After we got home, I took a nap to recharge. When I woke up, I decided to head out into town. But I made a stop into the chambers of Konessàne's research lab. Durato/Dos and Laylah/Uno were in the chambers with Konessàne, assisting him with his research. They had invited all of us to join earlier, but I wasn't ready. I needed some time alone to clear my head.As I was leaving, Durato smirked and gestured toward me with a mocking salute. "So much for keeping a low profile, huh?" he quipped, his tone dripping with sarcasm, clearly referring to how I had obliterated the flame cat earlier."It was like a reflex to be honest." I replied."Where are you going?" asked Nova Uno."I'm gonna take a stroll through the town. I'll be back in a few," I replied."Take Liger with you," Nova Uno instructed as she placed the small creature on my head."Alright, cool," I replied, feeling the slight weight of Liger settle comfortably."Hold on tight, Liger," I said to him. He responded with a soft, almost cute roar, gripping my head a little harder as if he understood me.I scaled the high wall and found myself in the bustling streets of the town at night. A guard shouted at me for not using the gate, but I paid him no mind; this sort of attitude seemed common among the guards here.The town was alive with energy; the night air filled with laughter and chatter. As I walked, I felt a sense of freedom and anonymity, a welcome change from the constant scrutiny of the embassy today. Liger's presence was a comforting reminder of home, his soft purring a steady rhythm against the backdrop of the lively streets.This walk was exactly what I needed. The sights, sounds, and smells of the town enveloped me, providing a brief escape from whatever had me feeling this way. For a moment, I allowed myself to simply be, letting the vibrant pulse of the town soothe my restless mind. As I strolled down the lively streets, I passed a variety of intriguing shops: an antique store brimming with mysterious artifacts, a bustling barber and hair salon, a fragrant herb center, a gleaming weapons store, and finally, an adventurer's guild that doubled as a bar and restaurant. The enticing aromas of rum and sizzling dishes wafted out as I entered, mingling with the sounds of laughter and animated conversation. Patrons reveled in the moment, eating and drinking as if there were no tomorrow.Approaching the counter, I was greeted by a lively desk clerk. "Hey, I'm Anita. Welcome to the adventurers' guild, where you can take on jobs, dine with friends, and have a great time. How may I assist you? Wow, cute pet! I've never seen a monster like that before."Though her words registered, I was more captivated by the array of job posters lining the walls. Most offered rewards for defeating monsters and harvesting their parts, a vital resource in this society. Two posters, however, stood out. One sought information on ten missing children, while the other described a brutal family murder. Each offered a reward of more than three gold coins for any helpful clues.Realizing I had no local currency, I remembered the gems in my bag. "What do you use as cash here? I don't have any gold or silver on me. And thanks, his name is Liger," I said, gesturing to the small creature perched on my head."We accept gold, silver, Silva Sivitas coins, and any precious stones," Anita replied. I pulled out one of the gems I had collected on the island, carefully choosing a rare piece. Her eyes widened in astonishment as she saw it."I'll take two of your favorite dishes, something with meat, and one of your best drinks—non-alcoholic," I ordered.Her voice faltered as she struggled to find the right words, her eyes wide with a mixture of awe and disbelief. ''I'm... I'm sorry, sir, but we don't have any change for that. Even if you were buying the entire store, we wouldn't have enough change,'' she stammered, her tone tinged with nervousness as she glanced around, unsure of how to handle the situation.I was taken aback. "Is this gem really that valuable? What exactly is it?""Yes, indeed," Anita replied, her excitement palpable. "It's an aquasiac gem, used to power our ships and trains. The New Brittaniac order would pay roughly a thousand gold coins for that piece you have there."The entire room fell silent as the patrons took notice of my possession. The realization of its value hit me hard. "I'm sorry, but people will kill for that," she whispered urgently.A wave of tension rippled through the guild, eyes fixated on the gem in my hand. Understanding the gravity of the situation, I quickly slipped the gem back into my bag. Liger let out a soft, reassuring purr, sensing my unease."Thank you for the warning," I murmured to Anita. "I'll be careful." "I understand. So, how do I get something to eat?" I asked. "Well, for tonight, this one is on the house," she said. I was served the best meal possible from what I could see. It looked fantastic and smelled incredible. Liger also got some pork legs, he gobbled it up as quickly as possible. As I enjoyed the lovely meal, I was interrupted by a group of men. I didn't have to guess why they were here. "Hey dude, what's popping? I'm Gowther, and these are my men. You seem to not know a lot about the