“Time huh? Curious that one,” Viel said, patting her shoulder. Jennifer barely stopped herself from stumbling from the force of the friendly gesture.

“Follow along Jennifer. We need to head to the guild. There’s something not quite right about this earthquake, and the halls have called for every ranked adventurer in the city. Not that all of them will come, or that there’s many of them in the city at the moment anyways.” Viel pulled his hand from her shoulder. Turning away from the blocked off street after having a last look at the people working in the area. Work that mostly consisted of cleanup at this point.

“Let’s go,” he said and walked ahead. His armor clanked with each step, it had a faded off-white colour with golden engravings on it’s edges.

Jennifer followed behind him and they walked in silence, making their way through the city. People were starting to return to their homes. Although many were still shuffling about outside, too afraid of a collapsing building to return.

From what I remember, there were next to no deaths. Slight tremors have never been rare in Lienmont with the dungeon beneath it. I wonder if a mark is related to the new branch being found.

“We’ll be meeting up with my teammates ahead, near the central hall’s entrance,” Viel said without looking back.

“Do I have a choice here?” she cringed at her retort the moment she said it.

The burly man stopped. His armor gleamed in the sun, reflecting light into her eyes, and she squinted.

“Yes you do. You have the choice to run, or the choice to fight against me. You have the choice to refuse and turn away right now. But, while I do not trust you completely, and I can tell that you don’t trust me, you have not been hostile. And you helped the people back there as well,” he paused, his orange eyes staring at her, the sunlight giving them a golden hue.

“So, if you have any complaints or desire anything. Then I am willing to listen,” he said and her eyes turned towards the mark at his neck. There was that feeling of trust again. She had near absolute trust in his words.

Did the mark flash for a second? Is he... using mind magic on me?

Jennifer paused for a good second. The idea hadn’t crossed her mind simply because how rare mind magic was.

What if he's just lying? Mark of Valour? His mark could be anything else and I'd have no way to tell. I just went ahead and told him my mark like an idiot.

She looked at his serious face, and the adventurer gave her a slight smile.

Why go to all this trouble? Clearly he is much much stronger than me. He could even hide his presence, or overwhelm me with it. He knows how to use his mark. At least, better than I do. Then why stop me like that? Why stop me when I was falling apart just by him standing there? Why help people?

Jennifer turned to look at his neck again. The mark was still visible. She brought her hand up, willing for her own mark to appear. It took less focus than the last time, as a dark blue color started to seep in, and soon her mark was visible for all.

She turned to look in his eyes. Taking a deep breath in.

“I have questions. Many questions. On what this is. Why do I have it? Why do you have it? And why that man had it and why he-” she stopped, a small shudder going through her body.

“But, before any of that. I want to tell my friend I’m alright.”

The man nodded and after a moment Jennifer added. “She went to the guards, I’d sent her to- well. To run from you. Can you let them know? I can’t see her right now. I'll have to soon. But not now.”

“I’ll send word to the guard. Your friend, whose name I will need, will be informed that you are fine and that I am not the rampaging monster I was thought to be.”

Jennifer nodded and then paused, turning to look at the man, his lips curved upwards in a cheeky smirk.

She almost rolled her eyes at the man, but decided against it. “Rumina. Rumina Floreth,” she replied.

The man’s face returned to his serious expression as he nodded. “Good, that’s enough. Is there anything else?”

Jennifer took a moment to consider it before she shook her head.

“Perfect, now let’s get a move on,” the man said, heading off with Jennifer following a step behind him.

I hope this isn’t a mistake.

❖❖❖

She sensed the gathering of adventurers a moment before she saw them. A large storm of mana swirled in the distance, waves of it crashing then merging into a completely different flow. She felt the various auras all merge into one, warning the others away from the entrance.

Those are...ranked adventurers. I’ve never seen so many of them together before. The magical output of their equipment is insane.

