Chapter 233 – The One who Always Endured

Chapter 233

The One who Always Endured

Date : Day 16 of Deepwinter 1024 Aethellgard Concord Year.

Hyoren's head was hazy. It felt as though his thoughts were floating somewhere far away, disconnected from his body.

He tried to move. The moment he did, a sharp headache struck him.

Hyoren stopped immediately.

Even opening his eyes seemed difficult. Whenever he tried to move his head or shift his body, the world inside his skull seemed to spin violently. Both his ears were ringing loudly.

There was a burning sensation in several parts of his body as well.

But strangely enough, the wounds themselves were not what had caused him to pass out, it was the explosion. More specifically, the explosion's impact and the tremendous sound that accompanied it.

The intense acoustic energy had violently overstimulated his vestibular system.

Tullio phenomenon…?

Hyoren's thoughts remained hazy as he tried to understand what was happening to him.

Or… Could my otoconia have been displaced?

Inside the inner ear were tiny calcium crystals called otoconia. They played an important role in sensing gravity and maintaining balance.

The violent impact of the explosion, followed by being thrown through the air and rolling across the ground several times, could have physically displaced those crystals.

If they had been knocked out of position and ended up floating into the balance canals...

That would explain my vertigo…

It was a condition that could occur when someone was exposed to extremely loud sounds or experienced sudden, violent movement.

And Hyoren had experienced both.

The explosion had been powerful enough to send him flying. Then his body had struck the ground and rolled repeatedly before finally coming to a stop. His entire vestibular system had been violently shaken.

No wonder I can't tell which way is up…

Hyoren tried to open his eyes again.

This time, he managed it. His vision was blurry. The ceiling seemed to sway from side to side even though he knew it wasn't moving.

He quickly closed his eyes again.

Then he heard voices. Someone was calling him. A familiar voice. Jackey.

“Big Bro! You fine…?”

Another voice followed.

Elise.

“Hyoren… Hyoren! Please wake up!”

Then Arianna.

“He is unconscious…”

The sound of their voices slowly lessened his dizziness.

Hyoren tried to move his head. A wave of dizziness immediately washed over him. His stomach twisted.

He coughed.

“Cough…”

The movement sent another unpleasant pulse through his head.

Hyoren slowly tried to sit up.

Before he could get very far, Elise moved toward him and stopped him.

“Hyoren, stop! You're wounded! What are you doing?”

Hyoren turned his head toward her. Even that small movement made the world spin.

“Elise… I'm… fine…”

His voice was weak.

He coughed again. A small amount of blood spilled from his mouth. Hyoren had bitten his tongue during the explosion and the violent impact that followed. The wound inside his mouth was still bleeding.

He spat the blood onto the ground.

Elise's face immediately lost what little color it had.

She stared at the blood for a moment. Then she quickly reached into her belongings and pulled out a high-grade healing potion.

“Fine? You call this fine, Hyoren?”

She pushed the bottle toward his mouth. The glowing green liquid sloshed inside the glass.

“Drink this. Quickly!”

Hyoren recognized the potion immediately.

After Jackey had been seriously wounded during their previous Floor Guardian battle, Freedom Party had decided to keep several high-grade healing potions in reserve.

They were expensive. Even so, they had decided that having them available was worth the cost.

Oria had also given them a small discount when they purchased them. Hyoren was grateful for that. Normally, he probably wouldn't have used one for something like this.

But when he looked at Elise's tear-stricken face, he decided not to argue.

He slowly drank the potion.

The effect was almost instantaneous. The dizziness gradually began to ease. The burning sensations disappeared. The reddish marks and blisters across his arms faded away, leaving smooth, unblemished skin behind.

Hyoren slowly flexed his fingers. Then his wrist. His body responded properly again.

As expected of a high-grade healing potion…

The difference was obvious. Its effect was clearly much stronger than an ordinary healing potion. Once he could move properly again, Hyoren took the empty bottle from his mouth and lowered it.

He looked at Elise. She was still staring at him with worry written all over her face.

