Morning arrived with the capital's usual chaos. The Copper Rest's dining area was crowded. Merchants arguing prices. Guards nursing hangovers. The smell of cheap ale mixing with breakfast porridge.

Raze's team claimed a corner table. The food was bland but filling. Kael spread notes while eating. Mariabel picked at bread with obvious distaste. Aslan sat silently, silver eyes tracking every person who came too close.

"Three days until the Phoenix Marrow arrives," Kael said between bites. "I've scheduled follow up meetings with suppliers. Building rapport."

"My Temple paperwork is processing," Mariabel added. "They're 'verifying my credentials.' Translation: making sure I can actually pay Expert rates."

"And I found—"

A shadow fell across their table.

"Morning, friends! Mind if I join you?"

The speaker was young. Maybe twenty. Brown hair tied back. Leather armor that had seen use. A sword at his hip. His smile was wide. Friendly. Too friendly.

Raze's Combat Reflex prickled. Not danger. Just... artificiality.

The young man pulled a chair without waiting for permission. Sat down with practiced ease.

"Name's Julius. Julius Carver. Couldn't help but notice you four. New to the capital, right? Can always tell. You have that look. Fresh. Uncorrupted." He laughed. "Give it time. The capital fixes that real quick."

Silence from the table. Raze's team exchanged glances.

Julius continued undeterred. "Anyway, saw you yesterday. Near the Temple district. Figured you might be cultivators looking for opportunities. And hey, what are the odds? I'm a cultivator looking for help! Divine providence, right?"

"Get to the point or get lost." Mariabel's voice was flat. Sharp. Her flames flickered briefly under the table. "We're not interested in whatever scam you're running."

Julius's friendly mask slipped. Just for a second. Irritation flashing in his eyes. Then it returned. But different. More genuine. More tired.

"Alright. Fair enough. Direct approach it is." He leaned back. The false cheer dropping completely. "I need help clearing a dungeon. Tier Zero. Three floors. All Initiate level monsters. I'm newly Initiate myself. Can't solo it. Can't find a team because everyone in this damn city wants something in return I can't afford."

"Why us?" Raze asked.

"Because you look less scary than the alternatives. Most adventurers here are..." Julius searched for words. "Predatory. They'd help but take all the loot. Or worse, 'accidentally' let me die and claim my gear. You four look like you might actually honor an agreement."

"We're not interested in dungeon diving," Kael said firmly.

"Wait." Raze's mind was working. Processing. "Tell me about the dungeon. Everything. Layout. Monsters. Rewards."

Julius blinked. Surprised. Then pulled out a worn map from his pack.

"Tier Zero dungeon. Found it three days ago. Southwest district. Abandoned warehouse converted by natural mana accumulation. It happens sometimes. Enough ambient energy concentrated in one spot creates a pocket dimension."

He spread the map on the table. The sketch was crude but detailed.

Raze's Absolute Genius activated. Information organizing rapidly.

Dungeons. He knew about these from the game. Natural or artificial spaces where mana concentrated. Created monsters. Generated loot. They operated on specific rules.

Tiered by difficulty. Zero through Ten. Zero being weakest. Ten being catastrophic.

Each tier had floors. Each floor had monsters and a boss. Clear all floors and the dungeon core appeared. Destroy it or claim it. Dungeons respawned unless the core was handled.

Tier Zero meant Initiate level throughout. Manageable. For a team.

"Three floors," Julius explained. "First floor has Horned Rabid Rabbits. About three per encounter. Aggressive. Fast. Weak individually but they swarm. Boss is a Double Horned King Rabbit. Initiate Peak strength."

He pointed to the second floor on his map.

"Floor two is Black Blight Slimes. Same number. Three per encounter. They're slower but corrosive. Touch melts armor if you're not careful. King Blight Slime as boss. Also Initiate Peak."

"Third floor?" Mariabel asked. Despite her dismissal, she was interested now.

"Lesser Stone Golems. Three per encounter. Tough. High defense. Hit like sledgehammers. Greater Stone Warden as boss. You guessed it. Initiate Peak."

Julius leaned forward. His expression serious.

"I know it's dangerous. I know I'm asking a lot. But the rewards are real. Monster cores. Alchemical components. Dungeon loot drops. We split everything evenly. I just need help getting through alive."

Raze studied the map. His mind calculating.

Monster cores sold well. Alchemical components Kael could use. Dungeon loot was random but valuable. Money they desperately needed.

But Julius was hiding something. His body language screamed withheld information. Not necessarily malicious. Just... incomplete truth.

"You're not telling us everything," Raze said quietly.

Julius flinched. "What do you mean?"

"You found this dungeon three days ago. You've been looking for help since then. Multiple rejections. Why? What aren't you saying?"

Silence stretched. Julius's jaw worked. Internal debate playing across his features.

Finally he sighed. "The dungeon entrance is in Venn territory. Lord Regent Venn's criminal operations control that district. If they find out about the dungeon, they'll claim it. Lock it down. Take everything."

"So you're racing against discovery."

"Yeah. And I'm running out of time. Maybe two more days before word spreads. Then it's over." Julius met Raze's eyes. "I'm desperate. Not gonna lie. But I'm also honest about the split. Equal shares. No tricks. Just help me clear it before the bastards take it."

Raze looked at his team. Silent communication.

Mariabel shook her head. "I'm out. Authority user walking into a dungeon with a stranger? That's how you get ambushed. Julius could be a spy. Could be selling information about me right now."

