The wooden door slung open with a well-oiled groan, revealing the inside of the Edgewater Adventurers' Guild.

The interior was warmer than expected—stone walls softened by hanging tapestries and thick timber beams. Lanterns flickered from wrought-iron sconces. A large, open space dominated the centre of the hall, with long tables scattered around and a raised platform at one end. To the right, a large quest board stood pinned with scrolls, notices, and handwritten contracts. A fireplace crackled on the far wall. It smelled faintly of parchment, sweat, and spiced ale.

But most importantly—people. Dozens of them. Not game NPCs, not scripted quest-givers. Just people. Talking. Laughing. Sharpening weapons and haggling with a clerk behind a counter. Some looked young and green; others wore gear scuffed with wear and eyes that had clearly seen too much.

"Yeah," Kai muttered. "Definitely not NPCs."

A man seated at the closest table gave him a strange look before returning to his drink.

A tall woman in leather armour approached them, blonde hair tied into a warrior's braid and a long blade strapped across her back. She gave the group a once-over, noting their mismatched gear and recent arrival aura.

"You five the ones the guards mentioned?" she asked. "New adventurers from the gate?"

Zane looked confused as he nodded. "Yeah we're here to register, if that's still a thing. Also, how did you hear about us already?"

The woman smirked. "We're not that remote out here—we have messaging crystals. And yes, it's still a thing." She gave the group another quick scan, her eyes lingering on the mismatched gear and faint air of confusion they wore like backpacks.

"The Guildmaster's expecting you. Up the stairs, second door on the left. Don't make him wait."

Tarni gave a mock salute as they passed. "I live to disappoint authority."

They climbed the narrow stairs, their boots thudding on worn timber steps. The second door on the left was carved with an emblem—two swords crossed over an open book. Zane knocked once.

"Enter," came a deep, even voice.

He pushed the door open.

The Guildmaster stood by a wide window overlooking the main street. He was tall and broad-shouldered, dark-skinned, with short grey hair and sharp eyes that studied them like a hawk assessing a new clutch of chicks. His dark green longcoat hung over reinforced leather armour, and behind him, a shelf held a neat row of medals—none ornamental.

"Welcome to Edgewater," he said. "I'm Guildmaster Horace Calder. Sit."

Five chairs had been set in front of the heavy desk, and the group filed into them like schoolkids called to the principal's office.

"You're not from around here," Horace said bluntly. "Not from this continent. Not even from this world."

Zane glanced around at the others. "That obvious?"

"I'm just going to cut to the chase," Horace said, folding his arms. "I've been here a long time. A very long time. Every five to ten years, a new group of—" he raised his fingers in air quotes "—'Adventurers' shows up. Always with the same story: they killed some mobs then stumbled on some dungeon entrance, got zapped through a portal, and woke up here."

He walked back to his desk, his boots quiet on the wooden floor.

"They always say the same thing. 'There's a System now.' 'We were pulled in.' 'We're not from this world.' Then they spend a month here, hit level five, and poof—they're gone. Never seen again."

All five of them stared at him, jaws hanging open like synchronised clocks losing their springs.

Then everyone started talking at once:

"Wait—what?"

"That's not how it went for us."

"A month? Level five?"

"We're not in Kansas anymore, Toto!"

"This is the fourth floor of our Dungeon"

But it was Horace's turn to look stunned. He blinked, took a step back, and frowned.

"You've… already been fighting? What do you mean this is the fourth floor? Wait—hold on."

He raised a hand and narrowed his eyes. A soft glow flickered across his irises.

Zane felt a tingle run over his skin, like a soft static charge. Appraisal.

Horace's expression changed in real-time: confusion, then shock, then something bordering on panic.

With a shaky voice, he finally spoke. "You're all level eight. And those titles—what the hell is that? You all have classes already? This… what?"

Tarni raised an eyebrow. "Mate, first off—bit rude using a skill on someone without asking."

Horace blinked and seemed to collect himself. "You're right. That was rude. I apologise. I just… wasn't expecting that."

He walked back to his chair and sat down heavily.