Hyoren smiled gently.

He raised one arm. His hand reached toward her silver hair. Elise didn't move.

Hyoren gently patted her head.

“I'm fine, Elise. I'm fine.”

A relieved sigh came from nearby. Jackey's shoulders visibly relaxed. Arianna also released the breath she had apparently been holding.

Hyoren looked toward the two of them.

“The explosion actually didn't harm me that much.”

He gave his Mithril-alloy Chainmail’s Breastplate a light pat. The armor was blackened with soot. There were some dents across its surface, but it hadn't broken.

Hyoren then touched the new Null Earring on his left ear. It was one of his newest accessories, capable of reducing magical damage by roughly twenty to twenty-five percent.

“Most of the explosion's damage was reduced by my new earring.”

He smiled wryly.

“Most of my torso and head were protected by my shield, too.”

Hyoren flexed his fingers once more.

“The reason I almost passed out was the vertigo.”

He glanced at his companions as he tried to explain.

“The explosion was extremely loud, and then I was thrown away and rolled across the ground several times. The impact probably affected my inner ear.”

Elise continued listening quietly. Tears still clung to the corners of her eyes.

Arianna nodded slowly.

“I see…”

She placed a finger against her chin as she thought.

“I believe I have read something about that before. Violent movement and extremely loud sounds can cause severe dizziness.”

Jackey's tabby cat ears suddenly perked up. His tail began swaying again.

“Ahh, yes! I understand!”

He crossed his arms proudly.

“I once fell off a cliff and rolled all the way down a hill until I finally crashed into a tree!”

Jackey's grin widened at the memory.

“And after that, I couldn't stand properly for hours. I was so dizzy that I even threw up!”

He threw his head back.

“I could only stay still and spent a few hours laying on the ground observing the clouds! HAHAHA!”

The tension that had filled the room finally broke.

Arianna covered her mouth.

“Ohohoho…”

Elise let out a small giggle despite the tears that were still lingering on her face.

“Fufu…”

Even Hyoren couldn't help smiling.

Jackey really was good at lifting everyone's mood. The Cat-clan Beastkin had already returned to his usual energetic self. And his energy was infectious.

Hyoren turned back toward Elise. She was still watching him carefully.

“I'm fine, Elise. You don't need to worry this much.”

Hyoren slowly pushed himself to his feet.

He paused for a moment after standing, making sure the room wasn't spinning anymore. It wasn't. He stood properly.

“Sure, I made a mistake and got hurt. I should not go into a melee for the killing blow. Especially after knowing the Goblin Avenger has a range based revenge ability like the dark mist.”

He looked down at his armor.

“But it's not that bad. I made sure to shield most of the blast with my shield.”

He glanced at the dented Steel Kite Shield nearby.

“And rolling across the ground also helped reduce the impact.”

Hyoren lightly touched the Null Earring again.

“And thanks to this earring, too. It helped reduce the damage of the explosion.”

Elise watched him carefully for another few seconds. Only after seeing that Hyoren could stand properly did she finally relax. A long, relieved sigh escaped her.

“Hyoren… Please don't give me a heart attack…”

She smiled weakly.

“But I'm glad you're fine.”

Hyoren nodded.

“I'm sorry for worrying you.”

For a moment, Elise simply looked at him. Then her shoulders finally relaxed. The worst of the panic had passed.

Freedom Party had survived the Goblin Avenger's final attack. And, despite the terrifying explosion, their leader was still standing.

***

Hyoren reached down and picked up the Steel Kite Shield lying nearby.

He turned it over in his hands and inspected it carefully. Several dents had appeared across the surface from the explosion. They were noticeable, but not severe.

Hyoren ran his fingers over one of them before examining the edges and the joints of the shield.

The structure was still intact.

Good… It's still usable…

Then he smiled wryly.

But I need to pay back Borin for this damage…

He chuckled inwardly.

This Steel Kite Shield was lent by Borin while Hyoren's new shield was still being made. So if it's too damaged then it's better to just buy it off from the dwarf blacksmith.

