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Hexbound Apocalypse [LitRPG Apocalypse] (Book 1 Finished!)
[RV] Chapter 31: Teamwork Makes The Dream Work

[RV] Chapter 31: Teamwork Makes The Dream Work

[You have formed a Party with Player “Astrid Skogr”!]

[As a Party, players are capable of communicating with one another through the Chat Room Feature. To use the Chat Room, players must call out “Chat Room”.]

Hazel and Astrid’s eyes widened as they stared at their respective screens.

“It looks like we formed a party…” Hazel noted, scanning the panel curiously.

“Apparently so…maybe it’s because we formed a partnership?” The dark elf theorized.

“Maybe?” The mage shrugged.

Considering that the panel appeared after the two players decided to work together, this was the only thing that made sense to either of them. At least they got something out of forming a party, which was the supposed chat room feature.

“What is a Chat Room?” Astrid pondered. “Does it take us to some mystical room where we can talk in private?”

Hearing this, Hazel stifled a laugh at the dark elf’s question. She was then reminded that her partner wasn’t from Earth like her, so this was completely new.

“No,” Hazel lightly shook her head. “A chat room is basically where we can converse with one another through a panel. I’ll show you. Chat Room!”

Upon calling out the keyword, another panel materialized before them.

[Chat Room has now been activated!]

[You can now converse with your party members. All you need to do to communicate and mentally type what you want to say into the chat.]

Reading the instructions for a moment, Hazel soon tested the Chat Room by saying something in her mind.

[Hazel Thatcher: This is how the Chat Room works.]

“W-what…?!” Astrid exclaimed.

Seeing the dark elf’s expression, the mage lightly giggled in response.

“While you are right about this feature allowing us to communicate privately, there isn’t a physical room where we can talk. Just this panel.”

“I see…” Astrid muttered while curiously gazing at her screen. “A-and all you need to do is just think about what you want to say?”

Hazel nodded. “Pretty much.”

Astrid hesitated for a moment before she closed her eyes, likely attempting to test the chat room feature.

[Astrid Skogr: Like this?]

Seeing the panel of the dark elf’s comment, Hazel smiled.

“Nice, looks like you’re starting to understand.”

Astrid’s face shifted to a frown at Hazel’s remark, looking quite offended. “You make it sound like it was going to take a while for me to grasp the mechanics of this Chat Room.”

Hazel raised her hands defensively, not wanting to fan any flames. “I didn’t mean it like that, okay? I’m just saying that you catch on quickly. It was a compliment.”

With the chat room, Hazel and Astrid will be able to keep in touch even when they’re separated. However, that was only if they stayed in the party. This meant that this feature would only be useful to them for as long as they were in the dungeon.

Once they were finally out, their party would be dissolved as the two players would then go their separate ways. So, until then, Hazel was determined to take full advantage of this Chat Room.

While examining the chat room, another panel appeared right next to it, surprising both players. And the contents of the panel instantly caught their attention.

Difficulty: Easy

“Teamwork makes the Dreamwork!”

Objective: Kill at least Thirty Monsters as a Team

Progress: Monsters Team Killed [0/30]

Reward: +5 Stat Points and an Uncommon Loot Box

“Another dungeon challenge…” Hazel marveled.

Neither player expected to receive another Dungeon Challenge like this. And it was simply because they formed a party.

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“Looks like we made the right call in forming our partnership,” Astrid said with a grin. “Especially with what our reward looks like.”

Not only do they receive a loot box, but also five stat points for their trouble. That was three more points compared to the last challenge Hazel did back in the Town Island. And that reward alone was enough to entice Hazel into wanting to complete the challenge.

“It says that we need to team kill a monster,” Hazel noted.

“As in we work together to kill a monster?” Astrid implied.

“I think so, but we should try and test that theory out to see if we’re right.”

The dark elf nodded. “Alright, let’s go find our first test subject then.”

Accepting the dungeon challenge, the two players then set off into the forest. They walked side by side while cautiously watching their surroundings. Their eyes glanced at the rustling leaves and swaying branches as bits of stars from the space above them peeked through.

Much like before, it was eerily quiet. To the point where just the slightest sound from something unnerved Hazel. Meanwhile, Astrid remained calm and composed, as if nothing could frighten her.

Another thing the mage noticed was that the dark elf walked a lot more confidently than her. Each step she made was filled with determination and zeal. She stood as straight as a pencil, walking like a veteran soldier who had been through many wars.

