Back at the palace, King Drago and his council were intently focused on the magical message that fluttered out from the paper bird. The image projected into the air showed a live feed of a Warlord scout team navigating through a dense forest, far from the Kingdom of Mordell. This was a mixed scout team composed of members from three separate guilds, chosen for their renowned recon and covert abilities.
The team was led by Jax, a Warlord ranked 72nd from the GoldenAge Guild, known for their elite damage dealers with presence-canceling abilities. His second in command, Ann, also from the GoldenAge Guild and ranked 77th, was equally skilled in stealth and combat. The third member of the team, Ray, ranked 83rd and hailing from the Terraformer Guild, served as the group's tank, responsible for healing and damage protection. Completing the team was Mye, a communication and intelligence specialist from the Shadowbliss Guild, ranked 74th and personally assigned by the Vanguard member Servious.
Their mission was critical: to gather intelligence on the unusual activities of the Ifrits, demon-like creatures with humanoid features that had started organizing in a manner uncharacteristic of their usually solitary nature. This new behavior coincided with the mysterious appearance of strange black lakes around the kingdoms, suggesting an eerie increase in their intelligence and coordination.
As they neared their objective, Ray and Ann activated their magical abilities to cloak the team's presence entirely. This allowed them to advance to within 30 meters of their target without detection. From their concealed vantage point, they observed a group of Ifrits entering and exiting a cavern.
Jax, harboring some resentment towards the integration of guild members from different backgrounds, whispered to Ann, "I can't believe we got stuck with the trash from the other guilds. Ever since Kane left, this new guy has been trying to change things."
"Yeah, damn peasants," Ann replied disdainfully, "They think we're equal, but they'll see."
Ray, overhearing the conversation, felt a twinge of discomfort but remained focused on the mission. Despite his guild's historical elitism, he was more concerned with the potential danger they were facing than with internal guild politics.
Mye, usually detached due to her independent role in the Research division, suddenly hissed for silence. "Shut up. Look." Her sharp eyes caught sight of two unusually large Ifrits emerging from the cavern. Unlike the others, these Ifrits were smoother-skinned and more imposing. Mye was the first to notice one giving orders to the other.
"Are you seeing this? One is giving orders to the other," she pointed out, intrigued by the possibility of a higher intelligence among the Ifrits.
Ann scoffed at the notion, "Impossible. Ifrits aren't that intelligent."
Jax, agreeing with Ann, nonetheless saw an opportunity. "If they are some type of mutation, we're going to kill them and bring them back for study. Let's move closer."
Ray felt a sinking feeling about the plan. The notion of engaging without full knowledge of the situation, especially with creatures displaying unusual behaviors, seemed reckless to him. He knew well that haste and arrogance could lead to dire consequences on missions like these.
Unbeknownst to the team, their decision to engage would soon unfold into a tragic sequence of events, marking the beginning of a chain reaction that would resonate back to the highest echelons of the kingdom. As they moved closer to the cavern, the tension among the team members and the looming threat of the unknown set the stage for an unfolding disaster.