He fell.
The moment Nevalis stepped into the Mercenaries' Guild building, two suffocating auras crashed into his body, throwing him off balance.
He tried to gather his own aura to stand, but it was useless. Slowly, he lifted his head—only to see that everyone else was in the same state.
Frozen to the ground, unable to move. Only the Fourth Rankers were barely standing, drenched in sweat.
Then, he saw the source of the auras...
Lina and Adam.
Lina shouted directly at Adam, her face a storm of fury and urgency:
"I'm going! That's my decision! I want to see who dares stop me!"
Adam roared with a voice so mighty, it cracked the very walls and floor. Even the Fourth Rankers dropped to their knees from the pressure.
The rage of a Fifth Ranker... was nothing to take lightly.
"No one is going!" Adam declared in a voice that left no room for negotiation. "That's final!"
Lina didn't back down. Her aura rose to meet his.
"I didn't come here to ask for permission! I'll go even if I have to break out by force!"
But it was clear—Adam's aura was overwhelming.
After all, he was mid-Fifth Rank, while Lina had only just stepped into it.
And yet... she didn't yield.
"If you want to stay, then stay. But me... no one will stop me."
Adam's voice cracked with pain.
"You know I can't leave my post. Not now. Not with the kingdom's current state! Do you think I don't want to go too? I do! I want to go even if I know it's almost impossible my son is still alive!"
Lina's voice trembled, eyes glistening with angry tears:
"Think what you want. Damn the kingdom. Damn them all. I don't care anymore—I'm going!"
"LINAAAA!!"
Adam raised his fist, ready to stop her—even if he had to use force.
BOOOOM
A massive crater formed in the guild's floor under the pressure of his aura.
"Damn it..." Adam growled.
He raised his head, locking eyes with her.
"Is that your final decision?"
"Yes," she replied, unwavering.
He looked deep into her eyes. Those were the eyes of someone who would never give in—even if forced.
What the hell was he supposed to do?
There was no way to stop her from leaving… and no way for him to go with her.
Should he throw everything away and follow her to those ruins?
Would his dead son be proud of that?
...Of course not.
Adam sighed.
"Fine... Do as you please."
He turned and walked up to his office.
The moment he said those words, tension in the building dissolved. Everyone breathed easier.
Nevalis let out a sigh of relief.
A fight between two Fifth Rankers would've been catastrophic.
Especially after the recent rumors of a potential war. And clearly... Adam was aware of them.
That's what kept him from leaving.
---
Outside the Mercenaries' Guild
The team gathered around Lina, another heated argument erupting.
"I said I'm going alone!" she repeated. "No one else is coming."
But Graive objected immediately. After all, he was the second strongest member of the team—and at the peak of Fourth Rank.
"No. At the very least, I'm coming with you."
"Are you serious, Graive? Of course we're all coming!" said Celeste and Felix together.
Mira nodded in agreement.
"I said no one else is coming!" Lina snapped. "That's an order—as your captain!"
But Nevalis stepped forward.
"No... we're going with you."
He met her eyes, voice steady.
"Captain, we're a team—no, a family. If you're going... then so are we."
The team had become an integral part of Nevalis' own family, and he would not leave any of his family members alone.
Everyone looked at Lina and nodded in agreement.
Felix lifted a thumbs-up at Nevalis, a proud grin on his face.
Lina covered her face with both hands and sighed.
"...Is this what Adam just went through?"
She lowered her hands and said with a stern voice:
"Fine. But if I give the order to retreat, you will fall back. Understood?"
"Yes!"
"Understood!"
"Ma'am!"
They responded in unison.
Lina gave a small smile.
"Then let's move out. Try to keep up."
---
"They left the city, heading west… toward the Ruins."
---
Hours passed as they crossed the wilderness, until Nevalis finally broke the silence:
"What do we know about these ruins?"
"Nothing," Lina replied bluntly.
"What?" Nevalis said, confused.
She elaborated:
"They appeared out of nowhere ten years ago. No one knows what they are... or what lies inside. All we have are stories from people who saw them from afar. They spoke of shattered ruins... and strange things that appear and disappear within."
She paused, then added:
"Noah's mission was only to scout. But the moment he entered... he vanished. The ruins vanished too."
Nevalis frowned.
"A shattered city... and strange things appearing and vanishing? So we know basically nothing real."
Lina looked out toward the horizon.
"Well... we'll find out soon enough."