The week that followed was quiet only on the surface.
But beneath the stillness—beneath the day-to-day routines of academy life and guild briefings—the world was shifting.
It began with scattered reports. One or two new dungeon formations per region. Nothing alarming, not at first. The Association logged them as "routine anomalies" and flagged them for inspection. The guilds responded with cautious interest. Field teams were dispatched. Preliminary scans were conducted.
And then came the refusals.
Gates that wouldn't open.
Teams of experienced Hunters—men and women with years of battle behind them—stood before dungeons that pulsed with power, only to be denied entry without explanation or resistance. Their mana signatures were acknowledged. Their presence was marked. But the gates simply… remained still.
Unmoving.
Untouched.
Waiting.
