Silas had received an assignment from Hargrave. To check on a missing team near the ruins by the outskirts of the city. Contrary to the city's beautiful appearance. The outskirts was not slums but rather, a desolated land that had been decorated with skeletons. A team of Hunters who weren't mainly working to deal with Dungeons. It was to look for anomalies that have appeared within the world. Every Hunter Association has a few teams that deal with it.

This place had a strong stench of rotting corpses, be it animal or man. Following the smell, Silas could see their clothes were torn. As well as their limbs. Intestines strung along the entire area, blood stains and the stench was strong but Silas was lighting his cigarettes. Lessening the smell as it led him to the 5 Hunters whose body was by the tree.They had their radios that recorded everything. Whatever that caused this? Silas doubted it was human, just putting it on Silas could hear a voice through it.

The recording itself? Garbled with mix noises of growling and distorted voices welcoming them to the 'Happy Place' which Silas was trying to understand. The body of the Hunter by the tree, it was clear that something was a miss. Silas was just wondering how the Hunter ended up like this. The Happy Place? Silas looked at the dead tree where the Hunter's body was left. Blood was oozing from it, something was calling Silas to touch it. An inviting presence. Something was trying to lower his guard.

"So this entire place is the Happy Place." Silas said out loud as the environment of the forest began to change into a ruined town. Masses of flesh were moving about, some of them had heads in odd places. Heads meaning more than one. Be it on chest, arm, leg or even crotch Groaning, bellowing at every step.

Their muscles were contracting as they looked at Silas. Their faces were of bliss with Silas feeling their insanity that had occupied the entire town. This forest was a town that once had prettiest things. People living normally but things changed when they were cut off from the outside world. From what Silas could tell, this place was an anomaly that kept them trapped in here. They were driven insane by the fact that time stood still. They were in a state of Euphoria, they were smiling as they looked at Silas. Mouth watering as Silas put on his mask.

"Welcome to the Happy Place." They chanted over and over, a mental attack. One that breaks the minds of the Hunters before feasting on them. Silas could see the shadows of their former selves. He was the Avatar of Seasons but he can't deal with their souls. The least he could do was put them to rest.

Silas drew a blade as the residents of the Happy Place began their attack. Amassing all around him like moths to a flame. This flame however, was not going to stay still. Silas swung his blade to one of the residents of Happy Place. Their eyes met with his, the look of despair. Cutting through them as he could hear their voices.

'Thank you.' Just hearing it as Silas felt the blood splash over his face, no remorse. Only sorrow for cutting them down due to the insanity. Every cut caused Silas to glimpse briefly into the person before they became the Residents of this horrid place. His grip tightened over the katana, slashing through the Residents without breaking a sweat. Though it did affect his heart, the Stygian Emissary and Lord of Thorns was resonating with each other. Swapping to a pair of daggers, Silas cleaved through them. The mass of guts and blood spewing out, splashing onto Silas's clothes.

His blade cut through the Residents, but he felt a heavy drag. Seeing the words 'Endured' appear before his eyes, which meant that he needed another weapon. A mace and a tomahawk appeared to his hands, replacing the katana. Swinging the mace first, to look for damage assessment. Hearing something break from within, then swinging the tomahawk to chop off an arm. Where it grew back instantly, so they were regenerating.

Silas brought out the great sword as he swung at them, pushing them all back. What kind of monster was this? His only thoughts was the sorrow that they carried. He felt his body being stiff as a result.

'Regret : Causes afflicted person to be slower, increases with any attacks.' This was going to annoy him a little bit but what else was there? Fury in his hands, hacking the bodies of these creatures first. Smashing where he could hit, seeing himself slowing down but the slow down was throwing Silas off. His movements were getting slower by the hits. He was swung to a wall.

This Happy Place and its Residents were something different and Silas was imbuing his fists with the elements. A heavy swing break through the limbs, hearing the bones snap as a result of his attacks. An attack hit Silas's back, where he glared at the Happy Town Resident. Pulling out a Magnum, shoving the barrel into the Happy Town Resident's mouth that was stretched across the body.

"Be happy with us." Pulling the trigger as the blood splashed over Silas's mask. Looking at the tree that had transformed with the bodies of humans hanging from its side. Blossoming its fruits which was rotting human parts. An eye emerged by the bark, gazing at Silas.

'Regret's Curse : Cannot move until the eye closes.'

Now it made sense to why those Hunters died. They had to fight these things in phases and this particular handicap was something that was going to be annoying.

"Ashen Phoenix." Silas called out his trump card, ashen flames began to lick the residents whole. Swallowing them all in one big flame, burning the entire Happy Town down as Silas stood to bear witness. He needed to let all of that regret hit him and it was stacking by the hundreds with each hit.

"We shouldn't have trusted that man!"

"That man turned us into this!"

"Why... Why us? Are we cursed?"

"Why were we trapped here?" The voices echoed on as Silas could see silhouettes of flames. Perhaps the origins of all these voices. The souls of this entire town.

