A blinding flash swallowed Team Father.
When the light faded, they stood once again in the Academy stadium.
For half a second—
Silence.
Then the entire Academy rose to its feet.
Teachers.
Students.
Nobles.
Staff.
All applauding.
The cheers were deafening 🎉.
Team Father had returned as legends.
They stood side by side:
Aren.
Ben.
King.
And the tiny blue horse 🐎.
They bowed once.
The stadium exploded.
🌱 Separate Paths
After the ceremony, they parted ways.
Ben ran home, tears streaming down his face.
At the gate, his little sister waited.
Standing.
Walking.
Then running.
"Ben!!"
He dropped to his knees and hugged her tightly.
Their home filled with laughter for the first time in years.
King returned to his noble estate.
His family stared in shock—
then joy—
when Berry appeared beside him, holding his arm shyly.
King bowed deeply.
"This is my love."
The halls filled with blessings and cheers.
And Aren?
He went straight to the library.
Sat at his usual table.
Opened a book.
As if nothing extraordinary had happened.
Students peeked from behind shelves, whispering:
"That's Aren…"
"He saved a cursed child…"
"He freed lost souls…"
"He might be the strongest first-year ever…"
Aren turned a page calmly.
Outside, the little blue horse played in the garden with two children, neighing happily.
Peace.
Before the storm.
⏳ One Month Later — Phase Two Begins
One month passed like a breath.
Memories of Phase One became legends whispered through halls.
Now—
Team Father stood on a glowing teleport circle once more.
Light swallowed them.
They appeared on the edge of a massive cliff.
Cold wind howled 🌬️.
Clouds churned below.
Mountains and forests looked tiny from this impossible height.
Ben whistled.
"Phase Two really doesn't mess around…"
King tightened his gloves.
"As long as Aren's here, we'll manage."
Ben nodded confidently.
"Yeah. We're unstoppable."
Even the horse neighed proudly.
"Ho!"
All eyes turned to Aren.
He crouched near the cliff edge, examined the stone, tasted the air, then nodded.
"From what I've read," Aren said calmly,
"Phase Two has no fixed pattern."
Ben blinked.
"…That's bad, right?"
"Yes."
King frowned.
"How many teams reached Phase Two before us?"
"Three."
Ben stiffened.
"So the knight… the bride… the child… they helped those teams too?"
Aren shook his head.
"If they had been helped," he said quietly,
"those souls wouldn't still exist."
Silence fell.
Cold. Heavy.
Aren turned to his team.
"Phase Two is not about clearing known trials."
He stepped forward.
"It's about finishing what others failed to finish."
King clenched his fist.
Ben swallowed.
Even the horse's ears twitched nervously.
King asked softly,
"Aren… do you know what comes next?"
Aren shook his head.
"No."
That answer terrified them more than anything else.
🏚️ The Old Guild
They walked.
Through fog.
Through silence.
Until a building emerged.
Old.
Broken.
Massive.
A crooked wooden sign hung above the door:
GUILD
Ben blinked.
"…Is this a joke?"
The door creaked open.
Inside—
A giant bear sat behind a desk, holding a quill, buried in paperwork 🐻✍️.
He looked up slowly, eyes tired beyond reason.
Ben whispered,
"…Is that legal?"
King whispered back,
"I don't think laws exist here."
The bear pointed lazily at a quest board.
Aren approached and pulled down the largest paper.
[QUEST: DefEAT THE GIANT DRAGON LIVING ON THE CLIFF]
The moment he touched it—
BOOM.
The desk shook.
The bear stood, carried the entire desk outside, placed it down, and sat again.
Ben stared.
"…Why did he move the office?"
Aren answered calmly.
"The quest has officially started."
⚠️ The Impossible Condition
They examined the board.
Fifty quests.
Each deadly.
Each unique.
Ben counted.
"…Fifty?"
King went pale.
"No. Don't tell me—"
Aren finished:
"We must complete all fifty quests in five days, or they reset."
The Academy watching screamed.
"FIVE DAYS!?"
"NO ONE HAS EVER CLEARED THE OLD GUILD!"
"PHASE TWO IS INSANE!!"
Even the teachers stood in shock.
The Headmistress whispered,
"…Phase Two has truly awakened."
🔥 Divide and Conquer
Ben lifted his hammer.
King drew his sword.
The horse neighed bravely.
Aren nodded.
"Ben. King. Horse.
Clear the remaining quests."
King blinked.
"…All of them?"
"Yes."
Aren turned toward the cliff.
"I'll gather information on the dragon."
Ben saluted.
"We've got this, brother."
Aren walked away.
King sighed.
"We're going to die."
Ben cracked his knuckles.
"No. We're Team Father."
⏱️ Four Days Later
The Academy screens showed madness:
• King erasing a bandit fortress alone
• Ben shattering a boulder beast with one punch
• The horse dragging treasure twice his size
In four days—
49 quests cleared.
Crowds screamed.
"WHERE IS AREN!?"
"HOW ARE THEY STILL STANDING!?"
Aren sat calmly on the cliff edge.
Reading.
Studying dragons.
Like this was homework.
On the morning of Day Four—
He stood.
Ben, King, and the horse arrived behind him.
"All quests completed," King said.
"Forty-nine."
Aren nodded.
"Good."
Ben swallowed.
"…The last one?"
Aren closed his book.
"The dragon."
The wind howled.
Phase Two had truly begun. 🐉🔥