Walking through the dimly lit, long and luxurious hallways with May by my side. I begin to ask May to break this long silence:

"Hey, Ma-"

"Whaa, wha- what is it Sova, d-do you want to ask something?" ... Is she still afraid, maybe I shouldn't ask about the city for now then.

"... May this is the first floor right?"

"Well yes, why do you ask?"

"It's just that for being, I don't know Central it's very empty."

"Oh, well this is the V.I.P Hallway that only leads to the elevator back there, and the only way to the residence floor other than to break in from the outside or the Reliquary...."

As she begins to go silent. I thought if I want to help her, then I better get to the bottom of this. So I ask, "May what did you truly saw, you look really pale. Please tell me so I can help."

"Didn't you see it?" May ask me in a bewildered manner, "The murderous aura he emits when he folds his arms, it's like if all the disembodied voices around were there screaming in pain asking for redemption, retribution, and mercy. And the voice grows stronger by the moments we stay there. It's terrifying, I just don't know if I can handle seeing him again. He is just not human, different than the already barely inhumane Paladins of the west and Martial Artist here, I refuse to believe he is."

As I lift my hand, I swing it down delivering a chop to her head.

"Ow, what was that for!" she said sounded surprised.

"Can't you see, you're becoming a totally different person that I know all these years. You've been gloomy since the time in the elevator, what happens to all those positive vibes you had since we start our journey."

Looking at me surprised, she takes a deep breath, holding it for a few seconds before letting it all out.

"Phuuuuu, I think I feel a little bit better now. Sova when I said that I've been seeing so many things lately, I mean it literally. Metal boxes that move faster than a person who cast "Hasten" to them self, Important figures from outside this Confederation, (you suddenly saying stuff like that) out of the blue and last but not least that man... Who just screams trouble if I think about it once again."

Maybe it's fine if I ask now, "Say is the things he explains in there true?"

May then looks to the side and says, "Yes, surprisingly everything he said is true, But he also said stuff sis didn't tell me, like the doors that leads underground, and the dangers of the Reliquary. But sis also told me information he didn't say, like how Central is the place with the highest stability and public order while also being the most untrusted place in the Whole continent. And that all of the latest technological advances this Confederation can offer are first delivered here."

"So I've been wondering but what is the last level? He left before he could tell us," I ask in curiosity.

"Well, I was curious about that too. Sis didn't tell me anything about it other than it exists, then she says that I don't really need to know yet, and you will learn about it in due time. I guess we're both kinda stuck with the same question... Oh yeah."

As she said that. She takes out a red card with red lines on the sides, similar to the one sis had. She then hands it over to me, signaling me to take it. Taking it to look at the card back and forth, it's pretty much blank only with exception of the red color and black sidelines. How do they even identify people with it?

"That is sister's card, she said that this card will grant us passage almost anywhere, except private rooms like the 3rd Floor Residence Rooms of course. That person is probably very important in this place because sis told me that only a few selected individuals are granted access to the V.I.P rooms, like the special individual that holds great influence somewhere or people like national figures. Talking about sis, have I told you about that Coryn girl telling our sister's story yet?" She asks.

Maybe it was to change the mood. I begin to think back, I shook my head to indicate no.

When May finally smiles and explain, "Well you see when I was with her in the room, watching you sleep like a baby. To make the situation less awkward, I ask her to tell me about what she knows about sis Rubeca back before she moved here or when she was a hunter and how did sis know a lot about this stuff. When she stares at me with her sharp eyes, she begins to explain that during the time when sis was a High Ranking Hunter, sis once fell down to the Reliquary during her evaluation exam. Turns out some people with a poor background as hooligans wanted to be different. So they amalgamated some underground organization called the "Dawn Dust" and attack the Capital city of Rucina, making it the first ever human invasion on the city.

But unlike attacking from outside they started by beheading the head. Going to the Central Guilds lobby and teleport not the people but the floor, making almost everyone in the lobby to fall into the Reliquary in the process. Sis was one of those victims. Sis then began wandering around lost in the endless maze, with no guide or light she was forced to use everything she got to survive. Founding survivors along the way, some of them died and some of them gone crazy and some were killed for if she did not it will be her lying on the ground. I wonder if she is one of them? Now I guess I know why she kills those people, traveling along the endless maze leading the survivors for days with very limited supply from hunters that fall down during that time. Hungry and desperate... Before she finally asked me what do I only want the gist of it right?

So I said to her, "Don't stop when it gets exciting." I told her that I had to go to the bathroom first before she can continue. Searching for one is nuts and makes me question why didn't sis put any restroom in her own private room."

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

"Maybe preference?"

"Like hell it is, restrooms are a necessity for living you know!" she said in an angry matter.

As we continue walking for a while in this long hallway before stopping at a gate. She then starts pushing it opening easily to reveal a grand lobby with giant wheels on the roof surrounded with candles around it, spread all across the rooms with golden walls, lavish sits, artistic desk, and tables, accompanied by lots of people moving non-stop like the streets.

While exiting the gate still looking around, May starts to pull my hand, making me look at her as she says, "Sova look to the left."

When I look to where she said, the receptionist table line up and decked, filled to the brim with hunters clad in great armors made out of the beast they slay probably, some of them have claw marks in their armor and some in their faces. They all give an aura of dominance, fear, and some an overbearing qi.

May then starts to point in one of the direction, looking past the crowds, there's a gate beside the receptionist table when May started saying, "Did you see the gate beside the receptionist table there. That's where sis told me to go, now let's hurry up."

I nod saying, "Yea."

As she pulls me I suddenly trip on something hard and fall. Forcing May to look back at me saying, "Are you okay?"

