At the Adventurer Guild of Egrish, Lisa sat at her desk, a tired yawn escaping her lips. Her eyes were shadowed with worry, she hadn't slept well the night before. Her mind kept circling back to one person, Lux.
"Why hasn't he come back yet…?" she muttered, biting her finger anxiously. "And when will the reinforcements arrive…?"
Her leg bounced nervously under the desk.
Then, the doors swung open.
A small group of adventurers stepped into the guild hall, clad in light and medium armour, their gear marked with the insignia of a nearby branch.
Lisa's eyes widened.
Her mood brightened instantly, and she jumped to her feet, rushing toward the Guild Master's office.
"They're here!"
She called out, knocking once before entering.
The Guild Master, Harvey, stood up from his desk without hesitation. Moments later, he and Lisa stepped out to greet them.
"Good morning,"
Harvey said with a firm tone.
"I'm Harvey, the Guild Master of this branch. Thank you for coming here."
One of the adventurers stepped forward. He looked to be in his late twenties, his face rugged with several small scars. Brown eyes tousled brown hair, and light leather armor with black rope. A sword rested at his hip, and a serious expression settled over his face.
"…We're here regarding the request,"
The man said calmly.
Standing behind him were two more figures, a woman and another man.
The woman appeared to be a priestess, wearing a modified nun-like attire blended with her own unique flair. A wand-crene, a ceremonial staff used by clerics, rested at her side, suggesting her role as a healer or support caster.
Beside her stood a shorter man, lean and agile looking. Two daggers hung at each side of his hips, and a black scarf covered the lower half of his face, leaving only his sharp eyes visible. He stood silently, but alert, clearly a rogue or scout.
Lisa then stepped forward and asked, her tone firm,
"Would you mind if we check your identification first?"
She was more cautious than usual after what had happened the day before. Blake and Lowel had appeared normal on the surface, yet they had hidden dark intentions. She couldn't take any chances this time.
"…Sure,"
The scarred man replied calmly.
One by one, the group handed over their adventurer IDs. As Lisa scanned through them, her eyes widened in shock.
These weren't just any adventurers.
The man with the scarred face was Allan, an S-rank adventurer.
The priestess, with the wand-crene and composed demeanor, was Elice, an A-rank adventurer.
And the silent rogue with the scarf, Leo, was also A-rank.
This team was far beyond anything she expected.
What surprised her even more was that the three of them weren't from the same party—they had come together specifically for this request, forming a temporary joint team at the guild's command.
"…Oh my, how long is this going to take? I need to return to the church,"
Elice, the priestess, complained softly, her tone graceful but clearly impatient.
"Yeah, same here. I've got an A-rank dungeon to explore,"
Leo, the short rogue with the black scarf, added with a smirk.
The way they spoke made it clear, they saw this as a minor errand. A side job. Something beneath their usual level of work.
"I see. Then if the three of you are already familiar with the request, let's get going. I'll be accompanying you,"
Guild Master Harvey said calmly as he slowly put on his jacket.
"Guild Master?!"
Lisa called out in surprise.
"Lisa, look after the guild, all right? We'll be back soon."
He gave her a reassuring nod.
With that, Harvey led the powerful adventurers out, heading straight for the Dungeon of Nightfall.
At the same time, Lux had begun his exploration with cautious steps, carefully venturing through the first floor of the dungeon.
To his surprise, there wasn't much danger, but he couldn't help but be amazed by the sheer scale of the ancient structure. The towering pillars, moss-covered walls, and winding hallways gave off a quiet and eerie.
Lux kept walking along the main corridor, deliberately avoiding any side paths. He knew well that most of them were likely led to trap rooms or confusing mazes.
"Hmm… I don't see any demi-humans or monsters around. Did they already take care of them all?"
Lux muttered to himself, a slight frown crossing his face. The lack of encounters left him oddly displeased.
He quickly made his way to the stairs leading to the next floor without encountering any obstacles. However, a sense of doubt lingered in his mind. Should he continue?
Lux hesitated for a moment. He figured that Blake's group had likely gone deeper into the dungeon already. The first floor had been relatively easy, perhaps the rest wouldn't be much different.
He tightened his grip on the sword and held the torch cautiously, then began descending slowly to the second floor. However, halfway down the stairs, he heard a noise echoing from below.
Instinctively, he extinguished the flame of his torch and crouched low, slowly peeking his head around the corner to see what lay ahead.
Lux was shocked, what he saw was beyond anything he could've imagined.
From afar, Lux saw Blake silently killing goblins one by one, but something felt wrong. The goblins weren't fighting back. They were unconscious, lying motionless on the ground, and Blake simply walked from one to the next, slitting their throats without hesitation.
After finishing, Blake tied up five of the goblins using a rope he carried.
Behind him, Lowel was dragging Will and Vox, both unconscious, and stripping them of their armor and belongings. He stuffed everything into a magical bag, a rare and expensive item that allowed the user to store up to 100 kilograms worth of equipment in a pouch no larger than a loaf of bread.
Lux crouched frozen, confused by the scene unfolding before him.
At first, he tried to convince himself that maybe Blake and Lowel were just helping the others, but something didn't add up.
Lowel wasn't tending to Will and Vox, he was stripping them of their belongings. Nearby, Lia lay motionless as well, unconscious like the others.
That's when Lux noticed it, both Blake and Lowel were wearing cloth masks over their faces.
His eyes narrowed.
