Chapter 55: Engineering Ambition

Every adventurer in the hall turned their gaze toward Sage, their expressions a mix of curiosity and confusion.

Noticing the attention on him, Sage smiled and cleared his throat softly before speaking in a voice that resonated throughout the entire hall.

“Everyone, there’s a hidden quest within the Guild… well, it’s not so hidden anymore! The quest is this: whoever advances to Copper Rank first will be rewarded with a mysterious prize.”

A wave of whispers swept through the crowd as adventurers exchanged glances filled with intrigue.

Sage continued, his smile unwavering. “I won’t reveal the requirements for advancement just yet, but I’ll give you all a hint.”

He gestured toward the Mission Board. “Complete as many missions as possible, that’s your hint. The winner will receive a substantial reward from the Guild.”

The room fell silent as everyone focused intently on the Mission Board, excitement igniting in their eyes.

“Wow, I didn’t expect such an event right after registering!” one adventurer exclaimed.

“I know! This must be my lucky day,” another chimed in.

“Haha, this is great! I can’t wait to see what the reward will be.”

“But it’ll be tough since we don’t know what it takes to advance to Copper Rank,” someone else noted.

“True, but at least we have that hint—complete missions!”

As Sage observed the animated discussions among them, his grin widened and an unusual gleam flickered in his eyes.

“Ahem..!”

With a slight cough, he commanded silence once more; all eyes returned to him eagerly.

Sage chuckled softly before pointing at Gregor, who was seated at the desk. “Let me share a secret: this green-haired fellow here is the first adventurer in history! That’s quite an honor, his name could very well end up in history books for years to come.”

All eyes shifted toward Gregor, who sat with his face buried in his hands.

Sage looked at Gregor with a mischievous grin and continued. “But what would make him even more famous than any of you is if he becomes the first adventurer to advance to Copper Rank. He told me he wants to be first in everything related to the Adventurer Guild.”

Gregor suddenly lifted his head, disbelief etched across his features as his cheeks flushed red.

Feigning ignorance of Gregor’s reaction, Sage pressed on. “He’s already made history as the first adventurer and also the first Adventurer to complete a mission, but he doesn’t want to stop there!”

Taking a deep breath for emphasis, he declared passionately, “He wants to be the first to reach Bronze Rank, Silver Rank, everything! And let me tell you this: each rank advancement comes with its own mysterious reward.”

Silence enveloped the room again as hostile glares began forming around Gregor; tension thickened palpably.

“Do you really want that green-haired guy to take first place in everything? Do you want him to claim all the mysterious rewards meant for you? Are you prepared to watch as opportunities slip through your fingers?” Sage shouted passionately, his eyes scanning the Adventurers before him, who stood like soldiers ready for battle.

“If you don’t want to be trampled on, then defeat him! Don’t let him have his way. You are Adventurers, and Adventurers strive to be better and stronger than everyone else.” Sage raised his hand, his voice echoing throughout the Hall.

“If you want those mysterious rewards and wish to become the first Adventurer in history to advance to Copper Rank, then hurry up and complete as many missions as possible. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Guildmaster!”

The Adventurers responded in unison, their voices booming across the Guild Hall and even reverberating outside.

“Good! This shows that you’re all passionate Adventurers,” Sage said with satisfaction gleaming in his eyes. “You can continue browsing through the missions.”

With renewed excitement and anticipation, the Adventurers rushed back to the Mission Board, this time with a sense of urgency.

Sage chuckled softly before settling back into his chair with a relaxed expression.

“Are you happy?” Gregor’s voice broke through the moment.

Sage raised an eyebrow and smiled innocently. “What do you mean by that? I don’t understand.”

Gregor gritted his teeth so tightly he felt a twinge of pain. “You know exactly what I’m talking about! You’ve successfully turned everyone against me. Now they all see me as their number one enemy.”

Sage leaned back in his chair, still smiling. “Isn’t that great?”

“How is any of this great? Having more than twenty Adventurers thinking I’m their enemy sounds wonderful?” Gregor raged, struggling not to punch that infuriating smirk off Sage’s face.

“Listen here, green hair…” Sage waved dismissively. “I did this for your own good.”

He paused for a moment, then continued. “Think about it: everyone now sees you as their top competitor, a roadblock on their way to success. This puts immense pressure on you, and when someone feels that kind of pressure, what do they usually do? They work hard to brush it off like it’s nothing.”

Gregor’s lips twitched in disbelief; he couldn’t believe the nonsense Sage was spouting.

“Besides,” Sage pressed on, “don’t you think being first in everything is a tremendous accomplishment? Right now, you hold the record as the first Adventurer in history, a feat that will undoubtedly be remembered for ages. You’re also the first person to accept and complete a mission. That means you’re currently holding two significant records.”

Sage’s eyes sparkled with an intriguing glint as he observed Gregor, who had fallen silent, his brow furrowed in contemplation.

Leaning forward and rubbing his chin thoughtfully, Sage continued, “Now imagine being the only Adventurer ever to be first in everything. Your reputation and fame would spread far and wide, you wouldn’t even have to lift a finger for missions with huge rewards to start pouring in.”

He leaned even closer and added with fervor, “Missions offering rewards ranging from thousands to hundreds of thousands, millions even! Elegant and noble ladies would be throwing themselves at you. Princesses from various kingdoms would hang your portrait in their bedrooms, dreaming about you.”

He paused for a moment and then added smoothly. “Centuries from now, bards might sing ’The Ballad of Gregor Windsoul, First of His Name.’ Your statue could stand in the square of this city. But only if you keep winning”

With that remark, Sage leaned back again, adopting a lazy expression as he said nonchalantly, “That’s why I’m putting pressure on you; enough pressure can motivate you to work hard and maintain your position. After all, who wants to lose their standing?”

Gregor remained silent as he drifted into thought over Sage’s words. Part of him recognized the truth in what Sage was saying; however, something deep in his heart tells him that Sage was merely making excuses.

Finally raising his head, Gregor met Sage’s gaze. His expression was a battlefield, indignation warring with begrudging understanding, all underpinned by the terrifying, seductive lure of the future Sage had painted.

“No need to thank me,” Sage interjected quickly with an air of nonchalance that somehow made him seem more punchable. “I did all this for your own good.”

Gregor’s expression shifted back to anger just as he opened his mouth to respond but Mina’s voice cut through the tension.

“Petty uncle! I’ve selected the missions I want to tackle, hurry up and process them for me!”

——–

A/N : WE HIT 100 GOLDEN TICKETS!

Huge thank you to everyone supporting the novel, you guys are insane.

2 bonus Chapters will be uploaded this weekend to celebrate! Let’s keep climbing the rankings together!

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