Dawnstead – Present Day
The moment the emergency flare ignited, the entire Adventurer's Guild of Dawnstead came to a standstill.
The crystalline mission board, normally a dull, flickering display of routine quests, pulsed with an ominous blue light. A wave of eerie illumination spread across the polished floors, reflecting off the wide-eyed faces of every adventurer in the hall.
A distress signal.
From Trinity Blade.
For a brief second, silence gripped the guild hall.
Then—chaos erupted.
"The hell did I just see?" A burly warrior slammed his tankard down, the wooden mug splintering from the force. His chair scraped backward, nearly toppling as he rose to his feet.
A group of rookies huddled near the training request board, whispering frantically.
"That… that can't be right," one of them stammered, his hands gripping the edges of his cloak. "Trinity Blade? Asking for help?"
"They're Dawnstead's strongest team!" Another adventurer shook his head in disbelief. "If they need backup, then…"
A grim realization settled over the room. It meant something had gone terribly wrong.
The air, once filled with the lively chatter of adventurers sharing drinks and stories, now felt heavy and oppressive.
At the center of the commotion, Alina—the guild's receptionist— scrabbled through the emergency response manual. Papers flew. Quills snapped. She fumbled with the enchanted registry, her fingers shaking as she confirmed the signal's location.
At the same time, a set of heavy footsteps rang out from the hallway.
The crowd instinctively parted as a towering man made his way to the guild hall—his presence alone commanding attention.
Garrick Voss, the guildmaster.
His scarred face was stone-cold. The dim glow of lanterns cast jagged shadows across his jawline, accentuating the deep furrows of his brow. His thick arms, crossed tightly over his chest, flexed with restrained tension.
"Alina," he barked. "Where did the signal come from?"
The room held its breath.
Alina swallowed, staring at the pulsating blue light on the crystal board.
"Dungeon Floor Six," she reported, her voice steadier than her trembling hands. "Right before they reached the deeper floors."
A murmur rippled through the guild hall. Floor Six?
That wasn't even deep into the dungeon.
Trinity Blade, one of the most decorated teams in Dawnstead, had never struggled with Floor Six before.
"What the hell?" Boris—the guild's quest coordinator—spoke up, his usual composed demeanor cracking. "You're telling me a team like Trinity Blade sent a distress signal from a mid-tier dungeon floor?"
A seasoned adventurer scoffed. "They must've triggered a trap or gotten reckless. Wouldn't be the first time Darin's arrogance backfired."
A few chuckles rippled through the room, but they were thin. Nervous. Clinging desperately to any explanation that wasn't the alternative. That something else was down there.
But Garrick wasn't convinced. His gut told him something else was going on.
"Damn it," he muttered, rubbing his temples. "First, the mana fluctuations, and now this?"
He turned sharply toward Alina, his voice clipped.
"Where is Obsidian Dawn? Did they enter the dungeon already?"
Alina flipped through her emergency dispatch papers, scanning the active team reports. "They were last seen in the market district, gathering supplies before heading out."
"Then find them."
The air in the guild hall turned ice cold.
The bystanders stiffened. Obsidian Dawn was just formed a few hours ago, and now the guild was sending them into the dungeon where Trinity Blade sent the distress signal.
If Garrick was sending them, it meant he wasn't treating this as a simple mishap. It meant he expected something far worse.
Every adventurer in Dawnstead knew who was in Obsidian Dawn. Especially those who joined the previous subjugation quest.
His next words confirmed everyone's fears.
"Change of plans." His voice was a steel blade cutting through the tension.
"Obsidian Dawn is no longer running an exploration mission."
"They're running a search and rescue."
A deathly hush followed.
Then—a mad scramble.
Messengers bolted from the guild hall. Runners shot toward the market district, their boots slamming against cobblestone as they weaved through crowds. Bells tolled. Orders were shouted.
Adventurers who once mocked the distress signal now exchanged uneasy glances. If Trinity Blade needed rescuing… What kind of nightmare awaited the rescue team?
