"Already perished!?" with panic exclaimed the attendant that was right next to their group. "Whatever do you mean!?" his voice was growing more and more hysterical, clearly someone he knows was among the mising people.

"Not neccesarily all of them, of course, but certainly a part of the missing people. It would explain the high level of mana taint that has appeared in the town, since it was nowhere near anything like this when we departed for dungeon yesterday." Rex stared his explanation, continiuing along. "And with the way that the world itself holds mana back, lowering its capacity to be manipulated freely, another sort of mana source is needed. Something like using human body as a component. Asuming they have no mages, only ordinary people, using hundred of them in one time would create much greater devastation, seing as something went wrong with their attempt. Though i am sure they will try again. Their goal is still unfulfilled, whatever it may be." he finished, then suddenly remembering something, added "And go inform your guild master. This shit is big."

Rex sudden order stunned guild's attendant, though only for a moment, after which the man quickly scurried upstairs, obviously to report the information he had recieved. Not wanting to waste time, Rex lightly elbowed Samanta, nodding his head towards the next free attendant, his thought process clear

"Right, sorry Rex." she replied, following along. Moment later they were once again at the counter, a middle aged black haired woman with lithe build smiled at them, her facial expression slightly strained. Though that was to be expected. Such large scale kidnaping did not bode well for the local populace.

"How may I help you?" the attendant politely asked, in response to which Samanta pulled out a pack with monster cores, placing it on the table with a sold thud.

"Gotta sell these little puppies." Samanta replied, trying something to raise the spirit of both the attendant and her own party. They had barely spent a few night and already, the world is threathening to crumble around them.

"Y-yes, right away miss." slightly stuttered the lady, but proceeded to do exactly that. She opened the bag, emptying its contents into an open box like object by her side. In just moments, the cores were sorted and counted by the contraption, eventually stopping, revealing the price their core haul was evaluated as. Veena evaluated that it was notably more than an average group of their size ussually earned.

"And remember, that is without us pathing deeper, spending a night or two on the road." Rex added, creating a rather tantalizing bait for his party. No doubt angels and devils were batling out on the shoulders of the girls, vying for the dominant position regarding the matter. One one hand, which lady, or adventurer in general, did not wish for more money and treasures. On the other, longer delves woulkd mean night shifts, uncomfortable sleeping conditions and more danger, since they would be capable of delving for longer.

Though their musings were interrupted, as the attendant man that had rused upstairs to report to the local guildmaster almost rolled down the stairs due to the speed he was descending. Yet, unlike what was expected, he did not retake his original place behind the counter, instead finding himself in front of Rex and his party. With his hands of his knees, the attendant took deep and labored breaths, sweat flowing down his forehead due to the ablsolute rush he just had as well as the adrenaline spike due to the near accident on stairs.

"haaa, ufffff, haaa." he heavily gasped, trying to calm his breath somewhat, holding one hand towards Rex, indicating to wait for a moment. Something that Rex did after looking to Samanta for confirmation, and when recieving it, he returned his gazer to the attendant, waiting for him to regain his breath.

"T-thank you for the wait." with heavy and laboured breath the man spoke, having regained a small semblance. "" Guild master would like to talk with you, seeing as you have some deeper understanding of the issue we have at hand. "If you would be so kind as to follow me upstairs."

"Might as well do as asked Rex." spoke up Alurial "Even I have no idea whats the issue here, besides the fact that there is tainted mana in the air. We might be able to save some of the missing people if we cooperate with the guild and their recourses."

"Fine." Rex replied to Alurial, his head having turned to acknowledge the speaker. Then he returned his gaze to the attendant. "Lead the way."

Following the attendant, the party ascended the stairs that had almost ended atendants life just moments ago, with Rex noticing the extreme resemblance in the structure of this guild building to the one they had visited back in Valrun. The only difference being in building size. Everything else seemed near identical, at least from structural standpoint. There were different decorations, either plants or monster trophies hung on the walls, clearly indicating the local gamne to be had.

A short while later, Rex and the party sat on a rather large couch opposite ornate and well crafed large sized desk, with aged lady sitting on the other side. Old and wizened face, with sunken, yet still lively eyes, cunning and sharp glint in them. Gray hair covered the elderly womans head, pulled together in a simple bun. She wore mage robes that seemed to have served the lady for years, yet its clear magical nature was still clear to ones eye.

"So, who here can explain me in detail, what am I dealing with here? Judging from what my worker tells, you have some knowledge regarding the matter." she spoke, her voice calm, yet still strong and maybee even a bit commanding. She was obviously used to ordering people around, thus her tone sounded as such, even if she was not trying to throw her rank around.

