The tension in the air was palpable—a blend of excitement and apprehension coursed through the group.

_____________________________

Dungeon Core Interface

System Notification:

[Ember Taratect, Level 13, slain by Verdenkind, Barbarian, Level 14]

[Ember Taratect, Level 11, slain by Verdenkind, Rogue, Level 13]

[Ember Taratect, Level 12, slain by Verdenkind, Monk, Level 14]

[Ember Taratect, Level 11, slain by Verdenkind, Barbarian Level 10]

_____________________________

After quelling the initial source of unrest that had washed over the adventurers, the party, now unified, headed straight for their destination: the Eradication of the Dungeon of Gardavah, one of the few A-ranked dungeons in the Kingdom of Eldoria.

After the initial confrontation within the dungeon, several days passed in no time.

Their breaths came in ragged gasps, their bodies battered and bruised from the just-ended clash against monsters spawned by the dungeon.

From the moment they entered the Dungeon, several battles were fought against monsters spawned by the dungeon—battles in which Aiden naturally didn't partake, as he claimed the role of an observer. However, despite his self-proclaimed role, it didn't mean that he couldn't contribute to the raid in his own way.

"Anyone wounded?" He bellowed, ensuring that every adventurer, taking advantage of that brief moment of respite to rest, could hear him. "If anyone needs healing, I can help," he offered.

That's what he had been occupied with in the past few days—healing any adventurers in need of his assistance.

Several adventurers raised their hands, prompting Aiden to approach and offer his healing services. In no time, with his healing magic, he finished tending to everyone who had raised their hands. “If there's anyone else—even if it's just a bruise—I can help.”

At that moment, Aiden noticed a hand being raised and approached the adventurer.

While initially some had shown reluctance to accept his aid, as the days went by and battles continued to be fought, the initial shyness and awkwardness dissipated. It was no longer solely a matter of pride; within the confines of the dungeon, it had become a matter of life and death.

“I think it should be alright now,” Aiden said, upon finishing to heal the man’s wound.

“Uh… Thanks.”

“You’re welcome,” Aiden smiled.

Aiden rose up to take his leave with him when the man suddenly called him out. “Hey, wait?”

“Hm? Is there a problem?”

“No, no, it's just... the other day, I'm sorry if I came across as an asshole,” the man apologized. Interestingly, he was the same individual who had been most against the idea of having Aiden accompany them.

Having been an adventurer for some time now, Aiden understood the man's reaction upon hearing that he was affiliated with the church. In his shoes, he would have felt the same.

“Don't worry; if it's just that, there's nothing to apologize for,” Aiden reassured. “I don't mind in the slightest; it was a natural reaction,” he added before putting an end to the discussion.

Having provided assistance to everyone, Aiden walked over to a corner, took a seat, and seized the opportunity to rest during the pause.

“Thank you for your work,” a female voice praised.

Gazing up at the speaker, Aiden beheld a tall, red-haired woman. She was dressed in a knight's training outfit, with a rapier hanging from her waist. This woman was none other than Miss Valentine, the leader of the Eclipsed Vanguard, one of the three parties that made up this group of 17 adventurers on the raid.

She was standing, with at her side another woman, her second from the look of it, and mostly the appraisal expert of the party. She reached out to Aiden. In her outstretched hands were two glistening vials—magic potions, undoubtedly meant to replenish his waning magical energy.

“For you," she said with a smile.

“Thank you, but I believe I still have some mana left. I wouldn't want to take resources that might be more crucial for others."

However, Miss Valentine's gaze held a knowing gleam. “We won't have much time to rest," she said, her voice firm yet compassionate. “We’re approaching the final chamber; your healing magic will become even more vital.”

Her words carried weight, and Aiden found himself hesitating. He knew the importance of conserving his mana for the battles that lay ahead.

“We'll be counting on you from here on out.”

Aiden nodded. With a thoughtful expression, he finally spoke up. “I'm still in the green for now, so could I perhaps store these potions and use them when the need arises?”

Miss Valentine's lips curled into a reassuring smile, and she nodded. "Of course. Consider it a backup for when the going gets tough. You have no idea how many health potions you ha—" Miss Valentine's sentence trailed off mid-way as she witnessed Aiden casually open a small rift in the air. In a fluid motion, he stored the two potions within the rift.

