[ Ratha Guild - Assembly Hall, Floor 1 ]
Sera filed awkwardly into the Assembly Hall, trailing behind a visibly nervous Hibiscus, who kept wringing her hands together as she walked. A sizable crowd had already gathered, the room buzzing with low murmurs as people shuffled into place.
Sera drifted toward the back wall and leaned there casually, surveying the room.
At the podium stood Administrator Takumi Arten - the man responsible for the emergency announcement earlier. He was thirty-nine, with neatly combed black hair, round glasses, and a perpetually severe expression. Despite being a civilian with no supernatural abilities, he was built like a brick wall, easily a head taller than most of the A- and B-rank Espers present.
He stood behind the wooden podium in a navy blue cashmere turtleneck, arms folded as he waited patiently for the room to settle.
Beside him stood a petite blonde woman in her early thirties, pink eyes narrowed in concentration as she tapped rapidly across a tablet. A silk scarf wrapped neatly around her neck, paired with a long-sleeve beige knit dress and simple brown heels.
Administrator Risa Agnato.
Unlike Takumi, she was a B-rank Esper specializing in intelligence and surveillance - and the one who had issued the secondary raid assignment notification.
Sera scanned the crowd, running quick mental calculations.
Most of the attendees were A- and B-rank Espers and Guides. Roughly twenty-four espers were attack-oriented, with another thirty-six specializing in support and defense. Around ten were Guides, not counting herself and Hibiscus.
She spotted several familiar faces.
Ashley.
Canto.
Vale.
Theo.
Ophelia.
Eran.
Julia.
Yoru.
And–oh.
Simon was here too.
Actually…
Sera blinked.
She knew about a dozen of the B-rank Espers present. Many of them were regulars on her guiding schedule. The rest of the room consisted of administrators and support staff from HR and operations.
So why am I here? Sera wondered. She felt a sinking sensation settle at the pit of her stomach.
I might be the only C-rank here, oh my god.
She hurriedly recounted the number of espers who were on her regular schedule once more.
At the podium, Takumi tapped the microphone.
"Attention, everyone. Espers, Guides, and support personnel - thank you all for assembling so quickly."
The room gradually quieted.
"We will now begin our briefing regarding the appearance of the four-star gate."
A few uneasy murmurs rippled through the crowd.
"The raid will occur in approximately two weeks," Takumi continued. "The gate itself is estimated to break within four weeks. Based on projections, the raid operation will require roughly one week inside the dungeon."
He adjusted his glasses.
"For those of you who are veterans, raid training will begin immediately following this briefing. For those of you who are new to raid operations, you will attend a three-day orientation before joining the same training."
An Esper raised his hand.
"Administrator Arten," he asked, "why is this raid so sudden? Aren't these usually scheduled months in advance?"
The room grew noticeably quieter.
Takumi regarded him silently for a moment before answering.
"Our detection systems were unable to identify the formation of this gate in time."
His statement landed like a stone in still water. A wave of shocked whispers swept across the hall.
"What?"
"That's impossible–"
"Detection failure?"
"How does a four-star just appear?"
The murmuring grew louder, spreading rapidly through the assembly. Takumi raised a hand for silence.
"Leadership is currently considering classifying this as an abnormal gate," he said evenly. "Signal readings appeared without prior warning."
Another ripple of alarm moved through the crowd. Risa's fingers paused briefly above her tablet as she gauged the audience reaction.
Everyone understood. Something didn't make sense.
The signal pattern showed no gradual formation - no rising waves of energy, no early indicators.
The gate had simply appeared.
And gates didn't simply appear.
"Regardless, we will proceed according to established protocol as best we can," Takumi said, his voice calm and steady. "I trust everyone here understands the consequences of failing to clear a four-star gate in time."
No one spoke.
The last time a gate had failed to clear - just over a year ago - entire neighborhoods had been devastated as monsters spilled across the city, leaving countless civilian casualties in their wake. Even now, those districts remain abandoned - reconstruction efforts agonizingly slow
And that gate had only been ranked two stars.
A four-star gate could level an entire city.
A five-star could devastate a nation.
A six-star could threaten an entire continent.
Takumi adjusted his glasses before continuing.
