Free Web NovelChapter 28: Seven Abyssal Hell Tower
Dan Moriarty continued descending the staircase at a pace that was neither hurried nor slow, each step echoing softly throughout the spacious plaza.
Behind him, Rowan remained standing exactly where he was, his face dark with humiliation. The surrounding Streamers watched quietly; some expected Dan to simply leave, while others wondered whether he would finally respond to the barrage of insults.
Upon reaching the bottom of the staircase, Dan finally stopped. Without turning around immediately, he spoke.
"Seven years," Dan began. "That is how long you’ve been a Streamer.
"Level seventy-seven."
"A Gold Rank Streamer."
Only then did Dan slowly turn around, allowing his eyes to meet Rowan’s.
"And yet you conduct yourself like a spoiled child."
Silence swept across the plaza, as no one had expected those words, especially not from someone whose level was barely one-fifth of Rowan’s.
Rowan’s expression froze completely.
"What..."
Dan continued as though discussing the weather.
"I had assumed that seven years of experience would grant a person wisdom."
"It appears I was mistaken."
Several nearby Streamers unconsciously held their breath. Those words were sharp, not because they were loud, but because they struck directly at Rowan’s pride.
As the old saying goes, a tree’s height is measured by its roots, and a man’s stature is measured by its character. While strength could command fear and rank could command respect, neither could conceal immaturity forever.
Dan’s gaze remained steady.
"You call me a thief."
"You accuse me of crimes."
"You order innocent guards to arrest me."
"When they refuse..."
"You insult me again."
He shook his head slightly.
"If this is truly the conduct of Black Gun Guild’s Vice Guild Master..."
"I pity the guild."
The surrounding crowd exchanged uneasy glances as someone quietly muttered.
"...He’s right."
Another nodded almost imperceptibly.
"Vice Guild Master Rowan really did jump to conclusions."
"He never asked a single question."
"He simply started shouting."
Rowan heard every word, registering each whisper, glance, and nod as his fists slowly tightened.
"There’s a saying," Dan continued. "When the rice stalk ripens it bows. The fuller the harvest the humbler it becomes."
His eyes remained fixed upon Rowan.
"But barren stalks stand the tallest, as they have nothing inside to weigh them down."
Several Streamers couldn’t help exchanging amused looks, knowing the proverb well and understanding its obvious meaning: the truly accomplished remained humble, while only the empty sought to appear tall.
Rowan’s jaw visibly clenched, but Dan wasn’t finished.
"I expected someone who reached Gold Rank through seven years of streaming to possess composure befitting his achievements."
He looked Rowan up and down.
"I overestimated you."
Every sentence landed calmly, without mockery, shouting, or even the slightest change in his tone. Yet somehow, that very calmness made the rebuke infinitely harsher.
And Dan understood something very clearly: he was objectively, overwhelmingly weak. At only Level 15 and ranked Iron II, he remained vastly inferior to Rowan, even while possessing the Thousand Heavens Rainfall Divine Sword.
The gap between Level 15 and Level 77 was not one that could be bridged through courage alone. Rowan had spent seven years tempering himself, accumulating skills, improving attributes, and clearing countless dungeons. Against such an opponent, Dan would lose instantly; if Rowan truly wished to kill him, a single strike would likely be enough.
The sheer difference between them resembled that of a child standing before a veteran warrior, a fact Dan understood better than anyone. ƒreewebɳovel.com
Yet he still spoke, not because he possessed hidden confidence or believed himself invincible, but rather because he was making a calculated gamble.
Rowan’s greatest restraint was the Guild Master himself. Regardless of how arrogant Rowan might be, he remained a subordinate, making the Guild Master’s orders absolute. Attacking the lawful owner of the Seven Abyssal Hell Tower, especially within the tower grounds, would be a direct act of insubordination.
While Rowan feared failure, humiliation, and losing face, above all else, he feared disappointing the Guild Master.
Dan wagered that this fear would ultimately outweigh Rowan’s anger.
It was a dangerous wager, yet every successful merchant understood the principle that high mountains are climbed only by those willing to risk the ascent. Without risk, there could be no extraordinary reward.
Dan calmly concluded.
"Strength without temperament."
"Talent without discipline."
"Power without reason."
He looked directly into Rowan’s eyes.
"Those qualities do not produce a great Streamer."
"They produce a dangerous fool."
The plaza fell deathly silent. No one moved or spoke, and even the wind seemed to pause as Rowan stared at Dan.
His breathing had become noticeably heavier, his shoulders rising and falling rapidly while his pupils narrowed.
Inside his mind, reason and rage collided violently. He knew that attacking here was foolish, that the Guild Master would disapprove, and that everyone was watching.
Every rational thought urged restraint.
Then, Dan’s final words echoed once more. freeωebnovēl.c૦m
"Dangerous fool."
Something snapped.
BOOM!!
Spiritual pressure exploded from Rowan’s body, instantly fracturing the polished stone beneath his feet as the surrounding Streamers gasped.
"He’s moving!"
"What terrifying aura!"
"So this is level 77..."
An overwhelming pressure swept across the plaza. Unlike Dan’s calm presence, Rowan’s aura resembled an erupting volcano, violent, oppressive, and utterly unstable.
His sword left its scabbard in a blur.
CLANG!!
The clear ring of steel echoed through the plaza as the blade shimmered with golden spiritual energy.
"YOU..."
Rowan’s voice trembled with fury.
"...HAVE GONE TOO FAR!"
His body vanished, completely erasing the twenty-meter distance between them almost instantly.
To the surrounding Streamers, it was as though Rowan had teleported; one moment he stood upon the staircase, and the next, he was already before Dan.
His sword descended in a single strike that was fast, decisive, and lethal.
Dan’s pupils contracted.
"So fast..."
His body instinctively screamed warnings as every combat instinct granted by his awakening activated simultaneously.
Footwork, swordsmanship, battle awareness, none of it mattered, because the difference in power was simply too great.
He could barely perceive the attack, making avoidance impossible.
Yet Dan’s expression remained surprisingly calm, having already accepted this possibility the moment he chose to speak.
Sometimes a wager succeeds, and sometimes it fails.
As the sword continued descending, golden light reflected within Dan’s eyes.
Then—
CLANG!!
A deafening metallic explosion erupted across the plaza, scattering sparks in every direction.
A second sword had appeared, its blade intercepting Rowan’s attack perfectly.
The terrifying force generated powerful shockwaves that swept through the plaza, causing coats and hair to whip violently in the wind.
Rowan’s eyes widened.
It was impossible, someone had blocked him.
Slowly, his gaze shifted.
Standing between him and Dan was a familiar figure, resting one hand calmly behind his back while the other held the sword that had effortlessly parried Rowan’s strike.
It was the Guild Master.
His expression was neither angry nor disappointed, but merely, terrifyingly calm.
For a brief moment, Rowan’s eyes remained locked with Dan’s without either of them speaking.
Then, as realization finally caught up with him, Rowan slowly lifted his gaze, meeting not Dan’s eyes, but the Guild Master’s.