Her eyes shifted towards the massive guild hall, the building made of polished white stone that glimmered in the afternoon sun. Despite its simple appearance, she could feel loads of magical reinforcements on it. Jennifer didn't come to this side of the city often. The central hall was, unlike its name, not in the center of the city but instead further north of it. Near the edge of northern Lienmont. From what she knew, this was due to security measures related to having a dungeon next to a primary guild hall.

This part of the city also contained far more nobles and rich merchants and while there was no aristocracy in Lienmont, and no segregated areas for them unlike in some other cities, she still preferred to avoid this side of the city.

They approached the entrance gate to the halls, flanked by two guards decked in full armor.

“She’s with me,” Viel said and the guards nodded as both of them entered. Her skin tingled, a prickling sensation running through it as she passed what her [Enhanced Mana Sense] told her to be multiple magic wards inside the guild halls.

The guild entrance was dominated by a large desk, where she assumed adventurers came in to fill in completed tasks. Papers with quest requests were scattered about. Notices for monster sightings in nearby locations and other similar enquiries along with a list of available monster parts for procession and selling. She saw one guild member pulling down the requests from the notice board. Leaving only an Emergency request hung on it, asking adventurers to travel to various locations that had had a cave in or any other problems, she watched as the guild staff rushed about like a swarm of ants.

“Hey Viel! What took you so goddamn long?” A booming voice rang out through the halls, and Jennifer saw a well built woman sitting nearby. She had darker skin than Jennifer was used to seeing here.

It’s not the dwarven blood’s bronze skin, perhaps from the south west?

She paused upon seeing the woman’s eyes. They were completely black, with nothing indicating a pupil. And unlike the very few beastkin she had seen - with their large pupils that covered their eyes - her eyes didn't reflect light at all.

“I know the time, Anghul. There was a large collapse, and some people were stuck in the rubble. I decided to help out till the lower plates joined in,” Viel replied, looking around the guild.

“Tch, went about playing hero again did you? Nathaniel is not here. His uncle called for him,” the woman retorted, furrowing her brows as she stressed the word uncle.

“Ah, I see,” Viel said and nodded.

The woman—Anghul, leaned down, casually lifted a massive bow which she slung over her shoulder. It towered over her on her shoulder, the bottom part of it reaching her knees.

“Is she the one, eh? I’d have thought both of you’d be a bit more beaten up,” the woman grunted as she got up from her seat.

Jennifer felt a strong weight descend on her shoulders and she stumbled. Her whole body, even the air in her lungs felt heavy. She almost fell gasping onto her knees. She struggled against it when the pressure suddenly retreated and she found an armored hand grabbing her.

“Stop it,” Viel said, ice in his voice.

The dark-skinned archer ignored the man, turning towards Jenn, her black eyes an endless abyss that seemed to pull her in.

“Weak,” the woman spat. “Far too weak, are you sure you did not make a mistake-” the woman stopped her eyes widening a bit. She rushed to Viel, her steps resounding as she grabbed him by his collar.

“You fool. You- You swore an oath didn’t you?” she asked, her hands tightening around his collar. Viel let Jennifer’s arm go as she fell onto the floor and slowly backed off.

“Yes. I did. I will tell you my reasons for it later. This is not the time Anghul,” Viel replied in a measured tone. His expression neutral.

She let go of his collar, pulling her hands away. The woman glanced at Jennifer, a frown decorating her features. She turned back towards Viel.

“We’ll talk about this. When Nathaniel is back,” the woman said in a deep voice and Viel nodded back.

“They want us in the 3rd training hall,” Anghul said, as she stomped ahead on her own. Viel sighed, turning back towards Jenn, an apologetic look on his face.

“I’m sorry she behaved that way,” he said and put his hand forward. Jennifer stared at it blankly for a moment, before she realised what it was meant for. She grabbed his hand, as he helped her get up.

She dusted her dress, finding more than one adventurer eying her.

What was that? That was an aura? It was so...overwhelming. Crushing. The sand mark, no, even this guy. Both of them were never giving it their all, were they? Like a predator toying with their prey before the kill.

She looked up, her face scrunched up as her thoughts churned. She turned to look at Viel. “Thank you,” she said quietly.