He strapped the shield back onto his arm.

Elise looked at it closely.

“It’s dented… Are you sure it’s fine to keep using it?”

Her eyes moved from the shield to Hyoren.

“Should we retreat from the dungeon and have your equipment repaired first?”

Hyoren smiled.

He raised the shield slightly and tapped its surface with his knuckle. The sound was still solid.

“Don’t worry. The dent is small. It’s normal for a shield to take this kind of damage.”

He touched the damaged area again.

“But the structural integrity is fine. It can still withstand attacks from a Guardian.”

Elise was still not entirely convinced. Her eyes remained fixed on the dents.

Hyoren noticed her expression and gave her a reassuring smile.

“And I won’t be using this shield much anyway on this floor.”

His smile turned into a small grin.

“Going into melee range against a Goblin Avenger is basically suicide.”

Elise's eyes widened slightly. That statement immediately made the reason clear.

Hyoren turned his gaze toward the rest of his party.

“Everyone. The Goblin Avenger seemed like an absurd enemy at first glance.”

He raised one hand.

“It had several abilities designed to catch us off guard.”

His fingers curled slightly.

“The pain redirection.”

Then he raised another finger.

“The explosion after it died.”

Hyoren looked toward the place where the Goblin Avenger had fallen.

The epicenter of the explosion was still clearly visible. Broken stones and scorch marks covered the area. Yet there was only one thing left behind by the monster. A single magic stone.

Hyoren looked at it for a moment before turning back toward his companions.

“But that’s all.”

His expression became calm again.

“If we know how to deal with both abilities, we can kill it safely.”

Jackey twirled one of his axes in his hand.

A grin spread across his face.

“I know, Big Bro. Whack it from afar, right?”

Hyoren nodded.

“Exactly.”

He glanced toward the large chamber.

“The enemy is only one. It has high defense and an annoying ability, but that’s not enough to overcome us if we fight properly.”

He gestured with his hand.

“It is heavily armored but it doesn't have regeneration skills. And the pain redirection skill has a range limit of around five meters.”

He looked back at the crater and gestured toward the open space around them.

“If we focus our attacks from range, and then make sure we stay outside its explosion range when it starts dying, we should be able to clear this floor without much trouble.”

Hyoren then looked toward Elise and Arianna.

“This floor will once again rely on you two as our ranged attackers.”

Elise tightened her grip around her Moonveil Bow.

The worry that had been visible on her face moments ago slowly disappeared. In its place was grim determination. She didn't want to see Hyoren take another explosion like that again.

“Understood, Hyoren.”

She drew her bow slightly and checked the string.

“I’ll aim for its weak points and use my strongest attacks.”

Arianna shifted the brim of her wide-brimmed hat. Her expression had also become serious.

She gave a small nod.

“Understood, Leader.”

Hyoren nodded.

“Good.”

His attention then moved toward Jackey.

“And our role, Jackey, is to stop the Goblin Avenger without getting within its effective range.”

Jackey's ears perked up.

Hyoren continued.

“We’ll use ranged attacks to keep the Goblin Avenger from advancing.”

He gestured toward Jackey's weapon.

“Use your new Blackmaw Tomahawk to target its legs.”

Jackey looked down at the black axe in his left hand. He lifted it high above his head.

A wide grin appeared across his face.

“Roger, Big Bro! I’ll whack that black skulker with this beauty!”

He gave the axe an enthusiastic swing.

“WOHOO!”

The others laughed.

The grim atmosphere that had surrounded them after the explosion finally disappeared. It was replaced by renewed excitement.

Hyoren smiled.

He then looked down and spotted his Dawn Breaker lying on the ground. He walked over and picked it up.

The sword was turned over several times in his hand as he inspected the blade, guard, and handle. No cracks. No chips. No visible damage.

Good…

He gave it one final look before returning it to his side. Meanwhile, Elise walked over to the remains of the Goblin Avenger and picked up the magic stone it had left behind. She carefully stored it away.

