Arthur watched quietly.
The aura around the silver squad was heavy. Not aggressive, but overwhelming. Their re presence pressed against the senses like silent pressure.
Ryn noticed Arthur and gave a small nod.
Arthur approached him.
"You look different," Arthur said quietly.
Ryn chuckled. "That obvious?"
Arthur glanced at the silver mbers nearby. "It’s them."
Ryn followed his gaze and shrugged. "This is what higher ranks feel like. You get used to it."
Arthur nodded slowly.
This really was the gap.
This was what ascending ant.
Ryn was strong. Arthur knew that much. Even the commander trusted him. Yet here, he did not stand tall the way he usually did.
And if even Ryn felt this pressure...
Arthur’s eyes shifted forward.
The captain of the silver squad stood at the center of the group.
The man was tall, broad shouldered, with short dark hair streaked faintly with gray. His armor was simple but refined, carrying marks of countless battles. His presence was calm yet crushing, like a mountain that did not need to prove its weight.
His eyes were sharp and steady. When he looked around, people straightened unconsciously.
This was authority built through strength, not title.
Arthur felt the difference imdiately.
This was not overwhelming in a chaotic way like his own power sotis was. It was controlled. Stable. Absolute.
Arthur walked forward and bowed slightly.
"Captain."
The man turned his gaze to him.
For a brief mont, Arthur felt as if he was being completely seen, asured down to his smallest detail. It was not hostile, yet it was deeply intimidating.
Then the man spoke.
"You must be Arthur."
His voice was firm, low, and composed.
Arthur nodded. "Yes, sir."
"I am Captain Van."
The na settled heavily, matching the man’s presence. Van’s expression softened just slightly.
"The commander inford about you."
Arthur said nothing, simply standing straight.
After a mont, Van turned to the group behind him.
"Gather."
The silver squad ford around them. Each carried their own quiet strength. Their armor bore different marks, their weapons varied, but they shared the sa calm confidence.
Van spoke clearly.
"We will have two additional mbers joining us for today’s mission."
He gestured toward Ryn first.
"This is Ryn. Captain of the bronze squad. E rank combatant."
The group nodded in acknowledgnt. There was no resistance, no questioning. Ryn’s reputation clearly reached them.
Then Van looked at Arthur.
"And this is Arthur."
A brief pause followed.
"F rank. No class."
Murmurs spread through the group.
Arthur remained still.
He understood their reaction. In this world, an awakened without a class was nearly unheard of. An F rank joining a silver squad mission sounded ridiculous.
He could feel their judgnt even when they said nothing.
Their eyes spoke enough.
But Van continued.
"They were personally assigned by the commander. You will treat them as part of this unit."
The murmurs faded quickly.
The commander’s authority carried weight here. No one would openly question her decision.
Still, Arthur could feel it.
They accepted the order, not him.
That was fine.
Respect could be earned.
After the introductions, Kael began the briefing.
"Our mission is to clear and investigate a mutating C rank dungeon."
The hall grew quieter.
"Ogre-type monsters confird. Abnormal growth patterns detected. Possible corruption or external influence."
Arthur’s heart beat faster.
A C rank dungeon.
The scale alone was beyond anything he had faced before. The danger was greater, but so were the rewards. More importantly, it was an opportunity.
A real test.
He felt excitent rise within him.
I can grow here.
He almost smiled.
Van’s voice cut through his thoughts.
"We move imdiately."
The squad responded in unison.
"Yes, Captain."
Arthur adjusted his armor and steadied his breathing. His nervousness remained, but it no longer controlled him. It fueled him.
As they began moving, Ryn walked beside him.
"Still excited?" Ryn asked quietly.
Arthur nodded. "More than scared."
Ryn laughed softly. "Good answer."
Arthur glanced at the silver mbers walking ahead of them. Their steps were confident, their movents efficient. They did not waste energy. They did not speak unnecessarily.
Professionals.
He clenched his fist slightly. He would stand like them.
Not as an outsider. But as an equal.
The squad exited the missions hall together, stepping into the bright morning light.
The journey to the dungeon was not what Arthur expected.
The silver squad walked like n who had done this many tis before. They joked with each other, laughed loudly, and spoke about past missions as if they were simple errands. There was no tight tension in their shoulders, no restless pacing, no constant checking of weapons every few seconds like he had seen with the bronze squads.
It was different.
Bronze ranked missions always carried a heavy air. Fear was obvious. Voices were lower, movents sharper, and every sound made soone flinch. But here, confidence replaced panic. Experience replaced doubt.
Arthur walked quietly among them, observing more than speaking.
He did not try to force conversations. That was never his nature. He preferred to watch first, to understand people before letting himself be understood. So he listened to their jokes, their casual teasing, their relaxed tone, and tried to learn what made them so certain of themselves.
Ryn was the sa.
He spoke only when spoken to, answering briefly or laughing when necessary. But unlike Arthur, the silver squad mbers treated him with clear respect. They knew his strength. They trusted his ability. Their acceptance of him was natural, as if he had walked beside them many tis before.
It felt like he belonged.
Arthur noticed it and understood sothing.
Ryn was strong enough to move to the silver rank long ago. That much was obvious. Yet he remained the captain of the bronze squad. From what Arthur had seen in other divisions, every bronze squad had a strong captain guiding them. Soone reliable. Soone experienced enough to prevent unnecessary losses.
Ryn had chosen that role.
And now, even here, he stayed close to Arthur throughout the journey.
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