Inside the dungeon, the pirates split into groups and headed in different directions.
There was no reason for them to start a conflict while the dungeon remained unexplored.
Only the Faraday twins knew the dungeon's structure. They moved toward the ruins vicinity but didn't rush to enter. They waited for other Magi to find them, and hoped a few would die along the way.
As for the Adept Captains' alliance, they were confused that Adam hadn't teleported with them, but they didn't wait. They proceeded to hunt monsters.
The B‑Rank dungeon contained creatures of varying strength, but they were fortunate not to encounter true B‑Rank monsters, making their hunt relatively smooth.
They fought cautiously, one monster at a time, dividing the spoils equally.
The harvest made them greedy, and soon they hunted with feverish excitement.
Marco even offered to buy the cores, promising favors once he broke through to Magus, though no one immediately agreed.
After four hours, the Adepts were reluctantly ejected from the dungeon.
"Haha! What do you think, boys? Wanna go for another round?" Marco asked.
There was no rule preventing reentry. They only needed an hour's rest before diving back in. And pirates who had tasted such sweetness would never settle for a single run.
They exchanged greedy smiles, preparing to rest before their next dive.
Bang!
A sharp whistle broke the silence as an Adept fell, blood splattering across the ground.
Bang!
Another collapsed, his chest blown open before he even realized what had happened.
The pirates snapped out of their daze and looked around in panic.
"Sniper!" someone screamed, diving for cover to no avail.
Adam, positioned on the high ground, had an easy time sniping these headless pirates. He infused mana into the bullets and fired.
Bang!
A third Adept fell, blood spraying across the rocks.
The pirates scrambled, throwing up hasty barriers of earth and flame, but Adam's bullets tore through them with ease.
"Stay together!" Marco shouted, desperation in his voice. But grouping only made them easier targets.
Bang! Bang!
Even though a few bullets missed, Adam kept creating new ones and fired without mercy.
Some tried to dive back into the dungeon, but the gate's barrier denied them.
One by one, Adepts dropped, their bodies twitching before going still, eyes filled with hatred and fear. They couldn't believe they had died without even seeing their killer.
"No… no… This can't be happening!" Marco clutched his injured shoulder and knelt on the ground. He had no strength left to stand.
"I was so close… Just a few more cores!"
Marco glared at the shadowed figure with bat wings descending from the sky. When he saw the face clearly, he froze.
"Adam!!"
He couldn't believe the monster who had killed them all and destroyed his dream of becoming a Magus was the same Adept he had given a ride to.
"Why!"
Adam didn't waste time. A shadow stinger pierced Marco's heart, and he proceeded to finish off those still clinging to life.
Everyone's final expressions were twisted with hatred, fear, and confusion. Adam offered no explanation. He killed them all.
No matter how well these pirates had treated him, he would never show mercy or sympathy to scum.
After finishing, he checked their pouches and found a good number of essence cores. Their harvest had been rich.
He collected everything into his inventory, erased the traces of battle, then returned to the high ground to take position, ready to welcome the Magus ejection.
"It's only been two hours since they entered the dungeon, yet they were ejected. That means time flows twice as fast inside."
Realizing the Magus still had twelve hours before being forced out, Adam stopped himself from wasting precious essence to replenish his mana and let his body recover naturally.
"Dealing with Magus won't be as easy."
Those Magus were experienced and wouldn't panic easily. He needed to ambush them the moment they appeared, without giving them a chance to breathe.
Using Visionary, he created special bullets forged from mana‑absorbing metals he had found in the dungeon, adding lock‑on and tracking traits in case the Magus proved faster than expected.
"All that's left are the main characters."
He waited in anticipation, whispering softly, "Just a few more hours, Mom."
***
After several hours, the Magus finally gathered in front of the ruin gate.
John was disappointed that no one had died, but he didn't let that show on his face.
"It looks like everyone had a great harvest!" John smiled, scanning their radiant expressions.
"Not bad." Old man Fisk grinned and patted his bulging pouch.
"Those undead are pretty useless against fire." Frank smirked with disdain.
"Were you waiting here the whole time?" Ann looked at the twins' clothes, noticing how clean they were compared to the rest.
"We accidentally found the ruin, but unfortunately couldn't break through the monsters." Jude sighed helplessly.
"You couldn't?" Frank frowned. "Were the monsters that strong?"
The remaining Magi exchanged grim looks. No one wanted to leave without looting the most precious place in the dungeon.
"There are several B‑Rank monsters inside the ruin, but it's not their strength that troubled us," John explained. "There are special ghost‑type monsters that render our magic ineffective."
Hearing this, everyone turned to the hooded Magus, Arthur. They knew he was the only one present who could counter such monsters with his Gift.
Arthur studied the ruin thoughtfully and asked casually, "Did you see how many of those ghosts were there?"
"Unfortunately, no." Jude shook her head. "Once we realized our attacks were ineffective, we retreated."
"Arthur, are you confident you can hold your ground?" Fisk asked eagerly. Everyone waited for his answer. They couldn't proceed without him, as none of them had magic to counter ghosts.
"Leave it to me." Arthur replied curtly, but it was enough to excite everyone present.
What Arthur didn't tell them was the throbbing sensation he felt when he looked at the ruin.
It felt like a call deeply resonating with his soul Gift. Something inside was very important to him, and it might be the chance he needed to break through to the next realm.
"Alright, everyone. Since our goals align, let's take diamond formation and protect Arthur as we break through the ruin."
No one raised objections. They quickly took their roles, sandwiching Arthur in the middle, treating him like fragile glass they were afraid to break.
Once preparations were complete, they marched forward with eager steps—unaware that the grim reaper was waiting for them outside.
****
At dawn, Adam checked his pocket watch and took position, rifle in hand.
Twelve hours had passed since everyone entered the dungeon, so they should be ejected at any moment.
His heart pounded rapidly as he waited. Then, the dungeon gate flared with light, and several figures burst out.
Adam immediately aimed at John Faraday but froze when he saw the man missing an arm.
In fact, all of them looked disheveled, battered, and blood-dripping. Yet their eyes burned with the same expression of hatred.
Every gaze was fixed on a single figure.
"Arthur!!"