The guild hall was embroiled in chaos when they arrived, but Maven had a little trouble surveying the situation as she shakily climbed down from Grim’s back. “H-How many times did we just… How can you dash so fast?”

  ? “Huh?” Grim was a little taken aback by the question. Then, realizing what she meant, he quickly said, “Oh. That’s the passive effect of my boon. All my Dash skills have an extra independent use.”

  ? Pausing only long enough to grin at the bewildered look in her eyes, Grim stepped into the guild hall. Every person he could see was in the middle of preparing–donning gear, running from one place to another, or else pacing impatiently. He quickly scanned the room for someone he knew personally, and saw Garf and Miranda talking quietly but gesticulating wildly at each other in one corner.

  ? “What’s going on?” He asked, both he and Maven running over to the pair. “It seems like the city’s going crazy!”

  ? Miranda looked both relieved and troubled to see the two of them. “Maven! Grim! How the hell did you two get past the blockade? Did those lazy assholes not shut down Relvan’s Gate like they’re supposed to?”

  ? “We just slipped past,” Grim said, waving the topic aside. “I’ll tell you about it later. Now, what’s going on?”

  ? “Dungeon flood,” Garf answered him, as it seemed like Miranda was still intent on arguing over their appearance. “Multiple, it seems. A delving party got caught up in it, and a rescue force is rushing out to get them. We’re waiting to find out how big it is before we’re mobilized.”

  ? “M-mobilized?” Grim asked, his mind screeching to a halt. That made this sound like a huge deal. But Veyra had told him that dungeon floods were fairly common outside the city, where there were so many dungeons in the vast swamplands that they couldn’t possibly keep them all properly delved.

  ? Maven instantly became business-like, straightening. “Which sector?”

  ? Garf nodded at her, recognizing the importance of the question. “B-15, based on what I heard. Minneson can tell you more.”

  ? “Right. I’ll have to get to work, then. Grim, I’ll see you later.”

  ? She paused then, biting her lip as she thought through something. After a few seconds, she pulled him by the sleeve over to another corner, where there was less chance they’d be overheard. “Be careful out there, alright? This will be your first time going outside the wall.”

  ? He nodded his understanding, suppressing a grin. Of course, she knew he intended to go out if he was allowed. Then, before he could offer a verbal reply, she leaned over and kissed him lightly on the cheek. Completely taken aback, he opened and closed his mouth a few times, trying to form words. She only smirked at him.

  ? “I don’t want you to walk away thinking that’s the last of our dates,” she said, meeting his eyes. “There’s something… special about you, Grim. I’m going to get to the bottom of it.”

  ? And then she was gone, in a streak of dark green and white, quickly disappearing into the depths of the guild hall. Sure that she was racing for the clerk’s office, Grim returned to where Garf and Miranda were still standing, talking to each other. As he approached, both gave him a knowing smile that told him they’d seen everything that transpired between him and Maven. Rather than let them tease him, he directly returned to the subject at hand.

  ? “So, who’s all mobilizing?” he asked. He rested a hand on the knife at his belt, as if to say that he was ready, whether they wanted him to join or not. Garf turned as someone ran past and out the door, his eyes narrowing, then answered.

  ? “Anyone who can. Yes, even you. While you might not end up fighting, you will act as a scout or a pathfinder as needed. The entire guild is in on this, except for the support staff.”

  ? Miranda nodded in agreement. “We’re an Expedition guild, after all. It’s our job to lead these sorts of things, even if they’re a surprise.”

  ? “Which means,” Garf put in, giving Grim a meaningful look. “You'd better go and put your armor on, kid. Shit’s about to get crazy, and we will leave you behind if you’re slow.”

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  ? Grim snorted, but he did turn to race up the stairs toward his room. He thought of Silver as he donned his armor, glancing over to her empty bed. What would she think of who he was, and what he’d done with his life? Would she be proud? Ashamed? Would she rush out to deal with these dungeon floods as he did now? Or was Taron the risk taker in their relationship?

  ? Taron… He’d witnessed his ancestor’s awakening. The first in the world. His name had been passed down the line along with the tradition of conquering dungeons and gaining essence. How much of his father had matched the first delver? He’d seemed strong when he rose to confront Kett that fateful night. Could Grim reach a similar level of power? Could he surpass it? Granden had reached level twenty, hadn’t he? Grim looked down at his right hand, clenching it into a fist. Maybe he could do the same.

  ? “Grim! Let’s get a move on!” Garf’s voice shattered his thoughts, pulling him back to reality. He cinched the last strap of his armor tight and, after scooping up his helm, he was out the door, ready to depart. He met his friends at the bottom of the staircase, and the two level thirteens took a moment to inspect him. Seeing that everything was on right, Miranda nodded in approval, and Garf clapped him on the shoulder.

