“Of course this happened while I was on the job... I wonder if contract enslavement is on the menu when I return.”


    “For Sophos? You should’ve expected bullshit from her—”


    “You think this is ''bullshit,'' you uneducated brute? This is is an international crime wrapped in armageddon wrapped in—”


    “Shut up and look alive, they’re here.”


    The idle banter was performed by an unsuspecting comedy duo. They’d cordoned the training field from all prying eyes, and thanks to the small man with a comically large witch hat, a large isolation barrier hummed around the perimeter. The barrier was different from the mechanically-generated ones I’d experienced: this was meticulously refined and personally crafted with care and precision.


    It was the type of skill you’d expect from the Vice Guild Master of Wisdom Guild, Wonder. Wonder dressed like a young student from a fictional wizard academy: had the long and dark robes, the hat as mentioned earlier, round-rimmed glasses, messy and stringy peach hair, stressed golden eyes with rotating magic circles around the pupils. He was always seen with his tome either under his armpit, hugging it, or attached to the hip. Young, yeah, but older than me; young, though, definitely for his position. The old VGM and his master, Sibyl, had nominated (forced) him into the role so Sibyl could transition into the CEO position.


    Onto the next celebrity, he couldn’t be any more different from Wonder. This man—this beast—had the crudeness that the mage despised, the experience he wanted, and the muscles he gawked at. If the men had eye-candy like Silverhonor and Empress, then the women had him: Mongrel, VGM of Glory Guild.


    He was about Dad’s height, six-eight, and definitely had the same muscle mass. His arms and legs had the output power of ten-thousand men, and that was barely an exaggeration. Mongrel resembled a wild hound, exotic and dangerous. He preferred strolling around shirtless with baggy and torn trousers, wanting everybody to trace his numerous scars with their eyes and gulp in fear of his warrior-body. Unrestrained gray hair fell all the way to his waist, possessing enough volume to act like a pseudo-cape. As much as I’d like to ignore him, his burning amber eyes were locked onto me.


    Mongrel rolled his tongue over his sharp canines, and I thought I heard Rei yelp at the back of the group. My attention was split between his hulking figure and the ominous white-walled dome about twenty meters east.


    They’d caught the demesne first during discussions about guild try-outs, and now they had this on their plate.


    Archknell joined the VGMs, acknowledging his Glory-hound first then the genius. “Any new developments?”


    Mongrel let his smoldering gaze linger on me for another second, then he faced the demesne. “Not when I first reported, no. It appeared without warning, and luckily we had the mage here who isolated the field from the public. Nothing came out so far. Sense trouble inside, though.”


    “It’s less of a demesne and more of a battlefield,” Wonder quietly corrected, rolling his eyes like how Problem would. “A demesne usually alters existing laws and principles while battlefield creation—” (“The difference matters shit.”) “—I’m trying to provide valuable intel here. Problem, what do you say?"


    Problem huffed. He wore his hood which casted an impervious darkness so nobody could see his youthful face; on top of that, he spoke with a modulator to hide his underdeveloped voice. “If we’re to break inside, we need accurate information. If what Wonder says is true, then this resembles a battlefield rather than a demesne. But…”


    But since this was surely an Alternate’s doing, then this space most likely defied our current understanding of artificial environments anyway.


    I spoke up, “What should we expect from this enviro then? If it’s a battlefield, then it should act like a simple demesne, right?”


    “It’s a far more nuanced subject than that, but for the sake of conversation, let’s assume none of our theories are concrete—”


    Mongrel growled, “It doesn’t matter what the hell that thing is, Angel. Is Lyressa trapped inside or not?”


    Problem hesitated, craning his head toward the hound, cautious. “Most likely. It appeared in Glory territory, and our tracker—” (Rei fidgeted.) “—confirmed a strange presence.”


    Archknell braved closer to the dome, startling Wonder and he threw his arm to stop the Guild Master from advancing further. (“Wait—!”) “Out of my way, genius. Mongrel’s right: your useless theories will only waste time. Lyressa’s inside and we have no idea how long this enviro will last. I’m breaking through—”


    Panicked, Sage exclaimed, "You don''t know what''s inside! It''s dangerous—"


    The ground rumbled as Mongrel stomped toward her, causing Firebrand to jump between them and drawing [Twin Heavens] from Empress. “‘Dangerous’? The fuck d’you think we are—?”


    “Get the fuck out of her face, Mongrel!” FB roared over him, fire pulsing in his eyes.


    “Bark again and I’ll crush your fuckin’ bones—”


    “ENOUGH!” Archknell shouted over everyone, his cheeks burning with frustration. He faced Problem. “I’m going inside whether you like it or not, Problem. Either you can accompany me or you can patiently wait. You have thirty seconds—”


    “Empress, Firebrand,” immediately answered Problem, neutral and impassioned. “You’re joining Archknell. Sage, prepare one of your [Yokais] for surveying.”


