"You really don’t mind leaving right now?" Martin asked the Five Star Chef.
Samu waved a hand. "Count it as a break!"
"Thanks," Martin replied.
He’d asked if he could spend the entire day in the Spring Kitchen, only to ask for a break so soon. It felt awkward, but he hadn’t expected Kill Clause to reach out this quickly, either. With his reliable companion already taking another nap, Martin headed to the Light Tree Hub.
Kill Clause was easy to find. As friends in-ga, her icon was already on his minimap.
She turned out to be a female archer in beginner clothes. No new gear equipped, just default starter gear, like NukEncore and Chaosgraphy had been at the start.
Probably because she hadn’t played the dungeon challenge last week. Still, if she was in Night Espresso, she had to be competent.
She noticed Martin, too. For a second, her eyes sharpened as she sized him up. It reminded him of his boss reviewing his weekly report.
Her fingers brushed the bowstring at her shoulder, a small, unconscious check. For a heartbeat, her expression softened, almost nostalgic.
The stare didn’t last. She closed her eyes and waited for him to approach.
"Hey. Nice to et you outside chat," Martin said. "I’m Emperoar, a new mber of Night Espresso. Looking forward to tomorrow." He smiled.
Kill Clause’s expression softened. "You sound too stiff. I’m not your boss. Relax, okay?"
"Haha. Right. Sorry," Martin said.
That first impression, so much like his boss, was why he’d co off stiff.
He cleared his throat. "Are you also a new guild mber? New to the dungeon, too?"
"Yes," Kill Clause said, giving a small nod. "You’d know that if you used guild chat. I asked about you, but you haven’t talked to anyone yet, so no one knows who you are."
Martin rubbed the back of his neck, awkward. "Fair. I joined the guild and accepted your friend request. You were offline, so I was heads-down training."
Oh man. I think she’s older than , but the way she’s lecturing reminds of my bosses. She probably doesn’t an anything by it and is just blunt, but it can get on my nerves...
It was true, though. Martin should’ve at least said hello. She was so obviously right that he couldn’t even get annoyed.
"That’s good," Kill Clause said. "I cleared the Level One Dungeon today and picked up a few tricks. It’s been fun. I shot a lot back in school." The corner of her mouth lifted. "I didn’t realize how much I missed it until I logged in. So don’t worry about my basics. I’ve also learned more about my class and its purpose."
Martin nodded once. "I don’t doubt you’re a strong player. Cassandra wouldn’t invite useless people to her guild. Let’s just make sure our goals are aligned. Two objectives: place as high as possible in at least three categories for weekly rewards, and find unique bosses."
"Unique bosses like the lake boss?" Kill Clause asked.
Martin nodded. "Yeah. But I wouldn’t go for that one."
"Why?" she asked.
His smirk widened. "Because I’ve already defeated the Baby Kraken slumbering in the lake."
Sure, it was a flex, but it was also a valid reason not to pursue that particular boss.
Before Kill Clause could retort, Martin spoke first.
"I learned that defeating monsters in the Light Tree’s dungeons feeds the Forest Hidden Monster Hunter Academy proper rewards," he explained. "The Baby Kraken’s at is already listed now. I see it as hidden reputation we can turn into real standing for ourselves and the guild."
From work, Martin knew results mattered most. He wanted the guild’s results to be more than a leaderboard score. To do that, he had to push deeper into the Level One Dungeon.
No one knew the real breakthrough, or even how to finish the dungeon, since each run lasted only one hour.
There was a lot to explore, and not every player could access it.
This was a chance Martin couldn’t miss.
Kill Clause listened and felt quietly impressed. Sothing in her gaze shifted, like she’d re-evaluated him.
For a mont, her thoughts surfaced anyway.
Martin Ross had clearly thought his dungeon plan through, and he’d taken down the lake monster, which she’d found troubleso, too. Very well, Martin Ross. You’ve caught my attention more than most so far.
"I’m on board with your plan," Kill Clause said. "Have you played with a Ranger yet?"
Martin shook his head.
"Let’s head to the training grounds, then," Kill Clause said, walking past him like she already knew he’d follow.
A tiny misstep, but she didn’t let it show.
Soon enough, they took an empty ring, a single dummy waiting across from them. Kill Clause pulled her bow off her shoulder and stepped into a shooting stance, an arrow nocked.
"First skill is Aid Shot," she said. "The longer I draw, the more weight and damage I put into the arrow. It takes skill to keep the trajectory steady, but that’s easy for ."
She released.
The arrow struck dead center, showing both perfect accuracy and the force behind the shot.
Martin nodded. "I see."
It was best NukEncore didn’t learn how deep this skill went... otherwise, she might burn with jealousy.
"It’s a critical-friendly skill," Kill Clause continued. "It lets deal big damage and finish off monsters. The second skill is Crippling Arrow, and it’s the one I enjoy most."
She drew again, bow taut, arrow nocked and sighted on the dummy.
Even with her muscles straining, she spoke like it was casual.
"Hit the leg and they’re stuck. Hit the head and they’re stunned. Anywhere else, I can cripple them in different ways. It’s an imnsely versatile skill," she said. "It takes skill. A lot of it."
Kill Clause released the arrow, neatly hitting the dummy’s forehead.
It froze in place.
Martin whispered, "Aweso."
"And here’s the third skill you might like," Kill Clause said, teasing him. "This one’s why we’ll cooperate so well."
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