Finally, Tepo could receive some answers and the name of this mysterious organization was revealed. The Web.
Tepo blinked his eyes.
"This… is this the name of a criminal organization?", mumbled Tepo quietly.
In his mind he added:
Shouldn't they be called Dark Web at least? Or dungeon thieves? Hmm. I guess it's not 'they' anymore. It's 'us' now.
Although the young man talked quietly, Anvil and Quill understood him easily. Their brows twitched slightly.
"What criminal organization?", exclaimed Anvil. "We are gatherers of knowledge! We don't advocate crime! We only think that everyone should have the right to explore a dungeon."
Tepo was a bit bewildered.
"But… isn't this the case anyways? Dungeons can appear at any time, right? Everyone has the same chances."
"Tzz!"
Anvil only clicked her tongue, letting Quill explain to Tepo:
"In theory this might be true, but in reality, this is almost impossible. Strong organizations occupy vast territories. If a dungeon core appears, they will find out quickly. Depending on their mood, they will either steal the core, loot it, or demand compensation for letting others explore the dungeons.
Only a few organizations exist which don't control their territory as strictly.
On top of that places where dungeon cores appear more often are almost always occupied. The World of Carrying Winds is rather generous in this regard, but it's mostly a result of the competition between kingdoms. This also a reason why the Web's presence in this world is rather thin.
On top of that, all these problems are further amplified after observation towers were invented. Those can detect the activation of dungeons within a certain area, making it even more difficult for small teams."
Hit with a mountain of information, Tepo felt as if he was only slowly opening his eyes to see the real world.
So, the struggle for dungeons is this fierce? Strong organizations almost dominate it completely? Shouldn't Mayor Raunej bite his own ass right now?
Tepo chuckled lightly. He didn't have particularly strong feelings about the issue with dungeons. This was just a struggle for resources between humans. It wasn't connected to the threat of 'outsiders'.
Although Quill and Anvil felt differently, they also understood that Tepo was still too inexperienced. He had just left a relatively peaceful, small city. How could he understand the battles fought over dungeon cores?
As Tepo gradually learned more about the Web, one important question remained unanswered however:
"If you despise those practices so much, then what is your goal?"
"Ideally.", answered Anvil "Pushing for the formation of treaties, which allow dungeons to be shared among all beings. But we also know that his goal is impossible to achieve without absolute strength.
Thus, we raid dungeons of those tyrannical organizations, gather all the knowledge we can find and spread it among those without any access."
"As I mention before.", chimed Quill in. "We are not after artificial cores but only after knowledge."
Anvil nodded as she continued:
"Which brings us to another important point:
In our organization, we care a lot for freedom. You can choose your targets yourself. You can choose to present your loot to the Web or not. You can even join other organizations, as long as you don't betray us."
Tepo was taken aback. Could an organization with such lax rules really preserve? Was everyone here an idealist? Why would someone work for the Web, if they could just pocket everything themselves?
And if they were so particular about freedom, wouldn't this also apply to artificial cores?
Doubtful, the young man asked:
"Doesn't this mean I can still take down dungeons and steal the artificial core?"
"Sure.", admitted Quill leisurely. "But other than selling them for a lot of force crystals, artificial cores aren't all that great."
Tepo wrinkled his brows:
"What do you mean by that?"
Anvil giggled as she spoke with a proud voice:
"See, this is the importance of knowledge. It prevents you from taking a wrong turn right at the begging.
Although artificial cores can strengthen a core's quality faster than the Force of Natural Perception, they aren't without risks.
Artificial cores contain some substances which will make your way forward at higher levels far more difficult. This will only become apparent once you reach the strength of lords, but then it might already be too late."
Tepo was shocked. Wouldn't this revelation spell trouble for him, who was supposed to only have an artificial core? But thinking about it, if he really had no core, he would still choose the artificial one. Who cared about the higher levels at the begging?
