They kept moving.
Outer layer.
Steady pace.
Beasts came.
Beasts fell.
Loot dropped.
Nothing complicated.
—
But everyone here knew what they were doing.
No one came to stay in the outer layer.
Not the serious ones.
Not the ambitious ones.
Groups were already pushing deeper.
Some fast.
Some cautious.
But all heading inward.
Because that was where the real stuff was.
Better loot.
Rare resources.
Opportunities.
Zael watched them for a second.
Then looked away.
Because his goal—
Wasn't the same.
—
"…We're not staying here long," he said.
Auralis didn't even look back.
"…Obviously."
She smashed a creature aside.
"…This place is just warm-up."
Lily nodded.
"…Inner layer at least."
Aurelia added quietly,
"…Maybe deeper."
Zael shook his head slightly.
"…Not maybe."
They all paused.
Just for a moment.
Because his tone—
Changed.
Lily looked at him.
"…You already decided."
Not a question.
Zael nodded.
"…Yeah."
A short pause.
"…Divine Ruins."
That got a reaction.
Not shock.
But attention.
Auralis grinned.
"…That sounds fun."
Lily frowned slightly.
"…You think it's connected?"
Zael didn't hesitate.
"…maybe."
Aurelia's gaze sharpened a little.
"…To what? your class?."
Zael nodded once.
"…Most likely."
Silence.
Short.
Focused.
Because that made sense.
Too much sense to ignore.
—
Zael continued.
"…I'll head there."
Simple.
Direct.
Then—
"I'll go alone."
That didn't land.
At all.
Lily's expression changed immediately.
"…No."
Flat.
Immediate.
Zael glanced at her.
"…It'll be faster."
"…Don't care."
She stepped closer.
"…We go together."
Auralis laughed lightly.
"…Yeah, what she said."
She rested her hammer on her shoulder.
"…As long as there's something to fight, I'm in."
Aurelia didn't hesitate either.
"…It's more efficient as a group."
Zael looked at her.
She met his gaze calmly.
"…Especially if we don't fully understand the location."
That was her way of saying no.
Without saying it directly.
Zael exhaled lightly.
Didn't argue.
Because he already knew.
Lily wasn't backing down.
Auralis didn't care.
Aurelia had already calculated it.
Zane didn't speak.
Not once.
He just stood there.
Quiet.
Like he wasn't part of the discussion.
But when Zael looked at him—
He was already looking back.
Then—
Zane turned slightly.
And started walking.
In the direction they were already heading.
No words.
Just movement.
Decision made.
Zael held his gaze for a second longer.
Something still off.
Still there.
That distance.
That difference.
He noticed it again.
Clear.
But he didn't call it out.
Not now.
He looked away.
"…Fine."
A short pause.
"…We go together."
Lily relaxed slightly.
Auralis grinned wider.
"…Good."
Aurelia simply nodded.
—
Zael stepped forward.
Direction set.
No hesitation anymore.
Because now—
They weren't just moving deeper.
They were moving with purpose.
Toward something specific.
Something that mattered.
And this time—
He wasn't going to miss it.
—
The guardian beast wasn't small.
It stood over the broken stone like it owned the place, thick hide layered over muscle, horns curving back along its spine. Behind it—half-hidden between cracked slabs—a faintly glowing herb pulsed softly.
Auralis didn't wait.
"…That one's mine."
She moved first.
Hammer swung in a wide arc—heavy, fast—but she pulled the weight just enough not to crush everything in one hit. The beast reacted, lunging sideways, claws tearing into the ground where she stood a second ago.
Zane was already there.
A flicker.
A strike.
Then another.
Not overwhelming—just constant pressure, forcing the beast to keep turning, keep reacting.
Lily distorted space beneath its feet.
Not enough to trap it.
Just enough to throw off balance.
It stumbled—
Aurelia stepped in.
One clean hit to the joint.
Precise.
The beast roared, spinning, tail whipping out—but Auralis was already back in range.
This time she didn't hold back as much.
Hammer crashed into its side.
A crack.
The beast staggered hard.
Zael moved.
Void Step.
He appeared above it—blade shifting mid-motion—then came down with a controlled Night Sever.
Deep cut.
Not lethal.
Enough.
The beast dropped to one knee.
Zane finished it.
One clean strike.
Silence.
—
The body faded.
The herb remained.
Auralis rolled her shoulder, walking forward.
"…Yeah, that was—"
"…Hold it."
The voice came from behind.
Seven of them.
Walking in like they owned the place.
No hesitation.
No caution.
Just confidence.
One stepped forward.
Tall.
Smirking.
"…You guys did the hard part."
His eyes flicked to the herb.
"…We'll take it from here."
Auralis paused.
Then laughed.
"…You serious?"
Another one spoke.
Eyes already drifting.
Not to the herb.
To Lily.
Then Auralis.
Then Aurelia.
"…Didn't expect to find something this nice out here."
That tone.
That look.
Clear.
Auralis' expression flattened.
"…Yeah. I don't like that."
Lily's eyes hardened.
Aurelia stayed quiet.
But the air around her shifted slightly.
Zael turned.
Slow.
Calm.
Looked at them properly.
Greed.
Arrogance.
And something worse mixed in.
He didn't react.
"…You're not taking anything."
The tall one laughed.
"…You don't get to decide that."
Zael didn't answer.
His gaze sharpened slightly.
Eye of Insight activated.
—
Name: Rykor
Class: Flame Berserker
Grade: Epic
Level: 58
—
Name: Selven
Class: Wind Blade Assassin
Grade: Epic
Level: 55
—
Name: Drox
Class: Stone Vanguard
Grade: Epic
Level: 57
—
Name: Kaine
Class: Blood Duelist
Grade: Epic
Level: 56
—
Name: Vira
Class: Shadow Archer
Grade: Epic
Level: 54
—
Name: Toren
Class: War Monk
Grade: Epic
Level: 55
—
Name: Elric
Class: Arcane Caster
Grade: Epic
Level: 53
—
Zael took it in instantly.
Balanced.
Decent.
Nothing special.
Rykor stepped forward again.
"…Last chance."
His eyes drifted again.
Lingering.
"…Hand it over."
Auralis straightened slowly, hammer resting against her shoulder.
"…Or what?"
He smiled.
"…Or we take it and things are gonna break, that you wouldn't want broken."
Silence.
Short.
Then—
Zael spoke.
"…Try."
And just like that—
Everything broke.