Dragon King: Throne of Demons and Gods
Chapter 51: Terms and Conditions

Chapter 51: Terms and Conditions

"Bel!"

Stepping into the guild bar, Bel turned toward the voice just as a figure moved through the crowd with a cheerful bounce in her step.

A wide smile stretched across her lips, her golden hair tied into two lively braids that bounced behind her like playful ribbons.

"There you are!" she said, eyes lighting up as she reached him.

Her gaze scanned him quickly, then she gasped dramatically.

"Oh my moon! You’re even cuter than my sisters!"

Bel blinked, caught completely off guard. His mouth opened slightly, but no words came.

The elf let out a bright laugh.

"Ah, sorry, sorry! I just wasn’t expecting you to look so soft. The guild files did not prepare me for this." She gestured toward an empty table. "Let’s sit. Drinks are on me."

Bel followed her and sat across from her. Two glasses waited on the table, filled with a warm amber drink. He reached for his, inspecting it but not sipping yet.

"By the way," the elf added as she slid into her seat, "I’m Lyraen! Enchanter, strategist, and definitely the most reasonable member of my party."

Bel gave a slight nod.

"Bel."

"Lovely to meet you properly," Lyraen said brightly, then leaned forward, her elbows on the table. "Alright, serious face time."

She explained her party’s situation. They’d been improving quickly, gaining funds and confidence, but the dungeon board had no Category E listings available.

Their only option for a raid was a Category D dungeon, which required an iron-ranked adventurer.

"That’s where you come in," Lyraen said, her tone becoming more focused. "The guild says you’re practically iron-rank already. If you come with us, we can get clearance. This is our first real test."

She paused when she noticed Bel looking into his glass like it was more fascinating than her.

"Hey," she said playfully, "It’s rude to ignore a charming young lady when she’s talking."

Bel looked up slowly.

"Young?" he murmured. Then, almost to himself, "But you smell..."

"Hmm?" Lyraen tilted her head. "Did you say something?"

Bel met her eyes.

"Nothing important. I was listening. I’m just not used to drinking anything."

"Ah, got it." Lyraen smiled. "You’re one of those quiet types."

Bel set the glass down.

"As for your offer... yes. I want to raid again. Stronger dungeon? Even better."

"Perfect!" Lyraen beamed. "I knew you’d say yes."

She leaned in, lowering her voice.

"Now about the payment..." She glanced around cautiously. "I, uh, heard that you accept special kinds of compensation."

Bel frowned, crossing his arms.

"Heard from who?"

"Er... doesn’t matter!" Lyraen said quickly, waving her hand. "What matters is that we’re working together. So we might as well be clear from the start, right?"

Bel narrowed his eyes but didn’t push further. He leaned back slightly.

"Alright. Then I need more details. If I get to choose, there is something I want."

Lyraen clapped her hands together, eyes sparkling.

"Ooooh? Ask anything! I’ll give it to you!"

Bel murmured something low, and then, her eyes widened.

"Wait... seriously?"

A few days later, the party gathered near the rift.

The clearing was quiet, wide, and filled with towering stones like ancient teeth, and trees bending toward the rift.

The wind was still. The sky above flickered faintly where the rift hovered. Unlike the smaller Category E dungeon, this one felt... alive.

The rift shimmered violet, swirling with deep, unstable energy, not loud, but enough to make the back of your neck tingle.

The team was ready to enter at any moment, but sadly, they weren’t alone. Extra guests had joined, invited or not.

Will paced in front of it with an excited grin, fists on his hips.

"This is it! Finally, something that feels dangerous!"

Sienna watched the pulsing portal and nodded.

"So this is what a dungeon looks like... Kinda pretty, though."

A few steps behind, the warrior and the tank stood with arms crossed, looking not so thrilled. They were talking with Crest, clearly annoyed.

"You went behind our backs," the tank muttered. "We said no, Crest."

"It’s just this once," Crest replied. "They’re leaving soon. It’s probably the last time we get to do something together."

"Still," the warrior added. "We’re not a babysitting service."

Dusteria turned to the rest.

"So? Why aren’t we going in yet? What are we waiting for?"

There was a pause. No one really wanted to answer until the mage sighed dramatically, brushing hair from her eyes.

"Where’s Lyraen? She said she’d handle the iron-rank hire. She’s always so late"

Everyone looked at each other. Some shrugged, others rolled their eyes.

Then, almost magically, a voice called out from across the field.

"Guys!"

The party let out relieved sighs when Lyraen finally appeared, waving from afar. They had started to worry she’d forgotten, but their relief quickly shifted to curiosity when they noticed the person walking beside her.

"Wait, that’s the iron rank adventurer?" the mage whispered, eyes wide with surprise. "But... that’s clearly a girl, isn’t it?"

Everyone stared, captivated by Bel’s striking appearance. His delicate features, bright crimson eyes, and soft white hair gave him an almost ethereal look. They had never seen someone quite like him.

"Who... who... who is this lovely young lady?" the warrior murmured, suddenly awkward.

But among the amazed faces, four of them, Crest, Dusteria, Will, and Sienna, felt something oddly familiar.

The face before them was like an idealized version of someone they knew, though they couldn’t immediately pinpoint it.

Suddenly, Crest’s eyes widened in shock.

"Bel?!" he blurted out, completely taken aback.

