The morning was cool and quiet, and heavy clouds were gathering in the sky. The city was bustling with life; market stalls were opening one after another, and the air was thick with the scent of spices, baked bread, and sweat. Amid this hubbub, five weary travelers walked down the cobblestone street.

Their cloaks were dirty, their armor scratched, and their steps were heavy, as if each of them were carrying the whole world on their shoulders.

Valdor walked in front; his sword, slung across his back, glinted in the pale light of the early sun. Noah yawned deeply, his hands tucked into his pockets. Kael walked beside him, leaning slightly forward, with a bandage on his shoulder. Arwen and Mayuri followed behind, looking around at their surroundings.

“Finally… civilization.” — Noah muttered, stretching. — “A little longer and I’d have forgotten what fresh bread smells like.”

“You’d fight even a demon for bread.” — Arwen snorted, adjusting her belt with the blades.

“Hey, at least a demon bakes with fire. That’s something I understand.” — Noah replied with a smile.

Valdor smiled slightly, though fatigue was clearly etched on his face.

Kael glanced at him sideways. 

“After what we went through in the ruins, silence should be a blessing.”

Valdor shook his head.

“In places like this, silence always hides something.”

The Adventurers’ Guild was located in the city center — in a large stone building. Before they went inside, Arwen stopped by the fountain and splashed her face with cool water.

“Someone tell me we’ll finally get something better than this piece of metal.” — she sighed.

Mayuri adjusted her coat.

“Ranks aren’t assigned based on looks. But… after what we’ve done, maybe they’ll finally take notice.”

Noah replied with a smile.

“If they don’t notice, I’ll set their registration office on fire. Gently, of course.”

Kael sighed, tapping him on the back of the head.

“Before you set anything on fire, let’s let Valdor speak. He can talk without using fire.”

The guild doors swung open with a heavy creak, and inside, the familiar buzz of conversation, the clink of goblets, and the smell of smoke from the hearth rose up. But as soon as they entered, several conversations fell silent.

Everyone knew they had returned from the ruins.

Standing at the counter was the same elderly guild master they’d met earlier — his gray hair was tied back, and he held a quill in his hand that paused mid-signature when he saw Valdor.

“You’re back… alive.” —  he said slowly. —  “Most novices on missions like this come back in pieces.”

Noah burst out laughing.

Valdor placed a canvas-wrapped pouch on the counter, from which a black fragment of crystal fell out.

“What’s this?” —  asked the guild master.

“You give us a mission and then don’t know what we’re supposed to bring back. It’s a piece of a dragon’s heart.”

“A dragon’s heart, but in those ruins?” —  asked the guild master.

“But when we were conducting our research, there wasn’t a dragon there.” — he added.

“How is that possible…” — whispered Valdor.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know there was a dragon there.” — the guild master bowed.

The guild master looked at the crystal, and his eyes widened slightly.

“Tomorrow I’ll send my best men to kill the dragon.”

“But the dragon is already dead.” — said Arwen.

“What do you mean? Who killed it?” — asked the guild master.

“I did." — Valdor said in a booming voice.

Whispers rippled through the hall. A few veterans moved a little closer, trying to hear more.

“An F-rank slayed the dragon… that’s impossible.” — thought the guild master.

“I see. I’ll acknowledge that you defeated it.” — he said.

Valdor nodded, but before he could say anything, Noah stepped in front of him, resting his elbows on the counter.

“Speaking of acknowledgment… what about our rank? Are we still ‘F-rank’?”

“Noah…” — Kael muttered.

“No, no, let him speak." — Arwen interjected with a mischievous smile.

“We’ll see if we finally get something that doesn’t rust in the rain.” — she added.

The Master smiled slightly.

“In your case… an F rank isn’t enough anymore.” — He reached for the board and hung a new silver medallion on it. — “As of today, you’ve officially been promoted to C rank.”

Noah whistled. — “Well, finally something that sparkles.”

Valdor smiled almost imperceptibly.

“Thank you. But there’s one more thing.”

The Master raised an eyebrow. — “Yes?”

Valdor unclipped the old medallion and placed it on the counter.

“We want to change the team’s name.”

A murmur rippled through the room.

“Oh?” — The Master spread his hands. — “What name have you chosen?”

