"I'm innocent! You can't do this to me!"

  Kev's voice cracked as he strained against the guards holding him. His face had gone from defiant to desperate in the two hours since they'd arrived at the checkpoint.

  "We were just trying to survive the exam! These kids are lying!"

  The processing area outside the checkpoint had transformed into an impromptu tribunal. Guild officials, city guards, and other exam participants had gathered to witness the commotion. What had started as routine paperwork for completed exams had become something else entirely when John had marched six bound prisoners into camp.

  "Please," Meera sobbed, her earlier bravado completely gone. "I have a sister. She's only eight. She needs me."

  Adom watched from a bench where the healers had told him to rest. The aftermath was always the worst part. Not the fighting, not the danger, but this—the human wreckage left behind.

  "That one tried to strangle me in my sleep," Sam muttered, nodding toward Kev. "Not feeling particularly sympathetic."

  Cassandra sat beside them, her notebook open but untouched for once. "Ganking carries a death sentence in three human nations," she said quietly. "Including this one."

  Dain alone remained silent. He stood with his eyes fixed on the ground, not struggling, not pleading. Just waiting.

  "Bastards killed seven people that we know of," a gruff voice said nearby.

  Adom turned to see a burly guild examiner with a thick gray beard talking to another official. "Team Quicksilver never reported in. Four members, all dead most likely."

  "The girl's friends too," the other official said, glancing at Sonja, who sat a short distance away with Yann. "What was their team name again?"

  "Rising Dawn." The bearded examiner checked his clipboard. "Mikael Torrent, Anna Selver, and Jace Hightower. Good kids. Third exam for Mikael."

  Sonja's head snapped up at the names. Her hand found Yann's, gripping it tightly.

  A contingent of city guards had arrived about an hour after them, summoned by guild messengers. Their captain, a sharp-eyed woman with close-cropped hair and a scar across her nose, was currently examining the evidence laid out on a folding table.

  "These were found in their dimensional bags," she announced, gesturing to an array of items. "I need anyone who recognizes something to come forward."

  A murmur ran through the crowd as several exam-takers approached. A tall boy with an obvious Northlander accent pointed to a distinctive amulet.

  "That's Eskel's. From the Azure Hawks team. They disappeared on day three."

  A pair of twin girls identified a set of matching bracelets. "Those belong to Pella. She was with Team Stormchasers."

  So it continued, item after item, a grim catalog of the gankers' victims.

  "They're planting evidence!" Jost shouted, pulling against his restraints. "We found those items! From monsters! From abandoned camps!"

  "You expect us to believe you just happened to find items from six different missing teams?" The guard captain's voice dripped with contempt.

  "Check the logs," another guard suggested. "Missing persons reports from the last three exams."

  One of the guild officials was already flipping through records. "We've had a spike in disappearances over the past year. Twenty-three examinees unaccounted for in the last three exams alone."

  The crowd's mood darkened further. Someone spat in Kev's direction.

  "Rope's too good for gankers," someone muttered loudly enough to be heard.

  Meera's sobbing intensified. "I didn't kill anyone! Kev and Dain did the killing! I just... I just..."

  "Shut up, you stupid bitch!" Kev snarled, but the damage was done.

  The guard captain's eyebrows rose. "Interesting. Sounds like we have a potential witness."

  "She's lying!" Kev shouted, face reddening. "We didn't kill anyone!"

  "That's not what you said a moment ago," the captain observed mildly.

  Dain finally looked up. His expression was unreadable, but something about his posture had changed. Like a man who'd finally made a decision after long deliberation.

  "Captain," he said, his voice steady. "I'd like to make a statement."

  The processing area went quiet. Even Kev stopped struggling, staring at his brother in disbelief.

  "Dain, don't you dare—"

  "Shut him up," the captain ordered. One of her guards slapped a silencing patch over Kev's mouth. His eyes bulged with rage, but no sound emerged.

  "Go on," the captain said to Dain.

  "We killed eleven people across four exams," Dain said tonelessly. "Quicksilver team was the latest. Before that, it was the three the red-haired girl traveled with."

  Sonja made a small, wounded sound. Yann's arm went around her shoulders.

  "We didn't kill the others mentioned in your records," Dain continued. "Must've been different gankers."

  "Woah," Sam whispered. "He's just... confessing?"

  "Smart," Cassandra replied quietly. "He's hoping to trade information for leniency."

