As the papers were fluttering behind the Guild Master, he stated in a booming voice, "We don't have a bloody clue what's happening!"

  Ah.

  The whole crowd was stunned by the statement. Some even lost their balance and fell backwards. Feet hung in the air from the shameless declaration that the source of the current disaster was unknown.

  Before anyone could retort or get off the ground, Dalen's voice boomed again, "But!"

  "The damage has only occurred within the dungeon! We have no reason to believe we are at threat now! But caution is always advised!"

  "For those who haven't heard the rumors, numerous undead have appeared within the dungeon! Some of those undead are from parties who have entered the dungeon within the past week! Most of the undead included numerous adventurers between tier 3 & 4 who have been reported to have left the city within the last month!"

  Shock appeared on most people's faces, including Damian's.

  People who have left the city for a whole month...

  Damian's mind was racing to put the pieces together. A cold dread was crawling its way up his spine.

  For a person to turn into an undead, it would take between 8 hours and a full day. That's not including adventurers above tier 4, though. The higher the tier reached, the shorter the time frame before one would become an undead.

  It was the cruel fate of the people of Tania. A horrible curse marked this land where the dead would rise again and hunt the living. If you were an individual tier 2 or below, your chances of becoming an undead were slim.

  Thank the goddesses that this was the case, else we'd have to be fighting children who had passed.

  Once someone reaches tier 3, they'd more likely than not become an undead. Upon reaching tier 4, the chances were practically guaranteed.

  Where does this horrible curse stem from? If you managed to ask one of the Valkyrie, they'd point in the direction of the Dark Spire, the largest dungeon on Tania. Not only is it the largest, but it's also the one that's the most lethal to adventurers.

  It's said to house an evil god who placed a curse upon the land, whose name is never to be uttered. Over 1000 years ago, the goddesses sealed this evil god within the dark Spire at a cost. The Earth, Fire, Water, and Light goddesses were all gravely wounded in the battle.

  Not only were they gravely wounded, but all the avatars of the goddesses other than the Light Goddess perished. Most of the history surrounding that time and before is spotty speculation at best. Children's storybooks call it "The Cataclysm."

  Due to their injuries, the goddesses have not uttered a word in the last 1000 years. Some priestesses of the goddesses claim to hear their voices from time to time, but their words are muffled and hard to understand.

  Back to the undead, the biggest concern involving them is that they don't just come back, they come back much stronger, usually with strange new powers that defy standard logic.

  Those powers are stranger than you would see in the majority of the populace. Due to this, some people have concluded that demons or the avatars of the evil god are the ones possessing the dead.

  The people of Tania have adapted over time. They hold rites for the newly deceased, a softer term for killing the dead. From region to region, these rites will change, usually adding cultural significance to the practice.

  Some areas treat the dead with reverence, while others use a more utilitarian approach. But they all end the same. Putting those who returned from the grave at peace.

  The most common practice within the Earthen Union is to take the body of the deceased and tie it down, typically with chains or shackles. Once they return, they are swiftly put to rest, usually with a blow to the back or side of the head. Sometimes decapitation.

  If you were to ask why people don't simply burn the body before they come back, their response would be, "Are you stupid?" The curse does not discriminate when raising the dead. When the dead rise, they will rise in one form or another.

  If there is no longer a vessel, or it is far too damaged for the dead to inhabit, there is a slight chance that they do not come back. But more often than not, they come back as a wraith—an even more unholy abomination.

  Wraiths hold no concrete form and can pass through any physical object that doesn't have mana coursing through it. Not only that, but because they are formless, they often take on even more monstrous forms, closer to a beast than man.

  If you wanted to kill a wraith, you would need to use magic. And even as you injure them, their combat capabilities wouldn't decrease as much. You could cut the limb off a person, but what of a formless existence?

  If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  Getting back to the main point, if someone wanted to house numerous undead for a month, they'd have to have significant power, let alone unleash them within the dungeon without alerting anyone.

  That leaves the more likely possibility that these people were kidnapped and kept alive for a month, only to be killed and made into undead weapons for some reason.

  This would still require significant manpower, but not nearly as much as the alternative.

  I guess Dalen said it best. We don't have a bloody clue what's happening!

  "Several of the spotted undead were at tiers 5 & 6, but we have yet to track down who they are! Many are believed to be people who entered the tower earlier this week!"

  "If you notice anything suspicious, report it to the guards immediately! They are already on high alert!" The booming voice continued.

  "Stay Calm and Stay Safe, that is all for now!" Dalen ended.

  The crowd immediately erupted into yelling and screaming questions, but Dalen didn't seem to care, walking back to his office.

  While the crowd of adventurers was raising hell, Damian turned to his party. The creeping dread he was feeling was still there, and he was looking for a reason to shake it off.

  "Any thoughts?"

  Alex promptly stood up, grabbed a tray of beers from the waitress earlier, and started walking around the table, slamming wooden mugs filled with liquid courage in front of each member.

  "Let's do what we set out to do! A drink to Isaac! He saved my life numerous times before, all our lives. But never a danger as perilous as the one today!"

