# CHAPTER 7
The United Alliance. A group of representatives which were literally the government of the Nova city. They rose near the fall of Year 03 after 'Missa Mortis'. Comprising of the strongest or most skilled of each race, except humans, they were the elites who had their eyes on almost everything in the city.
The reason behind the not including humans was the then beastmen representative, Iona Pavak. It was only after 5 months of their establishment, that the humans were recognised by them. This change happened only because of one person, LUCA VARATHIX. A 5* mage and the user of the unique magic, Mirror Magic. Overpowering everyone of the United Alliance's founding representatives, he himself refused the position and instead voted for Faraney Musk.
"I was thinking what was the commotion here. Turns out the rats missing from their base were here all this time." A person floated in air. White wavy hair and shining red eyes, arm wrists enveloped in a thick silver coat of mana, except for the head the rest of the body was covered with a unique black robe. The same mana enveloped Ray, No.4 and No.5.
"Shit! What did Luca Varathix appear here." No.5's face wore an expression of intense anxiety and fear followed along.
"That's Luca, right?" Ray stood frozen in his tracks. He had almost touched death if it wasn't for Luca's intervention.
[NOTIFICATION
CAUTION! YOU HAVE ONLY 1 HP LEFT.]
"Hush....What a luck to become a guest of 1HP."
"Things almost got too heated up, isn't that right,boy?" Luca appeared before Ray in an instant. His height above 5'11, body fairly muscular, his charm was too much to resist for a girl. "Anyways, looks like you over exerted yourself a bit too much. Bye."
"I can understand why he's so popular among the girls. And children's idol. Was he an actor?....No..what am I thinking ."
TAP!
"..!" Luca flicked his fingers onto Ray's forehead.
"Ouch, that hurts. And what does he mean by 'Bye?...Oh...." Ray went unconscious.
"Now, it's your turn." Luca walked towards No.5 & 4 and put his hand on their heads.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
~3 hours ago, inside United Alliance Headquarters~
A fancy room, airy and cool, lit by the large windows who allowed sunrays to fall in en masse. A table and chair of the owner of this room and a cushion set for guests. Ross Anglods sat on the cushion, side facing the window.
SWUSH!
"You love to make me wait, don't you? Are you still angry?" Ross asked Luca who just entered the room.
"Oh! Not at all. I told you I don't hold any grudge for that time. It's just that I wasn't expecting you today at all. Though, I did expect you yesterday. And it's always when I'm about to leave the office that you arrive." Luca walked over to the cushion, hands in his pockets. He fell comfortably on the futon, one hand gripping the back of cushions, cross legged.
"Huhu...Is that so? So, how's your Investigation work going?"
"Eeh!...Your roundabout talk is giving me the creeps."
"Right. Then let's get straight to the point. There's something going on in the Euren's forest. It's Umbral Chalice again."
"..."
"My underling found a catmen's corpse, lower half preyed upon by Lycans. The strange thing is that his front part of the brain was missing. You know what that means. And you already know about it as well, don't you?"
"Yes. I know. Lance's death was also connected to this. Apparently, his child was kidnapped."
"..!" Ross eye's were fixed at Luca, demanding the least bit of answer he could give.
"They're searching for another of the Asta series."
"So it was true....Daine is burdened with the seed task. Hamrock isn't one to this talk about. Faraney is already burdened with the city. I only have you to talk this with." Ross walked over to the window strangling the rays of sun.
"She shows this weak side of her only to me? I haven't seen her like this is front of anyone else."
"The records I found indicate something bigger than what we initially imagined.... I'll look into it personally." Luca remained in his seat, looking at the ceiling.
"Tell me, do you think we are going in the right direction?"
"..."
"Perhaps, not."
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
~Present~
"Ugh..!"
"Where am I ?.....huh?" Ray sat on a chair, his arms and legs tied to the chair.