  The captain seemed to have the same thought. "Why the sudden attack of conscience?"

  Dain's gaze flicked toward Adom, then back to the captain. "No conscience. Just practicality. I'm not dying for Kev's mistakes."

  "You participated," the captain pointed out.

  "I did." Dain nodded. "But I can give you details. Names of other gankers. Their territories. Their methods."

  The captain considered this. "That might be worth something to the right people. No promises."

  "It's all I've got," Dain said simply.

  Kev was thrashing wildly now, the silencing patch preventing what would clearly be a stream of obscenities. Two guards had to hold him back.

  "Take them to the holding cells," the captain ordered. "Separate rooms. I want statements from each."

  "Does it always feel like this?" Sam asked nobody in particular.

  "Like what?" Adom asked.

  "Like..." Sam struggled to find the words. "Not how I expected."

  Cassandra nodded slowly. "Justice rarely feels as good as we think it will."

  "Especially when you realize they're just people," Yann added, approaching with Sonja. "Terrible people who did terrible things, but still people."

  Sonja's eyes were red, but dry. "They killed my friends. Laughed while doing it. I don't know what I'm supposed to feel now."

  "You're not supposed to feel anything specific," Yann told her gently. "There's no right way to react."

  A young guard approached their group, looking slightly intimidated at the sight of Yann and John.

  "Excuse me. The captain would like to ask you some questions about your encounter with the prisoners."

  "All of us?" Sam asked, sounding exhausted at the prospect.

  "If possible. It won't take long. Just preliminary information before formal statements."

  Adom stood, wincing at his stiff muscles. "Let's get it over with."

  The guard led them to a tent that had been set up as a temporary office. The captain was inside, organizing papers on a folding desk.

  "Ah, the Dungeon Divers," she said, glancing up. "Sit, please. I'm Captain Reyna Harker, City Watch."

  They found seats where they could, Adom and Sam on a bench, Cassandra on a stool, Yann and Sonja standing by the entrance.

  "First, let me thank you for your assistance in apprehending these criminals," Harker said, her tone becoming less official. "We've been tracking disappearances in the dungeons for months. Had suspicions about gankers, but never enough evidence to justify a full investigation."

  "You're welcome," Sam said, managing a tired smile. "Though to be honest, they kind of walked into our camp."

  "True." The captain looked at her notes. "I'd like to get your version of events. How you encountered them, what transpired, any evidence you gathered."

  Captain Harker nodded as they recounted the full story, making occasional notes while they explained everything from the initial encounter to the capture of all six gankers.

  "I'm sorry for your loss," Harker said to Sonja when they finished, and sounded like she meant it. "Your testimony will be crucial in the proceedings."

  "Will there be a trial?" Adom asked.

  "There will, though with Dain's confession, it may be expedited. Ganking is a capital offense, but the court will still want to establish the facts." Harker set down her pen. "We'll need formal statements from each of you, but that can wait. I'll arrange for an official to meet with you in the next few weeks."

  "We'll be there," Adom promised.

  The captain nodded and dismissed them. Outside, Sonja stopped in the middle of the path.

  "Thank you," she said simply. "For believing me. For everything."

  "You don't need to thank us," Sam said, looking embarrassed.

  Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  "I do." She looked at each of them. "What you did... most wouldn't have."

  Adom shrugged, uncomfortable with praise. "Anyone would have."

  "No," Sonja said firmly. "They wouldn't. I watched three teams walk away when I begged for help."

  "Their loss," Cassandra remarked. "Your information about the gankers was quite valuable."

  Yann gave Cassandra a look that said 'not now' before turning to Sonja. "How's the leg?"

  "Better. Thanks to you." She shifted her weight, testing it. "Almost good as new."

  An awkward silence fell. What else was there to say? They'd shared a week of danger, brought her attackers to justice, and now...

  "When do you head back to the Academy?" Sam asked.

  "I'm not sure I—"

  "Dungeon Divers?" A guild official approached, clipboard in hand. "You're needed at the main tent. Badge ceremony."

  "Already?" Sam perked up instantly.

  "Don't keep them waiting," Sonja said with a small smile. "Go get your badges. You've earned them."

  "We'll find you after?" Yann offered.

  She nodded. "I'd like that."

  The official led them across the camp toward the largest tent. Other successful examinees were heading in the same direction, some looking battle-worn, others inexplicably pristine despite a week in the dungeon.