    Empress bit her lip and lowered her twin-blades. “Alright.”


    Firebrand, who was still facing Mongrel, coldly replied, “Regi.”


    Sage, hiding behind him, could only nod and squeak, “Okay!”


    (Rei sighed, disappointed. “Dang it!”)


    I would’ve picked them too. Logically, I wasn’t a consideration. I’d been through the wringer for the past couple days, so my combat strength was reduced plus I had existing tension with Glory Guild. Asking either VGM to join wasn’t smart either. We needed Wonder to keep watch of the dome and the isolation bubble, and if Mongrel joined… Well, that’d be two Angels and two Glory. Two of the strongest Glories. If anything were to happen, such as an internal conflict, they’d overpower us easily. Too much risk.


    The numbers were on our side. With this division, we’d maintain footing on both fronts. Theoretically. Practically, despite having our whole team here, we were powerless.


    Archknell huffed. “So be it. Come on.”


    The infiltration team was assembled and we faced the dome. One of Sage’s [Yokais], a freaky-looking drone with mechanical eyes covering almost every surface inch, was joining them. [Hyakume], she told me. A magical visor covered her eyes, allowing her to see whatever [Hyakume] was observing.


    Wonder hovered the closest to the shimmering dome, reluctant to touch it. “I’ll create a small opening for you. It’s best that I do it to prevent any unexpected consequences.”


    Problem tapped his right ear. “Make sure you keep us updated."


    Annoyed, Archknell huffed and looked on, seemingly ignoring Problem and by extension his advice. Of course, he was the great Deathweaver, No.7 in Ordo, and one of his own was trapped inside an unknown environment. Being ordered around by a haughty kid was beneath him. I’m being sarcastic, but laying it all out… Well, he had reasons to follow his own heart. Let’s hope he makes good decisions for all of us, but you know what they say: hope for the best, prepare for the worst.


    He gave a wordless signal to Wonder, and in response, the genius pressed his bare hand against the dome’s hard, glimmering surface. The area around his hand brightened. With nary a sound, a hair-thin crack about my height opened. A tiny opening revealed what was on the other side—I couldn’t see through the bodies—but the breach expanded enough to comfortably side-step through.


    Archknell entered first, then [Hyakume], and finally our Angels. I caught pale white soil and tall finger-like grass, everything pallid, and a pastel-colored something nestled beside ivory trees.


    It closed, and the snapshot of the enviro ended just like that.


    Sage gasped, her eyes frighteningly darting left and right behind her visor. “The mana density is on par with an S-Rank expedition. It’s—!”


    “A replica of Crystal Forest,” we heard Archknell through Sage, his voice static. “No, this is a perfect recreation. It’s exactly how I remember it down to the most minute detail.”


    “Does that mean you remember how to navigate it?” Problem asked loud enough to be caught by [Hyakume].


    Archknell hummed in affirmation, and I thought I caught Empress’s voice in the background. “I should. What does your tracker think?”


    Rei looked all over the dome, pensive and uncertain. “I uhm… I can hear a voice but I can’t tell where or what she’s saying. It’s all over the place, like an echo.”The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Problem repeated, “Did you catch that, Deathweaver? It’s present but the location’s unknown.”


    “Regi. In that case, we’ll do this the old-fashioned way. Let’s go, Angels.”


    The expeditionary team ventured onward into the Crystal Forest. I wasn''t sure which team was better: fighting side-by-side with the same Guild Master I''d blackmailed not too long ago, or waiting with a loose cannon itching for an excuse to pop my head off. Either way, I was stuck outside, waiting. Minutes passed, time slipped by as my thoughts were occupied with theories and concern. Then, without warning, our comms blared something loud and shrill and shrieking. The harshness subsided after a few seconds, but static followed and stubbornly stayed. I rubbed my ears. Wonder and Rei did the same, yet Mongrel stood stoically as if it didn''t bother him.


    Problem tapped his earpiece. His head canted downwards as if scowling. “How’s your visuals, Sage?”


    “It’s rough. I’m getting major interference from the enviro. I’m losing functionality. I can’t detect anything around us.” There was a voice on the other side, but I couldn’t tell whose it was or what they were saying. “Sorry, can you repeat that? You’re breaking up! Please repeat—! Ack?!”


    Her visor darkened, and she blinked a few times. “Hello? Anyone? I—oh man, I think [Hyakume] is offline.” The visor was dispelled, face tensely wrenched with disappointment.


    Great. Couldn’t last more than ten minutes before it went kaput. It wasn''t her fault, anyway.


