Chapter 228: One Mission After Another

An alarm rang out inside the dungeon.

Liam glanced at the watch on his wrist before looking down the corridor stretching out in front of him. The stone walls were covered in markings, while several torches illuminated the path with a reddish glow.

Beside him, Zayn returned from exploring the next corridor.

"There are three monsters in the room ahead and another two patrolling the corridor to the right," he reported.

"What about Nora’s shadows?"

"They found a staircase leading to a lower level. Looks like there are more creatures down there."

Liam nodded.

His squad was currently inside an A-Rank dungeon.

After passing through the tower’s entrance, the team had appeared inside an ancient fortress consisting of several levels connected by staircases and corridors.

The rooms were filled with rusted armor, broken furniture, and statues depicting warriors wielding enormous weapons.

The monsters inhabiting the place resembled soldiers. Their bodies were covered in dark armor, and they wielded oversized swords.

They weren’t particularly intelligent, but they made up for that limitation with considerable durability.

Fortunately, Liam hadn’t come alone.

Lucas and Eve walked alongside the other hunters, ready to follow instructions.

After the previous mission, James had approved their return to the squad. Although they weren’t permanent members yet, this second collaboration was proving that they could adapt well to the team.

"All right," Liam said.

"We don’t know how many enemies remain on the lower levels, so we’re not going to split up too much. Jordan and Lucas, hold the front line. Chuck, watch the flanks. Eve, wait for Carol and Emily to tell you when to attack."

"Understood, boss," several of them answered at once.

Liam turned to Nora.

"Can you check whether there’s an alternate route?"

She nodded and sent two small shadow creatures down the corridor to the left.

"If they find anything, I’ll let you know."

"Perfect. I don’t want anyone getting ahead of the group without knowing the terrain."

The hunter disappeared behind a pillar while the rest of the team prepared to move forward.

Liam took a deep breath.

This was exactly the kind of mission they needed.

Not only did it allow them to gain experience and keep their skills sharp, but it also gave them an opportunity to determine whether Lucas and Eve could become permanent members of the squad.

And so far, the results were promising.

◇◆◇

The first encounter began just a few minutes later.

The three warriors guarding the room reacted as soon as the hunters crossed the threshold. One of them raised its sword and charged straight at Jordan, while the other two attempted to surround the group.

"Now!" Liam shouted.

Jordan took the first blow with his hardened arms, while Lucas seized the opening to attack the enemy from the side.

The impact of his enormous gloves sent the warrior staggering backward, its armor cracking under the force of the blow.

Chuck threw several knives at the second enemy. His weapons changed direction in midair, forcing the creature to raise its shield to protect itself.

That gave Carol an opportunity to close the distance.

Her arm took on a stone-like texture as she struck the warrior directly in the chest. The creature stumbled backward, losing its balance for a moment.

"Eve, go!" Emily shouted.

The hunter raised a hand and triggered an explosion beside the enemy. The blast hurled it against the wall, where it crumbled into a cloud of dark particles.

The last warrior tried to attack Jordan from behind, but Zayn appeared beside it and struck before it could complete its movement.

"Too slow!" the young hunter taunted.

Liam observed the outcome without intervening directly.

The battle had been quick, but the most important thing was that everyone had fulfilled their role. Lucas hadn’t strayed too far from Jordan, and Eve had waited for the signal before using her ability.

Even Emily seemed to be managing her energy better.

"Good work," Liam said.

"Check the room, then we’ll move on."

Chuck crouched beside the remains of one of the monsters.

"Think these armors are worth anything?"

"No," Ray replied.

"What if they’re made of some special material?"

"Chuck."

"All right, all right. I was just asking."

Lena burst out laughing as Nora returned from exploring the side corridor.

"I found a passage that connects to the staircase leading to the lower level. Looks like we can bypass most of the main corridor."

Liam nodded.

"Then we’ll go that way. There’s no point fighting every monster if we can reach the next level safely."

The group followed Nora.

