Free Web NovelChapter 23: Rowan
The executive floor was markedly quieter than the bustling lobby below. Gone were the constant footsteps of streamers coming and going, the chatter of receptionists, and the ringing of communication devices. Here, everything was calm, refined, and orderly.
The polished marble floor reflected the soft glow of crystal chandeliers suspended from the ceiling. Expensive paintings depicting famous Streamers and legendary dungeon conquests adorned the walls, and between them stood elegant display cases housing relics, trophies, and weapons that had long since retired from battle.
Every detail conveyed one message, power. Not the power earned from swinging a sword, but the kind accumulated through decades of influence, wealth, and prestige.
Dan Moriarty calmly followed the executive secretary down the spacious corridor, his footsteps echoing softly. He neither admired the surroundings nor acted impressed. To him, luxury was merely decoration. True value lay elsewhere.
As they rounded a corner, another figure appeared at the far end of the hallway. He looked to be in his late twenties — tall and broad-shouldered, his black suit tailored to perfection, yet even beneath the formal attire, his athletic physique was obvious.
Fastened across his back rested an enormous crimson greatsword, its hilt decorated with intricate dragon engravings, and a silver Guild emblem gleamed proudly upon his chest. Unlike ordinary employees, this man radiated unmistakable confidence. Or perhaps arrogance.
The executive secretary immediately stopped walking.
"Vice Guild Master Rowan."
She bowed respectfully. The man gave a slight nod before his gaze naturally drifted toward Dan, briefly pausing upon the GSA card.
Iron II.
His eyebrow rose, "...Who is this?"
The secretary answered politely, "He has an appointment with the Guild Master."
Rowan looked Dan up and down from head to toe. Young, unknown, simple clothing, no recognizable family insignia, no famous guild crest, nothing noteworthy. His expression quickly transformed into one of amusement.
"...Interesting."
"So even beginners can make appointments with the Guild Master nowadays."
The secretary hesitated before speaking, "He wishes to discuss the Seven Abyssal Hell Tower."
Rowan chuckled.
"Oh?"
His attention returned fully to Dan.
"What exactly about the tower?"
"I intend to purchase it," Dan answered plainly.
Silence. Then —
"Hahaha!"
Rowan burst into loud laughter, and several nearby employees instinctively turned toward the sound. He laughed without restraint, as though he had just heard the greatest joke of the year. Eventually, he wiped the corner of one eye.
"...You’re serious?"
"I am."
Rowan looked at him again. Iron II. Not even Bronze, not Silver, certainly nowhere near Gold. An unknown rookie had walked into Black Gun Guild Headquarters claiming he wished to purchase the Guild’s greatest treasure. He genuinely couldn’t decide whether the young man was brave or simply insane.
"Tell me," Rowan said. "Do you even know how much the Seven Abyssal Hell Tower costs?"
"One billion dollars," Dan answered without hesitation, while Rowan smiled mockingly.
"So you do know," Rowan chuckled. "Then tell me something else. Do you even know how many zeroes there are in one billion?"
A few nearby employees quietly suppressed their laughter. Rowan took another step forward.
"An Iron II Streamer dares dream of purchasing our guild’s greatest asset? You’ve barely stepped onto the path of a Streamer and you dare spout such nonsense."
"I’ve probably earned more experience points in a single dungeon than you’ll see in your entire lifetime."
His smile became increasingly contemptuous, "Reality isn’t some fantasy where handsome nobodies stumble into unimaginable wealth.
Wake up!"
"The executive floor isn’t a place where children come to play." ƒreewebηoveℓ.com
Dan simply looked at him, his expression calm, almost indifferent. He neither became angry nor attempted to defend himself, merely continuing to stand quietly. That calmness somehow irritated Rowan even more.
"What?"
"No response?"
"I suppose you’ve realized how ridiculous you sound."
Still nothing. Dan offered no reaction whatsoever. To him, there was little point arguing with someone whose opinion carried no weight. The greatest response to ridicule was often silence.
