[: 3rd POV :]

In the heart of Velaria Nexus, the atmosphere was tense yet alive.

The city's largest plaza had been converted into a staging ground, and for the first time in years, it brimmed with hundreds of armed individuals.

Mercenaries in mismatched armor, guild members bearing insignias of different factions, and freelance adventurers of all levels had gathered shoulder to shoulder.

At the center of it all stood the Blue Moon Guild, their banners raised high—silver crescents gleaming under the mana-lit skies.

The plaza pulsed with the hum of mana arrays and the heavy clank of weapons being prepared for war.

The Guild Master stood at the forefront, his presence commanding attention.

Around him, lieutenants and tacticians organized squads, issuing orders to the restless sea of fighters.

The mission was clear, repeated across the plaza through magical projections.

[: Target: Raid and annihilate an illegal facility under the control of the Zero Organisation :]

Daniel was among them.

He moved through the mass of hardened warriors with quiet steps.

While others exchanged boasts, sharpened blades, or checked runes on their weapons, he remained silent, calm and focused.

Though no one spoke to him directly, the air around him seemed heavier, enough that a subtle circle of space formed naturally wherever he stood.

As the Guild Master raised his hand, the noise of hundreds dulled.

The only sound was the echo of crackling mana from the projection crystals.

The operation briefing scrolled across glowing panels, showing routes, possible ambush points, and the heavy defenses of the facility.

Every warrior present understood the weight of what was coming.

This was no ordinary raid.

And among them, without drawing attention to his name or power, Daniel had joined.

Arcturus Veylan, the Guild Master, scanned the crowd, his sharp eyes reflecting the glow of magical runes.

Then, with a slow exhale, he began.

"Brothers. Sisters. Outsiders who chose to stand with us."

His voice carried weight, steady and commanding.

"I thank each and every one of you for answering this call."

Murmurs rose from the crowd, but Arcturus lifted his hand and the plaza quieted again.

"The enemy we face tonight is no mere band of criminals," he continued, his tone grim.

"The Zero Organisation has long spread its roots in the shadows"

"They traffic in forbidden arts, enslave the innocent, and toy with lives as though they were nothing but coin to be spent"

"For thousands of years, they have eluded the laws of our world."

His voice hardened, anger flickering behind his calm facade.

"But no longer."

A cheer rose, rough and raw, before he silenced it again with a raised hand.

"This operation will strike at one of their largest facilities yet uncovered"

"It will not be easy"

"Their stronghold is fortified, their soldiers disciplined, and their experiments… monstrous"

"You must steel yourselves for horrors beyond bandits or beasts."

His gaze swept over the assembled fighters—veterans tightening their grips on weapons, young recruits swallowing their fear, and lone mercenaries standing tall among guild banners.

"And yet," Arcturus said, his voice lowering to a solemn tone, "I see before me the strength of many banners, many clans, many names"

"Today, we set aside differences. Today, we stand as one"

"Not as scattered blades—but as a storm."

A ripple of energy moved through the crowd at his words.

Then he raised his arm, his hand clenched into a fist.

"For your courage, your blades, and your blood, know this, you will be rewarded handsomely"

"The Blue Moon Guild honors its promises"

"Every participant will receive not only payment, but also rights to spoils, recognition among guild networks, and, if you survive, a mark of honor tied to this operation"

A roar of approval surged from the mercenaries.

Some slammed their weapons against their shields, others shouted war cries, and a few younger recruits raised their arms in excitement.

Arcturus allowed it to build for a moment before speaking again, his tone final.

"But the coins is not why you stand here."

He leaned forward slightly, eyes narrowing.

"You stand here because the world cannot afford to turn a blind eye any longer"

"You stand here because the innocent cry for justice"

"And you stand here because when the name Zero Organisation is finally torn from the shadows…"

His fist struck against his chest, the sound echoing. "…it will be by our hands."

The plaza erupted into cheers—louder, fiercer than before.

Through the noise, Daniel stood still, his gaze locked on Arcturus.

His expression didn't shift, but deep inside, his own thoughts burned darker than the rallying cries around him.

The cheers slowly settled as Arcturus Veylan raised his hand again.

"Remember this—" he said, his eyes sweeping the sea of warriors.

"Even if your contribution in this mission amounts to nothing, you will still be rewarded. None of you will leave empty-handed"

"You came here, you answered the call, and that is enough for me to honor."

A few mercenaries chuckled in relief, some clapped each other on the shoulders.

For those who doubted their own strength, the promise felt like a weight lifted.

