The asphalt-black roads of Yudonia’s busiest central hub radiated the blistering heat from the sun right back up, distorting the visions of any who roamed near them. It wasn’t always like this. Yudonia was one of the few countries that experienced fluctuating temperatures throughout their four-season calendar year. In the summer, the heat could reach as high as forty degrees Celsius, hot enough to get a heat stroke. Though, in the winter, chilling Jack Frost winds would cool the country down to below the melting point, forcing all of its inhabitants to wear at least three sets of clothing.

Aria hated the burning sun. Usually, she would ignore the two extreme seasons and only come out to play in the spring or autumn, when the environment was much more bearable. Otherwise, she would stay holed in her apartment, keeping comfy using the high-end thermostat she purchased. Never would she have anticipated that an S-Class Dungeon would pop up right in the middle of the hottest month of the year.

Nonetheless, Aria was determined to stay in ideal temperatures and keep her interaction with the intense heat to a minimal. Cranking the air-conditioning in her self-driving car to the maximum, Aria moved her face right in front of the vents, chilling her reddened face down even further.

“Careful. You might catch a cold.” Yvette lazily said, her eyes never leaving the touch-screen tablet in her hands.

“Like I would. I may be low in strength, but my constitution is at the level of a C-Class Berserker. I’m basically immune to all ailments!”

“Says the girl who got sick after spending twelve days experimenting in a lab.” The blonde elf rolled her eyes. She remembered the annoying time when Aria begged her to use a wet towel to clean her back. Yvette lost three days of pay because she had to tend to the babied-up Aria.

“I told you before! I was working with some serious isotopes! That magical reaction I concocted fried my immune system! If not for that, why would I have fallen sick?!”

“Yeah, yeah...” Yvette chuckled. Looks like Aria was the same as usual, even though it was in the wee hours of the morning. Turning back all of her attention onto the screen, Yvette’s face turned a little sombre, tickling Aria’s suspicions. She saw paragraph after paragraph in the reflection of Yvette’s eyes being scrolled through rapidly.

“Something the matter?”

“That S-Class Dungeon...” The blonde elf scrolled to the appropriate page before handing it over to Aria. “No casualties have been reported, and it has been quiet ever since it first appeared three days ago.”

“Isn’t that a good thing?” Aria wondered out loud.

“If it were a lower-tiered dungeon, perhaps. However, this is an S-Class Dungeon we’re talking about.” Moving in closer, Yvette swiped to the next tab. She had opened up past articles when Gondor and Elfheim first experienced their own S-Class Dungeons. “Almost always, S-Class Dungeons would force out hundreds, if not thousands of B-Class or C-Class monsters. They seem to have a surplus of them inside after all.” The elf paused and scrolled down the articles. “Most of the deaths would come from normal civilians that happened to live in the area before help could arrive. Yet, even after three days, there have been no reported casualties. Don’t you think that’s weird?”

“Maybe Yudonia is just competent… not.” Aria quickly refuted her own statement. She knew her own country better than Yvette did.

“Exactly… It’s not that I would disparage Yudonia’s strength, but Gondor and Elfheim are far more formidable when it comes to overall military strength. Also, there are international reporters and notable researchers flying in to watch the Dungeon Raid unfold. Yudonia wouldn’t lie, no they couldn’t lie about the numbers. Not when the whole world is watching them.”

“Hmmm, so what do you think?”

“That’s the issue.” Yvette locked her tablet and laid it on her lap. Her right elbow rested on the window pane while her hands held down her heavy head. “I don’t know what to think. There must be an unknown variable that we’re not informed about. Either way, we have to be very careful when we’re inside.”

“Like I need you to tell me that,” the maiden chuckled. Aria was the queen of evading trouble. How else could one live three-hundred days a year indoors? Glancing out from her left-side window, Aria took a deep breath in and admired the city landscape that passed her by.

Dozens of high-rise buildings, each reaching at least fifty floors and donned with a variety of architectural magnificence, graced the city skyline. There was a skyscraper that was shaped like a needle, reaching out high into the skies. Next to it was the infamous Schooner Complex, a building designed in the shape of a sailboat. Legend has it that a billionaire from Gondor had purchased the entire top floor for his own pleasure, but Aria didn’t bother to confirm that fact. Skipping down to the ground, Aria saw a glass pyramid decorated with coloured dyes and vibrant lights. They weren’t lit in the morning, of course, but at night, the Limoges Pyramid was a sight to behold. Aria had brought Yvette here to play once. The look on the elven girl’s face was priceless, Aria believed.

