“Say it!”, demanded Silver Bde roughly, obviously in a bad mood.

  Radiant Shield felt like a child who did something wrong. He gulped before speaking carefully:

  “A few days ago, someone passed me up on the way to the dorm. They offered me a lot of money but kept their purpose ambiguous.”

  “The same happeo me!”, admitted Bloody Edge.

  Silver Bde balled her fists, looking around for something to crush to pieces.

  “Damn! This is exactly something Brayan and his slick father would do! But how did they…

  No, the tracts were always in my office. I…”

  Silver Bde’s eyes slowly narrowed. Her face turned cold, looking much more dangerous than her angered appearance just now.

  Without saying anything she left the game again. A short while ter she returned, her face portraying a mix of sadness and anger.

  The others felt bad seeing her like this. Cye grabbed her hand, asking her best friend:

  “Silver? What happened?”

  “Nothing. Let’s not talk about it.”

  The friends g each other, their hearts extremely heavy. Liam hesitated before quietly:

  “Maybe it would be for the best to postpohe dungeon raid. Let’s do it tom…”

  “No!”, interrupted Silver Bde. “You were right. That’s what they wanted. But they have gooo far!

  The best way to deal with them now is to clear the dungeon. But not only clear. I want to crush them!”

  When the word ‘crush’ left Silver Bde’s mouth, it was apanied by an uncharacteristic fieress, sending a chill down everyone’s back.

  Liam looked at his determined friend and nodded slowly. His face took on a serious expressiohers had never seen from him.

  “Ok. Let’s crush them.”

  With an indifferent voice Liam turned around and stepped onto the teleportation ptform. His friends were almost slow to react. Only when Liam disappeared did they remember to follow him.

  The su a fortable warmth, weling the party to Duabalis Harbor. However, Liam gave his friends no time to enjoy themselves.

  He brought them to the main road where they boarded a horse-drawn cart. The cart was filled to the brim, carrying almost thirty pyers. Excitement permeated the air.

  Liam stayed silent as he listeo the gossip.

  “Damn we are te! I’m sure all the guilds have already arrived.”

  “I think erfectly on time! Look, Hotpot is sitting over there.”

  “You’re right. Damn, Fortune is seous!”

  “But why do I feel so cold when looking at Mirage?”

  “I don’t know, let’s be more careful.”

  The pyers shivered and lowered their voice, discussing the uping dungeon raid in whispers. Although none of them had reached level 20 it didn’t stop them from joining the fun.

  Soon the sery ged. The cart exited a smaller forest path. Aremely busy view entered everyone’s eyes.

  Some distance away stood Saltae, the majestic roteg the isnd. But even the mighty mo showed some weakness right now. A breach had appeared at its base, caused by the terrifying head of a bck scaled sea monster.

  The monster’s head was stu the wall, having no signs of life left. It’s gigantic maw, rge enough to swallow a house whole, remained open.

  Various inhabitants of hell swarmed out of the monster’s maw, g with the soldiers waiting for them on nd.

  Humans, elves, dwarves, and nephilim cshed fiercely with zombies, demons, and skeletons.

  A rge perimeter has been formed around the sea monster. Magical structs formed barriers holding back the invaders. Only ate allowed entry or exit, tightly guarded by the powerful army.

  The horse cart stopped outside the gate, surrounded by tless reserve soldiers. The atmosphere would be extremely solemn if it wasn’t for the thousands of pyers swarming the viity.

  Chaotic voices could be heard from all sides.

  “Did any of the guilds already enter?”

  “No, look at the gate. Star Gazer ahquake are seemingly arguing. And as far as I know no others have appeared yet.”

  “Over there! Hotpot just arrived!”

  “Silver Bde! I’m ygest fan!”

  “Marry me, Fortune!”

  “Bloody Edge, you’re so cool!”

  As soon as the party arrived, they were overwhelmed by the many pyers. Some were enjoying the fame while others found it a nuisance.

  Liam was annoyed as a crowd blocked their way, asking for pictures and autographs. The party had to push their way through, reag the gate at an excruciatingly slow pace.

