Prince of The Abyss

Standing among a crowd of people who look the same as you, the same hair, the same color of eyes, it’s a hard thing to do; your personality has to be on top to be able to do so, but it was even harder to do so when you are a building inside a city that uses the same material and design.

And yet here was the guild, ”It stood out like a lion in a group of chickens... why did I use that comparison?” But the point was that the guild was special; he could feel it.

It was also because it was slightly different from the rest, its material was cleaner and more polished, but that could only mean that the people who built it were not only rich, but also hired good workers, or were the good workers if they did it themselves.

Where the nearby houses were built from stacked bone and patched materials, this one rose in smoother shapes. Pale, curved surfaces formed its structure, the material cleaner, more refined, as if it had been shaped with purpose rather than assembled from remains. No sharp edges, no uneven stacking. Everything flowed into itself.

’Well, let’s hope I also become rich from it.’ He chuckled to himself, like a loner.

Not enough to block the way, but enough to make it feel narrow when stepping through.

Above it, carved directly into the pale surface, were the words:

Will of Humanity.

The letters were rough, cut deep, not decorated. Simple. Clear.

Aether slowed for a second, looking at it.

It was an interesting name to choose for a guild. After all, when the Word means so much in this world, to declare yourself the ember of the world, that was something big, but I guess they really were doing what their name suggested, they were trying to help humanity, to keep the species intact, and restore order in this ruined world.

’Good luck to them, I’m not interested in doing quests all my life, so after so many years I can make an ending where through all my hard work the world managed to survive... but I will take the money, thanks!’

Then stepped inside.

...

The air changed immediately.

It was colder, heavier, as if the building held onto something the outside didn’t. The noise of the city dulled behind him, replaced by something quieter. Not silence, but close enough.

’And they call this the Will of humanity? None of these guys looks to have any hope left in them; it’s kind of ironic. Makes me wonder if they are also just doing it for money... it is probably the case, people who actually want to save the world are rare.’

His steps echoed faintly.

The floor beneath him was pale like the walls, smooth but not polished. It took him a moment to realize it wasn’t stone. The texture was too... light. Bone, shaped and flattened into wide tiles that stretched across the entire room. Small cracks ran through some of them, but it didn’t feel fragile.

’They also made the floor of bone? The Inn didn’t, and neither did the other shops I entered... interesting, but I guess they haven’t been taking care of it that well, since there are many cracks.’

He looked around before stepping hard on the floor to see if it would break. Luckily, it didn’t, because if it did, he was going to pay for it, and where on earth would he get the money for that?

’I should probably stop messing around.’

The walls curved upward without clear corners, layers of pale material forming subtle ridges that ran along their length. In some places, darker fragments were embedded within, breaking the uniform color just enough to catch the eye. The ceiling arched high, the dim light barely reaching the far corners, casting long, soft shadows that shifted slightly with the movements of people inside.

At the center stood a large board.

’There it is!’ Aether rubbed his hands together as he approached the board. ”Hello, love, you look beautiful today.”

It was held up by thick supports that arched from the ground like ribs, meeting behind it in a loose frame. Sheets of paper covered its surface, overlapping, pinned without order. Some new, edges sharp. Others worn, corners curled, ink faded. Little tokens, feathers, scraps of cloth, were stuck between some pages, marking certain jobs or notices.

People stood around it.

Not many, but enough.

’Huh, I expected there to be little jobs, but there are overflowing... with so many people around... why aren’t they taking them?”

They didn’t talk much. A few murmured to themselves, and others simply read. One tore a sheet down and folded it without hesitation before walking out. Others flipped through stacks of notices, scanning quickly, some muttering under their breath.

Aether walked closer, looking at the papers himself.

And he noticed something, most of the papers that were left required the person who took it to kill monsters, either for materials, or for an escort, things that required killing, and some even protection... and no one was really taking them, the ones that were actually being taken were those that didn’t require any fighting.

However, this was good for him, since the people paid more for the ones that required killing, to make people take them.

He put his hand on his chin. ’But which should I take... holy!’ he said, instantly grabbing a paper to see if he was seeing things. ”Four hundred embers to escort a family to the Great Harbor... that’s a lot of money, why are they even paying so much, the mushro-”

Indeed, there were no monsters in the forest... but did he forget his little near dead expirence in the zone that came after the forest, with the giant worm, that was why they paid so much for it, since it required them to pass through the empty field.

Plus, now that he had learned that monsters might be hiding, who knows, maybe there were actually monsters in the forest; those bandits were definitely not good enough to notice.

But... was he going to take it? It was a gamble, a really dangerous gamble...

’Four hundred embers if four hundred embers, it could help us so much... I can’t let this opportunity go.’

He knew just how much danger he was putting himself and Kade in, but at the same time... if they got the money, it was definitely enough to allow them to not worry about money, while training Kade with an actual blade, and after, while they’re trying to get the shard.

”What a Fool I am... You would think I would have gotten tired of being one after everything in Frozen Crown.”

Aether’s gaze shifted.

At the far end of the room, a counter stretched across the wall, made from the same pale material. Behind it stood a figure, mostly still, half-hidden by the dim light that failed to reach that side properly.

For a moment, it didn’t feel like a place people worked in.

More like a place that watched.

Aether tapped a man on his shoulder. ”Is that the reception desk? Where I start quests and stuff, I’m new here.”

The man turned his head, slowly, and he instantly noticed the lack of light in his eyes, but he didn’t let it affect him; he had seen many hopeless people here.

And plus, it’s better to be hopeless than chase a desperate hope...

”It is.” And then he walked away, as if nothing had happened.

’Man, this city is weird...’

Aether walked over to the reception desk, pushing the paper towards the person standing behind the counter, with a bright smile and eyes burning with energy. He must be a strange sight around this place, someone who still had hope. Of course, they could never figure out that the reason was that he wasn’t from this world.

”I wish to take this job, if I may, if I’m allowed, if I gain permission to do so, your grace.”

His cocky smile never left his face as he looked the receptionist dead in the eyes.

Behind the counter was a boy who looked just a few years older than him. He wasn’t bothered by his attitude; however, as soon as he saw what the job was, his eyes widened.

”Are you sure you want this job... I was about to throw it in the trash, actually. It’s been here for a while, and it’s really dangerous, you know. The road to the Harbor isn’t safe at all.”

Aether rolled his eyes, not because he didn’t agree with what he was saying, but rather because he knew this better than all; after all, they hadn’t been the ones who had almost died in that place, he was that person.

”I’m sure I’ve done things more reckless than this, so I’ll be fine.” He leaned closer. ”You know, I once fought a demigod without any preparation.”