For a moment, Kaiden just stood there, letting her words hang in the air.

High school memories clawed up from the pit where he had buried them. Years of misery. Years of silence. Many looked back on those days with fondness, calling them the best years of their lives. For him, they had been a cage, one Vaelira built with a single cruel smile and lies that everyone chose to believe.

And even now, years later, after the mana apocalypse reshaped the world, after Kaiden himself became something greater than he ever thought possible, she still managed to be a thorn in his side. A constant nuisance on every mission they had shared, petty and poisonous in equal measure.

So hearing her apology… it should have felt good. It should have carried the taste of vindication.

But it didn't.

There was no warmth in her words. No sincerity. This wasn't contrition; it was survival. A political play wrapped in honeyed tones. A performance to keep her seat at the table.

Kaiden's eyes drifted to his girls. Luna's lips pressed thin. Aria's brow furrowed in disdain. Nyx twirled a strand of hair, sporting a sly look that said she wasn't fooled. Bastet's golden eyes narrowed with solar fire. Even the tanned felinid understood.

He didn't need words; their faces said everything he felt. They, too, knew the apology was hollow.

Finally, his gaze slid toward Tessa.

She hadn't moved since Vaelira spoke, her expression composed yet taut. Worry lingered behind her eyes, sharp and unspoken. If Kaiden refused, their deal would bind her hand. Vaelira would be gone from the mission. That decision would ripple through her guild, through her standing as leader. Some might even question her judgment for letting it come to this.

After all, she would favor a mercenary over their sole A-tier awakened. Vaelira would be robbed of the opportunity to grow stronger just so he and his group could.

Kaiden sighed. It was a low but heavy sound. "It is clear to me you have no regrets, only that you didn't get your way. But this is business. I'll keep my true feelings to myself… for now."

He gave Tessa the smallest of nods before stepping forward, his stride carrying him toward the half-built outpost looming in the distance.

The silence behind him was sharp. Everyone knew what had just happened. Kaiden hadn't accepted the apology. He had only chosen to look away, allowing the matter to rest on the surface but not beneath it.

The air stirred with murmurs as people began moving again, but Tessa remained still for a beat longer, watching his back. She could see it plain as day: there was no satisfaction in him, no closure. Yet when she finally exhaled, it was in relief.

For now, disaster had been averted.

…

The trek toward the outpost was quiet. Boots crunched against packed earth as the wilderness around them was oddly calm for what it hid. The wind carried the scent of pine and river water, serving as a strong reminder that they weren't near any sprawling metropolis anymore.

As the camp came into clearer view, a tall figure broke from the half-built palisade and strode toward them. Diaz - lean and sharp-eyed as ever, with that perpetual poker face that made him look like he was always calculating things.

"I wonder when the masked men will jump us this time around," the rogue grumbled while extending his hand without hesitation.

"I'm shocked you survived the last time. Are you sure you got a rogue-type class and not one with cockroach powers?"

Kaiden grinned and clasped it in a firm grip, the kind that rattled shoulders and spoke louder than words. Diaz smirked, squeezing back hard enough to make it a contest.

"Is that how you should speak to the guy who nearly died because of his association with you? Maybe we should keep it all business, too," Diaz quipped, referencing how Kaiden acted toward Vaelira.

"Don't be like that. Maybe some of my charisma will rub off on you, and you won't be as hopeless around women. Worth the risk, no?"

"I'm heavily sought after by the fairer gender; I just have more important matters to focus on right now."

"Sure, buddy. I bet the chicks are drooling at your 'I'll kill you in your sleep' look."

"Screw you."

The two men broke into rough laughter, the kind that carried the weight of shared danger and hard-won trust. Somewhere along their mission, Diaz had stopped being just another professional tagalong and started feeling like the closest thing Kaiden had to a friend.

Behind them, Luna's amused giggles broke free. "The bromance is bubbling stronger than before. They're already in the matcho talk phase."

Nyx smirked and leaned closer to whisper, "Should we leave them alone? Maybe pitch a tent?"

"No!" Aria protested strongly, earning herself a very wry look from her man. Did she seriously…?

"I see the ladies are as troublesome as ever," Diaz noted with the same disgusted expression. The mere implication made him almost vomit.

Kaiden chuckled, "What can I say, they're an unruly bunch. I'm working on it."

"Master is certainly working me very strongly…" Bastet purred with zero shame, happily joining the talk between the two men.

"…"

…

The outpost itself was little more than a skeleton of walls, scaffolds, and tents stitched together in haste. It wasn't built to last; it was a foothold, nothing more. A place to rest, regroup, and fall back to if things spiraled.

And spiraling was the risk now.

After the calamity of all dungeons breaking, the cities had been the first priority. The government, guilds, and private forces had poured everything into securing urban centers. Dungeon breaks in those areas were devastating but also easier to address because teams could mobilize quickly and monsters had nowhere to hide.

But the apocalypse had never promised neatness. When the dungeons fractured, they hadn't done it one by one. They had burst open everywhere, all across the globe. Some were in subway tunnels, others beneath skyscrapers, but many bled into wild country, far from any settlement.

That was why they were here. To contain a break buried deep in obscurity, in lands few outside the locals even thought about.

This place - the reservation - had once been a camp for Native tribes, a place where traditions still lingered in carved totems and weathered stone markers. Serene, spiritual, and almost untouched by the centuries of modern advancements.

Now, that silence was only a mask. Beneath it, something hungry stirred.

Kaiden's gaze lingered on the horizon, where the forest grew thick and shadows seemed to breathe. He didn't need his system or his stances to feel it.

The dungeon's pulse was there, buried deep. A wound in the world that had yet to bleed dry.

Somehow, Kaiden couldn't help but get the feeling that this mission would be one that would change his life.

…

Author: I am aware that some of you felt the undead dungeon went on for too long. So, to those of you suffering from mild PTSD, let me reassure you that I'm aware and have no plans on repeating. I won't rush anything, but neither do I want you to get the feeling I'm dragging things out.

Thanks for all the support.

Next chapter will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.