Chapter 33: The Seventh Floor Pact (Origin)
The story of the "Unstoppable Duo" began not in glorious battle, but in the grime and silence of a collapsed cave deep within the Dungeon's lower floors. Cassian and Calhoun, trapped after a surprise cave-in, spent a few necessary hours resting. They made small talk, and Cassian, with a moment of uncharacteristic generosity, shared some of his private food rations with Calhoun.
With renewed, though partial, strength, they combined their skills and shattered the heavy rubble blocking their path.
They continued their journey toward the final floor together, their pairing proving instantly effective. They became an unstoppable duo, systematically slaying powerful foes that dared cross their path.
Within an hour, they reached the final floor. The monsters there were on a different level entirely, charging at them with palpable bloodlust. Calhoun took the front lines, his spear a blur of motion, while Cassian moved to support him. They held their ground, unshakable.
In a normal battle, front-liners—sword users, spear users, even archers—must dedicate a significant portion of their attention and defense to protect their fragile supporting classes like Mages and Healers. These support classes, while vital, inherently present a defensive weakness.
But Calhoun quickly realized that Cassian was an anomaly. He didn't need to defend Cassian at all. The way the young man moved, cast complex spells, and evaded incoming attacks was so fluid and aggressive that Calhoun couldn't tell if he was truly a Mage or an Attacker playing an elaborate pretend game. Because of this, Calhoun was free to focus entirely on his own fight. In fact, observing Cassian's effortless handling of the battlefield, Calhoun often felt he was the one providing support to the Mage, rather than the other way around.
The final challenge was the floor's Boss Monster. It was a grueling, terrifying battle that left scars, both literal and metaphorical, on Cassian's soul. But through sheer effort and flawless teamwork, they prevailed, eventually exiting the dungeon.
They were met by a shocking sight: two out of the seven Guild Masters were personally waiting for them on the other side.
As Calhoun walked out of the cave entrance, fire still blazed violently from the residual heat of his final attack. Healers immediately rushed in to tend to their wounds. Following this legendary feat of survival and teamwork, Calhoun was formally given the title Dagarak, representing the embodiment of fire and the Conqueror of Flames.
As soon as Cassian received his adventurer card, however, he vanished, disappearing from the Guild Masters' sight as quickly as if he had never existed. This baffling, mysterious departure led to his title: The Mystic Mage. The word 'Mystic' didn't signify anything powerful in the Arcane sense; it simply meant 'mysterious.' Since then, the Guild Masters have kept a keen eye on his movements.
The title Gold Slayer, however, was earned in a whole different, far more chaotic chapter of his life.