As soon as Elena began describing Albedo Dorgas's physical features, something clicked in my mind.

"Bald, built like a boulder, with a nasty scar on his face," I said, leaning forward. "And wielding a flail with a massive spiked iron ball? Yeah, sounds like the same guy."

"He was one of the guards of the Pit, the place where I rescued Sam," I continued.

"Are you sure?" Darwyn asked, brows furrowed.

"Fairly sure. They're quite distinct features."

"So that means Dorian has ties to the Pit?" Orin asked.

"Wait…" Elena snapped her fingers. "I remember now. I overheard them talking about working for the same boss."

"They must be referring to Nineteen, the owner of the Pit," I replied.

"So Dorian and Albedo were both under that guy named Nineteen," Darwyn muttered, eyes narrowing in thought.

"And according to Luther, Nineteen holds quite a bit of power in the Eastern District," I added.

"Do you think all of them are connected with this?" Orin asked, summoning the Blackrock emblem into her palm.

"That emblem..." Darwyn said. "It seemed like this emblem indicated membership to a certain group."

"I think it is," I said. "And the Bloodseeker… the masked group who tried to kill us… they're likely connected too."

"How do you know that?" Darwyn asked, eyeing me.

Truthfully, I had hoped to keep this from them. But it was time they knew.

I pulled out another Blackrock emblem.

Orin and Elena gasped in unison. Darwyn, on the other hand, went silent. His gaze sharp and unreadable.

"This one belonged to Bloodseeker. I found it in his pouch," I confessed. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier. I was planning to gather more information before bringing it up."

"So you've been digging into Blackrock on your own?" Darwyn asked, his tone flat.

"Yeah. But… I haven't found anything useful yet."

Darwyn's expression darkened, clearly displeased. "You should've told us from the start. I thought we trusted each other."

"It's not like that," I said quickly. "I do trust you all. I just didn't want to drag you deeper into something dangerous before I understood what we were dealing with."

"Well, they're already trying to kill us, remember?" Orin interjected with a shrug. "We're involved whether we like it or not."

"Alright, enough," Elena said, stepping in to calm the rising tension. "What matters is that we now have a clearer picture."

She counted on her fingers. "The masked group that's been murdering adventurers. Dorian, the corrupt Royal Guard. Nineteen, the owner of the Pit. And lastly, Albedo Dorgas. All of them are connected to Blackrock."

"And they seem to have a serious grudge against adventurers," she added, frowning. "Though I can't begin to guess why."

"Which leaves us with two big questions," I said. "What exactly does Blackrock want… and who is Nineteen, really? I've got a feeling he's one of their higher-ups."

"And we need to stay cautious," Darwyn warned. "We've crossed paths with them more than once. Even if they didn't see our faces back at the Tower… we've probably landed on their radar by now."

"Yes, especially you, Erynd. The people in the Pit must already know you and Sam. It's better if we lay low for a while," Elena said, looking at me.

After a long discussion about Blackrock, Darwyn finally opened up about why he'd been so hard to find lately.

Apparently, while he was digging for information about Dorian at a pub, things got a little... blurry.

"I was just eavesdropping around," he said, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "Next thing I know, I wake up drunk under a table, and my stuff's gone. My drink must've been spiked."

"What stuff?" Orin asked, narrowing her eyes.

"My Wyrmstone Bracelet," he groaned. "The one that boosts my Sticky Bomb's charges."

Orin stared at him in disbelief. "You lost a rare-grade artifact while passed out under a pub table?"

"I didn't lose it," he snapped, then sighed. "It was stolen. There's a difference."

"Oh, of course," I chimed in, folding my arms. "Clearly, that makes it better."

Darwyn ignored the jab. "I went full detective after that. Questioned every bartender, waitress, and shady drunk I could get my hands on. I even bribed one guy with a full bottle of Emberbrew just to jog his memory."

"And?" Orin leaned in.

