Arthur Bennett had attended meetings about dungeon outbreaks, territorial disputes, guild misconduct, and one particularly memorable incident involving a summoned dragon and the Swiss banking system. He had never attended a meeting about the assassination of a university student.
There was a first time for everything, apparently.
He looked at the photograph on his desk.
Evelyn Holloway.
Twenty-one years old. British citizen. Psychology student at the University of Manchester. Registered System class: Novice Scholar. No criminal record. No known guild affiliation. No combat achievements. No registered dungeon participation.
According to the preliminary report, her most remarkable accomplishment was maintaining reasonably good academic grades while working part-time.
Arthur turned the page. The next section contained her residential address, family connections, university schedule, and several photographs collected from publicly accessible accounts.
All assembled within forty minutes of the World Quest appearing.
He wondered how long it had taken the major guilds to gather the same information.
Probably less.
A notification appeared on his monitor.
EMERGENCY SESSION — INTERNATIONAL ADVENTURERS' ASSOCIATION
Participants connected: 7
Invitations issued: 23
Arthur studied the numbers.
Seven attendees.
Under normal circumstances, that would have been an embarrassment. Under the current circumstances, he was almost impressed.
The first World Quest in history had appeared less than two hours ago, promising enough gold to finance a small army. Half the world's major guilds were undoubtedly scrambling to mobilize their people, while the other half were probably already arguing over who would reach Manchester first.
Seven people had actually made time for a meeting.
Remarkable.
He adjusted his tie, set Evelyn's file aside, and joined the conference.
Six faces appeared across the large display. Arthur recognized everyone.
Unfortunately.
Cassian Draven occupied the largest chair Arthur had ever seen in a private office. The guildmaster of Iron Dominion was a broad-shouldered man in his forties, with closely cropped dark hair and the permanent expression of someone who considered disagreement a personal insult.
Behind him hung a massive sword.
Arthur had never determined whether Cassian displayed it as a decoration or a warning.
Probably both.
Seraphine Vale appeared from an immaculate conference room. The leader of Silver Vanguard sat perfectly upright, her silver-blonde hair tied back, a tablet resting beside her.
Unlike Cassian, she had no weapons on display.
Arthur found that considerably less reassuring.
Dr. Miriam Solberg, director of the Institute for System Research, was already examining several documents. Her glasses sat low on her nose, and she appeared to have forgotten that the meeting had begun.
Eleanor Whitfield represented the British government's Department of System Affairs. Her expression suggested she had spent the last hour receiving increasingly unpleasant telephone calls.
Catherine Reed, guildmaster of Northstar, sat in what looked like a modest office. A map covered one wall behind her, marked with expedition routes and dungeon locations.
She was drinking tea.
And Margaret Harker—
Arthur paused.
Margaret was leaning back in her chair, smoking.
Of course she was.
The woman was in her mid-fifties, with dark hair streaked heavily with grey and a scar running from the corner of her mouth toward her jaw. Most people knew her as Red Maggie.
Her guild, the Blackthorns, was considerably smaller than Iron Dominion or Silver Vanguard. That had never stopped other guildmasters from treating her with caution.
The Blackthorns specialized in operations that were too dangerous, politically inconvenient, or simply unpleasant for most respectable organizations. Their reputation was thoroughly deserved.
Arthur knew because he had personally reviewed some of their disciplinary cases.
He activated his microphone.
"First of all, thank you for attending on such short notice."
Cassian shifted impatiently in his chair.
"Can we get on with it?"
"Of course," Arthur replied pleasantly. "I confess, I wasn't expecting quite so many of you to join us."
Eleanor raised an eyebrow.
"Seven participants?"
"Twenty-three invitations, Ms. Whitfield. Considering the circumstances, I had prepared myself for a considerably more intimate discussion."
Catherine smiled into her tea.
"You thought we'd all be out chasing the reward."
"I would never presume to question the priorities of our distinguished guildmasters."
"Of course not."
"Though I am relieved to discover that at least some of you still remember the Association exists."
Margaret snorted. Arthur glanced at her.
"Margaret."
"Arthur."
"Smoking is prohibited during official Association meetings."
She looked at the cigarette. Then at him.
"Good thing I'm in my office, then."
Arthur decided not to pursue the matter.
"We have approximately forty minutes before several of you will undoubtedly decide that your time is better spent doing something irresponsible. I'd like to make use of them."
Cassian folded his arms.
"Then let's get to the point."
Arthur smiled politely.