"If we are unable to clear the dungeon within our operational week, the guild Genesis will make a secondary attempt during the final week before the gate breaks."
Several people shifted uneasily.
"Guilds Caranot and Aquebet will remain on standby for emergency deployment alongside government forces."
He paused.
"But let us not allow it to come to that."
Takumi's gaze swept across the assembly hall.
"We are Ratha."
His voice remained even, but carried weight.
"And we have earned our reputation for a reason."
A beat passed.
"We will clear this gate within the week."
Takumi continued the briefing, pulling up a series of projections on the wall behind him.
"Based on preliminary scans, the dungeon environment appears to be a temperate biome consisting of fertile forest-grasslands. Lower-tier monsters will likely appear in the open fields and wooded areas."
The projection shifted.
"As we advance toward the mountainous regions and cave systems, monster difficulty is expected to increase significantly. The boss is likely located within the cavern structures."
He pointed to a formation diagram.
"We will proceed with a standard A-formation. Direct forward assault supported by a defensive supply line."
Another Esper raised his hand.
"Administrator Arten - what types are the monsters expected to be?"
"Fire-type and electric-type signatures have been detected," Takumi replied. "Lower-tier monsters are expected to be mammalian or reptilian. Damage classification is primarily physical."
He paused. "Most likely the boss monster will be a dragon with similar elemental attributes."
An excited murmur spread through the room. Another guide raised her hand eagerly.
"How many S-ranks are joining the raid?"
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
S-rank Espers and Guides were something between celebrities and living weapons - rare, powerful, and awe-inspiring. They were usually only deployed for four-star dungeon gates or higher.
Though raids were dangerous and often life-threatening, the chance to witness an S-ranker in action still stirred excitement among the crowd. Especially against a monster like a dragon.
Takumi answered calmly.
"All three. Esper Rian Thern, Esper Arlen Cunning, and Guide Rena Swift."
A wave of excitement spread through the assembly.
The names alone were enough to cause a stir.
Those three were well known throughout the guild - or at least, that was the impression Sera had gathered from months of overheard conversations, rumors, and cafeteria gossip.
For nearly eight years, the trio - popularly referred to as the Triad - had played a major role in clearing high-tier dungeon gates. Their coordination in battle was legendary, a seamless blend of overwhelming power and practiced teamwork.
They were close in age and even closer in reputation.
Among guild members, the three were often jokingly compared to famous trios like The Three Musketeers or even The Powerpuff Girls - an odd mix of camaraderie and devastating strength that made them strangely beloved despite their terrifying capabilities.
Rian Thern was perhaps the most intimidating of the three. A dark and psychic-type esper, he was known for his efficient brutality on the battlefield, carving through monsters with a scythe forged from condensed dark matter. Off the field, he carried himself with rigid, almost militaristic discipline. Aloof and indifferent, he spoke rarely - apparently only relaxing around the other members of the Triad.
Arlen Cunning, by contrast, had a reputation for being the opposite. A hydro-type mage specializing in long-range attacks, he wielded ice lances and compressed water projectiles with remarkable precision. Despite his destructive capability, guild gossip painted him as disarmingly friendly - the sort of person who greeted nearly everyone with an easy smile.
And then there was Rena Swift.
An S-rank Guide who had earned respect through relentless effort, Rena was known throughout the guild as a trailblazer. Through years of exceptional performance, she had shattered long-standing assumptions about the limits of Guides, eventually becoming the first guide in the guild's history to lead direct combat operations.
Together, the three formed the Triad - a force that had helped tip the balance in some of the country's most dangerous gates.
Sera had never met any of them personally, but it was hard not to hear about them. The guild rumor mill made sure everyone knew who the big fish were.
As a rule, Sera made it a habit to quietly memorize the names and faces of every powerful individual in the guild. Not so she could meet them. Quite the opposite.
Gotta know the big fish so I can avoid getting eaten.
Powerful figures meant visibility, influence, and attention - and attention was the last thing Sera needed if she wanted to continue hiding from that dog Causality.
Takumi continued.
"The S-ranks have already begun their training. You will meet them one week from now for formation drills."
Questions came steadily from the crowd.
"What's the estimated monster density?" one Esper asked.
"Moderate during the outer traversal," Takumi replied. "Expect resistance to increase as we approach the mountain caves."
