It was supposed to be just a normal visit to the outskirt's underground market, just see how the people setting up their vegetables or meat. We knew from Cavien's word that it wasn't anything dangerous like the so-called black market. It was literally just that, a market in the underground. Cavien even visited it twice with his uncle. From his boasts, he said there might be some interesting curios lying around like a mysterious book, a magical gem, a moving ship toy or whatnot. But those can only be found in one shopkeeper: an old lunatic.
The old lunatic wasn't harmful, and he turned out to be very humorous with his unusual jokes. The others only called him lunatic since he babbles nonsense sometimes. His wares were definitely bizarre.
As the three of us checked out each item, I suddenly felt it. A resonance. That's how I could only describe it. It came from a fragment of a gem, just lying there on a shelf. Black and blue, from my perspective, it radiated an aura colored like so. Cavien and Raynel couldn't see it when I pointed it out. I touched it out of curiosity. And… there was a ringing. I felt a pulling force of gravity into myself. My whole being sucked in and at the same time, unravelling the threads of what made me me.
If this how an Astral Projection feels like, a Tezhe Master Hartold told me once, I imagine this is how it would feel.
It was as if I was a spinning top, being loosened and tied at each spiral loop—like a pool of water strips.
Suddenly, I came back to reality. I was at the same place with the same Cavien and Raynel, the old man and his store. Except, the rock's glimmer was gone and the old man was looking at me with wide creepy eyes. He started babbling then.
"Oh oh oh!" It was an utter gibberish, as if the old man was speaking another language. We couldn't understand any of it but it scared us off.
Then, the thugs came by. They seemed to be looking at the old man as they angrily walked over, grabbing the old man by the shoulders.
"Hey, why is that stupid monster repellent potion not working? We tested it in the Dajien Highlands and it didn't work!" But the old man kept babbling on and on. Drooling, even. The thug couldn't take it anymore and started beating up the old man.
I saw that scene before we left. I felt an indescribable anger took over me when I saw the helpless being trampled. Why was he being treated so unjustly? I thought suddenly. Amidst my anger, I just raised my hand and pulled it down. Then the crates came tumbling over.
Raynel and Cavien was looking at me in shock. What just happened? I didn't know. It was certain we were in trouble though. We escaped before anyone could notice us. That was it.
...
In Mayor Gathos' estate, in one of the luxurious parlor rooms, a hodgepodge of people was gathered together. Tryndale, Erick, Jess, Litney, Quin, the trio kids, Arwen, Master Hartold, and one man. He wore a rich velvet suit with frills on the breast, above a white shirt and black vest, finished with a top hat and loose fitted trousers. It was a classic gentleman's attire. But the most eye-catching feature of the man was his blonde hair and slightly sharp angled ears. Mayor Gathos was a half elf. Albeit, he had a small bulge on his belly.
"Oh man, here I thought my reporting of the Wanderer's Troupe leader sneaking attempts would be the bombshell." Jess commented while munching on a cookie.
"No, no, no that is an interesting piece of news. That you were even able to discover that person is excellent, too." Mayor Gathos replied.
Mettel was looking at Hartold, who evidently did not look different from how he remembered him. After telling the story, Erick and Tryndale in particular were gazing at him intently. The wizard himself, though, did not look too surprised. Then, Hartold finally spoke.
"I believe Mother Laresa wished for you to relay a message to me: what is it?" Mettel almost forgot about that! He hurriedly retold the message and added in that Mother Laresa did not seem too well.
"Is it true then, Jess? Mother Laresa has not long to live?" Hartold asked. The nun nodded.
"Yes, she specifically told me to gather the church members before she departs. Only, after your return, she says it be postponed instead and wishes to speak to you personally." Hartold contemplated with his hood down. He had with himself his staff, wrapped in an ordinary-looking brown cloth, tapping it with his finger.
"Quin, regarding the thing I asked you to look into—I hope you did not involve anyone?" Quin wryly smiled.
"I involved Jess. But that wasn't my intent, she followed me of my own accord. Regardless, I'll take the blame. I should've been more careful." Now that things were at this point, Quin could only tell the truth. He really didn't want to break things to his brother who was looking at him with his silent piercing eyes but the cat was out of the bag. Even if he lied and partially hid the truth—the smart boy would sniff it out. Besides, Master Hartold was here.
"Hmm. I will take a look at what you found later." Hartold nodded and gazed at Cavien and Raynel who was beside Mettel, before setting his gaze to the boy himself.
"Mettel, did you remember what I told you once? Before I could teach you my arts?"
"That, that I should have that esoteric feeling of the spiral alignment enlightenment you talked about?"
"Then recall to me what you felt when you held the jewel fragment?" Mettel's eyes were lost but as he thought it over—wasn't it almost like…?!
"Indeed, you awakened your Tezhe. Prematurely, on your own." Hartold smiled, "It seems I could finally start your training."
"…How? But how did that happen? Was that jewel fragment special?"
"I believe it's the shard of a monster core, holding a remnant aether amount. That was the catalyst." It wasn't Hartold who respond this time but Tryndale.
"But that's not right! I touched a monster core that Master Hartold gave me before, saying it might produce that spiral alignment thingy. I didn't feel anything."
"Three cases: one, your body wasn't saturated with the world's aether mana enough – meaning you were too young then. Two, that specific monster fragment resonates with your affinity Tezhe. Three, both cases." Mettel's mouth opened without sound. Hartold chuckled.
"You seem pleasantly surprised. Have you not read the books I gave you? Although I wasn't able to give you a personal tutor to my dismay, reading those books should've given you the basic understanding." Mettel… did not read those books much. He only really read three: the basic monsters and their behavior, dungeon geography, and Tezhe Classifications. There was another book pertaining to training Tezhe, perhaps the knowledge he needed was from there.