Yudonia was rebuilding itself up to become a first-rate country, so all of these brilliant engineering marvels were the norm these days. Though, in this world, it wasn’t wealth or prosperity that determined a country’s status. It was their overall military might. And that was established by the supremacy of their armies and the number of S-Rankers they possessed.

The world consists of hundreds of races, each one with their own unique traits. However, they can be classified into two factions. Those with the blood of angels, and those with the blood of demons. According to old folklore, when the world was created, angels and demons were first created to bring balance to the virgin earth. They fought for aeons, passing down their blood from generation to generation. Eventually, many races were birthed from their pedigree.

Among the descendants of angels, humans were in the majority, but they were extremely divided, splitting into numerous factions and eventually forming their own countries all around the world. The elves were much more straightforward. Their connection with nature enabled them to utilise magic in ways that humans could only dream of. Though, they were much more conservative by any metric. Majority of them stayed in Elfheim or their subsidiary state Dalheim. Then there were the dwarves. Known for their sharp intellect and revolutionary technological advancements, nearly every country employed dwarves to help develop new infrastructure and plan better nations.

Beastmen were also a unique race in the world. They were one of the few races that bore both the blood of angels and demons. They held superior innate physical attributes that made their teenagers as powerful as any of the best athletes that humans could throw at them. They lived happily in Bestia though traces of their blood could be seen all around the world as well.

As for those with the blood of the demons, they were a little more special. Due to how powerful some of their genes were, some races such as the Dragon race would be B-Class at birth. Others, such as Vampires, formed their own country like the rest of the angelic descendants. They were a mixed bag, but that didn’t mean that they were inferior. Take the Giants for instance. They were considered to be a race that was equal, if not surpass that of the humans, as they had far better infrastructure and they possessed countless S-Class individuals.

It would be a lie to say that all the races got along fine and lived in harmony. Wars had been waged thousands of times throughout the world’s history. Civilisations had risen and fallen. Races had been thoroughly wiped clean, either by natural means or by conflicts. The modern era was no different. Though there weren’t many open wars as before, it didn’t change the fact that all the races were competing to be the best. Humans used elves, elves used dwarfs, dwarfs used beastmen, beastmen used vampires, vampires used giants and giants used humans. It was a vicious cycle that went on and on. Though, there was one thing that they all uniformly hated and yearned for at the same time…

And that was Dungeons.

The self-driving car that Aria and Yvette were on slowly decelerated as it took one final turn into a narrow drive-through. Looking out of their windows, the two ladies were greeted by a tremendous skyscraper. It was at least a hundred stories high and probably had a capacity of a few thousand. The doors on each side of the vehicle opened up like an eagle spreading its wings, giving sufficient space for the pair to step out onto the pavement, where an usher was there to welcome them.

“Miss Aria Saciustrum, Miss Yvette Galadhel. Please, the Association President has been expecting your arrival.” The young man gave out the most customer-friendly smile that Aria had ever seen as he led the way.

There was no need for Aria to look around. She had been to the Ranker’s Association multiple times in the past. Yvette, on the other hand, was like a tourist on vacation. Her eyes sparkled when they entered into the reception and a crystal chandelier, decorated with dozens of luminous glass teardrops, beamed out a heavenly aura. Elaborately crafted pillars held the concrete ceiling, which was decorated by a godly mural depicting the ancient war between Angels and Demons. It wasn’t just the top of the reception hall that marvelled the elven girl. On the ground, two ponds, one with black marble bordering its boundaries and the other with white marble, formed the shape of a Yin-Yang symbol. To get to the receptionist, the pair of S-Rankers had to cross the broad path that separated the two.

It was a surreal experience for Yvette, who barely came to the Yudonia’s Ranker’s Association. Aria watched in amusement with a gentle expression.

“Isn’t Elfheim’s Ranker’s Association just as spectacular? Why are you so amazed by this paltry infrastructure?”

“Our cultures are just way too different.” Yvette shook her head. “Elves hate such decadence. We would much rather stay as close to nature as we possibly can. Our palaces are made of wood and strengthened by mud. Though the Ranker’s Association in Elfheim is magnificent as well, it’s mostly built like a warm hut where rankers could gather without disruption.”

“Oh ho, that actually sounds not bad.” The Archmagus cackled up. She was a magic researcher at heart. Peace and quiet were what Aria valued the most, not the hustle and bustle of the city life. “Perhaps I should pay a visit to Elfheim in the future.”

“If you could, you should!” The blonde elf winked. “I’ll show you around, maybe introduce you to one or two hot elven men.”

