When they returned to the lounge, the atmosphere had shifted dramatically. A palpable tension hung in the air, reminiscent of the stillness before a storm.

Through the open arches, sounds from the Guild Hall filtered in, laughter, clattering metal, footsteps, and chatter, but inside the lounge, it all felt distant and muted.

Gregor leaned against a pillar with his arms crossed. Mina perched on the edge of her seat, swinging her short legs while her golden twin ponytails bounced lightly. Pax had already settled back into his chair, his posture relaxed and eyes half-closed as if he were dozing off; Sage knew better than to be fooled by that facade.

Valeria remained where she was, distant and cold, her presence sharp like a blade resting quietly in its sheath.

Sage stood silently for a moment before speaking. "I have an announcement to make," he said calmly and deliberately.

The simplicity of his words carried significant weight.

Gregor's brow furrowed in concern. Mina's eyes sparkled with curiosity. Pax cracked one eye open to glance at him, while Valeria's gaze sharpened as she assessed him.

"What kind of announcement?" Mina asked eagerly, leaning forward with bright impatience.

Instead of answering immediately, Sage offered a faint smile before turning and walking out of the lounge.

Gregor stared after him for a brief moment before pushing himself off the pillar. "There he goes again," he muttered under his breath as he followed Sage out. Mina hopped down from her seat to hurry after them, while Valeria rose silently behind them; her boots barely made a sound on the polished floor.

Only Pax remained behind, watching Sage's retreating figure with a thoughtful expression that was hard to read.

Sage approached the receptionist desk. As soon as he appeared, several nearby Adventurers noticed him; conversations faltered abruptly. A few people straightened up instinctively while others nudged their companions.

Without pausing, Sage walked directly toward Boren at the reception desk. Boren looked up mid-sentence and froze upon seeing Sage's approach.

"B-Boss?" he stammered. "Is… is something wrong?"

Sage smiled reassuringly at him as he stepped around the desk and climbed onto it with practiced ease, sitting on its edge so that his legs dangled freely over the front.

From this vantage point, he could see all corners of the Guild Hall: rows of Adventurers milling about and Commissioners gathered near their boards.

Gregor stopped beside him to look up expectantly, Mina peeked around Gregor's side, Valeria positioned herself a few steps back with her arms loosely at her sides but her gaze steady.

Sage turned slightly toward Gregor. "Call everyone," he instructed quietly.

With an exasperated sigh through his nose, Gregor replied, "You really enjoy making things dramatic."

He straightened up as a surge of mana coursed through him, amplifying his voice until it rolled out like thunder.

"Everyone, quiet down and listen. The Guildmaster has an important announcement."

The sound hit the hall with palpable force. Conversations ceased instantly, and even those in the farthest corners turned to face him. Outside, on the training grounds, Adventurers abandoned their drills and hurried toward the source of the noise.

In moments, the Guild Hall was packed. Adventurers stood shoulder to shoulder; commissioners gathered at the front while those at the back craned their necks from the back. The massive space, usually buzzing with chaotic energy, fell into an unnatural stillness.

So quiet that Sage's soft exhale felt loud against the silence. He surveyed the crowd, faces young and old, some scarred and others unmarked, confident yet uncertain, people who had come here seeking what the city could not offer them: opportunity, structure, and hope.

Sage smiled faintly before clearing his throat. The small sound echoed too clearly in that absolute silence.

"Relax," he said lightly. "I'm not dying."

A few nervous chuckles rippled weakly through the hall before fading into silence once more.

Sage let that quiet linger for a moment longer. "I called you all here because I have something important to share," he continued. "What I'm about to say will change this Guild, it will alter how you work and what kind of Adventurers you can become."

He paused briefly before continuing. "There's both good news and bad news."

Eyes sharpened; backs straightened in anticipation.

"The good news," Sage said, "is that this will significantly enhance your lives as Adventurers, your income, your opportunities for growth, and your future."

