Zenith Online: Rebirth of the Strongest Player

Chapter 599: Outrage



Kieran was taken aback by Bastion's enraged outburst, looking at him with an astounded expression.

He took a step back to give Bastion the floor and see where he would take his tirade, but he was already highly in favor of the efforts and emotions he put forth.

He wasn't the only one who reacted to Bastion's comment. Alice and the others spared him looks of surprise, concern, and subtle praise, too.

If there was one thing about Bastion they tended to dislike... it was how easily he crumbled against pressure and shirked from contention and adversity. It wasn't so bad that it couldn't be ignored or trained in some way, but it reared its head at the oddest moments, and sometimes it wasn't ideal.

The team members weren't the only ones affected by Bastion's cogent barking.

A lot of the standing members wore sorry expressions, and some scowled. The blatant disregard in his words stung their minds like caustic acid thrown on their pride, wearing them away.

Much moved to refute what Bastion had to say, but he was far from done.

A severe look washed over the standing and seated members of Sanguis Requiem as Bastion let forth a pressure filled with unyielding qualities, a staunch Will, and stoic bearing. One shouldn't forget that Bastion held a Legendary Class that could contend with a Mythic Class for some time.

What's more, he had yet to accept the entire Legacy, meaning it was possible for another Class Upgrade.

When this pressure washed over the members, they became silent. Some held gazes filled with envy. They wanted power like this and hated that it wasn't theirs to begin with.

Why did the prominent members have access to such frightening classes when they could barely muster an Uncommon or Rare Class? It seemed far too unfair to be sensible.

Eventually, they continued ranting and raving.

"If you can mount such a frightening pressure, why do you want us to do the heavy lifting? You guys should be at the vanguard doing the heavy lifting to ensure we receive the best gains possible."

Bastion didn't answer, turning to Kieran with a somber expression that grew darker as the guild members continued to voice their grievances and remark about how unfair the power distribution was.

"Yeah! They're all right. We want and deserve more. We came here because you were supposed to be the best. But this place isn't looking like the best at all!"

"That was so rude of you. To disregard us so disrespectfully and without a hint of empathy or warmth is unbecoming of our leaders."

Again, Bastion grew tired of all the entitled talk, slamming his hand against the podium, causing it to splinter and tremble from the sheer force of his pounded fist.

"Listen up. You all can feel as entitled as you want to be. But I will not allow you to disparage the actions and achievements of our Guild Master and my brothers and sisters. You say they haven't been putting in work? But do you know that not all Advancings are identical?"

Murmurs started to spark up, but Bastion quieted them all with a terrifying howl. It sent chills into their marrow. His rage was pure and unadulterated, coming from his feelings of powerlessness that he kept buried.

"You say you all deserve more, but how can that be true when the things you seek are to be obtained by yourself? There may be special circumstances and items, but those are few and far between. No matter where you go, a lack of effort will be reciprocated with a lack of reward. So, by all means, if you're done with the guild, then walk through those doors. Those of you that stay... what you have experienced will not be what you see in the coming days."

With that, Bastion stepped back, patting Kieran's shoulder.

"They're a rowdy bunch of idiots. I thought we picked well, but I guess people's true nature doesn't come out until they find comfort or are met with grueling adversity."

Kieran beamed at Bastion's comment, returning the pat and taking to the podium.

'Our boy is growing, slowly but surely. We'll need that crude severity once it comes time for training.'

After a moment, Kieran cleared his throat, the vibration echoing throughout the chamber like a concussive grenade. Everyone shaped up and went mute for fear of angering the slumbering monster.

"The words are my Commander and my own, and I will not deviate from any point he made. Like he said, Advancings are not one and the same. And to assume that we have all been sitting back is a slight towards our efforts. Who here knows how difficult groundwork logistics are? Show of hands?"

Out of the hundreds, roughly fifty of them raised their hands. And none of those hands belonged to those standing. It belonged to the people who sat beside, quietly taking in all the higher-ups of Sanguis Requiem had to say.

Kieran gave a subtle gesture of approval before moving along.

"Good. There aren't too many of you, but there are enough. That said, since you have an idea of the effort put forth, you'll understand that once that process is done... the guild will fall into a structure of severe training headed by everyone behind me."

Fervent gleams awakened in the eyes of the previously distraught and disgruntled members of Sanguis Requiem.

Here, Kieran felt it was prudent to gauge how well-received Ezra's ideas would be.

"A few suggestions have been made to me, and I'll raise them now. Due to our limited space, while I won't force you to do things you're uncomfortable with, I will need you to become all- around uncomfortable with your current situation. If these requirements don't suit your liking and you simply want to cruise by and remain mediocre, then so be it."

Many grimaced at Kieran's words.

Though he stressed that he wouldn't force them to adhere to the new guild policy, his words insinuated their tenure with the guild would be over should they disagree with it.

In other words, Sanguis Requiem wasn't seeking the mediocre and content. After all, their Guild Master and his right-hand man were Myths - nothing was mediocre about their

position.

Then, Kieran read off the changes that Ezra had proposed.

Some of them were his ideas because after considering them, he realized babying the guild members would stoke the embers of their entitlement. He wanted seasoned, hardened individuals tempered in the crucible of hardship and adversity, not whiny cowards and

pushovers.

He suspected many of these people had yet to manifest even the slightest morsel of a metamorphosis spurred by their interaction with Zenith Online.

As Kieran read off the condition, their expression worsened and paled.

Ezra looked at Kieran strangely from behind, then shared glances with the others. She had posed many ideas, but he was taking them a step forward. And though his version would weed out the weak links faster, it was somewhat unforgiving, and that quality could cultivate hatred in many people.

Then again, that wasn't a huge problem. The low-ranking members were not privy to anything about the guild. Even if they defected and acted out of spite, they couldn't bring

harm to the guild's infrastructure.

Such was the bliss of a tight circle.

Eventually, the members all erupted in outrage. Their capricious emotions stemmed from

their self-doubts, but Kieran wasn't having it.

With a deep inhale, he closed his eyes.

Then, he tapped into Fiend's Carnage, touching upon those crimson chins numerous enough

to blot out the sky. His gaze burned with the flames of unrelenting bloodlust, and he issued a

command.

His voice came... cold, intense, and bone-chilling. "Quiet."