He rubbed his temples. "Nothing. Dead ends everywhere. The only half-decent lead I got was about some shady guy sitting near me that night. Tall. Lanky. Skin pale as a corpse. White hair. And apparently rocking a ridiculous handlebar mustache."

"That… sounds like a discount villain from a low-budget play," Orin said.

"Yeah, well, no one had ever seen him before. No name, no clue. Just—poof. Gone. Like he'd never existed."

"I'd been chasing rumors from pub to pub for days," he added with a tired sigh. "But it was like trying to catch smoke with a net."

Orin crossed her arms. "So, after all that, you just gave up?"

"I wouldn't say gave up," he grumbled. "I call it… strategic resignation."

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

Orin looked at him for a long moment, then smirked. "Well. At least now I don't have to worry about you out-damaging me."

Darwyn blinked. "Wow. So much empathy in this group."

After hearing Darwyn's story, I also decided to tell them about the quest I'd taken.

"A bodyguard quest?" Elena asked, astonished.

They all looked at me like I'd grown a second head. But the real shock came when I mentioned the 60,000 Mana Stones rewards.

"What kind of person needs guarding that badly?" Orin asked, eyebrows raised.

"Definitely someone rich," Darwyn chimed in. "But I don't know, Erynd. When the reward's that big, there's usually something fishy going on behind the scenes."

"Yeah, I'm aware," I replied. "I'll keep my eyes open."

Fortunately, Muradin wasn't around. I could already imagine the endless teasing if he'd heard about this.

After that, we wrapped up our discussion. Muradin was still occupied in Oros, and Elena would focus on her Spirit Convergence training. Meanwhile, I continued to await Vivian's call.

Orin, however, decided to help Darwyn search for the thief who took his item, despite Darwyn's insistence that he was ready to let it go.

"Let's have another talk once we're done with our own stuff," Darwyn said, bringing the evening conversation to a close. "Especially now that Elena's out of the picture, we'll need to adjust our next exploration plans."

***

I had spent the last two days systematically crossing off items on my to-do list.

First stop: Sam and Luther.

They were in good shape, no troubling updates, just the usual banter.

"You're looking sharp," I said, stepping into their house.

Sam grinned, wiping sweat from his brow. "I've been practicing my Fireball. Want to see?"

I laughed. "Only if you don't burn the place down."

We ended up spending the better part of the afternoon with me giving feedback while Sam practiced. Luther mostly watched, occasionally chiming in with a dry, "That one would've set your cloak on fire."

Next, I headed to Willow's End, eager to catch up with a few fellow druids. My first stop was Instructor Vallen's grove. I found her usual spot empty, the moss-covered stones still warm from where she'd been sitting.

"Out again?" I muttered to myself. "Probably mentoring some druids."

I had been hoping for a rematch. She'd beaten me handily last time, and I wanted to prove I'd improved. With her gone, I moved on to my fellow newborn druids team: Riven, Fenric, Alton, and Sable.

They were gathered around on the training ground when I approached. Riven looked up first.

"Well, look who decided to visit," he called out, grinning.

Sable stood and gave a mock bow. "The prodigal druid returns. Care to critique our sloppy builds?"

"Gladly," I said, chuckling as I joined them.

I watched them spar and shape spells, tossing out comments here and there.

"Sable, your poison stacking is vicious. I wouldn't want to be on the other end of that, but you need to work on your defense."

She sighed dramatically. "I know, I know. I'm working on it, and saving up for better equipment."

"And you," I turned to Alton, "still trying to be the best at everything?"

He puffed his chest. "Versatility is strength."

"Unless it gets you killed because you're mediocre at everything," I said with a smirk.

He scowled. "Harsh."

"True," Riven muttered under his breath.

We all laughed. It felt good to be reunited with them after so long.

Last but not least, I paid a visit to Tyranael Val'darion, the Druid Shaman. Not to learn any new spells this time. This visit was... different. I needed answers.

