Demonic Dragon: Harem System

Chapter 221: The first members of the Guild

Rogue was calmly walking through the streets of Vorah in the serene morning. She had shared her plans with Strax and Samira, who supported her in her mission to rebuild a network of trustworthy allies.

However, she knew that finding old members of her guild would be risky.

Many might hold grudges over the group's disbandment, while others could have lost themselves in their own ambitions.

On the other hand, recruiting new talents also posed a challenge, as trusting strangers in Vorah was a dangerous gamble.

Well... maybe she was overthinking it. After all, it had been less than a month since she had dissolved the guild. Many hadn't even had time to get angry with Rogue yet, but deep down, she was just trying to do her best, and thinking about conflicts like this was unsettling her.

Her first stop was the tavern "Steel Cobra," located in a dark, poorly lit alley, known as a gathering spot for mercenaries and informants.

Rogue entered with measured steps, her eyes quickly adjusting to the dimness.

The air was thick with the scent of cheap beer and tobacco smoke, while hushed conversations filled the space.

Here, words were as sharp as the blades hidden beneath the tables.

Rogue recognized a figure seated in the back, at an isolated table. It was Roderick, one of the former members of her guild. He looked more worn than before, his face bearing new scars and the fatigue of recent battles. As he noticed her presence, he stared at her with a mix of surprise and disdain.

"Rogue," he muttered, taking a sip of his drink. "Never thought I'd see you again."

"Neither did I think I'd be coming to you, Roderick," she replied, her voice cold but with a hint of cordiality. "But we need to talk. I'm reforming the group, and I want to know if you're in."

Roderick scoffed. "Reforming the group? After what happened last time? Not sure I'm interested in following your lead again. A lot of us lost everything when the guild fell. Others are still bitter about you."

Rogue approached the table, pulling out a chair and sitting across from him. "You lost, Roderick, just like I did. But you know damn well the fall of the guild wasn't my fault. If I'm here now, it's because I believe we still have a chance. Vorah is full of enemies, but it's also full of opportunities. And we can't take advantage of that alone."

Roderick stared at her for a few moments, his eyes evaluating Rogue's determination. "Who else have you recruited? Or are you just starting?"

"I have two Grandmaster Assassins, a Grandmaster Fighter, two Specialists… and Samira," she said with a smile. "A good group, don't you think?"

He let out a dry laugh. "Assassins? Allies with you? That'll be interesting. And Samira… I've heard of her. Former Master of Flame, who left everyone to die on a mountain adventure."

"I know there were mistakes in the past, but we're in a different position now. We're going to build something stronger. Are you with me, or are you going to sit here drowning in drink?"

Roderick was silent for a few moments, then looked around the tavern as if weighing his options. Finally, he sighed. "If you're right, this might be the last chance we have to do something big. I'm in. But know this, Rogue: if you fail again, there won't be any redemption this time."

She nodded. "I won't fail."

The next morning, Rogue, Strax, Samira, and Roderick met in an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of Vorah, which would temporarily serve as their base of operations. Strax watched closely as the new recruits arrived. He could sense the atmosphere of distrust. Roderick, despite agreeing to join, was already eyeing Strax and Samira with a certain skepticism. He was an experienced soldier, but his loyalty was still on trial.

Strax let out a deep sigh, still holding Beatrice's hand as they both watched the bizarre scene unfold before them. "Yeah, it's basically that. Bullying a dragon. My mental world is a complete mess."

Beatrice raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement playing on her lips. "And you're worried about this? Seems like your problems are a bit more... exotic than I imagined."

Strax rubbed his temples. "Exotic doesn't even begin to cover it. Dealing with Ouroboros being a jealous yandere and Tiamat's possessiveness is one thing, but now Kallamos is stuck as some stoic kuudere? How do I even fix this?"

Beatrice chuckled softly, her hands running soothingly across his shoulders. "Maybe you're overthinking it. They're just reflections of the chaos inside you. If you learn how to manage that, maybe they'll calm down too. Or maybe... they'll never calm down, and you'll just have to embrace the crazy."

Strax groaned. "Embrace the crazy? I was hoping for some sort of solution here, not more insanity. I already have a handful with you all in the real world."

"Hey," Beatrice teased, "we're not as bad as them. Well... maybe Samira is, but the rest of us aren't that much trouble."

Before Strax could respond, the chaotic scene intensified. Ouroboros had Kallamos pinned, and the dragon was struggling, her usually calm demeanor cracking under Ouroboros' overwhelming force. "Submit!" Ouroboros yelled, her laughter ringing in the surreal atmosphere.

