Doubts had found their answers. The quiet tension, the lingering suspicion that had weighed down the team. Especially after one of them was suspected of murder, was finally beginning to dissolve. The vague expnations, the unanswered questions… they had all been sharpened by the crity that followed near-tragedy.

  And now, every member of the team had felt it. What it truly meant to rely on one another. To stand in desperation and realize that your life might depend on the person beside you.

  In that fire-forged moment, they understood: They only had each other. And their real challenge was still ahead.

  Two mini-boss monsters. That alone was already unheard of for a Tier 3 Rift. And it reminded them. There could still be more waiting. Surprises they weren’t ready for. Dangers far worse.

  But at least now… They no longer looked at Orion with the same fear. Yes, there was still caution around the City Lord’s son, but the ordeal with Tave and Lily had opened their eyes.

  If they hadn't held on. If they hadn’t tried to trust, even when trust seemed impossible… Something far worse could have happened.

  And if they hadn't come together, truly as a team. They would have never made it this far. And they certainly wouldn't make it to the end.

  That was the true challenge of a Rift Expedition. Not the monsters. But how each person could learn to truly unite their strength with the others. Because in the end, they had no one else to rely on but each other. No unexpected help would arrive. No outsider would step in to fix what they couldn’t handle themselves.

  And once everyone had recovered, physically, mentally. They finally resumed the hunt, just like the days before. Only now, something had changed.

  This time, they fought with a sense of unity that hadn’t been there before. They moved with focus. They watched each other’s backs. They weren’t just a group anymore. They were a team.

  Tave, for now, could only rely on his second core. The Fire element. But that alone, combined with Fang’s significant boost in power, still gave them a solid edge.

  Lily, on the other hand, could no longer offer support in the way she once had. So the team adjusted. Moving more carefully, more deliberately, always keeping close, always watching out for one another.

  Another two days passed. They had now entered the fourteenth day of the expedition.

  And by Tave’s estimation, they had explored nearly 80% of the Rift’s area. They had eliminated around 60% of the monsters already.

  Even more importantly, they had secured a perimeter near the volcanic mountain. The pce they suspected the boss monster would emerge from.

  Now, it was only a matter of time. The nightmare lying at the heart of this Rift, was waiting. Just beyond the edge of silence.

  ***

  They took the time to rest again, this time not far from the volcanic mountain. The air was heavier here, warmer, but still calm, at least for now. Everyone scattered into their own routines, preparing for what y ahead.

  Tave, as usual, spent his time with Fang, sitting beside the now fully grown wolf. He shared the day’s catch, tossing a few pieces of meat Fang’s way, and gently ran his hand over the beast’s head, ruffling through the thick fur.

  The wolf sat calmly beside him, nearly as tall as Tave now. Even while seated on the log.

  “Woof… woof…”

  Fang responded with a low, affectionate rumble, nudging his muzzle closer, resting it briefly on Tave’s leg.

  Despite the wolf’s massive size and new strength, Tave could still see it. That little pup he’d once known.

  In another corner of his mind, Tave considered their spoils. They had secured a good number of monster cores so far. When this expedition ended, the resources and wealth they would walk away with wouldn’t be small.

  But the first thing he pnned to do once they left the Rift… Was to use the Monster Soul Core from the Elite Tier 3 scorpion monster.

  It was an incredibly rare item. A core from a monster that relied on mental manipution and illusion.

  He had two options: Either give it to Fang, which would no doubt grant the wolf a tremendous boost, or commission a crafted item. Something uniquely forged, perhaps at a skilled bcksmith in Deadbay City.

  But what kind of item could truly harness the power of a creature like that?

  He thought about the carapace. Durable, dark, with a faint shimmer like shadowed crystal. With its size, it could become a pair of gloves, a chest piece, or maybe even a mask.

  He’d decide ter.

  Over the past few days, Tave had noticed something… Oriana had been spending more and more time with Lily during their breaks. They weren’t just resting. They were practicing.

  Both of them had started working on one-handed hand seals. Lily with her left, Oriana with her right, as a way to support her friend.

  There were moments when Oriana would mess up, giggle at herself, and Tave could see it. Lily smiled. Sometimes even quietly ughing. They were finding small sparks of light in the dark.

  And truthfully… Oriana might be the only one in the team still able to ugh. The rest of the group had grown visibly exhausted, drained from everything they’d endured.

  They took longer breaks now, rested deeper, spoke less. They were worn down, all of them.

  ***

  That night, Tave sent Fang ahead, scouting the area around the volcanic mountain.

  And after some time. He found it. A narrow cave entrance, half hidden in the rock, almost like it didn’t want to be found. Fang had slipped through it, and now Tave sat by the fire, his eyes closed. Tapping into the wolf’s vision, broken glimpses flickering through his mind.

  It wasn’t a smooth stream. Just scattered frames. Moments.

  But it was enough.

  The tunnel led deeper. Much deeper. Into the mountain’s heart.

  And as he watched… Tave felt a chill. A quiet, crawling unease.

  He hated caves. Ever since st time… that fight… the illusions… the fire…

  He clenched his jaw and focused harder.

  There were no monsters detected along the long, winding tunnel that stretched deep into the mountain. At least, not yet. But that in itself was concerning.

  The tunnel was too long, and as Tave watched through Fang’s fragmented vision, he realized just how risky this would be for the whole team.

  If something went wrong in there, retreat wouldn’t be easy. It was a natural trap in itself.

  And worse yet, in Rifts like this… Some traps only activated when multiple people entered.

  He knew. He’d written this world that way. And now, he was half-frustrated with himself for it.

  Why had he designed this Rift to be so full of unique mechanics, traps, and monsters that couldn’t just be brute-forced? Why did it always have to be more than raw strength?

  Fang pressed on.

  Eventually, the wolf stepped into a much rger cavern chamber. A wide, open space, partially illuminated by streams of va flowing through cracks in the rock.

  Still, no monsters.

  But something else caught Tave’s attention.

  In the center of the chamber were rge circur patterns, like ritual markings carved deep into the stone. Around the edges of the chamber stood statues. Towering figures in humanoid forms, their heads adorned with… twisting horns?

  Tave's heart skipped. Frozen.

  “…Demons?”

  Hell. Fucking. Demons?!

  No way.

  A boss monster with intelligence?