(Twin Fang City, Guild District, Early Afternoon)
Leo spent the hours before his meeting in quiet observation, wandering the interlocked alleyways and ring roads of the guild district.
He kept to the shadows, not out of fear, but out of habit, as his eyes lingered on the local architecture— monuments built to glorify assassins, and murals painted in muted reds depicting legendary kills.
He stopped by the outer markets next, where blacksmiths hawked lightweight daggers and silence-enhancing footwear, and where a booth selling toxin-resistant gloves sat right beside another offering heart-stopping candy disguised as children's treats.
No one here asked questions and everyone watched their own back, as Leo felt oddly at home.
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(Twin Fang City – Venom Lily Bistro, 1:57 PM)
Leo arrived at the designated meeting point a few minutes ahead of schedule.
The restaurant was subtle but elegant, lit by flickering blue crystals and shielded behind soundproof walls.
Table 22, the table he was told to meet Mr.Raiden at, sat near the rear corner, far from the main entrance, making it an ideal spot for a conversation that wasn't meant to be overheard.
And to his surprise, Mr. Raiden seemed to already be there, waiting for him.
Raiden was a bald man with deep laugh lines and a warm, disarming smile.
His loose dark robes gave the illusion of a merchant or scribe, but Leo could feel the restraint in his posture— the kind honed by decades of dangerous stillness.
"You must be Leo," Raiden said, rising slightly and offering a handshake. "Welcome to the Black Serpents."
Leo returned the handshake with a nod, but said nothing.
"I saw you at the Interstellar Circuit Finals," Raiden continued, gesturing for Leo to sit.
"Of Course myself and everyone else in the guild were rooting for young master Darnell to win over you, hahaha, but we can't deny your brilliance! You fought well—" Raiden said, as Leo didn't reply, but rather just offered the faintest smile as he settled into his chair.
Raiden then poured them both water before getting to business.
"The Serpents are a free guild," he began. "We don't chain our members down. In any given calendar year, you're only expected to complete two missions of your choice to keep your membership active. And there are no mandatory deployments or suicide orders that you must follow."
Leo raised a brow, mildly intrigued.
"There's a public mission board updated daily," Raiden continued, "with each task marked clearly by risk and reward.
Ninety-five percent of what we do here is assassination— the clean, untraceable, and discreet kind.
Object retrieval and kidnappings are rare, but constitute the remaining 5%.
While escort and dungeon work? We don't touch that trash here at all."
Leo nodded, absorbing every word.
"The guild offers all its members some perks such as discounted access to weapons, poisons, black-market materials. And more importantly, a mission board that never runs dry. You'll never beg for work here."
Raiden leaned back.
"Most of us work solo. That's the norm. But if the guild comes under threat? You'll see a miracle, as loners band to become legions overnight.
When Darnell Nuna was taken, hundreds of thousands volunteered to help. That's the bond we share. Not obedience, but loyalty."
He took a sip from his glass.
"Also our reputation in the universe is rock solid.
The reason no one in the outer galaxies dares touch a Black Serpent is because the consequence is never one blade. If one of us dies on a mission— three more are sent, as the message is clear: success is inevitable, and the price for killing a serpent will be returned in kind."
Leo's expression didn't change, but a flicker of approval passed through his eyes.
Raiden smiled.
"Right now, you're free to do whatever you want. No pressure. But if you need anything— anything at all— you come to me as I'm your designated point of contact for your newbie year."
He paused, then added, "And if you're hungry for something dangerous… I'll be leading an expedition in seven days. Big risks. Bigger rewards. You've got six days to decide if you want in."
Leo met his eyes and gave a respectful nod.
"I'll keep that in mind."
"I guess that's it. Feel free to check out the headquarters and the guild's mess hall where most of the veterans have a permanent table they hang out at.
Also don't forget to visit the missions hall…. See if there's anything you like there.
You need to only complete two in a year's time and they can be of any difficulty, so the choice is yours.
Usually we don't kick out members for failed missions, but try and maintain a success rate of 75% or more, because otherwise it won't reflect well on your evaluation CV when bonus seasons roll around.
I sincerely hope you enjoy your time here!" Raiden said as he stood up to leave, with Leo doing the same.
The two shared a handshake, and Raiden left a handful of money on the table although the duo had ordered nothing but water, before walking out, as he did not hang around for more chit-chat.
'Man, I like this place—' Leo thought once Raiden left, as contrary to the Rodova mess hall, the atmosphere within the Venom Lily Bistro was entirely different.
Apart from the very soft instrumental music playing in the background to prevent sensory deprivation, there was not a single noise in his vicinity, as all the guests sitting within the restaurant seemed to be dining in absolute silence and without peeping into other people's dishes.
Even Raiden, who talked kindly enough to him, did not seem interested in small talk, as after saying what he needed, he left immediately without ceremony, showing how practical people were around here.
Since this was precisely the type of crowd Leo approved of, he couldn't help but break into a soft smile as he walked out of the restaurant, as although he had joined the Black Serpents Guild for the sole purpose of regaining his memories, he could see himself staying here for a while if he had nothing urgent to do in the short-term.
—-----------
After his meeting with Raiden concluded, Leo began looking for his assigned residential quarters in the outer ring, where he had been assigned housing like all new recruits.
His designated quarters were located on the fifth floor of a modest brick building nestled between a weapons merchant and a silent meditation dojo.
The hallways were clean but plain, and his room, Unit 5C, was equally unremarkable having only a single bed, a reinforced mana-proof desk, a wall-mounted combat dummy, and a wardrobe containing two spare guild bath robes.
After putting his duffle bag on the floor and locking the entrance door behind him, the first thing that Leo did was to search the apartment for surveillance crystals or voice transmission arrays, however, he found nothing of the sort.
The Black Serpents did not seem to keep an eye on their guild members, making his apartment home a safe environment for him to call Muiyan Faye.
'I hope she picks up—' Leo thought, as he retrieved the communication crystal Faye had given him before his departure from Rodova, and softly injected his mana inside it, until the crystal ball started to glow blue.