The first rays of dawn cut through the city of Avila, spilling across stone streets still stained with the remnants of celebration. The taverns were silent now, save for the snores of adventurers slumped over tables or sprawled on benches.
Inside the guild's great hall, the air was heavy with the sll of ale and sweat. Dozens of adventurers groaned as they tried to wake, so clutching their heads, others dragging themselves toward the baths to wash off the night's excess.
But not Alex.
He sat at a table near the back, as composed as though he hadn't touched a single drop of alcohol. A mug of steaming tea rested in his hand, his crimson eyes half-lidded as he quietly watched the chaos of morning unfold. The faint smirk on his lips betrayed his amusent. He had drunk more than most the night before, yet his body—and will—remained steady.
A sharp sound echoed.
Clack.
The guild doors swung open. Conversations hushed as a tall figure entered: the vice guild leader, clad in formal attire rather than his usual armor. His expression was grim, his steps deliberate as he cut through the hall. Even hungover adventurers straightened.
His gaze found Alex imdiately.
"You. Co with ."
The command was curt, leaving no room for refusal. Alex didn't bother asking questions. He drained the last of his tea, stood, and followed.
They walked through the guild corridors until they reached a chamber usually reserved for high-ranking officials. Heavy drapes covered the windows, and a large table occupied the center, its surface cluttered with maps and docunts. Waiting inside was the guild master herself—a powerhouse whose re presence seed to fill the room.
Her white hair tied in ponytail sharply witth mysterious gray eyes though he face was blurred probably by a mask, there was no mistaking the aura of authority around her. She looked up as Alex entered, her gaze sharp as a blade.
"Black Rank Adventurer Alex," the guild master said, her voice deep and deliberate.
"Sit."
Alex obeyed, lowering himself into the chair opposite the woman whose feature was blurred despite him trying to use the power of his eyes, well he couldn't use his full power at the mont. The vice guild leader stood to the side, arms crossed, silent.
'She is strong. Stronger than my current self.' An honest judgnt, even if he could use the power of his heterochromia eyes he wasn't certain to win. The odd is about 20~80% of him losing.
The guild master leaned forward, fingers crossed. "Word of your… performance yesterday has spread quickly. Both your battle against the dungeon's creature and your conduct afterward. The guild is pleased. But more importantly—it has confird sothing for ."
She tapped the table, and the maps shifted under her hand. One, in particular, was pulled forward—a detailed chart of the western territories beyond Avila. A city's na was circled in dark ink: Velria.
"Reports from Velria have grown troubling. Disappearances. Murders. Whispers of corruption spreading in the city guard and even among adventurers. At first, we thought it re cri. But then…"
She slid a parchnt across the table. On it was a sketch—distorted, monstrous, with twisted limbs and a gaping maw. A creature not unlike the hybrid abominations Alex had once faced sowhere.
Alex's eyes narrowed.
"Monsters?" he asked.
"Not the kind you're thinking," the guild master said gravely after a montary pause. "Witnesses describe these… things appearing only at night. Human one mont, beast the next. The church claims it is possession. The nobles dismiss it as hysteria. But we suspect sothing else. Sothing darker. And if that is true, then Velria is in far greater danger than anyone realizes."
The vice guild leader finally spoke, her tone sharp. "We cannot risk panic. If the public hears that humans are turning into monsters, Velria will collapse before the truth is uncovered. That is why this mission must remain discreet. And why it must be you."
The guild master nodded. "You are strong enough to survive whatever is happening there. But more importantly—you are new. You have no ties, no connections that can be used against you. You will go to Velria under the guise of a routine adventurer transfer, investigate quietly, and eliminate the threat."
Alex listened, silent, as the weight of the mission settled. A smile tugged at his lips—not from joy, but from the challenge. This wasn't just another dungeon raid or monster hunt. This was infiltration. Investigation. The kind of mission where information mattered as much as strength.
And it played directly into his plans.
If he succeeded, not only would his reputation grow beyond Avila, but he would also gain leverage—knowledge of the guild's hidden affairs, secrets they clearly didn't want exposed.
"…When do I leave?" Alex asked finally.
The guild master's lips curved into the faintest smile. "Tonight. A carriage will take you partway, but from there, you travel alone. We will supply you with falsified transfer papers, equipnt funds, and a contact in Velria. Beyond that—you are on your own."
The vice guild leader stepped forward, placing a sealed envelope on the table.
"Your mission is twofold. Discover the source of the corruption, and destroy it. If nobles are involved, do not confront them directly. Report back. But if it is… sothing else, sothing that cannot be allowed to spread—you have full authority to act as you see fit."
Alex reached forward, picking up the envelope. His thumb brushed the wax seal. The air in the room felt heavier, as if the walls themselves pressed closer.
"I see," he said softly.
The guild master leaned back. "Do not fail. Velria is one of the kingdom's trade hubs. If it falls, the ripple will reach the capital itself. Understand what is at stake."
Alex rose smoothly, tucking the envelope into his coat. His eyes glead with sharp light. "I never fail."
The vice guild leader chuckled. "Cocky bastard."
But even he couldn't hide his relief.
By the ti Alex returned to the adventurers' hall, most had departed, staggering to their hos or preparing for new jobs. A few raised their hands in greeting, calling out his na with admiration. He gave them a polite nod but didn't stop. His thoughts were already ahead, fixed on Velria.
That night, under the cover of darkness, he departed Avila.
The carriage carried him across winding roads, past moonlit fields and forests whispering in the wind. The driver, a silent old man, asked no questions. When dawn painted the horizon, the carriage halted at a crossroads.
"This is as far as I go," the driver said simply.
Alex stepped down, his boots crunching against gravel. The envelope still weighed in his pocket, its seal unbroken. Beyond the crossroads stretched the road to Velria—a city whispered to be vibrant, prosperous, filled with rchants and scholars. But now, it was a city shrouded in shadows.
The air itself seed heavier as Alex began his walk. A sense of anticipation thrumd in his veins, the kind that ca before a storm.
Velria awaited.
And whatever darkness was festering within, Alex would uncover it.
That night, Velria's gates rose before him.
The city was larger than Avila, its walls reinforced with steel plating, its streets alive with the hum of comrce even as night fell. Lanterns glowed golden, rchants shouted their last offers, and carriages rolled across cobblestones. On the surface, it looked like prosperity itself.
But Alex's sharp eyes saw more.
Shadows lingered too long in alleys. The city guards at the gate looked uneasy, their armor polished but their eyes bloodshot, like n who hadn't slept in days. And in the air, beneath the fragrance of spices and bread, there was sothing else. A faint, tallic tang.
Blood.
Alex smirked.
"Velria," he murmured to himself. "Let's see what secrets you're hiding."
He stepped through the gates, blending seamlessly into the throng. His new mission had begun.
User Comments
0 comments from readers