Chapter 53: Shadow of the Fracture

Almost everybody from the lounge area had assembled there. They murmured and mumbled, their attention focused on the reason for the disturbance.

I picked a suitable seat and sat down.

In the center of the square stood five people.

Wearing dark leather armor, they were five people.

\[5-Party will be renamed Fangwolf Mercenary Corps (Fangwolf Pack). Are you good with this modification?\]

\[Yes (Chose)/No\]

Anytng was preparing to form a solid party.

It seemed he was somewhat pleased with the idea.

\[Forming the party.\]

\[Intuiting the heroes!\]

\[Avant () joins Fangwolf Corps!\]

\[Zacken () joins Fangwolf Corps!\]

\[Weyf () joins Fangwolf Corps!\]

\[Veigin () joins Fangwolf Corps!\]

\[Edis () joins Fangwolf Corps!\]

\[Avant () is designated as the leader of Fangwolf!\]

\[Open, the Fracture of Time and Space!\]

*Creak.*

The front door of the square opened up.

"Is it true or not that they are sending us immediately?" mumbled a sharp-looking man in the center of the group.

An upward scar marked his right eye.

I quickly scanned his Status Window. His name was Avant Dazik. Based on his details and abilities, he was a one-handed sword specialist.

So, he's the leader, I thought.

The other four people cautiously observed Avant's demeanor.

"Come on, let's go! Let's go!" he shouted. "The Expert is waiting!"

They understood the situation without hearing anything from Iselle.

"Will we have a little adventure?" Avant started to lead the pack, entering the Fracture of Reality.

Zacken followed suit, disposing of the remaining deer leg.

Weyf and Veigin trailed behind, with Edis bringing up the rear.

No mages among them.

They needed a spellcaster to bring a sense of balance, but luck didn't seem to be on Boss's side yet.

The Fangwolf Mercenary party comprised four fighters and one thief.

Once all five had entered, the Fracture of Reality closed.

"Ha, Han!"

A middle-aged man approached me as I sat down.

It was Jeffery, the person who was selected to enter the Forest Weekly Dungeon with us.

"What's the matter?"

"Do you have any idea about those people? Something seems not quite right!"

"They're strangers to me."

"They're carrying weapons!"

"I, too, am armed."

"I have a feeling..."

"That they're not trustworthy?"

"Exactly!"

I laughed.

That was the source of the disturbance.

They didn't strike me as trustworthy individuals either.

"And they had power."

"Jenna, what's your take on those people?"

"The Fangwolf Mercenary party? Well, I'm not sure. Edis seems kind, but I can't say the same for the others."

I looked back at Jeffery and spoke.

"So, Jeffery, what do you expect me to do? Offer protection?"

"If you would, I would be grateful."

"For nothing?"

"Well, that's..."

I surveyed the surroundings.

Multiple pairs of eyes were fixed on me.

Those eyes gleamed with the same intensity as Jeffery's.

"If you want protection so desperately, why not try to become stronger yourselves? Why come seeking help now, after casually training all this time? Isn't that rather pathetic? Besides, can you ever guarantee that those people won't harm you? You made it seem like a bunch of cowards has been in charge of this place this whole time."

"But you're strong!" Jeffery said.

"So, is it your survival strategy to latch onto people who seem strong and act like cowards?"

Most of the 1-star individuals gathered here fell short, compared to Aaron, but even compared to Dica.

Even if they lacked exceptional talent, they weren't so feeble as to not be able to defend themselves. Yet, they would venture to the training grounds, carelessly swinging their swords, then return to devour the meat hunted by Jenna and cooked by Chloe—a routine that had become their daily norm.

Acquiring skills wasn't their concern.

Although they could have used their spare time to acquire skills from Chloe or the crafters, they cleverly avoided the training by pretending to work hard, taking advantage of Anytng's absence.

But that didn't mean I truly wished to belittle them or create problems.

After all, when the Expert became more powerful, those people would naturally fade away. But this situation was different.

"Leave before I lose my temper."

The crowd dispersed in a hurry, leaving only me, Jenna, Aaron, and Dica in the square.

It was the same group of four that had ventured to the sixth floor.

"Aaron."

"Yes, hyung-nim."

"While you were shedding blood and near the brink of death, those people were sound asleep, just playing with a couple of trolls."

"I'm well aware of that."

"Then fix your appearance. It's somewhat unbecoming."

"Indeed..."

I turned my gaze towards Dica.

"So, Dica, what's the story?"

"What do you mean?"

"I just recounted what happened. Did you fight with them?"

"How did you come to know?"

"With your face sporting bruises and swelling, can I remain unaware?"

Dica replied with a crestfallen expression.

"It was a simple sparring session. The newcomer requested a duel, and things escalated to this point."

I clenched my fist and, with closed eyes, addressed Aaron.

"Is that really the whole story? Aaron, I assume you witnessed it too?"

"It's not just that."

"Okay, understood. Go rest."

"What about you, hyung-nim?"

"I wish to observe those people a bit longer before withdrawing."

Time was growing late.

Aaron and Dica bowed their heads and headed back to the dormitory.

"Why aren't you heading back? I asked Jenna.

Jenna remained by my side, whistling and enjoying her impulses.

I laughed.

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