Another voice spoke up from the back. "What about supply rotations?"
"Support teams will maintain a staggered resupply schedule every six hours," Takumi answered. "Defense units will rotate forward escorts."
Risa occasionally leaned in to add clarifications, scrolling through data on her tablet as she spoke.
"We will distribute updated monster behavior reports before training begins," she said. "All guides should review pollution thresholds for extended combat exposure."
The discussion continued like that for some time - logistics, formation adjustments, equipment checks. The atmosphere in the hall gradually shifted from surprise to grim focus as everyone settled into the reality of the coming raid.
Eventually Takumi closed the projection with a quiet tap of the podium controls.
"That concludes the primary briefing."
He folded his arms.
"If there are any final questions before we begin scheduling assignments, you may ask them now."
Sera slowly raised her hand.
Takumi's gaze moved to her.
"Yes, Guide Sera Yun."
Sera cleared her throat.
"Administrator Arten… why am I here?"
A few people turned to look at her.
"As you know, I am a C-rank guide," she continued. "Well below the operational requirements for a four-star raid. Was my recruitment a mistake?"
For a moment, Takumi didn't answer.
Instead, he glanced sideways toward Risa.
Risa lifted her gaze from her tablet.
Their eyes met.
A silent exchange passed between them.
It wasn't the first time they had discussed Sera Yun.
Months earlier, when Ratha had first recruited her away from the government's central guiding facility, both administrators had been surprised by her performance records. Despite her low rank, Sera had demonstrated unusually high stabilization results during official evaluations.
At the government facility, however, guides operated under strict regulations.
Each session required a minimum duration of one hour, with physical contact limited to handholding alone. The method was standardized, slow, and carefully monitored.
Sera had performed well under those constraints.
But once she transferred to Ratha, Sera quickly discovered - and promptly exploited - something interesting buried deep within the guild's operational guidelines.
Temporal restrictions.
Unlike the government system, Ratha allowed guides to determine their own session length.
Sera had taken full advantage of that freedom.
Instead of the slow, prolonged method used by the government, she shifted to a radically different approach - short, intense guiding sessions regardless of compatibility.
Fifteen minutes.
It had shocked the administration at first. And intrigued them.
Because while Sera claimed the limitation was necessary, the data told a more complicated story.
She handled an unusually large portion of the guild's espers.
And her results were…peculiar.
Statistically, her purification rate was unimpressive. Yet Espers consistently reported improvements in mood, energy, and overall condition that didn't align with those numbers.
Not just through self-submitted surveys, either. Disguised as routine performance evaluations, Risa and Takumi had quietly interviewed the espers Sera guided over the course of several months.
The conclusion they reached was simple: Sera Yun was doing something unusual.
It was as though she wasn't just purifying pollution - but revitalizing the Espers themselves.
Thus, with a hearty number of Espers requesting her and having, in general, a net positive guiding result, Sera had successfully passed her probationary period.
Which was precisely why Takumi, Risa, and the guild leader had quietly agreed to include her in this raid.
Large-scale operations like dungeon raids didn't allow for convenient personal restrictions. In crisis scenarios, guides were expected to support their espers for as long as necessary.
If Sera Yun truly possessed the potential they suspected, then this raid would reveal it.
Risa finally spoke.
"It was not a mistake, Guide Yun."
Her voice was gentle but carried easily throughout the hall.
Risa's eyes settled calmly on Sera.
"Ms. Yun," she said, "you regularly guide approximately one-third of the espers present in this room. Is that correct?"
Sera hesitated.
"Y-yes… that's correct."
Risa smiled slightly.
"Then that is precisely why you are here."
Several people turned to look at Sera more closely.
"You provide guidance for a significant portion of this raid team," Risa continued. "Many of those espers have reported measurable improvements in mental stability and performance following your sessions."
She tilted her head slightly.
"In short, Guide Yun… you are here for morale."
A few quiet snickers rippled through the group of guides nearby. Sera felt heat crawl up the back of her neck. She caught a whisper from somewhere in the room.
"Slut for hire."
It wasn't the first time she'd heard that. Hibiscus wasn't the only one who held an unsavory opinion of her.
And judging by the looks she was receiving now…
The rumors clearly weren't going away anytime soon.