Wade pocketed the skill stones into his inventory and straightened, stretching his back.

His body ached a bit, but the thrill of victory dulled the pain. Luckily, he hadn't really taken much damage on this dungeon run. He was getting used to it.

And that meant the dungeon itself would soon change itself to something else.

The crowd of skeletal spectators around him was fading now. The king's box in the arena, empty once more, shimmered and vanished.

And at the center of the arena, a green crystal floated gently in the air.

Wade walked to it, his boots clicking against the crumbling floor. He reached out and touched it.

[Exit Dungeon?]

[Yes / No]

He pressed Yes.

The colosseum dissolved around him, light swallowing everything.

When the world solidified again, he was standing in the middle of his apartment.

He looked down at his hand. The Bone Key rested there, looking like a normal object.

[Bone Key]

[8/10 uses remaining.]

"Two runs down," Wade murmured. "Eight to go."

He rolled his shoulders, unequipping his armor piece by piece until only his pauldrons remained. His body ached everywhere, but the ache felt earned.

Night had fallen outside, the city of Hiving visible through his window, the faint lights and distant noise drifting in.

There was the question of when he should start selling his loot.

If he moved too early, he'd have to sell them for the same price. If he moved too late, when everyone had already stocked up on skills and gear, he'd have to sell them for cheap.

That meant he had to wait until the news of the horde spread. That was when he'd sell his loot.

And with that, he dropped into bed, tired.

Before long, he was asleep.

[][][][][]

The next morning, Wade was in the guild cafeteria, his tray clutched in both hands.

The place felt… different.

Usually, the place would be filled with laughter and the booming voices of adventurers. But today, a quiet heaviness blanketed the hall.

People still spoke, but their voices were low, and their laughter forced.

The clatter of spoons against bowls echoed unnaturally loud, filling the spaces where conversation used to thrive.

It didn't take a genius to figure out why.

The news had spread.

It was officially confirmed. The monster horde, and with it, the coming war.

Wade scanned the room and spotted Rowan and Ingrid already at their usual table near the far wall.

Ingrid was eating in her usual composed silence, while Rowan poked half-heartedly at his food, looking far less cheerful than usual.

Wade made his way over.

"Morning," he greeted, setting his tray down before sliding into his seat.

"Morning," Rowan replied, his voice flat.

Ingrid gave a small nod.

Wade glanced around at the subdued cafeteria, then back at them. "So it's already spreading?"

Rowan exhaled heavily, rubbing the back of his neck. "Like wildfire."

"Word came down from the guild leaders at dawn. They haven't even made an official announcement yet, but everyone already knows something's wrong. You can feel it."

Wade nodded slowly, taking a bite of his bread roll. The tension could be felt even among the staff at the counter. No one was smiling.

He chewed silently for a moment before saying, "By evening, the whole city will know."

Rowan gave a humorless laugh. "You're probably right."

Wade mentally noted that. If the city was going to be swept in panic and preparation, prices would begin to fluctuate, with merchants hoarding supplies, and adventurers buying up gear.

This was the perfect time. He'd need to sell off his remaining loot tonight, before the adventurers finish their buying sprees.

He pushed his tray aside slightly. "So… how bad do you think it's going to be?"

Rowan's expression darkened. He leaned back, letting out another sigh. "I just hope Hiving's situation doesn't turn into what happened in Trym."

"Trym?" Wade asked, curious. "What happened there?"

Rowan gave him a grim look. "Trym's a city east of the kingdom. About ten years ago, a monster horde appeared near it."

"Instead of preparing immediately, the guilds in that city started arguing about quotas. About who would send how many adventurers, which guilds would get credit for the kills, stupid things like that."

Ingrid's fork paused.

"They wasted days," Rowan continued. "Every guild wanted to protect their numbers. Nobody wanted to be the first to lose half their members in the field."

"And by the time they finally agreed to work together…" He shook his head slowly. "The horde was already at their gates."

Wade frowned, listening closely.

"The battle that followed…" Rowan's tone dropped. "It was catastrophic."

"Half of Trym was destroyed. Entire guild branches wiped out. They stopped the horde, but the city never really recovered. Even now, it's still rebuilding."

Ingrid finally spoke. "Guilds are always obsessed with their quotas."

Rowan snorted. "Yeah. They'd rather argue over who gets the bigger cut than make sure anyone's left to spend it."

"But at least," he added with a wry smirk, "the profit share will stay the same."

"Profit share?" Wade raised an eyebrow. "How does that work?"

Rowan sat up a bit, some of his usual energy returning as he explained. "See, during a monster horde event, the kingdom and the guilds pool together funds, a war chest, basically."

"The amount depends on the estimated threat level, but this time…" He whistled low. "I heard they're putting up two billion gold coins."

Wade blinked. "Two billion?"

Rowan nodded. "Yep. Every adventurer who fights under the guilds' banner is entitled to an equal share at the end of the campaign."

"There would be no ranking, and no favoritism. You survive until the end, you get paid."

Ingrid looked up, adding softly, "It's a way to keep adventurers motivated to fight instead of running away."

Wade leaned forward. "How many adventurers are in Hiving?"

Rowan rubbed his chin. "A little more than four thousand. Give or take a few hundred."

"So," Wade calculated aloud, "if everyone survived, each adventurer would get..."

"About half a million coins," Rowan finished for him. "But that never happens."

He leaned closer, lowering his voice. "Let's say, best case scenario, 1500 adventurers survive. That's about 1.3 million coins each."

Wade's eyes widened slightly.

"And if only five hundred make it?" Rowan gave a dark chuckle. "Then it's about four million each. The worse the losses, the fatter the reward."

Ingrid's gaze didn't waver as she said, "It's just a matter of being alive at the end."

The table fell silent for a moment after that.

Wade stared down at his food, his appetite fading. A matter of being alive at the end.

He'd fought monsters before, but a horde was something else entirely.

He'd heard the stories from Rowan. Of an army of beasts that moved like a tide, wiping out everything in their path. Even seasoned adventurers would fall like flies.

Still… the potential gains were staggering.

Rowan sighed again, pushing his empty tray away. "The sad thing? Half the people in this cafeteria are probably thinking the same thing we are right now. Whether they'll make it through alive."

"And the other half?" Wade couldn't help but ask.

"They're already dreaming about the payday."

Ingrid glanced up briefly, her eyes moving between them. "Dreaming won't help anyone."

Rowan laughed quietly. "Yeah, tell that to everyone. It's not like we have a choice. We're fighting, whether we like it or not."

"Damn." Wade whispered.

Silence fell across the table.

And that was when Sebastian arrived.

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