Reputation.

A lone figure moved through the rain-soaked streets, his dark cloak heavy with moisture as he pressed forward. The city was silent at this hour, its usual life drowned beneath the relentless downpour. Those who remained outside huddled beneath shelters and makeshift covers, avoiding the storm. Dim lanterns flickered along the streets, their light distorted by the cascading sheets of rain.

His hood hung low, concealing his face, but beneath the shadows, the distinct contours of a mask could be glimpsed—one carved in the shape of a sorrowful visage, its hollow eyes and downturned mouth frozen in grief.

He moved with purpose, his steps soundless save for the soft splash of boots against shallow puddles. The narrow alleyways twisted and turned, but he never faltered, weaving through the labyrinthine paths like a shadow slipping through cracks in the world. The walls loomed close, damp with rain and the scent of decay clinging to the old stone.

At last, he arrived at a worn wooden door, its surface cracked and swollen from years of exposure. He raised a gloved hand and knocked—four precise, deliberate taps.

A brief pause. Then, the eye slot slid open, revealing a cautious gaze from within. The figure slowly lifted his head, allowing the dim light to catch upon his mask—the mask of Lucian, sculpted in eternal sorrow.

The person behind the door hesitated, but only for a moment. The slot snapped shut, followed by the sound of locks clicking open. With a low creak, the door swung inward, welcoming the masked man into the shadows beyond.

Lucian stepped inside, the door creaking shut behind him, sealing away the sound of rain. The air was heavy with the scent of damp wood and candle smoke, mingling with something faintly metallic. Without hesitation, he moved forward, descending the worn stone steps that led into darkness.

The deeper he went, the quieter the world above became. The only sounds were his measured footsteps echoing off the cold walls. Then, a faint glow appeared ahead, flickering like distant embers. As he reached the bottom, the passage opened into a wide chamber alive with movement.

The room was bustling with activity—figures in cloaks and armor sat at long tables, some deep in hushed conversations, others exchanging goods or passing sealed envelopes. The dim, shifting light from chandeliers above cast elongated shadows, distorting the revelry into something almost otherworldly. A stringed instrument played from the corner, its melody drowned beneath the murmur of voices and the occasional burst of laughter.

Lucian ignored it all, weaving through the crowd with silent purpose until he reached his destination—a lone table, occupied by a single figure.

A woman sat there, reclined with an air of amusement, her face concealed beneath a mask shaped like a laughing demon. Even with no visible expression, Lucian could feel the mockery radiating from her.

"You're late," she said, her voice smooth yet edged with something playful.

Lucian pulled out a chair and sat across from her. "Had things to do."

The woman tilted her head slightly, as if weighing his words. Then, though her mask did not move, Lucian knew she was smirking. "You mean dueling your former teammate."

He didn't react. His stare remained steady, unwavering.

She sighed theatrically. "You're no fun."

With a flick of her wrist, she tossed a document onto the table between them. The parchment slid across the wood, stopping just before him.

The music swelled—a lively tune meant for a celebration, yet it felt strangely distant from the hushed, weighty conversation at their table. Lucian reached for the document, fingers brushing against the rough surface.

Before he could leave, the woman spoke again. "Make sure you don't expose yourself."

Lucian simply nodded, tucking the document away as he rose. Without another word, he turned and stepped back into the sea of revelers, his thoughts fixed on the information he had just acquired.

* * *

Rael sat on a wooden bench, arms resting on his knees as he let out a slow breath. Across from him, Elias was standing, dramatically swinging an invisible weapon through the air.

"Okay, okay, so let me get this straight—" Elias took an exaggerated step forward, miming a scythe slash. "You were like whoosh!—bam! And then Anxas was all 'RAAAH'—" He threw his arms up, pretending to be the boss. "And you just dodged, spun around, and schiiing—final strike! DEATH STRIKEEEE!"

Rael gave him a blank look. "One, that's not what my ability is called. Two, who yells out their abilities?"

Elias pointed at him. "You should have. That's how you get style points."

Rael scoffed, leaning back against the bench. "Right. Because shouting 'Death Strike' mid-fight would've totally made me stronger."

Elias smirked. "Not stronger. Cooler." He swung his imaginary scythe again, stepping into an exaggerated stance. "Picture it—Noctus, the Shadow Executioner! The Phantom Scythe! Every move a spectacle, every battle a legendary tale—"

Rael rubbed his temple. "You sound like a bad novel."

