Reporting to Adventurer's Association

The trio entered the bustling halls of the Adventurer's Association, a towering structure teeming with adventurers and officials alike. The air buzzed with chatter, the clinking of armor, and the occasional crackle of magic as adventurers showcased their latest triumphs or reported strange occurrences. Yet, as Lucy, DK, and Garin approached the Reporting section, their expressions were far from celebratory. The weight of their ordeal hung over them like a storm cloud.

Lucy glanced at DK, her expression firm but reassuring. "Stick to the story," she whispered. "We cleared the dungeon, DK got poisoned, and the dungeon destabilized. That's all they need to know."

DK nodded, his grip tightening around the glowing orb concealed beneath his cloak. He could feel its faint pulse against his side, a constant reminder of its ominous presence. Garin grunted in agreement, though his unease was evident as his eyes darted around the room.

At the reporting desk, a stern-looking clerk with thin spectacles peered over a stack of parchments. She raised an eyebrow as the trio approached, her quill poised over a fresh sheet. "Name and dungeon completed?" she asked briskly.

"Lucy, Garin, and DK," Lucy replied evenly. "Verdant Grotto."

The clerk's quill scratched against the parchment as she recorded the details. "Verdant Grotto, Level 1. Status of completion?"

"Completed," Lucy said, her tone firm. "But there was an… anomaly. The dungeon destabilized after we exited."

The clerk paused, her quill hovering mid-air. She adjusted her spectacles, her sharp eyes narrowing at Lucy. "Destabilized? That's unusual. Did you encounter any irregularities during the raid?"

"Just one," Garin interjected, his voice steady. "The guardian reappeared after we killed it the first time. Bigger, stronger. We managed to take it down, but it wasn't easy. DK got hit with some kind of poison during the fight, so we focused on getting out quickly."

The clerk's gaze shifted to DK, her eyes lingering on his haggard appearance and the faint dark veins visible on his hands. "Poisoned?" she echoed. "What kind of poison?"

"Not sure," Lucy said quickly. "It must've been from one of the plants in the dungeon. We administered basic first aid, but he needs proper medical attention."

The clerk made a note, her expression unreadable. "And the dungeon itself? You said it destabilized?"

"Yes," Lucy replied. "After we exited, the entire dungeon began collapsing. By the time we reached the surface, it vanished completely. There are two guards who witnessed it."

The clerk frowned, her quill scratching furiously as she recorded their account. "A disappearing dungeon… That's highly irregular." She looked up, her gaze piercing. "You understand the Association will investigate this further?"

Lucy nodded. "We understand. But as far as we're concerned, we did our job and got out alive. Whatever caused the dungeon to collapse is beyond our control."

The clerk scrutinized them for a moment longer before nodding curtly. "Very well. Your completion will be logged, but expect a follow-up inquiry. You're free to go."

Lucy exhaled softly, her shoulders relaxing slightly. "Thank you."

As they turned to leave, DK couldn't shake the feeling of eyes on him. He looked around to see if anyone was staring at him. Maybe it was his sixth sense that was warning him that someone wants the orb that he obtained from the dungeon. 

He pulled his cloak tighter around him, quickening his pace to keep up with Lucy and Garin.

Once outside the Association's building, the trio regrouped in a quieter alleyway. Lucy glanced around to ensure no one was within earshot before speaking. "That went better than I expected," she said. "But we're not out of the woods yet."

Garin crossed his arms, his brow furrowed. "You think they bought it?"

"They have no reason not to," Lucy replied. "The guards' testimony will match ours, and the Association will chalk it up to a rare dungeon phenomenon. For now, we need to lay low and figure out what to do about that orb."

DK pulled the glowing sphere from beneath his cloak, its faint light casting eerie shadows across the alley walls. "This thing feels… alive," he said quietly. "Like it's waiting for something."

"Did you sense that dense mana in the building just now? What was it?" Conrad Reinhardt, spoke to his assistant Marie. "I was trying to figure out who was holding it from their mana signature, but it was nobody and something was off about him. I have never sensed such an individual and my mana sense skill can never go wrong about what this person is holding." 

Conrad Reinhardt, Vice President of the Adventurer's Association and one of the most respected magicians in the realm, was not a man easily unnerved. A Level 76 Magic Specialist, his mastery over mana manipulation and his sharp, tactical mind had earned him both admiration and fear. Tales of his exploits—dungeons conquered, rebellions quelled, and ancient curses undone—were whispered among adventurers and scholars alike. His mere presence commanded attention, and his discerning eyes, often described as capable of "seeing through the soul," made even the bravest hesitate under his scrutiny.

Marie broke the silence, glancing up from her stack of reports. "You've been quiet, sir. Is this about the mana disturbance from earlier?"

Conrad's silver-streaked hair caught the faint glow of mana crystals embedded in the walls as he turned to face her. His expression was sharp, his tone edged with concern. "It's not just a disturbance, Marie. It was something—or someone. That mana signature I sensed… I've never encountered anything like it. It wasn't raw or wild; it was focused and deliberate. And yet, it was masked, like someone was hiding it intentionally."

Marie furrowed her brow. "Masked? That would require immense skill, especially to avoid your detection. Could it have been an artifact?"

Conrad shook his head. "No, this was alive. It wasn't just energy—it had intent. And what's more troubling is that it came from someone leaving the Reporting section. Someone who just returned from Verdant Grotto."

Marie's eyes widened. "Verdant Grotto? The dungeon that collapsed?" Marie, his trusted assistant and a competent magic-user in her own right, stood by his side, sifting through reports with practiced efficiency. She presented the latest report just submitted by Lucy's team for the Verdant Grotto dungeon. 

He nodded, his voice grim. "Yes. A dungeon doesn't just disappear, Marie. It may destabilize, go dormant, and very rarely even may expel its core, but to vanish completely that too at a low level which are so stable by themselves? That's unheard of."

Marie hesitated, her expression turning serious. "You think it's connected to the group that reported it? Lucy, Garin, and… DK, was it?"

Conrad's gaze sharpened. "I do. That new adventurer, DK—his mana signature was strange. It was faint, almost nonexistent at first, but when I tried to sense deeper, I found something… wrong. It was as though he wasn't entirely human. 

Marie set down the reports, her brow furrowed. "Do you think it could be a dungeon core?"

Conrad exhaled slowly, the weight of the possibility pressing against him. "If it is, it's unlike any core I've ever encountered. Dungeon cores don't just emit energy like that—they are the heart of a dungeon, intricately tied to its existence. For him to walk out of a collapsed dungeon with what might be its core, while radiating that level of corruption… "

Marie set down the reports, her brow furrowed. "Do you think it could be a dungeon core?"

"If it is a dungeon core then we need to get it as discreetly as possible, because if anyone gets a wind of this mercenaries, guilds, kingdoms, they are going to hunt the trio down and snatch it from them by hook or crook. We need to get it before that if we want to stand on the top the realm." Conrad responded

"Marie, summon a shadow team," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument. "I want them to track Lucy, Garin, and DK immediately. No interference, no contact. I need to know where they're going, who they're meeting, and what they plan to do with that orb."