  "Badge ceremony," Sam whispered, practically bouncing. "We're actually getting our adventurer badges."

  "Try not to hyperventilate," Cassandra told him, though even she couldn't hide a hint of excitement. "It's just a metal pin."

  "Just a metal pin?" Sam looked scandalized. "It's freedom. It's status. It's—"

  "A responsibility," Adom finished for him.

  The main tent was crowded with examinees and guild officials. Near the front, behind a table covered in a blue cloth, stood Samson, eyepatch still in place, looking much more formal than when they'd last seen him.

  "Ah, our last-minute arrivals," he said as they approached. "Perfect timing."

  On the table before him lay several rows of badges, each gleaming in the lantern light. They varied in design—some simple, others more ornate.

  "Quick formality before we begin," Samson said, pulling out an official-looking ledger. "Your final points tally needs verification."

  He flipped through pages until he found their entry. "Dungeon Divers... three hundred and eighty-two points from specimens and completed objectives."

  Sam beamed. Cassandra nodded confirmation.

  "Plus," Samson continued, "a substantial bonus for the apprehension of known criminals operating within the dungeon. The gankers have been confirmed responsible for at least eleven deaths across four exams."

  Yann's expression darkened at the reminder.

  "In total," Samson concluded, "you've earned five hundred and thirty-two points. Placing you..." he consulted another page, "third highest among all examinees this season."

  "Third?" Sam's eyes widened. "Out of how many teams?"

  "Forty-six entered. Twenty-nine returned."

  The implications of that weren't lost on any of them.

  "Now," Samson continued, selecting four badges from the table. "Based on your performance, skill demonstration, and point total, the guild has assigned your initial rank."

  He held up the badges. Unlike the simple copper circles most new adventurers received, these were silver octagons with a blue stone set in the center.

  "Rank B," Samson announced. "Which, I should note, is exceptionally rare for first-time badging."

  Sam let out a whoop before quickly composing himself under Samson's amused gaze.

  "Sorry. Please continue."

  "As rank B adventurers," Samson went on, "you are granted access to all standard guild facilities across the Pentoss Network. That's one hundred and fifty-eight nations across ten continents."

  He proceeded to pin the badges to each of them. John, being a golem, had his affixed to his breastplate with a special magnetized backing.

  "These badges serve as identification, passport, and authorization all in one," Samson explained. "Guild halls will recognize them immediately. Most border guards as well, though I'd recommend carrying backup documentation in more... politically complex regions."

  Adom touched his badge thoughtfully. Access to one hundred and fifty-eight nations. No more waiting months for travel permits or enduring endless questioning at borders. The freedom to move as needed. For what he had planned, this was invaluable.

  "Your material compensation," Samson continued, handing Cassandra a document. "The specimens and materials you recovered will be processed and sold through guild channels. Half the proceeds, as stipulated in your exam contract, will be transferred to your party account within seven days."

  Cassandra scanned the document with practiced efficiency. "Estimated value?"

  "Based on preliminary assessment?" Samson's lips quirked. "Enough that you won't need to worry about equipment or lodging for some time."

  "Excellent," she murmured, already calculating in her head.

  "A few important points before you're dismissed," Samson said, his tone becoming more serious. "The badges you wear come with significant privileges, but also responsibilities."

  The four of them straightened instinctively.

  "You represent the Pentoss Guild now. Misconduct—particularly serious offenses like ganking—results in immediate badge revocation and potential criminal charges. The guild does not protect those who abuse its name."

  "Understood," Adom replied for all of them.

  "Your duties extend beyond dungeons," Samson continued. "Adventurers may be called upon for public service during emergencies—monster outbreaks, natural disasters, and the like. Refusing such calls without reasonable cause can affect your standing."

  "So we're like... emergency responders too?" Sam asked.

  "In essence, yes. The guild maintains its favorable legal status by providing valuable services to member nations." Samson glanced at each of them. "Any questions?"

  "How soon can we access the full privileges?" Adom asked.

  "Your badges are active immediately. Full access to the guild hall network, mission boards, trading posts—it's all available now."

  Adom nodded, satisfied. No waiting period. No probationary restrictions. Just what he needed.

  "If that's all," Samson concluded, "congratulations, Dungeon Divers. May your badges bring you fortune and glory."

  He extended his hand, and they each shook it in turn.

  "Your badges will be recorded in the guild registry by sundown," he added. "After that, you're officially in the books."