"An excellent suggestion. I was considering starting with the weather."
Nobody laughed. Catherine took another sip of tea.
Arthur sighed.
"Very well."
He brought the World Quest onto the central display.
World QuestKILL EVELYN HOLLOWAYObjectivePermanently eliminate Evelyn Holloway.Rewards:- 100,000 Gold- Legendary Equipment Set- Additional Reward???StatusActive
The room fell quiet. Not because anyone was seeing it for the first time.
Every person present had received the same quest. Every person on Earth, as far as the Association had been able to establish, had received it.
Except, presumably, Evelyn Holloway herself.
"At 10:17 this morning," Arthur began, "the System issued what appears to be the first World Quest in recorded history."
"Not appears," Cassian interrupted. "It is."
Arthur looked at him.
"Thank you for that contribution."
Cassian shrugged.
Arthur continued.
"The notification was received simultaneously across every monitored region. Civilian populations, registered adventurers, government personnel, and individuals without an awakened combat class all received identical objectives."
He changed the display. A world map appeared, covered with confirmation markers.
"We have reports from every major population center. No regional variations. No level restrictions. No participation requirements."
Miriam raised her hand slightly.
"One correction."
Arthur nodded.
"We cannot yet confirm that every individual received the quest. There are populations we cannot contact, and several isolated dungeon settlements have not responded."
"Fair point."
"However," Miriam continued, "the distribution is unprecedented. Even large-scale emergency quests have historically been limited by geography, eligibility, or direct involvement."
She adjusted her glasses.
"This is something entirely different."
Cassian leaned forward.
"Which makes the reward entirely appropriate."
Miriam looked at him.
"I wasn't discussing the reward."
"I am."
"Yes," Arthur said. "We noticed."
Cassian ignored him.
"A hundred thousand gold. Legendary equipment. And something else the System hasn't identified. That isn't a reward you ignore."
"No one is suggesting we ignore it," Seraphine said.
Her voice was quiet.
Cassian turned toward her window.
"Good. Then we agree."
"On the value of the reward? Certainly."
She glanced at her tablet.
"On who should receive it, I suspect our opinions differ."
Arthur closed his eyes briefly.
They had been in the meeting for four minutes.
"The Association's immediate concern," Arthur said, "is the uncontrolled mobilization of armed guild personnel."
He brought up another report.
"Within the first hour, at least nineteen registered guilds initiated operations related to Evelyn Holloway. That number is almost certainly incomplete."
"Twenty-one," Seraphine corrected.
Arthur looked at her.
"Twenty-one?"
"At least. Two smaller organizations have accepted subcontracting arrangements."
"With Silver Vanguard?"
"Naturally."
Cassian laughed.
"Subcontractors. How desperate."
Seraphine didn't look at him.
"Not everyone believes sending an army into a populated city is an intelligent use of resources."
"I don't need an army to deal with a student."
"Then why have you dispatched three combat teams?"
Arthur turned toward Cassian.
"Three?"
Cassian's expression hardened.
"That information is confidential."
"Apparently not very confidential," Catherine murmured.
Arthur rubbed his forehead.
"Mr. Draven. Have you deployed three combat teams to Manchester?"
"I've deployed appropriate personnel to pursue a legitimate System objective."
"That wasn't my question."
"Then perhaps you should ask a better one."
Eleanor Whitfield spoke for the first time.
"Mr. Draven."
Her tone was sharp enough to cut through the argument.
"Manchester is a British city. Not a dungeon."
Cassian looked at her.
"I'm aware."
"Then I trust you're also aware that deploying heavily armed adventurers into residential neighborhoods without coordination presents a serious public safety concern."
"My people are professionals."
"Your people were involved in a confrontation with another guild outside Birmingham six months ago."
"That was a misunderstanding."
"Fourteen people were hospitalized."
"None of them died."
Arthur watched Eleanor's expression become very still. That was rarely a good sign.
"Let me make the British government's position perfectly clear," she said. "We recognize the significance of this World Quest. We have no intention of obstructing its legitimate resolution."
Arthur noticed the phrasing.
Legitimate resolution.
Not investigation.
Not protection of the individual concerned.
Resolution.
Eleanor continued.
"But we will not tolerate uncontrolled armed operations in our cities. The public is already frightened. There have been disturbances, false identifications, and reports of civilians attempting to organize their own searches."
She looked directly at Cassian.
"If your personnel cause widespread damage in pursuit of this objective, the government will respond."
Cassian smiled.