Valdor looked at his companions. Kael nodded, Arwen smiled quietly, Noah nodded enthusiastically, and Mayuri looked up with a serious expression.

“Starting today, we are the Dragon's Pursuit.” — Valdor said calmly. — “Because dragons don't run away. They pursue their destiny.”

There was a moment of silence. Then the hall filled with a murmur of approval. Even a few of the older seekers smiled to themselves.

The Master cleared his throat. — “Dragon's Pursuit… that sounds good. So be it, then. Let this name be recorded in our chronicles.”

He jotted it down, sealing a new chapter in their history.

When they stepped outside, the sun began to break through the clouds. Valdor paused for a moment and looked at the medallion hanging around his neck.

“Rank C, huh?” — Noah muttered as he walked alongside him. — “A few more battles and we’ll be shining just like those snobs from Wolf’s Edge.”

“We don’t need to shine.” — Valdor replied. — “We need strength to rebuild the Dragon Kingdom.”

“And we need gear.” — Arwen added, turning to the others. — “Let’s go get some new gear.”

Kael sighed but smiled.

“Yeah, that sounds like a plan.”

Mayuri nodded; her gaze was calm but alert.

“Now that we have a new name, we should look like the team we deserve to be.”

Valdor led the way.

“All right. Before we start our next mission, we need to be ready for anything.”

The city’s shopping street was bustling with activity. The shops of armormakers, blacksmiths, and merchants glistened with the colors of metals and magical runes. The smell of hot iron mingled with the aroma of food, and the shouts of vendors filled the air.

“Welcome to a warrior's paradise." — Noah said with a twinkle in his eye.

“More like a money pit.” —Arwen replied.

Valdor gave a wry smile.

“We'll only buy what's necessary.”

“And something that can withstand more than one hit.” — Kael added, glancing around at the displays.

Mayuri stopped in front of a display case where black crystals glistened. — “These… react to the user’s magic.” — She touched one gently, and the stone glowed a dark purple.

“Magic amplifiers?” — Valdor asked.

“Yes. But they’re expensive.” — She glanced at the price tag and raised an eyebrow. — “Very expensive — three gold coins each.”

Noah scratched his head.

“Maybe if we tell them we saved half the city, they’ll give us a discount?”

Arwen smiled wickedly.

“Or Noah could finally burn down someone’s stall, and then no one will ask for money anymore.”

“Hey!” — he protested. — “I only set something on fire once… by accident.”

Kael laughed quietly. — “‘By accident’ is your middle name.”

Valdor stopped in front of one of the workshops. The sign featured a dragon coiled around a hammer.

“Here.” — he said curtly.

They went inside. The air smelled of fire and metal. Behind the counter stood a massive man with scars on his shoulders. He looked at them from beneath bushy eyebrows.

“What do you need, warriors?”

Valdor placed his old sword on the counter.

“I need something that can withstand more than this.”

The blacksmith raised an eyebrow, looked at the blade, then at Valdor.

“That’s a blade made of runic steel. It’s not easy to break.”

Valdor nodded.

“And yet it broke.”

The blacksmith was silent for a moment, then snorted.

“In that case, I have something that might interest you. You have eyes like a dragon.”

He turned and took a sword wrapped in black cloth from a shelf. When he unwrapped it, the blade glowed with a deep red light.

“A dragon’s blade.” — he said proudly. — “A rare blade, forged from the core of a meteorite. They say it responds to those who have something… more than just humanity in their blood.”

Valdor reached out, and as he touched the hilt, the blade pulsed with light. The blacksmith looked at him in surprise.

“Well, well…” — he muttered. — “It looks like the sword has accepted you.”

Noah whistled.

“So we’ve got a new toy for our leader.”

Valdor smiled barely.

“It’s not a toy. It’s a blade that must learn to fight alongside me.”

“I’ll sell it to you for two gold coins.” — he smiled broadly.

“That’s expensive… we got 5 gold coins for the mission.”

Meanwhile, outside, someone was making his way through the crowd, watching them from a distance. A blue-haired warrior — Arok, leader of the Wolf’s Edge. He stood in the shadow of a building, arms crossed, his gaze as cold as steel.

“Dragon's Pursuit…” — he repeated quietly under his breath. — “I wonder how long you’ll last in this world where dragons have long since gone extinct.”

He smiled, and his eyes flashed with something unsettling.