The situation within the city had already calmed down.

Most of the adventurers had already returned, while some others were still sent to further check the eastern region to ensure that there weren't any more Beast Horde coming at them, and even if there was, they must quickly find the reason for that...

Some limped back with injuries, others rode in carts filled with salvaged gear and beast parts. Aside from that, the dead had been accounted for, and the wounded were receiving treatment.

Nonetheless, the paperwork had begun.

In cases like this Beast Horde incident, it was notoriously difficult to track individual contributions. The chaos, the overlapping spells, the sheer number of participants made it nearly impossible to assign credit fairly.

But this time, the battle had taken place near the city walls.

The Mage Association had deployed a scryer orb early in the fight, hovering high above the battlefield.

It had recorded fragments of the conflict, blurry visuals, mana signatures, and tactical movements. Combined with the reports submitted by surviving adventurers, the Guild had a rough picture of what had happened.

Those who had gone above and beyond were already being flagged.

Arial's team had held the front line longer than anyone. Their coordination, leadership, and spellwork had kept the formation from collapsing during the worst moments.

Rayven's team, on the other hand, had done something else entirely.

They had taken down the massive Greater Beast.

The Guild didn't even know what to call it yet, some reports labeled it a mutated Glimmermuck, others called it a Greater Murloc, and one scribe simply wrote "the big one." But the scryer orb had captured the final moments clearly… Rayven's fireball, Miki's blade, Narra's flanking strikes. The kill was undeniable.

Three days from now, their reward would be ready, once the paperwork was settled, the loot was appraised, and the Guild confirmed the sale of the collected Beast Cores.

But for now, there was nothing left to do.

On the next day, Rayven pushed open the door to his shop.

The bell above the frame gave a soft chime.

"Mhmm… I guess we have freshly made Mayonnaise today." Rayven muttered.

The scent of herbs, ink, and faint vinegar hung in the air.

Shelves lined the walls, some filled with scrolls, others with jars of preserved ingredients and of course, the mayonnaise…

A small counter sat near the back where Gene could be seen working on a ledger.

Miki stepped in behind Rayven, and Narra followed, already eyeing the shelves for anything new.

"I hope there's still a lot of customers today." Rayven muttered as he knew about the panic buying yesterday.

The assistant, Hannah, looked up, startled at their presence. She initially thought that they were just customers.

"Ah… Sir Rayven! You're back! I thought we had our first customer."

Rayven walked to the counter. "Any damage? I heard several people rushed hear yesterday."

"None, sir. We had some customers yesterday asking about the new batch of Eterna Mayonnaise, but I told them production was paused due to the emergency."

Rayven glanced at the back room. "Inventory?"

"We still have over 300 jars, Sir Rayven."

"That's good to hear…"

Just as Hannah finished wiping a jar of mayonnaise, the bell above the shop door chimed again.

Three adventurers stepped inside, dust still clinging to their boots…

One of them, a tall man with a bandaged arm, scanned the shelves and grinned.

"There it is," he said. "Eterna Mayonnaise."

Rayven looked up at the adventurer.

The man approached the counter, followed by his companions. "Nine silver and fifty coins per tub, right?"

Rayven nodded. "Price hasn't changed."

Well, the seven silver price was only good for the first few days.

Although he planned to issue another discount, he decided to do it every first three days of the month instead.

The adventurer placed a small pouch on the counter.

"We'll take six."

Hannah began wrapping the jars in cloth while Narra leaned against a shelf, watching the transaction unfold.

The second adventurer, a younger woman with a bow slung across her back, looked at Rayven with wide eyes. "You're the one who took down the big one, right? The Greater Murloc?"

Rayven didn't answer immediately. He glanced at Miki, who was pretending not to listen as she inspected a jar…

"I was part of the team," Rayven said.

The third adventurer, a stocky man with soot-stained gloves chuckled. "Part of the team? The scryer orb caught your fireball mid-cast. You're all over the Guild reports."

