The afternoon sun blazed brightly overhead.
Before the portal to Sein Dungeon, the square bustled with life. The crowd was so thick it was clear more portals would soon be needed—otherwise, all this precious traffic might go to waste.
Adventurers streamed in and out without pause. Those returning often carried strange animals and exotic plants, spoils scavenged from the Gourmet Zone.
Treasure-hunting in that so-called "Gourmet Zone" had already become routine for many.
Once you learned the route, the price of entry was only three or four deaths. Survive it once, step foot in the Gourmet Paradise, and the rewards from a single successful run more than covered all previous losses—with profit to spare.
"Gourmet Hunters"—that was what they called those who dedicated themselves full-time to such expeditions.
The usual hum of chatter broke suddenly as a stir rippled through the square. All eyes turned toward a particular group.
"Hey, look—it's the Raid Team! Weren't they completely disgraced not long ago?"
"Heh. Always bragging about their strength, and now sneaking in like thieves. Shameless."
"Wait, how did nobody notice when they went in before? Did they use disguise magic?"
While the crowd muttered, the Raid Team marched forward with grim resolve: "Lion" Leon, "Ironfist" Terl, "Silver Cat" Maru, and "Bedrock" Drew.
Expressionless, they walked straight toward the portal. The adventurers at the front, already half-stepping in, froze at the sight of them. Without a word, they backed away and yielded the path.
The square went silent. Only after the Raid Team vanished into the portal did noise return.
"Was that really Leon? He looked like a completely different person… terrifying."
"Didn't you see their faces? So grim… maybe they're cursed?"
"He glanced at me once—I nearly dropped dead from fright."
Inside Sein Dungeon.
Through his crystal ball, Wade observed it all.
From the moment they entered, the Raid Team displayed overwhelming power, crushing every monster in their way. Their advance resembled a speedrun, carving through the swamp like a storm.
It was as if a fire had been lit inside them. Where they once joked and bickered during fights, now their focus was absolute. Strong, precise, perfectly in sync—they were a colossal war machine cutting forward without pause.
Hard to believe these were the same people who had only just recovered from humiliation.
So this is what they're like when they get serious…
When they reached the dungeon's upper-level Blighttown, their pace slowed, but soon they were back at the point of their earlier defeat.
This time, Leon avoided the side path with the teleport trap. Instead, he chose the widest road—the one teeming with monsters.
The choice proved correct. That was the true path forward.
"Raaagh!"
Undead surged. Terl, just as massive, intercepted three at once, smashing them down while Maru darted in to finish them off.
Swish, swish—
From the rooftops, blowgunners unleashed poisoned arrows. Drew raised a barrier to block the first volley. When it shattered, Leon and Terl swung furiously, deflecting the second. Drew and Maru retaliated—one with precise shots, the other with swift slashes across throats—before returning to clean up the remaining undead.
Grrrkkhh—
One giant corpse collapsed, but instead of dying, it split apart with a grotesque sound. From its body erupted a writhing abomination of tangled black serpents!
[Pus of Man]
[Mana per Unit: 99]
[Overall Combat Strength: D-]
The sudden horror threw the battlefield into chaos, especially with two or three brutes still looming nearby.
But the team fell naturally into rhythm: Terl tanked, Leon dealt heavy damage, Drew supported, Maru skirmished.
Though they took wounds, they adapted quickly to the monster's style and cut it down.
With that, the Raid Team officially conquered the infamous Undead Street—a graveyard for countless adventurers.
In the end, strength really was the only truth.
Even the Giant Basilisk that followed pressured them less than the grotesque Pus of Man. They dispatched it swiftly, coins spilling from its corpse.
Just a fake boss.
And then Leon saw it—the thing he had been searching for.
The bonfire.
But it was not what he expected.
A mound of ash, a strange spiral-bladed sword stabbed into it. Could such a weapon even kill?
He reached to pull it out. The instant his palm touched the hilt, fire seared his hand. The handle was bare, yet felt like burning metal.
"Amazing…"
Leon's lips curled into a smile. He knew he had found the right place. Producing a flame, he cast it into the bonfire.
Whoooom—
The pile roared to life. Fire blazed bright, filling the air with warmth and vitality, as if so long as flame burned, the world could never end.
As the light danced in their eyes, the team suddenly heard an ancient voice.
"In the Age of Ancients, the world was unformed—shrouded in fog. Endless grey crags, towering archtrees, everlasting dragons."
From nowhere, solemn music swelled. Their minds were dragged elsewhere, visions unfurling before them.
"But then, fire was born. And with fire came disparity."
A first flame pierced the mist. The world ignited.
From the dark, several figures stepped forth, drawn to the light.
"And from the dark came the race of man, drawn to flame. They found the souls of Lords beside it."
The music soared into a chorus. One by one, the figures appeared:
"Nito, the First of the Dead."
"The Witch of Izalith, and her daughters."
"Gwyn, Lord of Cinder, with his faithful knights."
"And the Furtive Pygmy… a small figure no one remembers."
"With the strength of Lords, they challenged the dragons."
The chorus thundered to a climax. War erupted. Gwyn hurled lightning spears that pierced scales. Nito spread plagues of death. The Witch unleashed firestorms that consumed all. A scaleless white dragon rose, howling amid the corpses of its kin.
The adventurers were struck dumb with awe.
Before their eyes, fire blazed, and the world flourished under its blessing.
"Thus began… the Age of Fire."
The music ceased in an instant. Leon and the others were hurled back into themselves.
The bonfire burned quietly, as if nothing had happened.
Leon sat before it, stunned, his mind still trapped in what he had just seen.
Was it an illusion? Or something more? Why had it felt so real?
Could it have been… history itself?
"What on earth was that?"