A room lit up only be candles. Closed from all sides, it only allowed one door as an exit or enter. The weird thing was it's door knob, which was to it's left.
"You woke up later than I thought. Greetings, as you might know I am Luca Varathix." Luca sat in front of him. In his usual comfortable and lax style.
[NOTIFICATION
YOU HAVE INCURRED A PENALTY.]
"I-" Ray tried his best not to look towards the window panel.
"Ray Hyster, 17, E-rank no- Now, D-rank adventurer." Luca looked upwards, to the never ending ceiling. The walls of the room had writings written all over it. Inverted, the writings were inverted. "Before you ask, this is my magic. MIRROR WORLD MANIPULATION. This is basically a separate world, an opposite copy of the real world. And I can manipulate as much as I want. Cool, right? I'm a genius afterall."
"This energy that surrounds him and his mana wavelength..... I'm sure of it." Luca's doubt had cleared now that he had thoroughly examined Ray's mana.
"Why am I here, handcuffed and legcuffed?"
"'Cause I don't know what to do with you. That makes you entertaining for me. And I like it."
"What do you mean?"
"You have so many mysteries holed up into you afterall. Like your growth speed, and your knowledge. Your daily night activities and your map markings."
"He was keeping an eye throughout this time. Did he find my map as well? "
"What do you want?"
"Tell me one thing. I won't ask you to reveal everything that you are currently hiding. Just tell me one thing, why are you doing this?" Luca looked at Ray now. In his eyes, ever unflinching.
"..."
"Why am I doing this?....hah Me? A bastard? I let them die. I was far too dependent on my photographic memory, and.... that costed me my everything. Talentless? Discarded by nature? No opportunity? Those all turned out to be excuses I gave to justify myself.....But, I will change. I have got another chance, I.....won't let them die this time." Ray's head had tilted down.
His eyes expressed guilt, regret, remorse for the deaths he had caused. Despair intertwined in them. There also was one small fire. It was always there, deep in his heart. The dreams he had once seen were still alive. They were just being pushed back, until now.
"I'll give them and myself the wings. I'll forgive myself and give my everything to earn others forgiveness. Yes, I'm free."
"To repent,... for me and the people I love." Ray whispered. Following his words, he raised his head up looking back into Luca's eyes.
"Oh-ho."
"....Very well. I'll let you be free. For now that is. My eyes will be on you. The moment I sense danger from you against life, be warned, I WON'T HESITATE TO KILL YOU." Luca's last words carried immense pressure.
"..."
"Ugh....He's as fierce as his strength." Ray tried not to back down, but he was still far from handling such a pressure.
"Bye."
"....huh? .....wait...." Ray instinctively understood the hands which aimed for his forehead.
TAP!
SWOOOOSH!
"He's a fucking bastard as wellllllll." Ray was forced into a portal, the chair and the ropes tying him all disappeared. His cheeks and body were flowing hard against the intense speed he was going through in this vibrant wormhole. It was as if the winds were slapped him.
SNAP!
"Now, it's your turn." Another snap of fingers by Luca and the two masks, No.4 and No.5 appeared before him. Such was the magic of the strongest of Nova City. He could control anything and everything in his Mirror Dimension.
"..." The two of them were tied by ropes chairs, splattered with blood, delivering Luca's intention. He still hadn't removed his restraint magic on both of their mouths.
"Before, you speak. Let us be clear. Your silence costs you your body, your lies costs you your body and your incapability costs you your body. It's all is your hand." Luca spoke in a calm and condescending tone.
"This fucking bastard....he's basically set to kill us."
"Now, my first question, Why are you searching for the Asta books? And did you find any other?"
"What do I do? I'm only allowed tier 3 information, his question surely falls in tier 1. No.....if No.5 tells him ...then..." No.4 tilts head slightly at No.5.
"..."
"..."
"Judging by their reaction, this one isn't aware about the inside." Luca read both of their expressions. No.4 looked particularly scared.