The morning sun hung high over Dawnstead's bustling marketplace, casting long shadows across the cobbled streets. The air was thick as usual with the mingling scents of freshly baked bread, sizzling meat skewers, and herbal tonics, creating a lively contrast to the looming dungeon dive ahead.
Belle flexed her fingers, the faint crackle of energy pulsing beneath her skin. It was still surreal. She had barely spent any time as an adventurer, yet here she was, gearing up for her first official mission.
Across from her, Kai rummaged through their supplies, idly tossing a small pouch of dried meat into their bag.
"Alright," he announced, stretching his arms behind his head. "We've got rations, potions, extra fire-resistant gear… even some antidotes, just in case." He shot Belle a smug look. "We should be set."
Belle raised an eyebrow. "You're really stocking up like we're gonna struggle."
Kai smirked. Here it comes.
"Hey, I know we won't struggle," he teased, nudging her with his elbow. "But, you know, for normal adventurers, prep is important."
Belle sighed. "Normal adventurers."
"Yeah." He crossed his arms, mock-serious. "See, most people don't have the luxury of—oh, I dunno—one-shotting an entire dungeon the way someone I know can."
She gave him a flat look. "I'm not that overpowered."
Kai raised an eyebrow. "Really? Because last week, I'm pretty sure you erased a whole goblin camp with a casual 'whoops, I sneezed too hard' level attack."
Belle turned away. "That was not intentional."
"Uh-huh." He leaned closer, voice dropping to a whisper. "So tell me, oh mighty dungeon obliterator, why are we stocking up like we're some low-rank scrubs? Shouldn't I just bring, like… a picnic basket? Since you'll clear everything before we even get to the boss?"
Belle exhaled sharply through her nose. "You do realize that dungeons are unpredictable, right?"
Kai grinned. "Oh, of course. But let's be real—you're the unpredictable one. The dungeon should be scared of you."
Belle gave him a light shove. "Just shut up and carry the bag."
Kai snickered but didn't argue. The teasing was just his way of keeping things light. Truthfully, he wasn't worried about the dungeon.
But fate had a twisted sense of humor.
Because just then—a guild runner came tearing through the marketplace.
The boy—no older than fifteen—wore an oversized guild uniform that bounced awkwardly with every frantic step. His face was flushed, sweat beading on his forehead as he shoved past merchants and adventurers alike.
His wide eyes darted through the crowd, desperate.
"Obsidian Dawn!" he gasped, his voice cracking. "Where's Obsidian Dawn?!"
Kai and Belle exchanged a glance. "That's us," Belle called out, raising a hand.
The boy's head snapped toward them.
For a moment, relief crossed his face—then urgency took over again. He stumbled to a stop, nearly tripping over his own feet as he caught his breath.
"You—!" He sucked in a deep gasp. "The guild—! Emergency—!" He doubled over, hands on his knees. "Your mission… It's been changed."
Kai frowned, his teasing demeanor vanishing. "What? We were supposed to investigate the dungeon."
The runner shook his head violently. "Forget that." He finally straightened, his face pale. "It's a rescue mission now."
Belle's stomach tightened. Rescue mission?
"Who?" she asked, already dreading the answer.
The runner swallowed hard. His voice dropped to a whisper.
"Trinity Blade."
The name hit like a lightning strike. For a second, neither of them moved. Kai's usual cocky grin was gone. His crimson eyes darkened, flickering with something dangerous.
"Tch." He clicked his tongue, rolling his shoulders. "Damn it."
Belle clenched her fists. Trinity Blade—the strongest adventurer team in Dawnstead—needed saving?
Just what the hell was in that dungeon?
No more questions. They had to move.
"Take us to the guild," Belle said, her voice firm.
The runner didn't hesitate. He turned on his heel, and they ran.
By the time Belle and Kai burst into the Adventurer's Guild, the entire hall was in an uproar. The emergency signal from Trinity Blade had changed everything.