"Correction: I sound like a visionary." Elias gestured dramatically. "All you need is a killer catchphrase."

Rael stared at him. "I'm not getting a catchphrase."

Elias sighed, shaking his head in disappointment. "Tragic."

Before Rael could shut him down further, his interface buzzed.

[Incoming Call: Leon.]

He tapped the call and put it on speaker. "What's up?"

Leon's voice came through, direct as always. "Check the pinned post."

Rael frowned. "What, some new patch notes?"

"No," Leon said flatly. "Just check it."

Rael pulled up the pinned post in the game's official system, and Elias leaned over to look. A bold announcement stretched across the top of their interface:

[New Event: Double Rewards for the Adventure Guild! For the duration of the event, all Adventure Guild quests will grant 2x reputation and rewards!]

Elias whistled. "Damn. That's actually solid."

Rael, however, wasn't reacting to the event itself. His expression turned thoughtful. "…Leon, this isn't what you actually called about, is it?"

Leon exhaled. "No. The event's just a coincidence. But it made me double-check something Gale and you mentioned earlier."

Elias blinked. "Wait, were you two farming guild rep?"

Rael nodded. "Yeah. We wanted to see how far we could push the gains."

Leon's voice cut back in. "And that's when I noticed something weird."

Rael's gaze sharpened. "What did you find?"

Leon hesitated for a second before saying, "A guild that was Level 1 two weeks ago is now Level 3."

Elias frowned. "Huh? How? Did they sacrifice a goat for EXP blessings?"

Leon sighed. "If only. From what I dug up, this guild barely had fifteen members a while ago. Now, suddenly, it's packed with hardcore grinders. Like, the kind of people who probably haven't seen sunlight since launch. Anyone with two eyes can tell something's off."

Rael nodded. "Guild leader probably hired a bunch of people to carry it."

Leon exhaled. "Maybe, but that's a crazy leap for just two weeks. Even with boosting, the pace doesn't add up."

Rael tapped his fingers against his knee. "Alright. Keep looking into it."

Leon made a sound of acknowledgment before logging off.

Rael then turned to Elias, his gaze expectant.

Elias raised an eyebrow. "What?"

Rael leaned back slightly. "You're supposed to be running information and defense for Eclipse, right?"

Elias narrowed his eyes. "Yeah…?"

Rael gestured vaguely. "So why did Leon find this before you?"

Elias scoffed. "Excuse me? I don't have my own intelligence agency yet, alright? This is a developing department!"

Rael deadpanned. "Develop faster."

Elias groaned, rubbing his face. "Unbelievable. One time. One time I'm not ahead of some sneaky guild drama, and suddenly, I'm slacking?"

Rael smirked. "I mean… kinda."

Elias pointed at him. "Fine. I'll 'espionage' or whatever. But when I find something huge, I'm rubbing it in your face."

Rael chuckled. "I'm heading out. Till then, you go be nosy."

Elias grumbled about unrealistic workplace expectations while pulling up his menus. "Go farm more EXP, my lucky charm."

Rael rolled his eyes but smirked before walking off. As he moved, he pulled up his panel, his thoughts drifting back to the moment Anxas had fallen.

The battlefield had been eerily quiet after the boss's fall. Rael and Gale lay sprawled on the cracked stone floor of the ruined temple, both breathing heavily. Their bodies felt like they had been put through a grinder—one foot inside the grave.

Neither of them spoke for a while, just staring at the shattered remains of the summoning circle above them. Then, footsteps echoed from the entrance.

Gale turned his head slightly, scoffing. "Tch. They got here quick."

A group of Order knights strode in, their polished armor glinting in the dim light. The leading knight—a man with short-cropped blond hair and a stern expression—stepped forward, surveying the destruction.

His gaze lingered on the broken altar before shifting to the two adventurers still lying on the ground. He cleared his throat. "We apologize for the delay."

Rael sat up with a tired sigh. "Little late for that."

Gale lazily gestured at the wreckage. "Yeah, we went ahead and handled things. Hope that's fine."

The knight nodded. "We appreciate your efforts. What happened here?"

Rael explained everything—the disappearances, the villagers' desperation after being abandoned by the Order, and their turn to an unknown entity, likely a demon. He told them how the village elder had been taken and possessed by Anxas, how the ritual was nearly complete by the time they arrived, and how the battle had unfolded. Anxas had been overwhelmingly powerful, and they had barely managed to bring it down.

