"It's taking a while." Matthew looked at the clock as he waited for the floor to descend completely. All four of them were standing in the middle.
Clyde took off his glasses to activate his gifts. The soft glow of his eyes stood out in the dimly lit environment.
Yuni seemed unbothered as she played with her daggers. Yan scratched some things on his notebook before putting it inside his armor.
"Just so everyone is on the same page, we will be getting ambushed. Right?" Matthew saw all three of them giving a small nod at the sentiment. Matthew tightened the straps on his backpack. He rather not lose it during chaotic moments.
"I don't get it. Why would the Royal Merchant Guild risk their reputation like this?" Clyde was the first one to question this.
"If words get out, no agent will ever accept their commissions." Clyde rubbed his eyebrows as he spoke.
Unlike Clyde and Yan, Matthew wasn't very educated on the internal business of the ACA and the nature of commissions.
"That's the point. If the words get out. Whatever they are planning, either they are sure it won't go out, or they are confident they can shut our mouths." To Yan, it was a simple line of reasoning.
"Make sense considering the hefty amount of Drm they gave out just for participation," Matthew pointed out. Yuni suddenly chimed in,
"What about the voice we heard back in the shifting doors? How do they factor in any of these ?"
"Well, they could be workers." Despite his statement, Matthew knew the obvious problem with that.
"Didn't sound like workers to me. Too professional to be one." Clyde emphasized.
"What about RCUVA? How do they fit in all of these? Even if they hide whatever the hell is going on, you can't simply make RCUVA shut up." Clyde looked at Yan.
"Beats me." Yan shrugged.
Matthew was silent for a moment before saying,
"They could be collaborating with the Guild."
Both Yan and Clyde look at Matthew.
"There is no reason for RCUVA to even work with Royal Merchant Guild. Let alone with ACA." Clyde pointed out the obvious hole in Matthew's logic.
"Not that we know of," Yan replied with a simple statement.
"Could be profit." Matthew tried to reason. Although he didn't know much about the inner workings of ACA or RCUVA, profit always makes unlikely allies.
"Profit from what?" Yuni asked. She never really liked the politics of these organizations.
"Whatever we are investigating," Matthew replied.
Yan fell into a deep thought before speaking,
"Where do Beholders fit into all of these?"
"Maybe they are harvesting their gifts," Clyde replied with a smirk.
Matthew noticed Yuni shivered slightly when Yan rebuked him,
"You're one of those, aren't you? Believing in conspiracy theories."
"And you're one of those who is too blind to see the truth." Clyde scoffs.
"What is this harvesting gift conspiracy?" Matthew asked bewildered.
Yuni was the one who replied,
"A few years ago, there was a story on ACA Forum. About someone selling gifts."
"It was a hoax," Yan emphasized.
"You don't know that." Yuni and Clyde said in sync.
Yan slapped his forehead as he tried to reason,
"You can't separate gifts from Beyonders. A gift doesn't have physical properties."
"Wait how come I never heard of it?" Matthew asked.
"This is your first mission and you ask why don't know one of the most mysterious incidents in ACA?" Clyde rolled his eyes.
"Point taken. So it's like a scary story for Beholders or something?" Matthew raised his eyebrows.
"No."
"Yes." Yan looked at Yuni and Clyde.
"Okay listen. It was a thing. But there was no evidence. That's it. Don't let these idiots..." Yan pointed at Yuni and Clyde and continued,
"Mix stories with truth."
Both Yuni and Clyde look unconvinced. The conversation died down after that.
The platform was still descending.
To pass the time, Matthew fiddled around in his backpack. While Clyde clenched his sword tighter in anticipation of anything happening. Yan's eyes darted around as if trying to take in as much information as he could. Yuni who despite her unbothered attitude was alert.
*grrr*
'Ah!' Matthew's stomach growled.
"Anyone hungry for a snack?" He looked at three with a questioning gaze.
A soft barely audible chuckle escaped from Clyde as Matthew took out a few packets of biscuits.
"Care for one?" He offered one to each of them.
Clyde wanted to rebuke but couldn't find the right word so ultimately gave in and took one.
"Thanks..." He too was feeling a bit peckish.
Yan and Yuni also took one each.
"I don't know if you're confident or just plain stupid." Yuni ripped the pack and put one in her mouth.
"Yuni." Yan gave her a side-eye.
"Thanks." and gave a nod to Matthew as he opened the packet.
"Wow!" Yuni was the first one to exclaim out loud.
"These are some good biscuits." She put a few more in her mouth.
"Hmm. They are." Clyde also complimented as he looked at the wrapping.
"I have never heard of this brand." Clyde memorized the name.
"Me too. Which is saying something." Yan also looked a bit shocked. He has a perfect memory thanks to his gift. He rarely if ever forgets anything. A hand reached out and took a biscuit from his packet. He looked to the side as Yuni stuffed it in her mouth.
"What?" She swallowed it and asked with an innocent gaze.
"They are made by our local bakers. Mrs. Wells. She has a bakery across the street. She is like a local celebrity. Ever heard of her?" Matthew asked in return.
"Where are you from again?" Yuni asked as she reached out to get one more. Yan tried to keep it out of her reach but she managed to take one nonetheless.
"I'm from..." Before Matthew could answer the surroundings lit up as the floor slowly descended into an open room.
Large chunks of rocks hung from the ceiling wrapped in metal cages. Drowning the room in a soft white light the rocks shone brightly.
'Lumenites.' Matthew recognized them.
A mineral that produces light. Found deep inside the Earth, one of the most rare resources.
Matthew's attention was however taken away by something else. From the ceiling hung a creature.
"That's the creature that attacked us." Yan pointed out. As Yuni stood before him with daggers drawn.
It was big. Matthew presumed nearly thrice his height. With an armored shell, stacked on top of each other.
"How's that hanging from the ceiling?" Matthew backed away. He took out his doll and held it in his hand.
"More pressing question is that why is that not attacking us." Clyde however had a much bigger problem. None of them were expecting an answer to that. Yet,
"Obviously because someone told it not to," a voice rang out amidst them.
Standing among them stood a man. Wearing a fancy white jacket over a luxurious suit.
His face was hidden behind a blank mask. Yet that was not the most eye-catching part.
It was his crimson gloves dripped with blood.
The man didn't react as everyone jumped away from him.
A soft chuckle was followed by his voice,
"Allow me to introduce myself..."
Putting one hand on his chest and the other behind, bowing politely he spoke,
"I am Anatolia Andre Asmosdius D'marcus."
Straightening himself he addressed all four of them,
"But you may call me, Blood Hound."