Standing within the lowering elevator with Alice on his shoulders and Camille at his side, Allicent began planning his next course of action. Although he could easily select the excavation squad at random, being the cautious person that he was he decided to ‘tag’ along. Seeing with his own two eyes where they had landed themselves would surpass any secondhand information he would receive through word of mouth.

The Unbranded guilds building was twenty floors high, relatively small for such a powerful guild, and although they had the funds to expand, Alicent had chosen the road of obscurity over fame in order to appease the humans that would not look too kindly on such an expansion. A decision that ended with no merit.

What little they did have, however, was of only the highest quality. Each leader had a top floor for themselves, customized to their liking. Members could entertain themselves on a number of different floors from the guilds custom members shop down to the guilds main business floor casino where the guild profited.

Alicent gently rubbed his temple, in the first place the likelihood of an entire building spawning in the middle of a town wasn't impossible either. That would be a terrible start for their journey in this foreign world. He needed to prepare for the worst.

They were currently on their way to the third floor, An inspection floor that divided members and non-members from climbing any higher within the guild building. It was also the floor where security was heaviest and where members six, seven and eight were holding off any remnants that managed to slip by members one and two at the buildings entrance.

“Alice, can you please send out two of your low level familiars to scout out the surrounding area? We must work fast.” Alicents spoke out gently towards his sister.

“...ok brother. I dont really like ‘wasting’ them though.” Alice responded as she continued messily devouring her crepe.

[True Ancestry] was the one of the skills his sister possessed that gave her the ability to create and summon undead in her dominion from corpses she killed, or what she preferred to call household. Half-deads were her lowest spawn, weak zombie like creatures that either acted as simple fodder or bait.

Ding!

The elevator doors began to slowly slide open as Alicent with his sister still firmly wrapped around his neck exited from the elevator, Camille in tow behind them.

The first to react to the scene before them was non-other than Camille. Slamming her hand into the wall, the whole room shook under the weight of her fist.

“Those Damned Humans!!!”

Before us were the corpses of three of the ‘seated’ members of our guild.

Ivy, a sentient plant-based monster that had grew overly attached to the forest and its inhabitants. Seeing how the humans continued to destroy the lives of her kin, she joined the Guild to look for a solution for her people. She had been truly warmhearted, never wanting to resort to violence the way humans had for her people. She was an avid followe of Alicents doctrine within the guild.

Dead. her body cleaved in two messy halves. Vines and algae rooted around two lumps on the floor. Her green skin and vine hair covered in green blood, her eyes vacant as she stared ahead aimlessly.

Lumella, he had been arrogant and distasteful, but all in all, had always known what lines not to cross. Infected by a topaz lizard's venom at a young age, he lost his humanity in order to combat the Virus. He had an adopted son and daughter who depended on him, orphans just like him.

Dead. his head in the corner of the room, separated from his now fallen body, distastefully ripped apart in the center of the room.

Alzor, a storm resha that began to dread bringing harm to civilizations and the people within. He was the most powerful of the three and perhaps the most aware of how such powers can easily hurt others without proper awareness or control.

Dead. His massive ten foot, lizardlike body filled wih ice cold piercing holes. Him alone seemed to blot out the room, eclipsing the other two bodies and leaving a foul odor that overwhelmed the senses.

The corpses of monsters, cursed. They were seen as not even human. What would a human do if they saw such a messy display and loss of life? Would they feel disgust, anger, anything at all? Or would they look at them as they do sheep or pigs, creatures outside their race–outside their empathy.

The entire room was soaked in water, green vines occupied every corner of the room, and splashes of blood littered the walls. A heavy battle had taken place here.

“Calm yourself, Camilla. Their lives were not in vain, the ritual was a success, and our enemies are now nowhere on this planet. May Everleen guide their souls into the dominion of her presence, their wished and aspirations carry on with us Camille.”

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The words Alicent spoke were nothing but sweet whispers he knew Camille would like to hear. He had mastered such techniques long ago. For a half-demon, she always was more attuned to her human side. Looking up at his sister still casually finishing up her crepe, he honestly wondered who was more demonic between the two.

“...Yes, Guild master. I shall bury the bodies later.”

“Of course.”

Stepping back into the elevator they made their way towards the first floor, their original goal. They were not humans, they had been through more, seen worse, experienced tragedies that eclpised these in thier long lifetimes. Creatures such as them could only march ever forward.

Ding!

On the first floor, the lobby floor, two figures could be seen biding their time lazily within the room as the elevator doors opened up. One sat down at the reception desk, a bloodied magazine in his hands. His shiny head a standout in the warmly lit reception hall, he wore a simple purple monks' garb. Why he continued to wear such clothing was unknown, after all, he wasn't inclined toward any particular religion.

“Color me surprised when it succeeded young master.” His voice was warm and open, like a father speaking to his son, what was annoying about him was that he spoke like this to everyone, guild master or not. Yet the corpses at his feet contrasted harshly with his father-like temperament.

Repula never changes, still a wolf in sheep's clothing. Hmmm, corpses? So other than our guild members, it looks like corpses were also registered during the transportation…a mistake on my part.

There were three settings needed for the activation of the artifact. One, the general location of what would be transported, for this Alicent chose the guild building. Two, a unique engraved pattern was needed for those that would be transported with the objects in the location, instead of carving one anew, Alicent chose the Brand of the guild instead, etched into each member. Finally, what would be transported within the vicinity he had chosen–In which he had chosen everything. He hadnt taken into account that corpses would also be taken into the effect.

