Immediately after Eldric released my hand, I didn’t hesitate for even a second. My fist shot forward, striking him directly in the face. A dull thud resounded in the air, and Eldric stepped back several paces, momentarily losing his balance. For a brief moment, his head remained tilted to the side, as if his mind was trying to process what had just happened. There was no anger in him—only a hint of genuine surprise, as if he hadn’t expected that I would actually do it.

"I’m calling it even now," I said, dusting off my hand and raising an eyebrow at him. "We can start working together."

Eldric slowly raised his head, and his gaze met mine. For a moment, it seemed he had no intention of speaking. Instead, his hand rose to his face, touching the spot where my punch had landed, and then he sighed softly.

"Well, yes," he muttered, massaging his jaw. "As befits a Lord of Chaos, you act like a child who must have the last word."

Then he activated his power. A soft, greenish energy enveloped his face, and where the mark of my blow had been moments before, his skin regenerated instantly. I furrowed my brows, watching the process.

"Healing, huh?" I remarked in disbelief. "Alright then, I have to admit, that’s a bit unfair."

"That's called practicality," he replied calmly, lowering his hand. "Why would I go around with bruises when I can simply get rid of them?"

I crossed my arms, watching him carefully. With a theatrical sigh, I extended my hand toward him.

"Since you're so good with healing magic, maybe you could do something for me too? After all, partners should support each other, right?"

Eldric raised an eyebrow, looking at me with a mix of amusement and pity.

"The Lord of Chaos asking for help?" he snorted, crossing his arms. "That’s truly touching. Perhaps I should even offer you some tea and wrap you in a blanket?"

"You know what? If you're so eagerly offering support, I wouldn't mind—but to be honest, I'd prefer my maid to be a pretty girl, not someone like you. So maybe just focus on the healing."

He raised his hand, and the familiar greenish energy began to gather on his fingers. But before he could touch me with a spell, he cast me a long, appraising look.

"You should be grateful that I have a soft spot for fixing problems," he muttered, as if convincing himself. "But don't get used to it; I'm not planning to follow you around with a healing aura every time you get a scratch."

I felt warmth spreading throughout my body, instantly relaxing tense muscles and soothing the burning pain. Bruises and marks of blows vanished almost instantly, as if they had never been there. For a moment, I felt as if I were being wrapped in a soft, calming wave of energy—it was almost pleasant.

After a moment, he sighed and turned away, taking a few steps to the side as if he wanted to leave and have a moment to contemplate what had just happened.

Then, a notification appeared before his eyes.

[System]: Promoted to Level 2.

Eldric paused for a moment, his gaze sharpening slightly as he analyzed the message. Then he snorted quietly, clearly amused.

"So all it takes is using healing twice, and I get a level up?" he muttered, as if he couldn’t quite believe it. "This must be the fastest promotion of my life."

I raised an eyebrow at him. "Oh please, and I had to fight bosses and risk my life just to level up. Unfair."

Eldric shrugged with evident self-satisfaction. "Well, it’s obvious that more gifted individuals gain levels faster than average folks. Some have to risk their lives, while others just exist and naturally develop. But hey, don't worry—not everyone is born with talent."

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, yes, your magnificence is indisputable," I retorted, brushing dust off my sleeve. "And now, since you've finished your display of superiority, I propose that we leave this place and head to the shelter."

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Eldric sighed, as if doing me a great favor, then nodded. "Well, that's better than wasting another minute listening to your attempts at biting back at me."

Without waiting for any further comments, I strode ahead, and Eldric, albeit reluctantly, followed me. The journey to the shelter passed in silence, interrupted only by his occasional remarks about how ineffective my approach to combat was. I didn’t engage in discussion—I simply didn’t have the energy.

When we finally reached the makeshift base, Eldric stopped and scrutinized it with a critical gaze. For a moment, he simply stared, and an expression crossed his face that I could only describe as a mixture of surprise and amusement.

"Well... this looks... interesting," he said, raising an eyebrow.

Before I could respond, Darius emerged from behind one of the walls.

"Look who's back," Darius said, folding his arms across his chest. His gaze fixed on Eldric. "It must be that Eldric."