currencies here, so let me educate you," the leader of the group said. "No, I'm fine," I replied as I continued to eat. "I wasn't asking for your permission," he said, slamming his hand on my table, spilling the drink I hadn't tasted yet.Liger let out a small growl. I just sighed and continued eating. Anita shouted, "Guys, stop harassing my customers or I'll call the guards."One of the guys barked back, "You shut your mouth!" I was getting fed up with the constant harassment I had faced since arriving in this city. Just as I was about to lose my cool, I felt a surge of negative energy flow over me then I heard an ominous voice whispering, "Kill them all, destroy them. They are punks." But I chose to ignore it. "Listen, guys," I said calmly, "I know you all are some tough guys, I can see that, but can't I just have one peaceful day in this city?" They all laughed as the leader of the group snatched the piece of meat off my fork and tossed it to the ground. I was devastated. Not only had they ruined my meal, but they had to make the last piece fall to the ground. "Wow, look at that. Now you'll all have to pay for the meal and the broken furniture in this place," I said calmly. "What broken furniture??" one of them asked, confused. "Dispel," I whispered, and with that, they were all sent flying, crashing into every corner of the shop. The leader of the group got up, still in shock from what had just happened. "Do you know who I am? I'm a member of the infamous Red Fox gang!!" he shouted. "I've heard of them, but I don't care," I replied, nonchalantly walking over to the leader and breaking his ankle as he tried to get up. He screamed in agony as my foot broke his ankle "Anybody else??" I asked, scanning the room. For the first time, they saw the intensity in my eyes. Or maybe it wasn't the intensity. As I looked up, I could sense the level of fear they had for me. Then finally, one of them spoke up. "Hey boss, he has one of those eyes. Let's get out of here," one of them said, and three of them ran, but others stayed to fight. I thought to myself that I didn't get this reaction from the ones from this same gang I met when I first came here, and I know they saw my eyes as well. A man sitting in the corner wearing a brown coat and a bucket hat spoke up, "You guys are really dumb. He just humiliated you all, especially your boss, and you still think you have a chance. Delusional." They hesitated for a moment, then decided to leave with their boss, who was carried out by his gang members. "You've messed with the wrong people, punk. This isn't over," one of them snarled as they slunk out of the shop, their threat lingering in the air.Unfazed, I sat back down to finish my meal, only to remember the meat had been knocked to the floor. I glanced over to see Liger, my ever-loyal companion, finishing the last bite with a satisfied crunch.As I wiped the edge of my knife on the napkin, I heard the soft tread of footsteps approaching. A figure slid into the seat across from me—a man with a deliberate air of confidence."Name's Subaro Agaya," he said, his voice low and smooth. "Seems you've become the talk of the town. Those goons didn't realize it until it was too late."I barely glanced up, my voice calm, almost indifferent. "Famous? Not really. More like despised."He smirked, leaning back in his chair. "Hated or not, people are talking."I met his gaze, cold and steady. "How can I assist you?"Subaro chuckled, shaking his head. "Can't a guy just have a conversation without wanting something? Damn."I stood, the shadows from the dim light playing across my face. "In that case, our conversation is over." The door burst open with a force that made almost everyone in the room flinch. Carissa came rushing in, her face flushed with panic. "Help! Help! My friends—they haven't gotten their licenses yet, and they went to tour a D-rank dungeon! I tried to stop them, but they tied me up! I broke free and came here as fast as I could!" Her voice was trembling, each word tumbling out in a frantic rush. Her eyes scanned the room until they locked onto me, desperation etched in her features."Zero, please," she pleaded, her voice cracking. "You have to help my friends. They're no match for that dungeon, not now."Subaro, always quick to assess a situation, leaned forward, his expression serious. "Which dungeon? And how long have they been gone?"Carissa hesitated, the fear in her eyes deepening. "Umm… ahh… they've been gone for about 30 minutes. They took horses... they went to the Earth Field dungeon."Subaro's eyes widened, a rare look of alarm crossing his usually composed face. "Shit."I remained calm, but my mind was already calculating. "How far is this dungeon? And why 'shit'?"Subaro grimaced, his tone heavy. "It's complicated."Before he could explain, Anita stepped forward, her concern palpable. "It's about a 30-minute ride out, by horse or monster. It's not just the distance—it's what could be waiting for them."Carissa, her hands trembling, added, "One more thing… it all started as a stupid bet. Traven and his friends were giving Markev a hard time about what happened earlier, and it escalated. They all went together."The tension in the room was thick, each of us understanding the