I made my way to the Adventurers guild to meet the rest. The guild was located in the town center, next to the marketplace. Its exterior featured massive stone columns decorated with intricate carvings of legendary quests.

I pushed open its heavy wooden doors and was greeted by the familiar scent of leather, parchment, and stale beer. The main hall itself was a vast chamber with a high ceiling supported by thick stone pillars wrapped in vines.

At the center of the hall was a massive board of dark wood and metal that stretched across the entire length of the hall. It was labeled – the Quest Board. Hundreds of parchments flutter gently in the artificial breeze generated by wind-magic-powered ventilation systems.

Around the Quest Board, the floor was divided into distinct areas. The main space features dozens of heavy wooden tables, each bearing the scars of countless weapons carelessly set down and mugs firmly planted. Beside them were private booths for confidential negotiations, each screened curtains of magical energy that muffled sound.

Above these booths, mounted on every available surface, were trophies from memorable quests: preserved monster parts, unusual artifacts, and paintings depicting impressive feats. Each item bore a small plaque listing the adventurers involved.

A brilliant fiery red sapphire caught my eye, pulsing with inner light. Its plaque read: "Gem housing the soul of the undying lich Scarlet, Yorukishi, slayer of the undying, S rank."

"Beautiful ain’t it, kid."

I turned to find a woman watching me, her A-rank insignia faded with age. A deep scar ran from her throat to her collar, and her remaining eye had that hollow look of someone who'd given up too much to survive.

"That thing?" She gestured at the gem with her remaining arm. "It houses the soul of Scarlet, a lich who once tormented the Undercity. We fought her over many years and destroyed body after body but she just kept coming back. It wasn’t until Yoru showed up that we succeeded.

“The battle was intense,” the veteran continued, lost in memory. “None of us had ever seen anyone fight like that. It wasn’t just skill, it was like watching darkness itself take form. The shadows bent around him and consumed Scarlet’s magic like it was nothing. Only then could we trap that cursed soul in this jewel.”

I glanced between the gem and its plaque. "And you're just... leaving it out here? On display?"

A harsh laugh. "Sharp eye, kid. This one's a replica." She leaned closer, her voice dropping. "The real one's locked away deep in the vault. Has to be. That gem contains every memory, every secret Scarlet collected over ten thousand years of unlife. Including," her eye narrowed, "the true nature of the Demon King."

Yoru, the Demon King. Those names again. I rubbed my temples, trying to keep track of all these capital-letter terms getting thrown around. The Demon King. The God of Light. Light Poisoning. Sky Knights. And now some legendary Dark Knight who trapped a lich's soul in a pretty rock. This was getting a bit too much.

Lore Updated: Yorukishi, the Dark Knight Known for: Defeating the undying lich Scarlet Status: Missing

"Has anyone tried to-"

"Extract the information?" Her bitter laugh cut me off. "I was on the team that brought it in. Trust me, kid. Some knowledge isn't worth the cost." She tapped the patch over her missing eye. "This? This was the lucky outcome. The others..." She shook her head. "Let's just say there are worse things than death. Especially when dealing with liches who've had millennia to perfect their curses."

“Where is Yoru now?”

The veteran's harsh laugh held no humor. "Same thing that happens to all legends in this city, kid. He disappeared. Some say he went back topside, to battle against the Church of Light. Others think he found what he was looking for and moved on. Me?" She gestured at the guild hall around us. "I think he’s still out there. A city like this, with these many secrets?" She shook her head. "Legends don't die. They just wait for the right moment to return."

I watched the veteran disappear into the crowd, adding "legendary dark knight" and "cursed soul gem" to my growing list of things that would probably try to kill me later. For now, though, I had more pressing concerns. Like finding my party.

“Noctus!” Estella called out.

I turned around and spotted them, Estella animated gestures still visible even across the room.

"And where exactly did you sneak off to?" Estella's voice rang across the guild hall. She lounged in her chair with her usual playful smile carrying a hint of genuine curiosity.

I made my way through the crowd, dodging a pair of hungover warriors arguing over quest listings.

"Agatha's," I replied, dropping into an empty chair. "Went to turn in her quest."

"Ah, the mighty Savior of Storage returns from conferring with his witch," Estella teased.

Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

I rolled my eyes. The nickname was spreading faster than I like.

"So?" Estella leaned forward. "Any news about the Oracle?"

"Yeah, she's in some place called the ruins of the Oblivion Temple."

I noticed Lysa's hand tighten almost imperceptibly around her teacup, though her face remained carefully neutral.

“Hmm, alright, but we’re going to the tomb first right?” Estella asked.

“Yea.” It was a good idea to get some money first. Being a knight was such an expensive profession. Now I understood why only nobles became knights. No way a peasant could afford all this gear.

"Then it's settled." Tirion rose. "Shall we register for the tomb quest? He paused, ears twitching thoughtfully. "Wait, are you two even registered with the guild yet?"

"Hmm." Estella tapped her chin. "Now that you mention it, I don't think I've ever bothered. The Moonless Tavern keeps me busy enough, and most of my... other work comes through private channels." Her perpetual smile turned sheepish under Tirion's increasingly exasperated stare.

