Night soon arrived, and for most that meant turning to the comfort of their beds and venturing into the realm of sleep.
However, for one man, the night held a different meaning.
It was a call to shed his natural identity and don another one.
From an average nobody… to the most powerful man whose power was shrouded in mystery.
Thus, under the shade of the dark clouds and dull moon, the Dark Adventurer was born.
—The one known as Ralyks
*********
'Looks like I can finally return to the KariBlanc Group…' Rey thought, already completely outfitted as his alter-ego.
As he stood in his room, ready to open a portal to his rendezvous point with his other allies, he mulled over a few things.
'Alicia and I really took our time talking today. I guess she really is nervous about tomorrow.'
Rey had explored every nook and cranny of the place, so there really wasn't anything to be worried about.
He already knew how strong everything was, and he had designed the perfect map that would lead them down the path of the Dungeon.
'She doesn't know that, though, so I understand her nervousness.'
Rey knew he would never put her life in any kind of danger, though.
'We still haven't talked about the incident… but I think she still has some trauma from then.'
In all fairness, he also hadn't revealed the truth about him being Ralyks as well. In a way, they had their secrets that they were hiding.
That didn't in any way diminish their friendship.
'I guess we both have our reasons for keeping secrets.'
Based on everything he had seen thus far, he could clearly say that it didn't matter whether she told him about the incident or not.
They were still good friends.
Nothing much has changed, and Rey liked it.
Even now, with the Dungeon Raid and a bunch of other things coming up, Rey felt a strange sense of calm wash over him.
'She'll be fine. They all will be.' He smiled to himself, though it was all hidden underneath his mask.
Their proficiency in both individual and team abilities over the past few days had improved drastically.
'I let my clone act as Ralyks while I operate as Rey. I can clearly see how fluid the combat flow has gotten.'
After what they did earlier in the day, he was thoroughly convinced that everyone was ready to Level Up like crazy and keep up the grind.
'I won't fall behind too…' His grin became wider, and a swirling portal appeared in front of him.
Rey ventured in with his hands in his pockets.
'I wonder what's currently going on with the KariBlanc Group…'
********
Tension.
As Rey sat opposite Rebal, Asher, and Kara, he could feel the tension oozing from their bodies.
Something was definitely wrong, and the atmosphere suffered because of it.
It took a lot to scare denizens of the underworld, so Rey could only wonder what could be the reason behind the pale and downcast faces of the people before him.
Sooner or later, though… they had to speak.
"There has been a… ahem… a new development, Sir Ralyks."
Rey nodded slowly and waited for an explanation.
"We received a letter very early this morning, almost right after you left. It was from the Triumvirate, and it concerns the Dark Gathering."
Rey slightly raised his brow as soon as he heard the name. He was very confused, and once again thankful that his mask prevented anyone from noticing it.
"The Dark Gathering. Hmm…" He muttered, giving a vague sense of understanding.
'Why aren't they elaborating? Do they expect me to understand it with just that?'
A head of sweat fell from Rey's face as he waited for Rebal to keep speaking.
There was no way he would say anything inaccurate or stupid and risk embarrassing himself.
The burden was on his interlocutor.
"As you well know, this means that the Slave Union, the Obsidian Council, and the Mercenary Gang have to gather in the Allied Merchant City for a meeting. We are expected to show up as well." Rebal said with a deep sigh.
Rey didn't know how they expected him to figure that out on his own, but he simply responded with a "Hmm…" and allowed Rebal to continue.
"The venue for the Dark Gathering is the same as every year, and this isn't the first time we'll be having it, but… as you can tell, there's a lot that is suspicious about this invitation."
As soon as Rey heard that, he made a deep sigh.
There was no way he couldn't tell this much about the current situation.
"Indeed. It's most likely a trap, is it not?" Rey smiled as he spoke almost amusedly.
It was clear that Scylla and her New Order were trying to make a big move to eradicate the KariBlanc Group by using this Dark Gathering as an excuse.
"My suspicion is that they intend to take over my territory and also the Verte properties during the Dark Gathering, where we'll be too powerless to do anything." Rebal spoke with a grave tone.
"They'll also take your lives there, won't they? Tying up all loose ends."
The older man nodded at Rey's additional statement, and the expressions on both Kara and Asher's faces showed that they recognized the current situation very well.
Everything they had worked for was in danger.
'There's a lot I don't understand, though…' Rey's thoughts trailed as he looked at the bunch.
For days now, they had been going all over the United Human Alliance, securing the properties of the Verte House.
Rey had also said used that chance to check out the Slave Warehouse along the way.
'So far, all those Warehouses have been empty, and the properties were secured with much of an issue.'
Things had gone pretty smoothly—without incident at all—for the past few days.
… Almost as if Scylla's New Order was biding their time for the moment to strike.
'If that's the case, then I'm pretty sure this Dark Gathering is their endgame.'
If that was the case, then Rey knew it had to be something incredibly serious and well thought-out.
One of the reasons why he spared two Heads of Destruction was so they could report back to the Mercenary Gang—and by extension, Scylla.
Doing that would make them see the KariBlanc Group as a threat, while also ensuring they would be distracted by other factors.
'I don't know how they handled the Eastern Warehouse matter, but I suppose they should already know that there's nothing inside.'
Everything that had happened was culminating into this moment, but Rey didn't understand the fundamental reason that made the Dark Gathering so threatening.
"Can't you simply choose not to go?" He asked the people before him.
Everyone in the room already knew that Scylla and her New Order couldn't be trusted.
They were already pretty much enemies, so whether they accepted the invitation or not, terrible consequences would follow.
'So why don't they just ignore it and start preparing for their inevitable atta—?'
"I can't do that." Rebal Blanc interrupted Rey's thoughts, causing him to widen his eyes a little.
'E-eh…?'
"If I don't go… we will all die."