_____________________________

Inventory:

- Stone of Appraisal (B-ranked Artifact)

- Holy Symbol of the Church

- Oathkeeper

- Oathbreaker

- Spacial Ring (A+-ranked Artifact)

Inventory (Ring):

- Mid Grade Healing Potion (x3)

- Mid Grade Magic Potion (x3)

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- Elixir of Stamina (x2)

- Staff of impotence

- Oathkeeper (A+-ranked Artifact)

- Oathbreaker (A+-ranked Artifact)

- Summon Stead (B+-ranked Artifact)

Currency:

- Eldrin : 1,320₠

- Celestium: 27✦

- Dracorn: 156Ɖ

Quests:

- Dungeon Contract (Main): Pending Contract.

- Extermination Quest (Extra): Observe Eradication Rank A, Gardavah, Dungeon of Ember. Vermont Duchy, Eldoria Kingdom

Guild Affiliation:

Church of Three Moons, Guild of Adventurers, Magic Guild, Smithing Guild.

_____________________________

Noticing Miss Valentine's sudden silence, Aiden inquired, “Miss Valentine?”

“Earlier, that was space magic?”

“Yes,” Aiden confirmed, raising his fingers to display the ring artifact. "It's from this ring."

“An Inventory Ring…”

“It’s my first time seeing one,” commented Miss Valentine's second.

“Are you really okay with this?” Miss Valentine suddenly asked.

“Okay with what?” Aiden asked with a confused expression on his face.

"Flaunting such an important artifact like that?"

"Is it bad?"

"I mean, not exactly bad, but... it's at least dangerous. The other day, you casually revealed your stats for all of us to see. Normal people would at least try to keep their stats a secret."

"Why?"

"Why do you ask?" Miss Valentine looked puzzled. "That's just common sense."

"Just give it up, Valentine. Sir Aiden over here is just built differently from us mortals."

Two men joined them. They were the leaders of the two other parties: the Abyssal Syndicate and the Covenant of Ruin.

"Simon... Davion."

"You've seen his stats, haven't you? Those skills, those stats, at that age... Now that I think of it, may I ask how old you are, Sir Aiden?" Davion, the man dressed in priestly garb, asked.

"Me? Roughly 16, I think?" Aiden replied.

Simon and Davion exchanged astonished glances, their expressions mirroring the disbelief that had settled over Miss Valentine's face.

“Sixteen?” Simon repeated, his voice tinged with incredulity.

Aiden nodded.

“Then it’s worse than what I imagined.”

“At this level, this isn’t genius anymore; this is beyond that level.”

“It’s closer to madness than genius could ever hope to be.”

“This is kind of depressing to hear.”

“And?” Miss Valentine suddenly turned her attention to Aiden. "You're a Vicar Executor, aren't you? While I'm not entirely familiar with the Church, I know that this position is often taken up by those trying to shirk their duties toward the Church and use the adventuring guild as an excuse. But given your stats, your rank as an adventurer, and how well you're performing, it's clear you've done more than your fair share of dungeon crawling. So that can't be the case. So what is your motive for being an adventurer?”

“My motive.”

Aiden's gaze softened, his lips forming a thoughtful smile as he searched for the right words.

The question hung in the air, punctuated by the distant echoes of the dungeon's depths and the subtle hum of magic that surrounded them.

“It's a mix of reasons,” he finally began, his tone carrying a touch of introspection. "You're right about the Vicar Executor position, but for me, it's more than just a title or a means to escape responsibility. I do have duties to the Divine, yes, and I intend to fulfill them, but I've also always been drawn to the thrill of adventures. Becoming an adventurer has always been a goal of mine, since I was a child. But now that I’m an adventurer, partially, I realize that I want more."

“More? You mean…”

“Just like any proper adventurer, I aspire to stand at the top and become an SSS Ranked Adventurer,” Aiden solemnly declared.

The words hung in the air, and Aiden could feel the weight of the gazes fixed upon him like an unspoken challenge. The members of the expedition stared at him, their eyes widening in a mix of surprise and disbelief. The atmosphere shifted, and Aiden could sense the tension building around him.

As the silence stretched on, Aiden felt a sudden rush of self-consciousness. His cheeks warmed, and he averted his gaze slightly, his confidence momentarily wavering under the scrutiny of those present. Perhaps he had been a bit too forthright in expressing his ambitions.

Just as he was starting to feel a hint of embarrassment, Miss Valentine's voice cut through the quiet, her tone carrying a touch of amusement that seemed to diffuse the tension. “How come the most ridiculous thing you've said thus far sounds like the most sensible one?”

