“Uh, I’m Fred Nilsen,” he introduced himself, his voice slightly shaky as if he were trying to hide his nervousness. “I’ll, um, be your healer for this expedition. It’s, uh, my first mission, so, uh, please bear with me.”
He was stuttering as if he didn’t have any experience, but in fact, this was nothing but a lie. Even though I knew him from the game, with my [Perceptive Insight], I could see the little motions he made, signaling that he was lying.
Of course, some may think I put my attention to those points since I am conscious of him, but this is wrong.
I always watch how people use their bodies while speaking. Unless they are experienced enough to control themselves, it always gives me enough information to use.
“No problem, Mister Fred. Everyone will have a first, anyway. By the way, can I call you Fred?”
“Um….Y-you can call me Fred, i-it is fine.”
“Good. Fred will be our healer of the expedition.” Anya said, taking the role of the captain of the party. “Now, I will start the briefing.”
Anya projected the map of the ‘Forest of Rain’ on the holographic display and continued with the briefing.
“The dungeon we will be visiting is a forest-type dungeon, ‘Forest of Rain.’ From the mana wavelength, it was estimated that the rank of the dungeon is intermediate rank 4, as you have already been briefed about it. The boss monster is the Spirit of Embertree, a peak rank-4 monster. It’s a formidable foe, so we need to be cautious.”
She highlighted certain areas on the map. “Our route will take us through various terrain, including dense forests, rivers, and caves. We’ll encounter different creatures along the way, so stay alert.”
Anya pointed to the formation we would use. “Now, for our party formation: I’ll be at the front, leading the way as the tanker. Faye and Hari, you two are our main damage dealers. Ethan and Emily, you’ll be our secondary damage dealers and cover the rearguard. Astron, your role as a marksman will be to scout and protect Fred, our healer, who will be at the center.”
She spoke, seizing at the people inside the party. From the looks of it, she was assessing the strength of each person one by one. It was a pretty common procedure that was made by the captain since the textbook example tactics mostly wouldn’t work perfectly while in the real dungeon.
“Of course, this is just the on-paper formation. According to the situation, we will change it and adapt it to the environment. Any questions?”
Seeing her coming like that, there weren’t any other questions. Of course, in the game, this part was where we would be able to choose talk options, etc., but I didn’t have any questions. After all, I knew most of the contents of the dungeon anyway.
“Then, let me give you a last final reminder.” Seizing everyone with her penetrating eyes, Anya released her aura, pressuring us from the start.
“I am the leader of the party, and I want the absolute commitment. You will listen to whatever I say, and you won’t ever act alone. Understood.”
This was one of her initial characteristics. Anya was one of the reasons why Emily’s guild would rise in the ranks. She is an incredibly talented leader with good situational awareness. Therefore, I didn’t have any problem with listening to her instructions.
This was also going to be a good example for me to refer to in the future while exploring more and more dungeons.
“”””” Yes.”””””
Everyone accepted her words without any ounce of hesitation; after all, that was the charisma of the leader who would lead.
I could see Ethan looking at Anya with serious eyes, clearly impressed by her. However, different from other talented people with egos, he had pure intentions.
That was the reason why he was suited to become the main character of the game. A good person with a clear sense of appreciation for others, not a brat.
Even though he is not fully mature, he is mature enough to appreciate others, and this is enough.
“Then, we can leave.”
With those words, she stood up and started walking to the outside.
“The van will take us to the related place. Let’s not waste any more time.”
After that, we reached the entrance of the guild, and we found the waiting van, its engine humming softly.
Anya took place in the front seat while others sat in the back.
WROOM!
As the engine started working, the caravan moved.
*******
“Hey,” Ethan began, his tone suggesting he was determined to start a conversation. Astron ignored him, staring out of the window as the scenery whizzed by.
“Astron, I am talking to you,” Ethan persisted, not one to be deterred easily.
Astron turned his head slightly, casting a sideways glance at Ethan. “What?”
Ethan leaned in closer, clearly unfazed by Astron’s curt response. “I never thought I would see you here,” he remarked a hint of surprise in his voice.
‘Tch….This bastard now will speak about how he wouldn’t expect me to join dungeon explorations.’
Astron grumbled under his breath, unable to hide his irritation any longer. “So what? Can’t the last rank of the academy join dungeon explorations?”
Ethan’s brow furrowed, but he remained undeterred. “I just meant… It’s unexpected, that’s all. You always struck me as someone who likes to train. To be honest, since you are the last rank, I thought you would hone your skills in the academy first.”
Astron’s frustration boiled over, and he shot back with a harsh retort, not mincing words. “Look, Ethan, not all of us have the luxury of sitting behind the academy walls and living in delusion. Some of us need money, and we need it now. I’m not some little baby who can afford to play at being a hero in training forever.”
