**********
The moment those unfamiliar words left the receptionist's mouth, Ryan's brow furrowed in visible confusion. He straightened in his seat, his earlier casual posture dissolving as a sharp sense of unease crept into his expression.
"What do you mean by [Ground Zero]?" he asked, his tone carrying both curiosity and caution.
Before the receptionist could respond, Asterion calmly stepped in to fill the silence.
"Ground Zero missions are commonly regarded as the most dangerous assignments issued by the Adventurers' Guild," the Marquis explained. "They involve objectives with extremely high fatality risks. More often than not, these missions are shrouded in suspicion, and under normal circumstances, they are never posted on the public mission board."
Ryan's eyes widened slightly as he absorbed the explanation. This was the first time he had ever heard of such a classification. The information alone already made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.
