Isaac POV
The familiar ripple of mana faded as Isaac stepped out of the black cloud and onto the polished stone floor of a large building.
The ceiling arched high overhead, lit by floating crystal lights that hummed faintly with energy.
Voices filled the air. He could hear conversations, laughter, and the occasional clink of boots or shifting armor.
Isaac's eyes moved across the spacious hall.
He counted roughly forty people. About half of them wore the emblem of the Sanctum of Masters, which was a stylized sage's hat with a slender wand etched beside it.
The others bore the Titan Edge Guild crest, a silver sword crossing a jagged mountain edge.
Both groups mingled in clusters, though there was a clear sense of familiarity within each half.
Some turned when they noticed Celia stepping in behind Isaac.
A few instantly brightened, waving or nodding toward her. Others straightened slightly, eyes narrowing in recognition.
She returned the greetings with a small wave and led Isaac into the room.
He followed her calmly, though his gaze scanned the crowd.
Among them, he quickly spotted familiar faces. Broon, Thalia, Nero, Elric, Zeke and Vax.
'As expected, everyone I had combat training with were top tier students.'
He noticed Renji and Freya on the side. Renji gave a nod while Freya waved as she looked around him as if searching for someone.
When she didn't find anything, she gave a awkward laugh, and returned to her work.
'Hmm…'
Isaac looked around.
Only Kael was missing from the group.
Isaac figured he was still at the shop. He would likely join the briefing later.
Celia clapped once, drawing attention.
"Everyone," she said with a smile, "this is Isaac."
A few heads turned immediately.
Others paused their conversations and glanced over. Some of the expressions were neutral. A few looked openly curious, while others were simply polite.
"I'm sure most of you know him by name already," Celia continued. "But I wanted to take a moment to introduce him properly. He's the owner of the Family shop and the producer behind those Tier 1 and Tier 2 grain sets we've been using."
That drew a bit more attention.
Several of the Titan Edge members nodded in appreciation.
Celia gestured toward a group on the right, and whispered to him. "These are the Champion-rankers from Titan Edge. I'll do the introductions for some of them."
She motioned to a tall man with dark red hair tied back behind his neck, armored in a worn leather vest that looked like it had seen its share of battles. "This is Dorian. He handles battlefield tactics and heavy disruption. He's been with us for nearly seven years."
Dorian stepped forward and gave Isaac a firm handshake. "Heard a lot about you. Good to finally meet the guy behind those grain enhancements. They've saved my hide more than once already."
Isaac smiled back. "I'm glad they've been useful."
Next, Celia nodded toward a woman in dark green armor with a glaive strapped across her back.
Her short hair was dyed ash-grey, and a jagged scar ran across her cheek.
"Kariel," Celia said. "A wind-type specialist and one of our best scouts. She's also a bit sharp-tongued, so don't mind her too much."
Kariel gave Isaac a small nod. "Just don't get in the way during the fight, and we'll get along fine."
"I'll do my best." Isaac replied.
Celia continued the introductions.
"That's Miko," she pointed to a stocky man wearing reinforced gauntlets. "Close-quarters tank. He's famous for being unmovable once he takes a stance."
Miko grinned. "And if you can make food that keeps me standing longer, you've got my respect already."
Then she turned toward the Sanctum side. "And these are some of the Master-rankers sent to support us. They've been briefed on your contribution as well."
A young woman with braided silver hair gave him a formal bow.
"Anya, alchemist and defensive spellwork. I've been analyzing your grains and trying to replicate them. They're fascinating."
"Oh," Isaac said with a troubled expression. Why was she openly saying she was trying to steal his job?
Celia let out a forced cough and moved to another person.
One by one, more people were introduced.
Some gave polite greetings, others more casual. A few simply stared and nodded. Not all were friendly, but none were hostile. Still, Isaac could feel the weight of attention shifting toward him.
It wasn't just curiosity. There was something else.
He leaned slightly toward Celia. "A lot of people are staring."
Celia tilted her head as if confused, then smiled, realizing he didn't know the reason he was called. "That's because you're the central piece of our current plan. Every squad in this room is depending on your work."
Isaac blinked. "I thought I was just part of the logistics team."
"Huh?"
"You'll know soon. For now, follow us to the meeting room." A familiar voice rang.
He turned around to see General Magnus standing there.
"Greetings, General."
"It's good to see you." He patted on Isaac's shoulder and walked past him. "Now, let's start the initial briefing."
They entered a large hall.
The seats were facing towards the wall with projection screen.
Isaac noticed Vale Rae, the leader of Titan Edge guild, seated on the front seat already.
The people quickly took their seats. Isaac sat on the front row next to Vale. The guild leader gave him a nod and focused forward.
After everyone was settled, General Magnus stood at the front. The projector at the room whirred to life and posted an image on the wall behind General Magnus.
Despite him standing in the projector's way, his shadow was not distorting the screen.
"This is the monster we have found near our Stronghold."
He pointed at the image.
It looked like a fleshy pore.
"Metavore Brood."
The meeting hall became tense upon hearing the name. Isaac was no different. He had been told about the monster's ability by Celia on the way.
It made him realize how dangerous it was.
If nothing was done, the stronghold would fall.