"Transfer: Maceria," I commanded as the three of us stood within the Transport Gate.


    Within seconds, we arrived in Maceria.


    "Asriel!" A familiar female voice called out, it was Claire.


    For some reason, she seemed to be waiting for our return.


    "What''s the matter, Claire?" I asked.


    "Guildmaster Gray asked me to wait for you.


    He figured you might return using the Transport Gate," she explained.


    "There are several people with the same dragon emblem as yours and Earl''s gathered at the Northern Gate," she added.


    "Guildmaster Gray wants you to meet them before he allows them entry into the city."


    "We''ll head there now," I replied.


    Claire and Kuro exchanged brief glances but quickly looked away when they noticed me watching.


    Claire then joined us as we made our way to the Northern Gate.


    "Let us in for a moment! We just need to check if the person we''re looking for is here!" A familiar male voice was arguing with Old Man Gray as we approached.


    "It seems the person you''re searching for has just arrived," Old Man Gray stated as he spotted us exiting the gate.


    "It''s good to have you back, Vice Guildmaster Leirsa," he greeted.


    Scanning the area, I spotted Deirka and his twin brother leaning against a black wyvern.


    Nearby, a petite female rider on a white-winged horse was speaking with Deirka.


    Meanwhile, a heavily armored young man carrying a massive shield was still debating with Old Man Gray.


    The Endless Emblem was prominently displayed on all three of them.


    "I suppose we meet again, Guildmaster Leirsa," Deirka greeted with a smirk.


    "Guildmaster," the armored man acknowledged as he stepped toward me.


    "It''s me, Gran," he added.


    Gran served as our main tank in Arcadia Online, and looking at him now, everything about him fit the role perfectly, but still…


    "And who''s this little guy?" Gran asked, eyeing Earl curiously.


    "Big Brother, let me test if he''s really Gran," Earl suddenly said.


    "Big Bro??? Don''t tell me… " Before Gran could finish his sentence,


    Earl fired Wind Lances, launching Gran several meters away, yet he only staggered back about a hundred meters.


    "As expected of an advanced-class Shielder, the Guardian," I thought.


    "Corruptus umbra, addo tenebras, magica obscura fulgor, Corruption!" Earl chanted, activating Corruption.


    "Chaos Meteor!" he declared as a massive black meteorite began descending from the sky.


    Gran loved to tease Earl.


    With a swift motion, he pulled the Tower Shield from his back.


    A colossal, transparent manifestation of a shield expanded, covering the entire area.


    "Titan Guard,a level 60 Guardian skill," I thought.


    "A powerful wide-area defense that blocks both physical and magical attacks for a short duration."


    A violent gust of wind swept through as the colossal shield clashed against the descending black meteor.


    The meteor shattered upon impact, but the resulting debris transformed into a fiery black rain, cascading toward the ground.


    "Lux divina, mala purga, corpus sanet, omnes protege, benedictio aeterna, Star Temple!" a soft yet commanding voice chanted.


    A shimmering mirage of a grand temple enveloped the area, instantly dispelling the ominous black flames.


    "Star Temple, another level 60 skill, exclusive to the Shrine Priestess, an advanced class of the Healer," I noted.


    As expected from one of our Guild Officers, Charlotte, the White Princess.


    She approached, gracefully riding Albis, one of the four legendary winged horses of Arcadia.


    "Long time no see, Swordmaster Leirsa," she greeted as Albis trotted closer.


    Her gaze swept over Kuro and Earl.


    "This young man must be the Grand Magus, and this girl dressed in black, she''s most likely the Black Witch," she observed.


    "It''s been a while, little Princess," Kuro teased with a smirk.


    "Looks like everyone is getting reacquainted," Deirka chuckled.


    "I nearly forgot you were here, Beastmaster," Charlotte remarked with playful sarcasm.


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "Don''t tell me you still haven''t reached your Advanced Class, Deirka?" she added with a grin.


    "Haha, I''m still a few levels away," Deirka admitted with a humble shrug.


    "Still, it''s refreshing to see you all again," he said, offering a hand to help Charlotte dismount from Albis.


    "Hey, are you all forgetting about me?" Gran called out, slowly making his way back toward us.


    Gran, the Walking Fortress.


    Deirka, the Beastmaster.


    Charlotte, the White Princess.


    Seeing them all here filled me with a sense of relief.


    "So, how did the three of you end up here?" Kuro asked.


    "What else? Using the Map Markers, of course," Charlotte answered matter-of-factly.


    "Right, Gran? Deirka?" she added.


    "That''s right," Gran confirmed.


    "We just followed the marker."


    "But how did you all know the Guildmaster was here?" Earl questioned.


    "You and the Guildmaster probably can''t see it," Gran explained, "but this Ancient Pillar Marker is nearly gold in color."


    "That makes sense," Deirka added. "Even during Guild Wars, only officers can track the exact locations of their leaders."


    "There were actually two gold markers before," Charlotte revealed, "but while I was heading here, one of them suddenly disappeared.


