NOVEL NEXT Chapter 58: CH 58
The laughter died down… but the damage was already done.
One by one, hunters began rising from their seats—not with reverence, not with silent respect, but with dismissive shrugs and disappointed groans. The crackling energy that once filled the ceremonial hall was gone, replaced by the low murmur of boots against polished floors and the occasional clink of gear as they filed out.
The hiss of scorn still lingered in the air, like smoke after a failed firework.
A burly hunter near the aisle muttered under his breath, "Should've stayed home. At least my dog believes in me."
"Peerless Guild? More like Clueless Cult," someone else scoffed.
Laughter trailed behind them like echoing nails on glass as the hall emptied.
Kyle stood still, jaw clenched, eyes hollow. The roar of mockery couldn't pierce the cold storm brewing behind his gaze. He didn't look at his guild members, nor did he acknowledge the journalists snapping photos like vultures circling fresh meat. He simply lowered the mic and gave a subtle nod.
The ceremony was over.
Just not the way he imagined.
The Peerless Guild followed him in silence, like a disciplined army retreating from a battle they hadn't even fought.
Tyrone Gardon, however, wasn't done.
As the crowd thinned, he took center stage once more, turning to the floating camera drones with the polished ease of a man who had mastered public slander.
The stream lights flickered back to full brightness, and Tyrone's grin returned wider, sharper, practically glowing with mischief.
"Well, folks," he said, adjusting his mic with a lazy flair, "there you have it. Another hero… another headstone."
The chat feed beneath the live broadcast erupted instantly.
@HunterSlayzz99: Bro did NOT just say that LOL
@DungeonMommy101: Tyrone is so unhinged I love it
@RealManSuko: Kyle: 'We go in Peerless.' Dungeon Boss: 'Bet.'
@AwakenedTea: Not another ego with a martyr complex
#AnotherHeadstone started trending within minutes.
Tyrone wasn't finished yet.
"I mean, give it up for Kyle Nyeku, everyone!" he said, voice practically dripping sarcasm. "Nothing screams 'success' like walking into the world's deadliest dungeon because you 'feel ready.'" He mimed air quotes with exaggerated flair. "Feeling ready cures death now, apparently!"
The audience at home lost it.
Viewers across HunterTok and StreamShatter clipped the moment instantly, looping Tyrone's commentary over dramatic music, horror sound effects, and even cat memes. The internet exploded with edited clips of Kyle's solemn face juxtaposed with "Another one bites the dust" playing in the background.
"Next time," Tyrone added, glancing at the camera with a wink, "maybe bring a prayer, a backup guild, and a funeral pre-booked. Y'know, just in case."
Laughter erupted againvonline and off.
Tyrone turned to face the camera head-on for his closing monologue.
"This is Tyrone Gardon, your favorite cynical voice of reason, signing off from the Peerless Guild's pep rally to purgatory. Remember, folks: bravery is admirable… but stupidity has a body count."
He gave a mock salute.
"Sleep tight, Neonsvale. And Kyle? Try not to die too early. The ratings are better if you at least make it past the first corridor."
The screen faded to black with a final note of jazzy outro music.
But by then, it was too late.
Kyle Nyeku wasn't just a man anymore.
He was the news.
He was the joke.
And he was trending.
Everywhere.
#AnotherHeadstone
#PeerlessPlunge
#DungeonFodder
#KyleVsCommonSense
The internet had crowned its new fool.
And yet… somewhere behind that storm of mockery and satire, in the shadows of the guild's retreating steps… Kyle's expression hadn't changed.
Not even slightly.
Because while the world laughed
He was already preparing for war.
The Dark Face Guild's headquarters sat nestled within the misty steel skyline of Argent City, its obsidian spires like black fangs reaching for the clouds. Inside, the top floor of the central tower pulsed with a quiet tension. Only a few dared to enter this floor unless summoned.
Within the dim-lit office, flickering with the glow of a massive holo-screen, sat the man known as Wolfram Dreigas, leader of the Dark Face Guild and a living legend across the Valerian Republic.
The news anchor's voice echoed through the office like a distant bell tolling doom.
> "and in breaking news, the recently promoted SSS-Rank hunter, Kyle Nyeku, leader of the Peerless Guild, has been caught on camera declaring what some are calling a self-written obituary. Eyewitnesses report that he willingly approached the gate of Dungeon Boss the newly emerged anomaly and proclaimed, quote, 'I came to welcome the dungeon boss myself.' Many speculate this to be a suicide mission."