"With what? Police?"
"With whatever measures are necessary."
"Your government doesn't own the System."
"No," Eleanor replied. "But it does govern the territory your people are operating in."
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Then Seraphine inclined her head.
"Silver Vanguard has no intention of causing unnecessary damage."
Eleanor nodded.
"I appreciate that."
"Provided no one interferes with our operations."
Cassian gave a short laugh.
"There it is."
Seraphine turned toward him.
"Is there a problem?"
"You think you can threaten everyone else into standing aside?"
"I haven't threatened anyone."
"Not directly."
"Then perhaps you should stop imagining things."
Arthur raised a hand.
"Before this becomes an international incident—"
"It already is one," Margaret said.
She exhaled smoke.
"You're just hoping nobody starts throwing furniture."
Arthur looked at her.
"Thank you, Margaret."
"You're welcome."
Miriam cleared her throat.
"If we could return to the quest itself, there are several matters that deserve attention."
Arthur seized the opportunity.
"Please."
She shared a document.
"The Institute has reviewed every archived quest category available to us. We have identified no precedent for an objective of this scale targeting a single named civilian."
Cassian shrugged.
"There's a first time for everything."
"Indeed. Which is why we should be careful about assuming we understand it."
"What exactly don't you understand? The objective is written in plain language."
Miriam gave him a patient look.
"The language is clear. The underlying mechanism is not."
She highlighted a line.
"Specifically, the word permanently."
Arthur studied it.
Permanently eliminate Evelyn Holloway.
"Is that unusual?" Eleanor asked.
"Not entirely. Similar language appears in certain high-level elimination quests, particularly those involving regenerating dungeon entities or enemies capable of resurrection through external mechanisms."
Cassian waved a hand.
"Standard wording."
"Possibly," Miriam agreed. "But we don't know."
"Then find out."
"That is precisely what we're attempting to do."
Catherine set down her cup.
"There's another issue."
Arthur turned toward her.
"Go ahead."
"Why her?"
Cassian made an impatient noise.
"Because the System says so."
"Yes, Cassian. I can read."
Catherine leaned back.
"We've all completed quests. Some of us have completed thousands. We've seen quests with hidden objectives, additional stages, and consequences that weren't apparent at the beginning."
She glanced toward the World Quest displayed above them.
"And now, for the first time in history, the System issues a quest to practically everyone alive."
"With a very generous reward," Cassian said.
"Exactly."
Catherine nodded.
"A reward large enough to make half the adventuring world forget how to think."
Seraphine's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Are you suggesting the quest is a trap?"
"I'm suggesting we don't know what it is."
"The objective is clear."
"The objective, yes. The purpose? Not so much."
Cassian sighed dramatically.
"You're overthinking it."
"Perhaps."
Catherine folded her hands.
"But I've buried enough adventurers who thought the same thing."
Arthur watched her with renewed interest.
Finally.
Someone who remembered that an unprecedented global event might deserve more consideration than the size of its reward.
Cassian leaned forward.
"Let me ask you something, Catherine. Are you actually afraid of a twenty-one-year-old student?"
"No."
"Then what's the problem?"
"The fact that something powerful enough to issue a quest to the entire world apparently wants her dead."
Miriam looked up from her notes.
Catherine continued.
"Maybe there's a perfectly straightforward explanation. Maybe the System knows something we don't. But until someone explains why an ordinary university student warrants the first World Quest in history, I'd prefer not to assume this is routine."
Cassian scoffed.
"We kill the girl. We get paid. It's not complicated."
"That's certainly one possibility."
"The only possibility that matters."
Catherine smiled faintly.
"I envy your confidence."
Arthur almost smiled himself.
Almost.
Then Cassian pointed at her.
"Easy to preach caution when you're not competing for the reward."
"Oh, don't be ridiculous."
Catherine's answer came so quickly that even Seraphine looked at her.
"Northstar is very interested in the reward."
Cassian blinked.
"Excuse me?"
"A hundred thousand gold and a legendary equipment set? That could finance several years of expeditions. I'd be an idiot to pretend otherwise."
She glanced at Seraphine.
"And frankly, I'd rather see those resources in our hands than yours."
Seraphine's expression didn't change.
Cassian laughed.
"There it is."
"Of course there it is."
Catherine sounded almost amused.
"We're an adventuring guild, Cassian. Not a charity."
"Then stop wasting everyone's time."
"I'm not wasting time. I'm suggesting we establish what we're dealing with before someone makes an irreversible decision."
