Inside the guildmaster's office, the strategy meeting between the guild and Dawnstead Knights continued. Garrick leaned forward, his fingers interlocked as he listened to Roderic's report.
"We also sent our scout team to monitor the dungeon entrance before coming here," Roderic stated, his sharp gaze settling on the guildmaster. "They've reported no movement from within at the moment, but that doesn't mean we can let our guard down."
Gale crossed his arms and nodded. "Considering Trinity Blade's report, this isn't a normal dungeon anymore. If they were right, we're dealing with something entirely different."
Garrick let out a deep sigh. "Their report is disturbing. If the stronger monsters from the deeper floors are now appearing on the upper levels, it means the natural balance of the dungeon is already breaking down."
"That's never supposed to happen," Gale added, his brows furrowing. "Dungeons have strict floor hierarchies. Monsters are bound to specific depths, and they shouldn't be able to move upward freely."
"Unless," Roderic said darkly, "the dungeon itself is changing."
A heavy silence followed. The implications of those words were dire. Dungeons were living entities in their own right, their ecosystems self-sustaining. If one started changing beyond its natural order, the consequences could be catastrophic.
Garrick finally broke the quiet. "If we don't understand how the miasma is affecting the dungeon, we can't risk sending more people inside blindly."
Gale exhaled sharply. "And there's a worst-case scenario we need to consider."
The room tensed as everyone turned to him.
"A dungeon break."
The words hung in the air like a death sentence.
Everyone in the room knew what a dungeon break meant—a complete collapse of the dungeon's internal structure, causing monsters to pour out uncontrollably into the surrounding area. It was a rare occurrence, but when it happened, the devastation was immense.
Garrick slammed his fist onto the table. "If a break happens here, Dawnstead will be in serious danger! That dungeon is too close to town!"
"Not just that," Roderic added, his voice grave. "The presence of miasma makes it worse. If these creatures are already corrupted, they'll be far stronger than normal monsters. Standard adventurers and even our knights will struggle against them."
The weight of his words settled heavily over them.
Garrick leaned forward, his jaw tightening. "We need to assume the worst. If we can't contain the monsters inside the dungeon, we'll need to be prepared to defend the town."
Gale turned to Roderic. "What's your assessment? If it comes to it, how many knights can we mobilize?"
Roderic exhaled sharply, considering the numbers. "If we call for reinforcements, we can gather a force of around two hundred knights within the next few days. But that won't be enough if we're dealing with a large-scale monster invasion."
Gale's expression darkened. "Then we'll need to coordinate with the guild. We'll have to establish a defense line outside of Dawnstead and make sure we can hold off anything that tries to approach."
Garrick nodded. "I'll issue an urgent recruitment order. We'll need all available high-ranking adventurers on standby."
Gale's gaze hardened. "We should also prepare for civilian evacuations if things start looking bad. We can't afford unnecessary casualties."
Roderic agreed. "We'll draw up defensive positions around the town and establish safe zones in case of an emergency."
Then, Gale hesitated before speaking again. "We also need to consider another scenario."
The room fell silent as they waited for him to continue.
"What if we can't stop them?"
A heavy silence filled the room once again, the weight of that possibility crushing down on everyone present.
Roderic was the first to answer, his voice grim. "Then we'll have no choice but to request military aid from the capital."
Garrick rubbed his temples. "Let's hope it doesn't come to that. If the kingdom gets involved, things will get complicated. But we have to be prepared for anything. Furthermore, it will take about ten days for aid from the capital to get to Dawnstead."
Roderic straightened. "For now, we need more information. We need to figure out why the miasma is appearing in the dungeon and how long we have before it gets worse."
Gale agreed. "We should send a specialized team—not to fight, but to scout. We need to know exactly what we're dealing with."
Garrick nodded. "I'll handle that. For now, we'll prepare for every possible scenario. No one enters that dungeon until we have a solid plan."
The meeting ended, but a heavy unease lingered in the air. They had a plan, but whether it would be enough remained uncertain. If the dungeon truly was on the verge of breaking, Dawnstead would soon face its greatest threat yet.