  As they exited the tent, Sam finally let his excitement loose.

  "Rank B! On our first try!" He grinned wildly. "Do you have any idea how rare that is?"

  "Approximately 3.8% of new adventurers achieve rank B or higher," Cassandra supplied promptly. "Though that figure includes those with prior military experience or special credentials."

  "Which makes us even more exceptional," Sam declared, practically skipping. "Think of the missions we'll qualify for now."

  Yann looked more subdued. "Higher rank means higher risk."

  "Higher pay too," Cassandra pointed out practically.

  "What are you thinking about?" Sam asked, noticing Adom's silence.

  Adom fingered the badge on his chest. "Freedom," he said simply. "And what to do with it."

  Outside the tent, the checkpoint had transformed into an impromptu celebration. Successful examinees compared badges, swapped dungeon stories, and nursed injuries that would soon become proud scars with embellished tales attached.

  "Adom! Sam! You guys made it!"

  Sara? Voss, a third year Battle Mage, rushed over. Her copper badge—the standard rank D for first-timers—gleamed against her dust-covered jacket.

  "Sara?!" Sam grinned, clasping her hand. "Your team got through okay?" Sam clasped a girl's hand. Sam...

  "Barely. Lost Markus to a spider bite on day three—he's fine," she added quickly at their alarmed expressions, "just spent four days hallucinating that he was a teapot. Healers sent him back early."

  Her eyes dropped to their badges, widening comically.

  "Is that... are those B ranks?" She grabbed Sam's jacket, pulling him closer to inspect the badge. "Holy shit! How did you—"

  "Combination of monster points and apprehending criminals," Cassandra explained with practiced efficiency.

  "Those gankers?" Sara? whistled. "I heard some team caught them. That was you?"

  Before they could answer, two more classmates joined them—Elin and Dastin. Also third year Battle Mages. Elin's left arm was in a sling, but she wore her copper badge proudly on her good shoulder.

  "Did you hear about Gus?" Dastin asked without preamble. "Rank A. First try."

  "A?" Sam's jaw dropped. "But that's...damn."

  "Right?" Elin said. "Apparently, he ran into something called a Void Leech in the Deep Caverns. No one's seen one in thirty years. Killed it single-handedly."

  Adom stayed quiet at the mention of Gus. He'd been... different since the incident with Gizmo.

  "I heard he didn't say a word the entire exam," Dastin continued. "Just... handled everything. Didn't even seem to sleep."

  "Losing a familiar changes people," Adom said quietly. "It's like losing a part of yourself."

  An awkward silence followed, broken by another classmate arriving with news about Team Midnight.

  "They failed," Vince Reed announced to the group. "Got cornered by cave spiders in the Whispering Gorge. Academy officials swooped in and pulled them out yesterday."

  "Academy officials?" Adom frowned. "We never saw any officials from Xerkes in there."

  "Apparently they were monitoring the whole time," Vince explained. "Following at a distance. One of them mentioned it when they brought Team Midnight back. Said they never let third-years wander unsupervised."

  Sam raised his eyebrows. "That... actually makes sense. The Academy wouldn't just throw us into a deadly dungeon with no safety net. Not with how much tuition costs."

  "They must have had a dozen senior mages on rotation just keeping tabs." Elin added.

  "Huh," Adom said, genuinely surprised. "Never noticed anyone following us."

  "That was probably the point," Yann remarked. "Would've defeated the purpose if you knew they were there to bail you out."

  "Great," Sam groaned. "Seven days in a dungeon and we still have to be in class tomorrow morning."

  "At least we'll be in class as adventurers," Sara? pointed out, tapping her badge. "That's got to count for something."

  Eventually the crowd thinned as people drifted away to pack their belongings or search for friends among other returning teams. Soon only the four Dungeon Divers remained, standing in an awkward circle.

  "Well," Adom said finally. "That was fun."

  "Your definition of fun needs serious recalibration," Sam replied, but he was smiling.

  "I found it educational," Cassandra offered.

  "That's one word for it," Yann agreed.

  Another silence fell, heavier this time. They'd spent a week in close quarters, relying on each other for survival. Now, standing in the safety of the checkpoint with their objectives complete, something unspoken hung in the air between them.

  Cassandra, predictably, was the first to address it.

  "I suppose this is where we part ways," she said. "The exam partnership has served its purpose."

  "Wow," Sam winced. "Cold."