Hyoren looked at his party members one last time. Everyone was ready. Their equipment was still usable. The Goblin Avenger had been defeated.

There was no reason to remain in the chamber any longer.

“Let’s go.”

Hyoren turned toward the corridor leading deeper into the dungeon.

“Time to continue our dive.”

Everyone nodded.

And once again, Freedom Party began walking through the dungeon.

***

Freedom Party continued their slow crawl through the Fourth Floor. The pace remained painfully slow.

Elise continued taking point, her emerald eyes constantly scanning the corridor ahead.

Whenever she detected a trap, she stopped the party and carefully examined it before dismantling it with her Trap Dismantling Skill.

Pitfall-type traps were handled differently.

Whenever Elise discovered one, Arianna would use Boulder Throw to trigger it from a safe distance, causing the mechanism to activate without putting anyone in danger.

For the other types of traps, Elise handled them herself. Tripwires. Pressure plates. Hidden mechanisms concealed inside the walls and floor. One after another, they were carefully dealt with.

The Fourth Floor of Akela Dungeon remained just as troublesome as before. There were hardly any monsters. Instead, the dungeon seemed determined to make their progress as tedious as possible.

After nearly an hour of slowly advancing through the labyrinth, Freedom Party finally arrived at another massive chamber.

The sight immediately reminded Hyoren of the chamber where they had fought the Goblin Avenger before. And standing in the center of it was another Goblin Avenger.

Hyoren stopped. The others gathered behind him. He turned toward his party.

“Okay, that's another similar encounter. And as we discussed before, the Goblin Avenger is troublesome.”

His dark eyes remained fixed on the monster.

“But now that we know its limitations, we should be able to defeat it without much trouble.”

Everyone nodded.

They already knew their roles. They had discussed the strategy during their journey. There was no need for further explanation.

Hyoren nodded once.

“Good. Let's do this.”

He charged.

The Goblin Avenger immediately moved. Its massive armored body surged forward. Both its claw gauntlets raised, ready to strike.

Hyoren raised his Dawn Breaker. Dark Aethell began gathering around the tip of his sword. The dark energy rapidly condensed into a black orb.

Hyoren's eyes narrowed.

“Shadow Bloom.”

WHOOSH!

A wave of pure dark Aethell fanned outward from the sword. The dark wave swept across the chamber.

BOOM!

It struck the charging Goblin Avenger head-on. The impact staggered the monster. Its armored body rocked backward from the force.

Hyoren did not follow.

He deliberately maintained his distance. He had already learned what happened when he fought the Goblin Avenger at close range. He wasn't going to make the same mistake twice.

Instead, he shouted toward the side.

“Jackey, now!”

Jackey had been running parallel to Hyoren. The moment he heard the command, a grin spread across his face.

“Roger that, Big Bro!”

He flicked his left hand.

“Precision Throw!”

The Blackmaw Tomahawk left his hand. The black axe spun wildly through the air as it crossed the distance between them.

SWOOSH!

Jackey's throwing skill guided the trajectory with frightening precision. The spinning tomahawk struck the Goblin Avenger's left ankle.

SCREEECK!

The blade bit deep. The impact severed the Achilles tendon. The Goblin Avenger's leg could no longer properly support its weight. Its massive body suddenly lost balance. It stopped completely.

And in the next instant, the black axe returned to Jackey's left hand. He already recalled the Blackmaw Tomahawk with its Return rune.

Hyoren immediately raised his shield. He remained ready for anything. His dark eyes never left the Goblin Avenger.

“Arianna! Elise!”

There was no need for him to say anything else.

Arianna had already finished preparing her spell. She raised her Quadraflux Weaver. The orb on the tip of her staff swirled. Then it flashed as she activated her spell.

“Fire Javelin.”

A long spear made entirely from fire appeared at the tip of her staff. The blazing projectile launched forward with tremendous force.

SWOOSH!

It crossed the chamber in an instant. The Fire Javelin struck the Goblin Avenger directly in the chest. It staggered backward, losing its balance even more.

BOOM!