The knights listened in silence, their armored figures rigid and imposing. When Rael finished, they exchanged brief glances, as if silently assessing the weight of his words. Then, without hesitation, their leader gave a sharp nod.

"Understood. You have done well in quelling this heresy."

That was it. No further questions. No orders. Just those few words before they turned on their heels and began marching away.

Rael frowned. "That's it?"

Gale stood up, dusting off his armor. "What about the villagers?"

The knights halted. Their leader half-turned, his polished helm reflecting the dim torchlight. "They have been tainted."

Rael narrowed his eyes. "They were desperate. The Order abandoned them. That doesn't make them beyond saving."

"They sought salvation in the embrace of the profane," the knight replied, his voice resolute, almost rehearsed. "That is corruption of the soul. Their purity is for the Inquisition to judge."

Gale clenched his fists. "That's bullshit. They didn't have a choice."

The knight remained unmoved. "Faith is a choice. And they have chosen wrong."

Rael exhaled sharply. Pushing this further wouldn't get them anywhere. The knights had their orders, and the weight of doctrine would determine what happened next.

"…Fine," he muttered. "We've done our part."

The knight inclined his head slightly before turning away. The squad followed, their steel boots echoing against the ground as they vanished into the night.

Rael rolled his shoulders, forcing the tension out. "Nothing we can do."

Gale stayed quiet for a moment, his expression hard to read. Then he exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "Doesn't sit right with me."

"Yeah." Rael glanced at the spot where the knights had disappeared. "But it's not our call."

Gale clicked his tongue but didn't argue. The moment stretched, heavy with unspoken thoughts—until he suddenly let out a sharp breath and shook his head. "Whatever. Let's just move on." He pulled up his system panel. "That notification, though."

Rael blinked. Right. After Anxas fell, aside from two rare crafting materials and a solid chunk of EXP, they had also received significant reputation rewards.

He pulled up his own system panel, scanning the notifications.

[A Great Feat Has Been Achieved!]

Your actions have prevented a catastrophe, earning you significant recognition. Your reputation with the Order has risen considerably, and the Adventure Guild has acknowledged your deed.

A faint chime echoed as another notification appeared.

[Your Adventure Guild Rank has increased to D.]

"Huh?"

Rael glanced at his updated rank. "D-rank."

Gale let out a low whistle. "Not bad, considering we weren't even grinding for it."

Most players were still stuck at E-rank, forced to slog through countless quests to earn their promotions. Taking down a high-level boss had fast-tracked them past all that effort. Alongside the rank-up, they'd also gained a significant boost in Order reputation—Eclipse's standing with the faction now sat between Neutral and Friendly.

Back in the present, Rael's mind drifted to the Golden Token and everything surrounding it. The more he thought about it, the more he realized how much of his time had been spent on quests and searching for the Fragments of Zenith. His level had barely budged in comparison to others.

He was Level 41 after the Anxas fight. Still high, but not by a lot.

For now, he had a stat advantage thanks to the World Ender seal passives, but that edge was starting to dull. More players were hitting Level 40, and with the last major patch introducing hybrid classes at that threshold, the power gap was beginning to shrink. He'd already seen some of these hybrid classes in action—most notably, Gale.

His vice guild leader had fused his Fighter and Warrior classes into something new: Bladewarden.

The combination of abilities was strong. Enhanced martial spells, reinforced strikes, and an adaptability that made his already aggressive fighting style even more relentless. Gale had always hit hard, but now his attacks chained together smoother, his sword swings carried more weight, and his battlefield presence had become overwhelming.

But Rael had no subclass. His World Ender class had locked him out of the system's standard progression, meaning no subclass, no fusion, no hybrid evolution at Level 40. All he got was a metaphorical pat on the back and a smiley face from the system like, You'll figure it out, champ.

Rael sighed. He really needed to start leveling up and find fragments.

For a brief moment, he considered pulling a monk retreat—vanishing from the guild, disappearing into the wilderness, and coming back only after he'd grinded himself into a walking raid boss. Just peace out, farm levels in some remote dungeon, and return when he could casually steamroll half the server.

…Tempting.

But impractical. Eclipse was in the middle of too much, and he didn't have the luxury of vanishing for weeks. If he wanted to stay ahead, he'd have to figure out a way to level efficiently while handling everything else.