Cecilia sighed inwardly, knowing the rivalry between the two was both a blessing and a curse. Their competition pushed them to be stronger, but their constant one-upmanship was exhausting for everyone else.
Jason looked at the burned frog, watching as all the experience flowed into Aiden’s body. His grip tightened on his sword, anger simmering just beneath the surface. “You stole our prey.”
“What? I saved your ass. You should be thankful,” Aiden snorted.
His three friends behind him snickered mockingly, adding fuel to Jason’s frustration. He clenched his fist even tighter, his anger growing.
It had been a Level 44 monster. If Jason had delivered the final blow, he would have gained a significant amount of experience and possibly bonus stats. Aiden knew this perfectly well and had timed his intervention to steal the kill at the last moment.
“Are you mad, Aiden?! You could have hurt Jason!” Siara shouted, glaring at Aiden.
Aiden looked at Siara and laughed. “If my weakest attack can hurt Jason, then he really is weak as hell!”
He burst into laughter again, joined by his friends.
Jason’s jaw clenched, the mockery stinging more than he wanted to admit. The rivalry between him and Aiden had always been fierce, but this was a blatant theft of what should have been his victory.
“Enough, Hero Aiden.” Before Jason could snap, Cecilia intervened, her tone firm and commanding.
This wasn’t the first time Aiden had provoked Jason. His actions were driven by jealousy and resentment. From the beginning, Jason had been treated as the strongest and most valuable Hero, garnering all the attention. Despite Aiden’s comparable strength, he was often overshadowed by Jason.
The disparity was largely due to the rank and unique nature of Jason’s skill, Hero of Light, a fact Aiden struggled to accept.
“Tchh!” Aiden snorted, glaring at Jason. “What level are you?”
“I don’t need to tell you that,” Jason retorted, his voice steady despite his frustration.
“Ahaha. You’re scared, huh? I’m level 54, by the way. I hope you’re not already behind me, or this will get boring,” Aiden laughed, his arrogance palpable as he walked away with his group.
“Fifty-four?” Jason muttered, shocked. He had believed Aiden had just reached level 50 a day ago. How had he leveled up so quickly in such a short time? The higher the level, the more experience was needed, making it increasingly difficult to advance.
Jason had been slightly ahead, but now uncertainty gnawed at him. How long could he maintain his lead?
“Let’s continue,” Jason said, clenching his sword with renewed determination. He was resolved to level up even faster, pushing himself to ensure he remained the strongest.
Siara nodded and was about to move forward when she noticed that Cecilia wasn’t advancing. Cecilia was staring intently at a small, round sphere in her hand, her brows furrowed in concern.
“Is there a problem, Cecilia?” Siara asked, noticing the older woman’s troubled expression.
“Ah…it’s just that usually, I communicate with Oscar every four hours about our situation. We’re responsible for the excursion, so we’ve been checking in with each other to ensure everything is alright and that there aren’t any dangerous monsters roaming outside their designated areas. But I haven’t received any messages from Oscar since last night.”
It was now mid-morning, and in a few hours, it would be time to return to the castle as planned. The lack of communication from Oscar was unsettling.
Cecilia knew Oscar well; he was always punctual and meticulous about schedules. His silence was not just unusual; it was alarming.
“Oscar…wasn’t he accompanying Nathan?” Siara asked, recalling.
“Yes, and also your teacher,” Cecilia nodded, her concern deepening.
“Oh…” Siara’s expression turned complicated.
‘My father? I can assure you he doesn’t care whether I’m dead or alive.’
She still remembered his words when she and her elder sister asked him not to leave.
Siara had been living with Nathan and his father for three years, but she couldn’t ignore the strange, cold relationship between them. They barely spoke to each other except about school and his grades. Nathan’s father would only ask about his academic performance, and Nathan would respond politely. Their conversations were limited to that.
Her mother was the only one who had proper conversations with Nathan. Her elder sister also spoke to him casually, while Siara kept her distance, feeling awkward.
Nathan was her older step-brother by only a few months, and they ended up in the same class. After school, they would return to the same house. This sudden change, having a brother, and being in the same class made everything feel awkward for Siara. As a result, she rarely spoke to him. They would greet each other but wouldn’t engage in deeper conversations.
They were more like roommates than step-siblings.
Cecilia smiled seeing the uneasiness in Siara’s face. She was actually shocked when she first learned that Siara and Sienna were step siblings with Nathan as they rarely spoke to each other or acted like siblings but seeing the tinge of worry in Siara’s face, as expected, ut was just difficult for them to say it.
“You are worried for your brother, aren’t you?” Cecilia asked.
“H..Heum…yeah kinda…” Siara admitted awkwardly.
Despite the distance between them, she felt a pang of worry for him now. His relationship with their father might have been cold, but Nathan had always been kind to her in his quiet way. The silence from his group added to her unease, making her wonder if something had gone wrong.
Nathan was still someone she had grown up with for three years. They ate together, watched movies together, and lived under the same roof. Despite the awkwardness, she couldn’t remain indifferent to his well-being.
“I told him not to go… this idiot…” Siara murmured to herself, worry etched on her face.
“Don’t worry. Oscar is with him; he’s quite strong, so he’ll be able to protect them against any monsters. And your teacher is there too, isn’t he?” Cecilia said, attempting to comfort Siara, though she too felt a sense of unease.
“Yes…” Siara nodded, though her concern lingered. She then joined Jason, who was still determined to move forward.
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