Prologue: Ministry of Dungeon Affairs (MDA)

Lucas Moore rubbed his temples, feeling a dull ache behind his eyes. He glanced at the clock on his computer screen and groaned.

10:30 am.

He still had six and a half hours before he could clock out and go home. He tried to focus on the reports from the latest dungeon expedition, but they were so dull and repetitive. He skimmed through the pages of numbers and words, barely registering anything. He had seen it all before, how many monsters they killed, how many traps they disarmed, how much treasure they collected. Nothing new, nothing exciting, nothing worth his attention. He sighed and leaned back in his chair, wishing he could be anywhere else.

Lucas had signed up for the Ministry of Dungeon Affairs, the new branch of the government that oversaw and controlled everything related to the dungeons that appeared suddenly and now dotted the land.

He had felt a surge of pride and excitement, thinking he was part of something vital and significant. So had the politicians who had approved the creation of the Ministry

But instead, it just turned into another bureaucracy and he was just one of many government paper-pushers, far less important than someone in the Ministry of Agriculture.

Even the Ministry of Agriculture had some impact on the lives of the people and garnered some respect. Lucas knew that if the Ministry of Dungeon Affairs vanished at this very moment, no one would notice.

Worst still is that Lucas was stuck at Level 10 in the civil service, not the bottom rung of the government ladder but not making a decent wage either. He had been there for two years, working at the most useless Ministry in the country that did nothing but paperwork and red tape. He spent his days in a maze of cubicles, filling out forms, filing documents, and checking data. A drone in a system that was driven by rules and regulations, protocols and procedures, policies and politics. If he walked away from his job, it would take months for anyone to notice, days to find a replacement, and minutes for everything to return to normal.

He dreamed of leaving his job, of hitchhiking across Europe and riding a train from the sunkissed shores of Spain to the exotic island of Singapore. Anything that would give him stories worth telling but reality was a harsh and unforgiving mistress, and he had no choice but to obey her.

He had bills that demanded his money, debts that threatened his future, and responsibilities that chained him to his present. He had no skills to impress, no talents to shine, no connections to leverage so he forced his eyes back to the screen and continued his work until a sudden uproar outside his cubicle jolted him out of his stupor.

He was startled by a sudden commotion outside his cubicle. He heard voices raised in excitement, applause and laughter. He rose from his seat and made his way to the edge of his cubicle. He peered over the wall of cubicles and people to see the cause of the disturbance.

At the end of the hall, there were a group of four adventurers clad in gleaming armour and silver capes with a familiar crest emblazoned on the front. The crest was a silhouette of a pair of silver wings.

They were surrounded by other clerks from the ministry, who were congratulating and jockeying to have their photograph taken with them.

Lucas got the distinct impression that they were the centre of the universe around which everything revolved.

Judging from the whispers and the rumours, they had just returned from an A-class dungeon expedition and were in the midst of celebrating their record of 131 days without a single recorded injury or fatality. By far the most of any of the top six guilds. Adventuring was truly a dangerous career and just keeping everyone who enters a dungeon alive and unharmed was an admirable achievement but those who overcome everything and rise to the top are met with awe and adoration wherever they go.

He noticed one of the adventurers in particular. He was a young man with blond hair and blue eyes. He was grinning and laughing, chatting and jesting. He was confident, charismatic, charming and handsome.

Lucas watched him with keen interest until they left.

During his lunch break in the cafeteria, Lucas sat alone at a table. He had brought his own sandwich and water, as he couldn't afford to buy anything from the vending machines or the cafeteria menu. He ate his sandwich slowly, trying to savour every bite. He knew it was the only thing he would eat until dinner, which would be another sandwich.

"Hey, Lucas, mind if we join you?" a deep, raspy voice echoed as the man took a bite of his sandwich.

Lifting his head, Lucas spotted one of his coworkers standing beside his desk. While they were both clerks, they worked in different divisions. The man's name was Jack Daniel, known for his tall stature, striking looks, and a perpetual smile that seemed to grace his face regardless of the circumstances. It was an intriguing contrast considering the nature of his job.

Jack held the responsibility of granting approvals for guild licenses and dungeon exploration permits. Once a guild purchased the rights to explore a dungeon, they needed official approval from the ministry, which, true to its nature, imposed excessive and burdensome hurdles as mandated by the law.

Guilds were required to fill out stacks of forms and demonstrate their compliance with strict team composition requirements. They had to include at least one S-Class adventurer, the epitome of excellence, along with two A-Class adventurers, representing the cream of the crop. Additionally, they were obligated to have a healer for every fifteen crew members. The ministry seemed indifferent to their safety but wanted to avoid any potential lawsuits.

"Uh, sure, I guess," Lucas replied, slightly caught off guard by the unexpected company.

"Don't mind if I do," chimed in another individual.

This man was Walter White, in stark contrast to Jack in almost every aspect. Short and stocky, he wore glasses and kept a pen securely clipped to his shirt pocket. He rarely smiled, a demeanor fitting for his role in tax compliance. Known for his strict adherence to rules, Walter had earned a reputation as a serious and disciplined individual.

As for Lucas himself, his responsibility involved reviewing safety reports from exploration campaigns. However, aside from the occasional mishap where a treasure collector would trip and fall on a slippery rock, his work was relatively uneventful.

Though Lucas didn't know Jack and Walter too well, he had often crossed paths with them in the office. Despite their contrasting personalities and styles, they appeared to be close friends, a curious bond that intrigued him.

"Great, thanks," Jack expressed, his voice filled with gratitude, as he and Walter settled down at Lucas's table. Jack let out a lengthy, drawn-out yawn, clearly showing his fatigue.

"You're always tired," Walter remarked, raising an eyebrow. "What keeps you so occupied? Do you have a second job or are you attending night school?"

Jack responded with a sly smile, dismissing Walter's inquiry. "Oh, it's nothing," he said. "So, anything noteworthy happen on your floor today?"

Lucas shook his head. "Not really," he replied.

"Are you absolutely sure about that?" Jack questioned, his tone laced with intrigue.

"Yeah," Lucas replied, visibly puzzled. "It was just another ordinary day."

Jack scrutinized him for a moment before revealing a tidbit of information. "I heard that Arthur Sterling made an unexpected appearance on your floor today," he disclosed.

Lucas paused, racking his brain for a moment. "Oh, you mean the blond guy from the Silver Wings guild," he finally recollected. "Yeah, that caught us off guard."