"This is strange. No, everything you've said is strange. You're different. Every other Dungeon Initialisation Group that's arrived here has followed the same template. But you…"

Bell leaned forward. "Different how?"

Horace chuckled, a bit too sharp around the edges. "In almost every possible way."

He stood and strode to a tall bookcase along the back wall, pulling down a thick leather-bound tome and flipping it open near the back.

"Most of the entries are the same, their Race, rough age. The only variation is what they call their planet and their level of technology."

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He ran his finger down a page and began to read aloud:

"Five humans. Two male, three female. Late teenagers. From a planet they called Fideco."

He looked up, checking their reactions. They were all listening intently—except for the skinny one with the hair that looks like he lost a fight with Crabcow, who was staring out the window.

The younger female nudged him sharply in the ribs.

"What? I was listening," Tarni muttered.

Horace went on.

"They reported they were at school—in something called 'detention'—when a small group of creatures appeared. They described them as 'squidmars'—"

"Dungeon defenders, I guess." Tarni interrupted.

"Exactly," Horace said. "Low-level, standard fodder. Four of them were killed before the last defender was taken out."

Bell's hand flew to her mouth. "Their friends died? Right in front of them?"

"Yes. After the fight, they found themselves here at level one, with a System message telling them they had a month to level up before they were sent back to their world."

Kai spoke next. "So you're saying every group has the same pattern… except us?"

"Correct." Horace closed the book with a heavy thump. "So. Please—tell me what happened to you, from the beginning."

Tarni narrowed his eyes. "Right. But first—why does everyone speak English here?"

Horace actually smiled at that. "Ah. Another popular question."

He leaned back in his chair.

"They don't. Our System —the one from this world—has high-level language translation. Everyone hears their own tongue. You think I'm speaking English? I think you're speaking Valari, which hasn't been spoken natively for 400 years. This phenomenon only happens here on this planet. We believe that is why other systems send their Dungeon initialisation teams here to get help when they are first starting."

He held up a hand. "Now. Please. Tell me everything."

And so, they did.

From Zane's first encounter with a goblin under the wheels of his ute, to getting Bell out of the hospital. To defending their home against Eye-Stabber and his crew, then unlocking a safe zone. Finding the Dungeon entrance and completing the other floors, and finally unlocking temporary classes on Floor Four. Every twist. Every level. Every fight.

It took over an hour.

When they finally finished, Horace sat still for a long moment, processing it all.

"I've never heard of such a rushed System initiation," he muttered at last. "You have no idea how unprecedented this is. Most groups barely manage five levels in thirty days. And you say it's been less then a week for you?"

He looked at them each in turn. "And you—you're already level eight. You've unlocked titles. You've been granted classes. Before level ten. That should be impossible."

"Yeah," Zane said slowly. "We're starting to get that feeling that we are special."

There was a very uninfused "woohoo" from Tarni

Then Lily asked a question. "So your planet has had the system for a long time?"

Horace nodded. "Over two thousand years. The first wave hit during the Age of Swords. Most of the world's people didn't survive the shift. Those that did adapted. Rebuilt. We've had adventurers and guilds for over a hundred generations."

There was a long silence.

"Right," Kai muttered. "So we're special, in a bad way, and we're late."

Bell elbowed him gently.

"Regardless," Horace continued, "you're here now. And from what you say you don't have long. If you plan on taking quests, you'll need a ranking."

He gestured toward a plinth on the side of the room. Embedded in it was a dark, semi-translucent stone about the size of a dinner plate, faintly glowing.

"System-Linked Adventurer Ranking Crystal," he explained. "Place your hand on it. It'll scan your class, level, and total power profile. Assign you a rank from F to S."

Tarni had already stepped forward before he finished talking. "Alright, magic rock, show me my worth."

He slapped his hand on the stone. A soft hum filled the room as a blue glow pulsed once, then dimmed.

[Adventurer Rank: D]

Tarni tilted his head. "Eh. Kinda hoped for C. Not crying about it, though."

Lily went next. Then Kai. Then Bell. Each of them received the same glowing message:

[Adventurer Rank: D]

"Well at least we're consistent," Lily muttered.

"yes, everybody else who has come from a different world has been Rank: F", explained Horace.

