“Do you know the reason why we sent Claire away?” Ilyana asked as she slowly walked towards their intended destination. Ezra understood she was trying to set a mood, but with the majority of people in the area being intimidating looking adventurers, he was more worried about getting in their way rather than an earful from her.

“She was the obvious choice for bringing Sonja back…and you want to talk about what I said earlier in the dungeon.”

“So you thought it was okay to abandon us, and escape with your sister?”

“Yes.” Without hesitation Ezra replied.

Saber’s glare intensified as he stared at Ezra. Repeatedly he belittled the importance of himself and his friends, they were people too and he was justifying that their deaths were inconsequential in his eyes?

Saber tried to maintain his cool on a regular basis, however he was reaching a breaking point. Before he did anything he’d regret, Saber decided to talk his problems out with the young man.

“We’re a team Ezra, which means we’re supposed to work together. When you agreed to join our party, you signed up to stick with us through thick and thin. How am I supposed to trust my back to you, when you’re willing to abandon me in the middle of danger like I’m some stranger?”

“I don’t know what you were thinking, but Claire and I are two normal people. We’ve never fought monsters to death, we’ve never seen injuries worse than small cuts and bruises, so stop imposing your expectations on us!”

Saber visibly flinched not expecting the outburst, as Ezra continued his tirade now that he had momentum on his side.

“Just because we keep killing monsters and going about our day in the dungeon, doesn’t mean that we aren’t affected by it! You saw how I reacted to this-” He shook around the kobold brain emphasizing his point.

“This disgusts me like any normal person! The corpses of those kobolds sprawled around, watching their blood continue to pool up disgusts me! The only reason I’m doing this is because I have to watch over my sister’s safety!”

“If you were so concerned about your sister’s safety, then why would you hide such a powerful ability at your disposal? You made that battle more difficult for your sister, and almost cost us all our lives!”

“That’s not wha-…you don’t understand.”

At this point their focus was entirely on each other, ignoring all of their surroundings. Suddenly Saber and Ezra were both wacked on the head, their assailant revealing themselves to be Ilyana sporting a fierce glare at both of them.

She grabbed both men by their ears and dragged them past the crowd of people that formed around them into an alleyway nearby.

“Saber what the fuck? I get why you’re mad, but think with your head instead of your heart. If you had someone you cared deeply about, wouldn’t you prioritize their safety above all else?”

She turned to Ezra, any form of a smirk wiping away from his face instantly.

“Ezra you need to stop blaming the fact you’re here because you need to protect your sister. She’s a grown woman making her own decision to risk her life here, like every other person who died knowing this.”

“Don’t tell me you never had thoughts of becoming rich overnight, or becoming a living legend due to your strength! You act like the type of person who wants all of the rewards, without any of the hard work required to obtain it.”

Seeing as this was turning into a lecture, Ezra tried to exit but was blocked by Saber.

“You know Ilyana’s right man…I’m sorry for the way I’ve previously acted, but Ezra but you’re making it hard for us to like you. We were thinking of kicking you off the team and convincing your sister to party with us, but that’s not going to work is it.”

All of a sudden Saber’s personality flipped, as he put his arm around Ezra’s shoulder much to his discomfort.

“How about the three of us go out tonight and destress. Hey I know this place, great environment and even greater people. We can drink and discuss civilly problems we have with each other, since clearly there are a couple of misunderstandings. How about it are you in Ezra?”

Saber offered his free hand towards the young man for a handshake, his green eyes contemplating his decision before he warily grasped his hand in acceptance.

A large fur covered hand slammed against a large table, the sturdy wooden framework not reacting in the slightest from the powerful slam.

“I thought you said you could handle this, Omen of the Old Order, Maximillian. Elves and Beastfolk are still being abducted throughout the continent and only a handful of slave catchers have been executed.”

A giant bipedal silver wolf’s deep voice fluently spoke the common tongue as it discussed current events on a large chair designed like a throne. A scar from some beast marred his face, his snarl frightening some of the humans and elves in the surrounding stands.

The figureheads of each former nation sat at a large table in similar styled chairs, surrounded by bright minded individuals from all of their races. They’ve all come together to form the Council, a new government structure that threw away the old styles of monarchy and dynasties.

