"So, tell , brother. Do you enjoy handing out money for information like that?" Estelle asked, her voice laced with playful curiosity.
"Well, at tis, it's a necessity," I replied, keeping my tone indifferent.
People act based on two things: pleasure and money. Without one or the other, no one moves. It's a fundantal truth—one that dictates how the world operates. That's why, in this era, one must indulge or entice others with either to bend them to their will. It's the perfect thod—to loosen their tongues, to keep them in your pocket, ensuring they remain useful when the ti cos.
Estelle let out a soft hum before flashing a knowing smile.
"I see. I suppose you must have had a rather rough start in life to think that way," she mused, hands folded behind her back.
Her pace was light and carefree as she skipped along the path, her long black hair swaying with each step. Despite our destination—a dungeon teeming with dangers—she looked as though she were rely out for a leisurely stroll. From ti to ti, monsters lunged at us from the darkness, but they were nothing more than nuisances. With swift, effortless strikes, we dispatched them before they could even register our presence.
Considering we were both part of Lilith, this level of ease was expected. Yet, I couldn't help but feel unsatisfied. There was no thrill—no challenge.
I craved more.
Then, voices carried through the air, rough and urgent.
"I already told you! I swear, I'm telling the truth! There's a monster inside—sothing beyond anything I've ever seen! Maybe even beyond anything any of you have seen! That thing… It isn't just a monster. It's a nightmare made real!"
"Calm down, Bathron. What exactly did you see that got you this shaken?"
A sharp inhale. A mont of silence. Then—
"I saw a demon."
That piqued my interest. That certainly sounded serious.
"Should we move forward, big bro?" Estelle asked, her steps slowing as she listened in.
Just ahead, the gaping maw of the dungeon entrance lood, its darkness swallowing the light. A cluster of adventurers stood at the threshold, their voices tense as they exchanged words.
"No, let's wait. I want to hear more," I said, my gaze locked onto the scene.
There was no reason to ignore free information when it presented itself.
"Like I said before—information costs money. If we co across so without spending a di, we'd be fools not to take it."
Estelle rely shrugged, lips curling into an amused smile.
"A demon?" one of the adventurers pressed. "What do you an by that?"
Bathron, I'm assuming his na was, swallowed hard. His skin had gone pale, his hands shaking as he clutched his own arms. When he spoke, his voice was hollow, laced with the kind of fear that etched itself into a man's bones.
"It wasn't just a monster," he said, his breath unsteady. "Even the creatures inside the dungeon—vicious, bloodthirsty beasts—they stood no chance. The mont I heard its voice, I knew I was dead. And those eyes… those glowing green eyes that stared at from the abyss… it was as if the abyss itself had co alive to devour whole."
His body trembled violently now, the mory clawing at his sanity.
"And its fur—thick, long, a sickening shade of green. Just being near it… it felt like the air was being sucked out of my lungs, like the weight of its presence alone was enough to crush . I've seen horrors in my ti, but nothing—nothing—like this. There was no other way to describe it… It was a demon. And the monster we were fighting? It didn't even have ti to react. It was torn apart before our eyes. We never stood a chance. Its speed—"
His words faltered. His breathing grew erratic.
It was pure, unfiltered terror.
But then—
Sothing stirred in the back of my mind.
Green hair. Green eyes.
A chill ran down my spine. The description was oddly… familiar.
"Hiiik!?"
A strangled cry ripped through the group. Instantly, weapons were drawn, the air thick with tension. Every muscle in the adventurers' bodies coiled like a spring, ready to unleash their fear-driven instincts at the slightest provocation.
And then—
From the dungeon's entrance, sothing glead.
A pair of luminous erald orbs, piercing through the darkness like twin beacons of death.
No—those weren't just lights.
They were eyes.
"The demon! The demon!"
One of the adventurers shrieked, voice cracking under sheer panic, before turning and bolting without a second thought.
Like a dam breaking, the others followed suit. Their weapons clattered to the ground, abandoned in their desperation to escape. Footsteps thundered as they scattered in every direction, fear overriding reason.
But what erged from the abyss was no demon.
A woman stepped forward.
Her hair, a deep, forest green, cascaded in wild waves down her back. Her erald eyes glead with sothing unreadable, their depths unfathomable. Draped over one shoulder was the massive corpse of a slain beast, its blood still trickling down her arm.
She stood there, unbothered. Unfazed.
And with a single glance, I knew—
This was no ordinary woman.
I had finally found her. Rose was here.
