The three generals wasted no time. They split up as soon as they stepped out of the palace. They mounted their horses and headed toward different directions.

One of them went to the central guild located near the king's palace, the southern guild branch, and the one near the trade market where many high-ranking adventurers resided. They didn't even bother to gather more soldiers because of the urgency.

The rain grew heavier as they rode through the cobbled streets, their cloaks snapping in the wind and the faint glow of lightning flashing across their armor.

Inside the main Adventurer Guild, the large hall was alive with chatter, laughter, and the clatter of mugs as usual. That was until the doors slammed open and a gust of rain and wind swept in.

Conversations stopped and heads turned toward the entrance.

General Arthen, the tallest of the three, stepped through the doorway. His gray beard dripped wet but he didn't seem to care.

He was a familiar face to many adventurers. He was stern, blunt, and known for his battlefield reputation.

The receptionist immediately stood straight, bowing slightly.

"General Arthen, sir! What brings you here in this weather?"

"Royal command," Arthen said. His deep voice booming across the room. He reached into his satchel and produced a sealed scroll bearing the king's crest. "By order of His Majesty, the guild is to post this request immediately. Only rank B or higher adventurers may answer it."

That statement alone sent a wave of murmurs through the crowd. High-ranking missions always meant high danger and of course, high reward. Moreover this was the quest given by the king himself.

Arthen turned toward the gathered adventurers, and spoke with a commanding tone. "You'll be paid thrice the standard rate for immediate response. The mission concerns a Magic disturbance in the northern forest. You'll move under Archmage Sylmira's command. Every moment wasted puts the kingdom at risk. Choose wisely."

He handed the scroll to the guildmaster, who unrolled it and read the contents aloud.

"Mission: Investigate the unnatural storm of corrupted and elemental energy converging in the northern forest valley. Objective: Secure the area and report any anomalies to royal command. Reward: two thousand gold coins per group, plus hazard bonuses."

The guild hall erupted into noise.

"Two thousand gold coins?!" someone shouted.

"That's enough to buy a small manor!"

"But we could die trying to get it," another muttered, his tone grim.

Among the crowd, a group of confident adventurers gathered near the mission board. Their leader, a tall man in light plate armor with a blue cloak, smirked as he looked over the notice.

"A storm, huh? Probably just another wild Magic surge. Easy money if you know what you're doing," he said.

His companion, a red-haired Mage, frowned. "Don't be so sure. The sky's been restless since a few minutes ago, and that lightning doesn't look natural. I've seen this kind of glow once when a rift that produced monsters almost tore open near the mines."

The armored man shrugged. "That's why they pay us the big coin. Come on, Sera. You'll thank me when we're counting gold by next week."

Near the counter, another adventurer, a woman in dark leather gear with her bow slung over her shoulder listened in silence. Her sharp eyes darted toward the window, where lightning and dark clouds and wind was happening.

"That storm feels weird," she murmured to herself. "Hmmh, I don't like it."

Her partner laughed lightly, though unease crept into his voice. "I'm just going to follow your decision."

A moment later the guild's hall filled with movement. Parties gathered, armor was buckled, and supplies were counted. Even those who hesitated at first found their resolve hardened by the promise of royal gold.

Across the city, similar scenes unfolded in the other guilds. General Coren rode into the southern quarter, delivering identical orders.

The merchants and adventurers there gathered beneath the guild banners as his voice carried through the hall. The royal seals silenced every doubt. No one dared question the king's urgency.

By nightfall, word spread throughout the capital and its neighboring towns about the king who was calling for elite adventurers to march to the northern valley.

Those points of interest became the name on everyone's lips. Spoken with excitement by some and fear by others.

A few hours later, as the last group of adventurers were ready, the rain thickened into sheets. The torches along the walls hissed under the downpour.

Above them, lightning cracked again across the dark clouds.

The storm loomed like a living shadow. But the adventurers weren't worried too much.

By dawn, the three generals succeeded in gathering seven groups of adventurers. Each one of the groups is composed of seasoned fighters, Mages, and rangers of rank B or higher.

The air inside the royal barracks courtyard was thick with rain and tension as they assembled. Horses stamped and snorted under the downpour.

Archmage Sylmira herself appeared under a canopy of shimmering wards that kept the rain from touching her. Her robes rippled faintly with Magic as she walked down the line, distributing communication crystals to each leader of the group.

"These will allow me to reach you instantly and the other way around," she said, her tone calm despite the rising storm. "You're not to engage in anything unless absolutely necessary. Your task is to observe, record, and report what you find. The source of this energy is unstable so avoid unnecessary risk."

Along with the crystals, the soldiers carried chests containing pieces of enchanted armor. Time had been too short to forge complete sets but each adventurer received at least one piece—a cowl, a robe, or a cuirass—inscribed with protective runes glowing faintly blue beneath the rain.

"This will shield you from the worst of the energy interference," Sylmira added, watching as the adventurers inspected the gear. "Treat it as your lifeline."

The generals gave a final nod, signaling the departure.

The groups mounted up and began moving to the north, torches bobbing in the rain like small stars swallowed by the storm.

Wind tore at their cloaks as thunder rolled across the sky and rumbled closer than the last.

The road ahead of them loomed darker than usual and shrouded in gray mist and lightning flashes.

The storm grew heavier.

—