An alliance created by the continent’s three largest nations, the humans, elves, and beastfolk, serving to protect the populace and advance progress in the Continental Dungeon. While the three figureheads would debate on important issues, the representatives in the stands would be overseen by a leader knowledgeable in the subject to create laws that were efficient and logically sound in the council’s eyes.

The former warrior king and champion of the beastfolk, Nothur Krarqun the Titan. Many stories claimed his bestial form made him as tall as a two story building, yet his lack of witnesses left those questions widely up to debate.

It didn’t change the fact his aura alone would scare off even the bravest of souls, assuming they weren’t already pissing themselves as a hulking, muscular, silver wolf stalked towards you.

“Nothur’s point stands, however I’m more interested in the reports of this new civilized race.”

A beautiful elf with a regal aura sat on the opposite side of the Nothur. With luscious black hair and radiant grey eyes, combined with the sharp lines of her body gave her a picturesque figure.

Syndra Vengalla, former queen of the elves, renowned for her ability to hear the will of the world tree, Yggdrasil. Back when Pangea was a more destabilized land, Yggdrasil offered them protection and stability, and ever since the elves have worshipped the world tree as their true deity.

Her slender fingers pointed at a large island the continent of Pangea, on the world map displayed on the table.

It was far to the south of any other establishments of civilization, surrounded by the ocean further secluding the area. The water was full of dangerous creatures preventing the majority of travel into the mostly unexplored territory.

“These people known as...“Dwarves” have shown considerable ability with metallurgy and crafting. Their techniques are way ahead of our own, and with their help our weapons and armor could advance by leaps and bounds.” Syndra’s melodious voice garnered the attention of men and women alike in the room, although it was overshadowed by Nothur’s gruff reply.

“How do you expect us to convince them to join us? The Old Order is proving difficult enough as is, and the revelation of that quest 10 years ago has already thinned out our resources.”

The former hushed whispers and discussions on the sidelines quickly quietened down. Any mention of that quest outside of the room was deemed illegal by the council. Besides the people inside the room, only the heads of important factions in the world know of its existence and sworn to secrecy with a soul contract.

Quest Window

Over the course of centuries, the underworld has been secretly conducting dark rituals to summon their leaders into the mortal plane. Within five years, a demon of considerable strength will enter this world bringing death and destruction if he’s not stopped. Journey to this new continent and defeat the demons before they send this world to eternal damnation.

Grade – Epic

Time Limit – 5 Years Remaining

Reward - ???

Failure – Destruction of Pangea

A new voice spoke out, confident and steady, as he drew the attention of everyone in the room with each syllable he uttered.

“Every second this imposed deadline has steadily ticked down, we only have five years left people. Every resource not dedicated towards this cause, could result in another life unnecessarily being lost.”

“Thankfully our combined efforts have started bearing fruit recently. With the creation of the Academy, we’ve received reports of three youths receiving never before seen classes. Their abilities have redefined the strength of a Level I, and their future potential seems limitless.”

Applause rung out in the room, these young adults would become the future symbols of the Council. Their class, Chosen, have brought many implications about the class system that are still widely debated. Of course expressions of greed surface amongst some, but they knew how far they were allowed to influence these youths.

All attention went on Maximillian Sigurdsson, former king of humanity, as he called for silence to continue his speech. A handsome middle aged man with salt and pepper hair and brown eyes, he naturally oozed charisma with every syllable he spoke.

“We’ve wasted enough time trying to tackle the Old Order by ourselves. I realize my prior mistake in not involving the adventurers earlier, and would like to change my vote to create a new quest.”

The rewards the council would offer wouldn’t be cheap, whether it be a large sum of credits, tokens, or even a guild obelisk. Although the majority of the rewards were meant for the adventurers, the businessmen in the stands whispered amongst themselves plotting a way to get a cut of the profits.

“My former vote stays the same.”

“My vote is the same as before.”

“As we’ve come to a unanimous ruling, a new quest shall be created calling for the destruction of the Old Order.”

Murmurs of approval rung amongst the crowd, yet Maximillian called for silence as he spoke once again.

