"Yeah, it is excellent," Terry said. "This will definitely help; you guys should ask Rebecca for a raise after this."

Terry could feel their pride and excitement in the air, and he couldn’t help but share in their enthusiasm. The new sword was undoubtedly powerful, and its design seemed to align with his combat style. The temptation to melt the black steel Destroyer and forge it into something new was strong, but Terry knew that hasty decisions could lead to regret. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Taking a step back, he decided to give the new sword some time. He wanted to wield it in battle, test its capabilities, and understand how it felt to fight with it. Only then could he make an informed decision about the black steel Destroyer?

Terry headed toward the communications room in a good mood, and soon he found Vanessa and Rebecca there. They could see bis new equipment, and that made sense, but they were more curious to see how much stronger Terry actually got with the Upgrade.

The guild masters’ faces appeared one after the other on the communication terminal, and Terry tried his best to maintain a composed demeanor. However, a small frown formed on his face when he saw Louis among them. It had been a long time since Louis had shown his face, and Terry couldn’t help but feel a mixture of annoyance and suspicion at his sudden appearance.

Louis had always been the enigmatic and secretive type, often lurking in the shadows and pulling strings behind the scenes. His motives and intentions were never clear, and this made Terry wary of him. While the other guild masters connected to the call with their usual friendly greetings, Terry’s greeting to Louis was more restrained, keeping his emotions in check.

"It has been a while, everyone," Louis said. "I know that you guys had a meeting today, but you will have to talk about other things. I am here to inform you that all of the guild masters that aren’t present were assassinated."

The communication terminal fell into an eerie silence as the shocking news spread among the guild masters. Five of their fellow guild masters had been killed, and a sense of unease and fear gripped the room. The realization that all of those who had fallen were the ones Terry had not directly worked with yet couldn’t be ignored, and it hung in the air like a heavy cloud of suspicion.

Vanessa, Rebecca, and the others exchanged worried glances, their expressions mirroring the shock and concern Terry felt inside. The room seemed to tense up as everyone tried to process the information and its implications. The coincidence was too striking to be ignored, and it left everyone with an unsettling feeling.

"Give us the details," Vanessa said.

"There aren’t many details... their guild members found them yesterday with their hearts missing," Louis replied. "All of them died last morning apparently... there are no signs of monster invasions or that someone broke into their rooms."

Terry’s eyes narrowed as he glanced at Louis, unable to shake off the suspicion that had built up over time. It seemed that every encounter with him only brought bad news or discomfort. But now was not the time to dwell on personal feelings or grudges.

He took a deep breath, trying to compose himself and focus on the gravity of the situation. Five guild masters had been lost, and that was a devastating blow to their united front against the portals. It was a harsh reminder that their mission was not only dangerous but also filled with treacherous enemies.

Pushing aside his feelings towards Louis, Terry turned his attention back to the group. The atmosphere was somber, and he could sense the fear and uncertainty that hung in the air. These guild masters, once strangers from different lands, had started to come together as a team, as allies. Losing five of them was a blow to the newfound sense of cooperation.

"I am doing an investigation on my own, but I can’t promise much; even in times like these, this kind of incident is just too unexpected," Louis said.

"You should disband those guilds and don’t let the members join any other," Terry said. "If they are this incompetent, then it is better to leave them alone to fend for themselves from now on."

"... While I can’t deny that they have some blame on this, this won’t only punish those on the guild, but it will also cause problems for the people of those areas," Vanessa said.

"We will close those dungeons, and that will be all," Terry declared.

As the shock of the loss of five guild masters settled in, Terry couldn’t help but feel a mix of emotions. On the one hand, he was relieved that they were able to close the portals and prevent further casualties. On the other hand, the weight of responsibility for the decision weighed heavily on him. He knew that his actions had consequences, and the fallout from the loss of those guild masters was something he couldn’t ignore.

Vanessa’s warning echoed in his mind, and he understood the potential ramifications of their actions. The guild members of the fallen masters’ guilds might indeed harbor resentment or blame them for the loss. He wondered if there was a way to prevent that, to make them understand the necessity of the decision, and to offer support in their time of grief.

"... Someone who doesn’t want to see us working together clearly did this. It will be better if we stay together," Vanessa said after thinking for a short while. "Even if we all can’t move to the same area, we should at least work in groups of five in case this new enemy targets us."

"Are you proposing that we leave our guilds behind until we find the culprit of this incident?" Joan asked with a serious face.

"Only for a short while. If more guild masters die, that will only raise more problems than leaving our guilds for a couple of days," Vanessa said.