"Arthur, make sure to lock that thing deep inside the vault. Unless I say so, don't take it out!" Felix turned to Arthur with a commanding tone.
"Yes, Master Felix," Arthur replied, nodding seriously.
"Good." Felix gave a satisfied nod.
"Master Felix, I also found this among the treasures," Arthur said, revealing a peculiar piece of scrap metal that was surprisingly larger than his own body, quite the sight to behold!
Felix glanced at the scrap metal with mild interest before quickly shifting his gaze away.
But then something caught his eye; he widened his eyes in surprise as he snatched up the metal and examined it closely. A wide grin spread across his face.
With a flick of his wrist, another identical piece of scrap metal appeared in his hand. Staring at both pieces, curiosity sparked in Felix's eyes.
He brought them together, and just like that, they fused into a single piece about the size of his palm!
Felix can see that this is no ordinary scrap; it was one he had received as a reward from the system after completing a mission.
Initially, he thought it was just a prank, a mere tease by the system, but now he realized there might be more to this than he expected.
"And it seems there are other pieces too," Felix mused thoughtfully while rubbing his chin. "I wonder what will happen if I manage to find them all?" A smile crept onto his face as he handed the newly formed scrap back to Arthur.
"Store it beside the golden ball."
"Understood, Master Felix," Arthur nodded and headed into the vault.
Felix stretched and yawned. "Time for some quality sleep." Without hesitation, he leaped onto his bed, torn beyond recognition from earlier space vortexes, and quickly sank into dreamland with smile on his face.
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Deep within Brigdemoor City, in an expansive underground chamber.
A group of figures gathered around a massive round table, their voices buzzing with anticipation.
"I wonder when the Gate Master will return," Finn remarked, glancing at his companions.
"Yeah, it's been over a month! I hope nothing has happened to him," Clarke chimed in, concern etching his features.
"Come on! You all know how the Gate Master is, he's tougher than he looks," Sirius replied calmly, confidence radiating from him.
Suddenly, a bone-chilling voice cut through their chatter. "Oh? Do you want something to happen to me?"
They all jumped to their feet as Zephyr appeared at the entrance, his expression serene yet commanding.
"Gate Master! You're back!" they exclaimed in unison.
"Of course I am! Why wouldn't you want me around?" Zephyr chuckled lightly, his eyes twinkling with mischief.
"Understood, Gate Master," Finn nodded firmly.
Zephyr then shifted his attention to Clarke. "Clarke, I want our intelligence network infiltrating every nook and cranny of each city as quickly as possible. Finn will clear any obstacles you encounter."
"Yes, Gate Master!" Clarke responded eagerly.
"Sirius," Zephyr added with intensity in his gaze, "be prepared to take over the businesses of any gangs or organizations we either subdue or eliminate."
"Understood, Gate Master," Sirius replied with determination.
"Excellent," Zephyr said with a satisfied nod. He then turned back to Clarke. "I also need you to investigate the recent beast tide, gather all relevant information about it."
"Yes, Gate Master!" Clarke nodded vigorously.
"Good," Zephyr concluded with finality as he waved his hand dismissively. "You're all dismissed."
Finn and the others stood up once more, bowing deeply before exiting the room.
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Early the Next Morning in the Adventurer District.
"Captain! Vice Captain! You're back!" Dilya exclaimed, her eyes widening in surprise as she spotted Trinity and Brixton entering the expansive room filled with the Morningstar Adventurer Team.
"Welcome back, Captain! Vice Captain!" The team members greeted them in unison, their voices echoing with enthusiasm.
Trinity smiled warmly. "It's good to see you all! How has everyone been holding up?"
Dilya's expression shifted. "We've been doing well, but we were quite worried when you didn't return from the dungeon raid."
Brixton chimed in, "Yeah, we got caught up in a few unexpected situations that delayed us."
Trinity's brow furrowed slightly. "What's our current status?"
Dilya took a deep breath. "Well, Captain, during the dungeon breaks and beast tide while you and the Vice Captain were away, we managed to complete all the missions you accepted. However..." She hesitated for a moment before continuing, "we lost many of our members. We're down to just seven hundred now."
A heavy silence fell over Trinity as she processed this grim news. She sighed deeply and shook her head. "Make sure to provide compensation to the families of our fallen comrades."
Dilya looked at Trinity in surprise but quickly nodded. "Yes, Captain."
"Also," Trinity added firmly, "start recruiting again immediately. And tell everyone they need to ramp up their training, there's a great opportunity on the horizon. If they aren't strong enough, they won't be selected."
Dilya's expression turned serious at Trinity's words. "Understood, Captain."
"Good," Trinity said with a wave of her hand dismissively.
Turning to Trinity with curiosity sparkling in his eyes, Brixton asked, "Big sis, do you think Big will be satisfied with our progress?"
"Well," Trinity replied thoughtfully, "that really depends on Big Bro."