    The remaining gold marker moved a little farther away."


    "But honestly? Chasing down the other marker was a hassle, so I figured I''d wait here and hope you''d return," she admitted with a small smile.


    "So, is it possible that some of the other Guild Officers headed to Miss Kuro’s town?" I asked.


    "I doubt it," Charlotte replied.


    "The two gold markers were close together before one of them moved."


    "Besides, one of them definitely wouldn’t have come there," she added.


    "What do you mean?" Earl asked.


    Charlotte hesitated before speaking, her voice tinged with sadness.


    "Dilan was with me… but it’s been five days since he disappeared after entering an Open Labyrinth."


    Dilan, the Abyss Walker.


    Our scout and the one who handled most of our information gathering.


    "I find it hard to believe that he’d fall victim to a labyrinth," Deirka said, crossing his arms.


    "What do you think, Guild Master?" Gran asked.


    "Dilan specializes in covert operations and scouting," I said.


    "And knowing him, he wouldn’t have left Charlotte alone unless something serious happened."


    "There’s definitely more to this," I added.


    "Swordmaster Leirsa, please help me find Dilan," Charlotte pleaded.


    "I understand how urgent this is," I said gently, "but rushing in without a plan won’t help."


    "Let’s head to our town first, catch up, and then figure out our next steps to find Dilan," I continued.


    "The Guild Master is right. We need to exchange vital information first," Deirka agreed.


    "I’m sorry, I just… " Charlotte''s voice broke, but before she could finish, Kuro pulled her into a comforting embrace, letting her cry against her chest.


    "Asriel, I’ve prepared a place for them to stay, along with some food," Old Man Gray interjected.


    "My daughter, Laila, will guide you and your friends there."


    "Thanks, I really appreciate it, Old Man Gray," I said sincerely.


    Thankfully, Dia and the others had been listening patiently.


    "Alright, Old Man Gray has arranged shelter and food. Let’s move there first," I commanded.


    Charlotte took a deep breath and softly called, "Albis, return."


    "Storm, return," Deirka followed.


    "So, Gran… what did you ride to get here?" Earl asked.


    Gran scratched the back of his head.


    "You know my zombie dragon, Kul…" he admitted sheepishly.


    "I sent him back before anyone could see him. I didn’t want to scare the townspeople," he quickly added.


    "Yeah, that would be bad if they mistook you for a raid boss," Earl joked.


    Gran had always thought undead creatures were cool, his obsession was no secret.


    Charlotte smirked. "It would’ve been hilarious if the Guild Master forgot again about Gran’s… unique tastes and accidentally slashed him out of the sky while he was riding Kul."


    I glanced at Gran.


    I was certain he’d thought the same thing, which was why he dismounted far outside town and walked the rest of the way.


    "Just wait," Gran said with a grin.


    "One day, I’ll make you all see the true beauty and coolness of the undead."


    With Miss Laila leading the way, we followed her through the town.


    The walk lasted only a few minutes before we arrived at a newly built inn.


    "So, our guests have arrived," a middle-aged woman greeted as we stepped inside.


    The second floor featured a spacious dining hall, large enough to accommodate all of us.


    After speaking briefly with the innkeeper, Miss Laila took her leave.


    Once everyone was seated around the large table, Earl took the initiative to introduce everyone.


    "Since not everyone here knows each other, I’ll handle introductions," he announced.


    "First, my big brother, Asriel, also known as Swordmaster Leirsa. His current class is Blade Dancer."


    "This beautiful black-haired girl dressed in all black is Big Sister Kuro, known as the Black Witch. Current class: Witch."


    "Beside her is our small but mighty companion, Charlotte, the White Princess. Current class: Shrine Priestess."


    "And this overly armored, simple-minded guy who loves undead is Gran, the Walking Fortress. Current class: Guardian."


    Earl then turned to the burly man across the table.


    "This is Deirka, the Beastmaster. Current class: Brawler."


    Then, he looked at Deirka’s twin.


    "And this is… wait, who are you again?" Earl squinted.


    The man smirked. "I’m Sean, Deirka’s twin brother. Current class: Assassin."


    Earl continued. "Next, this lovely lady sitting next to Big Bro is Claire, his friend and classmate. Current class: Healer."


    "Beside her is her twin brother, Neil. Current class: Mage."


    "Next is Big Bro’s best friend, Ash. Current class: Warrior."


    "Beside him is another lovely lady, Rain. Current class: Archer."


    "And finally, Big Bro’s friend from the U.S., Diana. Current class: Ranger."


    At the mention of Diana, my guild officers seemed intrigued.


    "I won’t lie," Deirka admitted, studying her closely. "She looks badass, like a soldier or something."


    "But… we should focus on more pressing matters," he added.


    "What level are you now, Guild Master Leirsa?" Deirka asked.


    "I’m currently level 90," I answered.


    Ash’s eyes widened. "That’s almost triple my level!"


    "Well, that’s to be expected from our Guild Master," Deirka said with a chuckle.


    “It’s our Guildmaster after all”, Gran agreed.