In the village of Feroa, a young commoner named Sona had a busy day ahead of her. "I need to go to the guild to earn a living," she muttered to herself as she walked through the village, greeting neighbors and friends along the way. Eventually, she arrived at the Adventurer's Guild and pushed open the double doors to enter.
Inside, the guild hall was nearly empty, with only one table occupied in the corner. The sight didn't bother Sona as she made her way to the receptionist, Sarah.
"Oh, dear... Taking another quest, huh?" Sarah asked with a knowing smile.
"Yes... Please," Sona replied politely, her voice soft and shy.
Sarah chuckled awkwardly. "You don't have to be so formal, Sona. You're making me flustered. Anyway, you can pick a quest from that board over there. If you need help, feel free to ask." She paused, giving Sona a slightly puzzled look. "Wait, your name's Sona, right?"
Sona nodded.
"Well then, thank you for your approach. Good luck!" Sarah said with a smile.
Sona nodded back and turned to the large bulletin board, covered in quest papers. She scanned it carefully and decided to take an F-rank quest, the lowest rank, among the others. She brought the paper back to Sarah, who quickly reviewed it.
"Good choice! It's a safe quest, perfect for beginners. These medicinal herbs can be found either in the forest or by the lake. The reward is three copper coins for gathering ten of them," Sarah explained. "Just be careful not to venture too deep into the forest. It's easy to get lost, and the deeper parts can be dangerous."
Sona nodded, took the quest paper, and left the guild.
At the lake, the medicinal herbs were easy to spot. Sona quickly gathered ten of them and made her way back to Feroa Village. By dusk, she returned to the guild, where Sarah confirmed the completion of the quest and handed over the reward.
"Great job!" Sarah said with a smile. "You know, you could officially join the guild now. It would open up more opportunities, and you could take on more rewarding tasks."
Sona hesitated but eventually agreed. She realized that becoming a full member could provide more chances to earn money and improve her skills. Sarah continued, "You'd need to pass an examination, which will be held this weekend, but once you do, you'll get your guild card. You can also do some daily chores here to earn extra coins, though it's just once a day."
Sona thanked her and left, her mind already turning over the possibility of joining the guild.
The next day, rumors began to spread through the village about strange ruins that had appeared deep in the forest. Some villagers claimed the ruins were once part of the fabled Temple of Ashra, long lost to history. However, adventurers who had ventured into the ruins never returned—except for those who waited outside, too afraid to enter. These stories intrigued many, including Sona. With a sense of adventure, she packed her belongings and prepared to explore the forest.
Sona's younger sister, Dema, tried to convince her to stay. "Please, don't go, Sona! It sounds dangerous," Dema pleaded, concern written all over her face.
But Sona shook her head. "I'll be fine. Take care of the house, and I'll be back before you know it." She gave Dema a reassuring smile before heading into the forest.
Sona knew that there were likely monsters lurking within, and encounters were inevitable. But she felt confident in her abilities, especially with the basic spells she had recently learned. It wasn't long before she came across a D-rank monster—a goblin, armed with a crude weapon and sporting a hideous, gnarled face. The goblin swung its weapon wildly, but Sona was quick on her feet, dodging its strikes with ease.
"Flame I!" Sona called, casting a simple fire spell. The flame engulfed the goblin, defeating it almost instantly. Sona quickly looted the goblin's bag, finding a few small coins and some scraps of cloth, before continuing her journey toward the mysterious ruins.
After a while, she found the ruins. She recalled a popular book titled Ashra's Betrayal, written by a former elf leader from the East. It told of a time when the god of space and time, Ashra, created a temple connecting other worlds. This temple was built after Ashra was banished by other gods. The temple mysteriously disappeared, traveling from place to place, and many believed it had a will of its own. Adventurers from across the world had tried to explore the ruins, but all had vanished without a trace. Upon hearing that the ruins had appeared once again, an expedition team was being organized. Sona, eager to uncover the truth, decided to explore the ruins before anyone else could.
As she stood before the massive gate adorned with an iron star symbol, she marveled at its beauty. "Woah... What a fancy-looking gate. I wonder what's inside," Sona said, inspecting the area. She eventually found a bottomless pit with a rope leading down.
"Looks like this leads to something... terrible," Sona thought, hesitating. "It might be dangerous down there. Maybe I should go home for now. There's nothing special here." After a moment of doubt, she decided to leave.
But as she turned to go, the entrance sealed itself, trapping her inside. Shocked, Sona had no choice but to move forward. "What should I do!? I'm trapped! Wait... Yes, the pit. Maybe there's an exit there!" She hesitated again, but after considering her options, she climbed down the rope.
In the darkness, Sona heard the sound of a river. Confused, she lost her grip on the rope, and it snapped, sending her plummeting into the unknown.
When Sona regained consciousness, she screamed in terror at the sight of countless lifeless skeletons scattered around her. "Where am I? What is this place? What happened to me?" she muttered, struggling to recall the events that had led her here.
After a moment of confusion, she spotted a door and, with no better option, opened it. To her surprise, the room inside was brightly lit, though there were no torches. The light seemed to be coming from glowing plants and a river that separated her from another door on the other side. "Gorgeous..." Sona murmured, captivated by the sight.
Sona noticed a glowing symbol on the ground—a magic circle. Curious, she stepped onto it and was instantly teleported to the other side. "Oh... a teleportation circle!" she exclaimed, now understanding how the ruins worked.
She approached the next door, where a lever beside the magic circle caught her attention. She pulled the lever, activating the teleportation circle once again. She stepped into the circle and was teleported once more. She realized that this place had a puzzle to solve, and though there were no monsters around, she suspected there was something more to it all.
Finally, Sona found herself before a large door, resembling a boss room. "Don't tell me I need to fight..." she muttered, but, determined to find answers, she opened the door.
Inside, instead of a boss, Sona found a large stone inscribed with text. "A scripture?" she said, as she began reading aloud.
In the age of great chaos, justice was but a dream. Violence ruled the world, and peace seemed impossible. The gods themselves were locked in eternal conflict, and the world was torn apart by selfishness and greed. Ashra, the god of Space and Time, sought to connect the worlds to save his own. But in doing so, he was banished by the other gods.
His final words echoed: "Beings must learn how to love. Love is the most powerful force in the universe. Only by taming our desires can we find peace. We were not made to take from others, but to live in harmony."
After reading the scripture, Sona understood the truth behind Ashra's betrayal of the other gods. Suddenly, the stone began to glow, and a brilliant light enveloped her. She shielded her eyes, and when the light faded, she found herself back at the massive gate.
The gate slowly creaked open, revealing a vast expanse of stars and floating clocks. A deep, resonant sound filled the air, adding to the mysterious atmosphere. "What... is this place?" Sona asked, mesmerized.
Then, a bell rang, and everything around her shone with intense light.
Sona found herself facing a mysterious entity—an automaton, standing before her without a word. The only thing she heard was its name: "Ultra." Before she could react, another bell rang, and Sona collapsed, unconscious.
When she awoke, she found herself in the village clinic, her younger sister Dema at her side, crying. "I thought you were gone!" Dema sobbed, hugging Sona tightly.
Sona returned the embrace, comforting her sister. As she looked into a nearby mirror, she noticed something strange: her left eye had turned yellow.