The next morning came bright and cool, the market already alive with voices. After a quick breakfast, the three siblings made their way toward the stone hall Felix had shown them the day before—the Adventurer’s Guild.
Inside was chaos.
Armor clattered, dice rolled across tables, and the air smelled of sweat, ale, and parchment. Boards across the walls were plastered with contracts: Goblin Nest Near the Hillside, Caravan Guard Needed, Missing Cattle—Possible Beast.
Behind the main desk sat a half-dwarf woman with auburn curls tied back under a ribbon. She scribbled furiously into a ledger, her small hands flying across the page with surprising speed. She looked up when the three approached, her hazel eyes bright and warm despite the stacks of paperwork.
“New blood?” she asked with a smile. “Well, don’t just stand there—come closer. I’m Tessa, Guild Secretary. I’ll get you signed up.”
Hela froze.
Her face flushed faintly, and she stared a second too long before quickly looking down at her boots.
Artemis elbowed her, smirking. “Ohhh. Someone’s got a crush.”
Hela smacked him under the table as they sat.
Before Artemis could tease further, a loud voice boomed from the office door.
“Who’s clogging up my front desk?”
A bear of a man stepped out, bald head gleaming, his beard tied into two braids. His armor was dented but polished, and a longsword hung at his belt.
“That’s Guildmaster Bran,” Tessa whispered conspiratorially, though the man was already striding toward them.
Bran gave the three of them a sharp once-over. “Riftborn, eh? Don’t look like much yet. But if Lady Asra sent you, you’ve at least got some bite.” He jabbed a thumb toward the contract board. “You survive one job, maybe I’ll stop calling you greenhorns. Until then, you’re on probation. Understand?”
Lokey gave a respectful nod. “We understand.”
A faint pressure settled behind Lokey’s eyes—like unseen gears turning.
System Notice:
External Organization Recognized — Adventurer’s Guild
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Status: Probationary
Survival-Based Advancement Enabled
Artemis barely heard him. His attention snagged on a figure across the hall—a woman sparring near the training mat. She was tall, with dark skin and tightly bound braids, her arms corded with muscle as she swung a massive greatsword with ease. Sweat glistened along her shoulders as she slammed the blade into a training dummy, splitting it nearly in half.
Artemis swallowed hard. “Whoa.”
Lokey followed his gaze and smirked. “Be careful, little brother. She’ll break you in half.”
Artemis grinned, eyes still glued to her. “I can only dream.”
The woman caught him staring. Instead of looking away, she smirked, rolled her shoulders, and lifted the blade again with deliberate ease.
“Tch,” Hela muttered. “Boys.”
Hela, meanwhile, kept brushing her hand over the counter where Tessa had been sitting, her face a little red. For the first time since their summoning, she looked shy rather than scared.
“Hey, newbies,” the Guildmaster called, stabbing a thick finger at a map on the wall. “This is the Dungeon. It breathes. It shifts. It spawns monsters without end. And it’s the reason this city stands at all.”
Lokey stepped forward, thoughtful. “What are the rules?”
Bran looked him dead in the eye. “Rule one: Only those with fighting or healing abilities go inside. Everyone else dies quick. Rule two: Monsters don’t care who you are. You drop your guard, you’re gone. And rule three—” He leaned in. “If you go down there, you bring something back.”
As he spoke, Lokey’s vision flickered.
System Analysis:
Environment Identified — Dungeon-Type Zone
Variable Structure
High-Risk / High-Yield
Growth Potential: Extreme
Bring somthing back they? asked he smiled then answered Yeah monster cores, parts, hides, relics and any treasures you want to sell we'll take them all.
“Monster cores?” Artemis asked.
Bran dug into his pouch and pulled out a small, faintly glowing gem. “Pure magic. Like your world’s electricity—but better.”
Lokey nodded slowly. “Fair enough. Sounds like the risk matches the reward.”
Bran grinned. “I like you. Ask the right questions, you live longer.”
Hela’s hands trembled. “But… my powers. People stare. What if they’re right?”
Bran crouched down so he was eye-level with her. “Power’s just power. It’s the hand that matters don't let other people dull your shine.”
System Resonance Detected — Hela
Emotional State: Stabilizing
Soul Affinity: Reinforced
She nodded, swallowing hard.
“All right,” Tessa said, tapping her quill. “Name, class, skills.”
Lokey filled his out first.
Name: Lokey
Class: Forge Knight
Skills: Craftsmanship, melee combat
The parchment warmed slightly beneath his hand.
System Update:
Crafting Path Confirmed
Potential Detected — Runic Expression (Dormant)
Artemis scribbled next.
System Update:
Arcane-Weapon Synchronization Improving
Hela hesitated… then wrote.
Warning: Soul-Class Disclosure Logged
Social Risk Increased
Tessa paused only a fraction of a second before stamping the form. “Welcome.”
“Probationary contract,” Bran announced, slapping a notice onto the board.
They completed the goblin job by dusk.
They returned alive.
System Notice:
Contract Completed
Experience Distributed Based on Contribution
Bran grunted approval. “Welcome to the Guild.”
As they left, none of them noticed the robed figures watching from the shadows.
System Alert (Hidden):
Hostile Observation Detected
Threat Not Yet Active
The gates of House Stone loomed ahead.
Lokey exhaled. “Well… this is it.”
