The morning began quietly in Vailor. The sun was still rising slowly when we went down the mansion stairs toward the guild. The movement in the streets was the usual. Merchants opening their shops, adventurers walking with equipment on their backs, and carriages passing along the main avenue.
Nothing indicated that that day would become different.
As soon as we entered the guild, I noticed something strange. The atmosphere was much more agitated than normal. Several adventurers were talking loudly, forming small groups near the mission board. Some seemed excited. Others showed concern.
I approached the counter.
The receptionist raised her eyes and let out a light sigh.
She looked tired.
I asked what was happening.
The answer came quickly.
An S Rank dungeon had appeared in the region.
For a moment, I remained silent.
Low-rank dungeons were common. Rank B and A already required experienced groups. But an S Rank dungeon was something completely different.
This type of dungeon could generate monsters capable of destroying entire cities if they were not contained.
Elara crossed her arms beside me.
She asked where the dungeon had appeared.
The receptionist explained that it was located a few hours north of the city, in a mountainous area where almost no one usually went.
According to the explorers sent by the guild, the entrance had formed a few days ago.
And the monsters that had started coming out of it were already causing problems on nearby roads.
I looked at the mission board.
The scroll for that mission was highlighted in the center.
High reward.
Extreme risk.
I turned my gaze to the group.
Vespera was already observing the board carefully. Liriel seemed curious. Rai'kanna kept her usual calm expression. Lyannis analyzed the scroll as if silently calculating something.
I asked what they thought.
No one answered immediately.
But no one refused either.
After everything we had already faced, that mission seemed like just the next natural step.
We accepted the mission.
The journey to the mountains was quick. We left in the morning and followed a trail that slowly climbed between rocks and ancient trees.
The wind was cold in that region.
After a few hours, we finally saw the dungeon entrance.
It was a huge opening in the middle of the mountain.
Natural runes glowed on the stone walls. The energy coming from there was dense. Even without using magic, it was possible to feel that the place was filled with mana.
I took a deep breath.
We entered.
The interior was vast and silent. The walls had dark crystals scattered everywhere, reflecting a faint bluish light. The ground was uneven, formed by ancient stones that seemed to have been shaped by magic.
We advanced carefully.
The first monsters appeared soon.
Large creatures, similar to lizards covered in stone plates.
Elara fired the first spell. A blast of wind threw the monster against the wall.
Vespera completed the attack with an arrow that pierced the creature's neck.
We kept moving forward.
More monsters appeared.
Rai'kanna fought two of them at the same time, moving her blade with impressive precision. Liriel conjured concentrated light that burned enemies from a distance. Lyannis created magic circles that exploded when monsters got too close.
The combat flowed naturally.
Everyone already knew exactly how to act.
We went deeper into the dungeon.
The air grew heavy.
The mana in that place seemed to slowly swirl around us.
Then we reached a massive underground chamber.
The ground was wide and uneven. Giant crystals grew from the walls and ceiling like stone trees.
At the center of the room, something moved.
First came the sound.
A deep roar that made the ground vibrate.
Then the creature appeared.
It was gigantic.
A four-legged monster with a body covered in black plates, almost like natural armor. Its head resembled that of an ancient dragon, with long fangs and red eyes glowing in the darkness.
The monster raised its head and looked at us.
The next roar was even louder.
The battle began instantly.
Vespera fired several arrows in succession, hitting the creature's joints. Elara launched a blast of wind trying to unbalance the monster.
But it was too heavy.
The creature advanced.
The impact of its paws against the ground sent pieces of stone flying.
I ran forward.
My sword struck one of the monster's plates. The impact was strong. The creature's defense was extremely resistant.
Rai'kanna appeared beside me and attacked the same spot. Liriel cast a light spell that illuminated the entire room.
Lyannis created a magic circle beneath the monster.
The explosion shook the ground.
The creature stepped back a few paces.
But it did not fall.
The monster opened its mouth and released a roar accompanied by a wave of dark energy.
Elara raised a wind barrier that deflected part of the impact.
The fight continued.
We attacked several times.
The creature was strong and resistant, but it was also slow.
We began to exploit that.
Vespera always aimed at the weakest points. Rai'kanna cut the joints of the armor plates. Liriel maintained constant pressure with light magic.
I advanced again.
This time, I concentrated all my strength into a single strike.
My sword found an opening between two plates.
The blade pierced deeply.
The monster roared.
The creature tried to hit me with one of its paws, but Rai'kanna deflected the attack at the last moment.
Lyannis launched another explosive spell.
The structure of the natural armor began to break.
Now the creature was weakening.
I advanced once more.
I raised my sword and attacked directly at the monster's neck.
The final blow pierced the remaining defense.
The creature's roar echoed through the chamber.
Then came silence.
The gigantic body slowly fell onto the stone floor.
The battle was over.
We remained silent for a few seconds, just observing the defeated monster.
An S Rank dungeon.
And we had won.
We left the dungeon some time later. The cold mountain wind felt lighter now.
As we descended the trail back to Vailor, I realized something simple.
Without noticing, all of us had become much stronger.
The mission was complete.
But deep down, I knew that even greater challenges were waiting for us.