"Well, it wasn’t that bad."

  I stop and turn around, glaring at the one who said that. The group that has been following me halts and falls silent noticing my reaction.

  "Uh... *cough* we made it right?" The same guy with blond hair and piercing blue eyes continued.

  He’s maybe a year or two older than me, a bit taller, far more muscular... and quite handsome.

  "Olev." He says, extending his hand.

  "Harv." I reply, shaking it.

  "And this is my team: my fiancée Vana." He says pointing to a girl with soft features about my age with bright blue hair and eyes with a long wooden staff in her hands, who nods slightly in acknowledgment.

  "My brother Edd." Olev continued pointing at a guy who looked like a less muscular younger version of himself.

  "And this is Joe." He adds with a smile while looking at a lanky guy covered in an assortment of pockets throughout his attire and a big bag on his back.

  "Nice to meet you, Harv! Genius merchant Joe Eldroth at your service." The pocket guy says loudly after which he performs a deep bow.

  "If you ever need something sold, bought, or are looking for a specific item, I’m at your service." He continues enthusiastically. "I just happen to have a very unique opportunity available for you: I can take all your monster cores out of the dungeon for a measly fee. You see, merchants have a lower tax bracket than adventurers, therefore-"

  He’s interrupted when Olev puts his hand on the merchant's shoulder and motions him to look at my wrist.

  "He’s with the army, same as me." he says while showing his army bracelet.

  Joe's eyes stay glued to my left wrist for a few long seconds after which he deflates, sighs deeply, and starts muttering something under his breath.

  "C’mon man. Don’t worry, you’ll find a customer one of these days." Olev says with a wide smile while patting the merchant on the back.

  "Says a rich guy who doesn’t need to fill a giant hole of ten gold coins." His pockety friend replies with apparent anger in his voice.

  "Joe, you still can’t let that death insurance fee go?"

  "That’s a wide-scale scam and you know it too! And who do they rip off? The poor!" The angry merchant explodes.

  "Sorry about him, he’s still a bit salty about the Adventurer Guild registration fee."

  Huh?

  What?

  "Death insurance?" I mutter while my eyes jump between them.

  "Ah... Well..." Olev starts only to be interrupted by the merchant.

  "Well? What's wrong? Explain this civilly, without using the word 'scam'."

  Olev sighs and starts, "Look, when a dead body is found it must be reported, right?"

  I nod.

  "But why would anyone waste their time doing that without sufficient compensation? So the Adventurer Guild has a reward for any Guild member’s death that’s reported, you just need to provide the adventurer card of the fallen. The thing is, that reward must come from somewhere. Which is the registration fee..."

  Oh.

  OH.

  So I spent two weeks hunting wild game in a forest so that some shithead who finds my corpse gets paid. And the Adventurer Guild just happens to hold that sum until such a sad event happens. How convenient.

  "That’s a lie and you all know it. Only a single gold coin is paid for reporting a dead body, while they charge ten!" Injects the merchant. "That's a scam!"

  Hm. So the devil is in the details. I tend to agree with the pocket enthusiast. This is a scam.

  As we walked Olev changed the topic but continued talking, about the weather, the economy, and politics, but not anything specific. The weather’s bad. The economy’s bad. Corruption's bad. Life’s hard. His mouth is moving, and words are coming out, but they’re about nothing. Is this the ‘small talk’ I heard about? He continues talking to which I add minimal input from my side, just enough not to be rude until the exchange somehow grows awkward when he notices what I’m doing.

  Not that I was trying to hide that in the first place.

  "FINALLY!" Exclaims the merchant loudly, raising both of his hands in the air with a huge smile on his face. "Someone, who isn’t swayed by your damn charm! YES! You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting for this."

  The merchant fully turns to me with his eyes meeting mine.

  "You know what? Man, I’ll even give you a discount on your first purchase for that!"

  Okay... What should I even reply to this? Wait. What’s this weird guy's name again? Oh! Right! Joe. Joe something.

  "Thanks. I guess?" I say unsure.

  Joe turns to Olev and gives him a huge, smug grin.

  Is there some context or an inside joke that I'm missing here?

  The walk grows even more awkward as we continue traveling in absolute silence once again. A few minutes later I raise my hand to stop everyone.

  "What’s wrong?" says Olev, already moving his hand to the sword on his hip.

  I point at the large intersection about a dozen meters away. "Ratroaches on the right."

  "Are you sure? I feel nothing because of the mana interference." says the girl with blue hair.

  Oh, right, a mage. They are quite good at that. Shit. What was her name?... Agh! Fuck me, same shit again. Whatever.

