Ed thought about Adam’s request. To Adam, the existence of Toreen in the city was nothing more than an enemy that he needed to kill, but to him, it was a whole different ordeal.

Toreen was just like him a vice leader of one of the great clans, and while the clans were no more, that doesn’t mean they will stay like that for long.

He knew his clan leader very well, and the other clan leaders too. They weren’t the type to kick back and relax now that they were back on Earth. They were the type who aimed for power and control as long as there was power and control to be aimed for, and now that earth is no longer as it used to be before they left, but more of a fantasy novel, there was even more reason for them to pursue their ambitions.

This put Ed in a tough position. Should he act as the vice leader of his clan or just as himself? Either way, he didn’t like the idea of Toreen being in the city. While the man himself was harmless outside of battle, his clan leader not so much. That man was the worst person Ed had ever encountered—always scheming, always manipulating, and when Ed remembered all the struggle, he put him and his clan leader through, the more he didn’t like the idea of his right-hand man being in the same place as him.

If Toreen were to get into contact with him, Ed was sure some shit was going to start happing in this city. So, he felt like he should do something about it before it happened, but Ed also knew he couldn’t act against Toreen directly. Doing so could strain the already fragile relationship between their clans, and Ed couldn’t afford that—at least not until he reunited with his own clan leader.

But Ed realized he might not need to take action himself. After all, standing right in front of him was the one person who had caused Toreen and his clan the most trouble during the tutorial: Adam. If Ed played his cards right, he could use Adam to deal with Toreen while keeping his hands clean.

Ed nodded, coming to a decision. "Alright," he said. "I’ll help you. Let me contact my cousin and see if he can sneak you out of the city."

Adam, completely unaware of Ed's hidden agenda, smiled in relief as he waited. He assumed Ed’s cousin was another awakened, and that getting out would be a simple with his help. Moments later, a sleek red car pulled up to the curb. The engine's low hum and the car’s glossy finish gave it an air of luxury. A tall, well-built man stepped out, his movements fluid with a confidence that only came from someone who knew their strength.

"Hey, Eddy! Sorry for the wait. I figured you’d take longer to wrap up your registration," the man said casually.

Adam couldn’t help but smirk, seizing the opportunity. "Eddy? Really?"

Ed shot him a withering look. "Don’t even start," he muttered, before turning to his cousin. "Tie, don’t worry about it. I was supposed to finish later, but I ran into this lunatic," he said, giving a deliberate side glance at Adam, "and had to rush things. But that’s a story for another time. Right now, I need your help with something else."

Ed explained the situation to his cousin, outlining why they needed to get Adam out of the city discreetly, as well as the request for weapons and a car. Tie listened in silence, his expression growing more troubled with each passing moment. When Ed finished, Tie remained quiet, clearly lost in thought, weighing the options.

After a long pause, Tie finally spoke. "Sneaking him out? That’s going to be a problem. Even though, as an awakened, I’ve got more leeway than most people, getting in and out of the city isn’t one of them. There was an incident a while back—some monster managed to take control of someone’s body and snuck into the city. It caused massive damage before they figured out what happened. Ever since then, it doesn’t matter if you’re awakened or not—anyone leaving or entering the city has to go through an inspection."

Ed frowned. "So, no way around it?"

Tie shook his head. "No, unfortunately," he said, but then a grin spread across his face. "But maybe there’s no need to leave the city at all, if all you want is to kill some monsters and level up. Man, it’s still weird to think of you guys like some kind of video game characters. I can’t believe it."

Ed, now intrigued, narrowed his eyes. "Tie, focus. What do you mean by that?"

Scratching his head, Tie replied, "There’s a dungeon in the city. It’s under my guild’s control, so I might be able to pull some strings and get your friend in."

“A dungeon... inside the city?” Both Ed and Adam exclaimed at the same time, exchanging a look of disbelief. Dungeons were no small matter. In the tutorial, they were the second leading cause of death, right after war raids. The thought of one being so close to a populated area, let alone within the city itself, felt unnatural and dangerous. The idea didn’t sit right with either of them.