Only those two had them. Will, Vox, and Lia didn't.
As curiosity and panic overtook him, Lux rushed forward, his voice echoing through the dungeon halls.
"Mr. Blake, Mr. Lowel, what are you doing?!"
He stood his ground, sword drawn and trembling in his hands. Lowel turned in surprise.
"…The drug didn't work on him?" he muttered.
Although the drug still lingered in the air, it had no effect on Lux, something that took both Blake and Lowel by surprise.
Blake let out a sigh and held his sword with grim resolve.
"Well, I guess there's no helping it. We'll have to get rid of all of them anyway"
"What… what are you talking about?"
Lux asked, his voice shaken with disbelief.
But there was no time for answers. Blake lunged at him without hesitation.
The blade came fast and deadly. Lux barely raised his sword in time to block it, the impact shocking his arms to the bone.
"Mr. Blake, why are you doing this?!"
He stumbled backward, heart pounding.
"Nothing personal, kid,"
Blake replied coldly.
"You should've just gone back to the village."
Lux's breath caught. His hands clenched tighter around the hilt.
"I don't know what your goal is… but if you attack me, I won't just stand here!"
"Hah! Fight back?"
Blake scoffed.
"You're just an E-rank brat. Don't make me laugh."
With a cruel grin, he dashed forward again. His sword came crashing down in a flurry of brutal strikes, swift, powerful, and relentless.
Lux tried to block and parry, but Blake's strength overwhelmed him. A few blows he deflected, barely.
Others tore through his guard, slashing across his side and shoulder. Blood began to stain his cloak.
Blake's attacks grew faster, more violent. Lux struggled to keep up, each swing of his sword getting heavier, his breath more ragged. He tried to block once more, but this time, he was too slow.
With a brutal thrust, Blake drove his blade straight through Lux's abdomen.
The steel pierced through his body and emerged from his back.
Lux gasped, eyes wide in shock and pain. Blood poured from the wound, dripping onto the cold stone floor.
Blake pulled the sword free without hesitation, flicking the blood off the blade with a sharp motion.
Then, with a cold glare, he turned away and sheathed his weapon.
"…A weakling like you should've stayed quietly in that village,"
He muttered, his voice devoid of emotion.
He walked over to Lowel, who was crouched near Lia's unconscious body.
"What do you want to do with the girl?" Lowel asked, not even looking up.
Behind them, Will and Vox were already bound tightly with rope.
Blake glanced at them briefly before responding.
"…How long will the drug last?"
"Another half hour,"
Lowel replied.
"It's a powerful one"
Blake gave a short nod, a wicked grin spreading across his face.
"Let's have some fun with the girl before handing her over to the slave merchants,"
He said darkly.
Lowel chuckled,
"Heh. It's been a while."
Lux, still bleeding, lay motionless behind a crumbling pillar. His vision blurred, his limbs numb. Every breath was agony. He tried to move, but his body wouldn't respond. He could only watch.
His memories stirred as he lay bleeding on the cold dungeon floor, body broken and senses fading. But instead of warmth or comfort, what rose in his mind were bitter echoes, fragments of the life he had endured since childhood.
"...A black-haired boy."
"An evil boy."
Words sharper than blades.
Lux had grown up surrounded by fear and hatred. In the village, whispers trailed him like shadows. People avoided him, glared at him, insulted him. He was an outsider, because of his black hair.
A myth that spoke of a time when demons and humans once mingled. The children born from such unions were said to carry power and misfortune, bringing ruin to those around them. Those with black hair, even if completely human, were believed to be cursed.
It had taken years for him to be even partially accepted. He forced himself to smile, to be useful, to do every odd job asked of him. He worked hard, stayed quiet, and bowed his head. He endured, so he could remain in the only home he had ever known.
There were a precious few, who saw Lux as Lux.
Old man Chris, the blacksmith, who lent him gear when he had nothing.
Granny Abi, who taught him about herbs and potions with a sharp tongue but kind eyes.
Mr. John and his daughter Jane, who let him stay at their inn when he had nowhere else to sleep.
The fried milk vendor Bart, whose life Lux had once saved in the forest.
Lisa, the soft-spoken receptionist who always greeted him with a warm smile.
The guild master, who had taught him how to wield a sword before Lisa transferred to Egrish.
And most importantly, Father Alfrey and Sister Sarah.
The church had been his only true refuge.
Father Alfrey's voice was gruff, his words harsh, but there cared beneath it. He fed Lux, clothed him, scolded him, and protected him.
Sister Sarah, gentle and nurturing, always tended to his wounds and gave him quiet hope.
They never treated him like a monster.
More importantly, there were three childhood friends who always played with him, laughed with him, and accepted him as he was—not as an "evil child," but as a normal kid, just like them. Their time together had been filled with joy, warmth, and dreams for the future.
But everything changed after the class awakening ceremony.
Since the day they left for the capital, no word had ever come back.
Lux asked Father Alfrey and Sister Sarah about them, hoping for some kind of explanation. But even they didn't seem to know what had happened. They only shook their heads and gave him a warm, reassuring smile.
The three had been orphans like him, so it wasn't strange for them to leave the nest and pursue a future elsewhere.
Still, Lux held onto the promise they once made, to become adventurers together. He clung to it like a lifeline. Even now, at the edge of death he still believed in it.
"...Everyone… I'm sorry."
His voice was barely a whisper, a fragile breath escaping his lips, before his vision went black, and he slipped into unconsciousness.