  When they finally arrived at the front, their eyes immediately hardened spotting Star Gazer.

  The tter was talking to Earthquake when he seemingly felt something. His eyes swiped to the right. When they fell on Liam and uable glint fshed past them.

  His face however showed a gentle smile, addressing his cousin’s party:

  “The number one party, hm? Gd you finally made it. Without you it would only be h…”

  Suddenly Star Gazer’s wot stu his throat. Silver Bde only g him with a disparaging expression before leading the party away.

  Star Gazer secretly balled his fists as he watched his cousin talking to a guard at the gate.

  “Adventurers! I am gd you heeded our call for aid!”

  “We are also inhabitants of this city, sir.”

  “It makes me happy to hear that. Are you ready to ehe battlefield now?”

  [Do you wish to accept the quest ‘Kelsnim’s Invasion’?]

  [Yes]

  [No]

  Silver Bde g her friends before nodding at the guard.

  “Yes, we are ready to help.”

  “Great. Our priority is it to push the Dark Giant Snake bato the o. When you ehe gate, just follow Major Onrabell’s orders.”

  “Uood.”

  The guard turned his head away, signaling that he had said what was to say. Liam directly passed Silver Bde, her, aered the open gate. A sensation of powerful magic washed over him as he and the party members ehe battlefield.

  Immediately a few messages were projected before their eyes.

  [Wele, adventurers!]

  [You have ehe dungeon ‘Kelsnim’s Invasion’.]

  [Normal Difficulty]

  [Only Pyers leveled 20-25 admitted.]

  [The limit ohs will be suspended within the dungeon.]

  [A pyer only die thrice during a single run.]

  [All EXP earned will be stored and only given out upon pletion of the dungeon.]

  At this moment chaotioises reached the party’s ears. The g of ons, the hissing of spells, the shouts of soldiers filled the air.

  Blood and saihe battlefield. Groups of soldiers and infernals cshed between the barrier and the wall.

  For some of the party members the se caused quite a shoo one expected to be thrown into a war. Except for the fact that no corpses could be seen on the ground the game didn’t hold back much.

  Balm’s body was shivering when a loud voice drew everyone’s attention:

  “Finally, some reinforts! Adventurers!”

  “Hey! Where are you looking?! Here, above you!”

  The voice sounded obviously annoyed as no one expect Liam found the speaker. Only with a reminder did the others look up. Immediately they stared at the air in surprise, even fetting the shock just now.

  Cye and Balm had wide, round eyes.

  “So cuuute!”

  “I! Adventurers, at attention!”

  Cye grinned brightly staring at the fairy the size of a forearm flying above their heads.

  Her cute appearance caused by the pink wings and long, pink hair, was trasted by the heavy armor she was wearing. A red cape lohan her body adorned her back, with the aim to give her a heroic appearance.

  “Balm, we need a…”

  At this moment a loud cough interrupted Cye. Liam g the blond woman, speaking in a low voice:

  “Guys, we better listen to her. We need her in the dungeon.”

  “Oh? O… ok.”

  Cye’s face calmed down, but the sparkle in her eyes remained. She looked at Liam who saluted with one hand on his chest and copied his as.

  “Finally. I will let it slide this time, adventurers. But from now on you follow my and!”

  “Yes, mam!”

  “Good. You refer to me as major or major Onrabell. I have been waiting for reinforts for a while.

  Let’s hurry up, I don’t want unnecessary sacrifices.

  Our soldiers are bravely holding back these demons. But they seem to e without end. We o get rid of that bake.

  Therefore, we o open up space close enough to the snake ses bst it away! This will be your job!”

  When the fairy’s speeded, the party’s quest got updated. A rge red circle was marked close to the she party was asked to kill 50 io advao the step.

  With a new mission they pushed through the battlefield, reag the marked area. The demons paid no attention to them until the moment they stepped past the circle.

  Instantly several infernals separated from the surrounding fight and surged towards the party.

  Two burly demons full of muscles, two fming demons and two skeletons armed with bows made up the first wave of enemies.

  “My friends, it has been a while since we fought together!”, excimed Radiant Shield with a smile while g his shield into a burly chest.