With my dagger sold for a fair price of 10 credits, I was back up to 54 credits.

Even for a common-rank weapon, it was well-maintained, so I couldn’t complain about the price.

It was enough to cover the 50-credit debt, which was all that mattered right now.

My destination was clear: I had to head to the Adventurer’s Registry and Affairs Hall, the place where people like me came to handle their business related to the dungeon.

It was a mix of an adventurer's guild and government office, serving multiple purposes.

Here, you could pay off debts, apply for quests and bounties, find and join parties, sell off monster materials, or even auction items.

The place was a marketplace, a recruitment center, a trading post, and an official hub all rolled into one.

The Adventurer’s Registry and Affairs Hall was massive—easily the size of a shopping mall if I had to compare.

It sprawled out before me, a monument to the busy life of adventurers and all they needed to strive.

Despite its lack of modern architecture’s sleekness, the building still held a medieval beauty to it.

Stepping through the main entrance, it felt like I’d walked straight into a busy tavern.

There were tables everywhere, filled with adventurers relaxing with drinks and food.

A bar stretched along one side of the hall, and servers moved around constantly, bringing out trays piled with plates and mugs.

The whole setup was built with adventurers in mind.

The staff seemed ready to handle anything, whether it was taking a quest request, sorting out paperwork, or just keeping the drinks coming.

This wasn’t my first time handling a debt payment, so I walked straight up to one of the open reception desks.

The receptionist greeted me with a polite nod before pulling out a small device and setting it on the counter.

It was a standard routine for them to check which “slum rat” was standing in front of them.

With so many of us without family names—something only noble lineages had—it was tough for the government to keep track of us without some kind of system in place.

This device was their way of doing that.

It wasn’t exactly a scanner in the modern sense, but something similar that worked with ores with magical properties and crystalized heart as energy source rather than tech.

It only worked for those of us who had signed that binding contract, branding us with an invisible number on our hand.

“Place your hand here.” He instructed, motioning to the device.

I did as he asked, and a faint light flashed over my hand. When I pulled it away, a numerical code appeared on the device’s small screen.

He turned and scanned through the stacks of documents neatly organized behind him, eventually pulling out a file.

After flipping through a few pages, he paused, his brow lifting slightly. “It seems,” he began, glancing up at me, “that you qualify for a one-time 50% reduction on this month’s debt. But just to be clear, this discount won’t apply again next time.”

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I nodded, not surprised by the condition.

I reached into my pocket, counted out the credits, and handed them over to settle my debt.

With the debt paid, I felt a bit lighter.

Sure, I was still basically broke, but knowing I’d managed to clear this first round of payments made it a little easier to breathe.

It was a small victory, even if I was down to my last four credits.

But with only four credits, it was clear I’d have to figure out a way to earn more fast.

I needed to sustain myself and stock up on supplies before the next portal opened in a few weeks.

Rations, gear, a bit of wiggle room—none of that came cheap.

Once I left the reception, I decided it was time to look into Lila's request.

If I could at least figure out the whereabouts of her family, that would be a start.

I moved out of sight and quietly asked Lila to use her ability.

"Alright." she nodded, concentrating as she used her Pathfinder skill.

In front of her, three distinct directions appeared, marked by mist that only she could see.

"They're over there, there, and there," Lila said, pointing with her tiny fingers in three different directions.

The city of Arn's marketplace and portal entrance were at the heart of the city.

If you walked further ahead, you’d reach the Adventurer’s Registry and Affairs Hall, where I currently stood.

Around this building were three other major locations, each critical to the city's structure and power.

To my surprise, all three directions pointed toward each of these key buildings.

My heart sank. Rescuing Lila’s family might be more complicated than I anticipated.

"Are you sure about this?" I asked, though I knew the answer before she spoke.

She nodded, her expression grim. "Yes. My mom, dad, and brother… they're separated. Each path leads to a different building. They’ve been split up, just like I was."

I clenched my fists. Of course, they’d been sold off. it wasn’t something I could fix overnight.

"Lila," I began, trying to choose my words carefully, "saving your family is going to be harder than we thought. These paths lead to places that are… out of reach for me right now."

"Why?" she asked, she voiced out in distress. "You promised you’d help me!"

"I know I did. A promise is a promise, but there’s no point in rushing into something that will only get us killed. The places your family’s being held… they belong to the most influential guilds." I paused, trying to find a way to make her understand. "We’re talking about major powers. Each of those directions leads to guilds that control the city’s most influential factions."

I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck as I thought it over.

"Two of the places your family are being held are the Cerberus Guild and The Erinye Sisters Guild." I explained, keeping my voice steady.

"They're not people we can mess with. They likely bought your family for the same reasons you were captured, but it’s worse for them. They’ve probably been forced into slave contracts. If they try to escape or get separated from their owners, those contracts could endanger them."

Lila’s voice trembled as she asked, "And the other?"

I hesitated for a moment before answering, "The Steelheart Guild." My chest tightened at the mention of their name. "They're different. The Steelheart Guild is run entirely by the Steelheart family..." The same family that my Bloodzerker belonged to.

"They’re powerful, Lila. And they don’t mess around. Getting your family back from them… it’s going to take serious strength."

Lila’s face fell, the hope in her eyes fading as she whispered, "How then… how can we save them?"

I brought the bag a closer to me, trying to meet her gaze. "I’m not saying it’s hopeless. We can save them, but we need to be smart about it. Rushing in without a plan is suicide, and that won’t help anyone, least of all your family."

She nodded slowly, but I could feel the weight of the situation bearing down on her. "How long is it going to take?"

"A while," I admitted, trying to be honest. "The leaders of those guilds… they’ve probably made it past Barrier of Limits. Their levels are most likely close to triple digits by now."

"Triple digits? But I’m only level 1... and you?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

"I’m level 4." I looked at her seriously. "You see the gap. But if you trust me, and give me time, we can save them. I’ll need your help, though."

Lila shook her head, clearly feeling defeated. "What can I do? I’m useless. Other than my Pathfinder ability, I can’t do anything…"

"Listen to me, Lila." I said firmly, my voice filled with conviction. "You’re more special than you think. Become my comrade, and with you by my side, I’ll grow stronger faster. You’ll have a trusted ally, and together, we’ll get your family back."

Her eyes searched mine, still filled with doubt.

"And to do that," I continued, "we’ll need to make use of your cleric class. I know of a way for you to learn a skill that can nullify slave contracts. But such skill can only be acquired at the deeper level of the dungeon. We need to play this smart. The first step is for both of us to get stronger—strong enough to stand up to those guilds. I can make that happen, but it won’t happen overnight."

Lila looked at me, her expression shifting slightly. She was still scared, still unsure, but a glimmer of hope returned to her eyes. It was small, but it was there.

"I’ll help you, Leon. Whatever it takes." she said quietly, determination creeping into her voice.

"Then let’s start by doing this right, comrade." I gave her a pat on the head, ready to take on whatever challenges came next.