Eddie Piscoll couldn't shake the unease that settled in as he studied Hector's side profile.
Hector Badniker had always been a cold, imposing figure, yet he was also famously well-mannered, impeccably behaved, and a paragon of noble conduct. He embodied the dignity and grace befitting his station, paired with a natural charisma and strong leadership.
To Eddie, Hector had always seemed a man worthy of being his lord. He had no doubt Hector would one day head the Badniker family.
At least, that's what Eddie had believed. But over the course of this training camp, Hector had changed, though it remained uncertain whether it was for the better. One thing was clear: Hector had softened.
At first, the change had caught Eddie off guard—unfamiliar and disconcerting. But soon, Hector's entourage came to accept this new side of him. The once-aloof Hector, now tempered by a hint of softness, appeared to have matured.
Still, even if they are half-brothers, blood is blood, Eddie mused.
When the news of Luan's disappearance first broke, Hector hadn't seemed especially shaken.
"He's too tough to die. I'm sure he's fine," Hector had remarked.
However, as the days dragged on—one, two, three—with no sign of Luan, and he was finally declared dead, Hector's reaction was striking.
Hans finally spoke, his face tense. "O-of course. F-follow me...!"
He's basically a weakling, so he probably isn't lying, Eddie thought as he followed, though another possibility lingered in his mind.
Then he glanced behind him. "Are you okay?"
Seren nodded calmly. "Yes."
After almost a month together in the same group, Eddie still found Seren difficult to approach. As a descendant of a prestigious family, she naturally exuded an air of elegance. Beyond that, it always felt as though he were hitting a wall with her. Every attempt at connecting seemed futile.
Seren had deliberately built that wall. She wanted to keep her distance from the hero disciples, avoiding deep relationships whenever possible. That was why her unexpected conversation with that eccentric individual had taken her by surprise.
Was he truly someone destined to die like that?
She wasn't sure. From the way he spoke and acted, he didn't seem like an ordinary person. Yet, if she were asked whether she had excelled at the training camp, her answer would be no. Except, perhaps, for his composure and quick thinking during that battle with Hariba, which had been extraordinary.
An unpredictable guy. But I didn't think he would die easily.
It was just a gut feeling.
There were many things about the situation that didn't add up.
Why had nothing happened during the second trial? Was it connected to the Swordmaster's sudden appearance, Juan's disappearance, and Luan's death?
It seemed likely. The problem was that Seren had no right to investigate. Aside from her status as a hero disciple, the Goodspring name she carried was more of a burden than a boon.
If I hadn't overstepped in the second trial, I wouldn't be in this mess.
Seren had been certain that disaster would strike during the second trial. Fearing the worst, she had used her Goodspring name to rally the other hero disciples and take charge.
In the end, it had all been a waste of time. Aside from a few days spent searching for Luan, the second special trial had passed without major incident.
Two hero disciples had died, but they had been killed by monsters—nothing unusual.
As a result, the disciples who had followed Seren's lead suffered significant losses. They'd spent valuable points on food and water they didn't need and walked away without any achievements to show for it.
Though Seren had led the group for a time, that failure had effectively silenced her. No one openly blamed her—not with the Goodspring name hanging over her head—but no one listened to her anymore. That was how Seren's group had ended up merging with Hector's for the final trial.
They walked along the overgrown trail, with Hans leading the way.
Eddie approached Hector and whispered, "Something feels off. I think it's a trap. That idiot doesn't even realize he's being used."
"Probably," Hector replied with a nod. "Still, we're going. If we follow him, we'll find Charon Woodjack."
"Understood."
Hector was determined to take first place. To do that, he had to defeat Charon in this trial.
His voice carried such conviction that Eddie could only nod in response.
After around half a day, Hans stopped and pointed at a dark cave. "C-Charon is in here."
Pam, one of Hector's group members, let out a sharp laugh. "Are you out of your mind? You want us to go in there?"
