13 A Gem Has Appeared [part 1]

Gilbert froze, his eyes glazing over as a profound sense of disillusionment washed over him.

This was the epitome of rottenness... No, no... what had he ever expected from someone like Rughsbourgh?

'Did I truly forget just how rotten this man can be?'

The very request itself should have been endearing when one considered the sort of man Rughsbourgh was.

Gilbert was no ordinary drifter - even formidable ones like Annette and Danzo paled in comparison.

Before him, they were mere amateurs. Gilbert stood among the rare few on the continent capable of fighting alongside the former Academy Principal himself.

An amazing drifter, one that has received a true name and was a sage, Gilbert surpassed the likes of Shin and the drunkard Annette by two ranks.

Drifters of his caliber were a rarity, found only within exclusive clans and private citadels.

Yet Gilbert was far more amazing than even those elite few - a consequence of the terrifying experiences he had garnered delving into rifts from a tender age.

To Rughsbourgh, he was indispensable, the perfect individual to spearhead a project of this magnitude.

If anyone could survive in the heart of a monster-infested wilderness, it would be him!

However, for such a dangerous request to be leveled at a man of Gilbert's caliber was nothing short of galling...

Even coming from the former Academy Principal himself, it felt like a deliberate insult, a blatant invitation to march towards his own demise.

A terrifying act that only a rotten human like Rughsbourgh could conceive.

Part of Gilbert wanted to acquiesce, just as he had initially thought - he was sure this cunning boy hadn't come here without a plan to drag him into this, willing or not.

Gilbert was convinced Rughsbourgh's audacity stemmed from a misguided attempt at benevolence.

He respected Rughsbourgh, but allowing the old man to demean his value in such a way didn't sit well.

For what was this crazy request if not an insult of the highest order?

Lowering his head, Gilbert allowed the shadows that had been banished to the room's corners to creep inward, curling around his feet.

Rughsbourgh glanced around with a frozen smile as his face contorted into a menacing grin, observing the 'truly pissed off' Gilbert.

"Hey, hey, you're not going to use that on me, are you?" Rughsbourgh uttered in a fierce voice, lifting his legs as the shadows spread towards his feet.

Gilbert's face was heavily shadowed, devoid of any trace of humor or playfulness as his eyes submerged in a horrific murkiness.

Rughsbourgh gulped audibly as he beheld the brawny old man's imposing figure.

Finally, Gilbert's voice rolled out with a frightening resonance that seemed to make the very ground tremble.

"What do you think you're doing?...GRANDMASTER RUGHSBOURGH?"

The shadows beneath him spiked dangerously, forcing Rughsbourgh to draw his legs up higher.

However, just then, Danzo burst in, swinging his sword in a wide arc.

The black steel whistled eerily as it parted the shadows, which hastily retreated back to the corners, shrinking and shivering.

Danzo turned to Gilbert, his brows lowering violently.

"Sir Gilbert, what is the meaning of this? Do you intend to harm the Principal in his weakened state?"

"Mmhmm, mmhmm," Rughsbourgh nodded with feigned pity as Danzo rebuked Gilbert.

Sighing, Gilbert shook his head. "You are as uptight as ever. I hope it does not lead to your own demise."

He raised his eyes to meet the grinning Rughsbourgh's gaze, his face turning cold.

"I do not trust your ways...at the very least, I can vouch that your intentions are true. I do not have an answer for your request yet. But I will seriously consider it and get back to you."

Finishing his piece, Gilbert stood, casting a glance at the cleanly-cut groove in the concrete floor where Danzo's blade had struck.

The ground of that area was split cleanly in half.

Gilbert's eyes returned to Danzo and the tip of the black blade pointing towards the ground.

The concrete floor was no ordinary surface - it was a creation of the great Mark Guberkson, one of the Central Plains' finest constructors.

Even a Master's attack should not have left a mark.

'...He has progressed.'

Before Gilbert could ponder further, Rughsbourgh rose with a stern expression, though a remnant of his senile smile lingered.

"You don't understand, Gilly..." The old man paused, his smile widening wickedly. "What I ask of you is never a request... I mean... we could go the ugly route about this if that's what you want?"

Rughsbourgh shrugged nonchalantly, his wicked grin making his intentions abundantly clear.

'I regret the day I became entangled with you... To think I once trusted someone like this.'

Gilbert looked at Danzo, the corners of his lips turned down as he shook his head a moment later.

The poor man was overly committed to serving and protecting the Academy Principal, despite none having the power to truly harm him.

It was an ugly lie that Rughsbourgh was at his weakest after a body swap - Gilbert had witnessed the terrifying might of his power shortly after such a transition.

Rughsbourgh was a genuinely terrifying creature, and Gilbert didn't want to dwell on how bad things could get.

He knew, deep down, that he would ultimately take this path - he had no choice from the beginning.

It was ugly and annoying, but Rughsbourgh always ensured things went entirely his way.

Tension hung thick in the air as Rughsbourgh's words were met with stony silence from Gilbert.

The brawny old man glared at his former Principal with as little vitriol as he could muster - any more would be disrespectful, and provoke Danzo's ire.

The last thing he wanted was to pick a fight with a protector when he was not yet back in peak condition.

Just then, a heavy tremor shook the entire building.

Gilbert's face paled... even Rughsbourgh's eyes widened momentarily before a dangerously elated spark flickered to life within them, his lips curling into a triumphant sneer.

"A gem! A gem has appeared!!" he shouted exultantly.