  Donna raised her head and stared at the wooden mug. Slowly, her hand reached out and clenched it. One last tear slid down her face before she jolted up and started to down the golden liquid. With a polished finish, she slammed the cup down and proudly yelled, "To Isaac!"

  """To Isaac!!!""" The rest of the members, besides Fergus, drank their beers.

  Hollering over to the waitress scurrying away, Donna called for another round.

  "Hey, do you remember the time when we had to hoist Isaac up that cliff?" Alex brought up.

  "Oh, you mean the time when he couldn't climb up? Pshh, we had to tie him up like a well bucket. By the time we got him and his heavy armor to the top, he was as red as a tomato! He kept yelling that the rope was making concerning sounds the whole time!"

  "Bahaha! I wouldn't let him live it down for months! Whenever we came across a well, I'd give him a look, and he'd look the other way!"

  "What about the time when the carriage we were in started to run away down that hill?" Donna started.

  "I thought that Isaac saved us all when he jumped out to stop it, but the next thing I knew, he was on the ground behind us with wheel marks over him."

  "Bahahah! Yeah! I had to get out and save you all!" Alex proudly declared.

  "Oh, oh. What about that time when he tried to save that village girl from getting accosted?"

  "Psh! I thought that he'd never stick out his neck for someone again! The girl was so embarrassed and mad that he butted in on the lovebirds. They were doing a roleplay of all things in public! Hahaha!"

  "And what about that time when Isaac..."

  Is it just me, or are all these just embarrassing moments for Isaac? Damian smiled wryly.

  The stories of old helped keep his mind off the mounting dread and panic surrounding them. It was like a little oasis just for them, or possibly closer to being the calm in the eye of the storm.

  I hope it's not like this whenever I croak... Thank you, Isaac. For saving me, for saving us.

  ***

  At about the 12th embarrassing story of Isaac, Fergus came back with several platters of food.

  Maybe I should have brought up one of Isaac's more heroic moments... Although, where's the fun in saying he jumped in front of you to block a hit?

  Alex couldn't wait to eat and started to devour the platter Fergus set in front of her. It was just grilled dungeon meat with spices. They didn't have any grain, vegetables, or fruit to make a proper meal, but this was enough. Who could say no to dungeon meat!

  Hmm?

  Something strange happened. Alex had halted and gone wide-eyed.

  Damian quickly looked behind himself, ready for an attack or to see if something else had happened.

  There was nothing but adventurers continuing to accost the staff with questions, although some of them seemed to have given up and ordered some food and alcohol.

  Looking back at Alex, Damian expected a wry smile on her face, but found none. Her eyes were still wide as saucers, as if she were seeing something incredible.

  What the hell is wrong with her?

  Fergus continued to put plates down in front of everyone. Donna, oblivious to Alex's wide-eyed stare, took a bite out of the meal. Then, all of a sudden, she stopped and became wide-eyed too.

  The hell?

  "Fergus! Stop! Something is wrong with the food!" Damian shouted.

  Smiling wryly, Fergus said, "There's nothing wrong with it, it's just my new skill. Here, try it." Fergus held out a plate, and Damian backed away.

  Looking back to Alex and Donna, then the plate of food, Damian took a strip of meat and popped it into his mouth.

  Heaven~

  I think I can hear the Valkyrie singing, no wait. It could be the goddesses themselves. Huh? I'm being bathed in warm sunlight that feels like the softest blanket ever made. I'm being swaddled in the arms of the mother I never knew... and the father I never knew is looking proudly at me. This is happiness, this is bliss~

  Eyes refocusing, Damian looked over at Fergus. He looked so handsome right now. There's no way he could let Alex have him to herself. This cooking skill shouldn't be wasted on only that vulgar woman!

  Leaning back, Fergus's eyes became even more slit-like. "You're giving me a weird look..."

  "I was just thinking of the best way to propose."

  "Pshh, Hahahaha, Ah man, you did a number on him, Fergus. Looks like you broke them all. Did you even try your new skill before testing it out on us?" Frey pointed out.

  Fergus jerked the plate away from Damian and quickly rounded the table, collecting the other plates. Sad eyes appeared on everyone's faces.

  "My skill is just supposed to give an all-around buff to those who eat my cooking! Could the status sheet be wrong? Plus, when I tested it on myself, nothing seemed different. I don't think it works on me, only others."

  "I'm sure there's nothing wrong with your skill, Fergus. There are always things that the status sheet doesn't tell us. I actually have a similar skill~."

  "You're tier 4 as well now?"

  "Yes, but it isn't that skill."

  "?"

  "Damian and the girls know, but my second skill isn't the ability to pack more firepower into my fireballs. That's just my control~."

  "Then what is..."

  "A sex buff~."

  "!!!???"

  "When Damian and I are together~ we both get a buff for a week. But as a side effect of the skill~ IT IS JUST Soo~ Good~."

  Fergus's face turned beet red.

  "Psh, relax, Fergus. They'll come out of their daze sooner or later. The first hit of the skill is the strongest, but they'll gain immunity to it sooner or later. Now pass me a plate, I'm starting to get hungry over here."