Strax winced. "If this keeps up, they're going to tear each other apart."

Beatrice looked at him with a mischievous glint. "Then maybe you should step in, *Master*. You might need to show them who's in control around here."

He shook his head, rubbing his face with both hands. "This is way beyond anything I imagined when I started this whole journey. I need some kind of... harem control skill or something to stop all this madness."

Beatrice laughed lightly, leaning into his back. "Good luck with that. But hey, at least you're not bored."

Strax looked around, eyes narrowing at the chaos his inner world had become. "*Not bored* might be the understatement of the year..." he muttered.

With a deep breath, he steeled himself. If his mental realm reflected the chaos inside him, then it was time to get a grip on things, starting with his rowdy and overly competitive inner dragons. "Alright, that's enough. Everyone, back off before I put you all in time-out!"

Ouroboros paused mid-action, turning to look at Strax with a sulking pout. "But... Master..."

"No buts!" Strax interrupted, his voice stern. "You all need to learn how to get along. We're not going to accomplish anything with this constant fighting."

Beatrice watched with an amused expression as the dragons reluctantly backed off, and Strax finally regained some semblance of control over his mental world.

"See? You've got this," she whispered into his ear, giving him a playful nip on the earlobe.

Strax smirked slightly, the tension easing from his shoulders. "One battle down... countless more to go."

Strax chuckled, though his expression still showed a mix of frustration and exhaustion. "Exotic? That's being generous. I call it a daily nightmare. Imagine trying to keep your sanity while a yandere bullies an ice-cold dragon, and the other one's constantly suffocating me with jealousy."

"I get it... You don't really get a break, do you?" Beatrice spoke softly, her voice carrying a hint of empathy as she squeezed Strax's shoulders a little tighter, offering whatever comfort she could.

Ouroboros, however, seemed to be having the time of her life. She grabbed Kallamos by the shoulders, forcing her down again, laughing maniacally. "That's right, kneel before your mistress! You are nothing compared to me!"

Kallamos, her expression still cold and unchanging, simply stared back at Ouroboros. Even as she was forced to submit, there was an unbreakable dignity in her posture. "Your obsession is pathetic, Ouroboros," Kallamos muttered, her icy voice cutting through the air. "In the end, this is all just an illusion of your own weakness."

The comment wiped the smile from Ouroboros' face, replaced by a growing fury. "What did you say?!"

Beatrice watched the scene unfold with curiosity. "Do these personalities... always interact like this?"

Strax shook his head. "Not always. Sometimes it's more... civil. But when one of them gets riled up, especially Ouroboros, things spiral out of control."

Beatrice leaned slightly against Strax, her touch deliberately comforting. "So, you're basically dealing with the chaos of these three conflicting personalities... no wonder you're losing it."

"I'm not just losing it, Bea," Strax responded, his voice low. "I'm trying to keep my mind intact. They're powerful, and if one of them fully takes over..." He paused, looking up at the sky above them, which pulsed with ethereal, fragmented colors, a visual representation of the chaos in his mind. "I might lose more than just my sanity."

"Pff... Pf.... HAHAHAHAHAH!" Beatrice couldn't hold back and burst into loud laughter. "This is HAHAHA so HAHAHA STUPID!" she roared, her voice echoing across the mental realm.

'Oh no...'

"What did you say, human?!" Ouroboros screamed, her furious gaze snapping to Beatrice. "You heard me! You're a GIANT IDIOT!" Beatrice shot back, a defiant smile plastered on her face.

"All this drama, this obsession with control. You know what it looks like? A spoiled brat trying to show who's boss. All of you are like kids fighting over toys!"

Strax felt a chill run down his spine. "Beatrice..." He tried to warn her again, but his voice was drowned out by the roar of rage that erupted from Ouroboros.

The world around them began to quake. The ground beneath Strax and Beatrice's feet cracked, while the air thickened with a crushing pressure. "I'll destroy you for your insolence!" Ouroboros screamed, her body shifting and growing. The black serpent that represented her spirit writhed and coiled, threatening to devour everything in sight.

Tiamat, who had been quietly observing from the sidelines, crossed her arms but didn't intervene immediately. She looked intrigued by Beatrice's audacity, even slightly amused. "Interesting... a bold mortal. Let's see how far this goes."

Strax's heart raced, torn between trying to save Beatrice from Ouroboros' wrath and keeping his own grip on this volatile mental landscape. "Damn it, Bea," he muttered under his breath, bracing himself for what was sure to be an explosive clash.