Separating

"Is it me, or is it getting hotter?" Jack asked, looking around him.

"It is getting hotter. But we're still far from the salamanders' area." Alcott stared around, touching the ground and finding it was hot.

Ginger closed her eyes, trying to sense the air around her. "This is strange. I can feel their mana from here." She scratched her head, "Their numbers must have increased a lot."

Alcott turned his head, "This might be a bit dangerous. Should we split up?" He suggested.

Arad stared at him, confused, "You just said it's dangerous."

"Ginger and I will take the lead, clear any monsters ahead and leave some for you to clean." Alcott explained, "It will be safer for you but more dangerous for us. But considering I intended to clear the place alone to pass the time in an afternoon, this place doesn't pose that much danger." Alcott shrugs his shoulder. The power difference is too significant.

"I understand, but leave some for us," Arad replied, naturally taking the leader position.

Ginger smiled, "I see you already have a formation. Can you fight at close range?" She looked at Arad.

"I'm a sorcerer, but I can." He sighed, "Aren't you expecting too much from someone who swings a sword like a stick?"

Ginger smiled, "Don't underestimate the power of the mighty stick. I've seen hundreds of people get beaten to death with them. They are far more dangerous than swords."

{A stick to the chest can kill a vampire. That is what she is talking about, probably.}

"Aren't you scared of them a bit too much?" Arad said, staring at her, and Alcott burst laughing, "Didn't you misunderstand something? She is talking about beating humans with a stick."

Alcott explained briefly.

Sticks are ordinary and can't be restricted as you can always claim they are a walking stick for your hurting knees or back. On top of that, bludgeoning damage, or concussive damage, is the hardest to counter.

A good helmet can stop slashes and thrusts quickly and deflect them, but a good whack to the head from a stick can still kill the knight or knock him out.

"But please learn how to swing a sword." Alcott said, tilting his head, "If you wanted a stick, you could get a club like a barbarian."

A barbarian? "I heard Nina is a barbarian. What weapon she used?"

{The Greataxe she keeps hanging on the wall behind her.}

"The Greataxe she keeps hanging on the wall behind her." Alcott and Mom spoke at the same time. Sying the same sentence, which scared Arad for a moment.

Ginger looked at Arad crossing her eyebrows, "Do you know just how crazy that woman is?" She went on, "That thing is a monster. I won't even call her a human."

Alcott stared at her, "Aren't you being a bit harsh on Nina? You know she is amazing, right?"

"I mean that as a compliment." Ginger gave him an empty look.

{A vampire is calling a human a monster? What did she do?}

"Just how strong is Nina?" Arad asked, and Jack approached to listen.

Alcott scratched his chin, "I think she might be stronger than me." He shook his head, "No, she is stronger than me." He assured himself.

"Stronger than you? And she is just working as a receptionist?" Jack said with an open mouth.

"This is public knowledge about her," Alcott scratched his chin, "She is solid, powerful, and fast, and on top of everything, she has a mind-boggling regenerative ability."

Ginger sighed, "She and Alcott fought a few years ago. In that fight, Alcott delivered a full-force, greatsword swing at Nina's bare neck. She survived that and smacked him to the ground with her axe."

"Yeah, I'd throat a cactus before facing her again," Alcott stated with a passive face. "Let's forget about her and proceed." He added, unsheathing his sword.

"As you say, be careful." Ginger stared back at Arad, "Make sure to protect them," She smiled.

With that, they separated. Alcott and Ginger took the lead while Arad, Jack, and Aella followed behind them.

For a while, that seemed fine. A single frog attacked the party, which they quickly killed with a combined attack.

Aella blinded the monster with her arrow, Arad burned it, and Jack finished it with a stab.

"We're doing good, isn't that right, chief?" Jack said with a significant smile, staring at Arad.

{Is he trying to cause something to happen by saying that?}

"If our lucks ends here, I will make sure to make you regret it." Arad stared at Jack, joking.

Jack waved his hand, "It isn't that bad, chief. We will be fine." As Jack said that, the ground started shaking.

"What is this?" Aella asked while putting her ear to the wall, trying to understand what was happening.

"It isn't my fault, chief!" Jack cried.

"I know. Just stay close to me." They all grouped, putting their backs on each other. "Arad, what should we do?" Aella asked, "I heard cracking in the distance."

"I think it might be Alcott and Ginger fighting a big monster. Hold tight, and don't let your guard down." Arad told them while keeping his staff ready.

{You will be fine even if the cave collapses. You can always dig out.}

^I'm not leaving without them.^

{I mean that even if you all got trapped, you could dig out. It would be best to focus on not getting injured during the collapse.} Mom explained.

^Oh! That's what you meant.^

As the ground stopped shaking, everyone felt something.

~Can you hear me~

Everyone froze for a moment. The voice rang inside everyone's heads, "Who is there?" Jack glared around.

Aella looked shocked for a moment, "Ginger?" she gasped.

"Can you hear us? What happened?"

~The cave suddenly collapsed on us. Alcott and I are trapped underground. It might take us a few hours to get out~

"What are you talking about?" Arad yelled, "Did you fight a monster?"

~Leave the cave immediately. We will finish the quest when we get out. The place is dangerous inside~

"Ginger? GINGER!" Arad shouted.

{This is a one-way spell. She can't hear you.} Mom replied.

"Damn it, should we leave?" Arad looked at the other two.

"I say we get back. Take another quest for the day." Aella suggested.

"I'm with her. Let's play it safe for the time being. I also don't want to anger either of those two." Jack added, shaking his shoulder.

Arad remembered how Alcott dispatched the bandits and that he was a dragon slayer. He also imagined Ginger chasing him to suck his blood. "You're right. Let's take a toad-killing quest and be done for the day."

They started walking back, following their trail while chatting. "Will they be fine?" Aella asked.

"You're worrying about them a lot," Arad stared at her, "They can handle it," He smiled.

"He's right," Jack nodded with a confident smile, "They will be back soon. But I'm more interested in another topic. Am I a member now?" He asked with a cheeky smile.

Arad stared at Aella, she smiled, and he then looked back at Jack. "You're in, but there is a single rule."

Jack smiled, "Hands off the chief's girl, I know that."

"Hey!" Aella glared at him.

"Precisely." Arad smiled.