically see her debating the ethics of punching me in the face, but of course, she couldn't.

Our mana oath wouldn't let her.

And she knew it.

Which only made her angrier.

I leaned against the back of the couch, watching her seethe.

"Relax," I said, "You're doing a great job."

She exhaled sharply. "Arthur."

"Yes?"

"Shut up."

"I am aware that you are terrified of failing my impossibly high standards," I said, crossing my arms, "but don't worry—I'm not one to judge too quickly."

Kali's shoulders twitched.

Then trembled.

Then, very carefully, she turned to look at me, her glacial stare promising murder.

If looks could kill, I would be dead, resurrected, and killed again for good measure.

Sadly for her, they couldn't.

"Alright, alright," I said, raising my hands in surrender. "I'll stop pulling your leg."

"You better," she said, voice dangerously low. "And you better come with me and make this goddamn guild come to life."

I sighed, dramatic and long-suffering. "Fine, fine, I'll stop delegating like an evil mastermind and start doing things myself."

Kali narrowed her eyes. She was not convinced.

"By the way, did you decide on a name?" she asked, rubbing her temples like she already knew the answer.

I tilted my head. "Oh, that's my job?"

She slapped her forehead.

"You are the one who needs to decide!" she snapped. "I texted you!"

"Ah, yeah…" I nodded, tapping my chin. "Your texts were mostly complaints, so I, uh… muted you."

There was a beat of silence.

Then, in an eerily calm whisper, Kali said, "Arthur Nightingale."

I coughed. "What? I knew you'd call if there was an emergency."

"Name. Now."@@novelbin@@

"Okay, okay, let me think."

She crossed her arms, glaring at me like she was mentally flipping a coin between homicide and exile.

I took a breath, closing my eyes, letting my mind shift gears.

A guild name. It needed to be symbolic.

Powerful.

Something that stood the test of time, something unbreakable, something that represented endless power and renewal.

Then, it came to me.

"Ouroboros," I said.

Kali blinked. "Huh?"

"Ouroboros," I repeated, opening my eyes.

"The serpent eating its own tail," she muttered, thoughtful now.

"Endless cycles," I nodded. "Rebirth. A symbol of something that cannot die—something that will always rise again, no matter how many times it falls."

Kali tilted her head, considering.

Then, she smirked.

"Alright," she said, "I'll admit it—that's a damn good name."

"Of course it is," I grinned. "I came up with it."

She rolled her eyes. "Now get your self-proclaimed genius ass to work, Guild Master."