"Northstar hasn't deployed anyone, then?"
Catherine raised an eyebrow.
"Did I say that?"
Arthur felt a familiar headache developing.
"Catherine."
"Yes?"
"Have you sent personnel to Manchester?"
"A small team."
"With what instructions?"
"To assess the situation."
Cassian grinned.
"Meaning you're hunting her too."
"Meaning my people know the difference between finding a target and charging at it with a sword."
"You're welcome to wait. More reward for us."
"Perhaps."
Catherine picked up her tea.
"Or perhaps you'll discover something useful before we commit our resources."
Cassian's smile faded.
Arthur privately decided that Catherine Reed was enjoying this meeting far too much.
"Can I ask a question?"
Margaret Harker had extinguished her cigarette. Arthur considered that a minor victory.
"Of course."
She looked toward the photograph of Evelyn Holloway, still visible in the shared report.
"Has anyone actually spoken to her?"
Silence.
Arthur glanced at his notes.
"Not that we can confirm. There are reports that she was seen on university grounds shortly after the quest appeared, but her current location remains unconfirmed."
Margaret nodded.
"Right."
Cassian frowned.
"What difference does that make?"
"Just asking."
"She's the target."
"I noticed."
"Then why would we need to speak to her?"
Margaret looked at him. For a moment, Arthur thought she might simply ignore the question.
Instead, she said, "She's twenty-one."
Cassian stared.
"And?"
"And nothing."
Margaret shrugged.
"Just making sure you remember we're discussing a person."
The silence that followed was different from the earlier ones.
Arthur watched Cassian's expression shift from confusion to amusement.
"Since when does that bother you?"
Margaret smiled. It was not a pleasant expression.
"Careful, Draven. You're beginning to sound like someone who believes everything he hears about me."
"Are you saying the stories aren't true?"
"Oh, most of them are."
Catherine lowered her cup. Arthur suspected she was hiding a smile.
Cassian shook his head.
"This is absurd. First Reed wants to investigate the meaning of a perfectly clear quest, and now Harker wants to interview the target."
"I didn't say that," Margaret replied.
"Then what are you saying?"
"That you talk too much."
Cassian's jaw tightened.
Arthur intervened before the exchange deteriorated.
"Margaret raises a relevant point."
Several faces turned toward him.
"We currently have no verified statement from Evelyn Holloway. We don't know whether she's aware of the quest, whether she's received any unusual System notifications, or whether she possesses information relevant to its origin."
Miriam nodded immediately.
"Precisely. Her personal System interface could provide invaluable information."
Eleanor looked thoughtful.
"British authorities are attempting to locate her."
"To question her?" Arthur asked.
"Among other things."
Again, that careful phrasing.
Arthur had spent enough years negotiating with governments to recognize an answer that had been deliberately constructed not to answer anything.
He didn't press.
Not yet.
"Then I would strongly recommend that any contact be documented and that relevant System information be shared with the Institute."
Seraphine's gaze shifted toward him.
"Shared?"
"Yes."
"With every organization represented here?"
"With the Association."
"Which would then distribute it."
"Where appropriate."
Seraphine said nothing. Arthur knew that expression.
He had seen it on guildmasters who had just discovered a rare dungeon entrance and were being asked to disclose its location.
"Information concerning the first World Quest in history should not be treated as proprietary intelligence," he said.
"That depends on the information," Seraphine replied.
Cassian nodded.
"For once, I agree."
Arthur looked at the ceiling.
Wonderful.
They had found common ground.
Naturally, it was the one thing he didn't want them agreeing on.
The meeting continued for another twenty-three minutes.
Arthur proposed a temporary coordination framework. Cassian rejected it. Seraphine requested revisions that would have rendered it almost entirely meaningless.
Eleanor insisted that all foreign guild operations on British soil remain subject to national law. Cassian objected to the wording.
Catherine suggested that Cassian might find the concept of national law easier to understand if someone illustrated it with pictures.
Margaret laughed.
Arthur considered muting everyone.
Miriam requested access to all available information regarding Evelyn Holloway's System status, skill history, and any unusual activity surrounding the quest's appearance.
Nobody volunteered anything beyond what was already publicly known.
At one point, Arthur attempted to establish a shared communication channel for guild representatives operating in Manchester.
Seraphine agreed in principle. Cassian refused to disclose his teams' positions. Catherine pointed out that a communication channel was rather useless if nobody intended to communicate.
Margaret asked whether anyone had considered ordering lunch.