Flames erupted across its armor. The black metal cracked and dented beneath the impact.

Arianna had already discussed the plan with Elise beforehand. Her role was to weaken the Goblin Avenger's armor first.

That was why she had chosen Fire Javelin. The concentrated heat would weaken the armor's structure, while the sheer force of the spell would further damage it. Once the armor was weakened, Elise could finish the attack.

Arianna looked toward her companion.

“It's done, Mentor!”

Elise didn't need to be told twice.

She had already drawn her Moonveil Bow to its maximum. Her arrow was ready. Wind Aethell surrounded its tip, gathering around the shaft in a rapidly tightening current.

Elise's emerald eyes locked onto the Goblin Avenger's chest. More precisely—the location of its Aethell core—its weak point. 

The armor surrounding the area had already cracked and distorted from Arianna's Fire Javelin. There was now an opening.

Elise took aim. She released the string.

“Charge Wind Arrow!”

A brilliant emerald arrow shot forward with tremendous momentum.

SWOOSH!

It flew through the chamber, leaving a streak of green light behind it.

The arrow struck directly into the Goblin Avenger's left chest.

SQUELCH!

The monster suddenly went still. Its beady dark eyes slowly began losing their light.

Hyoren immediately recognized the sign.

“Everyone, move away!”

Jackey didn't need to be told twice.

He had already begun jumping backward. One step. Two. Three. He kept moving, trying to create as much distance as possible. Meanwhile, Elise and Arianna were already positioned safely away from the monster.

Hyoren himself jumped backward with his shield raised.

His dark eyes remained fixed on the Goblin Avenger. One second. Two seconds. The chamber became strangely quiet.

Then—the Goblin Avenger exploded.

BOOM!

The flagstones beneath it cracked apart. Stone splintered outward as flames erupted from the center of the chamber. A massive wave of Aethell and a violent shockwave swept through the room.

Hyoren braced himself behind his shield. The force struck him head-on. His long black hair whipped violently in the rushing air.

He narrowed his eyes and held his ground. 

The shockwave eventually passed. Hyoren lowered his shield slightly. He looked toward the smoking crater left behind by the explosion.

That was a big explosion…

He gave a small, wry smile.

No wonder I was thrown so far that I ended up with vertigo…

His gaze remained on the remains of the Goblin Avenger.

“But now we have the key to defeating the Goblin Avenger safely.”

Nearby, Jackey excitedly spun his axes around his hand. His tail was swaying energetically behind him.

“WOHOO! What a beautiful explosion!”

Elise and Arianna looked toward the destroyed monster from a safe distance.

Both of them wore satisfied expressions. They had done it. The monster that had nearly taken their leader by surprise was now defeated without anyone receiving serious injuries.

It hadn't been easy. The timing had been extremely tight. Everyone needed to perform their role properly.

Jackey had to stop the Goblin Avenger before it could close the distance. Arianna had to weaken its armor. Elise had to strike its exposed weak point. And everyone had to immediately retreat before the final explosion.

One mistake could have changed everything.

But this time, they had understood the enemy. They had adapted. And because of that, the risk was now much lower.

Freedom Party turned toward the corridor leading deeper into the Fourth Floor.

Satisfied smiles appeared on their faces.

The Goblin Avenger was no longer an unknown threat. They had finally found the key to defeating it.

***

The hours slowly bled away for Freedom Party.

They continued their dive deeper into the Fourth Floor. The dungeon remained strangely quiet. Monsters were sparse. The real enemy of this floor was still the traps.

Trap after trap continued to slow their progress, forcing Elise to remain at the front while carefully searching the corridors ahead.

As for the Goblin Avengers—their encounters had almost become routine.

Once they understood the monster's abilities and effective range, the strategy was straightforward. Stop it from reaching them. Attack from range. Then retreat before the final explosion.

Of course, routine did not mean perfect. Sometimes, they made mistakes. Or the Goblin Avenger did something they didn't expect.

Jackey, for example, occasionally missed his aim.

In one particular encounter, the Goblin Avenger charged toward them.

