Ethan sat across from Guildmaster Victor Caelum, the weight of the conversation ahead settling onto his shoulders.


    The office was dimly lit, the warm glow from a few wall sconces casting long shadows across the bookshelves that lined the walls. A massive desk sat between them, adorned with old maps, mission reports, and a single crystal orb pulsing with faint magical energy.


    Gareth and Leah stood to the side, silent but attentive.


    Victor sat with his arms crossed, his gaze unwavering. He was a towering figure, built like a war machine, his battle-worn armor fitting him like a second skin. His gray eyes, sharp and calculating, watched Ethan with an intensity that made it clear—he would know if Ethan was lying.


    "Alright, kid," Victor said finally. "You wanted to explain yourself. Start talking."


    Ethan exhaled slowly, leaning forward. "I need you to listen carefully, because what I’m about to say isn’t going to make any sense."


    Victor smirked. "I deal with nonsense daily. Try me."


    Ethan didn’t hesitate.


    And so—he told the truth.


    He started from the beginning.


    The night he went missing, feeling exhausted after a long mission.


    Waking up in a void that defied reality.


    Meeting the one called the Master—a being that wasn’t human.


    The endless battles, the torturous training, the constant cycle of death and rebirth.


    The way time moved differently in the Abyss—where he spent what felt like months, only to return and realize two years had passed.


    is evolution—how his body had been changed, reforged into something more than before.


    Victor listened without interruption.


    He didn’t laugh.


    He didn’t scoff.


    He simply watched.


    By the time Ethan finished, the room was dead silent.


    Leah shifted uncomfortably. Gareth’s expression was unreadable.


    Victor tapped a single finger against the desk, deep in thought.


    Then, after what felt like an eternity, he spoke.


    "You know," he said, "if anyone else had told me this story, I’d have thrown them out of my office."


    Ethan smirked. "But you believe me?"


    Victor leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk. "Two years ago, you were an unranked adventurer barely scraping by." His gray eyes narrowed. "Now, you sit in front of me with a presence stronger than half the A-rankers in this Guild. So yeah, I believe you."


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Ethan exhaled. "That makes things easier."


    Victor’s lips twitched. "Not really."


    Ethan raised a brow. "Why’s that?"


    Victor’s smirk faded.


    "Because things have changed since you’ve been gone, Ethan," he said. "And not for the better."


    Victor stood, moving toward the bookshelf behind him. He pulled out a thick leather-bound file and tossed it onto the desk.


    "Read," he said simply.


    Ethan opened the file, his eyes quickly scanning the pages.


    Dungeons had become more unstable. Portals were appearing where they shouldn’t be, and some were collapsing before teams could return.


    New creatures—ones that had never existed before—were emerging from the depths. Stronger, smarter, more organized.


    The Kingdom had tightened regulations on adventurers, demanding stricter ranking evaluations and forcing new guild policies.


    Three entire teams had gone missing in the past six months. No bodies. No traces. Just… gone.


    Ethan clenched his jaw.


    "How the hell did things spiral this badly?"


    Victor sighed, rubbing his temples. "That’s what we’re trying to figure out."


    Leah stepped forward. "Ethan, the Guild isn’t the same anymore. It’s more… controlled. More political."


    Ethan narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"


    Gareth crossed his arms. "It means that after you vanished, the higher-ups used it as an excuse to start enforcing new rules. They said the Guild needed better oversight, stronger leadership. But all it really did was make things harder for adventurers."


    Leah scowled. "And it’s only gotten worse."


    Victor sighed. "They’ve been looking for someone to blame, Ethan." His gaze sharpened. "And your sudden return? It’s going to put a target on your back."


    Ethan exhaled sharply.


    The Guild wanted control.


    The Kingdom wanted order.


    And he had just walked back into the middle of it.


    Something nagged at the back of Ethan’s mind.


    He flipped through the reports again, his eyes narrowing.


    Then, suddenly—he froze.


    "Wait," he said slowly. "Why didn’t the Guild know I was in the hospital?"


    Victor frowned. "What?"


    Ethan met his gaze. "You said I was missing. That everyone thought I was dead." He gestured toward Leah and Gareth. "But they knew where I was. They found me in my apartment. I was transferred to a hospital. Why wasn’t the Guild informed?"


    Victor’s expression darkened.


    He turned to Gareth and Leah. "You’re sure he was in the hospital the entire time?"


    Leah crossed her arms. "Of course we’re sure."


    Gareth frowned. "We visited him regularly."


    Victor’s gaze flickered toward the crystal orb on his desk—the one pulsing with faint magical energy. His jaw tightened.


    "Ethan," he said slowly. "The Guild was informed of your disappearance."


    Ethan’s blood ran cold.


    "But not of your survival."


    A sharp silence settled in the room.


    Ethan’s fingers twitched. "So someone… kept it from you."


    Victor nodded. "And I’m going to find out who."


    Leah’s face was pale. "Why would they do that?"


    Gareth’s expression was grim. "Because someone wanted Ethan to stay missing."


    Ethan clenched his fists.


    Who the hell had been pulling the strings while he was gone?


    And more importantly—why?


    Victor leaned forward, his expression serious.


    "Listen, Ethan. We don’t know who’s involved in this yet. But until we figure it out, you need to tread carefully."


    Ethan exhaled, forcing himself to stay calm.


    "Fine," he said. "Then what’s next?"


    Victor smirked. "You wanted to know how much things have changed? You’re about to find out firsthand."


    He turned to the bookshelf, pulling out a sealed envelope.


    "This," he said, tossing it onto the desk, "is your next assignment."


    Ethan raised a brow. "You’re sending me on a mission already?"


    Victor grinned. "Welcome back, kid."


    Ethan picked up the envelope, breaking the seal.


    His eyes scanned the contents—


    And then, his entire body went still.


    Mission Name: The Forgotten Ruins


    Objective: Investigate the re-emergence of an ancient dungeon lost for centuries.


    Threat Level: Unknown


    Additional Notes: Survivors of the last expedition reported encountering an entity described as ‘Abyss-Touched.’


    Ethan’s grip on the paper tightened.


    The Abyss.


    It was here.


    And it was waiting for him.