"Yea it's fine, lets quickly move."

When suddenly someone bumps on May, making her fall. I quickly catch her before her face hits the floor. What is wrong with this place?

Our surrounding becomes clear and space opens up a path. This is it! When Suddenly a man interjects us from behind asking, "You two newbies must be lost, why not let this kind senior help you out?" with a calm gentle and smile. Oh boy, here we go again.

A tan man in his twenties, with long and smooth jet black hair that went past his shoulders and kinda shines in the room, a sharp jawline accompanied with a pretty face. Wearing a Golden suit and shoes that shines with golden glitters that contrast with his skin and hair, and with a red sash on each shoulder. Kinda a perfect look of someone who is truly wealthy.

This guy... I seriously want to punch him in the face and get on with it already, looking at may she shows a disgusted face before finally calming down, smiling to reply to the man nicely saying, "Sorry sir, we kindly decline your offer. But right now we juniors got this. Now please excuse us."

As I help May stand up and quickly move. Before he then cuts us off, interrupts us again continuing saying, "Please wait, I am..."

I finally snap and said to the man... Calmly, "Hey Mister. We don't need your help now please get out of our way."

When his calm smile change to a sad yet happy face laughing softly, only to say, "I see, Mwa ha ha ha ha, is that so. Then please forgive my rudeness young Hunters. May the spirits bless you."

As he backs away giving us a space to pass through him people suddenly dispersed and make way for him. I immediately hold May's hand tighter and walks as fast as possible not looking back. Passing the crowded lobby to reach the gate a soon as possible, arriving near the gate, a girls voice interrupted me

"Please wait for a second dear guest. This place is reserved only for authorized personnel only, please show us a proof of passage."

Stopping near to some kind of fence made of red wool? and hang by a metal pole beside it. There stands a lady that looks like she is in her teens. wearing a red beret strapped with a pin that shapes like a heart split in half by an arrow, with long brown hair, her bangs that's peeking outside the beret split to the sides, and a face that could calm anyone that looks at her always smiling. Wearing a green uniform like all the other receptionist wear, and a red ribbon, accompanied by some weird shoe that makes you look like she's tiptoeing all the time.

When I look at May. She then points at the pocket where my card is, telling me, Sova, the card I gave to you, show it to her."

Letting go of May's hand, as to take out the card from my pocket for the receptionist lady in front of me, handing it over to her. As she then took it with both her hands saying, "Thank you," in a calming smile.

Taking out the same crystal that looks the same as the one used by the Gate Guards from her breast pockets, and brings the objects together. The crystal then begins to shine the green light, as she then puts back the crystal into her breast pocket.

Handing the card over to me with both her hands smiling and says, "Thank you for your cooperation and patience dear honorary guests," when she makes a cheerful smile saying, "You are very brave, dear honorary guests."

Before reverting back to her calming smile, removing the red wool that was blocking us signaling us to went pass it. As we walk through it and she puts back the red wool.

Then continues to say, "Now dear honorary guests, please follow me."

Opening the gate that May points too, revealing a kinda different tone to the hallways we see all this time. The hallways are light by a dimly lit blue glow stick, the walls are not gold but dark blue making it almost hard to see for the colors blend with each other, almost as it looks like it's night all the time, with gates that are separated far away from each other by both the distance of the walls and the floor across each other.

This place... How many hallways does this place have, the only reason I can think of, is that the reason that people don't leave this city is not that they are lost, but because they are just too tired to walk all the way outside with all this distance between them.

"Dear honorary guest how may I address you two?" the lady asked in a calming polite manner.

"Oh, then please call me Sova," I answer continued by:

"Then please call me May."

"Honorary Sova and Honorary May you must be waiting for an appointment with Honorary Rubeca, Is that correct?" she Ask in a professional manner.

I don't know why, but the way she speaks is just... Not... Right.

May responded with, "Yes, can you please bring us to her."

"Yes, it's my pleasure. Please follow me dear Honorary Sova and Honorary May. If you wish to ask something. Then you may address me as Angeline."

Nodding to her response. She then starts to walk first. We follow suit in this long, dimly lit hallway with only silence making the sound of Angeline's footsteps ring across the hallway. May breaks the silence by asking:

"Ms. Angeline, How much longer will it take until we arrive?"

"Dear honorary guest May it is just a few seconds more... speak of the devil, dear honorary guests we have arrived."

"Oh," we said in unison.

The gate is simple in design, with no carvings nor decorations. Just a plain simple metal door. As she opens them. The room is like a giant hall stretching far and wide with no place you can sit, but the wooden floors below. The place is filled with pegboards that hangs multiple weapons ranging from the shortest daggers, the longest zweihander, and the biggest claymore. Even special weapons like whips, flamberge, chakrams, ton fas and much more are available. And in the middle of the room is a giant square arena that goes deeper to the ground a few meters with 2 dummies lined up.

As we enter the room following Angeline's guide. While I and May were still looking around. A familiar female voice interrupt us

"You've finally arrived."

Looking at where the voice is coming from. It was sister Rubeca's voice when the thought of:

(How I'm happy to see her), surface.

Looking at her closer... She is still wearing the black tight suit with the open neck but the outer clothing is a different gear she used when starting our journey here, in fact she wears a green robe with a revealing long v neck, displaying her black tight suit that shows the front skin of her neck while also exposing the shape of her cleavage, wrapping her self around her right shoulder to the waist with a golden sash with red lines patterns. along with a rubber golden corset outside the robe revealing the slim toned outline body of hers.

For some reason, the way she wears her clothes makes me feel warm inside. When May suddenly points at her screaming:

"Sis what is with that attire?!"