He crossed his arms, leaning back in his seat, a scowl etched on his face. Astron was well aware of his standing in the academy, and normally he wouldn’t care. However, considering Emily was there as well, she might have had unnecessary thoughts.
“So, you’re implying that you’ve joined dungeon explorations purely for the money, correct?” Ethan inquired, trying to dig deeper into Astron’s motivations. He rather had a smile like he was enjoying how Astron replied to his words.
Astron’s response was curt and to the point. “Yes.”
Ethan persisted, a hint of genuine concern in his voice. “And why do you need it? Maybe I can help.”
Astron’s irritation flared once more, and he shot back, “None of your business.”
Ethan let out a sigh of exasperation. “You know, you’re both cranky and stubborn. If you go on like this, you won’t make any friends.”
Astron’s response was swift and dismissive. “Who said I need friends? I’m perfectly fine on my own.”
“…..”
Silence hung in the air for a moment as Ethan contemplated Astron’s words. Finally, he conceded, though not without a hint of resignation.
“Right? Now, shut your mouth and focus. We are not here to chit-chat.” With those last words, Astron cut him off, looking at the map of the dungeon.
Emily, her patience wearing thin, decided to intervene, her voice carrying a harsh edge as she addressed Astron.
“Astron, do you have to be so rude?” Her words were blunt, her frustration evident as she turned a stern gaze on him.
She then shifted her attention to Ethan, whose bemused smile hadn’t faded.
Astron met her stern look with defiance. “I’m not being rude. What’s rude is poking your nose into other people’s business.”
With a sigh of exasperation, Emily continued, her tone unwavering. “Astron, we’re a team now, and teamwork requires cooperation and respect. Being rude to your team members won’t help us succeed in the dungeon.”
“…” Astron once again raised his head and thought about his actions and realized he was being slightly angry.
‘Wait?’
THUMP
At that moment, his heart immediately started beating faster, just as before.
‘This bastard.’
And he realized the reason why, immediately throwing a gaze at the healer who had a smile.
‘He is already using his skill.’
Looking at others like that, he realized the others had yet to be affected by the skill.
‘Probably because their stats are higher.’
He understood the reason why he was behaving angrier than usual, but to not show it, he still chose to behave like a brat.
“I don’t need a lecture on teamwork. I have my reasons for being here, and I don’t expect anyone to understand.”
‘This is too cringe.’
He cringed inwardly, but he continued his act as if he was angry.
Emily, her patience thoroughly tested, took a step back, her expression hardening as she addressed Astron one last time. “Fine, Astron,” she said, her voice now carrying a tone of finality. “If you’re determined to act like a brat and push everyone away, then so be it. I won’t waste any more of my time trying to reason with you.”
She turned away from Astron and refocused her attention on Ethan, who had been caught in the crossfire of their heated exchange. With a shake of her head, she muttered under her breath, “Some people are beyond help.”
Ethan’s face twitched as he found himself awkwardly sandwiched between the escalating tension. He wasn’t quite sure how to mediate the situation, especially given Astron’s stubborn demeanor and Emily’s clear frustration.
However, amidst the growing discord within the group, there was one person who seemed oddly pleased with the unfolding drama – Fred. His cunning mind immediately grasped the dynamics at play and saw an opportunity.
‘This is sooner than I expected,’ Fred thought to himself, watching the interpersonal conflicts within the caravan. He had keenly observed the people involved and quickly realized the root cause of the friction.
‘This guy is the weak link,’ he concluded, referring to Astron. The young man with purple eyes had acted out first according to his skill.
And despite feeling a subtle chill from Astron’s gaze, Fred dismissed it with confidence.
‘There’s no way a mere academy student can threaten me,’ Fred mused, brushing off any potential concerns.
He had heard what they just said about Astron’s low rank and his need for money, which only fueled Fred’s ambitious plans further.
‘Maybe I can even persuade him to join our side,’ Fred thought, formulating a clear strategy in his mind, leveraging his emotion-amplifying skill, [Volatility].
Fred’s thoughts raced with excitement. ‘Today is my lucky day. I never expected to be presented with an opportunity to secure the heir of Hartleys. Perhaps, if I play my cards right, I might even obtain a coveted seed of Wrath for this achievement.’
As the caravan continued its journey toward the unknown, Fred’s scheming mind worked overtime, eager to exploit the rifts forming within the group for his own gain.
However, the expression on Fred’s face wasn’t able to escape Astron’s notice.
The cracks that were forming in the party were the bait he had thrown at him after all. 𝞸𝒱xt.𝗰𝚘𝑚
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You can check my discord if you want. You can see the illustrations of characters there.
The link to the discord server is in the description of the book.