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  Chapter 7: The Adventurers Guild And Measuring Device

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  "This is your Adventurer's Card," annouhe receptionist, her voice carrying a melodic lilt that apahe swish of her elegant attire as she distributed folden cards—oo each member of the group.

  "While your abilities are undeniably impressive," she tinued, "to ehe quality of our adventurers, you will not be permitted to uake requests of D rank or above until you have pleted a certain number of lower-ranking tasks. Only then will you unlock those higher-level assigs."

  As the receptionist spoke, Aris and her panions began to scrutihe cards they held in their hands. The craftsmanship of the cards was nothing short of exquisite; their appearance alorayed the luxury of fierials.

  Yet the cards were more tharis. Intricate magical circuits were etched into their surfaces, enabling a e to the Adventurer Guild’s local ‘magiet’. They also possessed the ability to dispy personal information and trol what one chose to keep hidden. Such teology, tained within a slender card, far surpassed the magical artifacts used before the Great War—a feat attributed to a new discipline known as ‘Magical Engineering.’

  "Ah, by the way, Aris, your card has undergone special treatment as requested," the receptionist added, her eyes sparkling with a hint of intrigue.

  Aris held up her own card, also resple in gold, representing ranks B and A, which correspoo tiers six and seven of high-ranking adventurers. Acc to the assessment by the vice president of the Guild, her card should have been at least ptinum—indicative of a special css adventurer. However, to maintain a facade, Aris opted for the modified card to ceal her true power.

  Of course, as the saying goes, "You never knoill turn up among adventurers," and the Guild had bee aced to unusual requests.

  "Hey! You finished your assessment!" called out Marlyno, her voice ringing with enthusiasm from just outside the room, where the ‘Eclipse’ team awaited. Elyssa and Diana were among them.

  "What were the results?" she queried, her eyes glimmering with anticipation.

  "Look!" Misako announced as she brandished her Adventurer's Card.

  "Goodness, a high-ranking adventurer?" Marlyno gasped, her expression subsequently shifting into one of sheer disbelief as she id eyes on the gleaming card.

  "What is happening here? Did we just enter a wandering child more skilled than ourselves?”

  "Wait a moment… you were this powerful all along?"

  Marlyno chuckled, her determination iious, though it was nearly interrupted by the incible antics of Sisi.

  "Hahaha! The Crimson Demon Tribe never falters in the face of strength!"

  In that instant, the usual sp that might have beeed to Sisi for her overzealous remarks failed to transpire, much to everyone’s relief.

  "Ah, indeed. A true adventurer must never shy away in the face of a stronger foe. Thank you, Sisi," Marlyno said, nodding thoughtfully.

  "Ha! No need for thanks; simply worship at my feet!" Sisi procimed, caught up in her own grandeur.

  "I take back my earlier gratitude," Marlyno ented drily, watg as Sisi puffed up with satisfa.

  "So, what are your pns from here?" Marlyno inquired, her keen curiosity piqued.

  "Well, we ’t tackle any high-ranked requests just yet, so we’ll likely begin with some of the lower ranks," Misako replied.

  "Well, if that’s the case, why not join us?" Marlyno proposed, her smile bright.

  "Are you not nearly high-ranking adventurers yourselves? Surely you stoop to lower-tier tasks?" Misako interjected, her tone soaked iicism.

  "Not quite. Truth be told, after handling numerous requests, we reized a pressing issue: we are short-staffed. Just the three of us anage all special circumstances. Hence, we’re recruiting new members—Elyssa and Diana are our fresh recruits. Yet, despite their strength, like you all, they're also new adventurers, and thus o uake lower-ranking requests," she elucidated.

  This expined why the adventurers had only noticed the trio and why Elyssa and Diana could escape with such ease.

  "Then... very well, if you don't mind," Misako relented after ferring briefly with Aris and the others.

  "Let us first accept our assigs and prepare what we need."

  ...

  Returning to the bustling main hall of the Adventurer’s Guild, the excitement that had surged upourn of the ‘Eclipse’ team began to wane as adventurers resumed their tasks—accepting requests or enjoying their brews for the evening.

  "The request board is right here. If you’re eager to unlock things quickly, simply select E-ranked requests," Marlyured enthusiastically.

  The group began to scour the board for suitable assigs. Lower-ranked requests typically entailed herb gathering, hunting small creatures, or tasks set by townsfolk, such as repairing walls.

  "…Hmm? Aris, what’s wrong?" Farkonia suddenly noticed Aris fixated on a particur er of the request board.

  "Tell me, how long have I been in the Abyss?" she asked cryptically.

  "About eighty thousand years, give or take? Haven't you already known this?" Farkonia replied quizzically.

  Ign the tone, Aris pointed firmly to a se of the board which bore the inscription, ‘Date: Source dar Year 541, 10th Month, 3rd Day.’

  "I fell into the Abyss in the year—533."

  “What…!?” came the stunned response.

  In the Abyss, the flow of time differed drastically, sometimes by a magnitude of up to ten thousand times. Aris had spey thousand years in the Abyss, yet o years had passed iside world. This anomaly implied that time within the Abyss had been perversely fixed at its maximum speed throughout her ordeal.

  And that was decidedly abnormal. Time within the Abyss was chaotic, zipping uably, yet here it had evidently bee stagnant.

  The oy capable of such time manipution could be…

  'That Witch… What are you scheming?' Farkonia reflected inwardly, recalling the figure that had single-handedly thwarted them—a being of such apathy that she seemed unfazed by the notion of annihiting worlds.

  Even more perplexing was the hazy veil that clouded Farkonia's memories of her features, as though a veil rendered her details intangible.

  "Ah, you’re unfamiliar with the term ‘Source dar,’ I presume. It marks the end of the ‘Demons And Dragons War’ on the first day of the year one."

  Stunned by this revetion, Farkonia's eyes widened.

  Even without ating for Aris’s time in the Abyss, they had spent aended duration down there, yet scarcely over five turies had only epsed above ground.

  "What in the world is going on…?"

  Suddenly, Misako appeared beside her, interrupting her spiral of thought.

  "What’s wrong, Misako?" Farkonia queried, trying to redirect her swirliions.

  "I’m just saying, the likes of her doesn't o trouble herself to harm us, does she? Or perhaps, powerful beings generally disdain such trivialities, let alone someone whose very existence defies the meaning of ‘power’… Besides, even if she did, we’re utterly helpless against her,” Misako reasoned, her words striking a chord within Farkonia.

  Yes, fag that Witch was beyond their grasp, and judging from her demeanor, it was likely she was not ily evil. There was little point iing unnecessarily.

  “Alright, Aris, are you listening?… Aris?” she called out, notig the eerie smile grag Aris's features, a look that sent chills down her spine.

  “...Wait! Calm her down!”

  In a flurry, Misako and Farkonia lunged forward, desperate to stave off the chaos brewing within Aris.