    However, not everyone shared the same opinion. Mongrel saw an opportunity and thus spat saliva a few inches away from Wonder''s fine wizard shoes. “You wouldn’t have accomplished anything with your toy anyway.” The rumors were true: as handsome and surprisingly articulate as Mongrel was, it was wasted on a sour personality. Reminded me of someone.


    Unwilling to indulge in petty arguments, Sage turned away from the Vice Guild Masters and hovered closer to her teammates. I moved to block her and Rei from Mongrel''s line-of-sight.


    Problem repeatedly pressed his earpiece to no success; he couldn''t get through to the rest of the team. He let his small fingers drop. “Splendid. They’re trapped inside with no forms of communication to the outside world. I suppose fidgeting with the enviro is out of the question?”


    Wonder, the fellow intellectual, shrugged like he didn''t give a crap about the swords inside. “I''d rather not irritate this thing further."


    “Prepare anyway. If Rei has a sudden feeling of doom, we need to intervene as soon as possible—”


    “Barking orders, are we? Walking into my house and making yourself the lord, yeah?” Mongrel stomped around our little group, apparently deciding that this would be a good time for a confrontation. “Doing whatever the hell you want, you and Sophos. When things blow up, we’re pulled in and one of our own gets hurt and yet you expect us to lend a hand? And Glory keeps getting raked over pride.”


    A chilly wind fluttered Problem''s hood but it remained nailed to his head; in the concealing darkness, dim purple eyes fluttered open. “This is not the time nor the place to air your grievances—”


    “Shut the fuck up.” Mongrel aimed a nasty glare at Problem, but the small guy didn''t flinch. “You’re all repulsive. Disgusting. Flaunt the rules all you want and let us watch the wax drip from your wings—” (“How did I get involved...?” Wonder muttered.) “—if it was my way, I’d tear your feathers myself. Beginning with that bitch Seraph—”


    “Take her name out of your mouth!” raged a small voice, having the same fury as when she''d found her boyfriend moments away from turning himself into a bonfire. “You know nothing about what we''re doing, about her!"


    Pity and disdain curled the Apex Predator''s lips, but not sympathy. He wouldn''t feel sympathy for anything, not even for a dying puppy. "I feel sorry for you and Firebrand most of all. Another one of their little experiments—” (Sage tensed, her hard cheekbones showing as she sucked her cheeks in.) “—dancing on the palm of their hands. It makes me sick what they’re doing to you.”


    Neither Problem and Rei seemingly knew the context behind his words—I doubt Mongrel had the entire story anyway, just drawing sweeping conclusions from small details—and Wonder remained silent despite possessing the same status. Was he too intimidated to speak or too morbidly curious to see where this conversation would lead?


    Out of everyone, only Sage had the courage to stand against the Vice Guild Master of Glory Guild: “Sera always said you were the worst possible choice for VGM. You’re just a ‘mutt who doesn’t belong—’”


    Mongrel''s burly, calloused, and muscled hand launched toward her.


    I caught his wrist; rather, he allowed me to catch his wrist. You’d think this little attempt at physicality was done out of deserved provocation, but his eyes were cunningly narrow. My ugly mug was reflected in his bulging pupils, and he let himself enjoy a slight measure of satisfaction by revealing a thin line of sharp teeth. He wasn’t angry at all, or well, his anger was second to curiosity. Mongrel really was the Apex Predator, because I was his target all along. This whole confrontation was to provoke me into acting. Tests, tests, tests, games, games, and fucking games. All these high-rankers trying to suss out the new kid on the block, fucking ridiculous.


    Mongrel tore his wrist away from my comparatively weak hold. “It looks like Seraph''s new dog decided to finally bite—”


    “I don’t give a shit what comes out of your mouth.” I held the hand that’d grabbed him to hide my trembling. “I’m here to fix our own mess, not to entertain another high-ranker with his arm shoved elbow-deep in his own ass. And if you ever touch Sage or the kid, we’ll fix you.”


    “Hah—?” Mongrel and his thick neck wrenched forward—I could hear the muscles stretching like steel wires—and stared me down. “Corpo or sword, your words are too big for your teeth—”


    “Rei.” I turned around and patted his shoulder. “You feel anything yet? Are the voices getting clearer or are they still jumbles?”


    “Ah—uhm…” Rei glanced behind me and stiffened, but I don’t give a shit anymore. Let the mutt stew by himself. “I-I still don’t know what she’s saying—”


    A shadow fell over my shoulders.


    Then, two thin shadows followed: dual magical staffs. One was ebony, carved from a darkwood tree. At the head was a purple arcanic crystal surrounded by a cage of twisted roots. Its partner had the opposite aesthetic: pearl and ivory wood not unlike the trees I’d seen in the Crystal Forest. There was a sword-like guard below the crown, framing the arrowhead-shaped red crystal. [Arcane & Crystal].


