For a brief heartbeat after Sage spoke, the Guild Hall fell into an eerie silence, as if sound itself had been snuffed out. Then, like glass shattering, the silence was broken.
Voices erupted from every corner, sharp gasps, incredulous laughter, startled exclamations, half formed questions, prayers whispered under breath, and curses uttered in awe.
Just moments before, the hall had been so quiet that Sage's breathing could be heard; now it roared like a tempestuous sea.
"A dungeon?!"
"He said a dungeon!"
"That's impossible... no, that's madness!"
"Did you hear him? He claimed he conquered it!"
"By himself?"
"Is this some kind of joke?"
The words collided and overlapped, drowning each other out. Some Adventurers surged forward instinctively, straining to see Sage more clearly as if mere proximity could make his declaration more believable. Others took a step back, faces pale as though the very idea bore down on their chests.
