[15 days till the dungeon outbreak]

[Third-person POV-general]

The evening sun cast long shadows across the grand city of Marinthalis, bathing the towering buildings in hues of orange and gold.

Guild Master Gustav sat in his office, surrounded by shelves laden with dusty documents and ancient books.

The room exuded an air of authority, a reflection of the power he held over the adventure guild and the bustling city beyond its walls.

*Knock, knock*.

Gustav was engrossed in a pile of paperwork when a sudden knock echoed through the room. He glanced up, frowning his eyebrows, as the door swung open with a force that suggested urgency.

In strode Hena, the seasoned receptionist, with a look of both excitement and concern etched across her face.

"Hena, this had better be important," Gustav said, setting aside his quill.

"Guild Master, it is important; you won't believe what was discovered," Hena burst out, her eyes sparkling with a mixture of exhilaration and trepidation.

Gustav leaned back in his chair, fixing her with a scrutinizing gaze. "Well, don't keep me waiting. What got you so worked up?"

Hena took a moment to catch her breath. Her feet moved softly as she moved closer to Gustav's desk. "A group of adventurers were out hunting pirates near the coastal waters when they stumbled upon a hidden dungeon. It's like nothing we've ever seen before. It's beneath the water, deep in the ocean. The adventurers are down there now, exploring its depths."

Gustav's eyes narrowed as he absorbed the information. A hidden dungeon beneath the waters could mean trouble, and trouble in Marinthalis was never a simple affair.

He sighed, anticipating the political maneuvering and logistical nightmares that often accompanied such discoveries.

"Details, Hena. I need more details," Gustav demanded, his tone firm.

Hena nodded, relaying the specifics of the dungeon. "The dungeon is located beneath an abandoned island in the northeast direction from the port. There are some burned marks on the island, so we suspect that someone might have already discovered it but didn't tell anyone; the specifics of the dungeon are yet to be known."

As Hena spoke, Gustav's mind raced, calculating the possible ramifications of this newfound discovery.

Another dungeon meant more resources diverted, more risks, and more complications.

After absorbing the information, Gustav sighed, running a hand through his graying beard. "Very well, Hena. Organize a briefing with the city's nobles. We need to plan our next moves carefully. This news will undoubtedly spread, and we can't afford any missteps."

Hena nodded, her gaze unwavering. "Understood, Guild Master."

However, before she could leave, Gustav's expression softened, and he looked at her with genuine concern. "And how are you holding up, Hena? It's been months since Jeremy died. Losing someone close is never easy."

A shadow flickered across Hena's face, but she met Gustav's gaze with resilience, and a sad smile still lingered on her face. "Life goes on, Guild Master, even when the ones you care about are gone."

Gustav nodded in acknowledgment, recognizing the strength in her words. As Hena left the room to carry out her duties, Gustav couldn't shake up the feeling of uneasiness.

"I hope everything goes fine".

He mumbled as he returned to his work.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[First-person POV: Nadya]

"Where is it, where is it",

Mumbling to myself, I turned the pages of the novel in my hand as I tried to find the paragraph I was looking for.

"Found it", I exclaimed as I found what I was looking for, then I shifted my torso to look at the masked boy beside me who was currently stir-frying a fish.

"Look here; it clearly states that the main character lost most of his blood, but in the next chapter he is fine and still fighting without much problem," I said to him, shoving the novel right on his face while smiling happily after finding this part.

"First, get down from the counter. I am trying to make dinner", he replied, moving the book away from his face, but I didn't budge from my spot.

"Read it; it's clearly a mistake", I replied, determined to get the answers.

"It's a goddamn romance novel; why are you fixated on that? Read the romance part and be happy."

He grumbled, his frustration evident in his voice. After spending close to a month around him, one thing I'd learned was that he cursed a lot, especially when it came to novels, as if he was really frustrated by something.

"But still, it brings an inconsistency to the story," I replied, hopping down from the counter, my pink hair flowing gracefully with the movement.

"Maybe the main character has plot armor like infinite regeneration running in the background,", he replied as he placed the soup pot on the heater.

"It's a world without magic; how could there be a thing like that, and even if there is one, the author should have at least explained it",

I rebuked his comment, leaning on the counter while giving him a side glance.

After so many years, it's kind of nice to have someone I can talk to without feeling their dark, twisted emotions. Even though it was scary at first, I really started to like his company.

'So that's what being a normal person feels like', I mused at my thoughts while waiting for his explanation.

"It's a world of fiction; anything is possible in it," he replied, his attention split between stirring the soup and our conversation. However, his next words sparked my curiosity: "Damn, I feel weird even saying it."

"Why?" I asked, genuinely intrigued, but he remained silent. Instead, he scooped up a spoonful of soup, holding it out to me.

"Say, aahh," he urged, attempting to feed me like I was a child. It felt like he was skipping quite a few friendship steps.

Wasn't this a tad too much? Should I say no? But wouldn't that hurt his emotions? What if he stopped talking to me?

I stared at him, waiting for him to break the silence, but he held his ground.

"Sigh..."

With a sigh, I tucked my hair behind my ears and relented, bringing my mouth closer as I allowed him to feed me the spoonful of soup.

"Hmmm."

My eyes lit up immediately as the flavorful soup touched my tongue. Despite his age, he could undoubtedly whip up some delicious food.

"How is it?" he asked, his eyes fixed on my reaction.

*Thud*

Before I could even reply, the sound of metal hitting the ground captured our attention.

We both turned our heads towards the entrance of the kitchen, where Elysia stood in her combat dress, her mouth wide open, and a bottle of water lying on the ground, its contents spilling.

"..."

"..."

I looked at Elysia, then I looked at him. A realization dawned upon me about what she saw, but before I could say anything, Elysia slowly backed away and then abruptly turned and ran off.

"Why does she always have to be at the wrong place at the wrong time?" he mumbled as he returned to his work, a hint of frustration in his voice. Was there something else happened between them?

"She's been on edge for a while now," I replied hiding my embarrassment while moving back to lean on the counter.

"Yeah," he responded softly, his focus returning to the cooking.

Elysia, proud and gifted as she is, rarely saw anyone her age as a true rival. Her genius often placed her ahead in terms of strength and skill.

However, the revelation that Neil, a year younger than both of us, could match her in a battle wounded her pride. Since then, she has been pushing herself relentlessly, practicing day and night to surpass him.

'And here he is, chilling around,' I thought, observing him garnishing the dish.

"Hey, what is your height?",

I asked as I observed him, because of the mask he is always wearing, it is hard to determine his real age.

"I don't know; the last time I checked, it was 5'6" Maybe it's 5'7" or something right now".

He replied while looking thoughtful, and I must say he is taller for his age. Both Elysia and I are around 5'5", so it was no doubt hard for both of us to determine his age.

'And he is still at the start of his growth spurt',

I thought, as I observed him, that I could only imagine how towering he would be in his prime. I really have to look up even to talk to him, and if he were to hug me, I'd likely only reach his chest.

'Ahhh, what am I thinking',

I vigorously shook my head, trying to remove weird thoughts from my head. I should really stop reading too many romance novels.

"Let's go; the food is ready",

His words brought me out of my thoughts as he moved towards the main hall with the dishes in his hands.

"Coming", I followed behind him as I replied.

'It's really good to have a friend'.