The air inside the guildmaster's office remained thick with tension long after the meeting had ended. Gale, Roderic, and Garrick stood around the oak table, the weight of their decisions pressing down on them.
Then, without warning, a sharp hum crackled through the magical transmission device at the center of the table—a crystalline sphere infused with mana, linked directly to the scout team stationed outside the dungeon. The normally steady glow of the device flickered erratically, pulsing like a heartbeat in distress. Something was wrong.
Garrick wasted no time, placing a firm hand on the device. "This is the guildmaster. Report immediately."
The response came almost instantly, the voice on the other end rushed and panicked.
"This is Scout Team Alpha! Urgent report—something's happening with the dungeon! The ground is shaking, and the dungeon entrance is glowing with a dark purple light! I repeat, the entrance is—!"
Static crackled through the device, followed by a deep, guttural rumble that sent a chill through the room. It wasn't just an earthquake—it was something far worse.
Roderic's expression hardened. "Purple light… That's miasma. It's reacting violently."
The scout's voice returned, frantic. "The air—it's distorting around the entrance! The mana concentration is fluctuating wildly! It feels—wrong, like the dungeon itself is… shifting! Wait—!"
RUMBLE.
A thunderous explosion reverberated through the device, followed by screams and the unmistakable sound of cracking stone. Then came the inhuman roars.
"Monsters are—!" The transmission cut off abruptly.
A moment of heavy silence filled the guildmaster's office before it shattered into motion.
Gale moved. "No time to waste—this is a dungeon break! We need to act NOW!"
Gale was the first to act. He spun toward a knight stationed just outside the door. "Gather every available knight and assemble them here in the guild hall. NOW!" His voice was sharp, carrying the weight of command.
The knight saluted without hesitation. "Yes, sir!" He turned on his heel and sprinted away, his armor clanking as he rushed down the corridor.
Garrick, already anticipating the impending chaos, stepped forward with swift precision. His sharp gaze locked onto Alina, his trusted receptionist, who had been listening in from just outside the room.
"Alina! Sound the emergency summons! Every adventurer available must report immediately—we're calling an urgent briefing!"
Alina's breath caught, but she didn't falter. She knew the weight of those words. "Understood!" Without another word, she turned and dashed toward the guild's main hall where the magical announcement bell stood.
Within moments, a deep, resonating GONG echoed throughout the entire Dawnstead Adventurer's Guild. The alarm bell was rarely used—only when a crisis threatened the town. The sound sent an immediate shockwave through the guild. Conversations halted. Drinks were left abandoned on tables. Dice games were forgotten mid-roll.
Adventurers, both seasoned veterans and rookies alike, froze in place for a split second before instincts took over. The atmosphere shifted from casual camaraderie to urgent concern as they scrambled toward the main hall.
Some came from the tavern, still gripping their tankards. Others had just returned from expeditions, their weapons still strapped to their backs, dirt clinging to their armor. A handful had barely risen from their bunks, rubbing sleep from their eyes as they hurriedly threw on their gear.
The guild hall filled quickly. Murmurs of concern and confusion spread through the gathering crowd.
Meanwhile, outside the guild, the Dawnstead Knights were already mobilizing. The city's streets, once bustling with ordinary life, buzzed with sudden movement. Knights in full armor rushed toward the guild, some fresh from their morning drills, others roused from their barracks. Training sessions were abandoned. Patrol routes were broken. Squads formed up in tight formations as captains barked out orders, directing them toward their designated positions.
Merchants and townsfolk, noticing the sudden change in atmosphere, peered out from their stalls and homes, whispering nervously amongst themselves. The sound of metal boots striking cobblestone filled the air, mixing with the hushed conversations of worried civilians.
Within minutes, Dawnstead was on the brink of full mobilization.
Back in the guildmaster's office, the air was thick with urgency. Gale, Roderic, and Garrick wasted no time in discussing the next course of action. The echo of the emergency summons still rang in their ears, a grim reminder that the situation was deteriorating by the second.