He turned back, giving her a light bow before he motioned with his hands for her to follow.

She walked behind him as they walked further inside the guild hall. Jennifer made her way through multiple wards with various effects, each of varying intensity. But her mind was distracted, still trying to deal with the feeling of helplessness she had felt in front of that woman’s aura.

They came upon a chamber filled with adventurers, pulling Jenn out of her thoughts. Jennifer saw many species and races in there, like Lizardfolk, Half Elves, Dwarves, Gnomes, even some exotic species. Like the person who seemed to be half plant and half human. And another with a body made of rocks. The room was brimming with power and she felt the edge of that power touch upon her, making her sweat.

“What happened Skywrath? Mistook the halls for a picnic spot, eh? Never knew you liked ‘em this young,” said a man wearing a strange set of layered metal armor from nearby as he leaned against the wall. His eyes scanned her once before they moved back to Viel.

“And I see you never fail to be crude, Vincet. Circumstances meant I could not leave this young lady alone, but also could not avoid coming here.”

“Whatever you say, Sunshine. I’m just here to watch the chaos this new discovery causes,” the man said, saluting Viel in a mocking gesture before he moved further away.

She heard Viel muttering something with a sigh. “Ignore that man for me if you can,” he said before they walked through the chamber to where Anghul stood, with her arms crossed, the adventurers giving her a wide berth.

A wave of murmuring went through the crowd, as a man walked into the chamber. Lightning crackled around him, producing crackles as he vanished, appearing on the other side of the chamber with a spark. His black hair rose around him. He raised his foot a fraction, slamming it into a ground in an effortless motion sending a powerful shockwave of mana through the room.

The ground shifted as an impromptu stage rose beneath him, two more people joining him. The first, a woman wearing a silk dress with complex patterns embroidered onto it that shifted with her every move like ripples in a water body. The other man was...Jennifer squinted. Blinking her eyes as she realised she couldn't place any features on the man. The only things she could determine was he was a man and shorter than the other two on the stage. Lightning crackled once more, as the man surrounded by lightning inspected the chambers with his dark blue eyes.

The three guild heads.

Her eyes widened in surprise as she realised who these three people were.

“I see quite a few ranked plates gathered.” Zaress’, voice spread through the hall, drowning the silent whispering out as it rang clearly.

“That is fortunate. I'll leave the pleasantries today and cut to the chase. A shift occurred in the dungeon, causing an earthquake that hit Lienmont today. Some may have even detected the massive mana wave that traveled beneath the city just as the earthquake hit.” The man paused for a second as he scanned the room.

“A new dungeon branch, previously unexplored, has been located. There has been unprecedented movement in the dungeon itself as a completely new and undetected area has spawned in the midst of it.” Zaress paused as the third guild head moved to whisper something to him. He nodded lightly as the man moved back to his position.

“There have been strange mana waves spreading through the deeper layers. Some signals point at an artifact of Ancient class or higher surfacing.”

Another murmur spread through the crowd, this time with far more excitement. The man kicked the stage once more, and a loud thundering sound blasted out, silencing everyone. He waited a second till everyone had settled.

“Good. There's a guild supported delve being planned to map out the new branch. You're all focused on the new loot, artifacts and other resources. But it's my job to remind you, there will also be monsters and new threats. I don’t think I need to tell you how to adventure. You’ve survived and made it this far.”

“There are three separate teams that will go through various pathways, selected by each one of us.” Velicia spoke up, her harmonic voice ringing out like a string instrument.

“Naturally, this information is not to be shared outside the guild. You can speak of the new branch, we do need to provide an explanation for this commotion, but the delve is not to be disclosed. You will each be made to swear an oath of silence before you leave the hall. Any that refuse will have their memory wiped. No questions asked.”

A tense silence spread through the hall at the woman’s words. Jennifer looked around, nervous anxiety filling her.

How did no one realise a delve like this was being planned?

She looked around the chamber, her eyes drifting through the crowd of adventurers till they stopped. Jennifer paused, having a closer look and found the man she was looking at turn towards her.

Silver eyes stared into her own.