  "Practical," she corrected. "We formed a temporary alliance for mutual benefit. That arrangement has concluded successfully."

  "She's right," Yann said with a small shrug. "We all had our reasons for teaming up."

  "You're all so..." Adom shook his head. "Cassandra, has anyone ever told you that you have the emotional warmth of a glacier?"

  To his surprise, she smiled—a genuine expression that transformed her usually serious face.

  "Frequently. Though most use less creative metaphors."

  "If it helps," she continued, "I found our collaboration exceptionally valuable. My access to dungeon resources as a registered adventurer opens numerous opportunities I couldn't have accessed otherwise."

  She glanced at her badge thoughtfully. "Now I just need to find a permanent party willing to take on a porter."

  Something clicked in Adom's mind. An idea that had been forming vaguely since their first day in the dungeon suddenly crystallized.

  "Actually..." he began.

  Cassandra tilted her head. "Yes?"

  "When would you be free this week? To talk, I mean."

  "About?"

  "Something that might interest you. A business opportunity."

  Cassandra studied him with newfound interest. "I'm available three days from now. Morning preferably."

  "Perfect. Guild hall coffee shop? Nine o'clock?"

  "I'll be there," she agreed, curiosity evident in her voice. "Should I bring anything?"

  "Just your calculating mind."

  She nodded, seemingly satisfied. "Until then."

  Yann cleared his throat. "I'd also like to speak with you privately, Adom. When you have time."

  This was unexpected.

  Adom turned to the senior mage with raised eyebrows. "Everything okay?"

  "Yes. Just something I'd prefer to discuss one-on-one."

  "Sure. Tomorrow afternoon?"

  "Works for me," Yann agreed.

  Sam looked between them with growing dismay. "Are we seriously breaking up the team already? After everything we just went through?"

  "What exactly are you getting nostalgic about, Sam?" Adom asked. "The part where you nearly got strangled in your sleep? Or when that thing tried to digest you feet-first?"

  "That's not—"

  "Or maybe it was the scorpion stinger that missed your eye by about half an inch? That's a cherished memory, I'm sure."

  "I'm just saying—"

  "Or was it the two days of non-stop rain where your socks never dried and you complained every seven minutes about your 'pruney toes'?"

  Sam shot him a withering look. "Are you done?"

  "Almost. Let's not forget your inspiring battle cry of 'Oh gods, oh gods, it's touching me' when that slime dropped on your head."

  Yann made a suspicious coughing sound that might have been disguised laughter.

  "Fine," Sam conceded. "It wasn't all great. But we worked well together. Better than well. We were..." he searched for the word, "synergistic."

  "Sounds painful," Adom deadpanned. "Is there a cream for that?"

  Even Cassandra's lips twitched at that one.

  "You know what I mean," Sam insisted. "Look at what we accomplished! B ranks on our first try! Plus, you know..." he lowered his voice, "we stopped actually bad people. Made a difference."

  The teasing mood faded. Sam had a point, whether Adom wanted to admit it or not.

  "Nobody's saying it wasn't a valuable experience," Yann said diplomatically. "But we all have our own paths."

  "At least think about it," Sam urged, looking at each of them. "Before we make any decisions."

  Adom studied his friend's earnest expression. Sam had always been a sentimental one, wearing his heart so openly it was sometimes painful to watch. But his genuineness was also strangely compelling.

  "I'll think about it," Adom conceded. "But I make no promises about future death-defying adventures."

  "That's all I'm asking." Sam brightened immediately. "For now, anyway."

  "We should head back," Cassandra said, checking the position of the sun. "If we leave within the hour, we can reach the main streets by nightfall."

  "And sleep in actual beds," Yann added with undisguised longing.

  As they moved to gather their belongings, Sam fell into step beside Adom.

  "You're planning something," he said quietly.

  "I'm always planning something."

  "Something big," Sam pressed. "The way you looked when Samson mentioned access to all those places..."

  "Remember that gold I found in the cave?" Adom asked quietly.

  "You mean the mountain of riches you dragged me to see? The one you swore me to absolute secrecy about?" Sam replied. "No, completely slipped my mind."

  Adom chuckled. "That's the one. I'm thinking it's time to put it to use. Actually use it, not just keep it hidden away in some cave."

  "You're going to use Cass's talents, aren't you?" Sam's eyes widened in understanding.

  "She does have a unique set of skills."

  "And a terrifying attention to detail," Sam added with a small grin.

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