The rumble of footsteps echoed in the silence. Hundreds of awakeners marched across the gray cobblestone field. They walked in orderly formation, neither too close nor too far apart. Their eyes watched warily as if the white mist floating in the air held a mystery that could kill them at any moment.
When it came to dungeon orange, everything was different. There was no single party splitting up and hunting small monsters around. The entire party gathered as one to kill the alpha.
Orange and red dungeons were very dangerous places compared to the rest. The monsters were usually highly intelligent and powerful. They could easily kill a group of D- to F-Class awakeners with ease.
That was why Vincent merged the strong and weak parties into one.
"Well, we've been walking for an hour. They haven't caught up with us yet. Either they got lost or they were attacked by monsters. Which do you think, Vincent?"
Hugo, in gray robes, walked side by side with Vincent. The two guild masters walked in the front row, leading hundreds of awakeners.
"I don't know."
The man with long black hair clucked his tongue. "Come on, Vincent. Pick one."
"I said I don't know. I'm not psychic. I don't like counting chickens from unhatched eggs. We'll find out when we get back. If we don't see them again, those bastards are dead."
"You're boring."
The ones they were talking about were the Rays of Hope. No matter how advanced the artificial arcana they used as weapons were, as long as they were F-Class with some A-Class awakeners, their survival chances were slim.
Thus, he did not need to get his hands dirty to kill Klaus and his men.
While the two were talking, someone came to interrupt their conversation.
"Hello guys, you seem to be talking about something. Tell me, what is it?"
Noah came in with a pretentious demeanor. Of course, his appearance was not welcomed by the two guild masters. Especially Hugo. He really didn't recognize who that person was.
Even Vincent didn't like Noah even though they had a cooperative relationship. He still considered himself superior and thought Noah was beneath him.
"We're having an important discussion," Hugo replied skeptically. "Who are you, by the way?"
Noah raised his eyebrows. "Ah, you don't know me? I thought Vincent told you." He held out a hand. "I'm Noah Liebert. Founder yet master of the strongest guild in Manhattan, the Sons of Thor."
Hugo chuckled as he heard it.
Someone who came out of nowhere suddenly appeared before him and claimed to be the leader of the strongest guild in a small district. He had never heard any news about the Sons of Thor. It was ridiculous.
Even Vincent felt embarrassed just hearing it.
"Take it easy, Noah. Everything is under control. You'd better get back in line." Vincent gave Noah the code to leave.
"Come on. I promise I won't tell anyone. My mouth is closed. Just let me know."
Hugo tried hard to hold back his laughter, while Vincent was annoyed.
"We'll talk about that later. But for now, I need you to look after your party. You're the guild master, after all. They need you."
Noah waved a hand. "Relax. I have men I can trust. Everything will be fine."
And then, Hugo burst out laughing, unable to hold it in anymore. He couldn't tell if Noah was really stupid or insensitive. On the other hand, Vincent ground his teeth in exasperation.
The Guild Master of Morning Star gave Noah a warning glare, sending out signals of intimidation and threat, telling him to leave.
Noah gulped. Now he understood what Vincent meant.
"Go away," Vincent said in a cold tone.
"O-o-okay."
Only then did Noah leave. He walked quickly towards the back row.
Vincent let out a long sigh.
"What the hell is that? Do you know that clown?" Hugo asked.
"Nah, just the dumbass son of my partner."
Their hunt for the alpha continued. They hadn't met a dungeon dweller for over thirty minutes. This situation was quite strange, whether it was because the monsters were watching them or did not dare to approach. It was like the calm before the storm.
And the proverb was true.
Suddenly, a scream broke the silence.
"Look at that!"
A man pointed at the sky with trembling hands. Everyone saw it. Vincent was no exception.
They then looked up and saw three giant shadows covered in mist flying in circles above their heads.
Of course, Vincent recognized them after seeing those black shadows.
Taking a deep breath, Vincent shouted, "Everyone! Grab your weapons and ready for battle."
Instantly, swords being drawn echoes through the air, signaling the beginning of a battle.
...
The Rays of Hope party lagged behind. They were still catching up with the main group already far ahead. Some members realized that they were left behind.
However, they believed in Klaus. So they still followed him even though they were walking through hell.
If Klaus was at the back of the line in the previous raid to make sure none of his men were left behind, now he was at the front, leading the way for his men. He walked side by side with Akio and Michael.
"You seem very confident about where you're taking us." Akio spoke after a long silence. "It's as if you knew from the start. I can't tell if you have sheer confidence or psychic-like skills."
Klaus raised his eyebrows. "You want to know?"
"Yeah. This damn fog is thick enough to give me a headache. If I were in charge of this party we'd definitely get lost and never come back. Actually, what talents do you have? Tracking? Seeing the future? Mind reading? Tell me."
Klaus just chuckled and didn't answer. He made Akio even more curious.
Meanwhile, Michael, who was eavesdropping on their conversation, sighed.
Laplace's voice echoed in his head in the middle of their journey.
<My liege. I saw a group of monsters waiting for us ahead.>
"How many, Laplace?"
<Hundreds. They have battle power equivalent to a B-Class awakener. I suggest taking a detour. I'm afraid your men can't survive them.>
Klaus stopped. Everyone behind him followed suit.
He stayed there for a long time. Of course, his actions made his men wonder. Akio and Michael twisted their faces, wondering why their leader was suddenly frozen.
Then, Klaus turned around and looked at the rest of the party. He gave them a serious look.
"Listen to me. We've been walking for over an hour and still haven't found them. I'm sure some of you realize. We're being abandoned."
The astonished faces turned surprised. Some who had realized it from the start put on a straight face. One of them was Akio.
"What!? They left us!? What a jerk." As always, Joanna was angry.
"I should have realized that already." Olivia sighed in annoyance. "What should we do now, Klau?"
"We'd better get back to the rift before the powerful monsters spot us. We'd better get back while we're still not far away." Sylvia made a suggestion amidst the echoing whispers.
They were as noisy as flies after Klaus told them the truth. Some panicked, some suggested retreating, and some waited for Klaus' decision. There were all kinds of reactions they gave off.
Then, He clasped his hands hard, and they fell silent.
"Calm down. I know you're panicking. We're in an orange dungeon after all, and I wouldn't blame you. But... there is one thing I need to emphasize to you."
The party members listened intently to Klaus.
"I want you to grow. Even if you are still in the F-Class. I believe in your potential."
His words made his men nod and look at him with admiring eyes.
"I won't force you either. I know your limits. Therefore, I am giving you a choice. Do you want to move forward or go back? Choose. But you need to remember, in order to become stronger, you must break through your limits."
And then, they began to ponder. On the one hand, they knew this place was an orange dungeon. The chance of them surviving without an A-Class awakener was slim. On the other hand, they wanted to grow stronger. After what they went through, they could trust Klaus for some reason.
All the members considered their respective decisions.
"So what do we do?" asked Klaus.
Justin stepped forward. "I will continue this raid. As a guild master, there's no way I'm giving up."
"Me too." Joanna came forward next.
"We have come this far. Going back is not an option." Michael chimed in.
Sylvia, Olivia, Akio, and the party members raised their voices one by one. They all agreed to continue the raid.
Klaus grinned. "Good. Then we shall proceed."
Ahead, powerful monsters awaited them. Klaus wanted to know if his men were ready to fight. He could have taken a detour, but if he did that, it would be like throwing away the chance for his men to improve.
It was only through terrible battles that great warriors were born.
Although there was a chance they wouldn't survive.
