Chapter 028 : The Strongest

Standing in front of the mission board with looking across the board Riley was searching for her next mission. She frowned her face looking at how B-class missions were boring and always the same thing as last time. She sighed with her eyes looking at the A and S-class missions on the other side of the board. Behind her a looming shadow slowly approached her side. 

Riley slightly turned her face looking across her shoulder seeing a figure wearing a long cloak, and long black boots. He pulled out his hand grabbing a mission paper from the mission board. 

"Hey, what are you doing!?" asked Riley. The figure in cloak continued to walking away from her side.

"Hey there, I am talking to you, sir!!" Riley said yelled throughout the guild. The whole room went shut with every eye pointing at the two. The figure in cloak lifted up his face under the hoodie looking at Riley. He interjected seeming to be confused by her reaction towards him. 

"Sorry to ask, did I do something wrong?" The figure in cloak spoken with a soft tone asking. He pulled down his hoodie showing his, short dark hair and brown eyes. 

Everyone else widened their eyes and mouths with surprised at the figure face. All of the people stopped speaking, drinking and eating seeing the figure close to Riley. The figure was the rank S-class adventurer Ryan (The Dark King).

"Yeah, you took that mission. I wanted that mission," Riley snapped her fingers next to Ryan face. Ryan blankly stared at her with a confused expression.

He raised his hand up interrupting her next words. Riley expression froze up as Ryan stood close to her face; She was surprised as no one had ever interrupted her before.

"Oh sorry, I saw you were still looking the board but I did know you wanted this one. You are a S-class adventurer?" Ryan asked lowering his eyes as Riley was shorter than him in height.

Riley paused thinking if she should tell him her real class. She ignored his question and continued to ask for the mission paper he held on his hand. Ryan looked towards her with confusion as there were a board full of other missions, she could chose another one from one of them. But Riley refused to want another mission when she already wanted the one he ha on his hand.

"I'm sorry, but I can give you this one." 

Riley widened her facial expression as she was still surprised by Ryan attitude at her; He did not hesitate in speaking how he felt, he words did not cut her but they shook her up inside. Her cheeks turned red looking at Ryan brown eyes. 

Ryan turned his back walking off but Riley stopped him saying, "What's your name?" He slightly turned his face towards her. He then turned it back continuing walk off, but Riley rushed in front of him looking at his face asked again.

Ryan sighed with a annoyed look. He swept his gaze seeing that everyone were looking at the two. He wanted to escape her but Riley stood firm in front of him. He replied saying, "You can call me Ryan." 

"Ryan? I never heard of you, and this is my first time seeing you in the guild. re you a S-class adventurer?" Riley asked. Ryan with a annoyed face pulled out his adventurer card saying the he was a five-star adventurer. As five-star illustrate that a adventurer was a S-class adventurer, and four were A-class adventurers, three were B-class, two were C-class and one were D-class. E-class adventurers did not have any stars as they were consider much weaker than the rest of the other classes.

"Huh, I don't stay too long in the guild. Can I get know your name as well?" Ryan asked. Riley stammered to rely her name to him as she did not know him; Ryan told his name to her and shown his guild card proving he was part of the Demon Slayer guild but, she still felt uncomfortable telling her name to a stranger like Ryan. He had a trust worth face but she could rely her name to every person she met. 

Ryan slightly smiled noticing Riley nervously looking around as he asked for her name. Riley stammered and murmured to say her name. "I..I don't if I should tell you." 

"What wrong, it only your name? I was not asking you out."

Riley murmured saying her name, "I'm Riley."

Ryan raised his brow and then nodded his head. "Good to meet you, Riley." He smiled walked pass her shoulder. He walked towards the counter. 

When he approached the counter Ryan eyes looked towards Vera. He walked up towards her side, a smile formed on Vera face seeming to be delighted in seeing Ryan. He slammed with his hand a mission request at the counter. Vera approached his front taking a slight glance at the mission request on the counter. 

"Killing cyclops. That sounds fun to do. It been awhile since I last saw you Ryan, how have you been since..?" Vera asked with a worried tone. 

Ryan slightly smiled and replied, "I have been good, thanks. I'm sorry for not seeing you last time the mission demanded my full attention." Vera nodded her head with understanding. She folded both her arms around giving him a huge hug from around the counter. Ryan face turned emotional having glass tears on his eyes, he hugged her back. 