"But," Arcturus continued, his tone hardening, "do not mistake this as a mercy. Your courage will be tested the moment we march."

He gestured, and a giant projection crystal flared to life behind him, projecting an aerial map.

Runes flickered, outlining jagged mountains and a vast stretch of forest marked with crimson sigils.

"This," he said, pointing toward the glowing section, "is the target. An illegal facility operated by the Zero Organisation, concealed within the Land of Tetaria"

"To the outside eye, it appears as nothing more than abandoned land"

The map shifted, peeling back layers of illusion until the image revealed a sprawling underground complex beneath the ruins.

Hallways, chambers, and ominous red circles pulsed faintly, representing sealed wards.

"In truth, it is a labyrinth," Arcturus explained, his finger tracing the glowing passages.

"Dozens of chambers, fortified gates, and alchemical laboratories hidden beneath the surface"

The crowd murmured uneasily, some shifting their stances as they studied the projection.

Gasps rippled through the assembly.

One young mercenary muttered, "Gods preserve us…" only to be hushed by his captain.

He let his eyes sweep the crowd again, meeting the hardened glares of veterans and the nervous gazes of fresh recruits alike.

"You are not going in blind," he assured them.

"But do not expect the enemy to fight fair"

"This is Zero. They will use every trick, every abomination, every drop of blood to resist us"

"Stay alert. Stay together. And above all—do not falter."

The projection shimmered again, runes pulsing brighter as Arcturus Veylan pressed his palm against the crystal.

The image shifted, revealing crude sketches, fragmented reports, and blood-red marks of confirmed sites within the underground complex.

His voice grew heavier, almost grim.

"We lack precise intel on the full scope of this place," Arcturus admitted, his jaw tight.

"The Zero Organization cloaks its movements well, even against our best trackers"

"But what we do know…" He paused, letting the silence sharpen. "…is damning."

The crystal flared, showing grainy illusions captured by spies—altars smeared with dark ichor, chains bolted into stone, and strange runic circles that pulsed faintly even in memory.

"This facility is not only a base of operation."

Arcturus's voice cut through the murmurs like a blade.

"It is a site of ritual. Countless lives—beasts, elves, dwarves, orcs… even humans—have been slaughtered here."

The words struck the crowd like a hammer.

The air turned suffocating.

"And not just grown men or women,"

Arcturus continued, his face grim, as though forcing the words out.

"Children and even infants"

"Their blood was spilled on those stones, feeding whatever abhorrent rites Zero intends to complete."

An uproar broke out.

Some mercenaries cursed aloud, fists clenching, while others lowered their heads in disgust.

One woman spat at the ground, muttering, "Monsters… no, worse than monsters."

Arcturus let the storm of voices rise and fall before he raised his hand for silence.

"These are not rumors"

"These are confirmed"

"Our informants smuggled out traces of bone, cloth… even charms belonging to the victims"

"Every lead we have screams of one thing—sacrifice."

His words echoed, and for a moment, no one spoke.

Daniel stood still among them, eyes locked on the illusions.

The sight of blood-stained altars, the chains, the cold stone circles—his mind twisted in silent rage.

'Children… infants'

'They didn't even have a chance to breathe, to live, and they were thrown into the jaws of this madness'

'Sacrificed like cattle'

His fists clenched so tightly his knuckles cracked.

A faint glow flickered in his dark eyes, quickly suppressed as he steadied his breathing.

'And all of this… all of it, for a ritual? For power? For greed?'

The thought burned in his mind.

His body felt tense, as if his very essence was rejecting the mere concept of what Zero had done.

He wasn't just angry—he was disgusted.

A cold, heavy disgust that settled into his bones.

Around him, mercenaries whispered among themselves.

Some looked sick, others ready to draw their blades and storm the highlands that very night.

Arcturus spoke again, steady and commanding.

"We cannot undo what has been done"

"But we can end it here"

"We will storm that facility, dismantle their corruption, and ensure no more lives are fed to their abyss"

"Every step you take into that labyrinth, remember who you are fighting for—not only yourselves, not only your guild, but for the countless voiceless victims whose cries were silenced."

Daniel's jaw tightened.

He didn't need the reminder.

The image of nameless infants, of mutilated corpses, had already burned itself into his mind.

He didn't want reward, didn't want recognition.

'I'll make sure Zero pays'

'Every last one of them'

'Even if it takes tearing their world apart, I'll make them regret ever drawing breath'

The crystal dimmed, but the silence it left behind was heavier than iron.

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