Chapter 58: From Assault To Rampage - Part 2

—"Arrggghhhh!"— —Baammm!— "What is happening this time?" Once again, Arezu, along with other adventurers, stood before the still-closed massive double doors of the Adventurers' Guild. The first bell, which rang at six in the morning, had sounded a while ago. And though there wasn't any schedule announcement from the guild today, the front doors remained shut. What's more concerning is that, even though the adventurers were clearly alarmed and wanted to check what was happening inside the guild, the entrance refused to budge—no matter how much they pushed the massive double doors. —"Arrggghhhh!"— —Baammm!— Only panicked screams could be faintly heard from inside the guild, accompanied by the continuous sounds of crashing and bashing. "Does anyone know what's happening inside?" Arezu's anxious question wasn't so much a demand for information as it was a desperate hope that someone would make a guess—one that didn't confirm what he was already thinking. Unfortunately, that hope was crushed by the truth he didn't want to hear. "It's Lady Impaler... she's finally lost it." That girl! What the heck is she doing now?! While Arezu screamed internally and grumbled to himself, he covered his face with both hands—partly from secondhand embarrassment, but mostly due to the barrage of questioning looks directed at him. The few guild staff who had escaped through the back door began explaining the situation to the confused and terrified adventurers. An hour before the first bell—before the guild's scheduled opening—Lynn had arrived a bit earlier than usual, which the staff were accustomed to. At first glance, there was nothing unusual about her. She wore her usual attire: a white blazer and black skirt, paired with a flowing black robe. Even her elegant platinum-blonde hair was styled in its usual lace-braid ponytail. Her cheerful smile showed that Lynn was, seemingly, in a good mood. But even the staff could tell something was off—especially when they saw the murderous glint in her eccentric eyes, and the fact that she remained standing right at the entrance. At that moment, anyone with a shred of survival instinct sensed danger. "Gust" But before they could rise from their seats or take a single step, a violent gust of wind burst forth from where Lynn stood. It wasn't strong enough to knock down the adventurers inside the guild hall, but it was forceful enough to slam shut the double doors, sealing the entrance. What happened next sent the entire guild into a panic. "Glacier" A burst of cold air and freezing white mist engulfed the entire guild. In the blink of an eye, the hall was covered in a thick layer of clear ice, sealing every possible exit—windows, hallways, doors, and even the front entrance. The staff behind the reception counter and others in the offices remained safe, easily escaping through the back door. But everyone in the hall was now trapped—with the rampaging Lady Impaler. Arezu crouched down in shame, mortified by the judging stares from all the guild staff and adventurers—because, unfortunately, he was Lynn's one and only party member. "Can't you do something to stop or at least calm her down, Mr. Arezu?" One of the adventurers Arezu had temporarily teamed up with a few days ago asked the question, almost pleading. Though Arezu did want to do something about Lynn's rampage, the fact that she had resorted to using an advanced-level mystic spell inside the guild meant she was seriously pissed off. And Arezu really didn't want to get involved in whatever mess she was making. Still, as Lynn's only party member, it was his responsibility to look after her—especially the trouble she caused as an adventurer. Just what the heck did I get myself into? Complaining inwardly, Arezu got up from the ground, grabbed the halberd-axe strapped to his back, and took his stance. Standing in front of the entrance, he raised the weapon with both hands, extended the domain of his mana from his body into the halberd-axe, and activated his combat skill as he swung down—aiming at the small gap between the two massive doors. 'Shatter' A loud crashing sound echoed from the entrance of the guild—but it wasn't the doors that broke. Instead, it was the ice sealing them that shattered. After the strike, Arezu strapped his halberd-axe back onto his back and moved to push the doors open. But the moment the entrance opened, a projectile shot out from the gap between the doors. Luckily for Arezu, the projectile—a block of ice—missed his face by an inch. Or more accurately, it barely changed direction in time to avoid hitting him. That scene was enough to scare the other adventurers behind Arezu, causing them to quickly back away from the entrance. Pushing the doors wide enough to step through, Arezu finally saw the scene inside. Just near the entrance, Lynn stood with her back turned to him—only slightly glancing over her shoulder. She was clearly pissed off. No, mad would be a better word, with a murderous look in her eyes. On the ice-covered floor, several familiar adventurers lay unconscious—including George. Arezu immediately recognized them as some of the 24 adventurers who had been rescued from the cursed weapons incident. The remaining adventurers and staff were hiding behind barricades made of tables or behind the vanguards who were tanking Lynn's Ice Lance mystic spells. Regardless of the situation, Arezu tried to reason with her. "What are you doing, Lynn?" he asked, keeping his tone as calm and laid-back as possible—without a hint of nervousness or annoyance, hoping not to aggravate her further. Still raging, Lynn snapped back. "I'm merely flushing out the bastard who dared to assault me last night—" "We already told you—we wouldn't stoop that low!" Lynn's conversation with Arezu was cut off by one of the adventurers. And that, obviously, pissed her off even more. "Ice Lance" —Baammm!— —"Arrggghhhh!"— "I know it was one of you bastards! If you still can't accept that Mr. Arezu and I are the new Dungeon Conquerors, then fight me here and now!" While Lynn bombarded the remaining adventurers with multiple blocks of ice—an improvised version of her Ice Lance mystic spell—Arezu seized the chance to approach her. He gently placed a hand on top of her head and gave her a soft pat. As Lynn looked up at him in surprise, Arezu said in a wistful voice: "I'm sorry, it's my fault... I should've walked you home last night." Lynn slowly looked away, clearly trying to hide her blushing face and flustered reaction. "It wasn't your fault, Mr. Arezu," she replied, her voice much calmer—hinting that she was starting to settle down. That should be enough, right? Arezu thought, assuming the chaos was finally over. But that thought was immediately proven wrong. "Whirlwind" A cyclone of wind suddenly erupted around Lynn and Arezu. Arezu had seen this mystic spell before—but this one was different. More dangerous. Rather than just a violent gust, this was a vortex of sharp wind blades—whirling like a cyclone of blades, trapping both of them inside. "What the fuck have you done... Lynn?!"