Then again, Astrid was a captain of the legion, so maybe that came with the job. The way she moved with purpose made Hazel a little jealous. All the novice mage could do in this situation was nervously clutch her staff while frantically darting her eyes all over the place.

Even her strides were clumsy and hesitant, as if she was doubting herself with each step. This must be what difference in experience was truly like. Astrid had faced many threats due to her lifestyle back home while Hazel had only been recently introduced to hell.

She never noticed it before since she was alone for most of the time, but seeing the difference in how she and Astrid carried themselves really started to sink in for her.

“So,” Hazel spoke up. “Your description said that you were the captain of the Greyvolk legion. What’s that like?”

“Are you seriously attempting to strike up another useless conversation?” Astrid scowled.

“I’m just trying to pass the time since we’ll be working together for a while. Is that so wrong?”

“If you want to have a meaningful conversation with someone, then I, unfortunately, am not the person you should be speaking to.” The dark elf said without turning to face her. “I don’t need to remind you that this partnership was established out of necessity and not friendship, do I?”

Hazel clenched her hands out of irritation. She was aware of their circumstances, but that didn’t mean they needed to work together in silence.

“I’m sure you have questions for me too, don’t you? I mean, we’re both from different worlds, so aren’t you curious about what mine is like?”

“Not in the least,” The dark elf said flatly, much to the mage’s surprise. “My priority at the moment was escaping this dungeon and returning home. Before that, I need to get as strong as possible by taking advantage of this dungeon.”

“So we have the same goal in mind.”

“Only in terms of preserving our lives. Nothing else.”

“I get that, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t tal-”

“We are not scouts trying to get to know one another, Thatcher,” Astrid declared while stopping in her tracks and spinning around to face the mage. “In this dungeon, we are both survivors, simply using one another to stay alive. Nothing more, nothing less.”

Hazel hesitated to reply, fearfully staring at the dark elf’s intense gaze as she asserted their positions. However, that fear shifted to annoyance at the Ranger’s attitude.

“Hey, we’re only going to be able to survive this place by trusting one another.”

“Our partnership wasn’t established from trust but a desperation for survival. I am only working with you because you are useful to me. And I am useful to you. That is what our relationship boils down to. Not some useless friendship but a mutual symbiosis where we both get what we want, which is our persistence to live. Is that clear?”

It was obvious that the dark elf had no intentions of trying to get to know Hazel. And after how she bolded declared their relationship, the novice mage felt like accepting those terms just to avoid causing any more conflict between them.

Just as Hazel opened her mouth to reply, her eyes spotted something behind her so-called partner, blurring toward her. The mage responded by moving Astrid to the side while hastily casting a mana shield with her staff.

The transparent blue dome materialized around the caster, just in time as a dagger zipped toward it with frightening speed. Clashing against the dome, the blade rebounded in the air before falling to the ground.

Just then, a goblin emerged from the bushes ahead of them and charged. It let out a fierce yet eye-piercing battle cry. Hazel covered her ears to block out the sound as her mana shield slowly disappeared as soon as the spell expired.

The mage attempted to fire a mana bolt at the goblin, but Astrid was quicker as she notched an arrow and loosed it into the creature’s skull. The goblin’s head jerked back from the force as its body collapsed on the dirt ground.

“Nice shot…” Hazel lightly praised.

“Thanks…” Astrid replied. “I didn’t know you could cast a magic shield.”

“Well, I’d love to tell you, if you and I could have a proper conversation and not walk around in silence. But you clearly don’t want that.”

The dark elf looked away, clearly feeling guilty about her previous statement about their so-called relationship. And although Hazel felt good for pointing that out, she knew deep down that making snarky remarks would only make things worse.

She heavily groaned while pinching the bridge of her nose. “Look, I know you said that our relationship was made from trust, but if we keep this up, we’ll be the cause of our own deaths. You get what I’m trying to say?”

Astrid wore a pensive expression. She then glanced over at the shattering goblin as the purple fragments floated in the air before disappearing altogether. After a few moments, she sighed in defeat.

“You’re not wrong…” She admitted. “I understand that communication will be vital for us if we plan to continue working together.”

Hearing the dark elf’s response, the corner of Hazel’s lips lifted into a slight grin.

“See? Now we’re getting somewhere.”

Despite the rocky start, Hazel could see potential in this little partnership of theirs. Though, that was only if they could see eye to eye with each other.