  ? “Veyra just got back,” Garf explained. “Figured you’d want to be here for the debrief.”

  ? Grim turned to follow his pointing finger and saw Captain Veyra standing on a table at the far end of the room. As if on cue, she shouted over the general commotion, silencing the room with minimal effort.

  ? “Right! Listen up! We have six confirmed dungeon floods, all in sector B-15! We’re looking at levels three to six, and one level eight!”

  ? Grim felt a shiver run down his spine at the mention of a level eight dungeon flood. The same threat that Silver had conquered, and that Grim had awoken to. They actually had to deal with that kind of threat now? There weren’t that many people of that level or higher in the guild… were there?

  ? “Anyone level eight or higher, you’ll be the first line of attack. Fighters from Ironwatch and Marshguard are forming up just outside the city gates, with almost a hundred other unaffiliated delvers! This means we are launching an official expedition to quell these floods!”

  ? “What about the delvers that got caught?” someone in the crowd asked. “Were you able to rescue them?”

  ? Veyra nodded in confirmation. “We lost one before we could arrive, and another lost a leg, but we got the rest out.”

  ? A murmur of relief swept through the crowd, and they began to relax, but Veyra wiped that away. “I’m sure plenty of you are wondering why we’re moving to subjugate if there are no lives at risk. Unfortunately, one of the dungeons has changed its hostility rating and is no longer satisfied with general spawning. If we don’t put it down now, it will direct its monsters toward the city.”

  ? Grim grimaced at the thought. He knew that dungeons rated as four or five on the index—Ruthless and Lethal, respectively–were treated with great caution by the delvers. If they were particularly violent or located in a troublesome spot, delvers would launch an expedition such as this one to put the dungeon down. They’d have to get into it and find its core, he thought. Then… they’d have to destroy the core.

  ? It was a taboo that no delver was willing to break for a reason. Destroying the core of a dungeon killed it forever. Would Veyra have to shoulder that cost? Or maybe she could foist it off onto someone else? That seemed more in line with her unserious attitude.

  ? “Those who are below level eight, you’ll be scouting for the other platoons. Even our level threes and fours will come, but you’ll be with a more experienced member. Obey your platoon leader’s orders, and stay safe.”?

  ? With that short speech, she jumped down from the table and quickly began issuing orders. A crowd formed around her as she gesticulated, assigning platoon leaders and giving more individual instructions. Grim knew better than to try and ask what would happen to him. As a level four, he’d be assigned to one of those leaders. Sure enough, a figure broke from the crowd around her and made their way straight toward him. It was Terrence, his trainer in scouting and stealth.

  ? “You have your gear ready, Grim? Good. Head to the wall now. You’ll get a better view of what’s going on. I want you to report any forces you see leaving or entering the city.”

  ? Even Garf and Miranda looked around in surprise. The woman was the first to speak. “Why are you sending him out alone? He’s only-”

  ? “It’s just surveillance of the wall,” Terrence cut her off. “Make sure you’re not noticed, Grim. That’s important. We have to make sure we know who goes in or out.”

  ? “Why does that matter?” Grim asked. “Anyone who leaves will be going to deal with the dungeon flood, right?”

  ? Terrence scowled. “I’ll explain it later. Just go. Now!”

  ? As Grim hesitated yet again, the last word was delivered in a bark of an order. He reacted at once, recognizing the final tone his teacher used. “A-Alright, then. Good luck, guys. See you when it’s over?”

  ? His doubt wasn’t in their ability to return safely. As level thirteens, a level eight dungeon wouldn’t likely prove any real threat to them. He was sure they’d be fine. It was his own performance that weighed on him. But, knowing that there was no point in delaying and disobeying a direct order, he used Shadow Dash to reach the rooftop of a nearby building. Then, for the first time since arriving in this city, he turned to the west and made for the wall.

  ?? Even gods need to be held sometimes

  What to Expect:

  - An epic, multi-book space opera with a large found family and multiple POVs.

  - A powerful but emotionally vulnerable protagonist with chaotic powers he struggles to control.

  - Strong, capable, and sometimes morally gray women.

  - High stakes, cosmic threats, and detailed world-building.

  What NOT to Expect:

  - LitRPG/System elements

  - Lone wolf power fantasy

  - A story that is only about romance

  This story contains mature themes, explicit sexual content, and graphic violence. It is not suitable for readers under the age of 18.

  90+ Chapters in the first month

  500,000+ words already written and backlogged