Mourning always smelled the same.
Stale coffee, cheap disinfectant and quiet disappointment.
Calix leaned against the metal railing outside the Esper Employment Bureau, watching the Gray morning clouds drift above the towering skyline of Eidolon City. The building behind him buzzed with activity Hunters and espers coming and going. Loud voices echoing in the lobby of armored boots clanking across polished floors.
None of that energy belongs to him. He took another slow sip of coffee from the plastic cup in his hand and grimace.
Cold just like every other morning.
Another great start.
Calix sighed quietly and glanced at the digital board mounted near the entrance. Bright letters flashed across the screen listing the day's dungeon.
Expeditions Guild names, team formations, exploration raids, emergency boss suppression. Names were scrolling constantly.
Powerful espers with flashy abilities. Elite teams preparing to climb the Towers of Trials.
Calix's name wasn't there. It never was because Calix wasn't the kind of Esper anyone wanted on their team.
Technically speaking he was an expert. But only barely.
Three years ago when the towers of trials appeared around the world humanity changed overnight.
Strange structures descended from the sky towering monoliths and pierced the clouds each one filled with monsters relics and floors that stretched endlessly upward. Soon after humans began awakening strange abilities.
They were called Espers. People who could wield supernatural power and enter the towers to fight the monsters within. Some gained incredible strength. Others awaken terrifying elemental powers. Some could manipulate gravity time or even the minds of others.
And then there were people like Calix. His awakening had been underwhelming. No flashy power no devastating ability.
Just slightly enhanced physical strength and faster stamina recovery. Useful maybe but compared to real Espers it was nothing.
Which meant Calix had spent the last three years doing the same job. Support, carrier, bait, sometimes.
If a team needed an extra body to hold equipment or help transport monster materials Calix was the guy they called.
Not because he was good but because he was cheap. Calix crushed the empty coffee cup in his hand and tossed it into a nearby trash bin.
Three years.
Three years of barely surviving low floor dungeon raids.
Three years of watching younger experts surpass him.
Three years of hearing the same whispers.
"Why is that guy still in Esper?"
"Didn't he almost die last month?"
"Some people just shouldn't enter the tower. "
He exhaled slowly. Maybe they weren't wrong.
The glass doors of the Bureau slid open behind them.
Two Espers walked out laughing loudly their armor gleaming under the morning light. One of them was tall broad shouldered with flames. Dancing lazily around his fingers.
An A-rank pyrokinetic if Calix remembered correctly.
The other carried a massive sword strapped to his back humming faintly with energy. They passed by Calix without even noticing him.
To them he was invisible.
Just another low rank nobody. Calix rubbed the back of his neck.
Maybe I should have quit when I had the chance.
The thought had crossed his mind more than once. Espers earned good money sure but only if they were strong enough to survive.
Most low rank espers of eventually quit and took safer jobs.
Security.
Constructions.
Private escort work.
But Calix had stayed partly because he needed the money and partly because he wasn't entirely sure what else he could do.
His phone vibrated suddenly inside his jacket. Calix blinked.
That was unusual. He pulled his Cellphone out expecting another payment reminder or advertisement.
Instead a notification flashed across the screen.
Ironclad Guild team assignment notice.
Calix frowned.
Ironclad Guild.
He tapped the message open.
-
Guild noticed:
Esper Calix Finn has been assigned to Exploration team 7.
Mission type: Dungeon Exploration
Tower location: Idolon Towers Floor 18 [Newly Opened]
Assembly time 13:00, attendance mandatory.
Calix stared at the screen then blinked again.
"Wait…"
Exploration team?
His first reaction was an excitement. It was confusion. Exploration teams weren't random raids.
They were organized groups sent to investigate new sections of a tower floor, dangerous areas where monsters hadn't been fully mapped yet.
Those missions usually required stronger espers at least B-C Ranks.Calix was technically D-Rank but only by the narrowest margin which was why he rarely got assignments like this.
He scrolled the message again just to make sure. Same thing.
Exploration Team assembly at 1:00 PM.
Mandatory attendance.
Calix scratched his head slowly.
"Did they send this to the wrong persons?"
That seemed more likely but the message clearly had its name. He checked the sender again.
"Ironclad Guild"
That part made sense. Calix was technically "registered" under their Guild though registered might be a generous term.
Ironclad was a mid-size guild that accepted a lot of low-rank espers for support roles.
Cheap labor.
Expendable manpower.
Which explained why Calix was still on their roster.
Still...
Exploration teams usually meant bigger payouts. Even low ranking members could earn a decent share.
Calix felt a tiny flicker of hope rise inside his chest.
Maybe this won't be so bad.
Of course exploration missions were also more dangerous but danger was part of the job. Every esper understood that. He slipped the phone back into his pocket. Calix glanced up at the distant silhouette of Eidolon Tower rising above the city.
Even from here the massive structure looked unreal. A gigantic black Spire stretching into the sky its upper floors hidden behind thick clouds. Some people believe the towers were alien structures others thought they were divine.Trials no one actually knew.
All humanity understood was simple. Inside the towers were monsters and power. Espers climbed the towers for both. Calix had only reached floor 15 so far.
Floor 18 would be new territory for him. He pushed himself away from the railing and stretched his arms. The familiar ache in his shoulders reminded him he hadn't trained properly in weeks.
Another sigh escape him.
"Guess I should prepare a little."
Even if he wasn't the strongest esper in the world...
He still had a job do.
-
By noon, The Ironclad Guild building was buzzing with activity. Teams were preparing equipment checking weapons and reviewing dungeon maps projected onto holographic screens.
Calix stepped into the lobby quietly adjusting the strap of his worn tactical bag. Compared to the shiny armor and expensive gear around him, his equipment looked. Modest.
Okay.
Cheap.
A basic reinforced jacket. Standard issue dagger. Lightweight armor plates.
Nothing fancy.
Nothing impressive just enough to keep him alive. A group of experts gathered near the mission board discussing something loudly Calix's approach slowly.
"Exploration Team 7?" He asked.
One of the Esper turned toward him.
The man had short blonde hair and a bored expression.He scanned Calix from head to toe.
"Yeah" he said flatly. "Your Calix?"
"Um... Yeah"
The blonde esper shrugged.
"Then you're with us"
Another member of the group snorted quietly. Calix pretended not to hear it. He was used to that reaction.
A tall woman wearing light combat armor stepped forward. She looked slightly older than the others mid 20s, maybe.
A small silver badge on her collar marked her as a team leader. "Alright" she said calmly. "Since everyone's here we'll do a quick briefing."
Calix counted the group.
Seven people total including him. The leader activated a holographic display projecting a map of floor 18 into the air.
"This area was recently unlocked after a boss killed 2 days ago" she explained. "Our job is to scout the next sector and record monster types."
Standard exploration procedure.
Nothing unusual.
"We're not here to fight anything big" she continued. "If we encounter a boss level creature we retreat immediately."
Her eyes briefly landed on Calix. "Everyone clear?" The group nodded.
Calix nodded too.
Even though he had a strange feeling in his chest exploration missions always sounded simple during briefings.
Reality was usually messier. The team leader shut off the hologram. "All right gear up. We leave in 30 minutes." The group began preparing checking weapons loading supplies.
Calix adjusted his dagger sheath and quietly joined them. From the outside this looked like just another routine mission. Just another dungeon exploration. Just another day in the life of a low rank esper but deep down.
Calix had a strange feeling like something important was about to happen.
He couldn't explain it.
Maybe it was just nerves.
Or maybe this would be the day his life finally changed.
Calix shook his head and tightened the straps on his gear.
Yeah right.
For someone like him. Nothing ever changed.