Rowan narrowed his eyes, "...You’re quite good at pretending."
Before he could continue —
Click.
The nearby elevator doors opened, and everyone instinctively turned. A young woman stepped into the corridor wearing black casual clothing instead of formal business attire.
A crimson ribbon tied back part of her long hair while the rest flowed naturally down her back, and fastened at her waist rested an elegant sword. Unlike Rowan’s massive greatsword, her weapon was slim, refined, and deadly.
The atmosphere subtly shifted the moment she appeared, and several employees immediately straightened their posture.
"Miss Evelyn."
She acknowledged them with a small nod before her crimson eyes lazily swept across the corridor. Then they landed on Dan, and for just a moment, she stopped walking.
"..."
"..."
The hallway fell strangely quiet as her eyes remained fixed upon him one heartbeat longer than intended. The thought formed naturally within her mind without finishing as a sentence — very handsome. Not in a delicate or feminine way.
Rather, there was an unusual composure about him, a quiet confidence that combined with sharp facial features and calm eyes to leave a surprisingly strong first impression. Only after another second did she finally continue walking, her expression returning to normal almost immediately.
Yet that brief pause had already been noticed, especially by Rowan.
His smile disappeared as his gaze shifted between Evelyn and Dan. Something unpleasant stirred inside him. He had known Evelyn for years, long enough to understand her personality. She rarely paid attention to strangers, especially men. Yet today she had actually paused, over this rookie? His jaw tightened almost imperceptibly.
"...Pretty face," He suddenly laughed. "So that’s your weapon."
Several employees blinked. Rowan looked directly at Dan.
"I was wondering where your confidence came from."
"It seems you’ve relied on your appearance your entire life."
He smirked.
"A pretty boy hoping to climb through luck."
"Unfortunately, This isn’t some romance drama."
"Appearance has no value inside a dungeon."
He continued without pause.
"Do you know how many monsters care whether you’re handsome?"
"None."
"They’ll tear you apart all the same."
His tone grew increasingly sarcastic.
"You’re Iron II."
"A nobody."
"Trash."
"Someone like you shouldn’t even be standing on this floor."
"You should go back downstairs and find a beginner guild willing to accept you."
Dan remained completely silent, his indifference only fueling Rowan further.
"Or perhaps..."
"You thought smiling at women would somehow earn you the tower?"
At that moment —
"Tch."
The sound wasn’t loud, yet everyone heard it. Rowan instinctively turned to find Evelyn looking directly at him, her expression carrying obvious annoyance.
"Can you stop barking?"
Silence. The hallway froze, and several employees quickly lowered their heads. No one dared react. Rowan blinked.
"...What?"
"You heard me," Evelyn sighed. "You’ve been talking nonstop since I arrived. It’s embarrassing."
Rowan hurriedly shook his head, "I’m simply exposing reality. This kid walked in claiming he wants to purchase—"
"I don’t care," She interrupted him immediately. "If Father agreed to meet him, then Father clearly had a reason." freewebnσvel.cøm
She folded her arms.
"You standing here acting like a guard dog doesn’t help."
Another brief silence, then she clicked her tongue again.
"Tch."
"So noisy."
Without sparing either of them another glance, she simply walked away, her footsteps gradually disappearing around the corner and leaving behind an awkward silence. Several employees quietly returned to their work, pretending nothing had happened.
Rowan remained standing where he was, his face darkened considerably. Humiliated, in front of everyone. His fists slowly clenched as his eyes drifted toward Dan once more, the calm young man still wearing exactly the same indifferent expression, which somehow irritated Rowan even further.
"Because of him... she actually told me to stop." A cold smile gradually appeared as he spoke quietly enough that only Dan could hear.
"Fine."
"I’ll be watching."
"I want to see exactly how long your confidence lasts."
Dan merely looked at him for a moment. Then, without saying a single word, he continued walking toward the Guild Master’s office, leaving Rowan standing alone in the corridor, his resentment quietly deepening.
