Alta could see perfectly well in the darkness, with the constitution of a horror. She guided Caesar down cracks and crevices, over each ridge and onto each ledge. Hundreds of these dotted the edges of the abyss, filled with many species of spiders.

After they traveled a few steps into the darkness, they met their first encounter. A near invisible jet of magic streamed towards Alta, which struck for little to no damage. It came from a rank one Shimmerwisp Spider, a Rare creature with the talent to remain invisible permanently and imbue its own attacks with the same effect. She lunged and split the monster in half, then dug through its corpse but came up with nothing.

The webs were beginning to grow larger. Some held more than one Shimmerwisp Spider, which they used as practice for their spears. Slight shimmers and distortions present in the air made them still visible to a keen eye, unlike the Silk Robes. Perhaps those contained an additional enchantment. That thought spooked Caesar a little. How powerful was the Midnight Covenant, to have access to a reliable craftsmen workshop?

Alta finally managed to rip out a rank one Shimmerwisp Core from a rank two enemy. These special spiders had greater abilities in combat, for they casted a greater array of spells with the same wispish glimmer. Securing these cores granted a great reward. As both a material and a catalyst, it could likely work as an invisibility potion or grant an invisibility ability to rank zero entities.

As they journeyed deeper, they discovered ore growing from different parts of the wall. At first mere iron appeared, but later on, rarer metals began to emerge. Although he couldn’t identify them yet without digging them out with a pickaxe, he could tell they were special, for they glowed in different colors.

A Mutated Shimmerwisp Spider sat at the bottom of the series of ledges, on a great cobweb spanning the largest ledge he had seen so far. Eight dull red eyes became the only thing visible. It seemed to be the miniboss guarding the area and glared up at them as if warning the two to stay away. Caesar simply stood there for a while, calming the inexplicable panic that had suddenly appeared. He drew in a dozen deep breaths and tried to summon his hippopotamus right above it, hopefully crushing the spider with its weight.

That did not work. It couldn’t materialize in midair.

Instead, he pressed himself closer onto the wall and summoned the hippo right next to him, almost falling off the edge. The spider continued to stare, then crawled off the ledge and above the abyss.

A Withering Blast soared towards the arachnid, who skittered to the side. It spawned a fading orb faded between where its mouthparts should be, blasting it towards the hippo who couldn’t dodge in time. More invisible projectiles shot through the air. Caesar and Alta both dropped down onto the cobweb to avoid them, yet the spider stayed at range instead of engaging.

With its speed, all it had to do was dodge and it could win the fight with attrition alone. He signaled his hippo to curse it with impotence, then shot forward. Only with melee could they defeat the creature quickly enough before another wail from the monster below sent more spiders above.

Supported by Bolts of Decay, Caesar and Alta attacked from multiple angles near its eyes and tore gaping wounds into the spider’s body. Fluid spilled onto the web, illuminating its existence. By targeting these critical points, the duo cut into its legs, face, and abdomen, thereby bringing the monster down with ease. Without its invisibility, it had no real defense.

Its core differed from previous – a natural outcome, as a Mutated monster.

[Item]: Wisplight Core – Rank 2

[Rarity]: Rare

[Effects]: A material imbued with illusions, or a catalyst for rank one abilities.

Although similarly imbued with illusions, he guessed it either had different or superior effects.

This is good! If the Queensguard gains the right facet, it might be able to loot the stone first before I kill the hydra. He wanted to rush back immediately, but then stopped for a minute to think. It was much too risky to have the ant dig right next to the hydra with invisibility alone. He changed his mind, although he still smiled at having secured a synergistic facet for the Apex Predator Queensguard.

He glanced down at the next series of ledges below. Currently, this drop still had a way back up. Thicker and less sticky strands of string acted as rope back to the first series of ledges, connecting them with the current ledge. However, the next series of ledges had no such thing. If he continued further down, there would be no way back like the Mansion From Before.

This must be why the Midnight Covenant never retrieved anything else from further down. He expected to need a lot of string to return. Or a flying summon.

But halfway through their ascent, another horrific screech sounded across the abyss. They could not hide from the spider swarm this time. It had not yet been an hour for the Illusory Veil to fully regenerate.

The Phase Spider appeared on the uppermost ledge and glowered down at the pair still heaving themselves over the ledges. It hissed, causing other lesser spiders meandering around it to scatter away. After he and Alta climbed within jumping distance, it struck.

Fangs bit down onto air, barely missing her arm. She swung her claws back at it, but it suddenly disappeared. A gash tore through her back. The spider stood over her body then flickered out of sight again, almost reminiscent of Flicker Veil, yet much faster. It appeared in front of Caesar with jaws already in motion. He slipped out – a second away from injury – and moved away.

The spider followed to bite again, but a flurry of claws lashed open its back. It shrieked in pain and whirled around to retaliate. Caesar took the opportunity to jab his halberd at it, then retreated quickly before it could land an attack. The duo worked together to harass the monster until it tired.

Once it saw how disadvantageous its position was, the spider leapt off the side of the ledge and scampered down a little, then turned around to watch them retreat. It did not engage again.

A new Rare venomous spider had appeared near the exit portal, crawling around the area frantically. He sent Alta in alone to fight it, but it ran around the walls to the other side of the abyss. Instead of chasing, they simply left the dungeon.

Dawn would come soon. They worked hard to cover the dungeon’s entrance with dirt again before he summoned the Stormheart Oak near it. A few wisps of lightning energy crackled on its bark, but most of it was channeled back into the ground. It’d at least fool less perceptive people, such as the panicking members of any faction involved who’d stumble upon the corpses left to rot around the area.