"I'm not!" Julius protested.

"Maybe. But I'm not risking it." Her flames flickered. "My participation would draw too much attention anyway."

Aslan spoke quietly. "I can't go either. Enclosed spaces. High stress. Three floors of combat." His silver eyes were troubled. "I'd transform. Lose control. Become a liability."

"And I need to stay for the alchemical work," Kael added. "The Phoenix Marrow arrives in three days. I need to prepare equipment. Can't risk injury before then."

Everyone looked at Raze.

"You want to go alone?" Mariabel's voice was sharp. "With him? Into a dungeon?"

"Monster cores and components are valuable. We need money for Temple sessions. For materials. For equipment." Raze met her eyes. "And honestly? I need combat experience. Real experience. Not just surviving assassinations. Actual systematic fighting."

"It's dangerous."

"Everything we do is dangerous. This is just a different flavor." He looked at Julius. "Equal split on everything. No tricks. I help you clear all three floors. We handle the core together. Agreed?"

"Agreed." Julius extended his hand. "Thank you. Seriously. You're saving my ass here."

They shook. The deal made.

Mariabel grabbed Raze's arm. Pulled him aside. Her voice low. Urgent.

"This is stupid. You're Initiate Peak. You haven't advanced yet. Your combat skills are adequate but not exceptional. And you're trusting a stranger who's obviously desperate."

"I know. But we need this. The resources. The experience. The money." Raze touched Sophie's bracelet on his wrist. "I promised to come back stronger. This helps."

"Coming back dead doesn't help anyone."

"I'll be careful. I have movement skills. Escape options. If it goes bad, I run." He met her eyes. "Trust me. I'm not throwing my life away."

Mariabel's flames danced nervously. Finally she sighed. "Fine. But you're taking emergency supplies. And Kael's giving you every combat enhancer he has. And you're checking in every two hours."

"Deal."

They returned to the table. Julius was waiting. His expression cautiously hopeful.

"So? Are we doing this?"

"We are," Raze confirmed. "When?"

"Now. Before I lose my nerve. Before word spreads." Julius stood. "Gear up. Meet me at the south gate in one hour."

He left. Moving quickly through the crowded dining area.

Kael immediately started pulling vials from his pack. "Stamina enhancers. Healing draughts. Antivenom. Acid neutralizer for the slimes. You're taking all of it."

"I can't carry—"

"You're carrying it. I'm not sending you into a dungeon unprepared." Kael's voice was firm. "And you're taking this." He produced a small crystal. "Emergency beacon. Crush it and I'll know you're in trouble. Can't help immediately but at least we'll know to come looking."

Mariabel contributed her shadow cloak. "Extra stealth. Might save your life."

Aslan pressed a small vial into his hand. "Sedative. If you encounter something you can't handle. Throw this at it. Works on monsters too. Maybe."

Raze accepted everything. The weight of their concern settling over him like armor.

One hour later he stood at the south gate. The sun was climbing toward noon. The gate was busy. Merchants. Travelers. Guards checking documents with bored efficiency.

Julius appeared from the crowd. He'd added a shield to his gear. His sword was newly sharpened. His expression was determined.

"Ready?"

"As I'll ever be."

They left through the gate. The city walls falling behind them. The southwest district ahead.

The walk took thirty minutes. Buildings here were abandoned. Broken. The criminal element's territory was obvious. Graffiti. Damaged structures. The smell of unwashed bodies and cheap drugs.

"Venn's thugs control three blocks radius," Julius explained as they walked. "We're skirting the edge. The dungeon entrance is in an old warehouse. Collapsed roof. Looks condemned. Perfect camouflage."

They reached it without incident. The warehouse was exactly as described. Three stories of decay. Windows broken. Walls crumbling.

Inside, the dungeon entrance was obvious. A shimmering portal in the center of the main floor. Purple energy swirling. The signature of pocket dimension access.

Raze's Combat Reflex screamed warning. Not from the portal. From the fundamental wrongness of it. Space bent around the entrance. Reality thin.

"Last chance to back out," Julius said.

"Not backing out." Raze drew Azure Edge. The blue steel gleamed in dim light. "Let's clear a dungeon."

Julius grinned. Drew his own sword. "That's what I like to hear. Stay close. Watch each other's backs. And remember. If we die in there, nobody knows we're gone."

"Comforting."

"I try." Julius approached the portal. Extended his hand. The energy rippled at his touch. "Ready?"

"Ready."

They stepped through together.

Whoooosh.

Reality twisted. Raze's stomach lurched. The sensation of falling without moving. Then solid ground again.

They stood in a corridor. Stone walls. Torches providing light. The air was stale. Wrong. This space existed outside normal reality.

Ahead, three passages. The dungeon's layout spreading before them.

And in the distance. Squeaking. Chittering. The sound of monsters sensing intruders.

The Horned Rabid Rabbits were coming.

Julius raised his shield. "Here we go. First floor. Stay alive."

Raze's Combat Reflex activated fully. His enhanced perception tracking sounds. Movements. Threats.

The dungeon had begun.

And with it, his first real test since arriving in the capital.

Survive. Grow stronger. Return.

Simple objectives.

Complicated execution.

The squeaking grew louder. Closer.

Thump thump thump.

Heavy footfalls on stone. The rabbits charging.

Raze tightened his grip on Azure Edge.

Time to prove he deserved to survive.

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