"Oh, relax, it’s not as bad as you think," Tie said when he noticed the shock on their faces. "Most cities have dungeons inside them these days. Some guilds even moved their entire cities just to be close to a dungeon. You see, dungeons aren’t just these terrifying places full of monsters. They’re also a goldmine—literally. The crystals that monsters drop are like the new gold and oil of our era. They can generate power, be used in the production of powerful weapons, and much more. That’s why guilds try to claim as many dungeons as they can. Having one in your city guarantees a continuous flow of wealth."

Adam and Ed exchanged glances again, but this time with a different expression—one of realization.

"So, you’re telling me… I could’ve been rich?" Adam said, a look of regret washing over his face.

Ed, equally heartbroken, patted Adam’s back sympathetically. "Just let it go, man. Even if we had hoarded them back then, we wouldn’t have been able to bring them with us."

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

In the tutorial, the crystals that monsters dropped had been practically worthless. Nobody knew their potential, and only alchemists occasionally used them for crafting. To now learn they were worth a fortune—it was a painful blow to the heart for anyone who had spent years slaying monsters by the thousands, unaware of the wealth slipping through their fingers.

Hearing their exchange, it was Tie's turn to look confused. "What are you two talking about?"

"Don’t worry about it," Ed said, quickly brushing off the conversation and wiping the sadness from his face. "So, this dungeon—can you get us into it?"

"Wait, us? You’re not coming with me," Adam said, clearly surprised.

"Of course, I’m coming," Ed replied. "When it was about sneaking out of the city, the risk outweighed the reward, so I wasn’t planning on going. But now that the dungeon is right here, there’s no reason for me to sit on the sidelines."

Besides, Ed thought to himself, while relying on Adam seemed good for now, when things go south, the only thing that will save you is your own power. It was better to work on regaining that strength as fast as possible.

"Hold up, I’m with your friend on this, Eddy," Tie interjected. "If your mom finds out I let you go into a dungeon, she’s going to kill me."

"Well, she doesn’t have to know," Ed smirked. "Besides, if you're that worried, you could always come with us."

"Yeah, about that—I can't," Tie said, shaking his head. "The dungeon is below my rank, so I can’t really enter it."

"Level restriction, huh?" Adam looked over at Ed.

"Seems like it," Ed nodded. "But honestly, it doesn’t matter. I was just messing with you about coming along anyway. Me and this guy should be enough, especially if it’s just a rank below you. We’ve wasted enough time talking about it—so when can you get us in?"

Tie let out a long, defeated sigh. "We can go now, actually. That dungeon is mostly used as a crystal mine and a training ground for lower-ranked recruits, so it won’t be hard to get you both inside. But I swear, Eddy, if my aunt finds out and tells my mom, I’m going to strangle you."

Ed smirked, giving Tie a light shove toward the car. "It’s gonna be fine," he said, trying to reassure him. Once everyone was settled inside, Tie turned the car on and started driving away from the registration center.

Just as they were picking up speed, Tie noticed a woman sprinting toward them, furiously waving her arms. "Hey, Eddy, is that another one of your friends? Want me to stop for her?"

Both Ed and Adam turned to look, and their faces instantly drained of color. It was Siri, and she looked furious—she must’ve figured out the truth behind Adam’s lie.

"Drive faster!" they shouted in unison.

Sensing the urgency in their voices, Tie slammed the pedal down, zooming away as Siri’s figure quickly disappeared in the rearview mirror.

When Siri was finally out of sight, Tie raised an eyebrow and asked, "So, are we going to talk about that or what?"

"We’d prefer not to," Ed replied, shooting a glare at Adam. Adam just shrugged in response, clearly unfazed.

"Alright, suit yourselves," Tie said, letting the subject drop as he focused on the road. After a few minutes of driving, the car began to slow down as they approached a massive building adorned with a large shield insignia.

"Welcome to the headquarters of the Aegis Guild," Tie announced as they pulled into the parking lot. Once the car was parked, they stepped out and followed Tie into the imposing building, its towering structure reflecting the power and influence of the guild.

The inside of the building was surprisingly underwhelming, resembling any regular corporate office. People dressed in business attire moved in and out, security guards stationed strategically around the large space, and in the center, a huge help desk dominated the floor. Tie pointed to a nearby seating area and told them to wait while he worked on getting them access.

