An Extra’s POV

Three hundred years ago, things were very different.

Human civilization was fragmented into various nations, and so there were various opposing factions with their individual self-interests at play.

The only exception to this… was the Adventurer's Guild.

Adventurers were neutral parties amongst the scuffle among nations. They weren't involved in politics, and their simple lives were unaffected by the embers of conflict spreading amongst the other nations.

They were strong enough to make their own city—a haven free from the rigors of nationalism—and became the very embodiment of freedom.

"An Adventurer serves no one but himself."

This embodied the spirit of everyone who chose the path.

As long as you obeyed the basic rules of conduct necessary for living in a civilization, there was no restriction to what you could or couldn't do.

As far as their economy went, individual Adventurers sold Monster Cores and special ores gotten from their land to the highest bidder. The Guild received their cut and maintained the City in return.

Jobs gotten through the Guild made them entitled to more profit, but the payment and security of the job would also be guaranteed.

There was more to the trade, but that was essentially it.

While the ideal of freedom had a lot of benefits to the Adventurers, there were some consequences to their hubris.

When chaos struck, or calamity arose… the Adventurers would find themselves alone.

Without any affiliation to a nation, they could not opt for support or seek out aid. As a result, the Adventurers were doomed to fall on their own.

This was especially true when the Grand Calamity Class Dungeon emerged.

Of the five thousand and ninety-nine Adventurers who charged in for the Raid—no, the Dungeon Conquest—only two-thousand and nine hundred made it out alive. A few hundred were unable to recover from their injuries and died not long after they escaped the Dungeon.

It was the greatest loss the Adventurer City ever faced in history, even till date.

They suffered a heavy blow that day, and when they requested the aid of the neighboring nations—the same nations that often used the strength of the Adventurers to get rid of Monsters of assist in all kinds of tasks in their respective territories—they completely ignored the Adventurer's City.

Perhaps they thought if the Adventurers became desperate enough, they would finally succumb and sign an Affiliation Treaty.

When that didn't happen, out of frustration, the Nations decided to take what they wanted by force. The Adventurers were a major threat, since they were too strong for any sole Nation to handle.

weakened state, they

Or so the Nations

time of their invasion—that they were

form a faction of their own, without any external interference, was not simply because

was due to the

first Heroic Rank Adventurer… the strongest Adventurer in

Zephyr, the Sword

singlehandedly warded off the armies that charged at his

day.

a true Adventurer; an ideal that all aspired

*********

right?" Conrad sighed, feeling a bit drained after going on and on about

he thought he

it ended up being a little more

they often act as a separate entity from you even though you're on the same side against the Dragons." Eric spoke up, flexing

"Yes. Precisely tha—"

forget that the reason for that is because of what the

Dick

know it was a… dick move, you called it? But, a lot

his forte, so he shifted his gaze to the expert and

it's a messy history for sure, but times have changed." Adonis stepped forward and

back on Earth. That

go of the past and embracing the future was the most optimal

the Adventurer City can see

discussion between the Royal Council and

want to begin a Dungeon Conquest on the

Even after what happened

students was expected, so Adonis wasn't fazed. Instead, he

high-ranked Adventurers in the City. Their numbers are a lot more

ensure the success

they had the biggest chance to succeed now, more than

close in nine days. They want to begin the Conquest as soon as possible in order to guarantee maximum results and success." Adonis paused upon seeing a hand

really necessary to risk their lives like this? Can't they just wait

face that Belle gave made everyone's heart melt. It was obvious how worried

was that simple…"

preserving your life is pretty simple, though." Justin added,

understand by now… the rewards that a Dungeon can offer to