Chapter 337: 1 Month, First Expendition
Under the Drenox tree, Erix, Rin, Aria, and Isabella had just emerged from the Limitless Plane after entering it at 5 AM.
After they emerged from it at 6:30, they sat in meditation to solidify and further their gains.
When the clock hit seven, everyone received a mailbox notification.
"Daily reward?" Rin raised her eyebrows.
The others also opened the mail and checked it.
[Daily Labyrinth Tower Floor reward]
_Floor cleared: 19
_Reward(s):
—> 190 low-grade Prana crystals.
—> 1 x Resource box (19th Floor).
"Interesting," Erix raised his eyebrows in surprise at the notification and took out the Resource box.
It was a wooden box with red and blue magic patterns.
Rin, Isabella, and Aria also took it out and opened it.
"Eh, I got 100 medium-grade Prana crystals," Erix said, pleasantly surprisedly. "If I can start gathering 100 medium-grade Prana crystals, that would be great, haha."
"I got 1000 low-grade Prana crystals," Isabella said.
"I got something else," Aria said with a wry smile as she took out a metallic sphere with smooth glowing white patterns.
[Phenomenon Containing Sphere-Z1]
_Captures a phenomenon's essence.
Rin raised an eyebrow before saying, "Eh, I got the same thing, but instead of Z1, it's X1 in name."
"From its description, we can use it on phenomenons like those Crimson Onyxbolt clouds that you observed to comprehend your attribute-concept," Erix thoughtfully said. "And such similar types of phenomena."
"Alright, let's finish our training session and continue towards progression. We'll also hold a meeting with others after two hours."
…
Minutes turned into hours, hours turned into days, and days turned into weeks…
Just like that, four weeks passed by in the blink of an eye.
December 1st, 2024…
One month passed by as great progress ensued all over the world during the past month.
Rin and Erix were not allowed to enter the Labyrinth Tower due to the special quest, but the rest of the top and talented powerhouses were making progress and clearing tower floors.
During the first week when the new tower floors opened, the event of Prana Vein became bigger as it occurred twice a week.
During this month, the top 100 world leaderboard greatly changed, along with the Labyrinth Tower leaderboard.
The top powerhouses focused on gaining personal strength due to the existence of leaderboards, which served to prove their worth to the masses and display their influence.
At the moment, the weakest in the top 100 World leaderboard had a 43k Power Level.
Aside from Rin and Erix, who hadn't entered the Labyrinth Tower for the whole month, the rest of the top ranks in the leaderboard had greatly progressed in power level.
[World Leaderboard]
-No.1: Erix—115,435—Title: Deathly Throne.
-No.2: Rin—103,022—Title: Ruination Blade.
-No.3: Urasin — 97,490 —Title: Rotten Heart.
-No.4: Koshal—65,440—Title: Silent Depths.
-No.5: Amir—65,180—Title: Thousand Nights.
-No.6: Kenshin—64,990—Title: Martial Cataclysm.
-No.7: Sameira—64,780—Title: Warring Artist.
-No.8: Yelwon—63,210—Title: Bloodthirsty Hands.
-No.9: James—60,780—Title: Shadow Hunter.
-No.10: Gabriel—60,115—Title: Golden Mage.
-No.11: Jax —58,590—Title: Demonic Grace.
-No.12: Leishun—55,425—Title: Roaring Thunder.
…
Of course, the real leaderboard for indication of one's capability was still the Labyrinth Tower Floor Leaderboard.
The rest of the top rankers aside from Rin, Erix, and the mysterious Urasin, were stuck on the 15th and 14th Floors.
…
Atlantis Hub…
At the moment, hundreds of people were gathered in the huge hall under the ocean, at the doorsteps of the Atlantis tribes.
The leaders of top guilds and top rankers were gathered at a table, with two empty seats.
"If they are not interested, then we should go ahead," a woman with long wooden-colored wavy hair said. She was a beauty in her thirties, with naturally endowed curves and bust on her alluring figure covered by a light leather black armor of a magical slick material.
The red patterns on her armor and her dark green eyes made her look like an enchantress.
Yelwon, the Bloodthirsty Hands.
The table had a total of 15 seats. One was empty and the rest were filled.
The top rankers and guild leaders sat on those chairs in the Atlantis hub.
They were gathered to begin their first expedition on one of the five Atlantis tribes. The meeting was to be held at 8 AM, but it had been 8:05, and the Unfettered Fate guild hadn't arrived yet.
Five minutes of waiting seemed long in those guild leader's hearts.
*Clap*
"Let's begin the meeting," a slim maroon-haired guy with a long and handsome face said, wearing a dark brown robe with black and blue patterns.