Aiden's eyes flicked back at her, surprised by her response. He met her gaze, and a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. It was as if she had cut through the skepticism and allowed a glimmer of understanding to shine through. “I suppose it does sound a bit ambitious,” he admitted, his voice laced with a hint of sheepishness.

“It did, but there's nothing wrong with that. Who among us would dare to say that they didn't have the dream of becoming heroes?” The three leaders exchanged nods. “It’s just that most of us are self-aware about our own limited potential.”

“But you’re different; you’re still young, and you’re already an A-Rank adventurer. No doubt one of these days you’ll make it to S rank. Perhaps even SS rank, and even maybe...

In spite of trying to be cheerful toward Aiden’s dream, neither of them made a comment on him potentially becoming SSS rank; that’s just how difficult it is to make it up there.

“In any case, you're still young. You still have time to explore your full potential. For old adventurers like us, even S rank feels far away. But you're different. The future is uncertain. Perhaps you'll be the one to achieve the feat of being an SSS-ranked adventurer. Who knows, one day what you'll be trying to clear won't be an A-ranked dungeon like this one, but an SSS-ranked one like the Voidborne Catacombs, cleared by the Astral Luminary.”

“Voidborne Catacombs, huh?”

“Do you know about it?”

“I was only three back then, but I’ve heard about it.”

The Voidborne Catacombs—one of the few SSS-ranked dungeons in the world. The dungeon that had remained unclear for thousands of years. But that was until the up-until-then-undefeated dungeon was rumored to have been cleared and eradicated approximately 13 years ago by the SSS-ranked party Astral Luminary. However, it came with the immense cost of all of them perishing in the raid, except for one.

Aiden's eyes gleamed with gratitude as he listened to their encouraging words. “Thank you all for your kind words. It means a lot coming from experienced adventurers like you.”

Miss Valentine smiled warmly at him. “While your dreams are big, that doesn't make them any less honorable. You've got the heart of a true adventurer, lad.”

Simon, the leader of the Abyssal Syndicate, clapped Aiden on the back with a hearty laugh. “You've got spirit, lad. Keep that fire alive.”

Davion, the priestly-dressed man, nodded in agreement. “That's the spirit, Aiden. Keep your eyes on your goals and don't let anything deter you.”

Miss Valentine chimed in again, her expression turning more serious. “But I'll give you a piece of advice that might take you far. Be more prudent with what you show to complete strangers. Never flaunt your stats like you did today or show off rare artifacts like your spatial ring. What would you have done if we were greedy people, aiming to strip you of that artifact? It could have been you against…all of us.”

Aiden nodded understandingly. “I know, I had no worries. I had a feeling that you weren't that kind of people.”

They exchanged knowing glances before continuing. “It's nice that you think that of us, but there are all kinds of adventurers out there, and not all of them are trustworthy. Just imagine if we weren't.”

Aiden looked at the trio, then glanced around at the other members of the expedition, lost in thought. "... Annoying, perhaps, but I doubt that it would've been a problem for us,” he mumbled to himself.

Miss Valentine raised an eyebrow, and a playful smile tugged at the corner of her lips. “You were saying?”

Aiden quickly shook his head, realizing he had spoken aloud. “Sorry, nothing. I was just lost in my own thoughts. I’ll keep your advice in mind.”

“I was just mentioning that. No need to worry about it. Just be a little more cautious,” Miss Valentine reassured, her tone lighthearted. “But wait, now that I think of it, you weren’t registered as a member of this provisional party, right?"

Aiden nodded.

“You should have registered as one. That means you won't get anything from this raid, you know. Wait a minute; I'll provisionally add you in—”

“It's fine, as I said. I'm only here as an observer; I'm only here to see how your dungeon eradication will go."

"But you're clearly more than just observing; this wouldn't be fair."

"It's fine. I really have no claim to deserve here. This is your raid, and the experiences and loot you'll gain here are only yours to get."

"Fine, then if you're against it so badly, then I won't insist."

"For someone aiming to reach the exalted heights of an SSS rank adventurer, turning down free experience is like trying to eat soup with a fork," Davion commented. “Unseemly.”

“Fishy I would even say,” Miss Valentine added.

"Don't tell me you're planning on stealing our Boss Kill for yourself, are you?" Simon jested, before bursting a wholehearted laugh.

Amid the laughter, Aiden's smile remained, but there was a subtle flicker in his eyes, barely noticeable to anyone else. He joined in the laughter, his thoughts seemingly wandering.

“I’m not,” he replied.