“We’ve found something. We don’t know if it’s the dungeon boss, but it’s a group of extremely strong monsters.” Joaki comes running toward me while I’m resting. I’ve been fighting for almost two full days with very little sleep, and I’ve collected a ridiculous amount of monster cores.

  I’m not the only one—the owl group has gathered an absurd amount as well, possibly even more than me. They hunt with impressive efficiency, each person fulfilling their role perfectly, communicating through simple glances, and every coordinated move is admirable.

  “Seriously? Is your group ready to go? You can tell me the details on the way.” Neither of us can identify the dungeon boss with just a glance; it’s better to go directly to the source of the problem.

  “We’ll be ready in an hour. We’ll meet you at the entrance.” Joaki leaves without saying anything else, smart enough to understand that we must use this hour to its fullest. No one wants to stay trapped here—defeating the boss as quickly as possible is our best option.

  I close my eyes for a moment, preparing myself for anything. In situations like this, I must be completely focused; I don’t want anyone in this team dying to these monsters.

  The path will be dangerous. Large groups must be more careful to avoid attracting attention. If we make several mistakes, we could end up in an endless loop of monster fights, forcing us to retreat back to base or advance to a less populated zone.

  Over these past days I’ve gotten to know each member better; they’re all good people and very friendly with me. It would be a shame to see any of them die under my watch—if I can help them survive, I will.

  An hour later, I’m ready. They only carry the essentials with them; that way, we’ll have better mobility and more comfort while traveling.

  “Maki, we’ve been discussing this. On the way to the mountain, there’s a place halfway through where we can spend the night safely. It’s an area full of trees with easy access to the roots. It’ll be hard for anything to find us, and we can defend ourselves from any attack.” I nod—sounds like a solid plan.

  “The problem is that we need to move as fast as possible. If we run into too many interruptions, we could get trapped in almost endless fights with monsters all night long. Our two scouts will go ahead following the mapped route, and we’ll stay at a distance. They’ll signal us if there are monsters or if we need to change directions.” Another excellent plan, though one thing worries me.

  “I’ll go with them.” My words leave the owl leader confused. “I’ll take care of most of the monsters in our path. I can kill them in seconds and keep up with the scouts. That way, we won’t get distracted and can reach the safest point before nightfall.” They look uncertain.

  “That’ll be hard. We were planning for you to stay in the middle so you wouldn’t waste too much energy and could scout the monster nest before dawn.” So they planned to conserve their strongest weapon—smart.

  “Don’t worry, I can do both without a problem.” They still look uneasy. “If I need anything, I’ll let you know. Trust me—this is the fastest and most efficient way.” Joaki reluctantly agrees, and though the others don’t speak, their expressions reveal they think like their leader.

  I don’t want to drag out the conversation further, so I urge them to move quickly. My stamina is never an issue thanks to my life affinity; I can restore it with mana, and even sleepiness disappears with mana up to a point.

  The group moves fast. They bury their doubts in their hearts and move as one.

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  Gator is the first to advance; I follow right behind him, and the other scout watches the rear—we can’t risk being tailed by another group.

  Gator can send signals thanks to his sound affinity, communicating in coded frequencies only his team understands. It allows swift understanding of the situation ahead and more effective responses.

  Ogine, my friend, has the same affinity. They use it similarly when detecting living beings nearby—something she practices with Shawu. I haven’t seen Ogine in a real fight since she’s a healer, but according to Humyr, she can create powerful sonic waves—she’s a talented mage.

  Gator fights differently. He showed me how he uses sound magic to break defenses and stun opponents when he catches them off guard. That way he can kill them easily. He also uses sound illusions to confuse enemies when he’s discovered, allowing him to escape if they can’t track or see him.

  I follow the scout at a reasonable distance. Whenever I sense an aggressive monster, I move toward it, kill it within seconds, and rejoin the group.

  Point of view: Gator.

  Maki is incredible. I’m so happy to be in the same team as him. I consider myself one of the best scouts in my rank—I have talent, experience, and special skills. If not for an old injury to my cube when I was a teenager, I would’ve reached ruby rank years ago.

  I detect a huge feline-type monster about 80 meters from us. Before I can signal my team, Maki is already moving toward it. Not even five seconds later, the monster disappears from my radar.

  “That was fast.” He’s already back in position, perfectly distanced between both groups. Is that a spatial affinity? A sensory one? A mix? There’s no other explanation for how he detects presences so effectively and measures distances with such precision.

  Yes, it must be a combination of both. He has talent, maturity, and intelligence to leave a mark on history. Initially, we had a negative impression of him… but he proved us wrong instantly when he saved us.

  Another group of four monsters appears to my right, near a small lake. This time Maki doesn’t even get close—within seconds, the four presences vanish. “Such efficiency.” If he weren’t here, we would have slowed down or taken detours many times.

  I send signals to my teammates with those special sound codes only they can decode. The tool cost us a fortune, but its effectiveness makes it worth every coin. It solves communication issues and prevents countless problems.

  I check the mapped route as quickly as possible. We’ve been moving for hours with almost no slowdown thanks to Maki. He needs to rest before we reach the mountain, so I must be efficient.

  That group of massive white monsters is strong—strong enough to remind me of grade 4 beasts. With Maki, we have a high chance of winning, but if it were just us, we’d suffer casualties and spend a long time wearing down their defenses.

  “Finally, time to set up the hideout.” The raised roots are perfect for hiding; it feels like a small shelter formed naturally by the roots of five trees. I sense no monsters nearby—just like before, they seem to avoid this place actively.

  “This hideout is excellent. How far are we from the monster lair?” Maki appears next to me seconds later.

  “About an hour away at this pace.” I glance at the sky, now turning dark. “Traveling at night will take much longer.” Monsters get far more aggressive once the sun sets.

  “I know. Can you explain the route to me later? It’s safer if I go first alone to check.” I stare at him, confused—I thought we’d go together.

  “It’ll be more efficient if I go on my own first. I don’t need to worry about anything else and can move much faster alone.” He touches his chin while thinking. “Sorry if you misunderstood—I don’t think you’re weak. On the contrary, I think you’re strong. It’s simply more efficient this way.” Oh. I hadn’t thought that at all.

  People say I look grumpy when I’m thinking—my black eyes and messy straight hair covering them make me look angrier than I am.

  “I have no problem with it. It’s more efficient if you go alone and return. That way, we can rest and attack at dawn when they’re more vulnerable.” The purple-eyed boy smiles, and I smile back.

  Our blond, brown-eyed leader finally arrives with our black-and-pink-haired healer. Everyone gathers, and Maki explains the plan. We all agree completely.

  “I’ll return in about three or four hours.” With a smooth movement, Maki disappears from sight—jumping to the treetops and moving quickly toward the mountain.

  I install small sound systems in the trees—special bells that send a frequency alert if something approaches us.

  “Get some rest, Gator. You’ve been working hard these two days. We’ll watch over you.” Murill, our bald co-leader, suggests. I agree without protest—my body and mind desperately need rest.

  “Wake me if anything happens.” My heavy eyelids close instantly. Now I just need to recover to my best physical and mental condition for tomorrow’s challenges.