Fated Adventure.

Luckily, the Guild Hall was far less crowded than usual.

Most adventurers were still outside, their curiosity focused on the rumbling from the Tower of Babel. Whispers and speculation filled the air, but that worked in Ryan's favor—fewer eyes on them.

There were plenty of empty counters, and the group made their way toward one of the guild workers.

A red-haired werewolf girl manned the counter, her crimson eyes scanning the room idly—until they locked onto Ryan.

Her entire body tensed.

Ryan watched as her ears shot up, her tail stiffened, and a faint tremor ran through her form.

Apex predator. That was what every one of her instincts screamed.

The man in front of her wasn't just strong—he was something beyond reason.

Rose Fannett had met many powerful adventurers, even Level 6s and 7s. But none of them had ever sent her animal instincts into overdrive like this.

She struggled to keep her breathing steady, fighting the overwhelming urge to roll onto her back and bare her belly in complete submission.

And then—

Ryan tilted his head with a cheeky smile.

"Hello, we're new to Orario and would like to register."

Damn it. Even his voice was dangerous.

Rose swallowed hard. "Y-Yes."

Her movements were stiff as she reached under the counter, pulling out several registration forms. Even as she set the papers down, she never took her eyes off him.

She couldn't.

Ryan and his group quickly filled out the paperwork, handing it back within minutes. Their adventurer cards were processed and issued, though Rose doubted for some reason they'd remain basic Level 1s for long.

They would need to return later to update their statuses once they joined a Familia or leveled up.

If they joined a Familia. If they never joined a Familia, that alone would attract major attention.

The group briefly glanced at the list of gods and goddesses recruiting, but one name was notably absent.

Hestia hadn't descended yet.

So that option was off the table.

Before Ryan could say anything else—

"I'll be your dungeon guide!" Rose suddenly blurted out.

A moment of silence followed.

What the hell did I just say?

Sure, technically, the guild worker who registers a new adventurer can take charge of guiding them, but usually, they just assign someone else or skip it entirely.

Yet here she was—volunteering.

Her tail flicked anxiously, but there was no taking it back now.

Ryan raised an eyebrow, amusement dancing in his eyes. "That so?"

Rose fought the urge to step back.

She had no idea why she felt this overwhelming need to be near him, but something deep inside told her that letting him walk away now would be a terrible mistake.

She nodded, more confidently this time. "Yes. Please follow me. I'll take you to a private room where I can go over the necessary information."

Without waiting for a response, she turned sharply on her heel and led them through a side passage.

---

The private room was simple but well-stocked—a large wooden table sat at the center, surrounded by sturdy chairs. Bookshelves lined the walls, filled with detailed maps, monster compendiums, and dungeon records.

Rose motioned for them to take a seat.

With a deep breath, she pulled several large tomes from the shelves, stacking them neatly in front of Ryan and his group.

"These contain everything you need to know about the dungeon," she began, finally finding her rhythm.

She pointed to the first book.

"Dungeon Floors and Layouts" – A comprehensive guide detailing each known floor of the Great Dungeon.

Then to the second.

"Monster Compendium" – A record of all creatures encountered within the dungeon, including their strengths, weaknesses, and behavioral patterns.

Next, a smaller book.

"Valuable Drops and Resources" – Covering all rare materials, magic stones, and other valuable loot adventurers could harvest.

And finally—

"Survival Strategies for Deep Floors" – A collection of strategies used by higher-level adventurers to handle the dangers of lower floors.

Rose hesitated before speaking again.

"You… should also know that there are undocumented dangers. Things the Guild won't publish because they don't want to cause panic."

She slid over one last book.

It was older, well-worn, and bore no title.

Ryan picked it up, flipping through the pages. He quickly realized what it was—a record of disappearances, unconfirmed monster sightings, and expedition logs that had been kept out of the public eye.

Rose watched his expression carefully. "The deeper you go, the more… 'irregularities' appear. No one knows exactly how far the dungeon goes, or what's waiting at the bottom. But there are things down there that even the strongest adventurers fear."

She met his gaze. "And I get the feeling you'll be heading there eventually."

Ryan smirked, setting the book down. "Maybe."

His tone was light, but Rose could tell—he wasn't joking.

A shiver ran down her spine.

What had she just gotten herself involved in?

~~~~

Rose quickly got to know the name of each member of this group. Ryan, Yue, Serenity, Rachel, Fleur, Zhu Zhuqing, Hermione, Luna, and Xiao Wu.

Her years of working at the guild had given her some rather sharp senses when it came to judging people. Several in this group gave her a feeling of danger aside from Ryan. Yue, Serenity, Rachel and Fleur were the most prominent, followed by Xiao Wu, then Zhu Zhuqing and last Luna and Hermione.

She didn't feel like she was standing with a group of newbies but rather veteran adventurer's. She was also pleased as they read through the information she had provided seriously.

Usually she had two kind of adventurer's, the first were overconfident paying little attention to the information provided and paying for it with their lives. The second just tried to get a date with her and didn't really have the intention of going in the dungeon.

[First chappie of the day. Send Powerstones, cash donations can be sent to my cashapp at $Ryantheholy if you want to buy me a soda or simply thank me for my time and effort. Have a good day!]