The Most Satisfied Reincarnate

As Desmond scanned the surroundings, his ears caught the distinct sound of approaching footsteps. Curiosity piqued, he swiveled around, only to find Katrina struggling under the weight of a precarious pile of parchment scrolls.

"Pardon me, sir," Katrina implored, her brow creased with the burden she bore. "Could you lend me a hand?" In her haste, she inadvertently dropped a portion of the scrolls, their imminent collapse urging Desmond to intervene.

However, Desmond's response was one of apparent reluctance, as if he harbored an aversion to lending assistance. "What's the matter? Can't you see my hand?" he retorted, his shoulders shrugging in a gesture that emphasized his absent right limb.

Annoyance tinged Katrina's features as she let out an exasperated snort. "Tch," she huffed, slowly maneuvering the remaining scrolls toward the front of the table. Her true intent was to gauge Desmond's strength, a task assigned to her by the Guild Master, who had ventured into the treacherous beast territory.

With a rough thud, Katrina deposited the scrolls onto the table's surface, her disdain evident in her disgruntled gaze. "Hmph, these are the guild's regulations. You'll have to decipher them on your own," she retorted, a mix of frustration and assessment present in her voice.

Desmond, taken aback by her response, remained momentarily stunned. "What the hell?! Do you expect assistance from someone who's already lost a hand?" he retorted incredulously, eyeing the multitude of scrolls scattered before him. As if driven by curiosity, he reached for one at random, preparing to peruse its contents.

To his astonishment, however, Desmond discovered something intriguing as he perused the scroll's words. "Excuse me, miss?" he called out, his voice resonating with a newfound confidence. "According to this passage, it states that the guild staff is responsible for elucidating the rules to prospective mercenaries," Desmond pointed emphatically at the pertinent section on the scroll.

"Moreover, it suggests that if the staff fails to exhibit a friendly demeanor, prospective clients and active mercenaries possess the right to report such misconduct directly to the Guild Master." Raising his voice, Desmond ensured his words reverberated throughout the guild hall, capturing the attention of all present.

The mere mention of the Guild Master caused Katrina to flinch visibly. She turned on her heels, her cheeks tinged with a flush of embarrassment. "Oh, my apologies. I seem to have overlooked that aspect. Let us start anew," she conceded, promptly retreating to the guild's inner chambers with the majority of the scrolls. Within seconds, she reappeared, clutching just one scroll in her hands.

With the reception table tidied, Katrina unrolled the remaining parchment, revealing a scroll far more extensive than its initial appearance suggested. Its length extended nearly the entire breadth of the reception table.

Desmond stood dumbfounded, his eyes bulging and his mouth agape, struggling to comprehend how such a seemingly diminutive roll could stretch and unfurl with such elasticity. Witnessing Desmond's incredulity, Katrina couldn't help but chuckle softly, striding to the far end of the table and pointing to the leftmost row, indicating the beginning of the scroll's contents.

"First and foremost, you must complete this form in its entirety, infusing it with a trace of your own energy," Katrina elucidated, her gaze momentarily distant as she explained the procedure. However, upon concluding her instructions, she was taken aback by the conspicuous absence of Desmond's response.

Lifting her head, Katrina scanned the immediate surroundings, her eyes darting in search of the enigmatic applicant. To her surprise, she discovered Desmond standing motionless in the exact spot where she had left him, seemingly lost in his own thoughts.

Furrowing her brows, Katrina approached Desmond with an assertive stride, her frustration evident in the bulging veins on her forehead. She slammed her hand against the table, aiming to seize his attention.

"Excuse me, sir!" she barked, her tone laced with impatience.

Desmond snapped out of his reverie, his attention recaptured. As Katrina ordered him to follow her in order to unravel the scroll's enigmatic nature, he nodded in acquiescence. Yet, just as he prepared to take a step forward, an unexpected paralysis overcame him, freezing him in place.

[The host's mind is being assailed by a mind-altering spell.]

Desmond's thoughts raced as he realized his sudden inability to move or employ his senses. His body remained trapped, unyielding to even the slightest attempt to turn his head. Memories of Alice's previous attack flooded his consciousness, and he recollected the System's request for permission to erase the spell. However, this time...

[System Analysis: Indeed, host. During the previous encounter, the assailant employed a spell that affected the host's suggestions. However, it appears that the current spell obstructs the host's capacity to issue commands to other parts of the body.]

[Warning: This spell is now encroaching upon the host's consciousness, and its activation may prompt defense measures.]

Panic consumed Desmond's mind as he comprehended the gravity of the situation.

"Shit! Initiate defense mode, or this infiltrator might inflict severe harm upon me," he inwardly implored.

[Creating Task...

Utilized 1 Slot

Status: In Progress 0%

Work in Progress: 50% ...

Status: Completed

Saving to Database ...

Data Successfully Saved!]

[System Defense Mode: Activated

While this mode is active, the host will be unable to access the aid of spells, maps, and task lists. However, the system will diligently safeguard the host against any form of energy that may endanger the host's internal well-being.]

Desmond's sense of helplessness intensified as he found himself bereft of control over the elemental forces surrounding him. Attempting to trigger his swordsman skills proved futile, as the powers remained unresponsive, held captive by the unseen shackles that bound him.

"Fuck! Utterly useless," Desmond thought helplessly, his gaze fixated on the wooden plank displaying the name of the Raven Soul Guild. A sense of despair washed over him as he contemplated his immobile state, veins protruding visibly on his frozen body.

As footsteps drew nearer, Desmond's despair deepened. "Ah... Shit," he ruminated, attempting in vain to mobilize any part of his body, but his efforts proved fruitless. Only his pulsating veins served as a grim reminder of his entrapment.

"Excuse me, sir?" the voice of a guild receptionist pierced through the despair, offering a glimmer of relief amidst Desmond's frozen existence.

"Almost... I thought this would be the end for me," he thought, gratitude seeping into his consciousness.

Meanwhile, the concealed spies within the guild sprang into action upon witnessing Desmond's immobilized state.

"Hurry, I've cast mind spells on him."

"Alright, apprehend him now." The group of ten spies, who typically lurked in the guild's lobby in search of valuable information, swiftly implemented their plan. Upon Desmond's arrival and expressed desire to join the guild, they promptly alerted their superior and received explicit orders from the enigmatic leader.

One of the mercenaries courageously unleashed a spell upon Desmond, heedless of the audaciousness of conducting such an act within the guild's premises.

...

Katrina's eyebrows shot up and the veins on her forehead bulged as she advanced towards Desmond, who appeared lost in his reverie, fixated on the Raven Soul Guild's wooden plank.

"Hey, sir!" she exclaimed, forcefully slamming her hand onto the table. Her intention was to create a resounding sound that would jolt Desmond from his daydreaming state regarding the guild's plank.

However, as she approached Desmond, she noticed a group of mercenaries engaged in conversation suddenly rise from their seats, their collective movement carrying an air of concealed intent. While such occurrences were not uncommon, what sparked Katrina's suspicion was the simultaneous approach of all the mercenaries.

Reacting swiftly, she sent a telepathic message infused with magic to the guards stationed at the front door, the top floor, and the back door of the guild, urgently summoning additional support.

As the mercenaries closed in on Desmond, their distance diminishing to a mere five meters, Katrina's intuition grew stronger. Something was amiss about Desmond's demeanor as he continued to fixate on the guild board, his veins pulsating and his expression betraying an undercurrent of urgency. She also observed his eyes blinking rapidly, further heightening her alertness.

"NOW!" she bellowed, her voice resounding with authority, a command meant to unleash the decisive counteraction.