I kept my magical sense stretched to its limit for two days straight. It was like trying to hold my breath while submerged, only worse because things happening at that time weren't the kind of thing you could just switch off. It simmered at the back of my mind, whispering, tugging, reminding me that my limits weren't nearly as unlimited as I behaved.
But finally, it paid off.
On the second night, far from the main road, my senses brushed against something that was out of place. Four signatures, moving quickly, masked in a way that was meant to hide their trail. One of them… cultured, careful, like someone who learned never to walk too quickly or carry too heavy a load. When I tried to focus on that person all descriptions matched.
The princess.
I almost smiled. So that's where they had spirited her away, heading for the border. Probably for that rotten port city, where smugglers made more gold in a week than merchants made in a month.
I was going to do something. My hand had already tightened on the hilt of my short sword, and the idea of catching up to them, dragging her back, and collecting the reward cavorted in my mind.
That's when the voice struck me.
The voice wasn't in my ears but was carved directly into my skull. A soft, sharp voice signaling the arrival of a message.
[Sender : Seris]
[You need to come back. Now. I don't care what you're doing. One day for you. If you're late, it'll get beyond our control.]
[The Four Dungeons of Apocalypse. We discovered them. All four. Valkarion Academy alone knows. If you're not here within the day. Lucifer, I swear it will have enormous consequences.]
And then the words that froze me in place.
Her tone balanced between commanding and nagging, as though she was attempting to yell but was too anxious to waste the time.
I held my breath.
The ambassador, the princess, the payoff. Everything else faded into insignificance.
The dungeons… they weren't myths. They weren't stories shared in old taverns. They existed. And if they were open, then Haven Cluster wasn't teetering on the edge of chaos. It was looking down the barrel of it.
I eased my grip on the sword. For a moment, I cursed under my breath. Time is always bloody. No wonder he died. I wonder how the Ruler of Time is still alive today.
Still, I knew the truth. A missing princess could wait. The dungeons couldn't.
Alenya sought me out first, her eyes sharp as ever, as if she already knew I'd reached some kind of decision without her.
"You're going," she said. Not a question.
I didn't bother to deny it. "I have to. Don't ask why, you won't like the answer."
Her jaw tightened. She hated half-truths. I almost felt guilty, but the weight of Seris's words pressed too hard against me to explain further.
Instead, I gave her something else. A reminder.
"Alenya," I told her, my voice a little gentler than usual. "The world waits for no one. The guild you dream of, the people you want to protect. I won't be simple. Hold fast until I return. Don't give way, don't break. Even if you fall, fight in such a way that they remember your name. Take this paper. I have written everything for you to catch the princess. The rest depends on your ability. You are an Early Initiate now. Though it may be early according to the union's standard but remember we are in a lower realm. Your strength is equal to a Newbie C-Ranker. Enough to form a guild."
Her lips compressed into a line, but she nodded.
I let the Guardian's status burn under my skin. The world tugged at me, and I would return to the spot I'd been bound to. The energy was crude and limited. Though only once a month, right now it was a lifeline.
As I was engulfed by the light, the last thing I saw was Alenya standing there, fists clenched at her sides, scowling as if she was trying to burn my shadow into her memory.
And at that moment, with the words of Seris echoing in my mind, only one thing was certain.
The age of peace in Haven Cluster was over.
The dungeons had awakened.
It shouldn't be a coincidence that the dungeon was only found by the Valkarion Academy of the Atherra.