gravity of the situation. Subaro clenched his jaw, his decision made. "Let's go. I know the way."Without another word, we moved into action, the weight of what lay ahead pressing down on us. Carissa's fear was contagious, but there was no time to dwell on it. The only thing that mattered now was getting to that dungeon before it was too late. Subaro started to explain everything. He stated that this region was known for about 10 dungeons, each with its own unique challenges and dangers. Ranging from ranks A to F, with A being the most difficult and F being the easiest to explore. Only the bravest and most skilled adventurers dared to enter the A rank dungeons, as they were filled with powerful, high-tier monsters and bosses that were considered to be of the Saint class. B rank dungeons were home to more lesser-tier advanced monsters and intermediate monsters, while C rank dungeons contained mainly basic and intermediate monsters with a few higher and lower-level advanced class monsters roaming around. D rank dungeons were filled with only intermediate monsters, and E and F rank dungeons were home to both basic and intermediate level monsters with maybe a more powerful intermediate monster as the dungeon boss. As we stepped out of the shop, ready to embark on our mission, I turned to my temporary companions, Carissa, Anita, and Subaro. "Can you guys keep up?" I asked, to which they all nodded confidently. "I'll need to move fast," I said, turning to Carissa. "I'll carry you." She hesitated a bit then jumped onto my back, ready for the journey ahead. Subaro whistled and a dog-like monster appeared at his side. "This is Rex, my companion," he said, turning to Anita. "I'll carry you, Miss Anita." "Liger, hold on." I said as he gripped on to my head. With our team assembled, we set out on our journey to stop Carissa's friends from dying."Alright, let's go," Said Subaro leading the way. Rex and I sprinted through the streets, our feet pounding against the ground as we tried to reach our destination before it was too late. Carissa's screams echoed , but I didn't have time to spare a glance back. I guess I moved off too fast for her. Subaro had promised us a faster route out, but a nagging doubt gnawed at the back of my mind. What if this was all a trap, a ploy to get rid of me? I didn't know what abilities these people possessed, but I was ready for anything. As we turned down a deserted alleyway and exited the city then into the forest I activated my eyes. The world around me came into sharp focus, every detail etched in vivid astral mode. After a few minutes I spotted them - a group of men, at least ten of them, huddled in the shadows. But it wasn't the men that caught my attention. It was the cage they were guarding, five small people trapped inside. I only had a moment to glimpse the scene before we were past, but it was enough to know that something sinister was afoot. I kept on moving as Subaro led the way. I had learnt to mind my own business, but something about those men didn't feel right. When I come back, if I still see them I'll check it out. We then arrived at the Earth Field Dungeon. It's etched into the side of a small hill. I was both curious and nervous because this was my first time entering a dungeon. It wasn't what I had expected. I was thinking small rooms with chains and monsters lurking around but this was totally different. It's like we stepped onto a new world. Inside the dungeon was vast and it had three floors. Each floor with more unique monsters. Floor one had monsters that didn't have any special abilities. They were just raging beasts. On the second and third floor, the monsters have earth-type nova force abilities. Ranging from rock bullets to shaking the earth to drilling through the ground and popping up with a surprise attack from below. I realize now why this dungeon is tricky. We walked and talked as we searched around. Anita and Subaro explaining how the dungeon works as we go alone. Subaro dropped a bombshell that left the group in disbelief. "There is one more annoying thing about this region," he began, "The dungeons in this region are connected, but there is some kind of barrier or portal that prevents monsters from entering dungeons that they're not meant for but for some reason, I've heard of strong monsters crossing this barrie and ending up in weaker dungeons" Carissa, wide-eyed, asked in astonishment, "Wait, how do you know this?" "It's something I overheard," Subaro replied nonchalantly. "When you explore dungeons a lot, you hear a few things." The rest of us, apart from Miss Anita, were taken aback by this revelation, as they had never heard of such a thing before. It was clear that Subaro had a wealth of knowledge when it came to dungeon exploration. His experience and attention to detail had helped him pick up on information that others had missed. The group was eager to learn more, and Subaro, happy to share his knowledge, went on to explain the intricacies of the barrier and how it affected the movement of monsters within the region. It was clear that Subaro was an invaluable asset to the current group, and his knowledge and expertise would prove to be crucial if we had any future dungeon explorations.