But now that Anvil said it… when my core absorbed the artificial core, it didn't actually absorb the entire core. It only sucked out the white light. Some dregs remained afterward, but they disappeared by themselves. If those are the dangerous substances, I have to thank my core for ignoring them.
Apparently reading Tepo's thoughts, the Core of Time in his chests radiated proud emotions. It was like a child showing off to their parents.
The young man was apprehensive. Between Anvil's words and his core's actions it became clear that artificial cores weren't without problems. But they were still one of the hottest commodities out there.
Frowning slightly, Tepo asked his friends:
"And what are those detrimental substances?"
"We haven't figured it out yet.", answered Anvil. Afraid that Tepo might have some suspicions she added quickly:
"Dungeon cores and artificial cores are some of the most complicated things in existence. We know almost nothing about them."
"Mhm.", affirmed even Quill solemnly.
Tepo sighed. Wasn't this like playing with fire? But in the face of huge profits, no one took the time to thoroughly understand dungeon cores.
But something is strange anyways. Anvil said that artificial cores strengthen a core's quality. But for me, the core's rank rose. Maybe this happened because the Core of Time didn't absorb the artificial core at all. It only took away the white light.
Seeing a hesitant look on Tepo's face, Quill calmly encouraged the new recruit:
"You can ask whatever. If it involves some secrets, we just won't answer."
"Ok. Then something a bit off topic.
Do you know what the white light is, which is used during the awakening ceremony?"
"Yes.", answered Quill lazily.
Tepo waited for a moment. There was no follow-up.
"And?"
"I can't tell you more."
Rolling his eyes, Tepo questioned, disgruntled:
"Then, what do I have to do so you can tell me more?"
Anvil took over again:
"You have to raise your rank within the Web. After the ceremony in two days, you will be an outer string member. If you contribute to the web, you will rise in ranks and gain more rights."
Although this system sounded a bit hypocritical, Tepo was even relieved that this was the case. If the Web just gave out all information for free, he would even start doubting them, constantly searching for a catch.
"So you do have a rank system in place.", stated the newly awakened. "Then what kind of contribution would be expected of me?"
"You have many possibilities. Offering knowledge, increasing your strength, or going on missions."
"Missions?", questioned Tepo with some doubt.
Anvil contemplated for a moment before offering:
"Why not do it like this:
The ceremony will be in two days. Afterwards we will help you start training a force. Next, we can introduce the fourth floor to you. It has the intelligence and mission area. Everything will be easier to explain when it's before our eyes."
Showing his agreement, Tepo nodded. What else could he do?
Suddenly Anvil clapped her hands as her eyes lit up. She almost beamed, confusing Tepo greatly.
"Ok!", exclaimed the tall woman. "Then it's time to come to the most fun part!"
"What?"
"You need to choose your weapons, codename and mask design!", stated Anvil excitedly.
"Anvil will create your mask. It will be her first time.", explained Quill.
The female artificer smiled a bit embarrassed.
"Well, I can't really make the masks yet. I can only modify them. But I will still do my best!"
Tepo was a bit confused, but he didn't question Anvil further. He was contemplating his choices.
Quill's mask is green, Anvil's red and Wave's blue. It seems the color isn't important. Anvil also didn't mention anything about it.
So, what should I choose? Hmm. Well, I never paid particular attention to my appearance. I like black coats and red scarfs. So just choose a black mask with a red symbol.
As for the codename… 'time' immediately comes to mind. It seems to be in line with the others. But is this what I want? If some opponents hear the name 'time', wouldn't they become vigilant? This just screams 'hard to deal with'.
No. I shouldn't choose something this obvious. It would be best to confuse my enemies.
Tepo contemplated seriously. Quill and Anvil didn't pressure him. Once the codename was decided on, it couldn't be changed again easily. But Tepo didn't know this. He came to a decision after a few minutes. If the alcohol played some influence will be a matter for historians to argue over.