The group instantly turned toward Crest in confusion.

"Wait, you know her—I mean, him?" the tank asked, puzzled.

"You recognize that beauty, Crest?" blurted Ronan, raising an eyebrow.

Crest didn’t respond right away, still processing what he was seeing. His shock was so obvious it made the rest of the party even more curious.

"He’s... he’s the one," Crest finally stammered, "the one who’s been taking all the extermination quests."

"The extermi... The masked dude?!" the warrior exclaimed, jaw dropping.

The whole party turned their attention back to Bel, now even more fascinated.

Lyraen chuckled softly and stepped forward, sensing the group’s questions.

"Everyone, meet Bel. He’s our insurance to enter the dungeon. And yes," she added with a playful smile, "she’s a he."

For a moment, the group fell into stunned silence. The mage was the first to react, laughing elegantly as she covered her mouth.

"Oh my," she giggled. "With a face like that, it’s both normal and cruel to hide behind a mask. How delightfully cruel of you, Lyraen."

The warrior and Ronan exchanged disappointed glances, their excitement visibly fading.

"So a boy, huh?" Ronan muttered, scratching his head awkwardly.

"All that excitement for nothing." the warrior groaned, shoulders slumping dramatically.

Meanwhile, the healer and the other women of the party exchanged delighted smiles, their curiosity now fully piqued.

The reactions varied, not only from delight and disappointment but also completely stunned.

Dusteria stood frozen, utterly stunned. Was this really the same Bel she knew from the mansion? That shrimp boy who was always increasing his muscle mass? Impossible! And what happened to his hair?

Sienna was equally amazed, whispering softly to herself.

"That’s not just an upgrade... that’s a full evolution. "Then she noticed something else. "Wait... even his aura...."

As if reading her mind, the warrior spoke up.

"Wait, the masked adventurer was known for his strange aura. This can’t really be him, right?"

Bel smiled calmly.

"I learned to control it," he explained simply.

Crest stepped forward, his shock slowly turning to suspicion.

"That’s not what’s important. How did you become iron-ranked so fast? What trick did you pull?"

Lyraen quickly stepped in, sensing tension building up.

"Crest, come on. He’s here to help us. Let’s not start questioning—"

But Crest wasn’t listening. His eyes were locked onto Bel, clearly suspicious. The warrior moved up beside Crest, nodding in agreement.

"No, Crest is right. If we’re going into this strong dungeon, we need a real guarantee. Can you even protect us?"

Everyone’s eyes turned to Bel, waiting for his response. Instead of getting angry or upset, Bel smiled calmly, seeing an opportunity.

"Alright, here’s an idea," Bel said, confidently. "Trust me to lead you safely through this dungeon. I’ll carry you to the boss, handle most of the fights, and in return, I’ll take the magic cores. That’s my first condition."

The group fell silent, staring in shock. Magic cores meant big money; losing those would turn a profitable raid into a disappointing one. There was no way they would risk their life for nothing.

"Are you crazy?" the warrior blurted out immediately. "Magic cores have the most value! We’d earn practically nothing!"

Bel shook his head slightly, still smiling.

"Relax. I’m only interested in specific cores. I won’t take everything. You’ll still earn plenty."

The party exchanged uncertain looks. Then Ronan stepped forward, frowning.

"Wait, you said that’s your first condition. What’s the second?"

Bel took a moment, observing them. He knew very well what was coming, and thus, took a little breath before opening the doors of chaos.

"I want to take on the boss by myself."

There was an immediate uproar. Voices rose in disbelief.

"That’s absurd!"

"He’s definitely playing tough!"

"You can’t be serious, Bel," Lyraen said, sounding genuinely concerned. "I agreed to help you, but you’re pushing this too far."

Crest stepped forward again, clearly angry now.

"Enough! You’re trying to scare us into backing down. Don’t mess with my party, Bel!"

Bel simply sighed.

"Hey, remember, you’re the ones who need me to enter."

"We only needed your rank as a pass!" Crest snapped. "We don’t need your help to survive!"

Bel met his gaze evenly.

"No, you need me because I’m iron-ranked. I’m your chance to enter and survive this dungeon. Without me, you’d be risking your lives. On the other hand, I can easily enter alone and survive."

He paused, letting his words sink in, and then scratching his chin, continued gently.

"Speaking of this, technically the guild knows that I’m supposed to raid here, so I have every right to enter. Now that I’m in front of this dungeon, I might as well finish it, with or without you. The decision is yours."

Crest groaned in frustration. He knew Bel was right. If he were really going to enter, who could know the results? Maybe he wasn’t bluffing? Maybe they would lose the only available dungeon for their raid.

They were cornered. The others murmured among themselves, debating whether Bel was bluffing or not.

Finally, after a tense deliberation, the warrior spoke up.

"Alright. But if you’re bluffing, we save our lives, and you’re on your own."

Bel’s smile widened slightly. Lyraen sighed deeply beside him.

"You really like creating trouble, don’t you?"

Bel laughed softly, looking at her with amusement.

"I’m just feeling greedy today. I’ve been waiting for too long."

"Let’s just get this over with," Crest grumbled, motioning toward the dungeon entrance.

Bel stepped forward, confident and relaxed.

"Then let’s begin."

Together, they turned toward the pulsing rift, ready to face the challenges awaiting them inside.

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