    “A very poor decision,” Problem said, having summoned his signature to block Mongrel’s path. “Though Conqueror didn’t include himself in his threat, I am. Either you can make yourself helpful and see your pretty elf home, or you can leave. It’s your choice to jeopardize this operation further.”


    “Heh.” Mongrel put his hand on his face, then smoothed over his greasy hair. “One of these days, Conqueror, I''ll uncover why our ''heroes'' are so fascinated with you."


    Mongrel fucked off to the side and kept to himself, checking his [PMs] from the looks of it.


    Everybody could finally breathe again.


    Sage quietly laughed. “I didn’t expect that from you, Alex.”


    “Hey.” I lightly patted her back. “We’re a team, remember? It’s my job to look out for my colleagues.”


    Sage returned the gesture, but she smacked my back harder. Yup, definitely a force to be reckoned with. Remind me to never challenge her to a spar. “You’re fitting in already! I’m… I’m happy for you.”


    “Mhm, and uh, did Seraph really say that? About Mongrel?”


    “This wasn’t the first time Mongrel targeted me and Aiden.”


    That’s all I needed to know.


    Onto the other Japanese kid in the group, Rei had a…very interesting look on his face. I think he was about to cry. “Y-You think I’m apart of the team, Conqueror?”


    Well, I thought you’d instantly get annihilated if Mongrel decided to slap you silly. “You’re here, aren’t you?”


    A single tear rolled down his face. “Conqueror—!”


    “Okay, that’s enough.” [Arcane] smushed the kid’s face. “Let’s refocus our attention onto the elephant in the room. Wonder—? Wonder, what the hell are you doing?”


    Wonder was laying face-down on the ground. “Trying to sleep."


    ***


    Thirty minutes passed since the team infiltrated Crystal Forest. We tried several times to establish a connection through any means: comms, [PMs], and so on, but nothing worked. Rei’s sixth sense was ineffective, as he was tormented by directionless voices and no other information. Eventually, Mongrel rejoined the group and started to act like a VGM for once, all business and no jokes, but his ideas bore no fruit. Wonder and Problem shared theories but they lacked the confidence to test them. We were flying in the dark, basically, (im)patiently waiting for a development.


    “Under what circumstances should we break in?” I asked Problem when my watch told me thirty-two minutes had passed.


    Problem rubbed his eyes, his fingers disappearing into the darkness which was freaky to look at. “If they transmit an SOS through the System or the System tells us directly. They have Archknell’s power.” (“Not his trust.”) “That’s what I’m afraid of.”


    Great. I checked on the other Angels. Sage and Rei were chatting about—well, I didn’t know. They were speaking in Japanese, and with my limited knowledge of the language, I could only make out a few words here and there—


    A deep bass reverberated throughout the area, flattening grass-patches and blowing our clothes back. It came from the dome, and the walls were shaking, shaking, shaking. Rei was the first to start running in our direction.


    “—her!” he said but I couldn’t completely hear him. Another bass sounded and the world began trembling. I held a hand over my stomach, trying to not blow my breakfast on enemy territory. “—screaming!”


    Shit, we might get our wish granted.


    We regrouped, finally able to hear each other. The reverberations and shaking stopped shortly after. Mongrel tried speaking but Problem told him to shut up; Wonder tried speaking but Problem also told him to shut it. We had to maintain visuals, seeing or hearing if anything would change on the outside.


    Rei held onto my sleeve, and he whispered, “S-She’s getting louder. She’s sobbing. Something’s happening inside.”


    Problem tightly nodded. “I gathered that. I think they found the breacher—”


    "Guh—?!" Rei clasped his ears like a dog hearing a dog-whistle, dropping to one knee.


    "Rei—?!"


    "Kid—?!"


    [PARTY STATUS]


    INCAPACITATED: Celestial Empress


    INCAPACITATED: FIrebrand


    My head went blank.


    “WONDER!” Problem screamed, his modulator distorting and a hint of his youth powering through, “OPEN A HOLE!”


    Wonder flew toward the enviro faster than an eagle.


    “Conqueror, with me! Rest of you, stay here!”


    Without waiting for Mongrel to inevitably protest, Problem and I caught up with Wonder who’d opened a similar hole like earlier. We couldn’t give our thanks as Problem barreled through first, then I hopped in. Something caught my foot. I tripped, slamming my shoulder hard onto soft white grass.


    “Fuck!” I swallowed foreign dirt and grass. Immediately, I spewed them out and had a heavy, bitter taste on my tongue. Someone took my arm and pulled me up. “Thanks, Problem—”


    “I have your back, senpai!” That was not fucking Problem.


    Rei was standing with us. The hole was closed. He was with us.


    Problem threw his hood off so Rei could see his angry, child face. “What did I just say, Amamizu Rei—?!”