"T-that..."
Eddie glared at Hans. "This bastard really thinks we are idiots."
Seren, trailing behind, stared at the cave with a slightly stiff expression.
Everyone knew what this cave was and to whom it belonged.
"Let's go," Hector ordered.
The other hero disciples turned to him in alarm.
"But, Sir Hector—"
"I don't mind going alone," Hector interrupted.
There was nothing more to say once he'd made his decision clear. The others exchanged silent glances, nodded, and followed him into the pitch-black cave.
Inside, the cavern was larger and warmer than they'd expected. The ample space meant they wouldn't be easily surrounded.
"Pam, can you take the lead?" Hector asked.
"Yes." Pam nodded and looked ahead.
As she activated the Bird of Prey Blessing, her pupils dilated, and she scanned the cave. "No trap that I can see."
"What about Charon?"
"I sense someone at the far end. Just one, but I can't tell if it's him," she replied.
"Good work."
The cave was broad, but not particularly deep. Soon, they reached a spacious chamber.
" Ugh... " Pam wrinkled her nose at the stench.
The smell was overpowering—rotting flesh. Even nobles accustomed to pampered lives could recognize it. Decayed meat and piles of white bones littered the ground. At the center of it all sat a massive rock, with Charon seated upon it.
"The Cave Master must be away," Charon's deep voice echoed. "It likely went out to hunt. From what I know, it returns at sunset, so we have about two hours."
"So?" Hector asked. "You didn't bring us here just to hunt that thing together, did you?"
"Of course not."
Hector looked around and asked, "You are alone?"
Charon chuckled and jumped off the rock.
At that moment, several hero disciples appeared out of nowhere.
Pam frowned. I'm sure no one was there a second ago.
"It's Shinba's Shrinking the Earth Blessing," Charon explained. "It can only be used twice a day. It's a form of teleportation."
Hector narrowed his eyes. "What are you up to?"
"Our groups' strengths are equal," Charon said, his tone almost mocking. "It means you can't win easily."
"So?"
"I decided to take advantage of the environment. From what I've seen, none of your eight have movement-based blessings," Charon said, pausing briefly. "We can't kill you. But the Cave Master? That's another matter."
So that's his plan.
"From here on, it's a trade," Charon stated. "Drop all the orbs and walk away. Do that, and we'll let you go."
At last, Hector understood. The corners of his mouth curled into a smirk. "And if I refuse?"
"Then you'll have to fight us. At least until the Cave Master returns. Once it does, we'll use the Shrinking the Earth Blessing to retreat," Charon replied.
Hector scoffed.
Everyone knew how strong the Cave Master was. The current Hector didn't stand a chance. He even wondered if the creature had ever been meant to be defeated at all.
"Don't touch the other hero disciples' orbs," Hector said.
"What?"
"Your target is me, right? I'm the only one whose score threatens yours," he pointed out.
Charon fell silent.
"Let's cut the nonsense and settle this one-on-one. The winner takes the orbs. If I lose, I won't complain," Hector said.
"Why would I agree to that?" Charon tilted his head. "You're weaker than I am. Fighting you would just wear me down. I've got no interest in wasting energy on a pointless brawl."
"Don't you have any pride?" Hector asked.
"A hunter's pride is measured by the value of his prey. Not like the hollow pride of you nobles," Charon replied coldly.
Hector had no comeback.
"Actually, I'm curious, Hector Badniker. Why are you so obsessed with being number one? Is it because you're a Badniker? Or did Luan Badniker's death shake you that badly?" Charon's voice carried genuine puzzlement. "I don't get it. He wasn't even killed during the trial. He vanished after sneaking out of camp in the middle of the night."
"You—"
Charon cut him off, "With skills like his, he wouldn't have survived the next trial anyway. Isn't it better that you didn't see his corpse?"
Hector sneered. "You talk too much. Sounds like you aren't confident in a one-on-one fight."