  "Not mana. Sound. I can hear them. At least two, maybe more." I say while a thin layer of mana envelopes Light in my hands.

  I start moving slowly towards the intersection as mana circulates throughout my body when I notice that Olev is moving together with me with his sword drawn. He nods and we continue until I stop just a meter away from the corner turn while leaning on the wall. The sound of the monsters grows louder until it feels as if they’re just next to us.

  Olev extends his hand and starts counting down while his team behind him also prepares.

  Four fingers.

  Three.

  Two.

  One.

  We leap around the corner at the same time and come face-to-face with the monsters.

  Four large ratroaches.

  Olev takes the one on the left while I leap at the one on the right.

  The monster before me doesn’t get a chance to react as its head is separated from the body a moment later. But I didn't lose momentum and continued to the next one, which was already moving in my direction. A heartbeat later it's before me, barreling at high speed towards me. I push more mana into Light and perform a vertical chop, which splits the huge bug into two equal parts.

  [Echo Pulse]

  I quickly confirmed that there are no other monsters around. Olev had dispatched the last one. No sound of anything moving in our direction either.

  Thank god there were no boomroaches.

  Though, once again I’ve been covered in bug fluids. With a groan, I start removing the internal contents of the monsters from my chest, arms, and legs.

  Olev also got some on himself and is approached by his team and they start fussing over him. He calms everyone down, assuring them that he’s okay and the fluids aren’t caustic, just nasty.

  After the bodies were absorbed by the dungeon I picked up the two monster cores killed by me and froze when I noticed something still left behind, several meters away. A few short steps brought me to it.

  A body.

  Legs and arms are missing.

  The soft tissues are eaten.

  Guts missing.

  The face is ripped off and the white skull is partially visible.

  Empty eye sockets.

  My hands start shaking.

  Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

  The smell of burnt flesh appears out of nowhere.

  A lump in my throat prevents breathing.

  I try again and again to take a breath but fail. It’s as if a boulder is stuck in my throat.

  My body and mana refuse to listen.

  Darkness starts growing around my vision while my eyes refuse to move away from the empty sockets.

  A hand lands on my shoulder and breaks me out of the stupor.

  "You okay there?" says Olev with visible concern. Turning to the dead body he continues. "A friend of yours?"

  "No." I say while walking away from the body and making sure not to look at it again.

  "Hey!"

  I stop.

  "Is it okay if we take his badge and report it to-"

  "Yes." I interrupt him with a small nod while looking in front of me and refusing to turn around.

  "Thanks!" says Olev and a moment later I start hearing shuffling.

  That could have been me.

  A solitary idiot in the middle of a pitch-black maze of tunnels. I came close to that point several times today...

  The image of my broken body lying on the floor appears in my head. Image of monsters slowly eating me alive while I’m screaming helplessly.

  Just another body lost in the dungeon. No one would care. My family would never learn what happened.

  That could have been me.

  I could’ve died today.

  ...

  The world doesn’t revolve around me.

  What happened in the dungeon is much bigger than I initially expected. Guards are running around, ushering people away. Adventurers are carrying their injured comrades to the city streets and laying them straight on the ground next to hundreds of others already lying there. There are quite a few who are covered by white tarps, those that didn’t make it.

  Healers desperately cast one healing spell after another with dozens of empty potion bottles laying around them, but it’s apparent that they’re exhausted and at the limit of their abilities. And yet... more injured continue pouring out of the dungeon.

  Something happened on the lower floors, which caused a massive monster stampede. A large number of creatures started appearing on floors they’d never been seen on before and in large numbers.

  I should’ve known that such a drastic change in the number of monsters between one floor and the next isn’t normal. It’s the upper floors for god’s sake. Usually, only rookies hunt there. But as always I was too focused on the details rather than the general picture.

  People around are already calling it a catastrophe. The number of dead isn’t small for sure, yet no one is even daring to make estimates. The number of bodies covered by tarps does not paint a pretty picture.

  Olev and his team had already left while I stood and observed the chaos before me in silence.

  Many are whispering that such a thing doesn’t usually happen, that it is connected to the Red Wave. One, a particularly disheveled man, even started muttering something about it being connected to demons. But people around just gave him weird looks in response.

  The West Province is quite often called ‘Silence Plateau’ for a reason, nothing ever happens here. And a demon so far into the continent has never been seen before. Well... except that one time, but that’s different.

  How would a demon even pass through the multiple layers of the city’s magic defenses without being noticed? There are special demon-sensing stones in every city, and those have never failed. And-

  My thoughts are interrupted. But not just mine.

