No one objected.
They began making the final preparations to leave. There wasn’t much to do. The only thing remaining was to harvest the monster Lyra had killed moments ago.
Although the beasts they had hunted today were considered low-level, they were still worth money. Hides, claws, fangs, monster cores, and valuable meat all sold for decent prices. No experienced hunter would willingly leave loot behind.
Working together, they quickly carved away the valuable materials before storing everything inside their inventories.
Once they were finished, the group began making their way back.
The return journey was far more relaxed than the hunt itself.
Without monsters to worry about, conversations gradually replaced vigilance.
Stanley, unsurprisingly, became the source of most of the noise.
The bulky tank possessed an incredible talent for provoking people with an innocent face.
Unfortunately for Betty...
She fell for it every single time.
"You know," Stanley said with a thoughtful expression, "for someone so short, your temper is surprisingly tall."
Betty’s forehead twitched.
"...Say that again."
"I said your temper—"
Before Stanley could finish, Betty’s fist flew straight toward his shoulder.
Bang!
The heavily armored giant merely staggered half a step before bursting into laughter.
"Hahaha! I knew you’d fall for it!"
"You idiot!"
"You really have anger issues."
"I’ll show you anger issues!"
The two immediately began arguing again, causing Kyle to quietly move several steps away as though distancing himself from an approaching natural disaster.
Even Jonathan simply sighed before pretending not to know either of them.
Watching the familiar exchange, Kael couldn’t help shaking his head.
Those two really never got tired of this.
The journey continued amidst laughter, complaints, and Stanley’s relentless teasing.
It wasn’t long before the towering walls of the fortress city appeared before them once again.
By the time they reached the massive gates, countless hunters could already be seen streaming back from the Verdant Forest.
Some walked alone.
Others returned in full teams.
Some carried enormous monster corpses on their shoulders, while others dragged carts overflowing with harvested materials.
The day’s hunt had clearly come to an end for many people.
Although the sun still hung high above the Verdant World’s sky, Kael knew it was already close to six in the evening outside.
Just like the Sand World, this rift possessed its own flow of time.
Every rift was effectively its own independent world.
Some shared almost identical day-night cycles with Earth.
Others were completely different.
There were even rifts where the sun never set and others that remained in eternal darkness.
As a result, most hunters simply followed Earth time rather than the local world’s clock unless they deliberately intended to grind for extended periods.
After passing through the fortress gates and completing the routine identity verification, Jonathan turned toward Stanley and Betty.
"You two go sell today’s harvest."
Stanley casually saluted.
"Leave it to us."
The pair separated from the group and headed toward the marketplace.
Once they disappeared into the crowd, Jonathan turned back toward everyone else.
"It has been a long day."
He stretched his shoulders before smiling.
"I know a great place nearby that serves excellent food."
"We can eat there while waiting for Stanley and Betty to finish selling everything."
"What do you guys think?"
Although the question was directed at everyone...
Kael somehow felt Jonathan was only waiting for one person’s answer.
His eyes shifted toward Lyra almost the entire time he spoke.
Kael silently looked toward Ezra.
She simply rubbed her forehead before letting out an almost inaudible sigh.
Apparently...
She had noticed it too.
Poor guy.
He had completely lost himself.
Since nobody objected, the group decided to go.
After all, everyone had spent the entire day fighting.
A proper meal sounded wonderful.
Jonathan led them through several streets before finally stopping.
The place wasn’t some luxurious restaurant.
Instead, it was a large open-air food stall built along one side of the street.
Simple wooden tables and benches filled the surrounding area.
Dozens of hunters sat around eating, drinking, laughing, and discussing the day’s hunts.
Some celebrated successful expeditions.
Others complained about difficult monsters.
A few simply waited for their teammates to return from selling loot.
The lively atmosphere made the entire place feel surprisingly welcoming.
The group found an empty table and sat down.
Not long afterward, a waitress approached to take their orders.
As expected in a fortress city surrounded by monster-filled forests, nearly every dish revolved around monster meat.
Fresh ingredients.
Freshly cooked.
Kael scanned the menu briefly before making his decision.
"I’ll have Mudback Boar broth."
"And a serving of fresh bread."
The Mudback Boar was famous among hunters.
Its hide was as hard as iron, but beneath that thick skin lay incredibly tender meat rich with natural juices.
Preparing it as a slow-cooked broth allowed the meat to absorb every layer of seasoning while producing an equally flavorful soup.
Simple.
But delicious.
The others also placed their orders.
It wasn’t long before steaming dishes began arriving one after another.
Kael tore off a piece of bread before dipping it into the rich broth.
The aroma alone was enough to stimulate his appetite.
He took a bite.
His eyebrows rose slightly.
Jonathan hadn’t exaggerated.
The food really was excellent.
For several minutes, everyone simply focused on eating.
Conversation flowed naturally between mouthfuls of food.
Eventually...
Stanley and Betty returned.
The moment Stanley spotted the table already filled with food, he dramatically clutched his chest.
"Aww..."
"You guys already started eating without us."
"I’ve been abandoned."
Betty rolled her eyes.
"They probably wanted five minutes of peace without hearing you talk."
Stanley gasped as though struck by an invisible arrow.
"My own teammate wounds me with words."
"I’m heartbroken."
"You don’t even have a heart."
"I do."
"It’s just heavily armored."
Betty reached for the nearest spoon.
"Say one more stupid thing."
Stanley wisely raised both hands.
"I value my life."
The table erupted into quiet laughter.
Even Jonathan smiled helplessly.
Kael watched the two continue bickering while calmly eating his meal.
For a brief moment...
He genuinely wondered whether those two were secretly a couple.
The thought barely crossed his mind before he dismissed it.
Not his business.
The atmosphere remained relaxed as everyone continued eating and chatting.
For a while...
Everything felt peaceful.
Then—
WOOOOOOOOOO—!
A deafening alarm suddenly echoed across the entire fortress city.
The shrill warning siren tore through the lively streets, instantly silencing every conversation.
Hunters shot to their feet.
Expressions changed.
The cheerful atmosphere vanished in an instant.
Kael slowly raised his head, his brows knitting together as he looked toward the distant city walls.
"...What’s going on?"