At that, the long-silent Zeros stepped forward. "How typical of a Badniker heir, resorting to cheap provocation. As Charon said, we have no reason to take that risk."
"How interesting." Charon interrupted.
"Charon?"
Charon said while drawing his dagger, "Let's change the terms. You and I will fight, and the losing group hands over all their orbs."
"That..." Hector hesitated.
"Accept it, Sir Hector," Eddie urged.
When Hector turned, he saw his fellow members' smiling faces.
"Show them!"
"Show them just how strong you've become during this training camp!"
"I believe in you, Sir Hector...!"
"You guys..." Hector returned their smiles, then turned to face Charon. "Fine. I accept."
"Come, little flower," Charon taunted. "I'll show you I'm no greenhouse bloom like you."
As the two hero disciples burned with fighting spirit, Seren thought, I never agreed to any of this.
***
About an hour had passed since I entered the Butterfly Forest. I'd been walking at a leisurely pace, and nothing out of the ordinary had happened so far.
"The air feels nice. Come to think of it, this is the first time I've explored the Butterfly Forest with such a calm mindset," I murmured.
Untouched by the invasion of Dark Qi, the forest was stunning. The greenery was so thick it cast the area in shadow, and the towering trees formed a dense, almost majestic canopy. If not for the monsters, this place could've easily been turned into a tourist destination.
Just then, a thunderous roar rang out.
If not for monsters...
I saw three bear-like monsters charging toward me—a black bear, a white bear, and a brown bear. Their oversized fangs and claws were a clear sign they were far from ordinary animals.
The white bear led the charge. I dodged its strike as its massive paw slammed into a nearby tree.
The tree trembled violently as leaves cascaded to the ground. Even a knight with a shield would be crushed by a proper hit from one of those headbutts.
Despite their size, their movements were surprisingly swift. Their thick skin and muscle made it nearly impossible to hit their vital spots.
That was all there was to them, though.
In half a breath, I cut down all three with the Seven Sins Sword using a technique modeled after the Iron-Blooded Lord's swordsmanship I'd witnessed shortly before my regression.
No matter how vicious these monster bears were, they were far weaker than demons. The three fell to the ground, and their corpses soon vanished in a burst of light, leaving only three blue orbs in their place.
Oh, so that's how it works. Is this magic? Magic is truly a fascinating field of study.
" Aish. Blue ones. What were those again? Ten or fifteen points?" I muttered.
In any case, they weren't worth twenty-five points, so the blue orbs didn't mean much to me. Maybe they would be useful later.
I juggled the orbs and continued on my way. It wasn't long before I sensed another presence—a monster, again.
" Hm? "
This time, however, there was more than just a monster. I could hear human battle cries. It seemed that some hero disciples were nearby.
Were they in the middle of a fight?
I tucked the orbs away and sprinted toward the noise.
It didn't take long to reach the scene. Beneath the trees, I spotted a few familiar faces—Evan, Mir, and Charles.
It's been a while, I thought, though it felt more like yesterday. Still, for some reason, I genuinely felt glad at seeing them, as if we were reunited after a long time.
Had they just finished their battle? They were panting and looked a bit worse for wear.
"The three of us managed to kill it, but it is only a green orb?" Charles complained.
"Let's take it for now. It might come in handy later," Evan suggested.
"Got it!" Mir replied.
There was a disciplined efficiency to their movements.
As expected from the Badnikers' training camp. They called it Six Weeks of Despair for a reason. These three were on a whole new level compared to when I had last seen them.
I coughed lightly to announce my presence.
All three jumped and looked up at the tree where I stood.
"Hey. Long time no see," I greeted them.
A heavy silence followed.
Evan blinked. "Un—"
Un?
"An undead-type monster! Prepare for battle!" he shouted.
The three of them immediately surrounded me, moving in perfect sync.
These bastards have fully adapted to the Badnikers' training camp.