Cutting the mana stones out of every last rat they had killed in the dungeon took them a couple of hours, and by the end they were numb. Disgusting as it might have been, rummaging through a monster’s offal for the shiny prize was still worth it.
They would all receive a part of the prize money for clearing the dungeon, but since it had to be divided by five, the amount each of them would receive wasn’t anything worth writing home about.
However, considering how many rats they had killed, their monetary gains from the whole expedition would still be satisfying. They wouldn’t make the entire amount, as most of the carcasses would have to be left behind - there simply wasn’t much request for H-rank rat materials - but at least the Boss should net them a decent bonus.
The creature had been attuned to darkness, a rare enough type that it should sell well on the market, especially now that the AA would take care of all those pesky bureaucratic annoyances for them.
All in all, I’m going to bring back home as much as when I cleared the squirrel dungeon by myself, but this time my leg didn’t have to get mauled. Worth it.
As for the System gains, defeating the Boss alongside Lauren ended up netting James a whole new level, bringing him up to nine, meaning he had gotten three levels from the run.
He decided not to immediately assign the stat points in agreement with his teammates. Since the danger was over, they could take the time to review their actions, reevaluate their mistakes, and learn from what others might have observed.
They’d all assign the points before the next dungeon run, after Miss Walker had also given her opinion.
Since all the gains had to be divided between five people, James felt three levels was a fantastic result. Not all H-rank dungeons would be as densely populated as the one they had just completed, but if he could maintain a similar rhythm, he’d rank up in no time.
All members of Team 0, by the time they were done with the clean-up and the last sweep through, just to make sure they hadn’t missed anything, were bone tired. Their attributes ensured their bodies and minds could still keep going, but the constant stress of fighting in low light, in a horribly smelly environment, against ugly, dirty monsters had taken its toll.
When they finally emerged from the dungeon, they barely had the wherewithal to high-five each other, unanimously deciding to leave the celebrations for tomorrow.
Unfortunately for them, someone seemed determined to stop them from getting their well-deserved rest.
“So this is where you had scurried out to, Summers. It shouldn’t have surprised me that you lived in the sewers, you little rat.” The sight of Callum Wright swaggering up to the lighthouse parking lot alongside a group of his cronies was not what James expected.
He was honestly too tired to deal with him, but still managed to contain himself, knowing that the older boy would pounce on any perceived provocation. “That’s very funny.” He deadpanned “Unfortunately, as you can see, we just finished a job, so we really need to get going.”
James could feel the confusion radiating from his teammates, but thankfully, they decided not to interfere for the moment.
“I can see you managed to beg your way into the AA. What, no decent guild wanted to take you on?”
Callum Wright was someone who never had to work a day in his life for what he had, and that was what annoyed James the most. He was born into a wealthy family, his father being a big-shot lawyer. He was tall and, objectively, handsome. When he Awakened, he was scouted by the Radiant Guild, a subsidiary of the Golden Sun, and had been cultivated as a talent enough to have reached E-rank. It wasn’t a world-shattering talent, but it was enough that he could brag about it. Most Awakeners only reached E-rank after three or four years, compared to his two.
All of this, mixed with having been dumped by Sally after only a couple of months of dating, he had developed a nasty personality and an obsession with putting down people who tried standing up to him, or even just what he considered the natural order of things.
James had never directly antagonized him, but his closeness with Sally, especially since she had agreed to go out with him after having rejected Callum for so long, must have immediately made him an enemy. Adding that now James had Awakened too, he couldn’t have been more infuriating.
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
James understood all of this, but he sincerely didn’t care. Callum could stay the warped, twisted version of a popular jock as long as he wanted, never addressing his problems, for all that he cared.
“That’s exactly right. I had no choice but to go to the AA, and luckily, a spot had opened up just in time.” It wasn’t so much that James cared enough to respond to him, but Miss Walker had been very clear in that they needed to say that if any guild member ever asked them questions.
The AA was trying to let the Dawn Initiative fly under the radar for as long as possible, and James certainly wouldn’t be the one to uncover them.
Seeing that he wasn’t getting the reaction he wanted, Callum got closer to James until he could look at him down his nose. “I don’t like your tone, boy. Lest you forget, this is Radiant territory.”
Sensing that his teammates were starting to lose their patience, James sighed. “We were here because your Guild didn’t clear this dungeon, nothing more. Now, if you please, we need to go. The driver is expecting us.”
Rather than backing off, Callum’s eyes got flintier and a wicked smile formed. “I can see that you worked hard, yes.” He said, looking at where Daniel was lugging the Boss’ carcass. “Maybe we can help, take some of the weight off you.”