Adventurers who had been lounging around were now on their feet, muttering in shock. Others were gathered near the request board, speculating wildly.
At the center of the chaos, Alina was frantically flipping through documents while a glowing crystal map projected the source of the distress flare—Dungeon Floor Six.
She barely looked up when Kai and Belle approached. "Finally!" she gasped. "You're here."
Kai crossed his arms. "Did you seriously just say 'finally'? We got here in record time."
Alina didn't even humor him with a glare. She was too busy. The situation was bad.
A heavy thud came from behind them as Garrick slammed his hands onto the counter. His broad frame loomed over the desk, eyes scanning the crystal board with a hardened gaze.
The hall went quiet. The younger adventurers stared at them in awe—while the veterans held expressions somewhere between relief and unease.
"I take it you have already heard the situation." Garrick voiced out without looking at Belle and Kai.
Belle straightened. "We'll handle it."
Garrick's sharp gaze studied her for a moment before he nodded. "Good. Because you don't have a choice."
He gestured to the crystal map.
"Trinity Blade's last location was here," he pointed. "Floor Six. Right before the descent to the deeper floors. That means whatever happened—it happened fast. They didn't even make it deeper before calling for help."
Kai frowned. "You're saying they never stood a chance?"
Boris rubbed his temples. "That's what worries us. If Trinity Blade was forced to use the flare at Floor Six… then this can only mean that the dungeon is not normal. Something dangerous is inside."
Belle's mind was already calculating. "How long do we have?"
Alina exhaled. "At most—an hour. If they're still holding out, they won't last much longer."
The weight of reality sank in. No time to prepare. No time to plan.
Kai cracked his knuckles. "Guess we're skipping lunch, then."
Belle nodded. They had to move.
The streets of Dawnstead were alive with the usual bustle of merchants and townsfolk, but for Belle and Kai, the world had narrowed down to one singular focus—reaching the dungeon.
They walked at a brisk pace, but even at this speed, it would take half a day to get there.
Time was against them.
Belle adjusted the strap of her bag, her thoughts racing. "We should move faster."
Kai, however, looked utterly unbothered as he stretched his arms above his head. "Relax. Panicking isn't going to make the trip shorter."
Belle shot him a look. "We're not panicking. You're just too laid-back."
He smirked. "I prefer to think of it as efficient energy conservation."
Belle sighed. How was he always like this?
They passed through the outer gates of Dawnstead, the guards eyeing them with curiosity. The entire guild had been watching as they left, which meant that by now, half the town probably knew Obsidian Dawn was heading to the unknown dungeon.
The pressure was real.
As they hit the open road leading toward the dungeon, Kai suddenly glanced at her with a teasing grin.
"So, remind me again why we even stocked up on supplies?"
Belle blinked. "Huh?"
He gestured vaguely. "I mean, we have you. One good blast of your magic, and boom—dungeon cleared."
Belle frowned. "It's not that simple."
Kai chuckled. "Come on, admit it. You could probably one-shot the entire dungeon if you really went all out."
Belle opened her mouth to argue, then hesitated. He wasn't entirely wrong.
Her power—this draconic energy inside her—was unlike anything in this world. If she truly let loose… she wasn't sure what would be left standing.
But that was the problem.
"…I can't really control it yet," she admitted.
Kai raised an eyebrow. "You sure? Seemed pretty controlled when you were frying those goblins last week."
Belle shot him a glare. "That was different."
Kai shrugged. "I'm just saying, if it turns out we wasted all that money on potions we don't even need, you're buying my next meal."
She groaned. "You're impossible."
He grinned. "And yet, here we are, the best adventuring duo in Dawnstead."
Despite the teasing, there was an underlying truth in his words. Kai trusted her strength.
The question was—could she trust herself?
Belle exhaled, looking toward the darkening sky ahead. The road stretched on, and the dungeon awaited.
One way or another, they were going to find out.
End of Chapter 41