Journey to Become the Zenith

Blood in the Trade Routes

Victor, Lane, and Clara went to the adventurer’s guild to pick up a subjugation quest. Since those quests were straight forward and for Victor’s party pretty easy to do. All they needed to do in a subjugation quest was to kill all the monsters that are specified in the quest.

The guild hall was louder than usual.

Not the usual lively kind of noise—the kind filled with laughter and bragging—but something tighter, heavier. Conversations were hushed in corners, voices lowered like people were afraid of being overheard. Even the air felt different, thick with tension and unease.

Victor stepped in first.

Black shirt. Golden jacket catching the dim lantern light. His presence alone shifted the room slightly—heads turned, some subtly, some openly. Recognition flickered in a few eyes. Curiosity in others.

Lane followed at his side, still holding onto his arm, her expression calm but observant. Clara walked just a step behind, her posture sharp, eyes scanning the room like she was ready to punch someone at the slightest provocation.

”...Something’s off,” Clara muttered under her breath.

Victor didn’t respond.

He had already noticed.

Near the central board, where quests were pinned in layered sheets of parchment, a small crowd had gathered—but no one stepped forward to take the top request.

That alone said enough.

Lane leaned slightly closer to Victor, her voice soft.

”Dangerous?”

Victor’s eyes swept the board once.

”...Or inconvenient.”

They approached.

The parchment at the top was newer than the others—edges still crisp, ink dark and fresh. But what stood out wasn’t the quest itself.

It was the reward.

Lane’s eyes narrowed slightly.

”...That’s high.”

Too high.

Clara crossed her arms, frowning.

”No one’s touching it,” she said. ”That’s not a good sign.”

Victor reached out and pulled the sheet free.

The quest they took was to kill all the Ashgrey Wolves near the town. It would seem that a lot of merchants have been attacked by these wolf pack, and only some survive. The number of wolves weren’t specified, but it is believed that there was an Arcane Ashgrey wolf in the pack. This was an Ashgrey wolf that could use magic, making it an A level threat. The quest was only available for A rank parties, which Victor’s was not.

Except... they weren’t wolves.

The report described them as something worse.

Ashfang Beasts.

Creatures shaped like wolves, but wrong in ways that mattered. Their bodies were leaner, their limbs slightly elongated, their fur darkened with streaks of grey ash. Their eyes burned faintly—like embers buried under skin.

And the Arcane variant?

It didn’t just hunt.

It controlled.

Victor’s fingers tightened slightly on the parchment.

Interesting.

Lane read over his shoulder, her brow furrowing.

”...These things aren’t normal beasts.”

”No,” Victor said calmly. ”They’re closer to something that’s learned.”

Clara clicked her tongue.

”Great. Smart monsters. Just what we need.”

Still Victor had a little talk with Isabella who gave them special permission to accept this quest. The one who handed out the quest were the people from the merchants guild. Obviously they didn’t like the idea of their products being broken down by wolves, since that doesn’t make for good business. On a side note, the deaths of their companions, members of the guild weren’t worth much, since they were low leveled merchants.

They moved toward the counter.

Isabella was already watching them.

Long purple hair falling over one shoulder. Sharp black eyes that missed nothing. Her posture was relaxed—but her gaze lingered on Victor a second longer than necessary.

Her words slipped out like smoke - soft, deliberate. ”Took you long enough,” she murmured, a grin hiding just beneath the sound.

A piece of old paper landed on the countertop. Victor set it down without a word.

”We’ll take it.”

Only after a pause did Isabella move toward it.

Forward she leaned a little, one hand under her chin while watching him closely.

”You’re not A-rank.”

”I’m aware.”

”And three parties already failed.”

”I’m aware of that too.”

A pause.

A small grin appeared on her mouth then.

”...You’re either confident... or reckless.”

Stillness stayed on Victor’s face.

”Does it matter?”

Laughter slipped out of Isabella, soft and low. A moment passed before silence settled again.

”...Not to me.”

Her fingers closed around the parchment at last, then came a soft tap on the countertop.

”This isn’t a simple cleanup job,” she said, her tone shifting just slightly - less playful, more serious. ”The merchants are panicking. Trade routes are bleeding. They don’t care about the beasts themselves - they care about the losses.”

Clara scoffed.

”Of course they do.”

Her eyes jumped toward Isabella for a second before locking on Victor again.

”If you take this, you’re not just dealing with beasts. You’re stepping into something that’s already broken three parties.”

Lane’s fingers pressed a little harder into Victor’s arm.

Not fear.

Awareness.

His eyes locked onto hers, steady as stone. She did not look away either.

”...Good.”

Heavy fell that one word, more so than it should have.

A flicker of curiosity tightened Isabella’s gaze. The moment stretched, quieter than before.

”...You’re serious.”

Victor didn’t respond.

That was never a requirement for him.

For a second, silence hung there. Then Isabella let out a quiet breath. The parchment shifted under her fingers as she pushed it his way again.

”Fine. I’ll authorize it.”

She straightened slightly, her voice lowering just enough to feel personal.

”But listen carefully.”

Lane and Clara both focused.

”This isn’t just about killing beasts,” Isabella continued. ”Find out why they’re acting like this. Packs don’t usually target trade routes this aggressively without a reason.”

Victor’s gaze sharpened slightly.

Now that...

That was worth noting.

”Also,” Isabella added, a faint smirk returning, ”try not to die. It would be... disappointing.”

Clara rolled her eyes.

”Don’t worry. We’re not that easy to kill.”

Lane said nothing—but her eyes remained on Victor, steady and certain.

He folded the parchment once.

”...We’ll be back.”

Not a promise.

A statement.

As they turned to leave, the murmurs in the guild shifted again—quieter now, heavier. Some looked at them with doubt.

Others with something closer to relief.

Outside, the heat of Fantom City felt sharper.

Alive.

Waiting.

Also since the quest was handed by the merchants guild, the rewards were very generous. Actually some adventurers have tried to do the subjugation quest already because of said rewards, but failed miserably. Three parties have been disbanded due to the death of members, and heavy injuries.