And there it is, extorting an AA team, why not. This is so damn stupid. If I didn’t know that he could kick my ass without a sweat, I would have dropped him by now. But this bastard is actually quite strong, unfortunately.
“Alright, that’s enough. Do you think stealing directly from the AA is a good idea? Also, who the fuck are you, even?”
James sighed, having known that Lauren wouldn’t be able to keep her mouth shut for long.
Callum’s gaze finally left James’ eyes and slowly roved over the Italian-American girl, stopping languidly over her chest. “Now, now beautiful. There is no need for that tone. You see, me and Summers are old friends. I was just offering to help carry the heavy stuff, since you must be so tired from clearing the dungeon.”
“As you can see, we have it perfectly handled. No need for you to dirty your hands.” Came the reply, Lauren not batting an eye at the smarmy tone Callum had used.
“There is a problem, you see.” One of the E-rank Awakener’s goons joined in. “The time limit might have expired over our lease, but we couldn’t make use of it because we also had to ensure everyone’s safety while we searched for every entrance. You only got to the Boss thanks to our information, after all.” His voice was smarmy enough that James would have dismissed him out of hand, but this one had a glint of intelligence in his eyes that the others lacked.
“Yeah, Lucas is right. We did all the hard work, and now you swoop in and get the rewards. It’s just not right.” Callum added, smirking at his companion.
The most frustrating thing is that I know he must already have more money than he can spend. He’s just doing this because he’s a thug and a bully.
The sound of something heavy being dropped made everyone turn, and they saw that Daniel had let go of the Boss. He was readjusting his uniform and had unlatched his shield, apparently preparing for a fight.
Seeing the questioning looks, Daniel shrugged. “They seem to want a fight. I don’t think we’ll be able to convince them otherwise.”
“You are an idiot then.” Lucas, the smarmy goon commented “We’re all G-rank, and Callum is E-rank. Rookies like you wouldn’t even count as an appetizer for us.”
It rankled James that he was right. That was the unfortunate reality of the world they lived in. Since strength was needed to protect human society from the ever-encroaching darkness, those who possessed it were afforded immense privileges.
Even amongst the Awakeners, the tyranny of rank still reigned supreme. An E-rank could do whatever they wanted to an H-rank, unless they had substantial backing. And however much James would have liked to think that Miss Walker would have come to their rescue, she wasn’t here now, and even then, her hands would be tied when clashing with an entire guild.
“Oh yes, I know that.” Daniel added, apparently unconcerned. “You swagger too much to be weaklings. But if I have to choose between being robbed blind of my hard work and at least putting up a fight, I’ll take the second any day.”
Callum snorted “Well, at least he has some balls. But do the rest of you want to get beaten up so badly? You girls must know that it’s not a good idea.”
“Well, I’m not someone to abandon my friends in a time like this.” Lauren sighed before smirking. “And at least, the harder you beat us, the worse it’ll be for you. It’s true that we wouldn’t be able to do much if you just take our stuff, since a complaint will get lost in the bureaucracy. But physical signs of a fight are a different thing entirely.”
Lucas’ eyes narrowed, a snarl forming on his lips as he stalked closer to the girl “If you think your pathetic little organization will be able to do anything to us beyond a slap on the wrist, you are mistaken. You’ll be in the hospital for a long while by the time I’m done with you.” The way he stared directly at her bust made it very clear what he intended to do.
James grit his teeth, preparing for a surprise attack so that he could at least take the would-be rapist out before he could enact his plans, when a thunderous clap from above stopped them all.
There, wreathed in golden light, was the man who had come to his house to in part threaten and in part entice James to join his Guild. Which, if he remembered correctly, was exactly the Radiant Guild, while he was part of the Golden Sun, it’s mother company.
“Alright kids, you had enough fun. This is not the time nor the place to get into a scrap. Let the AA team leave, we all have better things to do.”
The man, Bradley Esposito, wore a costly-looking suit and kept glancing at a golden pocket watch. The mere fact that he could fly without aid meant he must have been a high ranker, and the Golden Sun emblem sewn into his waistcoat and tie made it clear what organization he belonged to.
Seeing that his superior was not amused at his antics, Callum tsked, giving one last venomous look at James “You won’t always get this lucky, Summers.”
Once again calling upon all his patience and Willpower, the Thakinetic did not respond, merely giving a curt nod and gesturing for his teammates to follow him.
“I’ll explain when we get back.” He murmured, getting nods from everyone, and they quickly moved past the Radiant members under Esposito’s watchful gaze.
The driver who had accompanied them, Mr. Robinson, was still where they left him, though he was holding a handkerchief to his forehead to wipe copious sweat, apparently having witnessed the entire thing.
“Let’s go back.” James told him, which the man jumped to do.