They Called Me Trash? Now I'll Hack Their World-Chapter 177: You Should Have Better Locks!

"Because the Gold-ranked parties I initially hired..." He trailed off.

"Failed?" Mira prompted, leaning forward with interest.

"Worse." Ceser’s jaw tightened.

"They were wiped out. All four parties. Only three survivors made it back, and one of them died from his injuries two days later."

Silence fell over the room.

Even Mira’s casual confidence dimmed slightly.

Garf’s expression went serious.

Rolf had gone pale, his hands gripping his knees.

Yenna leaned forward.

"You said four Gold-ranked parties?" Her voice carried disbelief. "That’s not a small force. Gold ranks are experienced..."

"They didn’t face ordinary threats." Ceser pulled a folder from his desk and opened it, revealing reports and what looked like hastily sketched maps.

"There’s a dungeon that appeared roughly six weeks ago in the Thornwood Forest, maybe two days’ travel from here."

He slid one of the maps across the table.

Mira picked it up, studying it with practiced eyes. The others leaned in to look.

"At first, we thought it was a standard dungeon emergence," Ceser continued. "Dangerous, yes, but manageable with proper preparation. We even sent a team to do initial reconnaissance. They came back reporting it as a C-rank difficulty dungeon, which was appropriate for Gold-ranked adventurers."

"But?" Yenna prompted, already knowing there had to be more.

"But the information was wrong. Or the dungeon changed. Or..." Ceser’s expression darkened. "Or something else is going on that we don’t understand."

Garf grunted, his thick fingers drumming against the arm of his chair.

"What exactly killed them?"

"We don’t know. The survivors were... incoherent." Ceser’s voice grew quieter. "One kept repeating that the dungeon was ’alive.’ That it changed while they were inside."

"Dungeons don’t do that," Yenna said flatly. "They’re static. The monsters inside might have some intelligence, but dungeon is just a structure. It doesn’t think."

"I know." Ceser met her eyes. "Which is why I’m hiring Platinum ranks instead of sending more Gold parties to die."

Mira set down the map, her earlier bravado replaced with serious consideration.

"You want us to investigate."

"And if possible, clear it. Or at minimum, determine if it needs to be sealed until a Crown-ranked team can be mobilized." He paused. "Though mobilizing Crown ranks requires approval from the capital, and that takes time we may not have."

"Why the urgency?" Yenna asked. "If it’s that dangerous, seal the entrance and wait for proper backup."

"Because it’s spreading." Ceser pulled out another document, this one covered in dates and locations.

"Three more dungeons have appeared in the surrounding area in the last month. Smaller ones, but following a pattern that radiates outward from the first. And the beast activity..." He shook his head.

"Monster populations are being driven out of their territories. They’re attacking settlements, trade routes, anywhere they can find. We’ve had two villages request evacuation assistance already."

He looked at each of them in turn.

"If this continues unchecked, the entire region could become uninhabitable within six months. The capital will eventually respond, but by then, thousands of people will have died or been displaced."

Yenna absorbed that, her expression calculating.

"You mentioned ranks earlier. For reference—" She looked at Ceser.

"What rank do you believe it actually is?"

"Initial assessment was C-rank." Ceser’s voice went grim. "But... current estimate, based on casualty rates and survivor testimony, is low A-rank. Possibly higher."

Rolf made a small sound of distress.

A-rank dungeons were no joke.

They required Platinum teams at minimum, and even then, success wasn’t guaranteed.

Mira leaned back in her chair, studying Ceser’s face.

She tapped the arm of her chair thoughtfully.

Then looked at her party members.

Garf grinned, cracking his knuckles with audible pops. "Been too long since we had a proper challenge. I’m in."

Yenna simply nodded once. She didn’t need to say more, her agreement was clear.

Even Rolf, despite the nervous energy radiating from him like heat, managed to straighten his shoulders slightly. His hands stopped their constant fidgeting.

"If... if everyone else is going," he said, his voice only shaking a little, "Then I’m in too. We’re a team."

Mira’s lips curved into a satisfied smile.

She turned back to Ceser. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

"Okay. We’ll accept it."

Ceser’s face brightened immediately, relief washing over his features.

"Thank you. Truly. You have no idea—"

"Yeah, yeah." Mira stood up and stretched her arms above her head, her back cracking audibly.