“Stop speaking so arrogantly to the guild master Repula, and put that paper down!! Guild master Alicent, another number of minutes, and I would have finished every one of those repulsive humans! To be so useless as to force you to use such an artifact, my incompetence knows no bounds!”

Before me, on ‘its’ knees was a humanoid creature with the head of a spider, wearing–a simple set of black armor. Not exactly the most modern piece of equipment, with enhanced fibers existing, but it was still a very powerful artifact called the [Arcanic Set]. Alicent looked at ‘it’ with slight discomfort, he didn't particularly feel that discomfort for real, but it was a useful trick that he had learned to keep ‘it’ at a distance. Alicent didn't see it as cruel, he saw very little as. No, he saw it as a necessity, Alicent knew ‘it’ very well. Far better than the other member at the very least.

Targelia, that was its name. A newer member of the unbranded guild that had joined after Alicent, and was scouted by Alicent himself. Like other members, it had a human form, yet it in particular refused to use it at all. Although Alicent could easily talk it into using it, he honestly didn't really care so long as it served its purpose, which was managing the guild's underground fighting arena, something that it did ‘very’ well.

“Brother–she's pouting again.” Alice loved spiders, it was a strange quirk that had followed her through her childhood and had been the reason Alicent had spared Targelia within a dungeon's ‘boss room’, giving it new purpose within the guild.

Getting off Alicent’s back, Alice went to Targelia who was kneeling below them and began petting it. It was a strange scene, a little girl who looked no older than twelve was petting a spider-faced creature, who bending down, still towered over her. Its bizarre mandibles let out strange noises of–pleasure.

If Alice put the same amount of love towards just about anything else, she would probably be a completely different person.

“Enough Targelia, Brief me on what happened here. Then, with Camille's help, we will adjust our plans.”

“Of course guild master! Repula and I fought the intruders of the guild as best we could–or at the least, I did, I would garner that Repula was still holding back, possibly putting your life at risk Guild Master!” Targelia looked at Repula with clear hostility as it spoke, not an uncommon occurrence. What was uncommon, however, was for Repula to even look back its way, let alone respond.

“Killing isn't exactly a hobby of mine.” his tone, as usual, was calm and still like a lake. Repula had been the only member within the guild that had such a strong distaste for it, to the point where he flat-out rejected orders to hold to his rather un-monster like views. Yet the bodies strewn around his feet said otherwise, the blood that stained his hands deeply said otherwise.

Regardless of what Targelia said, Alicent thought it was the guild master's responsibility to manage recourses effectively, in spite of subjective flaws.

Assigning Repula, their strongest and most senior member here had been Alicents gamble and one that had paid off. Why would he be angry or disappointed at a won lottery ticket?

“Relax, Targelia. What of those heroes and their respective saints?”

“Ughhh. I only managed to defeat Hulrik–Repula fended off Tashvol and Seraph, but he didn't kill them.”

Alicent wasn't particularly surprised that Tareglia could fend off heroes, it was the reason it had been assigned here, other than himself and Repula, in terms of pure combat strength, it was second to none. Defeating it when Alicent was weaker had been a difficult task, one that earned him the right to the guild master position.

“Defeat?” Call it instinct, the years he had been in ‘that’ household had honed his skills in spotting a liar. He didn't need a person's facial expressions for that–body language was enough.

“Fatal wounds!! There's no way he could have survived!” Targelia added nervously.

“Well–he did, and everyone outside this room is already dead,” Alicent responded factually. He didn't blame Targelia at all, in fact, just one hero escaping to the upper floors was better than he had anticipated. Still, it was a piece of information that had to be said. The other members on the higher floors couldn't combat Heroes. They had been stationed there for the small fries that could slip through.

Both Repula and Targelia had separate reactions, They both knew the other members well. Repula was a teacher and figure of respect for them, while Targelia was their combat instructor, both were closer to the lower members than Alicent, Camille, or Alice.

“A shame,” Repula said, yet there was no hint of sadness or hate in his voice. Alicent knew that if the entire guild had been destroyed, Just Repula alone, with his indestructible body, would just fly-off, muttering the exact same words. Even now, he was the most difficult person Alicent found to ‘manage’ correctly.

“A shame!! If you had just killed them this wouldn't have happened at all!” Targelia shouted, fuming. He was the only member that didn't seem to take Repulas characteristics in stride. Neither Alice nor Camille particularly cared, after all, this wasn't the first time something like this had happened. In fact, relying on Repula for anything related to killing was already a crucial misstep.

“Enough Targelia, you and Camille will bury the bodies. Repula and I will scout for a close inhabited settlement. Our following moves will be held until we have gathered sufficient information on the outside.”

“If I may, guild master!” Targelia interrupted, clearly upset by Alicents choice of companion.

“Repula was chosen because he is the strongest, in the off case that the people here are far stronger than us, my highest chance of survival is with him. Losing our strongest pieces will lower our defenses, so keeping everyone else back is crucial. If not for the fact that it would be more efficient to plan if I scout the area myself, I would stay back.” Alicent spoke without giving Targelia any breathing room. He knew that if it had its way, it would never leave his side. A fact that would make the ‘average person’ creeped out.

“Well, let's go Repula. Alice, I hope your half-dead have good news. As for the rest of you, after you have buried our subordinates…”