Chapter 54: The Most Unusual Recruitment

But suddenly, the temperature spiked.

The air became thick and oppressive, shimmering with a sudden, intense heat. The space around Lindis and Kaela began to glow with a deep, pulsating crimson light, as if the very oxygen were turning into embers.

Both women froze, glancing around in confusion. Lindis felt a sudden shift in the wind and reached out, tapping Kaela on the shoulder. Without looking up, Lindis whispered, her eyes fixed on the stratosphere.

"Look... up."

For a heartbeat, there was only a speck of light in the grey sky. Then, the speck expanded. A pillar of roaring, incandescent flame descended with the speed of a falling star, slamming into the center of the goblin circle with the force of a tactical nuke.

BOOOOOM!

A shockwave of pure fire erupted outward in a perfect sphere. The goblins didn't even have time to scream; they were simply incinerated, turned to ash in a flash of crimson heat. The pressure of the blast was so immense that nearby cars were tossed aside like toys, their paint peeling and bubbling instantly, while the walls of the surrounding houses cracked and crumbled under the sheer force of the wind.

As the smoke cleared and the flames flickered out, a figure stood in the center of the blackened crater.

She was an imposing presence, radiating a level of power that made the air hum. This was Seo Yeon, the legendary Guild Leader of the Crimson Scale. And she was wearing a pair of oversized, fluffy blue pajamas adorned with tiny, brown teddy bears.

Her grey eyes were half-closed, heavy with a sleepiness that seemed to permeate her entire being. She raised a hand to cover her mouth and let out a long, loud, soul-shaking yawn.

"Mmm... hnnngh..." she murmured, her voice thick and slurred, as if she were speaking through a pillow. "I came... as fast as I could... saw the request... some guy named Ethan... asked for help... zzz..."

She swayed slightly on her feet, her eyelids drooping further.

"Help is here now... I'll just... clean up the rest... after a quick... nap..."

Before she could finish her sentence, Seo Yeon’s head flopped forward, her chin hitting her chest. She remained perfectly upright, standing in the middle of the carnage, fast asleep.

As the dust settled from the incinerated goblin horde, a second figure stepped gracefully out of the lingering smoke.

Min-Jun, the Vice Guild Leader of the Crimson Scale, approached the two stunned women. If Seo Yeon was the image of sleepy chaos, Min-Jun was the image of curated absurdity. He was dressed in a set of vivid pink pajamas, the fabric littered with small, cheerful banana stickers that seemed to dance as he moved.

With a flourish, he leaned forward and bowed deeply, his movements as precise and polished as a courtier's.

"My sincerest apologies for the... unique presentation of our Guild Leader," he said, his voice smooth, melodic, and possessing a strange, magnetic quality that made every word sound like a promise of a better future. "You see, she hosted a rather spirited party for the guild last night. The celebrations were, shall we say, quite thorough. I trust you can forgive her for arriving in her bedtime attire?"

As he spoke, there was an irresistible pull to his words, a subtle weight that made it nearly impossible to disagree with him. It wasn't just politeness; it was a captivating persuasion that smoothed over the absurdity of the situation.

Then, in a sudden shift, Min-Jun straightened. He adjusted the glasses on the bridge of his nose, and for a fleeting second, the warmth in his eyes vanished. His glance became razor-sharp, a cold, calculating look that pierced through the two women, stripping away their defenses.

"Now," he murmured, his voice dropping an octave, "regarding the Guild Leader's current... aesthetic. I presume we can all agree that this particular image will remain a closely guarded secret? It would be such a tragedy, wouldn't it, if the world's most feared hunter were known primarily for her love of teddy-bear pajamas?"

Lindis and Kaela didn't even think to hesitate. The sheer force of his presence, combined with the terrifying power they had just witnessed from the sleeping woman, made them nod in a synchronized, frantic motion.

The coldness vanished instantly. Min-Jun clapped his hands together, a bright, genuine-looking smile returning to his face.

"Wonderful! I knew I could count on such reasonable and discerning ladies," he beamed. "Now, please, leave the rest to us. We shall scrub the remaining filth from these streets and ensure everything is handled with the utmost discretion. You've both done a commendable job today. Please, go and get some well-deserved rest."

As he spoke, two assistants—both women dressed in matching grey pajamas—stepped forward with practiced efficiency. They moved like a choreographed team, sliding their arms beneath the snoring Seo Yeon and lifting her with effortless care.

They carried the sleeping powerhouse toward a vehicle that looked entirely out of place in the ruined street: a sleek, midnight-black Lamborghini Revuelto. Its sharp, aggressive lines and carbon-fiber finish shimmered under the street lamps, a masterpiece of Italian engineering that screamed wealth and power.

The assistants carefully tucked Seo Yeon into the plush leather interior of the supercar. As the door hissed shut with a vacuum seal, Min-Jun gave one last, charming wave.

"Safe travels, ladies! Do try to forget the bananas!"

Lindis and Kaela stood in the silence of the scorched street, staring at the spot where the midnight-black Lamborghini had vanished. The air still smelled of ozone and burnt goblin, and the sheer absurdity of the last ten minutes had left them both feeling slightly dissociated.

Lindis slowly turned to Kaela, her brow furrowed in genuine confusion. "What... in the name of everything... was that about?" she asked, her voice sounding small in the wake of the destruction. "The pajamas? The bananas? The... everything?"

Kaela glanced around the desolate street, looking at the charred remains of the goblins and the crumbling walls. She let out a long, weary sigh, her shoulders slumping. "Honestly? I don't know. I just don't know. I’ve heard rumors that the Crimson Scale was eccentric, but I didn't realize 'eccentric' meant 'dressed like a fruit salad while crashing a supercar into a war zone.'"

Just as they began to turn away, a sudden, high-pitched scream of tires tore through the air.

SCREEEECH!

Both women jumped, letting out a startled gasp as the black Lamborghini came roaring back, executing a perfect, aggressive drift that sent a cloud of smoke billowing around them. The car slid to a halt mere inches from where they stood, the tires smoking and the engine humming like a predatory beast.

The passenger window slid down with a smooth, electric hiss. Min-Jun leaned out, his pink banana pajamas still bright and cheerful, his smile as polished as ever.

"Oh! My deepest apologies!" he exclaimed, his voice once again carrying that irresistible, magnetic pull. "I realized I had omitted a few crucial details in my haste to get our slumbering leader to a proper bed."

He reached over and produced two elegant, gold-embossed business cards. He extended them toward the girls with a graceful flick of his wrist.

"Please," Min-Jun said, his tone becoming soft and persuasive, "be a dear and ensure the other card reaches Ethan. Tell him that the Crimson Scale Guild would be honored to have him. Tell him he has all the time in the world to think about it, and emphasize—most importantly—that the Guild Leader personally has his back."

He paused, his eyes twinkling with a hint of mischief behind his glasses.

"And please, let him know that he is more than welcome, regardless of the fact that his rank is E at best. In fact, if any of his friends are interested in a career with... dynamic benefits, they are all welcome to apply."

Before either of them could ask how a sleeping woman in teddy-bear pajamas could possibly "have the back" of an E-Rank sloth, Min-Jun gave them a quick, playful wink.

Snap!

The window zipped shut. With another roar of the engine, the Lamborghini tore away, leaving nothing behind but a lingering scent of expensive cologne and a fading trail of tire smoke.

Lindis looked down at the gold-embossed card in her hand, then back at the empty street.

"He's definitely insane," Lindis whispered.

"Totally," Kaela agreed, though she looked at the card with a curious glint in her eye. "But hey, at least the benefits probably include really nice pajamas."