Rayven smiled... "We did what was necessary. Are you going to buy more if it was me?"

The man nodded. "Well, you've got our respect. And our coin..."

He tapped the counter. "This stuff's been selling out in the outer districts. Word is it lasts months in the field."

Rayven gestured toward the shelf. "It's just mayonnaise."

The archer laughed. "Sure. And your pens are just ink sticks."

Rayven didn't respond.

Hannah handed over the wrapped jars, and the adventurers thanked her before heading out, chatting about their next assignment.

As the door closed behind them, Miki finally spoke.

"They're not wrong. You're becoming a name."

Rayven returned to the ledger. "Names don't matter. Results do."

Narra smirked. "Spoken like someone who's about to be very rich."

Rayven didn't argue. He then checked their ledger and began calculating the week's sales.

***

The city had returned to its usual activity…

Arial's team had been given two days to rest. Their wounds were treated, their gear repaired, and their reports had already been submitted.

But the final verdict from the Adventurers Guild hadn't come in yet. No confirmation or notice of possible rank advancement.

Not yet.

They were still Gold Rank, at least on paper.

And so, when the guild dispatch board posted a high-risk standby mission in the northern valley that was watching the possible Outbreak, they decided to join.

"We're taking it," Arial said.

Vanna raised an eyebrow. "Already?"

Torren looked up from his tea. "You sure? We haven't even gotten our reward yet."

"I'm sure," Arial replied. "If the Dungeon Outbreak happens, we'll be the first line. I'd rather be there early than late."

Jiya sighed, adjusting the strap on her satchel. "No rest for the almost-promoted."

Edward leaned against the wall and nodded. "We're not Platinum yet. Might as well act like we are."

The northern valley was colder than expected.

Mist clung to the ground, and the wind carried the scent of pine…

The terrain had gotten a lot better compared to before, but there were still parts with rocky ridges, narrow paths, and Feral Beasts roaming around from time to time…

It was the kind of place where beasts could emerge without warning.

***

Arial's team had arrived at the northern valley after a few hours.

As they passed through the forest, they noticed that the birds had vanished. Even the insects had gone silent.

Torren knelt near a patch of exposed soil, pressing his palm to the ground. "The mana around here is unstable. If there's really a Dungeon Outbreak, we'll have to consider how to escape this place."

Vanna checked the edge of her blade, then scanned the perimeter. "I'll check possible route in case necessary."

Soon, they confirmed the presence of other people guarding the valley.

At this time, Jiya was already setting up a detection ward…

While Edward climbed a nearby tree, one of the few still standing, and settled into a perch with a clear view of the dungeon mouth.

"I'll call it if I see movement. Let's hope it's a false alarm."

Arial stood nearby, watching the flow of personnel across the valley.

They weren't alone.

The Arcanum Circle had set up their observation platform on the eastern slope, their mages were just silent as they monitored the mana pulses within the Dungeon.

The Magicblade Order had reinforced the southern approach with barricades and steel posts. Their swordmasters were already running drills as they needed to be ready in case the Beasts had started pouring out of the Dungeon.

The Alchemist Association, on the other hand, had established a logistics tent near the supply road, distributing potions, antidotes, and mana stabilizers to every unit stationed nearby.

And overlooking it all, the Crown Prince's private army stood in formation…

"They look impressive." Arial muttered to himself after seeing their private army…

They look disciplined…

Their banners hung still in the cold wind, marking their authority over the valley's defense.

The 17th Dungeon's exploration had been halted days ago. The boss inside had stirred with mana pulses and forced some beast movement…

Then, a surge of dungeon energy forced the Guild to pull back all exploration teams.

Now, everyone was waiting for the start of the Dungeon Outbreak.

Torren stood and dusted off his gloves. "If it opens, we'll be the first to see it."

Jiya nodded. "And the first to bleed."

Vanna cracked her neck. "Good. I've been itching for a real fight... I need more money. If the Dungeon Outbreak really happened, I won't accept anything less than 30 gold as a reward."

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