Shinoh bursts through the dungeon entrance, barely stopping himself as he reaches the gatekeeper's desk. His breath is uneven, his chest rising and falling rapidly.
"Hey—" he starts, voice tight with urgency. catching his breath "I just got here. Where's Kin? What happened to him?"
The gatekeeper glances up from her paperwork, raising a hand as if to physically slow him down. "Calm down. There is a man matching the description of Kin on the 5th floor,"
Shinoh's heart presses against his chest. "The 5th floor?!"
The gatekeeper doesn't react to his outburst.
"Yes. But there's one inconsistency—the report lists him as a level 14.""
His stomach twists, his mind racing.
"Level 14? That's impossible. Kin had been nowhere near that when they last saw each other. The only way he could've gained that many levels so fast… He must have fought high-ranking beasts."
The thought makes his fists clench. "What the hell had Kin been through?"
The gatekeeper's voice brings him back. "Do you have what I asked for?"
Shinoh fumbles into his pocket, pulling out a handful of worn photographs. His hands move quickly as he pulls out the photos. "Yeah. Here. I brought extras—use as many as you need."
She takes them, flipping through the images before setting a couple aside. "These two will be enough. I will return them once the investigation is over,"
Shinoh swallows hard. "How long?!" He barely notices how desperate he sounds.
Then he corrects himself, forcing some composure. "Sorry... how long until we know if it's him?"
The gatekeeper understanding his concerns, softens slightly. "A few hours. You can wait here—I'll call you when I have news."
"Okay... thank you." His voice is quiet now, the fire of his urgency dulled by helplessness.
He turns away slowly, finds an empty spot by the wall, and sinks down onto the cold stone floor. His arms rest on his knees, his hands clasped together tightly.
"Please be okay, Kin...Just be okay."
The door creaks open, and the sheriff steps inside, a ring of keys jangling at his belt. In his other hand, he carries Kin's daggers and his bag.
"Well," the sheriff says, a hint of amusement in his voice. "Looks like you were telling the truth after all." a sigh of relief hits Kin.
The sheriff uncuffing Kin pauses, tilting his head. "One thing though... you weren't level 14 when you fell through that hole, were you?"
Another brief silence hits the room.
The sheriff lets out a short laugh, shaking his head. "You must be the luckiest raider—or perhaps the unluckiest—I have ever met. Hahaha. In any case, you're innocent. You are free to roam the city as you please."
The Sheriff tosses Kin's bag back to him. Kin catches it, but before he can say anything--
"GRRRRRMM..."
Kin's belly rumbles loudly
The Sheriff shocked with kin slightly looking at his stomach. he then raises his hand behind his head and lightly laughs.
Kin now free as he walks through the lively city streets "You wouldn't think you're in the middle of a dungeon being here..."he mumbles
the scent of grilled meat and fresh bread drifts through the air. His stomach rumbles loudly. He follows the delicious smell to a cozy-looking restaurant, its warm glow inviting him in.
He steps inside, takes a seat, and the waitress hands him a menu.
"Can I have one of everything?"
The waitress laughs, thinking it's a joke—until she notices Kin's dead-serious expression.
"O-Oh. Uh... one moment, please." She hurries into the Kitchen.
A few moments later, the restaurant manager steps out and approaches Kin with crossed arms.
"So, how will you pay for all this? It's not cheap?!"
Kin blinks, then opens his inventory screen. Scanning through his items, he sees a few basic things—a few monster hides, a couple of low-tier potions, and... An Orc Amulet?
He taps on the item's details.
[Orc Amulet] A necklace crafted by orc shamans. Said to bring battle fortune. Rare find in dungeons below the 10th floor.
Tier: D+
Kin raises an eyebrow. "Huh. D tier? can't be really good then."
He presses on it unintentionally still fatigued from earlier... The Orc Amulet appears gracefully falling into Kins hands.
"Is that a?! WOW!" The manager amazed by what she sees
An Orc Amulet! A super rare find! They go for at least 100 gold coins each!"
She collects herself, her attitude flips "Sorry, I apologize for the rudeness. Without your gear, I just assumed you were a low-level raider."
"No worries," Kin says casually.
"I will get you your change right away," she says enthusiastically. before rushing off
The small commotion starts drawing attention from other raiders in the restaurant. As Kin finally digs into his massive feast, three figures approach his table. A man with short, spiky brown hair and heavy armour steps forward, giving a friendly smile.
"Sorry to disturb you. My name's Flex, and here are my teammates, Creu and Seya."
Kin, mouth still stuff, his cheeks bulging out, simply responds:
"Hi!" his voice muffled.
Ceru and Seya respond in kind with their Smiling turning awkward, Flex utters "Nice to meet you. So, we noticed you don't seem to have a party... We were wondering if you'd be interested in joining us on our next raid?"
Kin gulps his face relaxed "My names Kin. And I hear ya, but I'm headed back up to the surface."
"Oh, I see..." One of our members got super sick and had to drop out" His face seemingly defeated he remembers!
"We'll give you 1,000 gold coins on top of whatever we split on the 14th floor"
Kin pauses.