  The whole area grows deathly silent as a feeling of calmness washes over me.

  Like everyone turns their heads in the same direction.

  A group of warriors—around a dozen—marches steadily down the street toward the dungeon’s entrance. They move with confidence, their steps echoing throughout the area. Each one is clad in distinct armor, a riot of colors and styles, no two alike. Some wear plate-armor gleaming like polished gold, others dark leathers that practically drink in the light around them. Their weapons are just as varied—greatswords, spears, staves with large orbs on top of them, curved blades that seem to shimmer as they catch the light.

  But despite their differences, one thing unites them.

  They glow.

  A radiant halo of mana clings to each warrior, pulsing softly, casting faint pulses that shimmer like heat rising from the earth.

  No one blocks their path.

  No one tries to stop them.

  ‘They are here to help’ is the thought that passes through everyone's mind.

  Relief, Tranquility, and Hope appeared on faces.

  ‘Everything will be okay’ materialized a thought in my head.

  Hm.

  Wow.

  Impressive.

  That’s some powerful spell right there. A wide range thought and emotion imprinting? If it affected me to such an extent I can only imagine what the untrained mind is feeling right now. I’m sure that if they commanded everyone to follow them into the dungeon, everyone would do so.

  Hm. I’m pretty sure that’s not very legal though...

  At least that’s what I should be focusing on, but I’m not.

  It’s quite apparent that they all belong to different factions, and someone simply decided to gather the strongest people in the city and commanded them to enter the dungeon. Different ages, different postures, and different insignias on their armor, all having different expressions on their faces.

  But the one I’m focusing on is a guy in white armor with a confident smirk on his face with the biggest halo out of all of them. He looks around my age, yet there is no mistake that our mana capacity are worlds apart. If my [Force Aegis] could be described as a tight water bubble covering my body, then what I see around him is a huge mountain compressed into impenetrable armor.

  I don’t think I know of a way to break through that.

  My eye twitches.

  Could I even handle a single strike from him?

  I start walking away.

  A strange feeling crawls all over me, entering every muscle and every drop of blood. I don’t recognize it, and it takes several long minutes of self-reflection and digging through my memory to recognize it by the symptoms.

  My jaw muscles tighten as teeth start grinding against each other, sending a dull ache through my jaw.

  Envy.

  I could’ve been like him.

  No. Wrong.

  If I hadn’t lied after the awakening, I would’ve been even more powerful than that guy.

  I would’ve become something that no one here could’ve even imagined.

  I had the support of the Great Hero Clan.

  I was THE Hero candidate.

  I could’ve been so much more.

  Or I could’ve been just another dead body on the front lines.

  And yet that isn’t enough to squash that feeling.

  ...

  "All upcoming call slots are already reserved, Sir. A tragic event occurred within the dungeon, which caused some scheduling difficulties. We at the Communication Guild are supporting the City to the best of our abilities."

  A deep exhale escapes me before I speak again.

  "When is the earliest available slot?" I ask, keeping my voice even.

  The gentleman before me, dressed in a purple tuxedo, strokes his neatly trimmed beard as he flips through a stack of documents. "Give me a moment, sir."

  Seconds stretch on, the rhythmic shuffle of parchment the only sound between us. Eventually, he glances back up.

  "Hm. Sorry, sir, but the earliest available audio slot is Saturday night next week, and day slots are booked even further ahead. However—" He pauses, tapping a finger at the crossed-out line on a paper before him. "If you’re willing to pay a bit more, a single video slot has just opened up for tomorrow at exactly 3:45 PM. A customer canceled their reservation just a few minutes ago."

  A whole week for an audio slot?

  No.

  That's too long.

  I don’t have the energy to argue, haggle, or even care. I simply nod.

  The man wastes no time filling out the necessary forms. A few moments later, he slides the document toward me. I scan through it—date, time, duration, connection points, and, of course, the price.

  Three gold for fifteen minutes.

  That’s exactly what I pay the landlady for a whole month’s rent.

  Twelve gold an hour... Nearly a hundred gold in a single day... Wait—no, wrong. They work even at night too. That means they earn even more.

  And that’s just for a single call slot. They must have dozens of them running at once.

  This isn’t just a business. It’s a gold mine.

  I suppress the thought and sign the paper, providing the required sum and my Adventurer’s Guild Card. The gentleman gives the form one last once-over before nodding. Moments later, he slides a small metal card across the desk. A number is etched into the surface in bright white paint.