Arthur informed her that they were attending an emergency international conference.
"Exactly," she replied. "Emergency conferences always run over."
He couldn't argue with that.
Eventually, after considerable discussion, the participants agreed on a preliminary statement.
Arthur read it aloud.
"The International Adventurers' Association urges all registered organizations to exercise appropriate restraint, comply with applicable national regulations, and share information relevant to the unprecedented World Quest."
He paused.
"Any objections?"
Cassian shrugged. Seraphine nodded once. Eleanor looked dissatisfied but said nothing. Miriam appeared to be writing something unrelated. Catherine raised her cup. Margaret lit another cigarette.
Arthur stared at the screen.
That was it.
Forty-seven minutes of negotiations, and they had produced a statement asking armed adventurers to behave themselves.
He could practically hear the world's guildmasters trembling.
"Very well," he said. "The statement will be circulated immediately."
Cassian stood.
"Good. Are we finished?"
"One final matter."
Cassian stopped.
Arthur looked at each participant in turn.
"If any of you obtain information concerning the nature or origin of this World Quest, I expect it to be shared with the Association immediately."
Nobody answered.
Seraphine offered a diplomatic smile.
"Naturally."
Catherine inclined her head.
"We'll keep you informed."
Cassian said nothing. Margaret exhaled smoke.
Arthur knew exactly how much those assurances were worth.
"Thank you for your time."
One by one, the windows went dark.
Cassian disconnected first. Seraphine followed. Eleanor left after a brief acknowledgment. Miriam remained long enough to ask Arthur's office for access to several archived reports.
Catherine wished him luck. Margaret told him he looked tired.
Then she disconnected too.
Arthur sat alone in the conference room.
For several seconds, he simply stared at the blank display. Then he loosened his tie.
The Association had accomplished almost nothing. Not that he had expected much.
The IAA could establish standards, coordinate international responses, and mediate disputes between guilds. Its authority rested on treaties, agreements, and the willingness of powerful organizations to cooperate.
And powerful organizations were remarkably cooperative.
Provided cooperation didn't cost them anything.
He opened the latest operations report. The numbers had already changed.
Thirty-four registered guilds were now believed to be actively pursuing the World Quest. Seventeen had confirmed personnel movements toward Manchester. Several others were reportedly negotiating temporary alliances.
There were also unverified reports of independent adventurers traveling toward the city, some from considerable distances.
Arthur scrolled further.
A disturbance near the university. Multiple reports of mistaken identity. A crowd gathering outside a residential property after someone circulated an incorrect address. British authorities requesting additional support.
And somewhere in the middle of it all—
Evelyn Holloway.
He reopened her file. The photograph showed a young woman with brown hair and an ordinary smile.
She looked like someone who should have been worrying about examinations, rent, or whether she'd remembered to charge her phone.
Instead, the System had placed a reward on her death. A reward large enough to attract some of the most dangerous people alive.
Arthur studied the picture.
He had spent decades working with adventurers. He knew what they were capable of.
He also knew that most of them were not monsters. They had families. Friends. Responsibilities. Some were genuinely decent people who risked their lives protecting others from things that emerged from dungeons.
But the System had spent twenty years teaching humanity a simple lesson.
Complete the objective.
Receive the reward.
And for twenty years, that arrangement had worked.
More or less.
Arthur looked at the World Quest again.
KILL EVELYN HOLLOWAY
He wondered whether anyone had stopped to consider what would happen if they succeeded.
Catherine had. Miriam certainly had. Perhaps Margaret, though Arthur suspected her concerns were rather different.
But the others?
He wasn't sure they cared.
A notification appeared on his screen.
URGENT — NEW GUILD DEPLOYMENT CONFIRMED
Another followed.
BRITISH AUTHORITIES REQUEST COORDINATION SUPPORT
Then a third.
MEDIA INQUIRY: IAA POSITION ON WORLD QUEST
Arthur closed his eyes.
Somewhere in Manchester, a young woman was running for her life. Across the world, thousands of people were preparing to hunt her.
And the International Adventurers' Association had just issued a polite request for everyone to exercise restraint.
He opened his eyes and looked at Evelyn's photograph one last time.
"I really should have retired last year."
The next notification arrived before he could close the file.
URGENT — ARMED GUILD PERSONNEL REPORTED NEAR HOLLOWAY FAMILY RESIDENCE
Arthur stared at it. Then he reached for his phone.
"Get me the British liaison office," he said.
"And find out which idiots got there first.”