The doors to the Adventurer's Guild swung open, and four pyers walked in together, chatting as they entered. Sora noticed them immediately, and even Hiyoko, perched on his shoulder, chirped softly in curiosity. Sora activated his [Mana Eyes], taking a closer look at the newers.

  At the ter of the group was a girl who caught his attentiht away. She had short, dark auburn hair and sharp brown eyes. Her mana fluctuation were smooth and trolled, and Sora could tell she had excellent trol over her mana. The way her energy flowed through her body showed she was not a beginner.

  He guessed she was a healer based on her equipment. Her level stood out immediately: Level 61, and she carried a Diamond Badge, marking her as quite powerful for her level.

  S Areva, standing beside him. He still couldn't get a read on her using his [Mana Eyes], but he had always assumed she was a warrior.

  "Are you a healer too?" he asked, surprised by her strength despite her role as a healer.

  Areva smiled and nodded. "Yes, I am. But I do more than just heal. I'm strong enough to take on any adventurer up to Obsidian rank, whether it's with magic, ons, or hand-to-hand bat. There's no way someone could tell my true css with such a big gap in strength."

  Sora blinked in surprise. It made sense now—Areva's power was on another level.

  Turning his attention back to the group, Sora studied the other three pyers. They were clearly not as powerful as Kara, the girl in the ter.

  The boy in the group had dark, curly hair that hung just above his eyes. He was slim, wearing a simple tunid carrying a sword at his side. His bright green eyes had a serious look, but his mana wasn't smooth and barely trolled. Suessed he was a swordsman, but ohout much experience. His Ruby Badge glinted in the light, and his level read Level 58.

  Sora frowned inwardly. At his level, he should have at least been Emerald rank, but his Ruby Badge suggested a ck of dedication to training. His mana trol and foundation were weak, especially for someone his level. 'He was likely someone who relied on grinding and team py to push his levels higher, without fog on building a solid foundation in body and energy.'

  One of the girls was shorter and stockier, with strong shoulders and muscur arms. She had short brown hair tied into a ponytail and a rge shield strapped to her back. Her blue eyes were focused aermined. Her aura felt heavy and protective, making Sora think she was a Tank. Her Emerald Badge gleamed proudly, and her level read Level 62. But again, her badge didn't match her level. She had a higher level than Kara but a weaker badge, which was ing.

  The st girl had long blonde hair that flowed loosely over her shoulders. She was tall and slim. A bow was slung across her back, and her sharp brown eyes darted around the room. Her ma light and fast, fitting her Archer css, but wild. Like the Tank, she was also Emerald-ranked, sitting at Level 61.

  Sora shook his head slightly. With levels like theirs, they should be Diamond rank adventurers her, but they were stuck at lower badges. It was clear they had leveled up quickly, likely relying on team strategies tress.

  Pyers were like vessels—leveling up was like making the vessel rger, but the real power was the tent that filled it. Without the proper body or energy levels tthen the foundation, their "vessel" was fragile. Rushing to level up without building a strong core left them retively weak pared to others at the same level.

  At levels beyond 50, the gap between pyers who leveled properly and those who didn't could be huge—sometimes several times more powerful. Maybe that was why Areva doubted their ces of succeeding in this dungeo.

  The group stopped in front of Sora and Areva. The girl in the middle, Kara, stepped forward with a calm, friendly smile.

  "Good m, Master," she said warmly. "We're ready for the quest."

  Areva nodded aured toward Sora. "This is Ralph Eden, the adventurer I told you about. He'll be joining your team."

  Kara smiled and held out her hand. "You must be Ralph Eden. It's great to meet you. I'm Kara. Here are Thierry, e and Amélie"

  Sora shook her hand, notig how firm her grip was. "o meet you. Just call me Ralph."

  Kara g the Diamond Badge on his chest and smiled even more. "A Diamond adventurer, huh? That's good news for us. It's great to have you."

  As Kara greeted him, Sora noticed the others looking at the space above his head, where his level was dispyed. Their eyes widened as they saw the number: Level 50.

  The boy with the sword, Thierry, stepped forward, looking fused. "Uh... no offense, but you're only Level 50? Isn't that a little low for a Diamond Badge?"

  The Tank, e, frowned slightly and added, "Usually, Diamond adventurers are higher level than that. it be that they made a mistake during the badge trial?"

  Before Sora could expin, Areva stepped in. "Don't be fooled by the level. He's earhat badge, trust me."

  The Archer, Amélie, who had been watg quietly, finally spoke. "You must be pretty strong to get a Diamond Badge at that level." Her voice was calm, but there was curiosity in her eyes.

  Kara smiled and waved her hand, easing the tension. "It doesn't matter what level he is. We know that badge is a proof of strength. We're lucky to have you, Ralph." The st part was for Sora.