"1000 gold... I could buy my mum a big house with that."thinking to himself, as he looks at flex with a sparkle in his eyes.
"Okay, I'm in! One condition though."
"What's that?" Flex asks.
Kin lets out a long yawn.
"I haven't slept in a while, so can we go after I rest?"
Flex smiles "Alright, there's an inn we've been staying at nearby. We'll take you there after you're done."
Kin, again stuffs his mouth full.
"Okay." lifting his thumb up for approval as he devours the rest of his meal.
The captain halts at the stone archway marking the entrance to the 31st floor. The air is thick, humid, almost suffocating. Streaks of pulsing red veins crawl up the cavern walls, giving the whole space a heartbeat-like pulse. A deep, distant growl rumbles from below.
"We are about to enter the 31st," the captain says, his voice calm but firm. "Be ready for anything."
In unison, the team responds "YES!"
The captain turns to Riyu. "Use Detect. We need eyes deeper into the floor."
Riya closes her eyes, channelling her magic. The cavern's depths stretch out in her mind, revealing a shifting figure nearby in the darkness. But before she can speak— A deep growl echoes from the shadows, making the cavern walls tremble. Four crimson eyes pierce through the darkness, glowing with malice. Then, with a heavy thud, a towering six-legged beast steps forward, its twin heads snarling in unison. Thick saliva dripping from its jaws. Its sheer size looms over them like a nightmare made flesh.
"Incoming!" Riya warns.
The Captain doesn't hesitate. "Positions!"
"Lightning... Strike!" Riya yells, her staff crackling with energy. A bolt rips through the air, slamming into the beast's chest with a deafening CRACK. Sparks flicker along its fur as it stumbles.
Itzu's eyes gleam. "Here we go!"
Itzu sees the opening and bursts forward, his gauntlets glowing a fiery orange as he explodes forward, He leaps high, twisting in mid-air. He pulls his fist back, the spiral indents on his knuckles gleaming with stored energy.
The beast snaps its heads toward him, its twin maws opening wide. With a guttural roar, it exhales a violent blast of wind, blowing Itzu back before he can land his punch. He crashes against the cavern floor, skidding backward.
The captain and the tank are already moving in. They duck under the beast's massive frame, their weapons slicing through the tendons in its four main legs. The beast staggers, a pained snarl ripping through the cavern.
"Watch out!" Riya shouts
The bear strikes with its two spare legs. The captain and tank both block the attack from both sides. Two spare legs lash out, aiming to crush the captain and tank. They brace, shields raised, absorbing the brutal impact. The impact rattles their bones, the force nearly crushing them beasts' sheer strength. From behind, a lone figure moves in like a shadow. The ominous woman dashes forward, bow in hand. With practiced precision, she lets an arrow fly.
"THWIP!"
The arrow buries itself deep into the beast's chest. A second later, it begins to spin, drilling further inside. The beast lets out an agonized roar. Without hesitation, she draws her blade, leaps, and plunges it deep into the exact spot her arrow struck. The beast's massive form stiffens—then collapses with a thunderous crash.
Silence.
Itzu walks toward his comrades "Damn," he exhales, shaking out his arms. "That thing was tough."
The captain surveys the beast's corpse, his expression unreadable. "There will be more like it," he warns. "Stay sharp. Riya, check for any drops."
"There are going to be a lot more like it on this floor, so stay alert. Riya, check to see if the beast dropped anything."
Riya kneels beside the beast's corpse, her hands carefully digging through the thick fur. Then—something warm pulses against her fingertips. As she searches—
A pulse.
A faint vibration tingles against her fingertips. She gasps "What the…?"
Carefully, she pulls out a glowing violet orb, its surface swirling like liquid amethyst. Light rippling through its core. As she holds it, the air around it hums faintly, almost like a whisper threading through the silence.
A chill skates down her spine. "Captain…" she exhales, tightening her grip on the orb. "I've never seen anything like this before."
The captain's gaze hardens. "Could you appraise it? Let us find out what it does."
"Right," she nods, focusing. But before her ability can fully activate—
Her eyes snap open. "We have company!"
Twelve glowing red eyes flicker in the distance. Three more of the six-legged monsters step forward, their guttural growls merging into an unsettling chorus.
Itzu exhales sharply, rolling his shoulders. "More, huh?"
The captain's eyes remain locked on the approaching threats. He grips his weapon tighter.
"Let's go."
Riya slams her hands onto the ground. Three streaks of Red lightning race through the cavern floor, splitting toward the advancing beasts.
Kin wakes with a snort, sprawled across the bed in a ridiculous position—one leg dangling off the side, the other bent awkwardly over his pillow. His face is half-buried in the mattress, an arm twisted behind his back like he had been wrestling in his sleep. A thin line of drool glistens on the pillow beside him.
The morning light filters through the thin curtains, casting a soft glow over the messy room. A loud crack echoes as he shifts, realizing too late that his neck is in a weird angle. He groans, rubbing his sore shoulder as he flops onto the floor. Without missing a beat, he rolls onto his hands and starts cranking out push-ups, shaking off the stiffness.