"Now, bring out our advance payment. We need to settle into an inn, get supplies, and eat something that isn’t travel rations."

She held out her hand expectantly.

Ceser blinked. "The advance is—"

"Half up front," Mira interrupted smoothly. "Standard practice for high-risk contracts. Surely you knew that?"

"I... yes, of course." Ceser looked slightly overwhelmed by her directness.

Garf stood as well, his massive frame making the chair creak as he rose. He stretched and grinned at Ceser.

"Don’t worry, Lord. We’re worth every coin. But a man’s gotta eat, you know? And armor doesn’t maintain itself. Plus the inn’s gonna want payment up front once they see our weapons."

He patted his warhammer affectionately. "Innkeepers get nervous around adventurers. Can’t imagine why."

"Because you broke three tables last time," Yenna said dryly, standing with considerably more grace. She adjusted her robes and turned toward the door without waiting for Ceser’s response, clearly expecting the transaction to happen without her involvement.

Rolf scrambled to his feet, looking between Mira and Ceser with increasing nervousness.

"Um, maybe we shouldn’t... I mean, Lord Ceser is being very generous already, and demanding payment like this seems a bit—" His voice trailed off as both Mira and Garf turned to look at him.

"Rolf," Mira said patiently, "how long have you been with this team?"

"Six months?"

"And in those six months, how many times have clients tried to underpay us or claim they ’forgot’ to have coin ready?"

Rolf shifted uncomfortably. "...Four times?"

"Four times," Mira repeated. "This is business. We do the job, we get paid. Half up front ensures everyone’s serious."

She turned back to Ceser, her expression friendly but firm.

"So. The advance?"

Ceser sighed but moved to his desk, unlocking a drawer and pulling out a leather pouch that clinked heavily with coins.

"Three hundred gold," he said, handing it to Mira. "Half of the investigation fee. The remainder and the clearing bonus upon successful completion."

Mira weighed the pouch in her hand, nodded with satisfaction, and tucked it into her belt.

"Perfect. We’ll start tomorrow at first light. Expect us back within a week, sooner if things go badly."

"Or much later if things go very badly," Garf added cheerfully. "But let’s hope for the first option."

Ceser looked like he wanted to say something else, but Mira was already heading for the door.

"Come on, guys. Let’s find a decent inn before all the good rooms get taken."

They filed out, Garf waving casually at Ceser, Yenna simply nodding, Rolf giving an apologetic bow before hurrying after the others.

The servant guided them back through the estate and out to the street.

The afternoon sun was still bright, the town still busy with daily activity.

"The Silver Hart," Mira announced, pulling out the map she’d been given earlier. "Saw it on the way in. Looks clean, prices seem reasonable, and it’s close to the guild hall for when we need information."

"Food first," Garf declared. "I’m starving."

"You’re always starving."

"I’m a growing boy."

"You’re forty-three."

"Still growing."

"..."

Yenna made a sound of disgust and walked faster to put distance between herself and Garf’s terrible jokes.

They disappeared into the afternoon crowds, heading for the inn district.

The Silver Hart was exactly what it looked like from the outside, clean floors, low beams, and a fire that had clearly been burning all day.

The innkeeper, a stout woman with sharp eyes, looked them over once, clocked the weapons, and named her price without flinching.

Mira paid without haggling.

****

{Back in Ceser’s office!}

The lord sat down heavily at his desk, his earlier relief fading into exhaustion.

He rested his head on his clasped hands, elbows propped on the desk, and closed his eyes.

Six hundred gold total. Plus salvage rights. Plus the potential costs if they fail and I need to hire another team.

But what choice do I have? Let the dungeons spread unchecked? Watch the region fall apart?

He exhaled slowly.

At least they might have a real chance. Platinum ranks aren’t common. If they can’t handle it—

His head jerked upward suddenly, his eyes snapping open.

Hand moved toward the emergency bell under his desk...

"I wouldn’t," a calm voice said from behind him.

Ceser spun in his chair.

A hooded figure stood by the window, looking outside at the street below where the party members had just disappeared from view.

"Why are you here..." Ceser’s voice came out strained.

The figure turned, and Ceser caught a glimpse of the face beneath the hood.

"Edric!"

Edric—the fifth member of the Greavers—pushed his hood back, Grey eyes meeting Ceser’s.

"Hello!"

Ceser stared at him. Jaw tightened.

"How did you get in here?"

"You really should have better locks."