Everything about the situation scread danger, and every instinct in Darius’s body told him to refuse. To walk away before he got himself in too deep.
But as he t Liam’s gaze, he realized sothing else—
He couldn’t refuse.
Not without making it obvious that he was backing down.
Not without making it clear that he was scared.
And that... was not an option.
Darius forced a grin onto his face.
"Hah... Well, I suppose it couldn’t hurt. It’s always better to have a partner, right? Let this senior show you how it is done."
He said casually, despite the fact that every fiber of his being scread at him to run.
Liam’s smile widened, but sohow, that only made Darius more uneasy.
"Good. Let’s go."
Liam said, releasing Darius’s shoulder. Liam’s smile felt predatory and it made Darious flinch when he looked at him.
Asger, still perched on Liam’s shoulder, let out an amused chuckle.
"Oh, this is going to be fun."
Darius swallowed.
No. No, it was not. He suddenly regretted everything about today, but unfortunately, he could not get a do-over.
______
The first ten minutes were tolerable.
Darius and Liam moved deeper into the dungeon together, hunting down monsters as they went. Liam took the lead, his movents precise and efficient, while Darius followed slightly behind, pretending to be at ease while keeping a close eye on Liam.
But the longer they hunted together, the more uncomfortable Darius beca.
Liam was toying with him.
He could feel it in the way Liam moved—how he always kept Darius just a little too close, how he subtly guided the flow of battle to keep Darius off balance.
It was like Liam was testing him, seeing how he would react, how he would handle the pressure.
Darius wasn’t used to this.
He was the one who was supposed to be in control.
He was the one who was supposed to be leading.
Yet here he was, being pulled into Liam’s pace, trapped in Liam’s ga.
And worst of all?
Liam wasn’t even saying anything about what had happened earlier.
He hadn’t accused Darius of anything. He hadn’t asked questions. He hadn’t confronted him.
He had just... smiled.
That silence was more suffocating than any direct confrontation could have been.
Darius clenched his fists, forcing himself to remain calm.
I can handle this.
I just need to regain control of the situation.
He watched as Liam easily dispatched another monster, his movents eerily smooth.
Darius gritted his teeth.
This kid...
Just how strong was he?
It didn’t take long for things to escalate.
As they ventured deeper, the enemies beca stronger. Larger, more intelligent creatures began appearing, moving in packs instead of alone.
Darius, despite his usual confidence, was starting to feel the strain.
Liam, on the other hand, was completely unfazed.
It wasn’t that he was just strong—it was how he fought.
Darius had fought with plenty of skilled people before, but Liam was different. There was a certain... detachnt to his actions. He wasn’t fighting with desperation or thrill. He wasn’t fighting for the sake of testing himself.
He was fighting like soone who already knew he would win.
Darius hated to admit it, but for the first ti in a long ti, he felt outmatched.
And then, just as he was about to suggest heading back—
Liam suddenly turned to him.
"There’s a stronger monster up ahead. You should handle it."
Liam said casually, like he was comnting on the weather.
Darius blinked.
"What?"
Liam tilted his head, his expression unreadable.
"I’ve seen how you fight, but I still don’t know what you’re really capable of. So go ahead. Show "
Liam said.
Darius stiffened.
He didn’t like this.
Not one bit.
But once again, he couldn’t refuse.
If he backed down now, he would be admitting weakness.
And Liam knew that.
With a forced grin, Darius rolled his shoulders.
"Alright then. Watch and learn."
He said.
And with that, he stepped forward, ready to face whatever Liam had set him up against.
As he did, he swore he heard Asger chuckling.
"Oh, this is going to be good."
Darius thought he heard the familiar speak once more, but he was too startled to even ask any question. He quietly headed deeper into the arena and ca across a monster he had never seen on the map before.
Darius froze, his eyes locking onto the massive creature before him. It was unlike anything he had encountered on the map—an enormous, darkly-shaded creature with spiny limbs, glistening claws, and a sinister aura that sent a chill down his spine.
Its eyes glowed an eerie, unsettling yellow, and its body exuded an otherworldly presence that made the air itself feel thick and heavy.
He swallowed hard, every instinct screaming at him that this was no ordinary monster.
This was sothing far more dangerous—sothing that felt like a hidden mini-boss, waiting to test everything he had.
Darius hesitated, stepping back just a fraction as he assessed the creature’s size and power. His mind raced with calculations.
No, he wasn’t ready for this. Not alone. Not with Liam standing there, watching him like so sort of spectator to his downfall.
His voice barely broke the silence, laced with a hint of panic.
"Liam... this thing... I’ve never seen it before. This could be a mini-boss. It’s way beyond what I can handle on my own."
Liam didn’t even flinch. The smile on his face was as calm as ever, but there was sothing dangerous about it.
"A mini-boss, huh? Well, I suppose I’ll let you handle it then after all, senior. It’s not like this mini-boss is enraged, so you should be able to take it."
He mused, glancing at the creature before turning his gaze back to Darius.
Darius’s heart skipped a beat. He wasn’t going to just get handed this responsibility, was he?
Liam stepped back slightly, his tone still casual, but the weight of his words was unmistakable.
"You’re the senior here, right? Show how it’s done. You wanted to prove sothing, didn’t you? Now’s your chance."
The words were like a challenge, and it was clear to Darius that backing down wasn’t an option. He grit his teeth, the pressure mounting. He had to prove himself.
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