A new posting appeared on the guild board, its wording direct and unmistakable.

Delving—no level restriction.

The request alone was unusual, but the name beneath it made it extraordinary. A Silver-rank Shield Mage, powerful and well beyond the need for low-tier companions, was seeking a party. Not for a surface run, but deeper—where the true dangers lay.

The terms were more than fair. Half the spoils from slain monsters, divided among those who joined. And beyond that, a chance at a blue.

A small crowd had gathered around the quest posting, but only a few lingered—considering, calculating.

Four figures exchanged glances before one stepped forward.

“I’ll bite.” The voice belonged to a lean, sharp-eyed woman clad in dusk-gray leathers. Twin daggers rested at her hips, but the real danger lay in the way she moved—like a shadow poised to strike. “Kyra. If we’re going deep, you’ll need someone who knows how to stay unseen.”

Beside her, a massive man rolled his shoulders, chain links clinking as they shifted across his thick frame. A great hammer rested against his back, its weight effortless in his grip. “Roth,” he said, voice a low rumble. “If you need something broken, I break it.”

A third figure leaned lazily against the board, the faint scent of alchemical reagents clinging to her robes. Wild auburn hair framed a smirking face, and a bandolier of vials lined her belt. “Sera,” she offered. “Poisons, potions, and a little fire, if the mood strikes me.”

The last to speak was a wiry man with an easy grin, though his fingers tapped restlessly against the hilt of a slender rapier. “Name’s Jalen. I stab things. Fast.” His eyes flicked to the Shield Mage’s name. “Figure if someone like you wants company, it’s either a fool’s errand or the chance of a lifetime. I’ll take my chances.”

Four sets of eyes turned toward you.

They were in.