Inside the meeting room, Becca, Xior and Rain sat looking at a screen which showed the map of whole continent. The Wolf and Rabbit Tribe were marked green since both were allied with the humans.
In the corner was a smaller map of Aegis City, five out of seven remaining guilds were also marked green.
"Becca, you'll take invitations to every Tribe chief for a conference except the Dragon and Tiger Tribes." Rain said as he handed over eight letters with his signature.
"On it, Sir. Anything else you want me to do which you're perhaps forgetting?" She asked.
"Yes, I'm more forgetful these days. I also want you to ask the chiefs for hints about hidden pieces. Every Tribe has a hidden piece in the form of a ruin.
Although this is just my hypothesis, if it is indeed true they will help our hunters grow because strength matters in here. We need to monopolize the 11th floor."
"I will take the letter to the Tiger Tribe as instructed. I'll need a weapon from the armory as the Tiger Tribe use greatswords as their main weapons." Xior said.
"Yes, you can take my sword. Just don't break it also do you have a sword related skill?" Rain questioned.
"I will take care of it don't worry and as far as a sword skill goes, I have none. But trust me I know how to use one, I'll tell you how after we're done clearing the floor."
All three of them got up and left, Rain went towards the city square while Becca and Xior towards their destinations.
*****
Xior had a black katana strapped on his back as he walked to the Tiger Tribe, just on the other side of the mountain where the Wolf Tribe was, the Tiger Tribe lived.
On his way he saw Wolf Tribe members on their daily rounds. He didn't barge in, instead he observed the Tiger Tribe from the mountain.
They were twice as tall as him, bodies large with sharp claws and fiercer fangs. After a few minutes he went down. The guards at the entrance unsheathed their swords as soon as they saw him.
He was wearing a white buttoned up shirt with suspenders, along with a dark brown suit. He raised his hands in the air holding the letter from Alice in his hand.
"What's that in your hand, human?" One of the guards asked.
"A letter from the Chief of the Rabbit Tribe. You can see the seal clearly so why bother asking?" Xior retorted.
"Shut up human, all I know it that it could be fake."
"Yeah, if you don't drop on the ground right now you'll be killed."
Both of the guards threatened Xior but he ignored them, he grabbed the swords handle and his wrist glowed.
His elemental rune was at a high enough level for him to use and manipulate fire freely but due to his mana being low right now he couldn't use the newer skills he got from rune progression.
As the sword came out of the sheath, fire spread all over it and coating it. He swung it twice, the arc of flame was enough to set their fur on fire, he jumped towards them and cut off their hands wielding their swords.
Both of them wailed as a dozen Tiger Tribe members jumped out, these were bigger and buffer than the guards. And in the middle of them was their Chief.
The biggest of them all, his body was scarred with deeper scars than Tharnak's. For his size he was quick as with one step he was in front of Xior with the letter in his hand.
"Hah! Does that foolish rabbit think I'll release the Wolf Tribe prisoners? I knew the wolves are pathetic enough to ask for help from mere rabbits" He mocked as he tore the letter.
Xior studied him, he was about to attack but stopped. The Tiger Tribe chief clawed him, blood trickled down the wounds across his chest as he let himself get pinned down and captured.
He was dragged through the ground, his blood leaving a trail behind. This was their brutality, they were as worse as the Dragon Tribe.
He was thrown inside the room which held the Wolf Tribe members, his body healed fully but he didn't move at all, he acted as if he had difficulty in breathing.
In front of him were seven Wolf Tribe members, malnourished, some without limbs while some with a patch covering their eyes, some missing an ear and some their tongue.
*****
Becca had given the letter to Tharnak and was now departing from the Wolf Tribe. She had seven more tribes to go to so she was jumping down the mountain like how Xior once climbed. But then the rustling of leaves made her stop.
She slowed down and started to walk, she felt someone looking at her from a far. A gaze which was intense and focused.
She slowly moved her hand in front of her and then twisted quickly and unsheathed her sword and swinging it towards a tree.
An arc of fire jumped out of it and cut the tree in half and near the tree was a Tiger Tribe member trying to put off the fire on his tail.
She closed the distance between them and swung her sword again, the Tiger Tribe member blocked it and went for a stab.
She moved her sword and parried the stab with her guard and ducked under his horizontal swing and kicked his leg.
There was no reaction, his leg was as if it was metal. Becca quickly jumped back dodging a vertical slash.
She channeled mana and covered her sword in fire and attacked again, he parried it and went for a punch to her face but she raised her other hand covered in ice which froze his hand as well.
She then let go of her sword and put her palm on his stomach and activated her fire rune. A bright light escaped from her hand as fire shot out from behind his back burning the trees behind.
When she backed away the Tiger Tribe member fell down with a gaping hole in his torso. Becca used her wind rune to put off the fire on the trees and continued walking with a slight limp.