She erged from the dungeon's entrance, bathed in the dim light that barely outlined her silhouette. Draped over her shoulder was the hulking corpse of a monstrous, bear-like creature, its lifeless form dangling as if weightless in her grasp. Without hesitation, she turned and vanished into the distance, swallowed by the shadows.
I didn't follow her. Now wasn't the ti. Just laying eyes on her again was enough.
A voice pulled back.
"Are you sure you don't want to talk to her, big bro? She was one of your lovers, wasn't she?"
Estelle's gaze lingered on , her golden eyes sharp with understanding. She had already pieced it together—Rose and I shared a past. She had once been mine.
"It's not necessary right now." My voice was steady, but the weight in my chest lingered.
"Is that so? Well, I suppose that's fine." She shrugged, her expression unreadable. Then, with a slight smirk, she gestured ahead. "Now then, shall we?"
With that, we stepped forward and entered the dungeon.
The mont we crossed the threshold, the air shifted. A suffocating pressure wrapped around us like an unseen force, thick with raw mana that crackled against my skin. It was potent—almost terrifying.
"Are you really going in unard?" I asked, glancing at Estelle.
"It's fine." She chuckled, completely unfazed. "With my ability, I can handle myself. Besides, I have you, big bro."
She flashed a grin, her confidence unwavering.
"I suppose that's true."
Considering she could end lives with a re flick of her fingers, the idea of her carrying a weapon felt almost redundant.
I conjured a fla at my fingertips, the flickering light casting shifting shadows against the damp stone walls. The further we walked, the more oppressive the mana beca, its presence slithering through the air like unseen tendrils.
The deeper we ventured, the heavier it grew.
"Big bro." Estelle's voice cut through the stillness. "Looks like people have been mining here."
I glanced around, noting the fresh marks carved into the walls, the scattered debris from excavation.
"You're right."
Glinting in the dim light, raw gemstones jutted from the cavern walls like exposed veins of treasure. Even within the first hundred ters, the sheer quantity was staggering. If this was only the surface, then how deep did this dungeon's wealth truly go?
Then—movent.
Up ahead, two figures lurked in the darkness. Their features were obscured, their presence almost ghostly in the absence of light. Instinctively, my muscles tensed, but as they stepped closer, the fire illuminated their faces.
Familiar faces.
"Huh? Leon? And Estelle? What are you two doing here?"
Raymond's eyes widened in shock, his voice laced with confusion.
Beside him, Duncan mirrored the sa stunned expression.
"That's what I should be asking you two." My gaze sharpened. "You've been missing from the academy for weeks now. I was beginning to wonder where the hell you both had disappeared to."
Estelle crossed her arms. "Yes, I accompanied Senior Leon because I was just as concerned."
For weeks, they had been nothing more than ghosts—vanished without a trace.
And now, at last, we had found them.
***
We decided to take our conversation outside the dungeon. The oppressive darkness within swallowed sound and sight alike, making it an inappropriate place for any aningful discussion. The air was thick with mana, and the lingering scent of damp stone and earth made it all the more stifling.
Once we stepped outside, the contrast was stark. The cool breeze brushed against my skin, a refreshing change from the suffocating atmosphere inside. The sky stretched overhead, vast and open, offering a much-needed sense of clarity.
I turned to them, my expression firm.
"So? Why exactly are you two here?" My gaze flicked between them, scrutinizing their uneasy postures. "Well, considering you ca to a place like this, I can only assu you're after wealth. But that doesn't make sense—not for you two. You've always been more focused on academics and securing your futures first. So why are you suddenly trying to conquer a dungeon? And adventurers, at that?"
Duncan and Raymond exchanged nervous glances. Their hands instinctively rose to the backs of their heads, scratching awkwardly as if buying ti to piece together an answer.
Finally, Duncan sighed and spoke.
"Well, uh... we wanted to impress Estelle."
I raised an eyebrow. "Really? Of all the ways to impress soone, you thought throwing yourselves into life-threatening danger was the best choice?"
Raymond winced. "I know, I know. You're right." He exhaled heavily, his shoulders sagging. "But we don't have anything else to offer. We're still in our second year, Leon. No solid professions, no real achievents that would make us stand out. You get what we an, right?"
He continued, his voice quieter but no less resolute. "Our futures aren't guaranteed. We're still stuck in the bronze class, and if we don't do sothing now, we might never break free from diocrity. This… this was our chance to change that."
I studied them for a mont. Their desperation was evident, etched into the creases of their furrowed brows and the uncertainty in their eyes.
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