Chương 27: Cursed Dawn

"Give us a minute," Kayzen spoke and dragged Vasser back to the hall. She was confused for a moment, until she saw where his finger pointed at. Tucked away on the sofa were two boxes with a symbol of a cat holding a yarn ball.

"A gift for me?"

"Naturally. I would have preferred to give this in a better setting, but if there indeed is an emergency, then now's the best time." Kayzen picked up one of the boxes and opened it for her. Inside was a black inner armor made from the wings of the Hemogaster. It was flexible, sturdy, and weighed less than the box itself. Vasser's eyes twinkled as she stretched the fabric. A dim haze materialized above the artifact and showed its information.

Halteres Protection An Inner Armor crafted from the wings of an alien creature Effect: Lightweight enchantment. Ether Repair enchantment. Provides minor resistance against toxin, acid, and other harmful substances. ~ Made by Nyx Vasser was more than satisfied with the armor. She picked it up and ran away straight to her bedroom. Kayzen chuckled and picked up another box. Inside was an onyx-colored trench coat adorned with the crow feathers. He put the light armor on while checking out its description once again.

Corvus Guard A light armour crafted from crow's feathers and fiend class leather. Effect: Agility enchantment. Ether Repair enchantment. Masks the wearer's scent and heat signatures. Minor resistance against targeting type attacks. ~ Made by Nyx He hurried back to his bedroom/lab and picked up his Hemogaster backpack. By the time he was done packing, Vasser was ready at the gate. She didn't look much different except that her exposed skin was now covered by the platinum-black garment.

"Looks good on you!" Vasser checked out his armor as well. Now, both of them had improved their strength. The duo didn't waste any more time and exited the room. The captain had already left, and in his place was a soldier who led them to the carriage. As soon as the two got on, the coachman drove the carriage full speed ahead. As Kayzen leaned back in a comfortable position, he recalled something that had nearly escaped his mind.

"I think before we meet the Baron, we should decide on something."

"What?" Vasser tilted her head.

"Remember the adventurer group we talked about?"

"Oh, right. We didn't get the chance to talk much about it afterwards."

"Indeed, but that can wait. We need a name for the official matters." The two stared at one another in silence and thought of various names.

"Vanquisher," Vasser suggested.

"The Hollowed," Kayzen also shared his thoughts. The two went back and forth and rambled on what would be the best. They were looking for something which included them as well as the paths they were walking upon. Soon, the duo came upon a decision. The name of their adventurer team would be the "Cursed Dawn." In no time at all the carriage arrived at the central area of the town. The two got off and walked into the manor.

Unlike when Kayzen had visited this place the last time, the town's hall was now brimming with a hubbub of activity. People in fancy clothing and armor were going in and about in a hurry. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it. Even among the crowd the two of them stood out like a sore thumb. Their distinct features were eye-catching no matter where they went. Kayzen didn't bother with the looks coming his way and led Vasser straight to the Baron's office.

As soon as he entered, he saw Baron Huiyan as well as the empty bottles littered on the floor.

"Finally here." Baron looked at them with his red, swollen eyes and gestured them to sit on the chairs. The whole office was filled with a heavy tension.

"You must be the Crusader, I presume?" The Baron looked at Vasser, earning a nod in return.

"I wanted to give you a welcoming gift, but the way things are, that'll have to wait. I have both good and bad news. Which one would you like to listen first?" Kayzen took a deep breath and answered, "Let's start with the bad one."

"Very well then. It's about the rift that broke out in the south. Those damned archwolves have wiped out another mercenary group. This wouldn't have been that big of a deal, except that the sudden deaths and failures alerted someone in the higher-ups. An Arbiter, no less." Vasser and Kayzen tensed up at that. An Arbiter was someone who was just below the Demiurge.

Since Avatars were few and far between and the Demiurges liked to remain out of the public eye, the Arbiters and Embodiments were pretty much the pinnacle of humanity's strength. The fact that the small town had caught their eyes was unexpected.

"Isn't that a good thing?" Kayzen questioned.

"If someone that strong had taken interest in the broken rift, then there should be nothing to worry about." What Baron Huiyan said next doused them with cold water, "If only. I was giddy with excitement when I heard that an Arbiter was going to take care of this mess. Heck, I even ordered a few of the finest collections from the brewer. The bloody thing is, the Arbiter failed.

