Night covered the plains like a held breath.
The gates of Fort Knightfall opened without ceremony. No horns. No banners. Only movement.
Sixteen rookies rode out in two clean lines, each mounted on a war wolf. The beasts were massive—thick fur, low growls, eyes sharp with intelligence. Their paws made almost no sound against the dirt road. Anyone who saw them from afar would think the night itself was moving.
This was not a celebration.
This was a test.
The contract was low-tier. Rated Bronze-Three. A dungeon rupture reported near a farming settlement east of the Ashline Ridge. Minor monsters. Containment required. No heroics. No pursuit beyond the marked zone.
The rookies had been briefed twice.
Mimi had signed off on the report. Bella had checked the terrain map herself. Three veterans watched from the walls as the unit disappeared into the dark.
Above the fort, Zenn circled once.
His wings spread wide, blotting out stars. The air shifted as he flapped, a pressure that forced nearby beasts to stay miles away. In the city below, residents paused in their work, looked up, and watched the shadow pass overhead.
A dragon guarding them.
They would never forget that image.
The dungeon rupture sat in a shallow ravine.
It looked small.
That was the first lie.
Blue mist leaked from a crack in the earth, thin and slow, like breath escaping a wound. The smell was wrong—metallic, sharp, alive.
The rookie unit halted.
"Formation," the squad leader whispered.
They dismounted in practiced motion. Wolves fanned out, low and alert, ears twitching. The rookies moved with tension in their shoulders but followed training.
All except one.
Rook Jaren. Seventeen. Fast. Impatient.
He stared at the crack and frowned.
"That's it?" he muttered. "This is Bronze-Three?"
The squad leader shot him a look. "Eyes front."
Jaren nodded—but his fingers tightened on his spear.
Inside the dungeon, something moved.
A skittering sound. Then another.
The first wave came out fast—small, sharp-limbed creatures with glassy skin and too many joints. They moved in bursts, like broken frames.
The rookies reacted well.
Shields up. Spears down. Wolves lunged.
Training held.
Then Jaren broke formation.
"On the left!" he shouted—and charged.
He didn't wait for the signal.
He didn't wait for backup.
His wolf followed by instinct, but the angle was wrong. The ground beneath him cracked.
The ravine answered.
The dungeon surged.
The crack widened—far wider than the report said it should. Blue mist poured out in a rush, thick now, heavy. Larger shapes forced themselves through, tearing stone as they came.
This was not Bronze-Three.
This was misclassified mission.
The squad leader screamed for retreat.
Too late.
One of the larger creatures struck Jaren from the side. It wasn't fast—it was precise. A hooked limb punched through his shield, shattered bone, and lifted him off the ground.
The wolf howled.
Then went silent.
The unit fought their way out, dragging two wounded behind them. The wolves covered the retreat with brutal efficiency, tearing and snapping until the ravine sealed itself again, the dungeon receding as if satisfied.
They made it back to Fort Knightfall before dawn.
They returned with fifteen.
Daniel was already waiting.
He stood in the lower hall, Armor unadorned, hands behind his back. Mimi stood to his right, ledger closed. Bella was to his left, silent, eyes lowered.
The rookies knelt.
No one spoke.
The body was placed at the center of the hall, covered with a plain cloth.
Daniel stepped forward.
He did not raise his voice.
"Report."
The squad leader spoke. His voice shook once, then steadied. He did not hide the mistake. He named it. He owned it.
Daniel listened.
When the report ended, Daniel looked at the remaining rookies.
"Why did he die?"
No one answered.
Daniel pointed to the covered body.
"He broke formation," he said. "But that is not the root."
Silence pressed down.
"The contract was wrong," Daniel continued. "The threat was higher than stated. That is not your failure."
He turned slightly.
"It is theirs."
Mimi opened the ledger.
"Origin of contract," Daniel said.
"Kingdom of Halvek," Mimi replied calmly. "Border chief signed. No addendum. No correction."
Daniel nodded once.
"Send the notice."
Bella raised her eyes. "Full penalty?"
"Yes."
Mimi's pen moved.
"Halve will lose three supply routes," Daniel said. "Two ore convoys. One grain reserve. Their access to Red Flag contracts is suspended for one year."
A pause.
"And they will send an apology delegation," he added. "Unarmed."
The rookies felt it then.
Not anger.
Law.
Daniel turned back to them.
"Jaren disobeyed orders," he said. "That choice killed him."
No softness entered his voice.
"But the system allowed the mistake. I correct systems."
He looked at the squad leader.
"You are demoted one rank," Daniel said. "You will train rookies for six months."
The leader bowed. "Understood."
Daniel faced the rest.
"You will ride again," he said. "Tonight."
Shock flickered—but no one spoke.
"You will return to that ravine," Daniel continued. "With veterans. You will finish the contract properly." and if you show any signs of being cowards, I shall make you regret ever being born.
And i will not allow you to use the wolves ever again. mark my words.
"And you will remember this body every time you feel impatient."
He stepped back.
The hall breathed again.
Above them, Zenn's wings beat once in the distance.
Far away, in the dark, something in Hell shifted—unaware it had just been noticed.
Fort Knightfall returned to work.