Ping! Ping! Crack!

The sound of shattered glasses echoed through the dark room. Thousands of small, sharp fragments scattered across the tiled floor.

At the center of the room, Kelar exhaled rapidly, consumed by anger and disbelief. His long hair hung loose, covering part of his face as both his hands pressed hard against the table.

A member of the Communion stood behind him, fear creeping into his body.

What was initially planned as a mere experiment to test the new Kaoslith had turned into a tremendous loss. Not only had he lost his strongest and most reliable subordinate, but he had also sacrificed a massive amount of resources in this campaign.

What troubled him even more was the cause of it all were the same people who had exposed his project in the Coldshire Cave.

Alan and Bob.

The new members of the Dawnbloom Guild.

Huuu...

Kelar let out a long breath. He straightened his posture and brushed his long black hair back into place.

’ No need to panic. He was merely one pawn in my grand scheme. One pawn lost means I simply need another. From Cynthia’s memories, she had brief contact with them in Daisy Town. Perhaps I can use her.’

He turned toward the Communion member.

"Bring Cynthia to me tonight. And those two men, gather more information about them. Their classes, abilities, ranks, and weaknesses," Kelar ordered.

"Yes, my lord!" The Communion member bowed and vanished into the shadows.

Soon, only Kelar remained in the dim room, faintly illuminated by a thin ray of light streaming through a small opening above. He clenched his fists, his teeth grinding together. His eyes were sharp as blades, and his anger manifested as a swirling purplish aura that slowly filled the room.

"I will not let my plans be ruined by mere adventurers!"

---

Dawnbloom Guild Hall

The sun was beginning to set, casting an orange hue across the city and streaming through the large windows of the guild hall. Many adventurers were returning to their quarters. Some handed in their completed quests at the reception, while others enjoyed their drinks at the tables.

Inside the Guildmaster’s room, Ida stared at a stack of papers piled like a tower on her desk. She removed her glasses and pinched the bridge of her nose. Ever since Mirinda had left, she had taken the position of interim Guildmaster. She had been dealing with these documents for hours already.

"I can understand now why she hates looking at all of these," she sighed.

Knock! Knock!

Suddenly, someone knocked on the door. From the intensity of it, it seemed urgent.

"Come in!"

The door creaked open, and Elsa, one of the receptionists, rushed inside.

"They’ve all returned already!"

Ida immediately stood up and put her glasses back on. She stepped out of the room and headed down to the main floor. Many adventurers and staff members were already gathering at the entrance.

Two carriages had arrived, stopping right in front of the guild. Ida and the others descended the stairs and approached them.

From one of the carriages, William was the first to step out. He then reached inside and received a boy who jumped down from the carriage.

"Michael!" Yui shouted. She immediately ran forward and hugged her brother. Tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Sis Yui!"

"Thank God you’re alright, Michael! Thank God!" She kissed Michael’s forehead and cheeks.

Ida smiled at the small reunion. After that, all the adventurers stepped down from the carriages.

However, Ida soon noticed something was wrong with the atmosphere. The air felt heavy and gloomy. Their eyes were distant and quiet.

Some of them were bandaged, and most noticeably, some were missing.

"Lee, Mark! Welcome back! Let’s grab some drinks and hear your story," Galon said, approaching them along with Wanda and Eddy. He tapped Lee on the shoulder.

Slap!

Eddy brushed his shoulder aside and slapped Galon’s hand away. His eyes were sharp, saying nothing. He was clearly not in the mood to talk. He and Mark then walked away from the carriages toward their quarters.

"Geez... what’s wrong with them?" Galon muttered.

Mirinda was the last to step out of the carriage. Compared to the others, she was in the worst condition. The once charismatic and confident leader now looked frail, her eyes devoid of their usual brightness.

"Please bring the Guildmaster to her room," Beltimore ordered. The staff approached and carefully escorted Mirinda away.

Ida then approached William and Beltimore, who were on their way back into the guild.

"Is the Guildmaster alright? Why was she like that? And where are the others?" Ida asked.

William and Beltimore remained silent until they reached the guild hall. Ida asked again.

"What happened in Daisy Town? Please tell me," she insisted. "Why is the Guildmaster like that? I’ve never seen her like this... not since the previous Guildmaster passed away."

William drank the water from a glass that had just been brought by a guild member and finished it in one go.

"She’s broken because of what happened to her guild. She blames everything on herself," William answered.

But that still didn’t fully answer Ida’s questions. Beltimore noticed the look on her face and finally spoke.

"Alan and Bob were gravely injured. Linus, Evelyn, and Maya are accompanying them."

Ida covered her mouth. The situation was worse than she had expected, but it still wasn’t the worst.

"And one more thing..." Beltimore continued. "The enemy leader... he had a face similar to our previous Guildmaster, Russ."

Shock struck Ida. Her hand trembled.

"B-but... he’s dead, right? We were the ones who saw his burial. You and William put him into the grave ten years ago. Don’t you remember?" Ida said in disbelief.

"I know that," Beltimore replied. "I didn’t believe it at first either. But... his way of speaking, his mannerisms... I-I don’t know anymore..." He pressed his forehead into his hands, caught in his own dilemma.

Ida looked at her two closest friends, both clearly shaken and emotionally drained. Then, without another word, she turned and walked straight toward Mirinda’s room, the one person she believed was suffering the most.

After all, Mirinda was Russ’s wife.