Chapter 14: A Life On The Line
At the Adventures Guild...
The moment they walked in, the familiar sounds of laughter, clinking glasses, and muffled conversations surrounded them. The hall was as lively as ever, filled with adventurers swapping tales of their latest quests, boasting of their triumphs, and drowning their failures in mugs of ale.
But as soon as Kael stepped inside with his party, the atmosphere shifted. The lively chatter didn't stop entirely, but the murmurs began.
"…Seriously? He's still with them?"
"I don't get it. What does an A-Rank party want with a nobody like him?"
"Maybe he's just their errand boy."
Kael, as always, ignored them. His expression remained blank, unreadable. He had long since learned to tune them out. No matter how often it happened, the whispers never completely lost their edge.
Mira rolled her eyes and let out a loud scoff. "Tch. You'd think they'd find a new topic by now." She turned slightly, her gaze sweeping across the guild hall before landing on a few of the whispering adventurers. "You guys got something to say? Or do you just like running your mouths?" she called out, her voice dripping with amusement rather than actual anger.
The men quickly looked away, pretending to be engrossed in their drinks.
Leon didn't say anything, but Kael caught the glance he shot in his direction. It was brief—almost unnoticeable. Like he was checking to see if Kael was bothered.
Kael remained silent.
The group made their way to the reception desk, where Celeste was already waiting. The sharp-eyed receptionist stood with her arms crossed, one eyebrow raised as she watched them approach.
"Well, if it isn't our troublemakers," she said with a smirk. "What do you need today? Here for a quest?"
Leon shook his head. "Yes, but first, we need to know about the dungeon situation."
Celeste's smirk faded slightly. She drummed her fingers against the counter. "I had a feeling you'd ask about that."
Arthur, adjusting his glasses nervously, stepped forward. "You've heard the reports, haven't you?"
Celeste hesitated before nodding. "Yeah. The reports came in this morning. They confirmed what you saw—monsters appearing where they shouldn't, entire sections of the dungeon shifting unnaturally."
Arthur frowned. "Shifting? How?"
Celeste's gaze flickered toward the side, as if checking to make sure no one else was listening. Then she leaned in slightly. "Some parts of the dungeon… changed overnight. Passages leading to dead ends, then opening up into new areas the next. Places that weren't on any maps before."
Elara's eyes narrowed. "That's bad."
"Yeah." Celeste's voice was quieter now. "And it's getting worse."
Leon crossed his arms. "So what's the verdict? Do they know what's causing it?"
Celeste exhaled slowly. "Not exactly. But they found something strange deeper inside." She let the words hang before continuing. "Something is warping the flow of mana in the dungeon. It's shifting things, affecting the monsters… and it's not random."
Arthur gulped. "Meaning…?"
"Meaning something is doing this on purpose."
A heavy silence followed.
Elara's fingers tapped lightly against her arm. "And they still don't know what?"
Celeste shook her head. "Not yet."
Arthur's expression darkened. "So we still don't know if it's safe to go back."
Celeste gave him a dry look. "Oh, it's not safe. That much is obvious. But whether or not you should go back…" She exhaled. "If you insist, you can. But you need to be extremely cautious. Even for an A-Rank party, things are looking worse than usual. The moment you step in there, you'll be facing life-or-death situations more frequently than ever."
Leon frowned. "So, you're suggesting we hold off?"
"That's my personal recommendation, yes." Celeste leaned against the counter. "Until we have more information, it's better to stay away. But if you really need something to do…" She reached under the desk and pulled out a stack of papers. "Here's the list of available A-Rank quests."
Celeste spread the parchment out on the counter. "You can take any of these."
Mira leaned forward, skimming the pages with a critical eye. "Hmm… Monster hunts, escort missions, artifact retrieval…" She let out a dramatic sigh, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "Where's the fun stuff?"
Kael, as usual, stood slightly behind the group, silent and observant. He made no move to join in, simply listening.
Celeste, however, didn't respond to Mira's theatrics. Instead, she hesitated for a moment, then slid a single parchment toward Leon. Her sharp hazel eyes locked onto his.
"See if you can take this or not."
Leon raised an eyebrow but picked it up without hesitation. His bright green eyes scanned the bold letters at the top. Almost immediately, his expression darkened.
"An emergency quest?" His voice carried a note of surprise, but his tone remained steady, unreadable.
Arthur folded his arms. "Emergency quests aren't common unless it's a life-or-death situation… What's the request?"
Leon exhaled through his nose, then read aloud, his voice firm.
"A-Rank quest. Hunt down a Hollow Blade Reaver inside the dungeon and retrieve its magic stone—Aetherium Core."
A moment of silence followed.
Elara, who had been listening intently with her arms crossed, tapped a finger against her arm. "The Hollow Blade Reaver," she murmured.
Mira let out a low whistle. "That's a fragment-type monster, isn't it?"
Arthur swallowed. "Yes, it is."
Elara's fingers drummed softly against her sleeve. "It's found on the nineteenth floor?"
Celeste nodded. "That's where it should be. But given the dungeon's instability… there's a chance it's moved."
