Isekai Dungeon Architect

The Association Castle loomed at the heart of Westford like a monument carved out of centuries of ambition... one that was going to be tested today.

Its familiar spires cut into the pale morning haze, colored glass and marble catching the sun in a sharp glimmer of gold.

Beneath it stretched the Main Plaza filled with adventurers going about with their daily lives, and a vast stone court lined with banners of silver and indigo, the symbol of the Adventurer's Association fluttering proudly from every column.

Merchants had packed their stalls early today as well, hawking enchanted goods, maps, and treasures from the dungeon floors.

Children darted between taller legs, adventurers leaned against the rails, nursing mugs of delicious brews as they waited for whatever important announcement had drawn the city's attention.

The atmosphere had been heaven since this morning, but they were finally going to know what all the fuss had been about.

-Ooooooooooooong.

A soft vibration ran through the plaza stones, followed by the clear chime of a familiar voice belonging to the Adventurer's association: a calm, feminine, powerful voice amplified a thousandfold.

{ "Attention, all registered Adventurers of Westford. By order of the Association's Council, the following declaration is issued." }

The voice was transmitted to the entire city with the help of the special magical item present at the very top of the castle, a speaker that broke the conventional boundaries of a modern world.

{ "An anomaly has been detected within the Westford Central Dungeon. A White-Scale Naga, a being classified as a True Boss-Level Entity, has appeared on the first floor." }

The moment these words were announced, gasps erupted throughout the city. Many swore aloud, while countless others laughed in disbelief.

{ "The entity has already resulted in multiple party casualties." }

The voice announced the name of the deceased individuals one by one, and, as she did that, the people connected to the dead cried, screaming at the accursed dungeon.

{ "As of this moment, the dungeon will be sealed to all independent adventurers and parties until further notice." }

This was an important point. If they were going to seal the dungeon gates, many would lose their very source of survival.

The economy would face a great hit, and the entire stability of Westford would be affected.

A heavy pause followed right after those last few words, the kind that swelled in the gut before turning to collective outrage.

{ "To reclaim and stabilize the dungeon's floor, the Association will lead a joint raid expedition. A total of thirty registered parties, each composed of at least six members, will participate alongside Association elites and auxiliary units." }

Around the plaza, the seasoned veterans were already calculating profits, while the younger adventurers panicked at the thought of being locked out of their only income. But the mention of a joint operation for the first time in a century ignited a new flame in the eyes of rusted veterans.

A joint operation was not only a grand opportunity; if they survived this battle, they would be set for a few months… or perhaps for the rest of their lives.

{ "Selection of participating parties will proceed according to Standard Procedure." }

That specific line was a single, polished, official phrase, one with many deep meanings, and one that possessed a power of its own as it hung in the air like a secret everyone knew.

"Standard procedure," in Westford, meant one thing: noble influence.

Those with wealth or lineage would buy their way into glory. Those without would fight for scraps. But in a battle of this scale, even those scraps were something the common parties could not miss out on.

{ "The operation will be held in two days. All interested parties are to follow the standard procedures for registration." }

The speaker's tone dimmed, leaving only the hum of anxious whispers throughout the city.

Common people were afraid of what was to come, while those who knew little about the gravity of the situation started searching for anything related to the beings called Naga.

The forces of the nobles that had already made their way to the city nodded in excitement… They were going to have fun facing a being of legends.

Those who feared death trembled in the face of the situation, while those who worshipped thrill licked their blades with a smirk on their faces.

The situation on the surface was a mix of chaos and joy, but far below, in the depths of that very dungeon, Aria stood at the edge of a ravaged chamber.

The air here was thick with residual mana, faintly glowing from the solid, mana-conducting walls.

The creature before her, the White-Scale Naga, was motionless, even still, coiled protectively around three pearl-like eggs that shimmered with faint, inner light.

Aria's eyes softened whenever she glanced at them. There was no triumph there, only an ache she couldn't quite name.

"Why here…" she murmured under her breath before shaking her head.

Even now, the faint green shimmer of the Safe Zone pulsed gently around the nest.

Behind her, Reddy was giving tactical instructions, Sir Exile was checking mana readings, and the clatter of the gears filled the air.

The creature's slitted eyes, dim but aware, watched her still body not as an enemy. Not even as a prey. But, as something she understood.

A sigh escaped the mother as she thought to herself, "You're not supposed to exist," she whispered to her unborn children."And yet… you're beautiful."

The sadness in Aria's chest deepened once she saw the motherly love of the snake, but she turned away before it could anchor her there.

"Alright," she said finally, her voice steady as she rejoined her team's conversation. "Let's move. We'll discuss strategy as we get out of this place."

Sir Exile had confirmed that he would not need to step up this time. As long as they were careful, they could take on at least this level of threat.

He would leave this mission to the people that they were going to send to the dungeon.

It would be an actual joint raid with everyone acting in the goodwill of their parties and the people behind them.

The contribution would be counted by the dungeon itself, so they did not have to worry about the fairness, but, at the end of the day, this is a creature of legends we are talking about, which had materialised in the form of a legendary creature.

However elaborate their plans for this battle might be… they knew things were not going to go exactly the way they wanted.