"As a mage yourself, you no doubt noticed the taineted mana in the air within city. Am I correct in that assumption?" Rex asked and recieving a nod from the guidlmanster, he continiued. "Such a phenomenon could be observed when large scale spells are performed incorrectly, corrupting the spell and mana around it. Since we sensed it upon reentry, I can only asume it was some sort of a ritual magic, with this city as its center. Now, I could make a case that A or above class adventurer might have been experimenting with new spells, were the world not so uncooperative when it comes to the manipulation of pure mana outside ones body. However, in our current circumstances, what with the rules being as they are, a single man could not pull that off. Not sneakily at least, nor with no other obvious proff of the casting. That leaves us with only ritual magic, using some sort of batteries to power it. Now, combine it withe the dissapearances and the answer is rather clear. Part of the missing peopl were used in the ritual, to serve as fuel. Unfortunately, it also means that said part of the captured are near guaranteed perished, doubly so because the ritual failed to do what it was supposed to achieve."

"And what would that be?" asked guildmaster.

"Would have to see the circles as well as have some knowledge regarding the school they are using as base of it."

"What of the remaining kidnapped townsfolk, or the perpetrators?"

"Would need some blood samples of the people missing, if I am to even hope to find them. As for the culprits, I have even less of a chance to find them, unless they try to perform another ritual while I am stil in the city."

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"Blood you say?" questioned guildmaster.

"Its a universal tracking tool. Be it smell or connection to the body of the owner, many things can be learned." Rex explained, not willing to defend himself any further than that.

"Wery well." guildmanster spoke, writing something down. "RUDY!" she then yelled and only moment later, a young man, around the age of twelve appeared and rushed over to guildmaster.

"Yes grandma?" the boy asked, his light blue eyes ghazing at the elderly woman, some anticipation sparkling in kids eyes. Guildmaster gave him a piece of paper, and urged. " Be a dear and give this to Jennie. She will know what to do after."

"Yes ma'am!" the kid exclaimed, grabbed the piece of paper and dissapeared within moments from the room. Noticing the questioning gazes of Rex and his party, guildmaster just shrugged as she spoke. "i am old. There are things that those young legs can achieve better than me. Besides, the kids grown up on stories about brave and heroic adventures. he loves makin a difference and workling for the guild, when given the chance. No doubt he will sneak away from home the moment he reaches adulthood, should his parent not allow him to."

Her tone was just a slight bit tender, clearly enjoying her time with the boy, but then her demeaneor changed, once again exuding notable amounts of regal air. She was a damned leader, and she would act like it.

"My name is Ruta Amanerra. Guild master of the local branch. No doubt we will recieve some belonging of the victims with samples of their blood on them. the underground elements within the city went wild yesterday, creating chaos and kidnapping numerous people, as you must have heard by now. The tainted mana in the air appeared some two hours before dusk. It has gotten lighter, but if what you say is correct, we should expect another such ritual soon, yes?"

"That is the most likely scenario, yes." Rex replied, elaborating moments later. "As I said, the amount of taint is a clear indicator of the failure. If the mastermind behind this is willing to use people as living bateries, he is either desperate for something or wants to achieve something that could only be done here."

"And what would that be?" Ruta squinted her eyes.

"Honestly no idea. As I stated before, I need to see the magic cirlces and it has to be discipline I am well familiar with to answer." With that said, the room fell silent, guildmaster working over the details she had just learned about. said silence permeated the room for a while longer, untill footsteps could be heard on the stair, becoming louder and louder. Just moment later, the door shot open, in rushing a hunter with a small pouch in hand.

"Can you find her with this!?" he desperately looked to Rex's group, extending his hand that held the pouch.

Rex quickly took the pouch from teh mans hand, opening it and taking out a piece of cloth with obvious stain of blood. even if rather dry already.

"Lets see what we can do." he quickly looked toward Ruta." Gather some muscle. Will likely need them."

Then, Rex concentrated on the cloth piece in his hand. he raised his free hand over the cloth, and with a simple movement of his finger, the dried blood, as if a living creature, answerd his call, detaching itslef from the cloth and rising in the air towards the extended finger.

"Ria, Purify on me." Rex spoke, before swallowing the blood, earning a few grimmaces from buth the guildmaster and the hunter, though due to the purify that was cast on Rex having no effect, neither did anything further, waiting to see what happens next.

"There you are liitle morsel." Rex spoke a few minutest later, slight light eminating from his eyes. "Found her." he looked to the huner "She is still alive, though we need to hurry, another ritual is being prepeared as we speak." his head turned to Ruta once again "How far are we with that muscle?"