Arthur's fingers twitched slightly around the edge of his sleeve. "And if the dungeon is unstable…" He glanced at Celeste, his voice turning grave. "What are the chances that the target hasn't evolved into something worse? We saw what happened with the Abyssal Warden."
A heavy silence followed his words.
Celeste's gaze flickered, just for a moment. A small pause—barely noticeable, but enough to shift the air in the room.
"…That's something you'll have to consider," she admitted, her voice quieter now. "There's no guarantee that things will stay the same."
Leon took another glance at the parchment. His eyes lingered on a particular line.
"Also the reward is five thousand gold coins." His voice remained calm, but there was an underlying tension.
Arthur blinked. "Five thousand?" His brows furrowed as he turned his gaze toward Celeste. "That's the kind of pay you see for taking down something far beyond A-Rank."
Leon leaned back slightly, his gaze never leaving Celeste's face. "So what's making this so urgent? An A-Rank monster is dangerous, sure, but we've taken down worse."
Celeste hesitated. It was slight—almost imperceptible—but it was there.
"The client needs the Aetherium Core immediately," she said.
Mira arched a brow. "And why is the reward so high? It's way above the usual bounty for an A-Rank monster. There's something else, isn't there?"
Celeste's fingers tapped lightly against the wooden table. Then, she finally said, "…You know the owner of the Silver Crest Merchant Company, right?"
Leon tilted his head slightly. "Who doesn't? He's one of the wealthiest merchants in Velhart."
Celeste nodded. "He's the one who issued this quest."
Arthur's eyes narrowed. "A merchant that powerful wouldn't put out a request this urgent unless something was seriously wrong."
Celeste sighed. "It is. His daughter has been cursed."
A heavy silence fell over the table.
Leon straightened slightly. "…Cursed?"
"Yes," Celeste confirmed, her tone laced with urgency. "Unlike normal magic stones, the Aetherium Core from a Hollow Blade Reaver is one of the rare few used to dissolving and removing high-level curses. And this isn't just any curse. It's a Brand of Withering."
Arthur stiffened, his knuckles turning white as he clenched his sleeve.
"A Brand of Withering," he repeated, his voice quieter now. "That's… one of the worst."
Mira clicked her tongue. "Damn. That's not just some simple hex." She ran a hand through her hair. "That's a slow death."
Elara's gaze sharpened. "Explain."
Celeste took a slow breath. "The Brand of Withering isn't like normal curses. It doesn't just weaken the victim—it actively drains their life force, turning them into a hollow husk. Every passing moment, it consumes them, their body decaying while they're still alive."
Arthur nodded grimly. "And once it reaches the heart, it's over. Not even a high priest can save them at that point."
Elara's gaze remained steady, but there was a hint of something softer in her expression. "…And no one else accepted the request?"
Celeste shook her head. "Given the dungeon's current situation, no one's willing to take the risk. Most parties are steering clear—not even for this much money. If an S-Rank party were available, they would've taken the job without hesitation, but none are in the city right now."
Mira let out a low whistle. "No wonder no one's taken the quest yet. That's a hell of a deadline to work with."
Leon drummed his fingers against the table, deep in thought.
The Aetherium Core.
Unlike regular magic stones, it wasn't just a mana reservoir. This one was special—a necessary component in high-level cursebreaking rituals.
Even the most skilled healers needed a catalyst for their magic to properly counteract a Brand of Withering. Without it, they wouldn't have the power to undo the curse's layers.
"…So without this stone, the healer can't save her," Leon murmured.
Celeste nodded, her expression grim. "Not in time, no. The curse is progressing faster than expected. The girl has a day, maybe two. Without the core, she won't make it."
A heavy silence settled over the group.
Mira exhaled sharply, rubbing the back of her neck. "Damn. A kid's dying, and everyone's too scared to step up?" She scoffed, shaking her head. "Cowards."
Arthur exhaled sharply, as if steadying himself. "It's not just fear. If that dungeon's as bad as they say, then going in unprepared is suicide. Even we'd be walking a fine line."
A heavy silence settled over the group.
Elara let out a slow breath. "…We may not be as strong as an S-Rank party, but that doesn't mean we back down when lives are at stake."
Leon closed his eyes briefly. The weight of the decision pressed on his shoulders, but there was never really a choice, was there? Then, his gaze met Celeste's. His decision was firm.
"We'll take the quest."
Celeste's lips parted slightly, then she smiled—a mix of relief and gratitude. "I knew I could count on you."
Leon's voice was steady, carrying the weight of responsibility.
"We're an A-Rank party. Maybe we're not the strongest in the world… but we don't hesitate when it comes to saving lives."
Mira stood beside him, nodding. "Damn right. If taking this quest means saving a girl's life, then there's nothing to think about. We're in."
Arthur sighed, shaking his head, but there was a faint smirk on his lips. "When you put it like that… there's no way we can refuse."
Elara's lips curved slightly. "Then let's get moving."
Celeste's gaze softened as she watched them. "Thank you."
Leon adjusted the strap of his sword and turned toward the exit.
"No need for thanks. We've got a life to save."
And with that, they walked out the door—toward the unknown dangers of the dungeon, ready to face whatever lay ahead.
Failure was not an option.
(Chapter Ended)
To be continued...