Dungeon King of the New Era

'Of course there is conflict already. When has things ever gone easy with Raven around. I feel like I am in a battle that has no good outcome.'

Shura, who had initially felt relieved that things were going smoothly, now felt the tension creeping back into his shoulders.

 He had expected Raven to take the deal, to go along with their initial plan of staying under the radar, but the glint of annoyance in Raven's eyes told him otherwise.

His gut clenched as he leaned in slightly, lowering his voice so only Raven could hear him.

"Raven, this was the plan. Behave." 

Shura said, his tone begging as he tried to reason with Raven.

Raven merely shrugged, leaning back in his chair with a smirk. 

"Yeah, well, I changed my mind."

Shura inhaled sharply, resisting the urge to massage his temples. 

Of course, Raven had changed his mind. Nothing was ever simple with him. But what worried Shura more was the way the association members were beginning to react. 

Some of them were whispering hurriedly, trying to find a way out of this mess, but deep down, they knew there was no easy solution. 

No matter what they did, they couldn't stop Raven from doing what he wanted.

One of the older members, his face pale and hands trembling, cleared his throat. 

"Y-You can't seriously be thinking about revealing yourself. That would cause chaos!"

"Would it? But I am sure people would forgive their 'Great Hero' for this, won't they? Or would it simply shift the balance of power back where it belongs?" 

Raven asked, tilting his head. 

Several members grimaced at that. They knew exactly what he meant.

If the world knew Raven Steel was alive, everything would change. The current top players in the system, the new rising elites, the so-called untouchable figures of the modern era—none of them would hold a candle to him. 

And the worst part was that the Association had no means to stop him. If they tried to suppress him, all he had to do was enter The Arena.

The Arena's system was designed to scan and store all player information. 

It was completely tamper-proof, making it impossible to forge identities. I

f Raven stepped into the Arena, the truth would be exposed, and the association had no way of countering that.

One of the younger members, clearly desperate, tried to grasp at straws. "We could claim he's a fake! That this is all some elaborate scheme!"

"That won't work. Once he enters the Arena, his data will be recorded in the system. It would confirm everything. The public will know" 

Another member muttered in defeat

The panic in the room became palpable. Raven, for his part, looked completely at ease, watching them squirm like a predator toying with its prey. He stretched lazily before finally deciding to speak again.

"I'll tell you what I want. I want unlimited access to money, no restrictions. And I want complete immunity. For as long as I live, I don't want to be bothered by rules, regulations, or whatever nonsense you people come up with." 

He said, his voice carrying the weight of absolute certainty. 

The room fell into a stunned silence. The demand was outrageous. Unprecedented. Unthinkable.

Shura stiffened beside him, his eyes widening. 

"Raven, that's—"

"Unacceptable! You're asking for a free pass to do whatever you please! That goes against everything the Association stands for!" 

One of the senior members slammed his hand against the table, his face red with fury. 

"Does it?"

Raven asked, his voice dangerously calm. The man opened his mouth to argue but quickly shut it. He knew the answer. Everyone did.

Raven wasn't just demanding immunity. He was outright declaring that their rules didn't apply to him.

And the worst part? They all knew that even if they refused, there was absolutely nothing they could do about it. 

Raven wasn't just strong—he was a force of nature. If they denied him, he could simply take what he wanted by force. And the casualties would be immense.

Even if the newer generation doubted Raven's power, the older generation knew what a demon he had been. 

And that was not even the worst part. The worst part would be the fans and the cult-like following Raven had. There would be no winning against him.

Shura sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"Raven, this is going to put a target on your back. Are you sure about this?"

Raven smirked. 

"Shura, I've always had a target on my back."

One of the older members, still looking sick with worry, hesitated before speaking. 

"If… If we were to agree to this, how do we know you won't turn against us?"

Raven's expression remained unreadable. 

"If I wanted you all dead, I wouldn't be sitting here negotiating."

That single sentence sent chills down their spines.

A long, agonizing silence followed. The Association members looked at each other, their minds racing, their fears swirling. They had no leverage. No options. No means of control.

Finally, the senior-most member exhaled deeply, his shoulders sagging in resignation.

"We don't have a choice, do we?"

"You do. It's to agree with me and give me what I want." 

Raven said simply.

Another heavy silence followed before the old man finally nodded. 

"Fine. We will grant your demands."

The weight of those words settled over the room. Some members looked horrified, others defeated. 

None of them were happy. But they all understood that this was the only path that didn't end in disaster for them.

Shura, watching it all unfold, could only shake his head. He had known from the beginning that Raven wasn't someone who could be controlled. 

But still, a part of him had hoped things wouldn't escalate to this point. Now, it was too late.

Raven grinned, standing up from his seat. 

"Glad we could come to an agreement."

With that, he turned to leave, his long coat billowing slightly as he strode toward the exit. Shura followed after him, his expression unreadable. As they stepped out of the room, he finally spoke.

"You really don't care about making enemies, do you?"

Raven chuckled. 

"I don't make enemies, Shura. They make themselves."

Shura sighed. 

"And what happens when they come after you?"

Raven glanced at him, a glint of excitement in his eyes. 

"Then I remind them why they feared me in the first place."

And with that, they disappeared down the hall, leaving the Association members in a state of quiet, helpless dread.