Jackey threw his Blackmaw Tomahawk. But his aim was slightly off. The axe only grazed the Goblin Avenger. Instead of striking its leg properly, the Blackmaw Tomahawk bounced away. It clattered across the stone floor with a clanking sound.

The Goblin Avenger continued charging.

“WOOPS! Sorry, Big Bro!”

Jackey immediately used the axe's return function. It quickly returned to his hand.

Hyoren shook his head.

“Good grief.”

There was no time to complain.

Hyoren immediately charged forward instead. He raised his Steel Kite Shield.

“Shield Bash.”

BANG!

The shield slammed into the charging Goblin Avenger's armor. The force staggered the monster backward several meters.

Hyoren didn't wait.

He immediately jumped backward. As he moved, he extended his right arm. His eyes remained locked on the Goblin Avenger.

Good... More than five meters..

He had already created enough distance.

“Precision Throw.”

The Ninja Glove on his arm flashed. A kunai shot forward.

SWOOSH!

It flew straight toward the Goblin Avenger.

SQUELCH!

The kunai struck its right knee. The leg buckled immediately. The Goblin Avenger could no longer properly support its own weight.

The mistake had been corrected.

Arianna and Elise immediately followed up.

Arianna's Fire Javelin struck first. Elise's Charge Wind Arrow followed. The two attacks tore through the weakened Goblin Avenger.

And moments later—the Goblin Avenger exploded.

Another encounter cleared.

Other times, however, things didn't go quite as smoothly.

During another battle, the Goblin Avenger managed to raise one of its massive clawed gauntlets in time.

Arianna's Fire Javelin struck directly against it.

BOOM!

The explosion engulfed the Goblin Avenger's arm. When the flames disappeared, the gauntlet was heavily damaged.

But the Goblin Avenger still moved its arm. It was relentless.

The monster let out a furious roar.

“GRAAHH!”

Arianna's expression changed slightly.

“Sorry, Mentor. Leader!”

Hyoren immediately shouted from the front.

“Don't worry!”

Arianna nodded.

She remained at the back, already preparing another spell.

“I'll do something!”

Elise had already understood what needed to be done.

This time, she didn't use Charge Wind Arrow. She changed her approach. She pulled the Moonveil Bow back and used another skill of her.

“Wind Double Shot!”

SWOOSH!

Two arrows of green light streaked across the chamber. Both flew toward the Goblin Avenger from slightly different angles.

SQUELCH!

One struck its left shoulder. The other struck its right. The two arrows pinned its arms down. Both arms became useless.

Arianna was already finishing her next spell. She raised her Quadraflux Weaver high.

“Water Cutter.”

An orb of water appeared beside the Goblin Avenger. It floated silently for a moment.

Then the water began to compress. Tighter. And tighter. Until the entire mass became a concentrated cutting force.

A high-pressure jet of water suddenly shot outward.

BHIZZT!

Arianna manipulated the direction of the jet with precise control. The abrasive stream tore across the Goblin Avenger's neck.

The neck gave way.  The monster's head was severed cleanly. Its body collapsed. And once again—the Goblin Avenger exploded.

Another battle was over.

Freedom Party continued their dungeon dive.

They had already learned how the Goblin Avenger worked. That knowledge changed everything. The monster was still dangerous. Its pain redirection could still catch someone off guard. Its final explosion could still punish anyone who approached carelessly.

But the party no longer needed to guess what it would do.

Even when something went wrong. A missed throw. A blocked spell. A failed attempt to stop its advance.

They could quickly adapt.

Someone else would take over. A different skill would be used. The formation would change for a moment. And the battle would continue.

The Goblin Avenger was no longer an unpredictable threat. It had become another obstacle they knew how to overcome.

So Freedom Party continued deeper into the Fourth floor. Slowly. Carefully. One trap at a time. One Goblin Avenger at a time.

***

It was late.

Freedom Party had spent the entire day diving through the fourth floor. Their progress had been slow, their pace constantly interrupted by traps and the occasional encounter with a Goblin Avenger.