"I'll take your regrets and your vengeance with me. May you bloom in an ever radiant garden." Silas said as he flicked a rose in front of him. Where it exploded, coating the entire area with its pure white petals. Taking root into the ground, purifying all of the negative emotions that had begun to leak all over. This was the best Silas could do as he took a seat. This was going to be difficult to report.

"Silas?"

"The team's dead. They were facing with an Anomaly. It was a Class 2 anomaly. Kept the people in this particular place locked in a time loop."

"I see. I should have sent a much more equipped team."

"No, Chairman. This is far more difficult than that. It's got its own set of rules to play with. I broke the rules on this but I am still feeling the after effects. Warped realities, maybe even a humanoid appearance. These anomalies are just as dangerous as you thought. We gotta play by their rules." Silas said as he looked at a menu.

You've unlocked the power of the Archive.

An exclusive power granted to you by the Supreme Being Lorelei. The Goddess of Tears.

The Archive holds the stories and tales of many figures.

Be it heroes.

Be it villains.

Be it monsters.

Be it an intelligent figure.

Their commonality is that they had fallen to despair, sadness and many other emotions.

Unlike Familiars, they behave more like Spirit Weapons and the Archive grants them more power.

However be aware that these weapons are gimmicky

It features two things.

The Buildup and Demolish. These occur differently for different weapons. Build ups provide minor buffs or changes to the weapon while Demolish provide significant changes in combat character. This can range giving the weapon a chance to inflict burn but the burn damage will go to the user or increases CRIT damage by 1000% but accuracy of attacks drops to 20%.

Buildups for example are increased bleed damage grants HP recovery, or burn damage inflicts mana damage.

The second part is Manifestation.

Manifestation is a gimmick where upon reaching 5 Buildups, Demolish or a combination of both. It changes the user's weapons to take on the shape of the Pages(The Archive's Residents) that is being used.

These pages can also be equipped to weapons of a variety.

Pages can be acquired in a variety of ways.

Solving an Anomaly grants you the page of the Anomaly that has been running rampant.

Silas looked as a page appeared in front of him.

The Page of Happy Place.

The residents of a town that belonged to the outcasts of the city, the place where they could live freely without the heavy taxes of the city. A sense of belonging to those that were left behind.

A simple life.

Fishing, hunting, farming. A farcry from the civilization that had left them to die.

Perhaps this was their ending.

Trapped in a timeloop where they were unable to eat or renew their own selves. Slowly being driven insane as their supplies ran out. They began to feast on each other.

Forgetting their commonality of their lives. Forfeiting it for survival. Though they were later turned into monsters by a figure who sewed them together. Their bodies were forfeit but their minds were still able to see what they all had become.

Regret over their actions as they were left to merely kill and eat anyone that wanders in. Many fell victims here.

Silas paused, it seemed as if his heart could not go on reading until the end. Tears falling from his eyes. People he never knew but they had been turned to such things? Yet tears fell? Was this what sorrow feels like? Or is this just him grieving for these people? Their names? Silas didn't know them. Silas doesn't have a single thought to who they were.

An after effect of reading the Pages.

Is that they will grant you with their emotions and reasoning to use.

During battle when equipped to a weapon.

You will hear the voices of the Pages calling out to you.

It is possible to gain more Pages as time passes on.

Your Weapon Set be it Thorn or the Gates Set can be equipped with such cards.

Lorelei is touched by your tears for these people.

She would like to bestow upon you another Page.

A Page that may aid you further.

The Page of Joshua Gates.

The former 13th Lord of Thorns. Who was filled with Despair in his years of the ruined home. Watching his family die and be eaten right before his eyes. Was fate cruel to the child?

Was it something the child deserved?

Unable to feel much emotion.

Face of a deadman.

Hair like a cursed figure to roam the earth.

Yet despite the despair he still had hope. Albeit consumed by the despair and horrors he had seen.

His page specializes in a variety of combat styles. It shall be equipped to all weapons until there are Pages to fill into the weapons. Which weapon set will you equip it with?

Unlike the other Pages. Joshua's voice is gone because you've inherited his body.

It increases the speed of attacks with weapons in general.

His Demolish increases damage potential but lowers defense. Speed and accuracy increased but with the penalty to dexterity.

His Buildup decreases elemental cost and increases attack range.

Silas looked at the Page of Happy Place, where he imbued it to the Gates Gauntlets. Seeing the gauntlets take on a much more fleshed out appearance. It looked like a leather glove made of human skin with bones being its fangs. The skin peeled off to reveal the muscles that was contracting beneath it. It may have looked disgusting but Silas didn't see it that way. It was the remains of the Happy Place's Residents.

The Gauntlets returned to their normal shape. Unclenching and clenching his fist to see if there was any changes to it. So far so good.

"Raizel."

"Yes?" Raizel the tome made its appearance before Silas.

"Do you know anything about the Archive?"

"I apologize, Lord. I do not have any other information on that matter. I am however able to gather the Pages you have received into my body. This will allow you to change your combat at will. And it seems that... By adding to this. I am no longer a tome, but rather a Grimoire. The Divine Grimoire Raizel. Does that please you?" Raizel's words had shown joy as Silas could see the rose petals seeping out from the pages.