"If the break has already started, we don't have the luxury of slow planning," Roderic said, his voice edged with tension. "Every moment we hesitate means more monsters pouring out into the open."
Garrick nodded, his fingers drumming against the polished wooden table. "We need to organize our forces immediately. The guild's adventurers will be divided by rank—C-Rank and D-Rank adventurers will form the first strike teams. E-Rank adventurers will focus on reinforcing defensive lines and aiding the town's security." He took a breath, his usual gruff demeanor carrying an added weight. "The lower ranks will be assigned to evacuation efforts. If the town falls into chaos, we'll lose control before the battle even begins."
Gale crossed his arms. "The knights need to establish defensive positions outside the town as well. If we don't hold them back at the outskirts, we risk letting them spill into Dawnstead."
Roderic nodded. "Agreed. I'll personally lead the first deployment of knights. We'll form a vanguard to intercept the monsters before they reach the roads leading here. However, we need information. Without knowing how many creatures have surfaced, we're fighting blind."
A brief silence settled over the room, only broken by the distant sounds of the growing commotion outside.
Garrick exhaled heavily. "The guild is going to be in an uproar once we announce this."
As if to confirm his words, an outburst from the main hall sent a ripple of noise through the stone walls.
"WHAT?! A DUNGEON BREAK?!"
Shouts of disbelief and fear erupted as the gathered adventurers pieced together the situation from scattered whispers and hastily exchanged rumors.
Gale clenched his jaw. "Then let's not waste time. We tell them now."
Without another word, the three men strode toward the guild hall.
The moment they stepped into the main hall, the sheer intensity of the gathered crowd became evident. The adventurers were restless, eyes darting between one another as anxiety spread like wildfire. Some were still gripping their weapons, ready for a fight they didn't yet understand. Others muttered amongst themselves, trying to make sense of the unfolding disaster.
Garrick wasted no time. He strode up the elevated wooden platform near the mission board and slammed his gauntleted fist against the surface, sending a resounding THUD that silenced the crowd.
"LISTEN UP!"
The room fell into a tense hush. Every adventurer, from grizzled veterans to wide-eyed newcomers, turned their attention to the guildmaster.
"As of this moment, Dawnstead is under emergency alert. We have confirmed a dungeon break is in progress. The dungeon has become unstable, and monsters are already breaching the surface!"
A ripple of alarmed gasps swept through the crowd. Some cursed under their breath; others exchanged uneasy glances.
"What?!"
"That's impossible!"
"A dungeon break?! This close to town?!"
Gale raised a hand, silencing the outbursts.
Garrick's gaze swept across the hall. "This isn't like previous monster subjugation. The creatures escaping the dungeon are stronger, more aggressive, and possibly corrupted by the miasma that's tainting the area." He let his words sink in before continuing. "Make no mistake—this is a direct threat to Dawnstead. If we fail to contain the break, the town will be overrun."
A heavy silence hung in the air, each adventurer weighing the gravity of the situation.
Roderic stepped forward, his armor glinting under the hall's lantern light. "The Dawnstead Knights will take formation outside the town. Our primary goal is containment. We will not allow these creatures to reach the city walls." His voice was calm, but the intensity in his eyes left no room for doubt. "However, we cannot do this alone."
Gale took the floor next, his sharp gaze sweeping over the gathered adventurers. "This is where the guild comes in. We need immediate deployment. C-Rank and D-Rank adventurers—you will form the first strike teams and meet the knights at the frontline. E-Ranks, you will reinforce defensive lines and ensure no stragglers break through."
A few murmurs rippled through the crowd, but Gale continued without hesitation. "F-Rank adventurers, your mission is just as crucial. You will aid in securing the town, ensuring that civilians are evacuated and protected." His voice was unwavering. "This is not about personal glory. This is about survival. If we fail, there will be no town left to return to."
A hush fell over the crowd once more. The reality of the situation had settled in. There was no room for hesitation or selfish ambition—only action.
End of Chapter 48