It was a crisp morning. The rising sun had just dispersed the mist among the trees, coating the small town called "Adlock" in a pale gold.
The air was slightly cool, carrying the scent of soil and decaying leaves. Beneath the crude wooden watchtower at the town entrance, crowds had already begun to gather: burly men carrying greatswords, mages wrapped in dark cloaks, and even more adventurers in all manner of gear.
The moment Moga Smollett, wrapped in a traveling cloak, stepped out of an inn called The Old Oak Inn, she heard someone call out to her from nearby. "Hey! Miss Elf, wait a moment!"
Moga sighed inwardly and raised a hand to pull her hood lower, leaving only her taut jawline and a pair of sharp, delicate ears exposed. "What is it?" she asked flatly.
The newcomer was a brawny middle-aged man who looked like an experienced adventurer at a glance. He introduced himself enthusiastically. "We're the Steelblade adventurer team! I'm the captain, Breton! Miss Elf, you're here for the Adlock Great Labyrinth too, aren't you? Interested in teaming up with us?"
The Adlock Great Labyrinth was an Ultra-Ancient Ruins discovered only recently, deep within the forest. And Ultra-Ancient Ruins were always accompanied by legends of wealth, power, lost ancient knowledge, and more—the ultimate stage of every adventure story.
So after the labyrinth was discovered, the news spread like wildfire, turning the once-ordinary town into a paradise and hell for adventurers, mercenaries, scholars, and opportunists of every sort.
As one of the first adventurers to arrive, Moga's purpose was no different from everyone else's. She too had come for the treasures within the ruins.
However, after hearing Breton's proposal, she glanced warily at the friendly-looking young female mage, dwarf youth, and several human warriors behind him, then coldly