HEX: Aspect Of The Void

From what Nathan discovered about the bunch, they actually had an impressive balance in their party.

The leader, Jack, was a short-range fighter. He had a Relic, the shape of a small stick which he always by his waist. Once activated, the stuck transformed into a mighty Axe. This allowed him to deal heavy damage to his foes.

Lydia was a long-range combatant. She had a bracelet that was also a Relic. It glowed whenever she focused and closed her eyes, and brought forth bursts of ice. According to her, it could also generate Ice spikes.

Lucy was a mid-range fighter. Her Relic was the black scarf she tied around her neck. Whenever she activated it, it wrapped all over her body, giving her a form of dark armor. Its purpose was for both offense and defense, and from what he could see, its durability was quite high, comparable to steel, yet flexible enough for her to move comfortably in. The dark covering made her offensive capabilities increase by a lot. She could also launch dark whips from a portion of her cloth which could grab the targets she faced, or slash them.

The remaining three were support members. One was their porter, having a sack Relic that had large storage space. Another had a Relic that could make him invisible for a short period, perfect for acting as a scout or picking up loot without the enemy's notice. The final one had a barrier Relic, perfect for defense and regrouping.

Each of their Relics was not of high grade though. At most they were Grade 7, and that was Nathan being generous. Still, he was surprised. Even possessing Relics such as these was an amazing feat for regular Adventurers, yet a bunch of newbies had them.

"As I thought… They aren't ordinary kids…" Nathan mumbled to himself.

"Great. We have trained for the last few days, and while we aren't invincible in our formation and arsenal, I'd say we make a very formidable party. I doubt any Adventurer would be a match for us… If we're not counting the higher-ranked ones." Nathan said with a smile.

"Yeah, about that. How does the Rank stuff work anyway? And the quests, how are they issued?" Jack asked.

Nathan had wondered when they would ask him. To them, he was someone they all looked up to for answers in nearly everything. Even Lucy, who was initially cold, had warmed up to him and even tried to be friendly. They were all innocent and naïve kids, the oldest who was Jack was not more than 20 years.

"Adventurers are divided into 5 major ranks. The Bronze, Silver, Gold, Diamond and Platinum, Bronze being the weakest and Platinum the highest." Nathan explained.

"O-Oh… Wow…" They said in awe as Nathan explained.

"As for quests, they follow similar patterns with Relics. We have Grade 9 to Grade 1 quests. Grade 1 quests are the most difficult, while Grade 9 is the easiest. I'm sure even you lot can handle Grade 9 quests, maybe even Grade 8." Nathan smiled.

"So, what Rank is Mister Nathan?" They asked him, their faces showing expectancy.

"I am a Gold Ranked Adventurer… As such, the quests I can accept are limited to Grade 4, any higher and it's outside my range." Nathan sighed, satiating their curiosity.

"W-Wow! Doesn't that mean Mister Nathan is pretty average?" Lucy said with a grin.

After all, Gold was in the middle neither low nor high.

That stung Nathan but he held himself together. The Rank he mentioned to her was the one he had before the time he got the 'Blade of Rupture'. With the Grade 3 Relic by his side, he was at least a Diamond Ranked Adventurer, if not Platinum. However, he kept this to himself.

Besides, as an Adventurer who also made a living plundering the goods of his party members, it was of more benefit that his rank was placed in the middle, maintaining a balance in his profession.

"There is also Party Ranking. Party Ranking is similar to that of Relics or Quests. They are in Grades. Having at least three Gold Ranked Adventurers in a party can allow them to take on a quest one rank above the individual Gold Rank. So, in a Party with two more Gold ranks, I can take on a Grade 3 Quest… Too bad you guys are still Bronze ranked" Nathan said.

This time it was Lucy who felt the burn of his words, as he gave her an evil grin. She gritted her teeth as she looked at him helplessly. She had no comeback. He was right, after all.

"Now, that's enough of that. We should get going now. It's getting late, and the Raid Conquest begins tomorrow" Nathan said.

"Oh, come on. What's the big hurry? It's just a like 30 minutes from the field back to the city" Lucy groaned, not willing to stand up from where she was resting.

"Come on, you guys. I want to show you something" He smiled at them assuredly.

They all looked at each other in confusion, wondering what else he had in store for them, in the city for that matter. They decided not to question him and stood up reluctantly.

After minutes of walking and arriving within the city, Nathan took them to one of the largest public buildings in Lamar. They went to the penthouse of the building, climbing the stairs quietly as they followed his lead and wondered what they were looking for there.

By the time they got there, they found out that many others were also there, a large crowd of people waited there, chattering loudly.

"What are we doing here? Why did you bring us up here?" Lucy asked apprehensively.

"Eeek" Lydia squared, frightened by the crowd she saw. She was a shy person, after all.

"Relax. Be patient… It'll happen any moment now…" Nathan smiled, looking beyond them, beyond the crowd, at the wide space in front of him.

Suddenly, dark clouds started forming and harsh winds raged. The winds blew in a wild manner, causing everyone on the roof to brace themselves.

"W-What is this?" Lucy complained.

"You're new here, so you must not know, but the Vanishing Dungeon always appears at a specific place and time. Veteran Adventurers who have lived in Lamar for a long time all know this… And right now… Is the time!" Nathan smiled.

Thunder struck and the entire city became darkened, as though it was night.

A massive structure suddenly appeared in the air, surrounded by thunder and raging winds. It looked huge, it looked ominous… Magnificently eerie.

"This is it, everyone… The Vanishing Dungeon."

And tomorrow, the Raid would begin

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