"This can't be true, right?" Some people started talking with each other.
These people were the guests invited due to their financial status. None of them had the power that elite families and guilds possessed, so they were oblivious to what was happening or about to happen.
Even Cristina was worried because all her plans to make this gala a memorable experience had gone down the drain.
But there was someone in an even worse mood than her.
And it was Casie Hargrave.
Currently, she was staying behind while her brother and a few others went to meet her father, the SSS Rank Hunter, Xarax Hargrave and the other SSS Rank Hunters.
"Who are they?" Casie asked as she picked up a glass of wine.
She had heard about a group of thieves called Zephyr, but now she wasn't sure about this new group bearing the same name.
She had carefully chosen this gala as the place to plant seeds about Asher Greville, and unrest against the Greville Family.
She was going to use this to her advantage, but for that, the gala needed to last until the third day.
Crack
Casie's mana made the glass, crafted from special material, start to crack. Wine began seeping out onto her hand and falling down.
"It seems that I need to contact them again," Casie muttered.
It had been a long time since she had been in contact with the organizations unknown to the world. Their existence was known only to a few, and they only accepted tasks in exchange for artifacts or precious items.
On the third floor,
"This can't be real, right?" one of the men following James Rothschild spoke out.
"We'll know if it's real or not in a second," James replied as they continued towards the third floor.
In the main hall, there were 21 seats, two of which were vacant, and the family head and other elite family members took the seats arranged for them in front of these 21 seats.
These seats were for the Seat Holders of the High Council.
"Osbert, have you confirmed how many Calamities have awakened?" Silvus asked.
"Two have been confirmed in Fashia and Desmar," Osbert replied, maintaining his composed look.
"This isn't good," one of the Vice Chairmen spoke out,
"Let's forget about the Calamities for a second. That provocative message will incite many people to emerge and cause chaos in society," he explained.
"But who are these people? Zephyr? We've never heard of this name before," Dalton said, visibly not in a good mood.
He had just received news that an SSS Rank monster had awakened in the Forgotten lands near Desmar.
This meant that he needed to take charge to defeat that monster.
"We can address that issue later," the SSS Rank Hunter from the Cranston family interjected.
"Focus on the calamities for now," he advised.
Humans could be controlled by many things, and they were aware of that, but monsters had only one motive: to wreak destruction all around them.
Suddenly, Osbert's bracelet shone again. He pressed it and a high executive of the World Association appeared in a large hologram.
"I greet the Seat Holders," the High Executive said, and each of the SSS Rank Hunters nodded.
"What's the situation?" Osbert asked, as the High Executive turned the camera.
Osbert frowned at the sight of every single person in the Operation Tower dead, with a separate dead body sitting on a chair bearing a 'Z' logo.
"But we have a bigger issue. We have taken the mana readings and there are not only two Calamities that have awakened," he announced,
"The total number is four. Except for Somaria and Halcyon, each continent will have to face an SSS Rank Hunter, while Belvoria will face two," the High Executive disclosed, leading to Xarax slamming his hand onto his seat.
"What do you mean, two!?" Xarax shouted, his mana causing unrest.
"Calm down, Xarax," Dalton intervened, stifling Xarax's rampaging mana.
"Two SSS Rank Hunters. Half of Belvoria would be destroyed if we can't defeat them in time," Xarax said, making everyone in the room a bit anxious.
But hearing that Halcyon was not a target, Rewilh Halcyon breathed a sigh of relief.
'It seems luck is on our side,' Rewilh thought, as Halcyon was the only continent that currently had no SSS Rank Hunters.
"Why are you guys forgetting the purpose of this meeting," Nathan finally spoke, drawing all eyes to him.
"Isn't this meeting to decide which one of us will go fight those monsters?" Nathan asked, his smile widening.
Even though the whole world was in chaos, Nathan saw the opportunity that was present for him.
Even Arthur understood what his father, Nathaniel Von Greville, wanted to convey.
'This old man is crazy,' Arthur thought, smiling at Nathan.
"What do you mean, Nathan?" Silvus asked, frowning.
"I will not participate in hunting those monsters, as simple as that," Nathan declared. Instantly, the rampant mana caused the walls to crack as many SSS Rank Hunters became riled up.
At that moment, one of humanity's pillars had declared he wasn't going to help, so their reaction was understandable.
"Do you think you can force me?" Nathan asked, his dominating aura crushing all the other auras and mana around him.
"ENOUGH!!" Silvus interjected, his silver mana rising around him.
Seeing Silvus riled up, everyone retracted their mana.
"Are you really serious about your decision?" Silvus asked calmly, looking at Nathan.
"Now, I didn't say that I wouldn't help you guys at all," Nathan clarified.
"But for me to step in, I would need some compensation," Nathan stated.
"Give me the SSS Rank Mana Gem, and I will assist you," Nathan proposed, looking at all the other SSS Rank Hunters present in the room.
"You're asking for too much!!" Osbert exclaimed, losing his composure.
All his plans had gone down the drain, and now even the thing he coveted most was at risk of being taken too. He wasn't going to let that happen.
"We agreed to defend humanity in such situations," one of the Vice Chairmen declared.
"That was the case if all this happened in Somaria," Nathan countered, looking at the Vice Chairman.
It was indeed true that the title of Pillar of Humanity carried responsibility, but Nathan's responsibilities only extended to Somaria.
"And I'm not saying I won't pay the price," Nathan added.
"I will give double the amount that the Mana Gem was sold for last time," Nathan proposed.
His statement created a silence throughout the hall. Nathan was one of the few SSS Rank Hunters needed to counter the four SSS Rank monsters. If they couldn't secure his help, it was likely that many cities and people would perish as a result.
After all, one SSS Rank human was never sufficient for a single SSS Rank monster.
Unlike other monsters, these calamities were capable of even altering the environment around them.
"You're asking for too much," Dalton Rothschild interjected, eyeing Nathan.
Though the world was in uproar, human greed made them reluctant to let Nathan acquire the SSS Rank Gem.
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