The exhibition party gathered near a grand fountain at the city's heart, its cascading waters catching the glow of the towering glacial crystal above. The familiar sight of the 15th city stretched around them—wide streets, elegant structures, and the ever-present shimmer of crystal lights illuminating throughout the city streets.
"Is that Tiren?" one of them asked, eyes widening. "He's nearly level 90 now, isn't he?"
"Yeah," another chimed in. "And did you hear about Kireo? He was passing through the 24th and saved an entire squad from being wiped out—solo."
Before the chatter could continue, a sharp clap snapped their attention.
"We're on the clock. Grab your supplies and whatever else you need—we meet back here in ten minutes."
With quick nods, they scattered into the city's winding streets, their figures soon swallowed by the towering structures and the soft luminescence of the world around them.
A muted beeping filled the dimly lit hospital room, the rhythmic pulse of machinery blending with the hushed stillness of the space. Flex lay awake, staring at the ceiling, the weight of exhaustion pressing down on him. Beside him, Ceru sat with her fingers interwoven with his, her grip slackened by sleep, her head dipping slightly forward. Even in rest, she never let go.
Flex noticing Kin walk in, his voice was hoarse but full of conviction. "Thank you… for saving my life and Ceru's," looking at her with a great sense of affection for a few moments before his gaze drifted to the next bed, where Seya lay fast asleep, her breathing steady. "Seya too… I don't know how you managed to beat that thing, but from the deepest part of me... Kin, thank you."
Kin exhaled, relieved to see Flex awake, but the weight on his shoulders remained. His voice came firm,"I need to tell them about what happened. If they don't know, more people will die."
Flex nodded, understanding. "Before you leave—don't forget your payment." He gestured to a sack of gold placed on the side table. " I figured you'd show up, so I had Ceru prepare it for you." A pause. Then he shifted slightly, his fingers brushing the hilt of his sheathed sword. "And I also wanted to give you this."
Kin shook his head. "I can't. The gold is more than enough."
Flex let out a strained chuckle before exhaling slowly. "Without you, this sword wouldn't have meant anything. I owe you my life—take it."
Kin understood. He accepted both the gold and the sword with a single decisive motion. Then, without another word, he turned, his boots pressing against the polished floor as he strode out of the hospital—his path set, his burden clear.
The Gatekeeper awaited.
The air is crisp, yet it clings to his lungs with an invigorating charge, each breath filling him with a sense of purpose, of urgency. His chest rises and falls in a rhythm dictated not by fatigue, but by the relentless drive to reach his goal. "I have to get there before it's too late." Each step Kin takes is a surge of energy against this placid symphony. His boots strike the cobblestones with a sharp, steady cadence, cutting through the calm like the wind slicing through a still lake.
From around the corner, a group of figures materialize, moving with a quiet grace beneath the lights, the faint gleam of polished armour catching the light. The exhibition team. A serene composure that contrasts sharply with Kin's frantic run, the woman — the same one who had heard of him falling into the pit.
They pass each other within the span of a heartbeat. The city's timeless glow makes it feel like a moment suspended in eternity.
For an instant, their profiles align — Kin's eyes, wide with unspoken urgency, meet her calm, unreadable look. A moment of stillness, as if the pulse of the world has slowed around them. A flash of light flickers between their eyes — but neither stops. Kin's feet don't falter, and her step unceasing. The connection between them is brief, fragile, yet somehow weighty with unspoken meaning.
Deep within the catacombs of the Fourth Floor, Shinoh's blade scythed through the umbral air, its edge parting sinew with a sanguine hush. The lupine monstrosity convulsed—its final, breathless rasp devoured by the dungeon's abyssal stillness.
A voice intruded upon the quiet.
"Let's adjourn for now."
Stone's cadence was measured, but beneath it lurked an undertow of fatigue. Shinoh, exertion wreathing his frame, merely exhaled, a glint of fervor igniting within his gaze.
"A little longer."
Stone's brow corrugated with concern. "We've been at this nearly ten hours."
Shinoh wiped the perspiration from his temple, his grip vicelike around the sword's hilt. "If we advance a little deeper, we should encounter a safe zone, correct?"
Stone scrutinized the map, its phosphorescent inscriptions undulating faintly beneath his fingers. "Yes… according to this."
A beat. A sigh of reluctant assent. "Fine. Let's keep going."
Shinoh's lips curled in the faintest shadow of a smile—not of smugness, but unyielding tenacity. "Kin… you held the burdens of many. It is time someone shoulders yours."
His blade became an extension of will—a specter of steel phasing through sinew and cartilage, every adversary before him sundered before their final, incoherent snarl could even leave their throats.
