The clinks of utensils against ceramic faded one by one. Chopsticks rested gently atop bowls. Forks were set down beside the plates. Gradually, a hush swept across the table as the idle chatter gave way to a growing tension. Every set of eyes turned to the woman at the head.
Talia cleared her throat and began.
"This evening was meant to celebrate survival, and I hope you've all felt welcome. Because what you just endured was no minor event. It was a disaster narrowly averted, and not just avoided, but reversed. Every single one of you made it out alive. Not only that, you returned with four vampire-origin artifacts in hand."
She let the words hang for a beat. "That's not a loss. That's a major victory."
She smiled. "At the same time, Nova Circuit's dive, accompanied by Diaz, encountered no such ambush. Not even a lone vampire. Their route was without any such irregular encounter, and their report shows no signs of dungeon instability. Which means…"