“I’d also like to gain the approval of the rest of the Council, to fund another dimensional expedition.”

The murmurs died out, replaced with open discussion as everyone speculated with their neighbors.

“Another expedition? It hasn’t even been a year since the last one.” One human spoke out amongst his peers.

“You know how much everyone involved profited from the previous expedition? I don’t blame the human leader for trying to start another one.” An elf voiced out his opinion.

“This would be a good opportunity for the Adventurer Guild to increase their strength, while the Council could reap benefits at the same time.” A beastfolk speculated.

Nothur released a throaty laugh as he rubbed his chin, his eyes shimmering with glee at the thought of his brethren bring glory to the Beast Lands.

“Good…Good, you’re always managing to surprise me Maximillian. Normally I would have approved of this action, however the Old Order is too much of a threat to ignore.”

The crowd looked towards Maximillian, looking forward to the oncoming debate and seeing if he could sway Nothur’s judgement. Every decision made by the Council required a unanimous decision by its three leaders.

A former adventurer, Nothur would offer his battle experience for less diplomatic matters. Adventurers to this day still hold deep respect (and fear) of Nothur, and it applied to the Council as well.

Besides the knowledge gained from the world tree, Syndra has decades of magical knowledge at her disposal. Leading a society of like-minded scholars, she has committed herself to learning the secrets of the Continental Dungeon.

As a normal human, Max didn’t have much to provide in regards to magic or warfare. However he was equipped with a shrewd mind and a knack for business, making Max an indispensable member of the Council.

The three of them brought together their wealth of experience to make the most logical decisions that would benefit society as a whole.

“I agree with you, but the results of the last dimensional expedition could help immensely with acquiring the support of the dwarves. Not a single natural mythril deposit has been spotted as far as we’ve explored, and they’ve shown an interest in the metal from our initial interaction.”

“How do you expect to recruit them, when we have terrorists roaming across our lands without repercussion? Based on the way they’ve acted, I wouldn’t be surprised if they tried to enslave this new race.”

“Yet we could use this new material to our advantage. If this dimensional expedition goes well we could outfit our forces, try to create a meeting with the dwarves using this raw material, and trap the Old Order at the same time while showcasing our might.”

“You’re hoping for too much, this is assuming that everything works out perfectly. There are too many variables to rely on in your plan…”

Having arrived at an impasse both leaders turned towards Syndra for her opinion.

Her eyes were closed as she rested a hand on her face, as if she were processing some information. After a moment she opened her eyes again, and gave her opinion.

“Yggdrasil has recommended focusing on the Old Order. They’re not a threat to take lightly, and if left unchecked will bring unnecessary problems to us.”

Nothur nodded in agreement and Maximillian gave up on pushing the topic further.

Whenever Syndra would get advice from Yggdrasil, it was damn near impossible to convince her otherwise.

Of course Max understood why they both thought his plan was a bad idea, but currently he was in a bad position to attempt pushing his viewpoint.

Every single time these slave-catchers were captured, all of them just happened to be human. The majority of their prisoners were either beastfolk or elves, and it wasn’t a good look for the human race.

Looking back at the history of humanity, years of enslaving beastfolk and elves has led to whispers amongst their communities that the Old Order was secretly led by Maximillian.

Of course no one in the room believed those rumors, but the public ate up any bit of gossip especially those hinting at a conspiracy.

As the representative of the human race, it was Maximillian’s goal to restore their tarnished image. Nowadays most humans didn’t share the same sentiments of the other races like their ancestors, thinking them as a lesser species and unworthy of their own independent action.

It took a lot of work getting this far, and he had to especially thank the existence of the Continental Dungeon. It was easier for people to band together, when they all had a common enemy to rally against.

The creation of the Council was a large step towards the complete unity of the continent, and although progress has been steady mishaps were guaranteed to happen.

Max couldn’t afford any costly mistakes, and the Old Order has shown themselves to be quite resourceful. Nothur and Syndra were right after all, they were too dangerous to leave alone.

His eyes hardened as he commanded for silence from the crowd.

“Then we shall all work together, for the complete and utter annihilation of the Omen of the Old Order.”