Instead of replying, Eldric looked around the makeshift base and squinted. "I wasn’t expecting a palace, but even I didn’t know you could build something so..." He paused, his eyes measuring the ramshackle roof, "...chaotic."

Darius snorted, amused as he looked at Eldric. "Well, for once in my life I have to agree with someone."

"Admittedly, it's a true work of art," Eldric added, tilting his head as he inspected the wooden walls that were clearly not in the best condition. "I've never seen a structure that looks like it was built in a hurry by someone who’s never seen a proper shelter."

Darius nodded, adding sarcastically, "That must be talent, seriously. Not everyone could create something so... peculiar."

"Yes, I’m truly impressed," Eldric remarked, taking a cautious step forward as if he feared the floor might give way beneath him. "Tell me, Ashira, does it have any hidden features? Perhaps randomly collapsing boards to keep its inhabitants on their toes?"

Darius laughed. "It’s a very creative method of natural selection."

"This isn’t a base, it’s an experimental art concept," Eldric commented, still eyeing the construction in clear disbelief.

I sighed and folded my arms. "Great, another architecture expert," I muttered, rolling my eyes. "But you know what? I wasn’t the one who built this shelter. The system did. So maybe you two should stop nitpicking."

Eldric and Darius exchanged glances before simultaneously shrugging.

"You're the Lord of Chaos, so this place is your responsibility too," Eldric stated with obvious satisfaction. "You didn’t really think you could weasel out of it, did you?"

"Exactly," Darius added, pointing at one of the slanted walls. "Everything here is your doing. And while we’re at it, why not admit that it’s a mess and take responsibility for it instead of just slathering on excuses?"

I looked at them both, noticing how they began bickering about my building skills as if they’d known each other forever. I raised my hands theatrically. "Wonderful, just what I needed," I muttered under my breath, crossing my arms as I watched Eldric and Darius trade more jabs about my construction abilities.

"Since you two seem so unhappy with it, how about instead of complaining we head to the Gate and try to find something to help upgrade this base?" I proposed, looking expectantly at them.

Eldric and Darius exchanged another look before almost simultaneously shrugging.

"Well, if your building is as ineffective as your fighting, then you definitely need some help," Eldric quipped, clearly amused.

"I don't often agree with someone so quickly, but this is the best proposal I've heard from you," Darius added with a mocking smile.

Without waiting for further comments, we set off toward the Gate. The path led through a protective field that surrounded our makeshift base. As we approached the boundary, Eldric paused to examine the faintly shimmering energy barrier.

"And what’s this?" he asked with curiosity, raising an eyebrow.

"Protective barrier," Darius replied, stepping through it without hesitation. "It secures the area from uninvited guests—at least as much as it can."

Eldric moved closer, running his fingers along the surface of the barrier. For a moment, his hand was bathed in a subtle glow as if he were analyzing its structure. "Interesting," he murmured. "And you created it?" he asked, directing the question at me.

"As if you hadn't noticed, most of the things here come from the system," I replied, stepping through the barrier. "It’s been here since I arrived, so stop nitpicking me."

Eldric shrugged and easily passed through the protective field. "At least something here works correctly," he commented, ignoring my glare.

After a few minutes of walking, we arrived at the Gate. This time it looked different from the ones I had seen before. Its surface was covered in dark green, twisting symbols resembling ancient runes that pulsed with a pale, ominous light. The structure appeared uneven, as if made from raw, damp stone, and a dense, murky mist seeped from its lower edge.

Between the cracks in the gate, sharp, ragged marks—reminiscent of claw scratches—were visible. Around its base, primitive spears, tied together with rough fiber ropes, were driven into the ground, as if someone had tried to mark the area as their territory. The air around the Gate was thick and almost sticky, filled with the subconscious presence of something wild and primitive.

Eldric stopped and looked at the structure with a slight raise of his eyebrow. "Well, if I had to guess, I'd say that something very unpleasant lurks behind this."

The system didn't keep us waiting for long.

[SYSTEM] Gate detected: Low Class (recommended level: 5-10) Status: Low activity.

[SYSTEM] Would you like to form a party? Party confirmation allows EXP to be divided proportionally to team members' contributions.