Exiting his apartment, Kelvin lingered for a moment before finally setting off toward the nearby subway station.
His current location was a modest Residential District on the outskirts of the city while his destination, however, was the Fortcliff Guild Association, located in the Central District.
Soon enough, he reached the subway station and descended the stairs. The platform was already populated, though not overwhelmingly so. A few individuals stood out but not impressive enough to linger in his mind.
Kelvin stepped onto the platform and waited.
A faint gust of wind signaled the train's arrival moments later.
As the doors slid open, he stepped inside.
It couldn't be helped. Personal transport vehicles were rare, expensive, and required a special government license to own, so most people relied on public transportation to get around the city. Among these, magnetic trains were the cheapest and most widely used option.
Everything traced back to the emergence of the Fissures.
Doors to the Dark Dimension.
Of late, the assimilation rate had skyrocketed, and many major regions in the world had already been consumed into its depths. Naturally, it was the Hunters' duty to enter these distortions, explore, and destroy the heart of each fissure, known as a "Seed."
To the Government's dismay, only a fraction of resources could be recovered from such missions.
Thinking it over, Kelvin decided it was worthwhile to investigate. In addition, he could hunt the Creatures of the Dark to further sharpen his skills and the pay was good, too.
He was basically killing two birds with one stone. No, three birds, actually.
'Hm. What's this?'
Was it his imagination, or was he being watched?
Using his mana senses with his eyes closed, Kelvin quickly realized he wasn't imagining things — people, especially young women, occasionally cast curious glances in his direction.
'Must be the clothes.'
Funny enough, it didn't occur to him that those people were looking at him because he was handsome. In fact, compared to the flashy outfits some people wore, his dark leather jacket and practical combat pants were… well, boring.
So why would they look at him if not for his good looks?
The train brakes hissed as it approached the Central District. Arriving at his destination, Kelvin opened his eyes, hid his hands in his pockets and walked out of the familiar tram terminal.
The first thing that greeted him was not fresh air but the noise.
It was loud.
Certainly louder than the Residential District which was more peaceful, quiet and reserved. There was a myriad of towering buildings and across them, signposts advertised everything from virtual entertainment experiences, women cosmetics, men's perfume, gourmet street food and so forth.
Crowds flowed like rivers, weaving around each other, occasionally stopping to gawk at street performers or holographic displays projected mid-air.
Kelvin felt slightly out of place yet somehow invigorated.
After all, this part of the city was more closer to the modern world. But the New World could be said to be a different version of Earth.
Not wasting time, he made his way to the Guild and stepped inside. Speaking briefly with the receptionist about the meeting location, he was directed toward a particular office.
Standing before the door, a sudden sense of déjà vu washed over him.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Making sure to knock three times, Kelvin lingered briefly before pushing the door open.
What entered his view was a dimly lit room, the faint "fu fu" of the ventilation system filling the background. At the center, two couches faced each other with a glass table between them, while a wooden desk sat near the window. On the couches, three individuals were seated, and one more occupied the desk.
Of course, the last person was none other than the office owner.
"You're late," said Ryūshi, a lollipop dangling from her mouth, easily mistaken for a cigarette at first glance.
"My apologies."
"We just started, so I suppose it doesn't matter. Take a seat."
Kelvin nodded and walked toward the nearest couch. The three seated individuals watched him briefly before averting their gaze away.
Naturally, he made sure to study them as well.
Two females and one male. If I'm not mistaken, they should be a Striker, a Gunner, and… what role is the other guy? He doesn't seem like a Striker or a Ranger. Most likely a Support.
But the most impressive is the female Gunner. She has the most mana among everyone here, aside from Miss Ryūshi obviously, and her control over her mana is decent.
The remaining two aren't bad either. I hope I can get along with everyone.
After a moment, Ryūshi pulled the worn-out lollipop from her mouth and tossed it into a nearby trash bin before speaking:
"Since everyone is here, we can begin in earnest. Normally, there would be a quick introduction, but you lot can handle that among yourselves afterward. Now, moving on, let's start the mission briefing without delay."
She glanced over the group once more before returning to the holographic map, pointing at the red marker with a pen.
"That's the Fissure you'll be entering. It's located within the Lumian Forest. The surrounding area has already been cleared, so you don't have to worry about random Monster attacks. Your main objective is to assess the threat level of this distortion and, if it seems manageable, proceed with the mission as you see fit."
"It's that simple?" asked the male Supporter in doubt.
"Yeah. It's a relatively new distortion, appearing just a week ago according to the technological department, so the enemies inside are likely weak. However, if it turns out otherwise, Miss Jasmine will handle it. She's a Lancer and will be in charge of this analysis mission."
"Hm."
With his curiosity piqued, Kelvin glanced at the supposed Lancer, who was a rank above him.
Curvy and voluptuous, the young woman had long, straight black hair with blunt bangs, a blue French headband on it and narrow, half-lidded eyes. Her slightly thick eyebrows and soft peach skin gave her an almost austere beauty. She looked very mean, and wore formal attire resembling a Western suit.
Her sheathed sword was held close, as though she was reluctant to part with it even for a fleeting moment.
'Interesting.'
That was his first impression of Jasmine.
'Girls who wields swords are always dangerous and sexy. Though her mana pool is only a little higher than mine but her output shouldn't be lacking. After all, she's a Lancer for a reason.'
'This woman is no small fly.'
As if sensing his gaze, her eyes shifted slightly, landing on him for the briefest of moments.
Then, just as quickly, she looked away as if uninterested.
Tough crowd? A serious type?
Ryūshi tapped the pen lightly against the wooden table, drawing everyone's attention back.
"Now then, a few more details. The Fissure is stable for now, but don't let that fool you. Stability only means it won't collapse on its own, it says nothing about what's inside. Visibility will be limited once you enter and distortions tend to make navigation worse. Stay within range of each other. If you get separated… no, it would be best if you don't get separated at all."
Straight to the point, huh.
At some point, someone clicked their tongue and grumbled, "So we're basically going in blind?"
"That's why this is an analysis mission. If everything goes well, you won't have to lift a finger. As long as the objective is completed, how it's done is irrelevant."
Perhaps that marked the end of the discussion, as Ryūshi straightened and stretched her arms.
"That is all for the mission briefing. Once you're ready, head to the Gateway for immediate deployment. I wish you all the best of luck."