Senen sat in silence, head bowed, shoulders heavy with the kind of weight that never left you.
The Guild Master glanced his way, something clicking behind his eyes."I almost forgot…" he said quietly. "It's been over a decade since we last spoke properly."
Senen didn't move. The Master's voice softened."I never got to thank you."
That stirred him. Senen looked up, caught off guard.
"You kept your head when I lost mine," the Master continued, his tone edged with rare vulnerability. "If you hadn't stopped me that day... I'd be dead."
A beat. Then a faint smile."You were a great leader, Senen."
Senen blinked, the words hitting deeper than expected. The grief didn't vanish—but it realigned. Lighter. Bearable.
"If you need my help," he said, standing straighter, "you have it."
The Master's expression bloomed into something brighter."Good," he said. "Because this one's big. Let's call the rest."
He tapped a few keys on the desk console."Bring Kin, Sye, and Tiren to my office."
Minutes later, the room was full—Tiren leaning against the wall with folded arms, Sye seated and quiet, and Kin watching the Master expectantly.
"I've got a mission for you," the Master began. "Head into the dungeon. Investigate the shift in monster behavior—something's changed, and it's not random."
Tiren stepped forward, voice tight."You promised to make me stronger."
The Master raised a brow. "I wasn't finished."
He let the silence hang for a beat, then continued:"You'll also be tasked with finding and defeating the dragon."
Kin blinked. "Wait. Did you just say—defeat the dragon?"
"You heard me," the Master said. "Track it down. Eliminate it. And uncover what's happening with the dungeon."
The room fell silent. Silence cleaved the air.
"And lastly—" the Master added, "Senen and I will be joining you."
Everyone froze.
Sye shot upright, stunned. "Master? Really? You haven't stepped into a dungeon in ten years."
He looked at her, one brow raised. "Are you saying I'm not strong enough?"
She blinked, thrown off. "N-No. I just…"
"I'm far stronger than I was a decade ago," he said simply. Then, nodding toward Senen, "And he hasn't let himself go either."
Senen gave a curt nod, calm and ready.
"We leave in one hour. Eat, drink and gear up. No delays."
As the team turned to leave, Kin hesitated."Wait—why not bring Tank? Or Itzu? Or even the other elite raiders?"
The Master's expression sharpened."If it comes down to facing that creature deeper than the 31st… then no—Tank and Itzu won't survive. None of the raiders I've seen would."
Kin frowned. "And me? I'm not even on their level yet."
"That's true," the Master said without flinching. "But I believe your potential will reveal itself—on this journey."
He turned toward them all, his expression resolute now."Right. Enough talking. Meet me at the guild's entrance in one hour."
His voice rang clear.
"Dismissed."
Fifty minutes later, twilight bled across the sky like ink in water. The sun sagged behind a veil of slow-moving clouds, leaving fractured shadows crawling across the guild's stone threshold. A hush hovered over the grounds—the kind that shows up when something is about to change.
Tiren leaned against a chipped stone pillar, arms crossed, one finger drumming softly against his cheek. His gaze lingered on the horizon, not quite impatient—but close.
Behind him, the door sighed open. Footsteps. Kin stepped out, the fading light catching on his shoulder plate like a wink of fire.
"Hey," Kin called out. "Nice to officially meet you."
Tiren tilted his head up, recognition flashing in his eyes. "You were there. The 31st, right?"
Kin nodded, stepping into the open air."Yeah, but I saw you again today. You were unconscious, getting treated by a doctor."
Tiren smirked, brushing the back of his neck."Right... Forgot about that."
Kin tilted his head."So... what's it like training with the Master?"
Tiren's shoulders squared up."He's a monster. Not even human. Every blow felt like a house being thrown at me."
Kin blinked. "Woah…"
Tiren looked down at his hand, slowly curling it into a fist. "I've never been beaten that badly before… but because of it—" his voice steadied, "—I know I can become stronger."
Kin grinned. "Yeah? You should've seen Senen train. He was dodging the rain."
Tiren blinked. "What?"
"I watched him. It was pouring. Not one drop hit him." Kin said, laughing under his breath.
Tiren's eyebrows lifting. "No way! Get out of here?"
"Dead serious."
Then—
The heavy guild doors groaned open beside them. The Master stepped through first, flanked by Sye and Senen. The conversation died. Kin and Tiren turned, posture straightening.
What lay ahead pressed in etched in all their minds. The moment had arrived.
He only said two words, but they moved the group like instinct.
"Let's move."
Without another word, they fell into unison, their shadows paved forward as they headed for the dungeon—where the unknown waited, and the war began.
The entrance to the dungeon stood at the mountain's base, wide and jagged like a scar carved into the earth. Its edges were weather-beaten, blackened by age and time, stone stained by years of damp wind and muddied boots. Where the space was usually alive with noise—raiders shouting, gear clinking, calls echoing across the plateau—now there was a brittle quiet. Wind scraped across its weathered edges, carrying the chill scent of damp rock and old iron. The ground was scuffed with the memory of boots, but none tread there now. A few figures lingered near the outer perimeter, but none crossed into the dungeons entrance.
The area had been cordoned off almost entirely with thick black and yellow striped tape. It stretched in tauted sharp angles, leaving only a narrow path open to the gate itself. A freshly posted sign flapped gently in the breeze, its words printed,
NO PASSAGE BEYOND THE 5TH FLOORUNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
The letters were stamped in red—bright, urgent, and already flecked with dust.
As the group approached, their footsteps soft but deliberate on the stone, the gatekeeper came into view. She sat hunched at her usual post, slouched in a folding chair. Her uniform was wrinkled, her hair tied back hastily, strands falling loose around eyes dulled by fatigue. Her fingers tapped absently against a clipboard, a quiet tell of overexertion. Her posture didn't shift until something caught in her peripheral vision. Her gaze lifted lazily, more instinct than curiosity—then froze. Her back straightened inch by inch, chair creaking beneath the sudden tension. Her eyes locked on the Guild Master.
And then—on the man beside him.
Her entire expression changed.
"You..." she breathed, standing up so abruptly the clipboard nearly toppled from her lap. Her eyes darted from the Master to the man beside him. "Senen? Since when did you get back?"
Senen offered a faint smile. However the master remained composed.
"We're here to investigate the recent anomalies," the Guild Master said, voice level. "Unusual monster behavior, floor shifts—whatever's behind it."
He reached into the inner fold of his coat, withdrawing a neatly folded document. He handed it to her with the same composure as one might offer a chess piece. "This is pre-authorized. Just needs your signature."
The gatekeeper unfolded the document with careful fingers, eyes scanning the contents.
Authorization: Clearance granted to surpass the 5th floor restriction for purposes of sanctioned investigation.
She hesitated, the pen hovering just above the paper. A thousand questions clung to her expression—none voiced. Then, slowly, she signed, her initials crisp and trembling at once.
She handed the document back with both hands, her gaze flicking to Senen again, this time with something like worry behind her professionalism.
The Master nodded once—an unspoken thank you.
Without further exchange, the group moved forward. Boots thudded softly against the stone as they crossed into the dungeon swallowing them in its cold breath.
Behind them, the surface remained still.
Ahead—nothing could have prepared them for what waited in the dark.