Urasin.
Behind him stood a humanoid with a bull's head, looking like a Minotaur but more human-like stature.
He had a powerful aura, a clear indication of him being an Empyrean-order if someone inspected him.
At the table, there was not just this one Empyrean-order.
There was an Empyrean-order powerhouse behind each guild leader.
Sameira sat on the chair as she was the leader of Heavenly Melody, and behind her also stood an Empyrean-order powerhouse of Terrapin clan alongside Kenshin.
Without a doubt, this old white-bearded Terrapin clan member was strongest among the rest of the Empyrean-orders, oozing out a certain deterrence to the rest.
"We shall wait," Sameira calmly said with her arms crossed and eyes closed.
In the current circumstances that developed in the past month, no top guilds were afraid of Erix and Rin.
Sure, the duo were strongest among the natives. However, there were tribes with Empyrean-order powerhouses, and the top guilds had made good ties with them, forging alliances.
Behind each chair at the table was an Empyrean-order powerhouse with a 150k Power level and above.
"Guild leader of Heavenly Melody," Gabrial the Golden Mage calmly said as he lightly put his long blond hair behind his ear. "We all know that our time is more valuable than anything. We shall begin the meeting."
"I vote for the Merfinn Tribe to be explored first."
Kenshin narrowed his eyes at Gabriel, oozing out a ruthless intent that involuntarily caused Gabriel to develop sweat beads.
However, the angel behind Gabriel snorted, pushing her condensed burning and searing aura toward Kenshin.
However, the white-beared Terrapin clan member who stood straight while holding the cane before him only lightly tapped it on the ground, dispersing her aura.
"Haste makes waste," Jinroji said while caressing his beard with one hand and smilingly peacefully.
"This meeting was decided five days ago," Koshal calmly said, his short brown hair looking perfect on his handsome face as his blue eyes looked at Sameira and Kenshin. "It's been almost ten minutes, so if you would please contact them."
Behind Koshal stood a rather mighty Empyrean-order, an asura demon. The demonic clan with black skin with dark gold patterns and two cow-like dark gold horns.
This Asura demon was 2nd most powerful after the white-beared Terrapin old man based on the aura each Empyrean displayed so far.
However, Koshal's query was swiftly nulled as everyone felt a bunch of presence entering the hub.
"Finally…" the black-haired girl in her late twenties sitting at one of the chairs muttered with a wry smile. Mary the Whiteflame Maiden.
Everyone saw Erix, Rin, Aria, and Isabella arriving with twelve guild members while talking and laughing, spreading a completely different vibe than the one that permeated in hub's meeting group.
"You're late," Sameira rolled her eyes at Rin and Erix, with a hint of smile on her face. She already knew why they were late.
"We had an urgent meeting, haha."
Erix and others arrived at their section and saw the table and people sitting on the chairs around it.
Erix sat on his empty chair while Rin, Aria, Isabella, an Elf woman of Empyrean-order woman of the Moondawn clan, and other six members of the guild who met the requirement to attend this meeting stood behind.
The total number of people in the current expedition group reached 114 and only those with a minimum of 40k Power level were allowed in this meeting.
As Erix sat on his chair, he immediately said with a smile, "Before we begin, I would like to act upon an agenda."
Sameira and Kenshin knew what was about to happen, so only faint smiles hung on their lips.
Meanwhile, the other clan leaders who sat on the chairs frowned. Some outer, some internally. Their attention expanded as they waited for Erix to continue.
"We have an extra person on this seat," Erix said with a sunny smile, his head turning in the direction of a particular person.
"What do you mean?" James the Shadow Hunter asked in a confused tone.
Everyone suddenly felt a dreadful aura emerging from the Unfettered Fate guild's section.
A lightning crackle rang in everyone's head, each feeling a sharp tingle in their spiritual senses.
Rin stood between Erix and Urasin's chair, her Katana's point stuck on the ground as she stood with her hands on its hilt.
"Someone needs to die from one of the chairs. Before that happens, this meeting will not begin," Rin said, her voice sweet yet oozing out deadliness.
Everyone's face turned grave and somber.
The Empyrean-order powerhouses also became stout and alert, eyeing the Unfettered Guild.
"You see, we've heard some news about a very disgusting activity by someone here," Erix said, his smile no longer sunny, but icy cold and filled with murderous intent.
"It just so happens that we like to show off our powers, so we will be executing some people here," Erix said as his eyes glanced over at every single guild leader, and Empyrean-order powerhouses around the table.
"I hope the rest will remain wise enough and understand the importance of not interfering," Rin said with a smile. "Of course, unless you do not hold your life in high regard."
The atmosphere at the table instantly became intensely tense.