"Already on the way. Whatever guards and adventures are aviable, everyone has been gathering." she replied.

"Who is going to command your forces?" Rex asked, well aware that time was of the essence, but before Ruta could reply, the door burst open, and in came a large man, clad in dark gray plate armor and holding a sharp and deadly looking claymore. "Aunt." he quickly nodded to Ruta "Any news?"

"The boy here tracked one of the kidnapped. Follow him with your men." she spoke, sneding the man a message that was not heard by anyone else as well. "Keep an eye on the boy as well. I think he knows blood magic, but is not a vampire himself. The blonde just used purify on him, no effect at all. I dont think this is a trap, at least not one he is a part off. Still, be carefull. Whatever is being planned, does not bode well for us."

"Understood!" the warrior replied, quickly looking at Rex, waving his hand in a motion to followe him. "Names Mamon. Time is of the essence, lets go." With that said, he turned and left as quickly as he arrived, Rex and his party quickly following the man downstairs and outside the guild, where they came to face a group of fifty or so people. Most of them were clad in chain or scale armour, with a few mages and rangers among them, each and every man already on a horseback.

Rex had to tip his hat to the speed with which the task force was assembled, since he had been focused on the spell for only a few minutes, no longer. He also noticed additional horses for his group arriving just at this moment, and with another signal from Mamon he and his party got in their respective saddles. "Well then young man! Show us the way to save our people."

Rex eyes lit up with pale red light as his head turned in a certain dirrection rarther creepily. "This way!" he exclaimed, tapping the horse with his heels lighty "Hya!". With his command and the light tap, the horse began moving in the dirrection he guided it, quickly rising its speed to full galop after repeated taps. As the group followed Rex's lead, Mamon could not help but wonder, just who, or what, the young man in front of him was. He was using magic that was asociated with immmortal and extremely powerfull creatures while being human-esk, as well as having skills far beyond his apparent age.

As he glanced back to the party the young man was a part of, he could see a certain style of riding displayed, something he had only seen a few times in his life, whenever certain elven dignitaries traveled by for some meeting taking place in the capital. The identity of the group was also under question, though he assumed that most people would not recognize the minute details that he had picked up on due to his particular interest in horses and everything that surrounds them. The elves just had this unique style and extreme adherence to old traditions. Still, they had a task at hand, and his wandering thoughts could be allowed to continue as such after said task would be resolved. Refocusing on the path ahead, his mare doing wonderfull job of sticking close to the youngsters horse, he could pay more attention to the place they most likely were heading towards, and if his guess was right, it would be an old and abbandoned iron mine just a bit ahead.

A few minutes later, as they stopped, he was proven to be right, the mine entrance dirrectly ahead of them. Dismounting and drawing his claymore, slightly annoyed at the limited moves he would be a ble to perform due to the lack of space ahead, he nonetheless aproached the youngster, hearing one of his companions speak up.

"Rex, is this the cause for the taint and dissapearances?" Mamon looked at the hazel haired archer who asked the question.

"Its inside." Rex replied "We have to hurry." and then pulled what looked like a hilt from his belt, in just a moment extending and taking a shape of one handed sword. The dark red colour and crystaline sheen reminded him of blood for whatever reason, moments later clicking together. 'Even his weapon is made of blood? Just how usefull could that be.' Mamom questioned in his mind, though sure he would have the chance to see it in action soon enough.

With the light Red sheen in his eyes and weapon in hand, Rex led the group inside, keeping brisk pace and guiding them forward with a sense of dirrection and purpose. It wasnt long untill they encountered resistance. Men, dressed in dark robes and wearing goat masks, with varying number of tentacles on said masks, would stream out of side tunnels, armed with spiked clubs and shields, mumbling incoherently in a language that seemed foreign to Mamon. And not just a tongue that he did not know, or recognize. No, this language felt wrong on an instinctual level.

As they cut through the numerous cultists, for it was now obvious that thats exactly what they were, he could also see both Rex, and the party he was with, in action, and he had to admit, the party was skilled, even if not very experienced. The women of the party worked in a seemlessly perfect harmony, complimenting one another as if that was what they had worked on their entire lives, or at least for the most part. Rex at the same time was death incarnate. Whichever cultist aproached his frenzied form was cut in pieces in mere moments, their attacks avoided skillfully, yet with the barest of efforts that could be put into Rex's movement. Mamon saw the tactical mind that was saving as much of his energy as possible, while at the same time ensuring that he was delivering devastating blows and wounds against his enemies, all while paying attention to the entire battlefield, using wthatever was aviable to reduce the casuallities inflicted upon their side, be it his party members of the rest of the people Mamon had brought with him.