"Let's head upstairs, we're pretty far down. This may take a while."

Leo, the C-Class Legendary Grade Artificer looks at me with a kind smile while standing behind the open doors of the elevator.

I hesitantly look behind my shoulder, then back at him. He seems nice and is definitely from the Association, but this all seems way too convenient.

I reply.

"We're really in the Hunters Association HQ? ... And did the director actually tell you I would be here?"

Leo slides the hood of his cloak down to reveal his glistening silver hair, then leans back in a more casual stance against the small silver rails in the elevator before replying.

"Well, he told me that he hoped I wouldn't have to meet you early, but there's a good chance I would. He's got some scary intuition."

Leo sighs, letting his posture relax even more while motioning for me to come into the elevator.

"Come on, it's getting late at night, you're lucky I was even here in the first place. After a few more tests, I was about to head home after a long day of work."

I let out a light gulp, then take one more look behind me before shrugging and entering the small elevator with the Artificer.

I turn my back to the wall and watch him closely as he presses a few buttons before the sliding doors close. From what I can make out, it looks like he's entering a code using the floor numbers as keys.

[1,1,5,5,3,6,7,10]

After watching and hearing 8 light clicking sounds, I see all the buttons flash blue for a fraction of a second. Once they stop glowing, the elevator begins to move upwards.

I bring my gaze back up to the young man's dark eyes, then ask a question.

"So uh- you said you were heading home after a long day of work? I know you make gadgets and items for the higher-ups and elites... but, what exactly do you even make? And what's this meeting tomorrow about anyways?"

I let out a bit of a frustrated sigh, continuing.

"Give me a straight-up answer, please. I hate how everyone is tip-toeing around me recently. Just tell me like it is...."

The elevator slowly begins to speed up as we make our way upwards. I hold onto the small railing behind me to ensure my balance as Leo responds.

"Well, like I said before. I'm an Artificer. If you give me enough raw dungeon drop items, I can make anything you need. Weapons, traps, custom items, you name it! I even made the B-Class-graded mana shielding in those rooms downstairs. Most of the newer higher-grade shielding in the capital is actually my work."

He shows a satisfied proud smirk.

The magical craftsman is almost glowing. He's... really into his job... Or a great actor...

My eyes tighten.

"So, why'd you join the Association in the first place?"

Without even a hint of a pause, he responds with a glimmer in his eyes.

"They approached me while I was still in school actually. I've always been into gadgets and magical crafting, but couldn't manage to make anything over a high E-Class rated item until I joined up with the Association."

I nod as he goes on and the elevator shakes slightly.

"The Artificer Class is rare, so it gave e an edge while career searching. Bigger magical item manufacturers and trade companies are always looking for new talent. There are usually a few people in every major city that have similar skills to me, like blacksmiths or normal craftsmanship skills."

He looks up at the ceiling as we continue to travel upwards, trying to remember something.

"I believe it was... almost 6 years ago now. The current Director himself approached me and offered a job. I couldn't say no... Soon after our agreement, I was teamed up with a few elites that power-leveled me past 300. Then next thing ya know I'm offered an experimental upgrade crystal and-"

I feel the elevator rattle and shake, then Leo tightens his lips.

"Sorry, I went off on a bit of a tenet there. I- haha maybe I shouldn't have said all that."

He shows me a bright smile and scratches the back of his head.

I reply.

"It's fine... I'm not one to talk. So- what? They just gave you a free skill upgrade? Are you in an exclusive contract? Are you... close with the Director?"

My gaze tightens even more as I start thinking about his position in the Association again, but he replies without any delay and a little chuckle.

"Close with the Director? I wouldn't say so. I hardly see the man once a year if I'm lucky these days. I just get my tasks and enjoy being able to experiment on rare items I would never get to see if I didn't have this gig."

His chuckle turns into a laugh.

"It's not like I'm held hostage down here, I can leave anytime I want."

*Ding*

The silver doors of the elevator open up and to my surprise, we're in the main lobby of the Vice City Association's HQ, just like he said.

I blink a few times, looking around to see an empty lobby. There's two security guards by the door, both between levels 150 and 200, but no one else.

I can see through the glass windows that it's the middle of the night. The sky is dark and the silence is already calming.

I step out onto the smooth white floor, then hear the silver elevator doors begin shutting behind me.

I turn to see Leo smiling and waving as the doors close.

"It was nice meeting you, Jay. A message should reach you and your team tomorrow. I'll see you again soon."

I stand with my mouth slightly open, not sure what else to say. So I don't say anything at all.

We were in the middle of a conversion, and just getting to the good part too...

*Click*

The sliding elevator doors shut, and I'm left in the middle of the empty lobby of the Association's HQ.

Leo seems like a nice guy. He overshares a lot... So, I'll make sure to keep that in mind. Apparently, I'll be seeing him again soon. I made it back to the outside world, and have a perfect alibi for "failing to defeat the Behemoth".

This little side mission has been successful in my eyes.

Letting out a sigh, I shrug and walk out the front door, giving the guards a head nod while making my way downtown.

It must be 1 or 2 am.

It's dark out, but the nearly full white moon lights up the sky with a dim glow.

I take a deep breath of the cool night air and start making my way through the empty city streets back toward the Vanguard Heights.

It feels like forever since I've seen this city....

In my mind, it's been over two months, so it makes sense. This is the perfect time for me to come back.

Although I hear some noises from late-night bars and the occasional pass-by, I'm more focused on the starry night sky and the sweet smell of the city's open space around me.

Dungeons may seem like they go on forever, but they're limited to a few dozen kilometers in any given direction.

There's nothing quite like the real world...

It feels so weird to be back. The city itself feels small, much smaller than how I left it the last.

Not physically small, just... smaller in the grand scheme of things.

Every day that passes, makes my life and simple worries seem like they don't matter at all. I'm growing more powerful every day. What really put everything into perspective is defeating that Floor Boss.

It's apparently one of the ultimate challenges for any hunter to become an Elite. People dream of coming near my level of strength, yet, all I feel is the need to get so much stronger.

I feel, isolated...

All these new powers, abilities, and new gateways for accelerated growth recently have made me feel much differently about my position in life.

Maybe I'm just comparing myself to the wrong people. Everyone on that 10th Floor seemed to be a complacent group of hunters that never feel the need to push their limits and put their lives on the line.

Even the Elite I met, Fisher. He took years to complete what I just overcame in less than a week of real-world time.

It feels like I'm the only one in the world that knows a secret, and it's my mission to keep taking full advantage of this power.

I whisper under my breath.

"I need to get stronger."

My boots echo through alleyways as I walk further into town. I peacefully watch the night sky as my luxury apartment building finally comes into view.

My whole body begins to become quite sore and my brain gets foggy as my eyes threaten to close on me.

My fatigue hits me like a brick wall as I walk through the front doors. It's like my mind and body were pushing it off until I had a safe place to rest. These are my natural battle instincts at play, even outside the dungeons.

I make my way through the front entrance and am greeted by two assistants. There's one woman at the front door and a man before the elevator, but don't pay them much mind.

I get up to my room, take a quick hot shower, then crawl into my loft-style bedroom to watch the city lights shine under the night sky until I drift off to sleep.