"You must be enjoying the promotion right?"

"Of course! By being a Grimoire. I can float around you during your fights! I may now provide actual support by allowing you to multi task different spells. I can be set to use offensive and defensive spells at a whim!" the grimoire was pure black, with golden highlights by the corners and the spine of the grimoire. With the center of the book being a white skull biting a black rose.

"Do you use my magic pool?"

"Oh no. I have my own magic pool that I've amassed from the various Lords. You can say it's close to infinite but I cannot cast certain types of magic without your permission."

"I was worried you'd go overboard with my mana pool."

"Ah, not to worry! I do have spells that Joshua Gates does not have access to but you do as the Avatar of Seasons. You are the First of the Lord of Thorns to do so. Which grants you the powers and techniques of the other Lords in the form of Joshua's Page!" So Joshua was still here in a way. Silas could not help but chuckle at the thought as he made his way back to the Hunter Association.

Finished with his report, Silas was going to go back to campus. This time it seems that Julie and the other Hunters looked at Silas in a different light. Raizel was humming its thoughts out loud, floating all around Silas. Then you have the Pixie Dragon that was sleeping peacefully in the hoodie. Along with the wolf that was constantly nuzzling its head over Silas's leg, demanding headpats. Which Silas gave as he continued walking.

"Whoa. Silas has new Familiars."

"So this is a university? What a beautiful sight? I can feel the mana swirling around. Ooh, I can even see some fairies and sprites roaming about!" The grimoire speaking had caught everyone off guard.

"Easy there Raizel." To which the fairies and sprites came floating around Silas. They were speaking in a tongue that was not understood. The sprites took shapes of many creatures. The small creatures that one would not be afraid to get close to, yet the sprites were landing on Silas's body. One sprite which was a little sparrow made its home on Silas's head. Another one, a ball python wrapped itself on Silas's wrist. A pair of hamsters got into Silas's sleeves, then running along his arm. Ticklish and they popped up at Silas's collar, rubbing their faces over his chin.

Was this some sort of fluff heaven? Why are all the Sprites very cute?

"Ah. The sprites seem to enjoy your company, Silas. I believe it is perhaps because of your affinity with mana as a whole. Fairies and sprites often cling to humans who do not have any intention of harming them or think about using them." Raizel elaborated as the Fairies began to circle Silas.

One Sprite leaned over to Silas's finger. It was an adorable little gecko that just held on to Silas's finger.

"Also because of the fact that you have a few Roses by your side." Silas turned to see three figures with different outfits. A competition shooter who shouldered a shotgun, with her back a rifle was slung behind her. She was wearing a cream suit with a pistol strapped to the right side of her waist.

The second figure was that of a soldier. Clad in black vest. On his chest the word 'UNIT 9' was written in full. Wielding a specialized rifle, the AR-15 base but it was decked out with a specialized rail system. A pistol strapped to the chest and a knife by the thigh. A black ski-mask with a floral skull pattern. Another AR-15 was slung over his back but it was larger than the one in hand.

The third figure was wearing a hat, wore a charcoal gray suit. A heavy revolver to his right thigh and an AK with a underbarrel shotgun beneath. Lighting a cigarette. A black vest that covered his chest, knee pads and a relaxed expression.

The Cream Rose Gunner, Cassie Gates.

The Black Rose Soldier, Barton Gates.

The Charcoal Rose Detective, Rayland Gates.

These three have decided to join you for a bit to pay back your help for Joshua. When not called, they will be spending time with the Gates family.

Passives granted.

Cream Rose's Gunmanship -

Competition reloads. Near instantaneous. Reloads when faced with status effects have been adjusted to half of what the Status Effect does.

Dual sight- Weapons can now be equipped with two sights. A long range sight and an offset/canted sight.

Black Rose's Training -

Grants faster target acquisition and sharpens senses. You can detect traps with a glance.

Long range sniping- Your maximum weapon range increased by two fold with rifle calibers and bows.

Stealth- Weapons with suppressors have 100% chance of silence, only the sound of the bolt moving will be heard.

Charcoal Rose's Investigation

Allows you to recreate scenes when the clues of a case have been found.

You also can detect if a person is keeping information away from you.

Intuition- A decorated detective that does not stop him from continuing his work.

The creatures moved over to the three of them where Cass put her shotgun on safe, then watching as the hamsters leaped over to the shotgun's barrel. Perhaps they thought it was a swing. The birds sat by Rayland's shoulders where he stroked their heads and beak. Barton had the canines coming over, giving them pats and scratching their bodies.

"We're part of the SDU. We got a job that said we're supposed to come here for a dungeon run. Seems like the newbie Adventurers need a bit of training. So they sent us." Cass said while Rayland doused his cigarette, Barton was quiet as he merely took a look around.

"We'll be going into a D-Rank Dungeon. So get the newbies ready, Hunter." Barton spoke as he continued scanning the environment while Rayland seemed to not care about anything. Lighting another cigarette. Then fixing his tie.

"Alright. I'll get the Hunters."