"He could do nothing about the rift. He killed most of the archwolves that crossed over, but in the end, that doesn't solve anything. More and more aliens would keep pouring in, and unless we kill them hard and fast, they are going to multiply and make the passage even bigger. This was the last warning he gave before leaving." The Baron sighed and took another gulp from the bottle. Now it made sense why everyone was busy. In all likeliness it looked like the town had no bright future.

Kayzen and Vasser sat in silence and thought deeper about the matter. Their vision wasn't just limited to the Ironheart town. Just how many rifts were there in the empires? If even just a tenth of them broke out, then humanity would lose most of their land. They would have to look outwards and expand if they wanted to survive. Not to mention that it remained unknown how other races were faring after the apocalypse.

"Well, no need to be so glum about it. There's some good news as well, which is why I called you here." The Baron took out a parchment and rolled it over the table. It was the new map of the broken rift and the nearby region. He pointed his thick finger at one of the drawn circles,"You see this? This is the place where the army has made their encampment. A permanent encampment. They are doing their job of keeping the aliens at bay, but it's not enough.

No matter how strong they are, deaths are to be expected in a drawn-out fight. They need new blood, and not many are willing to join the army.

"Thus, they have decided to change their strategy. They are welcoming mercenary groups and adventurer teams and giving them missions in return for some contribution points. What you can redeem from them is stuff not available in any market. Things related to the rifts and other strange objects sold by the merchants and adventurer teams." Kayzen took the map and memorized it.

"I'm quite intrigued by this. However, I don't see why you called us. Surely this doesn't warrant an emergency with the army in charge."

"Yeah right," Baron Huiyan scoffed.

"The real emergency is the lack of supplies. As I told you before, the mine is in the south. And while the army is in charge of clearing the aliens who come out of the rift, they have no intention of recovering the mine. That task's been left for the missions.

"Many have taken on the task, yet not a single one has returned. People are panicking and we don't have much time left. I want you to go there to scout and report what's going on." Kayzen didn't reply immediately and instead tapped his fingers on the map. In his mind he had already agreed to the plan as it aligned with what he had in mind. Still, business was business. If Baron Huiyan wanted them to risk their lives, then he would have to give something in return. Sure enough, the baron understood.

"What do you want? I can give you gold, but I doubt you would be interested in that. The best I could do is open the treasury for you. You can take anything you want. Of course, there will be some limits." Kayzen was waiting for just that.

"Sounds like a plan. Let's get going right away." The Baron was a man of his word, and without hesitation, he led the two deeper into the mansion. They passed through halls and corridors and finally arrived at the large doors. They were made with hardened steel, empowered by another Ether ward. This was without a doubt the most secure place in this town. The Baron took out a couple of keys from his pocket and deactivated the ward. After a minute or two of fidgeting around, the doors finally opened.

Kayzen and Vasser were nearly blinded by the sudden glittering lights. It would be an understatement to call this place full of wealth. Weapons, armor, gems, gold, and even some artifacts. All of that and more was stored inside the hall.

"Tell me what you're looking for." Kayzen thought for a moment and discussed with Vasser. Although the Baron had said they could take whatever they want, the two had their integrity as well. It wouldn't fit their principles if they took advantage of the man who had treated them well. In the end, both of them decided to take one item each. Vasser was more well-equipped than Kayzen. Her bracers and cloak were rift artifacts, and her defenses were enhanced with the inner armor as well.

Kayzen wanted a weapon, and he already had a design in mind. While there wasn't enough time to make a custom-made product, he was sure that the Baron would have something.

"Let me see some light armor or shoes," Vasser spoke first. The Baron nodded and looked at Kayzen who looked a bit uncertain.

"I'm looking for something like a chain. Ideally, it should have some hidden segments that would release needles or other hidden weapons. It also has to be long and have a good synchronization with Ether. I know it's a difficult thing to find, so anything similar would do." Both the Baron and Vasser were surprised by Kayzen's idea. While chains weren't rare, few used them. The Baron's eyes gleamed as he recalled something. With a grin he beckoned them inside.

"I have just the thing for both of you. Their price is worth more than the task, but I'm sure you'll be willing to negotiate after you see my collection."