Ethan's eyes narrowed as he leaned back in his chair. "What happened now?" he asked, his voice low but edged with concern.

"My Lord, Sir Randall has asked for your presence in the Dungeon," Oliver answered, his tone serious.

"My presence?" Ethan paused, giving Oliver a sharp look.

"He asked for reinforcements, but specifically called for you." Oliver lowered his head slightly.

"He said it is something only you can handle."

Ethan tilted his head and his expression became unreadable. He raised a hand and called for the messenger to be brought in.

Within moments, a worn messenger stood before him, bowing deeply, and explained everything in detail.

Ethan let out a quiet sigh, his lips pressing together. "I expected it still," he muttered. His eyes grew sharper. "That guy is really crafty. I knew I wouldn't be able to get a piece of meat out of nowhere."

"Yes, My Lord. He deserves praise," Oliver admitted with a hint of frustration. "Despite all the probing, we still weren't able to get the intel."

The messenger explained further. From all of Randall's exploration, the dungeon was confirmed to have three floors. Yet, strangely, the dungeon was empty. Its core seemed depleted, as though it had been over-farmed long ago.

Randall first thought it was useless, but he noticed something strange. Normally, when a dungeon's core is exhausted, it collapses and merges back into the land. But this one did not.

After deeper investigation, they found evidence of a hidden boss dungeon concealed within it.

Randall had tried to enter but could not. The requirement was too high. Only if you have someone at the Advanced rank could,you step inside.

"Advanced rank…" Ethan's eyes lit with interest. He leaned forward, his gaze steady. "No wonder it hasn't been cleared. That means it might hold good rewards."

But his expression hardened as another thought struck him. "Still, the fact that we missed this detail shows how bad our information is."

Oliver gave a helpless nod. "It's because we just throw money to guilds and expect them to give us intel. If someone else pays more, we're left with nothing."

Ethan tapped his fingers against the desk, his tone firm. "That's why we need to start training our own people."

Oliver bowed, understanding the weight of those words, while Ethan's sharp eyes remained fixed on the plans ahead. The quiet office seemed to hold the tension of the storm that was about to come.

....

"What the hell?" Sophia's voice rose sharply, her face full of shock as she stared at Ethan.

"You hadn't been here for a few days and now you have to leave again." She crossed her arms, her eyes locked on him with a mix of hurt and annoyance.

Ethan shook his head slowly, his gaze calm but firm. "You are saying it as if I am running away."

He placed a folded document on the table and slid it toward her. Sophia leaned forward,and her brow furrower as she scanned the details.

"We already have enough money," she said, raising her eyes. "Why don't you just hire some from the Adventurer Guild? Even if you can't trust them to do the job perfectly, you still need their help if you're going to raid it."

Her voice grew sharper. "Do you think you can alone clear the boss room just because you have reached the Advanced Stage?"

Her words struck Ethan like cold water. His hand froze midway on the desk, and his eyes widened.

For the first time, he looked uncertain.

Inside, he muttered to himself.

' Boss rooms require several people of the same rank to clear. I can't be so conceited to think I can handle everything alone. If something goes wrong, I might be done for.'

He clenched his fist and let out a bitter breath. Becoming an Advanced rank has inflated my ego.

Then, with a sudden shift, he smiled faintly. He stepped closer, took Sophia gently by the waist, and pulled her near. His eyes softened as he whispered, "Thank you, Sophia, for reminding me. I really might have been in trouble if you hadn't reminded me."

Sophia's lips curled into an amused smile. She leaned in and brushed a kiss on his cheek. "Heheh… that's my job, darling…Now give me a kiss." Her soft laugh broke the tension.

"Muaahhhaaa," she teased, kissing him again with playful warmth.

Ethan chuckled, his expression easing.

"By the way," Sophia said as she pulled back, her tone thoughtful, "I wonder when they are going to give you promotion in nobility."

"It will take time," Ethan answered, his voice calm but steady.

......

Far away, in the heart of the capital city of Ruthiana, the atmosphere carried a different weight.

Inside the grand hall, a man with a plump body sat on his throne. His jeweled fingers caressed his thick beard as he studied the letter in his hand. His round eyes glimmered with greed as he looked toward the gathered ministers.

"So you are saying we discovered a dragon nest," he murmured, his voice heavy. "A meteor crashed on the mountain, exposing heaps of treasures."

The light in his eyes sharpened, his lips curling into a greedy smile. "How much is it?"

One of the ministers stepped forward with a bow. "We haven't done an estimate, but it is huge enough to fill our kingdom's treasure for countless years."

Another voice added quickly, "Also, we can't leave those dragon bones. They are of immense value."

"Good." The king slammed his fat hand against the armrest of his throne, the flesh shaking with the impact. His voice thundered. "We need to make sure we have it."

"But Your Majesty," a cautious minister spoke up, his tone heavy with concern, "the others might also covet it. We may need to go to war for it."

The king's brows drew together as a frown crossed his face. For a moment, silence fell in the chamber. Then, with a slow shake of his head, he dismissed the thought.

"We haven't had wars for years. This would be a good opportunity to put the nobles to use. But whether there will be war or not depends. We discovered it first, so first send the troops quickly to surround the region."

His voice grew darker, filled with command. "Make sure to have it before others get the wind."

"Yes, Your Majesty," the courtiers bowed in unison, their voices echoing through the hall.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.