The noise inside the Hunter Guild slowly faded.
But the whispers about Arin did not.
Even as he walked toward the quest board, he could feel dozens of eyes following him.
Some were curious.
Some were impressed.
And some were clearly jealous.
Defeating Garrick in a single strike had made one thing clear.
The "unknown kid" was not weak.
Arin ignored the attention and focused on the massive quest board.
Hundreds of requests covered the wall.
Monster hunts.
Escort missions.
Resource gathering.
Exploration contracts.
The system quietly displayed information as his eyes scanned the board.
[Analyzing Available Quests…]
[Multiple beginner quests detected.]
[Recommended difficulty: Bronze Rank.]
Arin studied the options carefully.
Most of them were simple monster hunts near the city.
But one quest caught his attention.
It was pinned near the center of the board.
The parchment looked newer than the others.
And the reward listed below it was far higher.
Quest Title: Investigation Request — Dark Hollow Dungeon
Difficulty: Bronze / Silver Mixed
Reward: 5 Gold Coins + Monster Materials
Description:
Multiple hunters have disappeared inside Dark Hollow Dungeon.
Investigate the cause and eliminate the threat.
Arin's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Hunters disappearing…"
That meant the dungeon was probably dangerous.
But dangerous places usually meant better rewards.
The system confirmed his thought.
[Dungeon detected.]
[Dungeons contain high-density mana zones.]
[Monster spawn rate: High.]
[Experience gain potential: Excellent.]
Arin smiled faintly.
Perfect.
He reached out and removed the quest paper from the board.
But just as he turned around—
Someone spoke behind him.
"You planning to take that mission alone?"
Arin looked back.
Three hunters stood behind him.
But these were not the same men from before.
They looked more organized.
Like a proper team.
The one who spoke was a tall woman with silver hair tied in a long braid.
A sword rested calmly on her shoulder.
Her eyes were sharp.
Observant.
Next to her stood a muscular man carrying a massive axe.
And behind them, a quiet mage wearing blue robes.
The woman studied Arin carefully.
"You're the one who beat Garrick."
Arin nodded slightly.
"Yes."
She crossed her arms.
"That dungeon is not a beginner area."
The axe user laughed.
"People die there."
The mage quietly added,
"Three teams already failed."
Arin looked at the quest paper again.
"So you're saying it's dangerous."
The woman smirked.
"Very."
Arin shrugged.
"That's fine."
The three hunters exchanged glances.
The axe user laughed again.
"I like this kid."
The woman sighed.
"Listen."
She pointed at the quest.
"My team was about to take that mission."
Her expression softened slightly.
"But if you're interested…"
She paused.
"We could cooperate."
Arin raised an eyebrow.
"A temporary team?"
"Exactly."
The mage spoke quietly.
"Dungeons are unpredictable."
"More people increase survival rate."
Arin thought about it for a moment.
Working alone had advantages.
But a team could also provide useful information about this world.
And if they tried anything suspicious…
Future Sight would warn him.
Finally, Arin nodded.
"Alright."
The woman extended her hand.
"Lyra."
She pointed at the axe warrior.
"That's Borin."
Then at the mage.
"And the quiet one is Sel."
Arin shook her hand.
"Arin."
Borin grinned widely.
"Nice to meet you, kid."
Sel gave a small nod.
Lyra took the quest paper from Arin and walked toward the reception desk.
"Let's register the mission."
As they did—
Arin noticed something strange.
Across the guild hall…
A man wearing a black cloak watched them silently.
His face remained hidden in shadow.
But his eyes glowed faintly red.
The system reacted immediately.
[Warning.]
[High level entity detected.]
Arin frowned slightly.
When he looked again—
The cloaked man was gone.
Only empty space remained.
Lyra returned with the quest contract.
"We leave at sunrise."
Arin nodded.
But deep inside…
He had a feeling.
The dungeon ahead would not be a normal hunt.
Something inside Dark Hollow…
Was waiting for them.