After sometime Vera let go of Ryan body. She then took out a large book from below the counter; The large book was the mission register where names of the adventurer who took up the mission where written inside. She wrote his name and the mission inside the book.

Ryan thanked Vera turning his back walking towards the door, but before he could reach the door Riley stood in front of him blocking his way. Ryan looked down puzzle at the strange girl. Most people would run at the sight of him but Riley was not fearing him or his aura. Riley walked up standing short in size beside Ryan height.

"Hey, are you leaving me behind?!" Riley stated shouting at Ryan face. Ryan hummed looking up and across the hall. He had never journey with anyone in all his missions, it was a bit occulted for anyone to ask he.

Looking close into both Riley eyes he wanted to regret her, but something inside of him could not do so. Ryan smiled agreeing for Riley to accompany him in the mission. Excited, Riley jumped with excitement and joy as she was about to go on her first S-class mission. 

Before walking through the door Riley with a interested look asking, "Hey there, what class are you?" Ryan widened his eyes stunned that she did not know who he was. He faintly laughed as there both walked out the guild. 

Murmuring, could be heard throughout the guild hall as Riley and Ryan walked out. Black walked with dishes to the back of the counter. He placed the dishes inside the water for Vera to wash them. He frowned his brows listening to the loud murmur inside the hall.

Black walked up at Vera asking, "Why everyone talking so loud after Riley had left with that adventurer?" 

Vera delightedly smiled looked at Black, she said, "Of course you don't know him. That adventurer you just met is the strongest S-class adventurer in the Demon Slayer guild."

Black frowned his look with disbelief at Vera words. He was also confused that Ryan was a the strongest adventurer in the guild, as he did not sense anything from him. 

Vera slightly laughed knowing what he was thinking in his head. "That guy name is Ryan and he is the strongest adventurer in our guild. There are five S-class adventurers in this guild, and Ryan is one of the five strongest adventurers in the Demon Slayer guild. He is the one number one S-class adventurer." She gave a short explanation of Ryan and his position; S-class adventurers were consider rare due to the level of powers and skills they have. Even to have only two S-class adventurers was rare for any guild but the Demon Slayer had five S-class adventurers. 

Black remarked to himself that he had been too absolved to his daily work at the counter than being a adventurer. He had fully forgotten his true plan, and he had to get back on the road quick. He wanted to be the Demon King, so he had to get back to training.

"Ryan was the strongest adventurer for a long time. I am sure he might be the oldest S-class adventurer in the world. He usually does not stay long in the guild taking on missions that take years to finish. Most of his time is spend on missions." Vera lightly spoken about Ryan to Black. Black nodded his head sensing some kind of relationship by the sound of Vera voice. 

"Are you guys friends?" asked Black.

"Yeah, he is my best friend," Vera replied smiling. Black blankly stared at Vera sadden expression saying that. She was not speaking as someone who was still sure of her words. 

"You said there were five S-class adventurers, who are the other ones?" Black firmly looked at Vera eyes. 

"Huh, I see. You want to know about other four, you should avoid three of them for your own safety. Whenever you meet one of them you should avoid them at all times, or you will end-up fighting them. They enjoy starting fights with newbies like you just to show off their own strength. Promise me you will avoid them at all times alright!"

Black nodded his head promising to avoid them on the outside, but inside his head he wondered how stronger were those adventurers. He clinched both his hands in excitement hoping to meet all of them. Recollecting, he did not sense any powerful aura coming from Ryan, and thought to himself if he was even that stronger as Vera said so. Even when Riley was standing in front of him only Riley present was noticed from him. It seem like he was not even there at Riley side.

Vera frowned her brows seeing through Black smiling face. She quickly worried about the dangerous of fighting a S-class adventurer, as there are much powerful than the rest of the other classes. Black was still a E-class adventurer the lowest class. "Hey, you shouldn't think of fighting a S-class at all. Don't tell me you want to die so bad you will fight them, I am telling you don't even try them alright," She stated with a seriously stein voice. She did not want him fighting the strongest adventurers, he might not live to see other day. Black faintly laughed at the thought of him being defeated by someone. 

"Can you tell me all of their names?" Black faintly smiled while asking at Vera. Vera looked at him with a stein expression. She explained to him all the top adventurers from S to D- class, E-class adventurers were not included as they were the weakest class.