Sometime Before,

The wind howled softly across the open skies.

Zayne soared high above the endless lands, his coat fluttering behind him as streaks of blue shimmered below. For days, he had been flying—sometimes resting beneath starlit dunes, sometimes camping near abandoned watchtowers that whispered of forgotten empires.

He wasn't in a hurry.

He was simply… deciding.

"Hmm… where should I go next," he murmured to himself, eyes scanning the horizon. "Being an adventurer could be interesting… but maybe not here."

His gaze turned westward, toward the faint blur of distant mountains.

"I've stayed in Valdoria long enough," he said quietly. "Let's see what Solvanyr has to offer…"

And with that, his wings of faint light unfurled behind him—ethereal yet firm—and he shot forward, leaving trails of blue trail swirling in the air.

Hours turned into days, until the green plains of Valdoria slowly gave way to a vast expanse of scorched sand. The sky was tinted orange, and two red suns hung above, bathing the world in a burning hue.

Zayne descended slowly, boots touching the sand. The heat shimmered in the air, distorting the horizon where towering walls rose from the desert.

A city.

He walked toward it calmly, sand crunching beneath his steps. The sound of merchants shouting, camels groaning, and clanking armor grew louder as he neared the massive gate.

The guards standing at the entrance squinted at the stranger.

"State your business."

Zayne reached into his coat and pulled out a silver-edged visitor pass, bearing the seal of the Adventurer's Association.

The guard inspected it carefully, then nodded.

"You may pass. Welcome to Thalrus."

Zayne's eyes flickered with faint amusement.

"Thalrus, huh… sounds lively."

And as he stepped past the gate, the scent of spice, heat, and iron washed over him—

the desert city alive with sound and chaos.

Zayne walked through the bustling streets of Thalrus, the desert city blazing under the twin suns. The air shimmered with heat, and a faint scent of spices and sand drifted through the narrow alleys.

Unlike Valdoria, this kingdom's air was heavy — not with warmth, but with disdain.

Everywhere his eyes wandered, the contrast was clear. Humans walked proudly, heads held high, while beastmen bent their backs under the weight of crates, pulled carts, or served food in outdoor stalls. Their eyes were dim, their tails tucked low.

Zayne's gaze softened slightly. So this is Solvanyr… kingdom of humans, huh?

He kept walking until the aroma of roasted meat and herbs caught his attention. Turning, he found a small food stall, its wooden counter shaded by a faded red cloth. The man behind it — a thin beastman with catlike ears — was hurriedly preparing skewers for impatient customers.

Zayne stopped and smiled faintly.

"Let's try the local delicacy," he murmured, stepping forward.

The beastman looked up, startled, then quickly bowed his head.

"W-What would you like, sir?"

"Whatever you recommend," Zayne said, placing a silver coin on the counter.

The man froze for a second — the coin was worth far more than the meal.

"I— I can't take this much—"

Zayne interrupted with a calm voice, "Consider it a tip. For surviving in a place like this."

The beastman's ears twitched, his eyes widening for a moment before he nodded silently and began to cook.

As the sizzling meat filled the air, Zayne leaned on the counter, watching people pass — humans laughing, beastmen ignored, guards patrolling lazily.

The atmosphere was… suffocating.

He whispered under his breath,

"Three years before a war broke out , and this kingdom already reeks of division. Maybe it will be the first to fall."

The stall owner served him the food — spiced desert meat wrapped in thin bread. Zayne took a bite, his eyes half-closed.

"Not bad," he said softly, "You've got talent."

The beastman lowered his gaze but smiled faintly.

Zayne placed the rest of the food on the counter and walked away, disappearing into the crowded street.

Zayne walked through the sun-baked streets, eating the local dish one bite at a time. The taste was smoky and spiced — not bad for something cooked on an open street fire.

He had already asked for directions earlier, and every few turns led him closer to his destination — the Adventurer's Guild.

The guilds were everywhere, spread across continents, operating under a single banner.

They weren't bound to any one king or empire. Instead, they followed their own code — neutrality.

