Chapter 20

"So let's introduce ourselves now that everyone is here," said the golden-haired man wearing white armor. He had a handsome face with a determined look in his eyes. "Brald Landon, AA rank, Light Yellow Core, Augmenter, fire attribute."

"Next is me," announced a tall man with brown hair, brown eyes, and a beard, swinging his heavy dual-hand hammer. "Reginald Bastion, A rank, Solid Yellow Core, Augmenter, earth attribute."

"I'm Kroil Masser, A rank, Water attribute. I'll be your tank," said a fat man with his belly protruding from his silver armor, drinking water from his waterskin while sitting on a rock.

"I'm Elijah Knight, A rank, Conjurer, Dark Orange, single specialization in Earth," said a boy with black hair fixing his eyeglasses.

"I am Oliver Hammbet, A rank, Dark Yellow stage, Conjurer, Emitter Deviant," said a boy in his twenties with a cocky tone, his hair cut short.

"My turn," said a girl dusting her skirt. She had orange hair reaching her shoulders and blue eyes. "My name is Samantha Tempest, Dark Yellow stage, A class Conjurer with a single specialization in water."

She looked at the masked boy and approached him, her cheeks turning pink. "I have heard a lot about you, Mr. Masked Swordsman. Take care of me," she said.

The masked boy nodded and spoke, "I'm Note, Light Orange stage, A class Augmenter, fire attribute."

Samantha asked, "I heard that you didn't have any elemental affinity!" trying to strike up a conversation with the boy.

Brald looked at the black-haired woman standing next to Arthur and introduced, "Jasmine, Light Yellow stage, AA class Augmenter, wind attribute. Dual swords."

"Guess I'm last," spoke a boy wearing a cloak with a hood, about the height of Note but a bit taller.

"Lucas Wykes, Solid Yellow Stage, AA Rank, Fire Attribute," he said, taking off his hood. His handsome face was revealed, with shining emerald eyes and pale blonde hair flowing with the air.

The group stared at Lucas, momentarily taken aback by his appearance. Brald nodded approvingly. "Good to have you, Lucas. With your rank and attribute, you'll be a valuable asset to the team."

Samantha's eyes sparkled with curiosity and interest as she looked at Lucas. "Wow, another AA rank. We're really in good company," she said with a smile.

Lucas gave a nonchalant nod, his expression calm. "Let's just get the job done."

Kroil finished his drink and stood up, patting his round belly. "Alright, let's move out. We've got a mission to complete."

As they began to set off, Elijah adjusted his glasses and muttered to himself. "This will be interesting."

"Wow, this kid, AA Rank with a solid yellow core. Guess there are still natural monsters in this world," Arthur thought, taking glances at Lucas, who was walking at the back of the group.

Lucas was taking off his cloak, revealing red noble clothing. "Guess he's still a noble," Arthur muttered to himself.Lucas also glanced at Note. Note, noticing his gaze, turned back, meeting Lucas's eyes for a brief moment before looking away.

Samantha noticed the exchange and whispered to Jasmine, "Think those two have history?"Jasmine shook her head. "I Don't Think so."

Brald, catching the murmurs, called out, "Eyes ahead, everyone. We've got a job to do."

The group moved in unison, their steps synchronized as they ventured deeper into the mission area. Lucas stayed silent, his thoughts his own, while Arthur kept a wary eye on him, curious about this unexpected addition to their team.

As they proceeded, the tension between the two boys was palpable, but unspoken, each sizing up the other in silence. The rest of the group remained focused on the task, unaware of the silent challenge brewing behind them.

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"Fucking zombie rabbits," Lucas thought as he raised his foot from the crushed black matter that was once a zombie rabbit. "Well, the girl here is pretty traumatized," he thought, noticing Samantha looking like she was about to pass out from the rabbit's grisly demise. "They aren't really cute, are they?" Lucas mused, glancing down at the mashed remains. "Nah, Ebon is cuter than this."

After a while of fending off the attackers, Brald instructed everyone to take a rest. As they neared the location of the secret path, everyone paired up, eating and resting. Lucas sat in a corner, munching on a bunch of bugs. Samantha looked at him with evident disgust. Lucas noticed her gaze and shifted his eyes to meet hers, his mouth full of white bug flesh. "Want some?" he offered.

"Ahh, no," she replied, walking over to where Note was sitting. Oliver followed her.

"Amateurs. They won't appreciate my second favorite food in this world: rainbow lobster," Lucas thought with delight as he sipped the flesh out of another bug. He gazed at Note, who was looking at him seriously. "Is this the casual MC hate? Well, whatever, sucker. You'll be the one fighting for Dicathen, not me, so enjoy this time," Lucas smirked, meeting Note's gaze.

Note kept his eyes on Lucas, sensing something off about the noble boy but unable to pinpoint what it was. Meanwhile, Brald, Elijah, and the others were busy discussing the plan for the next stage of their mission.

"Let's keep moving," Brald finally said. "We're getting close."

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"So this is the place?" Lucas asked nonchalantly, looking around the blazing hot room.

Brald, looking confused, replied, "No, it was not like this when I first found it."

Lucas thought, trying to remember something, "Did any event like that happen? I don't remember that. The memories... they are fading, but the strong ones are still there. My own memories are coming back."

"I don't like this place," said Reginald as he surveyed the area.

Suddenly, the ground shook with violent intensity. A giant worm burst out from the ground where Note was standing. Note backstepped and took his fighting stance.

Brald's voice rang out, "Stay sharp, everyone!"