Eventually, they decided that it was time to rest. They found a dead end and decided to camp there.

The Sanctuary was activated.

A pale magical light spread across the ground before expanding into a dome-shaped barrier around them. The magic tool would protect them from outside interference while they rested.

They knew that Goblin Avengers only appeared inside the massive chambers scattered throughout the fourth floor. They had never encountered one inside a dead end like this.

Still, none of them felt comfortable sleeping unprotected inside the dungeon. The barrier gave them peace of mind.

Two tents were erected inside the Sanctuary. One was for Hyoren and Elise. The other was shared by Jackey and Arianna.

Once everything was prepared, the four members of Freedom Party finally sat together and ate.

Elise had prepared a simple stew.

It wasn't anything elaborate. But after spending an entire day inside the cold, stale air of the dungeon, the hot food felt especially comforting. The warmth spread through their bodies as they ate.

For a while, the only sounds were the occasional clink of spoons against bowls.

Hyoren eventually finished his stew.

He placed his empty bowl down and leaned back slightly.

“Okay. Our first day of dungeon diving is over.”

He smiled.

“This floor has proven to be challenging in a different way from the previous floor. We have a single tricky enemy that can appear in each encounter, and…”

Jackey raised his spoon.

“And the boring walking!”

He looked genuinely offended by the memory.

“An hour of walking before every encounter is boring! It's trap, trap, trap, and more TRAPS!”

Everyone laughed.

Jackey seemed satisfied that someone had finally acknowledged his suffering. He immediately returned to his stew. It was already his second serving.

Arianna placed her finished bowl down as well.

“But he is right.”

She smiled slightly.

“This floor requires us to be careful of two things.”

She raised one finger.

“The boring corridors filled with traps might lull us into complacency…”

Her gaze shifted toward the others.

“And then…”

Elise finished the thought for her.

“Then we encounter the tricky Goblin Avenger.”

She placed her own bowl down before continuing.

“If our minds aren't focused when we fight it, we're bound to make a mistake.”

Hyoren chuckled.

“Just like when Jackey missed his aim.”

He glanced toward the beastkin.

“Or forgot about the range and ended up rolling around on the floor from the Goblin Avenger’s pain redirection ability.”

Everyone laughed.

Jackey raised his spoon defensively.

“But I'm not worried!”

He grinned.

“Big Bro or Elise always cleans up my mess. HAHA!”

The laughter continued.

Then Jackey suddenly shivered.

“But that pain redirection…”

His tabby cat ears drooped slightly at the memory.

“That was so painful. I don't want to get close to that black skulker anymore!”

Everyone laughed again.

Jackey scratched his cheek. Then he looked toward Hyoren.

“Big Bro, you're really something for enduring that pain.”

Elise's smile softened.

“Me and Arianna haven't been hit by the pain redirection yet.”

She looked at Hyoren and Jackey.

“Was it really that painful?”

Jackey immediately nodded enthusiastically.

“Yes, Elise!”

His ears perked up again.

“When I was too close and Arianna's spell and your arrows hit the black skulker, I thought my chest was going to explode!”

He rubbed his chest as though remembering the sensation.

“It was soooo painful!”

Everyone laughed again.

Hyoren could only smile wryly.

“It was painful, indeed.”

He nodded.

“But I'm already used to pain because of my role as a tank.”

He looked down at his hands.

“And now I have Indomitable Skill. It helps lessen the pain.”

Elise nodded slowly.

“I see…”

She reached over and gently touched his arm.

“Hyoren… You always endured…”

Her voice became softer.

“Protecting me…”

Her fingers remained lightly against his arm.

“Protecting us…”

For a moment, the atmosphere around them became quiet.

The four of them had laughed about it moments ago. But now they were reminded of something they had gradually become accustomed to. Something they always take for granted.

Hyoren was always the one standing in front.

Always the one taking the attacks. Always the one receiving the pain so the others could fight safely from behind him. It wasn't something they had truly stopped to think about before.

Now they did.

Emotion quietly settled over the group.