A low murmur stirred among them but quickly faded away.

"The bad news," he went on calmly, "is that it will also place you in danger."

The air grew tense. "Not monster danger," Sage clarified as he lifted his gaze slightly. "Human danger."

A subtle unease rippled through the crowd at his words.

"The Nobles," Sage stated firmly.

Greyvale's Nobles didn't openly rule over the city; everyone knew they controlled land, contracts, resources, dungeons, and trade routes, the invisible ceiling every independent warrior eventually hit.

Sage watched their reactions carefully before proceeding. "Some of you may have noticed my absence over the past three days," he began slowly.

Several Adventurers exchanged glances; some nodded faintly while others leaned forward unconsciously.

"You may have also observed that I don't look quite like myself anymore." He gestured slightly to indicate himself, his complexion, condition, presence now altered.

A few faces frowned; others narrowed their eyes in scrutiny.

"I wasn't resting or hiding away," Sage explained. "And I certainly wasn't indulging in private luxury."

His voice dropped just a notch as he added weightily: "I was risking my life."

The hall fell into an even deeper silence.

"There's a reason you didn't see me," Sage continued, his voice steady. "A reason no one could find me. A reason I returned in this way."

He paused, allowing his gaze to sweep across the sea of faces before him. "Because I was securing something."

A faint murmur rippled through the Guild Hall.

"For you," Sage added.

He took a shallow breath, deliberately making it noticeable. "You all know that Greyvale's Nobles control most of the dungeon gates in this region," he explained. "They decide who gets in, who profits, who thrives, and who stagnates. Many of you have felt their invisible grip, even if you've never seen it."

A few Adventurers shifted uncomfortably in their seats.

"I built this Guild," Sage declared, "because I wanted to create a place that wouldn't bow down."

He let his words linger as he continued. "But ideals don't feed people. And speeches don't pay healers."

A faint, humorless smile crossed his lips. "So I went searching for something that could."

His voice grew firmer. "I sought a new source of income, a foundation strong enough to protect this Guild from being slowly choked by outside forces. A leverage point."

He lifted his eyes higher. "And I found it."

Several Adventurers leaned forward instinctively.

"For three days," Sage said, "I wasn't in this building because I was somewhere where mistakes cost lives."

He allowed silence to build again before speaking softly: "I fought; I bled; I pushed my limits."

His hand tightened slightly against the desk as he continued with weighty resolve: "And I died."

The word hit harder than any shout could have. A sharp intake of breath echoed somewhere in the hall.

Sage offered a faint smile, almost wryly, as he added, "Not permanently, obviously."

An uneasy ripple passed through the crowd.

"But enough for me to stand here like this." He raised one hand again, gesturing to his pale skin and the shadows beneath his eyes.

"I'm not sharing this to gain your pity," Sage clarified. "I want you to grasp the significance of what comes next."

He straightened slightly and said earnestly: "The reason I risked everything is that I didn't want this Guild's future tied to the whims of those who see you as disposable labor."

"I didn't want your potential stifled by permits or bribes or family names," Sage continued passionately. "And I certainly didn't want you waking up one day only to discover that everything you've built here belonged to someone else."

The hall was so quiet that even the soft creak of leather armor could be heard.

"So I went out and took something," Sage said after taking a few deep breaths, "something the Nobles value more than gold, something they can't ignore."

He looked at them intently. "And something that will change your lives."

"Everyone," Sage began slowly, enunciating each word, "the new source of income I secured for this Guild…"

He paused, letting the anticipation build before continuing. "…is a Dungeon."

For a brief moment, silence enveloped the room. Dozens, no, hundreds, of people stood frozen in place, as if time itself had come to a halt. Some stared in disbelief, others blinked in confusion, and a few even forgot to breathe.

"…A Dungeon," Sage repeated softly.

"That," he said with conviction, "is what I sacrificed my life for."

The hall remained suspended in a delicate stillness as the weight of his words began to sink in

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