Caesar walked away from the midnight shroud satisfied with their gains and went back to the hiding spot to rest with Alta until morning. She unequipped the incriminating equipment and left them with his Skeleton Mage.

----

Once the sun broke through the clouds, they returned to the main area of the city to purchase a dwelling, blending in with some lively people ready for a new day. Even now, people occasionally talked about their plans for the auction and grand market.

It seemed many knew about its importance this year and thus kept their homes pricy in an attempt to gain extra value before the event. Without a sponsor, no homeowner offered the two a place to stay. They had a vested interest in maintaining their power inside the city.

He had to rush to find the Pax Society soon, or risk not having shelter in time for the auction. After meeting with Alta again, they took a carriage to the center of the city, then asked for directions from a local. Surprisingly, the society held a considerable amount of power in the city, and even in the kingdom – enough to be mentioned in the same breath as five other prominent groups.

The Pax Society’s meeting place was simplistic. In an area filled with plenty of people, a building with two floors was surrounded by several small workshops. He heard the clanging of metals and the sizzling of flames and smelled the scent of rich spices in the air.

They approached the main building, where a guard stood.

“We’re here for Rilia, from the forest,” Alta said.

“Ah, yes. We were expecting your arrival. Wait here.”

The two sat down to rest until the guard called them inside a meeting room a few minutes later. Inside, four different people sat in intricate chairs, staring at them as they entered, while two attendants stood behind them. Rilia was present as one of the four, beaming at the duo.

One woman led the conversation. “So, you’re here to join us. That’s great,” she exclaimed. “As a member, you’ll get a discount on our services and have the power to request favors from some of our other members based on your merit.”

“Merit?”

A man at her side said, “Correct. We use a merit system attained from successful completion of tasks to exchange for goods or services, in addition to barter.” He smiled. “As you know, by saving Rilia, you automatically gained entrance into our society. And rescuing seven of our members further helped.”

Alta nodded. Normal applicants into the society might face several tests or other tasks before being admitted as a member, then had to work hard to accumulate merit. They’d only receive the discount from the start, unlike Caesar.

The woman spoke again. “As favored members who have acquired their first perks, you have the honor of becoming a team leader in our society. Normally, this would take a long process, but you’ve quickened it.”

“There’s something more.”

“Indeed. You’ll still need to complete a task for us first, but don’t worry. It shouldn’t be too difficult for someone of your caliber.”

“Alright. The assignment?”

“Investigate reports of the Order of the Fox from this city near the coast.” She handed over a messaging device – a small blue orb. “You may take up to three members with you, not counting your partner, and request support from our people inside the city.”

Alta tinkered with the object, rubbing it to activate the audio connection. She then twisted the orb twice clockwise, activating the visual connection, before looking back up. “This seems like a crucial assignment. Why us? We are still new to this.”

“We’re lacking people to investigate this city. Reports of the Order of the Fox have increased over the past few months, and we needed to continuously observe their actions.”

“Hmm. Anything we must do, or cannot do?”

“You need to track down the Order of the Fox and find out what they’re doing.” The woman pulled out a long piece of paper and scribbled something down before handing it over. It contained basic information about the city in question, in addition to the task’s goals. “Send regular updates until they leave. But make sure you don’t disrupt the city’s inhabitants. Complete this task well and a promotion is likely guaranteed.”

Caesar guessed they’d need to follow the ideals of the Pax Society during each assignment. That meant peace, helping the inhabitants, and minimizing unnecessary damage to a minimum. He needed more summons like Alta or stealthier summons for a good job.

“One more thing. The Forest From Before? That was meant to be a secret mission.” A solemn atmosphere had appeared. “The Order of the Fox should not yet know we’re taking an aggressive stance against them, unless there’s a traitor. Thus you should still prepare for the worst.”

”You can send us out as bait. Tell the people we rescued some special information and see what happens. We don’t mind.”

”Are you sure? If so, it’d be easy for us to detect them, but your life may be at risk.”

Caesar and Alta both nodded, confident in their ability to defend themselves. After accepting the paper, the others left while Rilia walked up to them with a smile. “How do you two like our area? And the city?”

“It’s a good place,” his Doppelganger responded. “But currently, I’m interested in learning a profession. How might I do so?”

“Which one do you like?”

“Not sure. Could I try some to see which fits me the most?” Because they lacked time, Caesar wanted her to focus on a single profession. Learning the basics of alchemy and smithing would also be appealing, as they could then produce healing potions and repair weapons inside a dungeon, leaving the more complex creations for specialized people.

Unlike other more restrictive societies, the Pax Society believed in education for its members, and thus shared rank one knowledge on most important professions. Generally, they needed to purchase them with merit, but Rilia offered to let them experience which discipline they preferred before they had to pay.

While Alta went off to learn about alchemy, smithing, and enchanting, Caesar talked with some of the other members about the organization’s history. A nearby library contained more information which he then summarized in a little notebook.

The Pax Society started in the capital city of Obsandalur as a charity organization, with its own fair share of success in conflicts. Although it promoted peace, its members could still pose a threat when necessary. As a sizable society with much power, it had a rank three leader with influence in the kingdom and built many small outposts in important cities. Their leader usually stayed in the capital, only moving out personally as a last resort.

He nodded. That seemed to be the most important information he could find until Alta became a team leader, or perhaps an elder.

But before heading to the sea to complete the society's tasks, Caesar needed to return to the Forest From Before. He had gained plenty, enough to help bolster his ant queen’s growth for the next stage of controlling the area. Still, there was a slight problem – no summons during the trip back. One was the ant queen, another the tree, and the third was Alta who needed to continue learning.