I found him meditating by the spirit pool, encircled by softly glowing stones. The air around him buzzed faintly with spiritual energy.

"Ah, you've returned," he said without opening his eyes.

"Just checking in," I replied casually. "Am I interrupting?"

He opened one eye. "If I said yes, would you leave me in peace?"

I chuckled. "We both know the answer to that."

He smiled and gestured for me to sit. We talked for a while about nothing in particular, Spirit Beasts, shifting Mana flows, using spells without staff.

Then I leaned in slightly. "Elder Val'darion... I heard you have a special ability."

"Isn't it obvious?" he said, a touch smug. "I am the Shaman."

"I meant besides that," I said, narrowing my eyes. "You identified every spell I'd learned with a single glance, didn't you? Can you also sense... Soul Fragments?"

His wrinkled fingers stopped moving. "So, you noticed," he murmured.

"Can you identify them? Every detail?"

"Of course."

Hope flickered in my chest, but I tried not to show it too much.

"However," he added, "I'll need to make special preparations. It's... a little different from the druid spells."

"I can wait," I said quickly.

He shook his head. "Not with me. My time is valuable."

And yet, he always seemed to have plenty of time whenever I visited him.

"I understand," I said with a knowing sigh. "Alright then… how much?"

He smiled and named his price.

Fuck.

Way above what I could afford with the stones I had left. I could only stare at him in disbelief.

"Come back when you have the full amount," he said, clearly reading the look on my face.

And that was the end of our little conversation.

After that, I spent a quiet evening gathering ingredients for potions. Just in case. I didn't know what I would face in my upcoming quest.

As soon as night fell, I left Willow's End behind, taking my time on the walk back home.

And not long after I finally arrived, just as I let myself relax in my room, it happened.

The Jasper Ring from Vivian vibrated and started glowing.

Taking a deep breath, I channeled Mana into the small gemstone, focusing on its intricate energy patterns. Suddenly, a thin veil emerged from the ring and enveloped my entire body. Instantly, everything went silent. Completely, eerily silent. I couldn't hear a single sound from the outside world.

I quickly realized that the veil was blocking external noise, creating an isolated space around me. Though the barrier was thin and transparent, my vision was slightly distorted, as if I were looking through water.

Then, a voice cut through the silence.

"Hey, Eryndor. We don't have much time, so I'll get straight to the point," Vivian's voice rang clear in my ears.

Before I could respond, she continued in a rapid-fire pace, barely pausing for breath.

"Tomorrow morning at seven, you need to be at the Crystal Crescendo Opera House. I assume you already know the location, but if not, find out yourself. Bring everything you'll need for three days. You'll be on standby twenty-four hours a day for the entire duration. And once again, I'm reminding you, this job is highly confidential. Do not speak about it to anyone."

Her words came out like a machine-gun burst, efficient and relentless.

"Wait, Vivian, what kind of bodyguard job is this?" I asked, trying to process everything. "I need to prepare properly, at least figure out what potions to bring."

"It's standard work. Nothing too complicated," she replied briskly. "Besides, you already passed our toughest tests, didn't you? You'll be fine. That's all. I can't maintain this connection for long."

"Wait, I still have—"

Before I could say another word, the veil around me vanished. The outside world flooded back in an instant: the distant chatter of pedestrians, the occasional creak of wagon wheels, the lively hum of the street.

I immediately channeled my Mana back into the ring, trying to reconnect with Vivian. There were dozens of things I needed to ask. As I focused, I saw the Jasper Ring tremble slightly, emitting a faint glow that pulsed in rhythm with the energy I poured into it.

Then I felt it.

A sharp pain shot through my body, sudden and unrelenting. Shit, how could I not have noticed it before? I'd been so focused on Vivian's rapid instructions that I hadn't paid attention. Now, it hit me like a delayed punch.

For crying out loud! Why didn't she warn me about this earlier?!

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