Reginald was the first to act, his heavy dual-handed hammer swinging towards the worm's head. The blow landed with a resounding thud, causing the creature to writhe in pain. Jasmine moved with swift agility, her dual swords slashing at the worm's exposed flesh, leaving deep gashes.

Note, not missing a beat, conjured earth spikes from the ground, impaling the worm and slowing its movements. He moved with precision, attacking its weak points with a calculated fury.

Samantha and Kriol provided support from the back, casting defensive spells and healing the fighters when needed. Samantha's water spells cooled the overheated room slightly, making it easier for everyone to breathe, while Kriol's tanking abilities ensured the frontline remained steadfast.

Oliver and Lucas stood back, observing the chaos. Lucas's eyes glinted with interest, his mind calculating every move. Oliver, on the other hand, seemed to be waiting for the right moment, his cocky demeanor unwavering.

The worm retaliated, its massive maw snapping at Brald. He dodged just in time, countering with a burst of fire that seared the creature's flesh. Reginald followed up with another powerful strike, this time aiming for the worm's soft underbelly.

"Good, keep it up!" Brald encouraged, his light attribute augmenting his speed and strength.

Jasmine's swords moved like a blur, each strike more precise than the last. She leapt onto the worm's back, driving her blades into its hide repeatedly. Note's earth magic continued to bind the worm, restricting its movements further.

The worm let out a deafening screech, its body thrashing violently. Reginald seized the opportunity, delivering a crushing blow to its head, finally incapacitating the creature. It collapsed with a heavy thud, its life force ebbing away.

"Nice work. Very efficient," he commented dryly, his eyes briefly meeting Note's before he turned away. The fight had shown him much about his companions, and he stored away the information for future use.

"Is it dead?" Samantha asked, her voice trembling slightly.

"Yes, it's over," Brald confirmed, wiping sweat from his brow. He was still tense about the dead body of the worm, which was still twitching slightly.

Oliver arrogantly spoke, "Is nobody going to get its core?"

Note answered, "I think we should stick together right now. I have a gut feeling."

Oliver, trying to impress Samantha, ignored the warning. "Samantha, look, I'll get the core or any valuable thing for you."

Samantha looked uneasy. "Oliver, maybe you should listen to Note. We don't know if it's really dead."But Oliver, driven by a mix of arrogance and desire to impress, waved her off. "Nonsense. It's just a worm."

He approached the worm's body confidently, pulling out a knife to extract the core. As he dug into the creature's flesh, the worm suddenly twitched violently, its body convulsing.

Oliver's eyes widened in shock as the worm's body released a purple, acidic substance that splattered onto him.In moments, his screams echoed through the chamber as the acid burned him from head to toe, leaving nothing but a disintegrating skeleton.

The horrific scene left everyone in stunned silence.

"And curiosity killed the cat—or in this case, the dog," Lucas thought, watching the scene with detached amusement.

Note approached the skeleton of Oliver, his expression grim. The first death in the group had come swiftly and brutally.

"That's what you get, pedophile," Lucas smirked inwardly.

Note carefully extracted the stone from Oliver's wand, walking over to Samantha. "Here, take this. It's stronger than yours," he said, handing it to her.

Samantha, still in shock, took the stone and replaced her own wand's stone with it, her hands trembling. "Thank you," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

The rest of the group gathered their composure, the gravity of their situation sinking in. They had just lost a member, and the dangers of their mission were clearer than ever.

Brald took a deep breath and addressed the group. "We need to be more cautious from here on out. Let's move forward and stay together. We can't afford any more mistakes."

As they prepared to continue, Lucas observed the dynamics of the group with a smirk. The death of Oliver had shifted the atmosphere, and he knew this was just the beginning of the challenges they would face.

As they prepared to move forward, the ground shook violently once more. Note screamed, "Lucas, use Firewall!"

Without hesitation, Lucas summoned a wall of fire around the group, the flames roaring to life within nanoseconds. From the ground, lava streaks shot upwards like a volcanic eruption.

"We need to get out of here," Jasmine urged, her voice filled with urgency.

The group ran, defending each other as they navigated the treacherous terrain.

"That was pretty rough," Lucas said, glancing back at the room they had narrowly escaped.

"Let's go," Brald commanded, leading the way forward.

Suddenly, a spike shot straight for Samantha. Note acted fast, moving in front of her within milliseconds and deflecting the spike, changing its trajectory.

Lucas whistled, earning stares from the group.

Note picked up the spike, examining it closely. Reginald, angered, turned to Brald. "You should have told us there were traps."

Brald countered, "I didn't know about it."

Note interrupted their argument. "This isn't a trap; it's from a beast." His voice carried a note of grim realization.The group exchanged uneasy glances.

"What kind of beast can do this?" Samantha asked, her voice trembling.

Lucas smirked. "The kind staring at us," he said, pointing upwards.

Samantha followed his gaze, and the color drained from her face.

The Wombats, sensing they had been detected, came crashing down on the group. The four-winged creatures attacked fiercely.

Lucas grabbed a Wombat by the neck while the others focused on the larger threats. He crushed its head with his left hand, blood splattering as the creature's body, once writhing, fell limp. "The Wyvern Will is acting strongly," Lucas thought, feeling the bloodlust emanating from his core. Note glanced at him, thinking, "Crazy maniac."

Lucas threw the bat's body aside and looked at another Wombat coming straight at him. "Well, it's been about a day since I last killed a creature," he mused, readying himself for the next attack.

As the battle raged, Lucas moved with precision, dispatching the Wombats with brutal efficiency. He reveled in the thrill of the fight, his senses heightened, every movement calculated and deadly.

The group fought valiantly, each member contributing to the chaotic dance of combat.

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