Colette paced through the grandiose hallway of the guild headquarters, the emblem of the Crimson Vanguard emblazoned on the towering banners hung with pride. Each stride she took echoed through the ornate corridor, a rhythmic reminder of the countless battles fought, and victories won under this emblem. Yet, amidst this fortress of valor, Colette harbored a storm of doubt within her.
An F-rank Swordsman, her journey to the position of a second-in-command in the strike team was an odyssey of relentless grit and determination. Yet, the looming thoughts of inadequacy gnawed in her spirit. She feared her stagnant stats would soon become a barrier to ascending the ranks in the guild.
Lost in the labyrinth of her insecurities, a sudden uproar snapped her back to reality. The muffled shouts echoed through the hallway, and Colette halted, straining her ears to catch fragments of the heated conversation that ensued in the adjacent chamber.
"How was it already cleared? That's completely impossible! It just opened!" The voices were unmistakable - her strike leader and the guild leader were embroiled in a heated discussion.
With her heart pounding against her ribcage, Colette edged closer to the door, attempting to piece together the puzzle from the snatches of conversation that escaped the room. "Did they auction a faulty portal?... Clearing it in 3 hours... high rank... rival guilds?" The murmurs painted a vague picture, yet the gravity of the situation was palpable.
Before she could delve further into her thoughts, the door swung open revealing her strike leader, a formidable woman with a fierce demeanor. Colette's eyes scanned her leader's silhouette - the stern face, sharp eyes, and a physique sculpted through countless battles. The strike leader's gaze met Colette’s, sending a chill down her spine. Before Colette could muster a word, a barrage of questions was unleashed upon her, causing her to stutter in a futile attempt to explain herself.
As they marched through the grand hallway, the silence was heavy, but it was the storm before the calm that precluded their missions. Colette couldn’t help but break the silence, her voice echoing through the corridor, "Quinn, I don’t understand. How could a portal be cleared so swiftly? And who could have done it?"
Quinn’s face was stern as she mulled over the facts, "It’s an enigma, Colette. Portals aren’t something you breeze through, especially not within three hours of their appearance."
Colette's brows furrowed as they approached the strike room. "But why the uproar? It’s just an E-rank portal, right?"
Quinn halted, turning towards Colette with a grave expression. "It's not about the rank. It's about the implications. If someone can clear an E-rank portal in mere hours, what’s stopping them from infiltrating higher-ranked ones? It’s a security breach, and a slap on our guild’s reputation. Besides we don’t know if it’s a single high rank person or a group of people, if it’s a single person they must be at least C rank, maybe even higher. What would happen if that single person jumped into a portal the 1st strike squad was in? It would be impossible to recover from that kind of damage.”
They resumed their pace, the strike room’s doors now within sight. "Besides," Quinn added, "the government's auction system is designed to maintain order, to ensure that guilds like ours can manage these threats systematically. An anomaly like this... it threatens that order.”
Colette absorbed the gravity of Quinn’s words as they entered the bustling strike room, the air charged with the energy of the Crimson Vanguard’s elite.
“But, Quinn,” Colette probed further, “do we have any leads? Any clue on who could have done this?”
Quinn’s gaze swept over the room, landing on each member of her team as she spoke, “Not yet.”
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As Tian strolled through the city streets, he was blissfully unaware of the storm of unease he had unwittingly unleashed upon the Crimson Vanguard. He was too wrapped up in his own little triumphs, admiring the new loot he had acquired from the recently cleared dungeon.
Item Status:
Name: Emberstride Boots
Rank: D
Description: Crafted with a blend of tough fur and infused with a minor fire-resistant enchantment, these boots offer a decent level of protection against fiery threats.
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Item Status:
Name: Wolf-Slayer’s Belt
Rank: E (Boss Drop)
Description: A belt bearing the insignia of a wolf, seemingly etched by the claws of a defeated foe. It grants a slight boost to the wearer’s agility and evasion against canine-type creatures.
The reminiscing smile on Tian's face grew as he approached the grandeur that was the Global Market. The market was a bustling hub of exchange and trade among rankers and guilds. Inside, the elegance of the establishment was apparent with its high vaulted ceilings, polished marble floors, and gleaming counters showcasing an array of ranker gear and monster materials. Located in an upscale district of the city, it was a place where the elite and well-to-do of the ranker community gathered. The sight of various guild members, clad in refined attire, made Tian feel a tad underdressed in his newly acquired but modest gear.