Wolfram Dreigas, a mountain of a man in his mid-fifties with silver-streaked black hair and eyes like frozen obsidian, leaned back into his chair. A slow grin spread across his weathered face.
Then… he burst into laughter.
A deep, guttural laugh. The kind that rumbled like an avalanche.
His laughter echoed through the room like rolling thunder, shaking the wine glasses on the side table and startling a few guards standing outside his door.
"HAH! Welcome the dungeon boss? He says that like he's delivering a cake to a goddamn birthday party!"
He wiped a tear from the corner of his eye, the deep creases of his battle-hardened face only making his mirth seem more sinister.
This was Wolfram ranked within the top ten hunters of the entire world. The kind of man who walked into S-rank dungeons alone and came out with scars that whispered of monsters no one ever saw again. The kind of man whose very name made rogue guilds think twice before making a move in Valeria.
And yet… Kyle Nyeku's antics amused him.
A soft knock broke through the lingering laughter.
The thick wooden doors opened, and a young man in formal black stepped in. It was Revin, Wolfram's assistant nervous, but used to the unpredictable moods of the Dark Face Guild leader.
"Sir," Revin began, clearing his throat, "a formal request just came in… from the Peerless Guild."
Wolfram raised an eyebrow, still chuckling.
"They want your cooperation," Revin continued carefully, "to jointly engage Dungeon Boss and… possibly, the dungeon Monster inside."
There was a pause.
Then Wolfram leaned forward slowly, one hand stroking the sharp edge of his beard.
He stared at the message displayed on the side monitor a well-formatted digital letter sealed with Peerless Guild's gold insignia.
For a moment, he said nothing.
Then he barked out an even louder laugh.
"HAAAA! These kids! So full of juice and thunder, so eager to die gloriously before they even learn how to dodge a proper death blow!"
He slapped the table, causing the wood to creak beneath his gauntlet-covered hand.
"Tell them no," he said, voice like iron dragging against stone. "I have no intention of dragging the name of the Dark Face Guild through a fool's circus. Let the boy chase his death if he wants to."
Revin blinked. "Sir, should I... be polite in the rejection?"
Wolfram grinned, revealing sharp teeth stained by old cigars and battle.
"Be respectfully disrespectful. You know the tone."
Revin bowed slightly. "Yes, sir."
As he turned to leave, Wolfram looked back at the paused image of Kyle Nyeku on the screen standing tall, bold, facing the swirling entrance to Dungeon Sigma with fire in his eyes.
Wolfram's chuckle softened.
"Still… I'll be watching, boy. Let's see if your fire burns the world… or yourself."
The heavy scent of roasted coffee beans lingered in the air as Kyle Nyeku sat at his desk in the heart of the Peerless Guild headquarters, the weight of the world pressing down on his shoulders. The large window before him offered a panoramic view of the city below, but he wasn't looking at the skyline. His eyes were locked onto the holographic map displayed on his desk an intricate weave of dungeon data, enemy movement patterns, and areas he had to infiltrate to get to Dungeon Sigma.
How do I even start? he thought, rubbing the back of his neck. His mind raced through strategies, each more dangerous and impractical than the last. The Dungeon Boss wasn't just a challenge it was a living, breathing nightmare.
But Kyle wasn't someone to back down from a challenge. Never had been. He was the Peerless Guild, after all.
His thoughts, however, were interrupted by the soft click of the door behind him. He didn't even need to turn around to know who it was.
Alina.
Her voice was professional, yet there was an undertone of amusement as she stepped into the room, holding a small tablet in one hand.
"Kyle," she began, her tone light but with a hint of seriousness, "I've got the latest updates for you."
Kyle didn't look up immediately, his fingers still tapping restlessly on the map's surface. But the moment Alina mentioned the latest updates, his focus sharpened. Alina was more than just his assistant she was his closest confidant, a sharp mind in her own right, and perhaps the only person who could keep his feet on the ground when his ambition threatened to carry him into the sky.
"What's going on?" Kyle asked, finally meeting her eyes.
Alina didn't answer immediately. Instead, she dropped the tablet onto his desk with a flourish, and it flickered to life. A stream of comments from HunterTok and various Stream Chats filled the screen, showing a flurry of memes, jokes, and insults. Kyle leaned forward, intrigued, and his brows furrowed as he scanned the chaos.