As they descended, the corridors grew narrower and the torches became less frequent. Twice, they encountered small groups of enemies, but they managed to eliminate them without sustaining any serious injuries.

The greatest challenge came when they reached a circular chamber where several creatures guarded an enormous stone door.

Liam studied the enemies’ positions.

"Jordan, Lucas, draw their attention. Ray, when they get close, change the density of the stones beneath their feet. That should make it harder for them to move."

Ray smiled.

"Leave it to me."

The plan worked.

As the warriors advanced, Ray altered the density of the ground in several places, making their movements clumsy and erratic. Jordan withstood the initial attacks while Lucas struck the enemies as they lost their balance.

Carol and Emily dealt with those who tried to flank them, while Eve finished clearing the path with two controlled explosions.

In less than five minutes, the chamber fell silent.

Chuck looked at his companions.

"I’m starting to think this is too easy."

Liam shot him a stern look.

"Don’t ever say that inside a dungeon again."

"Why? Think a giant monster will show up?"

"No. I think you’ll end up being assigned to clean the corridors."

Chuck immediately shut his mouth.

The laughter eased some of the tension while Nora inspected the door. After confirming that there were no more threats in the chamber, the team continued onward.

Eventually, they found the core keeping that section of the dungeon active. After securing the area, Liam ordered the team to destroy it and waited until the structure began to fade away.

The walls, torches, and enormous statues gradually disappeared until everyone returned to the outside of the tower.

Another mission completed.

◇◆◇

The journey back was considerably more peaceful.

Lucas sat beside Jordan, listening to him talk about his training methods, while Eve chatted with Carol and Emily about the possibilities of combining their abilities on future missions.

Liam watched them from his seat.

He liked what he saw.

There were still details they needed to improve, but neither newcomer had shown any difficulty accepting instructions or cooperating with their teammates.

When they arrived at the guild, Liam submitted the mission report and briefly met with James to confirm that nothing out of the ordinary had occurred.

After that, he decided to head home.

He had no urgent missions scheduled for the rest of the day and wanted to spend those remaining hours with Lydia and the twins.

When he entered the apartment, he found his wife sitting on the living room blanket, playing with Lionel and Liana.

Both little ones were awake. Lionel was shaking a rattle, while Liana was trying to reach a doll placed in front of her.

"I’m home," Liam announced.

Lydia looked up and smiled.

"Welcome back. How did it go?"

"Everything went well. The dungeon was a little more complicated than the last one, but the team worked pretty well together."

"And Lucas and Eve?"

Liam set his belongings aside and walked over to them.

"I think they could fit in with us."

"Does that mean you’re going to invite them to stay?"

"I haven’t made a final decision yet. I want to see how they perform on another mission or two."

Lydia nodded.

Liam sat beside her and picked Lionel up. The little boy looked at him curiously before grabbing one of his fingers.

"And what about you two? Have you been good?"

Liana answered with a babble.

"That doesn’t sound like a very convincing answer," Liam remarked.

Lydia laughed.

"They’ve been well-behaved. Although your daughter has decided that every toy in the living room should be within her reach."

Liam looked at Liana.

The little girl was trying to reach the doll in front of her. She stretched out her hand once but couldn’t reach it. Then she tried again, leaning forward until she finally managed to grab it.

For a moment, Liam remembered what had happened a few days earlier.

’Did her arm stretch again?’

He watched closely but didn’t see anything unusual. Liana shook the doll proudly before bringing it to her mouth.

"What’s wrong?" Lydia asked, noticing his gaze.

"Nothing."

She narrowed her eyes.

"Are you thinking about what happened the other day again?"

"I was just watching her play."

"Of course."

Liam decided not to argue. Maybe he had misinterpreted what he’d seen that morning. He had no proof that anything unusual had happened, and he didn’t want to start worrying about every little movement his daughter made.

He leaned forward to kiss Liana’s forehead before settling Lionel against his chest.

For now, he preferred to enjoy these moments.

The guild could wait a few more hours.