Now that he thought about it, why didn't he read it more just so he could understand what the heck did Master Hartold mean about the spiral alignment?
"No worries, I should've been the one to give you that knowledge—alas, my time is limited. But now that you've awaken your Tezhe, I will be taking matters into hands."
"'Cuse me," Erick interrupted. "Why not leave it to me? I was already thinkin' I could give him the basic hunter training. Then in terms of more advanced Tezhe, Master Hartold could teach him." Hartold shook his head.
"I'd love to do that but no. His case is special. It also serves as research. Don't look at me like that, Mettel, my research would not involve harmful experiments. I assure you, hahaha."
Mettel already knew he was special. Master Hartold did not hide it from him. But how exactly was he so special? He just survived the radiation or whatever it was from the damn dragon's breath—apart from that, nothing. Perhaps it would reveal in his Tezhe? Somehow, that made him excited.
"In any case. I do have an important news to announce." Hartold's tone shifted to a somber tone. He turned to Mayor Gathos.
"This regards to the latest happenings in the dungeon. What we discovered has not been disclosed to the republic masses as of yet, but it will be released a day or two. This will change things greatly hence the reason I shall tell you now."
"Uhm, should the kids be...?" Litney asks.
"They could stay." The others were perplexed about this. Arwen by the corner of the room was sweating right now. She, from the outskirts, was about to hear something so serious? Granted it would be released soon, but to hear it from someone so prestigious… this has to be related to her scouting mission after all!
"I bring with me a news undesirable and a news desirable. You see, my latest summons this time was within the dungeon depths, specifically the second stratum: the Enchanted sub-layer. As you are aware, the Enchanted Layer is the home of nature's bounty; full of mystical living non-monster plants, special ores, magical lake and more. Some Tree folk, dwarves, researchers in particular live in this layer. It's also the most beautiful sub-layer.
We of the Aethercloud Spire were investigating a deeply unsettling anomaly—teleportation runes are being activated en-masse. It has caused frequent displacement of objects and structures, even living people. A casualty of a thousand hunting parties were confirmed.
As the Wizard of the Spire, I was tasked to study these gates. It could appear anywhere and disappear anytime. I would spare you the full details but it is unsure whether it is the work of an organization or the Dungeon herself created it. Both does not bode well. The good news, however, is that we have closed majority of the gates.
The worst news—one major gate cannot be closed. We have confirmed that it connects to a secret sub-layer—either in the first strata or the second strata, it is unknown."
"Impossible." Tryndale spoke. "The Dungeon is mostly fixed in its structure, its strata and its layers even if it changes its geography from time to time. There are, at the maximum, 4 sub layers per strata in regards to the continents of Junosa. The first stratum and second stratum already have four, how could there be another one?" Hartold shook his head.
"I am not sure. I have referred this matter to the Mithra Scholarium's researchers and it will take a year or two before they could fully unearth the cause for this dungeon anomaly. The only reason why it's theorized to be a sub-layer of the first stratum or the second is due to the low-quality Aether it emits, characteristic to both." Mayor Gathos sighed.
"This… is indeed a serious matter, the Dungeon has always been unknown, but if it were to make changes like this after hundreds of years, what could the future hold for us? But I still fail to see how this could be serious to us surface dwellers?" Mayor Gathos asks.
"Most likely, they will probably paint it as a new discovery of a dungeon sub-layer, the Karan Press, I mean. Motivates hunters even more. And it's also because… the sub layer, its close by here." Quin guessed.
"Indeed, that is the case. Excellent assumption, Quin. That secret sub layer is in the direction under the Miiphul region, where Ithivora rampaged."
"But the sub-layer we have here, on the first stratum, is the Arid sub-layer. Huh?" Litney confusingly stated.
"My personal theory is," Hartold begun, "is that the sub-layer is not as big as an actual sub-layer, perhaps no more than the size of a town or city. Furthermore, its located in a pocket space similar to the magic inventory bag."
"Ain't no way, man. The top-of-the-line inventory bag out there can only hold, like, 100 square meters—the size of a house. But an entire city? In the first or second stratum where the Aether is shit? Even for the Dungeon, that's—"
"We don't know. We could only study this as every time we encounter the unknown. What this means to us however, is that this town needs to get its defenses fortified. I hate to put even more responsibility on your shoulders; Litney, Erick and Tryndale, but I must count on you to assist the coming hunters that would help build this town as a frontier fortress as accordance to living settlements close to a dungeon break opening. Just for the worst-case scenario." The three's faces were somber as they accepted it. Not that they hate the responsibility but more of the possibility of a dungeon break from a mysterious sub layer that got them on guard.
Meanwhile, the people who felt they shouldn't be here were utterly stunned. It's hard for them to digest the news that there might be a potential gate to hell right beside them.
"Mayor Gathos, I am afraid you would have to relegate your position of authority to someone from the confederation executive parliament to be in charge of the matters here."
"I understand. This is outside of my expertise, so frankly, I am glad. I would cooperate to the best of my ability. May I ask who is coming here? Is it someone from the Dungeon Hunting Department?" Hartold nodded his head, although he didn't specifically know who was coming. Then he turned to Mettel.
"Mettel, I would have to go away soon, to the Aethercloud Spire. You would have to come with me."
"Huh? M-me? I am coming with you?" This was a first. He'd never been allowed to come with Master Hartold no matter how he begged in the past. Now he's just going to go there just like that?
"Of course. I didn't say I would teach you for nothing. You've grown impatient, haven't you? For three years, I only left you some books pertaining the dungeon after the grand promise I gave you, forced you to stay here—I wouldn't be surprised if you come to hate me. But I have not forgotten my promise. Now is the time I fulfill it. I'll show you the world of magic—Aether."