That neutrality is their lifeline. Each kingdom, no matter how proud or paranoid, had signed a contract with them:

The Guild shall not serve any kingdom's interest directly — and in return, the Guild shall be allowed to operate freely within all lands.

It was a simple rule that maintaining peace.

Zayne took another bite and muttered, "Smart move… keeps the balance."

His boots crunched against the sand-dusted stone as he moved past a crowd of merchants shouting over each other, and a pair of armored guards dragging a young beastman by the arm. No one intervened.

A faint sigh escaped him. Same pattern everywhere.

After a few more turns, he saw it — a wide sandstone building at the end of the street. The Adventurer's Guild emblem

Zayne finished the last bite of his food, brushed off his hands, and walked toward it.

As Zayne stepped inside, the heavy door creaked, letting in a gust of hot desert wind. The interior was lively — filled with chatter, the clinking of mugs, and the rustle of quest papers.

But unlike Valdoria's bustling mix of races, this guild felt… hollow.

Not a single beastman, elf, or dwarf.

Only humans — laughing, arguing, drinking.

Zayne walked toward the counter where a young receptionist greeted him with a polite smile.

"Hello, can I get a quest?" he asked.

"Of course," she replied warmly. "May I see your Adventurer Card?"

He handed it over. The iron-colored card shimmered faintly as she checked it.

"Ah, a D-rank adventurer," she said, scanning through a few papers. "Then this should suit you."

She walked to the quest board, pulled down a parchment, and handed it to him.

"Hunt Spiketail Skirrels — desert creatures found nearby. Their tails and spikes are used for weapon crafting and potions. If you haven't seen one before, the description and sketch are on the paper."

Zayne nodded, taking the quest sheet.

"Alright."

But his eyes wandered to the far end of the hall, where a noisy crowd had gathered near another board.

"What's that?" he asked, pointing at the commotion.

The receptionist glanced over. "Ah, that's the Free Rank board," she explained. "Those are unclassified quests — no fixed rank, often due to lack of information. Anyone can take them."

She leaned in a little, lowering her voice. "Lately, there's been a lot of talk about that one. Travelers and locals claim to have seen a… ruin — or something like one — appearing and disappearing in the desert. Some kind of mirage, maybe. The Guild posted it as an open quest since no one's confirmed it yet. But generally ruins contain treasures that's why adventurers are trying to find it."

Zayne's gaze lingered on the crowd, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

"Appearing ruins, huh…"

He folded his quest paper neatly and turned away.

"Guess I'll check that after I'm done with the Skirrels."

Back to present,

Before him stood the remnants of an ancient civilization.

Colossal, broken statues lay half-buried in the golden sands, their once-proud faces now eroded by time. Crumbled murals stretched along the sides of a wide, ruined pathway, leading toward a massive stone door. The door's surface was carved with faded runes and symbols, their glow long extinguished.

Zayne stopped in front of it, the desert wind brushing against his cloak. His light-purple eyes glimmered faintly as he studied the surroundings.

"This ruin isn't something ordinary people could find," he murmured. "There's illusion magic covering it."

He placed his hand on the air before him — it rippled faintly like disturbed water.

"If someone tries to approach it from the ground, the illusion makes it look like nothing's here… just endless sand."

A small smile curved his lips.

"But there's a fatal weakness. If you're above it, flying through the sky… you can clearly see it. That's how I found this place."

He paused, brushing his fingers across the carved symbols on the door. "Though honestly, I could see through this kind of illusion even if it were right in front of my eyes."

A faint fluctuation rippled through the air, and Zayne's eyes narrowed. He turned slightly, the desert wind carrying traces of unfamiliar mana.

"Hmm…" he muttered, his tone low. "Looks like some humans aren't fully weak… and someone's already found this ruin."

For a brief moment, the light-purple in his eyes glowed faintly, scanning the area around him. Then he exhaled softly, a smirk tugging at his lips.

"Well then," he said, stepping forward as his boots sank into the sand. "I should also move inside the ruins."

With that, he pushed open the massive stone door.

A deep rumble echoed through the ruins as grains of sand fell from above, and a rush of cold, ancient air spilled out from the darkness within.

Zayne stepped forward, disappearing into the ruin's shadowed depths.

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