He made his way through the market, the soft clinking of his boots against the floor melding with the murmurs of haggling and trade. As he approached a counter to inquire about the price of Tough Furs, the market official behind it requested to see his ranking ID. Tian, almost instinctively, reached for his wallet and began to hand over his Wayfarer guild ID before he caught himself abruptly. The sudden halt in his motion startled the man at the counter.
“Oh, wait,” Tian stammered, feigning a forgetful demeanor, “I can't use old guild cards, can I?”
The official, recovering from the initial surprise, responded with a relieved smile, “Well, you can, but they might be inactive if it's been a while since you left the guild. Though, if it's recent, it should work fine.”
“Oh, it was quite some time ago,” Tian said, a hint of truth laced in his words, yet not the entire truth. The reality was that he didn't want any ties to the Wayfarer guild being traced back to him at the market.
With a sigh of disappointment, Tian exited the market, the doors closing behind him with a soft thud. His plans of acquiring more crafting materials and selling off some loot were dashed, for now. A notification buzzed on his phone, informing him of a new portal that had opened nearby. With nothing else on his agenda, he decided to check it out.
As he neared the location, he found the scene to be chaotic. The portal had materialized in the middle of the road, causing a massive traffic jam. Workers were frantically directing traffic away from the site while officers set up blockades to keep the curious and the reckless at bay.
The pressure emanating from the portal was on a whole different level compared to the previous ones he had encountered. The intense aura of it made him question whether it was an A or even an S rank portal. Government officials and rankers were already on-site, standing guard as they awaited the arrival of a capable guild to tackle the menace within. News reporters buzzed around, their cameras capturing every moment of the growing tension. An S-rank portal was rare, and the news of it could skyrocket someone's career.
The atmosphere shifted as a group of individuals arrived at the scene. They bore the emblem of a majestic, fiery phoenix encircled by a ring of thorns - the unmistakable symbol of the Warlords guild. Their arrival was met with a mix of awe and relief, as it was clear they had prior arrangements with the government for handling such high-rank portals.
Tian watched from a distance as the members of Warlords prepared to venture into the unknown, the portal before them a gaping maw ready to challenge the bravest of hearts. The seriousness of the situation was not lost on him, and as he blended into the crowd. A man from the Warlords guild stepped forward after being called to by a few of the reporters.
The tall man from the Warlords guild stepped up to a makeshift podium where reporters were eagerly waiting for a statement. He cleared his throat, adjusting the microphone to his level. His demeanor was stern, every inch of him exuded an air of authority and charisma.
"Can you tell us how your guild plans to tackle this high-ranked portal?" one reporter asked, her voice shaking slightly under the intense gaze of the Warlord’s representative.
"We have a specialized team trained to handle A and S rank portals. Our strategy is classified but rest assured, we are well-prepared for whatever lies within," he replied, his tone was firm, leaving no room for further inquiries on the matter.
"Is the government involved in any way with the Warlords in handling this situation?" another reporter chimed in.
"The government has entrusted us with this task due to our proven track record in handling high-ranked portals effectively. We have a standing agreement to tackle such threats to ensure the safety of the public," he stated.
The short Q&A session went on for a few more minutes, with the man from Warlords answering in brief, precise statements. As the session wrapped up, he looked around, his eyes scanning the crowd. His gaze fell upon Tian who was standing at a distance, watching the scene unfold. There was a brief moment where their eyes locked. The man’s eyes narrowed slightly, an expression of curiosity, maybe confusion, crossed his features before it was quickly masked by his stern facade. Shaking his head slightly, he turned and walked towards the portal where his team was preparing for entry.
Tian watched as the Warlords got into formation, their gear looked top-notch, and their coordination was impeccable. The portal seemed to shiver slightly as if reacting to the formidable force that was about to challenge its depths. With one last glance at the crowd, the Warlord’s representative led his team into the portal, disappearing into the abyss that awaited them.
Tian felt a strange pull, the scene before him was a stark contrast to his lone venture into the lower-ranked portals. It made him realize the vast gulf that lay between a solo ranker like him and the guild-affiliated rankers, especially those from a powerful guild like Warlords.
As the Warlords delved into the portal, not everyone from the crowd dispersed; many lingered around, hoping for an after-statement once the guild emerged victorious. The trust in Warlords was palpable among the bystanders, a testament to their standing in the ranker community. Tian, on the other hand, decided it was time to leave, having seen enough for the day.