The town felt completely different at night.
It wasn't quieter than during the day. If anything, the streets were even more crowded. Lanterns hanging from wooden posts illuminated the roads with warm golden light, while players gathered in groups throughout the city discussing rumors, exchanging items, and planning their next objectives.
Ever since the global announcement regarding the hidden dungeon, the atmosphere across the Town of Beginnings had changed.
Everyone was searching for something.
Information.
Opportunity.
Power.
Rio walked through the bustling streets alone.
Unlike the others, she wasn't interested in rumors or excitement.
She was preparing.
Her movements were efficient and deliberate as she made her way through the merchant district.
The first stop was the potion vendor.
The elderly NPC merchant greeted her with a practiced smile.
"Welcome, Adventurer. Looking for supplies?"
Rio nodded.
"Two Minor Healing Potions."
The merchant quickly retrieved the red vials and placed them on the counter.
"Anything else?"
"Three Stamina Potions."
The merchant added several green bottles to the collection.
Coins exchanged hands.
The transaction was completed within seconds.
Rio immediately stored the items in her inventory before moving on.
Her next stop was a general utility shop.
She purchased antidotes.
Basic bandages.
And a single emergency mana vial.
Nothing flashy.
Nothing expensive.
Everything had a purpose.
Every purchase had already been calculated long before she stepped inside the city.
As she organized her inventory, Rio quietly reviewed her supplies.
Healing.
Recovery.
Emergency resources.
Enough for several hours of combat.
Enough for most situations she expected to encounter.
"That should be enough."
She closed her inventory and resumed walking.
A pair of players hurried past her while arguing about weapon prices.
Another group discussed strategies for locating the hidden dungeon.
Rio ignored all of it.
The city was simply another resource.
A place to gather supplies.
Nothing more.
Then she stopped.
Not because she intended to.
But because someone familiar had entered her field of vision.
Two figures were walking together through the street.
One wore a white cloak.
The other had long purple hair.
Rio recognized them immediately.
"...Fayzan."
The man turned.
His eyes widened slightly before a faint smile appeared.
"Rio."
He slowed to a stop.
"Good timing."
Standing beside him, Ayame gave a polite nod.
"Good evening."
Rio returned the gesture.
"Evening."
The brief greeting ended.
Then Fayzan got straight to business.
"We verified it."
Rio's eyes sharpened.
"The hidden dungeon?"
Fayzan nodded.
"Our scouts confirmed the location."
A small pause followed.
"They found the entrance exactly where your information said it would be."
Rio remained outwardly calm.
Inside, however, she felt a slight sense of satisfaction.
Her memories were still accurate.
That alone was valuable information.
"Good."
The response was simple.
Fayzan crossed his arms.
"Which means we're ready to complete the rest of our agreement."
Rio nodded once.
"Agreed."
Ayame stepped forward.
"We'll need the boss information."
Rio opened her system menu.
The translucent interface appeared before her.
Everything had already been prepared.
Coordinates.
Boss attack patterns.
Combat phases.
Weaknesses.
Special mechanics.
The information was organized neatly and ready for transfer.
Just as she was about to send it—
A heavy crash echoed through the street.
THUD.
The sound was loud enough to draw attention from nearby players.
Rio reacted instantly.
Her head snapped toward the source.
Several people gasped.
A player had collapsed onto the wooden road.
The figure hit the ground hard before rolling onto one side.
Purple hair.
Damaged armor.
Blood stains.
His HP bar hovered dangerously close to zero.
"...Odion!"
Fayzan's voice cut through the crowd.
Without hesitation, he rushed forward.
Ayame immediately followed.
Both dropped to their knees beside the injured player.
Rio moved closer.
Her eyes narrowed.
Analyzing.
Evaluating.
Calculating.
Odion's armor was heavily damaged.
Deep slash wounds covered multiple areas.
Burn marks spread across the metal plating.
The damage patterns were inconsistent.
Not monster attacks.
Players.
Several players.
Likely an organized group.
Ayame immediately activated healing magic.
A soft violet glow formed around her hands.
"Hold still."
Light flowed into Odion's body.
His HP bar rose slightly.
Not enough.
But enough to stabilize him.
Fayzan's expression darkened.
"What happened?"
Odion struggled to breathe.
His chest rose and fell unevenly.
Every inhale looked painful.
His eyes barely opened.
"Sumi..."
His voice was weak.
Barely audible.
Fayzan leaned closer.
"What happened to Sumi?"
Odion clenched his teeth.
His body trembled.
Then he forced the words out.
"Sumi is in danger..."
The crowd around them became silent.
Even the nearby players stopped talking.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
Odion coughed violently.
Blood stained his lips.
Ayame's healing intensified.
"Don't talk."
But Odion ignored her.
He grabbed Fayzan's sleeve.
Desperately.
Urgently.
"...Burning Pride..."
The name immediately changed the atmosphere.
Fayzan froze.
Ayame's eyes widened slightly.
Even Rio recognized the guild.
Burning Pride.
One of the larger combat-focused organizations currently active around the Town of Beginnings.
Aggressive.
Competitive.
Known for bullying smaller groups when valuable resources were involved.
Odion forced himself to continue.
"They attacked us..."
Another cough interrupted him.
"We were scouting..."
His breathing became ragged.
"They ambushed us..."
Fayzan's jaw tightened.
"Where?"
Odion pointed weakly toward the eastern side of town.
"The old quarry road..."
A pause.
"They're holding her there..."
Silence.
Complete silence.
The weight of those words settled over everyone present.
Holding her.
That wasn't a random fight.
It wasn't a dispute over resources.
It was deliberate.
Ayame's expression hardened.
The calm composure she normally maintained cracked slightly.
"How many?"
Odion swallowed.
"...Eight."
The answer came immediately.
"Maybe more."
Fayzan stood.
Slowly.
His usual relaxed attitude had vanished.
Completely.
The playful smile.
The casual posture.
The teasing remarks.
Gone.
Only seriousness remained.
Rio noticed the change immediately.
This was the first time she had seen him like this.
Ayame rose beside him.
Her voice remained calm, but her eyes were cold.
"We need to move."
Fayzan nodded.
"Now."
He turned toward Rio.
For a moment neither of them spoke.
Then Fayzan exhaled.
"The deal will have to wait."
Rio closed her system menu.
"Obviously."
Another pause.
Then Fayzan looked directly at her.
"You don't owe us anything."
His voice was firm.
"This is our problem."
Rio didn't respond immediately.
Instead, she looked at Odion.
At the wounds.
At the burn marks.
Then she looked toward the eastern road leading out of town.
Toward where Sumi was being held.
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
Behind them, players had already begun whispering.
Burning Pride.
An ambush.
A captured player.
The news was spreading.
Fast.
Rio remained silent for several seconds.
Thinking.
Calculating.
Evaluating.
Meanwhile, Fayzan was already moving.
Ayame followed.
The urgency in their steps left no room for hesitation.
Somewhere beyond the town's eastern outskirts—
Sumi was surrounded.
And every second mattered.
The night that had begun as a routine supply run had suddenly become something else entirely.
Because this was no longer about hidden dungeons.
No longer about guild rankings.
No longer about profit.
Someone had crossed a line.
And judging by the look in Fayzan's eyes—
Burning Pride was about to discover exactly how dangerous that mistake would be.