A quick cut—water splashes into a basin as he scrubs his face, the bristles of his toothbrush scratching against his teeth. Another cut—he tugs on his shirt, adjusting the fit before reaching for his daggers resting on the bedside table.
"Knock. Knock."
Kin swings it open to find Flex and his team waiting outside.
Flex grins. "You ready?"
Kin matches his energy, flashing a confident smile. "Yeah."
Flex glances down, eyes scanning Kin's outfit. "Where's your gear?"
Kin holds up his twin daggers, the polished metal catching the light. "Right here."
Flex squints. "You don't use anything else?"
Kin blinks. "Umm, am I supposed to?"
Seya shifts slightly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear before speaking softly. "Gear like armour or boots gives you extra stats depending on its tier, it increases your defence, agility… It's really useful."
Kin scratches the back of his head, eyes widening slightly. "Ohhh…" He recalls the book "Items & Gear... Thats right—gear improves all stats depending on its rank" thinking to himself. His curiosity piqued, the realization dawning on his face.
Flex smirks "Guess we're making a stop by the market before heading out."
Kin excited says, "Alright, lead the way." closing his door at the inn.
The fight against the three magic beasts is over. The Legion team stands victorious, not a single injury among them. Yet, despite their win, a heavy silence lingers. Their breaths come slightly deeper than usual, their bodies tense as adrenaline slowly fades.
All eyes are on Riya as she kneels beside the fourth glowing orb, her fingers trembling slightly as she channels her magic. The atmosphere is thick with anticipation.
"It's completed..." Riya states, her eyes scanning the text before her.
Her expression shifts in real-time—curiosity turning into confusion, then sharp disbelief. Her lips part slightly, but no words come out. A noticeable pause stretches, thickening the air as the team leans in.
Then—her voice breaks through the silence, louder than she intended.
"WHAT?! S-RANK?!"
The words hit like a Nuclear Bomb. The entire team stiffens.
Itzu's usual calm collected vibe vanishes as he exhales sharply. "No way…" under his breath. stepping forward as he stares at the text alongside Riya. Even the captain, composed as always, narrows his eyes, stepping forward.
"Riya, what is it?!" His voice is firm, yet there's a rare edge to it.
She then explains, "These orbs... They're S Rank!
A collective silence follows. No one speaks. No one moves. The gravity of the words sinks in, pressing against them like an unseen force. S-Rank items weren't just rare—they were legendary.
Then, as if the shock wasn't enough, she continues. "Not only that… but they can teleport us anywhere we ask them to."
The reaction is immediate.
The captain's eyes widen slightly—an almost imperceptible slip in his stoic demeanour. Itzu lets out a low laugh, rubbing the back of his head. "That's crazy, huh, Cap?!" he exclaims, slinging an arm over the captain's shoulder. The captain, now fully composed again, glances at him briefly before Itzu casually pulls away, chuckling.
The captain straightens, his voice regaining command. "We should return to the guild and report this immediately. Let's test one now."
Riya, still shaken but focused, nods. "Right away, sir. Take us to the Legion's guild building."
The moment the words leave her lips, the orbs react. the orbs detonate with a pulse of energy—no delay, no warning. There's no time to react. One second, they stand in the dungeon. The next—they are gone.
Kin and his new team weave through the market, the air thick with the scent of leather, metal, and fresh bread from nearby food stalls. Everywhere he looks, price tags glare back at him—10 gold, 20 gold, even 40 gold for basic gear. His eyes widen.
"The prices here are way higher than the surface," he mutters.
Flex glances at him, his brows furrowing briefly before relaxing. "Yeah, most weapons and equipment get taken to the top for better sales. Finding decent gear down here is tough. But if you ever make it to the 25th city's market? You'll see items going for over 1,000 gold coins."
Kin stops dead in his tracks. "1,000 GOLD COINS?!" His voice carries across the market, earning a few amused glances from nearby merchants.
Flex shrugs. "Yeah, but nothing like that is here, so just pick something reasonable."
Still reeling from the thought, Kin lets his eyes wander—until something catches his attention. Through the glass of a dimly lit shop, an armour set gleams under the flickering lanterns. He steps inside.
A short time later, Flex, Seya, and Creu are outside, securing food supplies for their journey. As they finalize their purchases, Creu nudges Flex. "Hey. Look."
They turn—and see Kin walking toward them.
Gone is the simple gear from before. His new armour is sleek, black-tinted leather, reinforced with subtle silver plating. An intricately embroidered dragon head emblem rests on his chest, its deep stitches catching the light as he moves. A thin white rope wraps around his waist, its loose ends swaying slightly as he walks.
Flex grins, "That looks good on you."
Seya shifts slightly, glancing at him before quickly looking away. "Y-Yeah... I think so too." Her voice softer than usual.
Creu chuckles. "It's like it was made for you."
As he steps closer, the camera lingers on the dragon emblem, the soft lantern light catching the intricate stitching. The thin white rope around his waist shifts with each step, draping just above his outer thigh. The shot pulls back, revealing the full sleek design of his new gear a subtle smile plays on his lips—calm, assured.