Absolute Craft-Chapter 91: The Alliance (1)

Chapter 91: The Alliance (1)

With his intimidating aura still lingering, Blake left the battlefield and headed toward Beatrix. At just a single glance, Wolfang and the others flinched. Although their curiosity grew, no one dared ask Blake what had happened in the battle.

There was a chance he’d lost against Alex—but that also meant Kyria might have lost too, and neither had died. There wasn’t any notification about them killing The Hounds’ Guild Leader, which suggested something else had transpired between them.

Blake’s equipment had taken a beating, though. Seeing him walking around with dents and without gauntlets was quite a sight. It also proved how powerful Alex was if she could inflict that much damage on him.

"Ah, lil bro’s dragon husk broke!" Joel exclaimed. He knew how deeply Blake cherished the little one. That alone made Joel suspect Blake had lashed out at Alex for hurting his pet, further escalating the situation.

Blake simply nodded. "It’s fine."

He handed the sleeping Sol over to Beatrix. In this new cradle, Sol mumbled Beatrix’s nickname and turned over comfortably. This nickname drew a chuckle from Wolfang, but his smile vanished when Beatrix fixed him with her bestial glare.

"My apologies," he muttered, looking away.

Meanwhile, Blake took out a block of malleable stone, placed it on the ground, and sat before it, chiseling a new dragon head for Sol’s husk. The onlookers watched in silence, noting that he didn’t use any game system assistance. He did everything himself, never letting the tool move on its own.

There was a chance he was guided by his title, but if that were the case, he wouldn’t be muttering criticisms and reworking the dragon’s contours by hand.

While he worked—holding everyone’s attention—the two guild leaders held a brief conversation amid the chilly battlefield.

"You gave in," Kyria said, his intense gaze locked on the woman across from him.

Alex gulped a potion to restore some of her health before replying. As a grimace spread across her face, she said, "He has great potential, Superbia. He’s a great facilitator."

If Blake had heard that, he wouldn’t have believed his ears. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

Yet it was true that he’d grown enough to support others far more effectively than before. With great strength came a lot of responsibility—but also possibilities. In the past, Blake had shown he could enable others, but now he had even more ways to bring people together.

Kyria, Alex, and Blake all possessed leadership qualities. Their strengths differed, but together, they could become quite troublesome.

Kyria nodded at Alex’s assessment. Something else must have influenced her to agree to collaborate, but he didn’t pry. He could always ask Blake later—no need to let personal curiosity sour their alliance with The Hounds.

He said, "Once we get to know each other, we’ll be a force to be reckoned with. Are you aware of The Tutorial Alliance’s requirements?"

"Yes," Alex answered with a smile. "I spoke with the alliance’s main guild and their leader. I hate that man, and I can’t wait to steal the glory from him."

"What makes you hate him?" Kyria asked.

"His confidence," Alex replied. "It’s so fragile."

The main guild behind The Tutorial Alliance was called Loot Order—a group of hardcore players who searched every spot down to the smallest corner, intent on snagging every valuable or hidden item.

This mindset let them secure the most items from the Eternal Winter Graveyard and uncover more of its secrets. They had the most players equipped with The Winter Kingdom’s Gears and emphasized how crucial those would be in the upcoming boss event.

Their guild leader was the next person Kyria and Blake would soon face to gain standing in The Tutorial Alliance.

Alex scoffed, crossing her arms. "He believes more in his gear than in himself. Such fragile confidence—unlike Supreme Blade. He believed in himself and his team’s skills more than any item!"

"What a fangirl," Kyria muttered.

Alex puffed out her chest, unabashed.

Before long, the two guild leaders joined the rest.

By then, Blake was nearly finished carving Sol’s new dragon head. He focused on the details, aiming to make it look truly lifelike despite Sol not being linked to it. Moments like this explained why so many people assumed Sol was a stone creature rather than a little, apple-shaped Sun elemental.

Once Blake attached the head to the rest of the husk, its restoration was complete. He opened the cockpit and placed Sol inside. The little one wriggled around, then drifted upward, settling onto Blake’s helmet like a dragon perched upon its throne.

All was back in its proper place.

"All’s well that ends well. I’d say today has been a good day," Kyria said, catching everyone’s attention. "We tested our teamwork and took out a lot of hounds, including their leader. Our strength is legit, and we proved it. I also leveled up my own abilities."

As he said the last line, Kyria made a finger-gun gesture close to his mask, earning a curious look from Wolfang.

He continued, "The Hounds isn’t a typical guild. We’ve come to an understanding with Alex Red Moon, but within The Hounds there are groups devoted to their own favorite leaders who may not all agree to this alliance."

Alex nodded. "I noticed the ones you beat today followed a man who promised revenge on you. He only believes in raw power and potential—a rabid Supreme Blade fanboy."

He was the one who considered Supreme Blade’s flaws a good thing. He’d rallied quite a crowd of like-minded people under his command, leading the guild’s most aggressive faction and giving The Hounds its notorious reputation.

Kyria glanced at Alex. "You’re not worried about your guild’s fame?"

"You mean being infamous for PKing everyone? It’s just part of the game. This event is important to us, so we’re not letting people take advantage of us. Everyone else can go level up by hunting other monsters, anyway. Besides, we’re already at odds with Cerberus’ old members. A few more enemies won’t matter."

Although Blake still resented this woman for trying to snatch Sol, he couldn’t help admiring her stance.