Hyoren scratched the side of his cheek. His expression became slightly embarrassed.

“It's not that special, everyone…”

Elise shook her head. Her silver hair swayed gently with the movement.

“No, Hyoren…”

She looked directly at him.

“Not everyone can endure that kind of pain.”

Her expression softened.

“That's why we're grateful.”

Arianna nodded.

“Mentor is right, Leader.”

Her voice was calm and sincere.

“You are a good tank.”

She paused.

“And you are a good party leader.”

Jackey had already finished his third bowl of stew. 

He put down his bowl and suddenly stood up. His right arm shot high into the air. His tabby cat tail spiraled wildly behind him.

“I've already experienced many parties!”

He grinned.

“But Big Bro is the best party leader in the world! WOHOO!”

Everyone laughed.

Hyoren's face reddened slightly. He coughed into his fist.

“Anyway. Enough talking about me.”

He quickly looked toward Elise.

“How's our progress on mapping the fourth floor, Elise?”

Elise giggled. She knew exactly what Hyoren was doing.

“Fufufu. Hyoren…”

She smiled before closing her eyes.

“Let me see.”

Elise remained still for a moment.

Her Mapping Skill had been recording everything they had encountered throughout the day. Every corridor. Every trap. Every dead end. Every intersection. Every massive chamber where a Goblin Avenger had appeared.

The information had been quietly accumulating in her mind as they traveled.

After a moment, Elise opened her eyes.

“For the first day, we've roughly mapped sixteen percent of the fourth floor.”

Hyoren nodded.

“I see.”

He thought about it for a moment.

“Then to finish mapping this floor, we might need about seven or eight days.”

He glanced around the dungeon.

“It's definitely a much smaller floor than the third floor.”

The others nodded.

Hyoren looked at his party members again.

The traces of amusement were still present on their faces. But now, their expressions became more serious.

Hyoren continued.

“We'll finish mapping this floor and clear the dungeon within nine days.”

He smiled.

“Just like our usual scheduled dungeon dive.”

Hyoren then reached beneath his clothing and pulled out his pocket watch.

He opened it.

19:03.

Hyoren stared at it for a moment before closing the watch. He returned it beneath his undershirt. The necklace chain gave a soft metallic clink as it settled against his chest.

“Okay. It's getting late.”

He looked at everyone.

“We need to rest so we can continue diving tomorrow.”

Jackey rotated his shoulders. His expression immediately became sleepy. His ears dropped slightly.

“Yes. Rest!”

He stretched his arms.

“My whole body hurts. I want to sleep!”

Jackey quickly stood. He then offered his hand toward Arianna.

Arianna looked at his outstretched hand before taking it. She stood gracefully.

“Yes. A rest would be most welcome.”

She turned toward Hyoren and Elise.

“Leader, Mentor. I bid you two a good night.”

She gave them a slight bow.

Jackey waved his arm.

“Night, Big Bro! Elise!”

Hyoren waved back.

“Good night, Arianna. Jackey.”

Elise smiled.

“Night, you two…”

Hyoren and Elise watched as Jackey and Arianna entered their tent.

Once the tent flap closed, Hyoren looked toward Elise.

“We should rest too.”

Elise smiled warmly.

“Yeah. I'm tired too.”

She stood and stretched slightly.

“Let's sleep, Hyoren.”

Hyoren nodded.

The two of them entered their own tent.

The first day of their dungeon dive on the fourth floor had come to an end. They already understood how the floor worked. It was filled with traps that slowed their progress. And hidden among those traps were tricky, but manageable, foes.

They would continue diving until they had completely mapped the floor.

But for today—they had earned their rest.

Not long afterward, the rhythmic breathing of the four members of Freedom Party echoed softly through the small dead end.

Outside, the fourth floor remained silent. Somewhere deeper in the labyrinth, traps waited in the darkness. Massive chambers waited for the next Goblin Avenger to spawn.

But inside the barrier, Freedom Party slept peacefully. A small Sanctuary in the middle of traps and exploding monsters.