"He knows about the books? But weren't all the records...." No.5 was shocked. According to his intel, all the available sources of information were destroyed by the leader of Umbral Chalice.
SVUMP! SPRR! SVIRP!
"Argghhhhh.....!"
"I did say that silence will cost you your body." Luca torn apart the tied hands of No.4 with Mana Hands. Another rope tied the chest of No.4 to the chair.
"I'll ask again. Tell me everything you know about Asta series."
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
~alleyway, Main market street~
A small wormhole appeared in the middle of the alleyway and threw Ray outside on the floor.
THUT! FALL!
"Aaaaaaaaaaa...haha..huh...THAT BASTARD!" Ray had been in that horrific wormhole for a whole minute continuosly falling, sometimes up, sometimes down.
"Why do I only meet with rude people. Shitty luck!!" Ray was kicked out of Luca's room and kicked onto the middle of this alleyway in the Market Street.
"He even knew the inn I stayed at. That fucking piece.....Anyways-"
"Is he keeping an eye on me here as well? I should be careful when cursing him....What might he do for his damned entertainment."
[NOTIFICATION
YOU HAVE INCURRED A PENALTY.]
"...Arghhh.. let's just get inside first." Ray brushed the dust off of his clothes and walked out of the alleyway.
CLING! CLING!
"How may I help you sir?"
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
~Somewhere in the Euren's forest~
"No.5 is missing since yesterday." said a masked man, three horns on the forehead of the mask.
"No. He's been caught. It must be Luca considering the scale of the attack last night." Another man with a Blue mask spoke. Two horns on its head.
"No.4's corpse was missing at the site where Luca attacked. He had the Mana Batteries with him. Do you think Luca took it-"
"No. No.4 was called by No.5 somewhere by the emergency SONAR stone. I found it's pieces in his office room."
"Then there must be something really urgent if No.5 called him. He was given the most important mission, that being-"
SWOOSH! HISSSHH!
"Whatever the case is, you must remember that the delivery is to be done in three weeks. It if fails, the promises that were made will remain unfulfilled and the penalty will be your soul." A white mask appeared behind them, his aura too strong to hide. His attire that of a noble.
"Yes, as you command." The other two masks bowed.
"Leave...No.5...did he...Looks like I'll have to look into it."
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
~Inside Ray's room at the Inn~
"Hah.... There's lot of things happened. First, let's close everything."
DRPP! SWEEE! THUP!
"Hmm....so now, my penalty." Ray sat on his bed.
[NOTIFICATION
YOU HAVE INCURRED A PENALTY.]
"Why is it giving me a penalty? Were they even meant to be defeated by me? Isn't the system being unreasonable?"
[NOTIFICATION
YOU HAVE INCURRED TWO PENALTIES-
1. YOU WILL NOW HAVE TO COMPLETE DAILY TASKS.
2. YOU HAVE BEEN PROVIDED WITH A QUEST.]
[NOTIFICATION
YOU HAVE RECEIVED RHE QUEST - 'END BEFORE START'.]
[QUEST: END BEFORE START
GOAL - PREVENT THE MURDER OF 'SOFIA SORENS'.
REWARD- ???
FAILURE- START OF THE COUNTDOWN TO THE WORLD'S RUIN.]
"Sofia Sorens?" Ray repeated the words. They were familiar, too familiar for him not to remember. His expression held intense shock.
"And countdown to the World's Ruin!..So he was right."
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[ STATUS WINDOW
LEVEL- 12
NAME- RAY HYSTER AGE- 17 TITLE- REGRESSOR SEX-MALE
TRAIT - ???
STRENGTH - 20
STAMINA - 15
AGILITY - 17
INTELLIGENCE - 25
PERCEPTION - 15
(ADDITIONAL STATS- 0)
HP- 1340 MP- 0 (1250)
SKILL - EYES OF ISMARA ( ACTIVE )]