As they sat down, Ed glanced around, unimpressed. “I expected more from the headquarters of a major guild,” he muttered.

Adam gave him a sideways look. “What were you hoping for? A dragon’s head mounted on the wall? A building made entirely of ice? You’ve been in the tutorial too long, man.”

Ed scoffed, gesturing at their surroundings. “Not exactly, but something more than this basic setup. I mean, our clan’s building looked EPIC.”

As Ed and Adam debated the stark contrast between the clan’s extravagant, almost mythical buildings and the more pragmatic design of the guild’s headquarters, they were so absorbed in their conversation that they didn’t even notice when Tie returned.

“Alright, let’s go,” Tie said, catching their attention. “I managed to get you both access to the dungeon as a favor, but there are some ground rules. First, you can't keep any of the crystals you gather in there. Second, if you die, the guild takes no responsibility.”

He leaned in closer and whispered, “You’re E-ranked awakened now, not lost. Got it?”

Ed and Adam nodded quickly, realizing that claiming to be ‘lost’ would complicate things and likely prevent their entry into the dungeon.

Tie led them to an elevator, where he scanned his eye, causing the panel of buttons to flip and reveal a much smaller, secret set. He pressed one, and the elevator began its descent. When the doors opened, they stepped into a room lined with all sorts of weapons.

“Is this where the dungeon is?” Adam asked, glancing around.

“No, the dungeon is a few floors down,” Tie replied. “This is the armory. I can’t let you go into the dungeon without weapons, but unfortunately, I can’t provide you with magical weapons. The guild is pretty strict about those, so you’ll have to choose from the regular ones.”

Ed scanned the room and frowned. “No guns? Why’s that?”

Tie sighed. “Guns don’t work in dungeons. Something about the dungeon’s environment interferes with modern technology—phones, radios, all that. Only a few awakened powers are compatible with firearms, which is why most of us rely on melee weapons.”

Ed shrugged. “Fair enough. Old-school it is, then.”

Adam and Ed moved around the armory, carefully examining the weapons available. After a few minutes of searching, Adam's eyes settled on a massive two-handed bastard sword and an arm guard. He gave it a few experimental swings, nodding in approval. Ed, on the other hand, picked up two sleek daggers, twirling them in his hands with ease.

Tie, noticing their final choices, raised an eyebrow but didn’t question them. "Are you guys ready?"

They both nodded, their expressions focused.

Tie led them back to the elevator, this time pressing a different button. The ride took longer, and when the elevator doors finally opened, they weren’t met with another room, but instead, a tear in space itself. The tear looked like a rift in reality—pitch black and unnatural, its edges seemed to writhe, impossible to fully comprehend. Staring too long at it caused a sharp, disorienting headache, as though the mind rejected the very existence of the rift.

"Well, here we are—the gate to the dungeon," Tie said, his tone carrying a mix of warning and resignation. "Are you two really ready for this? It's not too late to back down, especially you, Eddy."

"Hell no!" Adam replied, grinning as he stared at the tear in reality. "Seeing this actually feels like home."

"Seriously? Feels like home?" Ed shot him a look of disbelief. "I swear, your brain's fried." He then turned back to Tie, his face softening. "But as crazy as he is, he's right. I'm not backing out. Sorry for dragging you into this, Tie, but I promise I'll explain everything when I get back."

Tie let out a long sigh, clearly frustrated but unwilling to argue any further. He pulled a shimmering stone from his pocket and tossed it to Ed. "This is an escape stone. If things go south—or if you just feel like you've had enough—shatter it, and it'll get you out of the dungeon. I'll be waiting right here, so don't worry."

Ed caught the stone and gave Tie a nod of thanks before turning to Adam, who was already striding toward the rift, eager as ever.

Adam, feeling like the universe was finally on his side, stepped toward the gate. He extended his hand, the cold, unnatural surface of the tear prickling his skin. Then, the system's voice rang out in his mind:

[Player Detected]

[Player Level Is Acceptable]

[Initiating Transfer]

[Clear the challenges and defeat the invaders]

"Wait, wha—" Adam started, but before he could finish, both he and Ed were swallowed by the void, their forms vanishing into the rift.