"Dinner party?! What? Is it necessary?" Amelia asked, her voice filled with doubt, clearly unable to comprehend the reasoning.
Nova shared her confusion—especially about holding a party at night, inside the Labyrinth.
Dave gestured for her to calm down. "No need to worry. It's not what you think. We'll just sit around the campfire and have a small chat."
"Even the strongest team couldn't pull off a real party here."
At his reply, Amelia breathed a sigh of relief.
Afterward, everyone cleaned up the battlefield and chose a safe, hidden spot to camp. Aside from the mutant monster core, they didn't find any others. Both Nova and the Shark Team felt a twinge of disappointment—only five cores earned after a whole day of life-risking combat.
Nova set up his camp, this time all on his own, then collapsed onto his makeshift bed fashioned from the fur of polar bears.
"Ah, I'm so tired," he groaned, flexing his aching hands and inspecting his blistered palms.
"What if I hadn't used all my savings that time?" he muttered aloud, then immediately slapped himself lightly. "Never! I won't regret it. It was my decision."
—
By the time Nova stepped outside his tent, darkness had blanketed the landscape. The snow squall had intensified, sharp gusts slicing through the air and flurries swirling thick enough to obscure vision.
'If it gets any worse, it'll interfere with the battle itself.'
Not far off, wooden logs were arranged like makeshift benches, with a massive bonfire roaring in the center. Around it, each log had a stick and a small cup placed beside it—primitive but organized.
Near the fire, Nova spotted Rock and Amelia. Rock raised his hand, calling out, "I was about to call you. What took you so long?"
Nova trudged over and sank beside them, stretching his hands toward the fire. "Nothing much. Just exhausted. Even though I trained a lot as a kid, two days of real combat feel more intense than years of preparation."
"That's completely normal. Don't stress about it," Rock said, patting Nova's shoulder. "For a rookie, you're doing better than most I've seen."
"Mm-hmm," Amelia nodded. "Don't take everything so seriously. Don't put too much pressure on yourself—you're still a kid." Her smile was soft, reassuring.
Nova gave a slight nod, then tilted his head curiously. "Thanks… but what happened between you two? How did you patch things up so fast?"
"You noticed?" Rock asked.
Nova pointed at their clasped hands. "Yup. You two are still holding hands like a couple of lovebirds."
The comment made Amelia flustered; she quickly tried to pull her hand away.
But Rock tightened his grip. "We're husband and wife. What are you embarrassed about?!"
Instead of replying, Amelia shot him a glare that was equal parts embarrassed and furious. Sensing danger, Rock released her hand with a sheepish grin.
To break the awkwardness, Nova changed the topic. "Where's Head and Shane?"
Rock, still glancing at Amelia pitifully, replied, "They went to negotiate with Dave about the mutant core's price."
Nova raised an eyebrow. "Why? I thought the transaction would happen in the city."
Rock turned to Nova, eyes serious. "Yeah, the actual trade will happen there—but just before you came, we found a possible clue."
Nova straightened up, intrigued. "Go on."
"It's not confirmed," Rock said, lowering his voice, "but from the way Dave was negotiating and how determined they are to face the King… it's likely the King is a mutant monster himself."
Nova paused to think. Dave's strange desperation to face the King, his attitude toward retreat, and his fixation during the dive—it all aligned with Rock's theory.
'If mutant monsters are rare, then finding a unique-ranked one must be like hitting the jackpot.'
"Based on how he acts, your guess sounds right," Nova admitted. "But what does that have to do with the negotiation?"
Rock sighed, shoulders slumping. "You know how obsessed Head is with maximizing gains. We can't back out now, so he's trying to squeeze more benefits for handing over the mutant core."
Nova raised a brow. "More benefits? Is that even possible? And what if Dave doesn't agree?"
"Unlike you, we had a formal agreement before joining," Rock explained, patting Nova again. "They promised us a share of the loot. Head's just trying to maximize it. Don't worry—he's our team's finance manager for a reason."
"Besides, even if our guess about the King is wrong, they still need us. That gives us leverage."
"Ahem! Ahem!" Amelia cleared her throat, gesturing subtly for them to change the subject.
Footsteps echoed nearby as Dave and the rest of the Watson Aristocracy approached the fire, followed by Head and Shane.
Dave's face lit up with enthusiasm. "You guys seem more excited than me—everything's already set up!"
Rock gave an awkward smile and nodded, subtly glancing at Head and Shane for any sign of how the negotiation had gone. But their blank expressions revealed nothing—he'd have to wait until the others left.
"Since Captain Rock did most of the work," Dave said, clapping his hands, "let's finish the rest together and enjoy our party."
As everyone began helping with the final setup, Nova sat silently, a storm of thoughts in his head.
'I need to clear up the misunderstanding... but with everyone here, I can't talk. Ah, damn!'
---
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