“Yeah, right.” Aria wasn’t particularly fond of getting into relationships at the moment.

It wasn’t like Aria didn’t have any interest in men. She had even dated a few men in the past. S-Rankers are valuable marriage partners, after all. However, ever since she rose up the ladder, the types of guys that had been approaching her turned from horny teenagers to desperate lads that wanted to seal the deal with an S-Ranker. Not to mention, the people who typically surrounded her were weirdos. Add that all together, and it wasn’t strange for Aria to take a break from romance to focus on her career.

Ascending up the floors with the help of the Association’s rapid elevator, the pair soon reached a vastly open level. Even though it was indoors, the floor possessed lush greenery. From tall coniferous trees to gorgeous beds of flowers. It was a sanctuary for those who wanted to escape the hellish grind of urban life.

Being the elf that she was, Yvette’s pointed ears started to flap, like a hysterical puppy when she was presented with nature. It has been ages since she was presented with such a high concentration of greenery. She staggered a little and needed Aria’s help to hold her back up. Then, the elf said:

“Hey… Can I live here?”

“As if! Don’t even joke about this!” Aria was worried that some annoying ears would catch wind of Yvette’s words and take her perfect roommate away from her. “This is just a simulated forest! Employees in the building come here to rest and relax. It’s a recreational zone!” Snapping Yvette out of her stupor was Aria’s number one priority.

“Right...” The blond elf sighed and stared at the ground. ‘She’s disappointed?!’ Aria thought, but she ultimately kept quiet. Why? Because of the elderly man that was headed in their direction.

“Association President!” The usher clicked his boots and saluted the old man. He had his chest puffed up, and his excited smile hidden.

The old man looked no more than seventy. He had a fringe of grey-white hair around his balding, mottled scalp. All wrinkled up and dry, the man barely had any healthy muscles left in his frail body, and from the outside, it looked like anyone could topple him down with a little force. However, that was far from the truth. That elderly being, who had a slight hunch and a worn-down face, was much more powerful than Aria or Yvette. Heck, he might even give other S-Class fighters a run for their money if they were to enter a duel.

“Mmmm. Thank you for bringing them. You are excused.”

“Yes, sir!”

It was a short exchange, but the usher was happy beyond words. Many looked up to the Association President, and that young boy was no different. To be able to stand at the peak, dominating all kinds of S-Rankers… The Association President was the real deal, and it showed by how many people idolised him. Though Aria wasn't amused.

“You’re late.” The elderly man coldly said, his eyes never leaving Aria’s face. There were two of them, but the Association President could clearly figure out who was the cause of the tardiness.

“Sorry about that.” There was no need to give any excuses. Anything Aria said would be sharply rebuked by the man. No lie could escape this man. It was so bizarre that sometimes the Archmagus thought that the Association President had an omniscient ability.

The old man sized up the two ladies with a frown, his brows knitted together while his fingers stroked his hairless chin. “You’re wearing that into an S-Class Dungeon?”

“What’s wrong with this blouse and pants?” Aria stretched the fabric of her clothes, showing that it was completely pliable. “It’s good for movement and absorbs sweat easily. It’s perfect for a dungeon dive!”

“Not this one,” replied the man while shaking his head.

“What do you mean?”

“Our mosimeters picked up a reading of 64.8 montgen at the entrance. Do you think that your jogging clothes would do the trick?” The elderly man scoffed.

“64.8?!” Both Aria and Yvette gasped.

A mosimeter picks up mana density levels and contrasts it to the atmospheric mana concentration level. For instance, if one turned on a mosimeter in the middle of the city, the reading would stagnate around 1.0 montgen. An average A-Rank Dungeon would yield results upwards 10.0montgen, making it one of the most mana dense areas in the world. Yet, the S-Class Dungeon that Yudonia was about to face had brought in readings of 64.8 montgen, a mana density sixty times that of atmospheric mana concentration.

“Not to worry, we have made protective gear for all of our Rankers. They can withstand up to 20,000 montgen, so you should all be safe. Go to the changing rooms. You’ll find your pair there. Oh, and you have five minutes. The briefing is about to begin.” The Association President just left the two alone after informing them and started to tend to other affairs. The old man was a busy person. He couldn’t babysit the pair forever.

“A reading of 64.8 montgen… That’s crazy.” Yvette muttered out, her mind still trying to comprehend that overwhelming number. “If the entrance has that much, how bad would it be if we move deeper into it?”

“I don’t know...” Aria bit her long fingernails. Gondor’s S-Class Dungeon was mana-rich, but not to this extent.

‘Looks like this dungeon dive would be one for the history books...’