Zane stepped up last. As his palm pressed to the stone, it shivered slightly—just a twitch. The glow pulsed brighter this time.

[Adventurer Rank: C]

Everyone turned.

"Wait, what?" Kai said. "You've got no class. How'd you get C?"

Zane shrugged. "Guess I'm special."

Horace frowned, muttering something under his breath. "Interesting…"

Before they could ask more, he stood.

"You're all registered. That gives you access to moderate-tier quests. You'll need to prove yourselves to rise further. Follow me."

He led them down to the main hall, stopping in front of the quest board. It was split into tiers—wooden dividers marked each section with a burned-in rank letter. He gestured to the D-Rank section.

"You said you're in a hurry. These are your current options. Most of the C-Rank quests are solo-only or require referrals, so for now, stick together."

On the way to the D Rank section, Zane stopped at the F Rank board, reading over the parchments. Some were printed neatly, others clearly handwritten.

F-Rank Available Quests:

Pest Control:

Clear the old grain cellar of giant rats.

Escort Duty:

Help deliver supplies to the nearby outpost (6-hour trip).

Gathering Task:

Collect 15 sprigs of Sunleaf from the Wildflower Glade.

They went on like this for a total of over 30 quests

Bell pointed at the D Rank board. Making Zane walk over to stand behind Her and read the board.

D-Rank Quests

Wolves on the Ridge

Investigate reports of aggressive wolf sightings near a farmstead.

Goblin Traps in the Wheatfields

Local farmers have reported strange wire-and-pit traps appearing overnight in their fields. They suspect goblins are preparing for a raid. Investigate the fields, disable the traps, and identify any nearby goblin nests.

Barkrot at the Timberline

Lumberjacks working the northern woods have been falling ill after cutting certain trees. A druid suspects a fungal corruption called Barkrot. Collect samples, investigate the source, and assist in purging the infected area.

Missing Courier

A young guild courier was last seen heading toward Cliffshade with a package for a noble house. He never arrived. Retrace his route and discover what happened—recovering the parcel is optional but earns a bonus.

Rats Beneath the Inn

The cellars beneath the Slumbering Elk Inn are overrun with abnormally large rats. Simple extermination job—but the owner mentions some of the rats seem… organized.

Ruins of the Old Watchtower

An abandoned watchtower outside town has started glowing at night. Locals report strange humming and moving shadows. Investigate the source—rumors mention old magical equipment left behind from a long-forgotten war

Bonepile at Bitter Creek

A stream outside of town has begun to clog with animal bones—hundreds of them. Locals are worried a predator is dumping remains upstream. Follow the waterline and uncover the cause.

Thorns in the Vineyard

The Edgewater Vineyard has been overrun with aggressive vine creepers that lash out at workers. The vineyard keeper suspects a fae prank or minor dryad curse. Cut back the vines and check for magical interference.

Gravewatch

Gravedigger claims something has been digging

out

of fresh graves in the local cemetery. Stay overnight and confront whatever is disturbing the dead.

Crystal Bugs in the Quarry

Miners unearthed a nest of crystal-armoured insects in the lower tunnels. They're tough to crack and aggressive when disturbed. Clear the nest and recover any intact crystals for study.

Message in a Bottle

A fisherman pulled in a bottle sealed with an alchemical ward. The note inside claims a small group is trapped in a collapsed cave near the coast. The date is recent. Find the cave and rescue any survivors.

Zane glanced at Horace. "We've got 24 hours to level up. Any advice?"

The Guildmaster crossed his arms. "The wolf pack's not far. Travel time's minimal, and it's the highest risk-reward option on the board. If you survive, you'll level. Fast."

Tarni snatched the wolf quest off the board. "Combat and XP. I say we hit something with teeth."

Zane turned to the others. "Well?"

Lily cracked her knuckles. "I like a good brawl."

Kai sighed. "Guess I'll be the glowstick again."

Bell inquired. "I wonder if I can activate my Backstabbing skill with an arrow?"

Horace nodded, "That should work fine."

"Nice"

Zane took the parchment from Tarni and adjusted his shield.

"Alright. Let's go kill some wolves."

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