His mind sharpened into a singular point. "Almost level nine… just a tiny bit more and I can find him"
at the moment—
"Shinoh! The Safe Zone!"
Stone's voice lanced through the void. Ahead, nestled into the cavern's curvature, a corona of resplendent crystals caught his eyes nearby.
He exhaled slowly, reluctant but conceding, and slid his sword back into its sheath. Only now did exhaustion creep into his limbs, the weight of the day's battles settling deep into his muscles.
"Tomorrow...Tomorrow, I find you, Kin." His body eased, surrendering to weariness. His mind drifted, slipping into sleep.
Then—
A peripheral flicker. Beyond the safe zones threshold.
A silhouette. Sprinting.
Kin.
He tore through the dungeon's depths, feet pounding against stone, his breath sharp and relentless. The fourth floor blurred past him—then the third, then the second, until the cavernous halls of the first loomed ahead. His focus never wavered. There was only one destination, one purpose screaming through his mind. The Gatekeeper. He burst into the open, the city's cool night air wrapping around him. The Gatekeeper's sharp gaze flicked to him, her expression unreadable as he thrust the sealed letter forward.
"It's urgent," Kin stated, his voice edged with urgency.
She took the letter, her eyes scanning the seal before nodding. "This will be sent to the Raiders' Association."
Kin's fingers twitched. "How long?"
"A week, give or take."
His pulse clamored within his skull, a relentless war drum reverberating through his veins. Every squandered instant felt like a moment closer to calamity. Yet his breath settled.
"Out of curiosity," he asked, "who owns the Raiders' Association?"
The Gatekeeper hesitated before answering. "The Legion's Guild Master."
"Thank you."
Then—he was gone.
"Hey, wai—" she started, startled. But the words fell away as she realized the truth.
He wouldn't be stopping for anyone.
Kin barreled through the bustling streets, his breath a steady rhythm against the biting night air. The towering edifice of the Legions Guild peered ahead, its insignia beneath the lantern-lit sky. He surged toward the entrance. Inside, the murmur of guild activity barely registered in his ears. He stormed forward, his voice edged with urgency. "Where's the Guild Master?"
A receptionist, startled by his abrupt entrance, stammered before pointing him toward a set of reinforced doors. Without another word, Kin pushed through them, his momentum unstoppable.
The doors swung open with force.
"What the hell is going on?!" The Guild Master's voice cut through the room, sharp with irritation. His gaze locked onto Kin, assessing the young man who had just practically kicked down his door.
"Sorry, but this is urgent!" Kin's breath came fast, but his resolve was unshaken. "News from the dungeon—My team reached the 14th floor and ran into a Tiger Bear sir!"
The Guild Master's expression flickered—first with skepticism, then with something deeper.
A memory surfaced.
A park, years ago. A boy—no more than five—stood alone, clutching a wooden sword. He wasn't playing, wasn't aimlessly swinging. His small frame was rigid with focus, his expression locked in quiet concentration. Each motion was deliberate, not skillful, but driven—as if the act of standing there, of moving with intent, meant something greater. The Guild Master had slowed his steps, drawn in by the sheer intensity in the child's eyes. A rare kind of stillness, an unyielding fixation. He thought to approach, but a voice called for his attention.
Now, that same indomitable fire burned in the young man standing before him.
"Could this be…?"
His posture shifted, the weight of recognition settling over him.
"What's wrong?!" Kin pressed. "You have to do something!"
The Guild Master exhaled, grounding himself in the present. "Hold on, kid. First, we need to pull our main forces out. They're en route to the 31st floor right now. There should be some time before they arrive, so I have a special request for you."
The Guild Master reached into his coat and retrieved two of the S ranked orbs, their surfaces swirling with a pure purple haze of energy held within.
"These orbs," he explained, "can teleport you anywhere upon command. But listen carefully—once you use one, it won't work again. I'm entrusting you with two." He placed them into Kin's hands. "Use the first to teleport directly to the Legions Guild Captain. That should take you to their exact location. Once there, use the second orb to bring them back. Saying 'Legions Guild Hall' should work."
Kin tightened his grip around the orbs, feeling the gravity of the task settling over him. "I understand how important this is, but… why me?"
The Guild Master's gaze softened, but his tone remained resolute. "Because apart from the fact that we don't have time to waste, I see something in you... A look of unyielding determination. And that's something I can trust."
Kin nodded. His fingers curled around the first orb.
"Go on now," the Guild Master urged. Kin drew a deep breath. "Right." He focused. The words left his lips.
"Take me to the Legions Guild Captain."
A pulse of energy enveloped him—then, in an instant, he was gone.