anwhile, the ogres grew increasingly desperate. They attempted to surround Arthur, using their bodies to shield the second class ogres. Their movents beca rougher, more aggressive, yet also more coordinated.
The commander quickly saw their intention.
"Don’t let them reach him!" he shouted.
The squad tightened their containnt.
Ryn moved again without being told, intercepting an ogre that tried to push past the formation. His strikes were sharp and efficient, driving the monster back step by step.
Arthur continued his work.
He no longer felt the pressure from earlier. The fear, the tension, the chaos that once filled the battlefield had faded. What remained was focus.
He watched and felt the flow of tainted mana in the air and moved with it, striking at the precise mont each ti a second class ogre attempted to gather power.
Each interruption weakened them.
Each failure broke their rhythm.
And slowly, the overwhelming threat they once posed faded.
With two ogres down, the squad gained more freedom to pressure the remaining enemies. Their coordination improved further, and soon the captain found opening after opening.
He entered the fray like a storm.
One ogre fell.
Then another.
His attacks beca faster, more decisive, each strike carrying the weight of growing montum. What once seed like an impossible fight was now turning into a controlled execution.
At last, only the second class ogres remained.
Without their support, without their devastating skills, they were no longer the terrifying threat from before. They were still dangerous, still powerful, but they were alone.
And the squad did not hold back.
All the frustration they had endured, all the fear and pressure from earlier, poured into their attacks. Blades struck relentlessly, spells exploded against massive bodies, and shields drove the monsters into helpless positions.
One by one, the creatures fell.
The final ogre let out a fading roar before collapsing to the dungeon floor.
Silence followed.
A heavy, overwhelming silence.
Then the tension broke.
One after another, the explorers dropped to the ground where they stood, their weapons slipping from exhausted hands. Their chests rose and fell rapidly as they struggled to steady their breathing.
They had survived.
Arthur lowered his dagger and allowed himself to relax as well. The sharp focus left his eyes, replaced by quiet fatigue. He rolled his shoulders slightly and exhaled.
"That was... rough," he muttered.
The captain surveyed his squad, then nodded.
"Check yourselves. Treat the wounded. We move after recovery."
His tone was firm, yet there was clear relief behind it.
The squad’s healer stepped forward imdiately, moving from one injured explorer to another. Soft light spread from her hands as she treated the deeper wounds first, closing torn flesh and easing pain while others supported the injured.
The battlefield slowly settled.
Heavy breathing, quiet groans, and tired laughter filled the air.
And among them, Arthur stood silently, watching.
The battle was over.
And the dungeon felt quieter after the fight, but it wasn’t peace. It was the kind of silence that ca after sothing violent. Heavy breathing. The sll of blood. The low glow of fading mana still hanging in the air.
Arthur stood a little apart, watching the healer move from one person to another. Light wrapped around torn flesh, closing wounds slowly. So of the explorers sat with their backs against the rough stone walls, heads lowered, trying to steady their breathing.
He wasn’t as drained as the rest.
But he reached into his pouch, pulled out a mana potion, and took a small sip.
Warmth spread through his veins almost instantly. The slight dullness in his limbs vanished, and the fatigue that had begun to creep in disappeared. He rolled his shoulders once and flexed his fingers.
"Not bad," he muttered to himself.
He could keep going.
The others weren’t that lucky.
Even after healing, exhaustion lingered on their faces. Their bodies had taken hits, their mana reserves had dipped too low, and the tension of almost losing still clung to them.
But none of them suggested resting longer.
They all knew better.
If they stayed in one place too long, the dungeon would adjust. More monsters could gather. The corruption in the air might thicken. Things could get worse.
So when the captain stood up, everyone straightened.
"Collect the cores. Weapons too," he ordered.
They moved imdiately.
The fallen ogres were large, and extracting their cores wasn’t easy work. The heavier weapons were gathered, valuable parts cut cleanly. No one argued over anything. No one tried to claim more than their share.
When everything was collected, the captain took charge of dividing the loot.
Arthur watched quietly as he handed portions out, speaking each person’s na before giving them their share. It was simple and fair. No tension. No greed.
When the captain stopped in front of Arthur, he held out a portion.
"Your share."
Arthur blinked slightly before taking it.
"Thanks."
He guessed this was how it was normally done in proper squad missions. Fight together. Share together.
Back in the bronze squad, things hadn’t been like this. He had separated himself from group missions, working alone most of the ti. It was simpler that way. Less to rely on. Less to explain.
But today felt different.
They had fought like a team.
It felt... right.
His only regret was small but persistent.
He hadn’t claid a single kill.
Most of the ogres had fallen under the captain’s axe. Arthur had disrupted, supported, created openings, but he hadn’t landed the final blows.
Which ant no direct intent points from them.
He stared down at his hands briefly.
A C rank monster... how much intent would that give?
He had already discovered that intent points scaled with rank. Higher rank, greater reward. The thought lingered in his mind. He wasn’t greedy, but he was curious. Growth mattered to him.
He was still thinking when the captain spoke again.
"Arthur."
He looked up.
The captain didn’t just hand him the pouch and walk away. He stood there a mont longer.
"Let thank you properly," he said, voice steady. "Your contribution saved lives today."
A/N:
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