  "We will attempt to contact..." He glances at the paper. "Taughn and Lenaya Livar to confirm their availability for the video call. If our branch in the capital will not be able to secure the scheduled slot, we will immediately reach out to you to reschedule it."

  I take the card and give a slight nod.

  Then, just as I’m about to leave, the man clears his throat.

  "We have amenities available to help prepare for the call, sir," he says with a polite smile.

  I blink. "Amenities?"

  He subtly gestures toward the mirror on the far wall.

  At first, I didn't understand why. But as I step closer and finally catch my own reflection, my breath catches.

  The man staring back at me is... unfamiliar.

  A tangled, unkempt beard—uneven patches where some sections barely grow while others have coiled into wiry knots. A thin, scraggly mustache struggling to connect to the mess below.

  Then there’s the hair.

  Long, wild, hanging just above my eyes. It isn’t particularly oily, but it looks lifeless. The strands stick out in odd directions, like someone threw a damp brown mop on my head.

  And my clothes...

  They aren’t tattered, but it’s clear they haven’t been well-maintained. Faded fabric, loose threads, a faint layer of dirt from the dungeon.

  I look like a homeless man.

  For how long have I looked like this?

  The past few months have been... bumpy, to say the least. Survival took precedence over everything else. Food, shelter, money—those were the only things that mattered. Somewhere along the way, I stopped caring about appearances.

  But I can’t let my family see me like this.

  It’s not about shame. It’s not even about dignity.

  It’s about them.

  They already have enough to worry about. The last thing I want is for them to see me like this and think I’m barely scraping by.

  I have money.

  I need a shave. A haircut. A decent set of clothes.

  And less than a day to get all of it done.

  ...

  The room is only 3 by 3 meters wide, but it’s beautifully decorated with attention even to the tiniest of details, which somewhat explains why the fee for their service is so high. The walls, and the whole building in general, are covered with white and purple marble, which gives everything an air of mysticism.

  Why? At the end of the day, it’s just supposed to be a more advanced form of mail...

  Not that I know much. I've seen a few times how officers used the audio call method to send and receive orders, which didn't impress me that much.

  The only reason I want the call in the first place is to hear their voice. It's been so long since we've seen each other... Five whole years... And not everything could be conveyed through the letters...

  The black circular mirror in front of me is the communication device, which should turn on any moment now. In it, I see my reflection. The barber did a good job. My usual short haircut has returned, and by a suggestion from the barber, I kept a very short stubble. Not like I could gather enough for a decent beard in the first place...

  I also bought some new clothes. There were many shops with a wide selection from just simple working gear up to tuxedos of all colors. The experience of selecting clothes out of this large variety was quite new.

  My clothes were usually provided by the clan and my parents. While the variety of clothes available in Tower Village was slim to none. And the choice was already made before I arrived at the shop. Shirt for spring, underwear for summer, or a winter hat and gloves. Style or color never played a role.

  But now I have a choice.

  I didn’t select anything in an extravagant color or design like many in this city prefer. Just a simple set of clothes in a traditional style in muted gray colors. Anyway, in general, I would say that the guy in the reflection no longer looks like a homeless person.

  Moments later the mirror starts shining, slowly switching from one color to another, until it stops on an unpleasant, dark gray shimmer. Slowly one by one, areas of the mirror start changing in contrast to either black or white. A sharp hiss escapes the mirror which is followed by a strange buzzing that increases and decreases in volume.

  This continues for a very long minute until both the sound and the mirror flicker and a solid image appears before me. Every second or so the image changes, and another shows up. It takes several long moments for me to understand what I am seeing in front of me. The colors are muted and the details are grainy, yet the picture before me... I can see movement!

  Four people.

  I recognize Dad and Mom, but they’ve changed a lot since the last time I saw them. Or maybe just the memory of them had been distorted with time. While a few wrinkles appeared on Mom's beautiful face, more than half of Dad's hair turned gray. They aged. And aged a lot. Suddenly I feel very cold. As if drenched in cold river water, or if someone pressed a dagger to my back. Five years passed. Many more will, and at some point they will-

  "HARV!" shouts one of the girls in the middle.

  I blink several times in confusion.

  "Kae?" I mutter as the girl in the orange dress is nothing like the hyperactive brat I remember.

  "Lea?" I continue turning to the smiling girl in pink.

  "They’ve grown a lot, haven’t they?" Dad says with a smile. "Kaella and Milea are already young ladies."

  "My boy became so big." Mom says with tears in her eyes.

  The only thing I can do is smile while I do my best to keep all my emotions under control.

  I was wrong once again.

  It isn’t just a more advanced form of mail.

  This is so much more.