Just arrived in the Undercity," I shrugged. "Been preoccupied with rats and sewers to deal with paperwork."

Tirion's ears went flat against his head. "Right, so we need to get you guys registered." He dropped back into his chair with a clank of armor. "Who knows how many regulations we’ll be breaking if we go without the proper registration?"

"Seven," Lysa supplied without looking up from her tea. "Plus three subsections about proper quest documentation."

"You're not helping, dear," Tirion sighed.

Estella stifled a laugh behind her hand while Tirion looked like he was developing a headache. For a battle-hardened knight, Tirion had an amusing fixation on bureaucratic protocol.

Right," he finally said, standing again with fresh determination. "First things first - we're getting you both registered before the guild masters decide to audit recent quest completions. I'm not explaining to Contract Enforcement why I let unlicensed adventurers help with the tomb raid."

And so we made our way to the registration clerk. Along the way, we passed by offices with various titles : Quest Verification, Reward Distribution, Dispute Resolution, and Contract Enforcement.

I paused on along the path, spotting a gaunt necromancer arguing with a stern-faced dwarf behind the Dispute Resolution counter. The mage's black robes were wrinkled, as if he'd been pacing for hours.

"I’ve completed the quest. I demand to be paid!"

"Sir," the dwarf said with practiced patience, adjusting his wire-rim spectacles, "Guild Code Section 4, Paragraph 21 clearly states that revival-based quests must specify the intended duration of resurrection. 'Until death do us part' is not an acceptable timeframe."

"But that's what the client requested! A wedding ceremony with her deceased fiancé. One last dance, one last kiss, then back to rest. How was I supposed to know he'd refuse to return to his grave?"

"According to the incident report," the dwarf consulted a thick ledger, "the revived party is now running a successful bakery in the Market District. Award-winning pastries, I heard. Additionally, he has integrated into our society and now I'm required to inform you that the baker's guild has filed a formal complaint about your attempts to, quote, 'repo their star pastry chef back to his grave.’”

"That’s not my fault. He's supposed to be dead! The reward - "

"Was forfeit the moment you failed to adopt post-ceremony containment measures," the dwarf cut him off.

"This is ridiculous! I demand to speak to-"

"You can take it up with Contract Enforcement," the dwarf pointed to the ominous black door down the hall. "Though I should warn you, they're quite fond of his chocolate eclairs."

The necromancer stormed off, muttering curses about ungrateful undead and breach of contract. I caught Estella's amused smirk - no doubt she'd be dragging us to try these famous pastries later.

Discovered Location: Award-Winning Undead Bakery New Side Quest Available: Sample the Famous Eclairs

I stared at the notifications floating at the edge of my vision. Trust the system to turn even a random conversation into a generic side quest. Though I had to admit, a recently revived baker that became famous that quickly... No, focus. Guild registration first, tomb second, and maybe filler quests later.

"Come on," Tirion gestured toward the central desk. "Let's get registered before another drama breaks out." We made our way to where a clerk sat at a polished marble desk, her quill scratching against parchment with ruthless efficiency.

"Name and registration," she demanded without looking up, somehow managing to make three words sound like a royal decree.

"Noctus. I'm here to register for the adventurer's guild."

The scratching quill paused. She peered at me over her spectacles, eyes sharp as daggers. 'Oh, you're Noctus. Yes, I've heard of you. The rat incident has been... thoroughly documented." She gestured to a particularly thick stack of papers that I suspected contained complaints about rats. “Unlicensed though, so I’m afraid we can’t give you guild points for that. Overall, you’re still fresh, but you're not doing badly for an adventurer. Keep working hard, and the people of the Undercity will come to recognize your efforts.'"

Her quill resumed its relentless dance across the parchment. “Your official adventure log is showing a blank but based on your existing reputation, we’re assigning you a rank of D. This grants access to E and D rank quests on the board, though anything higher will remain locked until you prove yourself through proper channels." Her lips twitched. "Once your rank increases, you'll unlock access to... let's say, more interesting opportunities."

Guild Registration Complete Rank Assigned: D New Abilities Unlocked: - Quest Board Access (E-D Rank) - Basic Guild Services - Equipment Purchase Rights

"Next," the clerk called, and Estella practically twirled forward.

The clerk's entire demeanor transformed. "Miss Estella!" She put down her quill. "One would have to be living under a cave not to know your name." She smiled warmly. "The darling of the Undercity, headline performer at the Moonless Tavern. Your efforts to boost morale haven't gone unnoticed, especially during the last shadow-fever outbreak. That concert in the quarantine zone? Inspired."

Estella curtsied with trademark grace. "The sick need music more than most. Sometimes a dance can heal what potions cannot."

"Indeed." The clerk resumed her writing, though notably more gently than before. "Your adventure log is blank, but based on your reputation and... unofficial contributions, we're assigning you a rank of C+."

I tried not to look too offended. Apparently, entertaining drunk patrons ranked higher than slaying a million rats.