  Thierry, looking more rexed, extended his hand to Sora. "I'm Thierry. Sorry for my first words. I guess we'll be w together."

  Sora shook his hand, sensing a bit of hesitation but also respect. "It's okay, i'm looking forward to it."

  The Tank, e, stepped up . "I'm e," she said simply. Her strong frame made her look tough, but her voice was soft.

  Lastly, the Archer, Amélie, gave him a small smile. "And I'm Amélie. I guess we'll be relying on you."

  Sora nodded, memorizing their names and appearahe team had a det mix of roles—Tank, Healer, Swordsman, and Archer—but he could already tell that Kara was the stro. The others would need serious help to survive a high-level dungeon.

  "All right," Areva said, g her hands. "Now that we've made introdus, you guys head to the dungeon. The quest's time limit is near."

  ---

  As Sora and the group made their way toward the dungeorance, his thoughts drifted to the past—the world as it was before everything ged.

  In 2044, the first sign of the global transformation was the sudden appearance of dungeons. They seemed to be gateways to other worlds, full of dangerous creatures and unknown threats.

  At first, humanity was unsure of what to do with these ructures, but it soon became clear that the dungeons were a serious threat. If a dungeon wasn't cleared in time, it would "break," allowing the monsters io escape. Once free, those creatures could wreak havoc wherever they pleased, far from the duhat once taihem.

  Dungeons became a race against time. There was a rush to clear them, not just for the rewards i to prevent the devastation that would follow if they broke. Inside each dungeon, the creatures were usually of the same kind—packs of beasts, tribes of monsters.

  Occasionally, however, something far more sinister lurked within: the eight invading races.

  The eight races had e to Earth through portals, bringing war aru in their wake. In some cases, these powerful races would use dungeons as a means to send their strong troops or elite battalions. After the first world update, they began summoning their forces in dungeons within their owories.

  But the Beast Race, ever uable, tio open dungeons across the entire p. Even within the New World Kingdom, dungeons would spring up, releasing ferocious beasts into human nds whe alone.

  From time to time, however, dungeons lio one of the eight invading races would still appear in humaory. This was always a cause for . Those dungeons held dahat needed powerful adveo suppress them.

  Once a dungeon was cleared, ownership would be cimed by the fa that defeated it. The monsters inside would respawn after a cooldown period, allowing the victors to farm the dungeon for loot and resources.

  However, the first world update brought one rule : no one could enter a dungeon alone. Groups of five were required by the dungeon's strange, unbreakable rules.

  Sora shook off the memories, pulling himself back to the present. Today's dungeon was different. It was a Level 60 duhat had already beeen shortly after it appeared.

  Areva, a high-ranking NPC adventurer from the guild, had caught wind of rumors from her tacts about a hiddeion of the dungeon. There, a secret boss supposedly awaited, owning a legendary specter—an artifact that could greatly enhance a healer's power.

  Areva had mentiohis to Kara, her disciple, and the adventurer group had accepted the quest to hunt down the legendary item. And now, Sora found himself standing at the threshold of this dungeon, ready to assist.

  As they he dungeorahe group took a moment to iheir gear. It was a good habit—double-cheg equipment before entering a pce where even small mistakes could prove fatal.

  Snced down at his own Level 50 gear. It wasn't the best, but it was solid. A full leather set focused on agility, which erfect for his preferred speed-based fighting style. He had a sword in hand, simple but reliable.

  When he had bought this gear, he hadn't put much thought into it, choosing to foaneuverability rather than raw defense or power. Now, standing beside his eammates, he didn't know whether he should ugh or cry.

  The others were outfitted in much higher-level gear. Their sets were Level 55 to 60, and Sora couldn't help but notice the quality of their equipment. It was obvious these adventurers did not have problems with money and had access to rare resources.

  Their gear was top-notch, primarily epic pieces with the occasional glint of unique equipment. Sora frowned inwardly, they were equipped with some of the best items sets their level could afford.

  Did they rely oo level up? It certainly seemed like it.

  Kara had the most impressive gear. Her healer's robes gleamed with entments, and Sora could tell that every piece had been carefully chosen for maximum effi healing and mana trol. But unlike her panions, Kara didn't funt her wealth ear. She moved with a quiet fidehat made Sora think she was the most reliable of the group.

  After everyone fiheir checks, they approached the dungeorance, a massive stone archway embedded in the mountaihe air around it shimmered slightly, a telltale sign of the magic that held the dungeon's barriers in pce.

  Sripped his sword tighter, feeling the familiar tension that came before entering a dungeon. His mind sharpened, and the thoughts of the past faded as he focused on the present.

  "Ready?" Kara asked, her voice steady but filled with anticipation. The others heir faces a mix of excitement and ay.

  Sora stepped forward, his heart steady, his mind clear. The journey into the dungeon was about to begin.

  They crossed the threshold, and the world around them shifted, plunging them into darkness.