Location: Lurenhart Adventurer Guild — Morning, Day 20 in Atheria
"Group quest, huh?" Sena read aloud from the updated guild board.
> Mission: Fogbound Forest Expedition
Objective: Escort a scholar into the Verdant Fog Forest. Investigate magic fluctuation zones. Retrieve one core sample from within the anomaly.
Estimated Danger: Mid-Bronze to Low-Silver.
Party Slots: 3 Adventurer Teams (Max 5 per team).
Mirae looked over Jiwoo's shoulder. "Anomaly, cursed trees, lingering fog… Definitely an isekai forest."
Baek chuckled. "Feels like one of those early dungeon arcs. Bet some undead wolves show up."
Jihye folded her arms. "We should accept. Quietly observing others will help us blend in."
Jiwoo nodded. "We go. But no showing off."
"Understood," the group chimed.
---
Guild Briefing Room
An hour later, the group sat in a stone room with three long tables. On one side sat Team Emberthorn—a confident Silver-rank squad with steel armor and flame-marked cloaks. On the other sat Team Lapis Blade, a group of nervous but determined Bronze rookies.
Jiwoo and his companions took the last table, humble in appearance.
The lead scholar, an elf named Professor Mereth, entered and placed a glowing map on the wall.
"This is the anomaly site," he began. "The Verdant Fog Forest has recently shown signs of mana flux. Trees are growing unnaturally fast, animals are behaving erratically, and several glowing runes have appeared on the stones deep within."
He pointed to a black circle on the map. "Our goal is to reach this site and recover a mana core buried in the anomaly center."
He narrowed his gaze.
> "No fighting. No heroics. No rank-flashing. You work as a unit, or not at all."
All teams nodded.
Except the leader of Team Emberthorn, a tall swordsman named Rovan, who sneered at Jiwoo's team.
"Those nine barely look Bronze. They'll drag us down."
Jiwoo offered a calm smile. "We'll stay out of your way."
Rovan scoffed. "You better."
---
En Route to the Verdant Fog Forest
The journey was short—just a few hours north of the capital. But as the group approached the forest edge, the sunlight dimmed unnaturally.
The trees were massive, ancient, their trunks twisted with glowing green veins. Mist curled around the roots, whispering like distant voices.
Baek muttered, "Definitely cursed."
Professor Mereth led at the front, checking a scanning device that glowed brighter with each step.
> "The anomaly lies three kilometers inside. Stick together."
---
An Uneasy Alliance
As they moved deeper into the fog, tensions rose.
Team Emberthorn moved ahead, cutting vines dramatically, making noise, trying to prove dominance.
Team Lapis Blade lagged behind nervously, the youngest girl nearly tripping on roots.
Jiwoo's team stayed calm and balanced, acting as a quiet buffer.
At one point, a shadow vine struck from the mist.
It aimed for the Lapis girl.
Sena caught it mid-lash and sliced it cleanly with a flick of her blade—so fast the others barely saw it.
She pretended to grunt and shake her hand. "Got lucky."
The girl whispered, "Thank you."
Rovan from Emberthorn glared back. "Next time, stay alert or stay home."
Yoori frowned, but Jiwoo gave a tiny shake of his head.
> No conflict.
---
Arrival at the Anomaly
Finally, they reached the clearing.
A massive stone stood in the center—etched with ancient runes, glowing faintly green and gold. Around it, trees bowed inward unnaturally, their branches bending in silent worship.
The air buzzed with magic.
Professor Mereth gasped. "It's… a fragment of a Pre-Atherian Binding Pillar!"
Everyone blinked.
Jiwoo remained calm—but inside, something stirred.
His system pulsed faintly.
> [Temporal Marker Detected]
[This Pillar predates current world cycle]
[Do not touch]
But before he could react—
Rovan smirked. "Looks harmless enough."
He stepped forward—
—and the runes flared.
BOOM.
The air cracked. Green lightning arced in a ring around the clearing. A swarm of ghostly vine-wolves emerged from the mist, eyes glowing.
Team Lapis screamed.
Emberthorn jumped into combat—sloppy, fast, and angry.
The wolves overwhelmed them immediately.
One pounced on the Lapis girl.
Jiwoo moved.
He didn't flash. He didn't blink.
He appeared, one hand between her and the beast.
His palm glowed softly.
The wolf stopped mid-leap, frozen, and turned to mist.
He looked back at the others.
"Shield them."
Mirae whispered, "Understood."
---
The Peaceful Response
Sena, Baek, and Noeun spread out calmly. No shouting. No spells. Just quiet, deliberate motion.
One by one, the ghost wolves disappeared without a sound.
Yoori extended a glowing aura, wrapping Team Lapis in a barrier that made the ghosts pass through them harmlessly.
Jihae scribbled a seal on the dirt that caused the remaining enemies to vanish the moment they stepped near it.
Rovan swung wildly—until his sword was knocked from his hand by a single controlled gust of wind from Eunsol.
The forest grew silent again.
---
Aftermath
Professor Mereth stared, mouth open.
"You… You nullified the anomaly defense. Without harming the Pillar."
Jiwoo simply bowed. "We followed your instructions."
Rovan stood in stunned silence, glaring but saying nothing.
Team Lapis approached quietly.
The young girl bowed deeply. "Thank you. I would've died."
Jiwoo smiled. "You'll be fine. Just grow strong—at your own pace."
---
Final Scene – Back at the Guild
Later that evening, the guild bustled with the news.
> "A Bronze-rank team handled a Pre-Atherian anomaly?"
"Without injuries?"
"Even Emberthorn got saved by them!"
The receptionist looked at Jiwoo's party and whispered, "You're really something, aren't you?"
He only replied with a smile.
> "Just travelers. Helping when we can."
That night, as they returned to the inn, the city's bells rang in the distance, announcing the start of the Spring Moon Festival.
Mirae looked at Jiwoo.
"Think we'll ever be found out?"
Jiwoo looked at the sky.
"Maybe. But not today."
---