Hours had passed, and the adventurers gathered outside the reward room were growing restless.
"It wasn’t supposed to take this long."
Typically, when someone entered a reward room, they’d be out in no time, prize in hand.
But Leon, whom had slipped into the statue earlier hadn’t shown up, and the longer they waited, the more the tension built.
“What’s taking so damn long?” an adventurer grumbled, his foot tapping impatiently. “He should’ve been back by now.”
The scarred brute, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, scowled. “He’s stalling, trying to wait us out. Hoping we’ll give up and leave.”
Another adventurer responded to the brute. “That idiot better not think we’re going anywhere. We’ve waited too long for this. If he thinks he can outlast us, he's dead wrong."
“Maybe he’s waiting for us to fight each other.” a man lounging against a boulder suggested with a shrug. “If we’re distracted, he could slip out and escape before anyone notices.”
The brute growled, pushing off the wall with a sneer. “No chance. I’ll be the first to know the moment he reappears. He has to come back here—that’s how it works.”
Standing off to the side, the woman in silver armor had been watching the situation with a calm, calculating gaze. She knew the others were right.
Whoever had entered the reward room would have no choice but to return to this exact spot as soon as they claimed their reward.
The waiting was unbearable, but there was no point in losing their heads just yet.
“He's stalling, hoping we’ll get tired and leave.” she said, her voice cool and steady. “But sooner or later, he will have to come out.”
The brute let out a mocking laugh. “Yeah? And how long are you willing to wait, princess? Think your shiny armor’s gonna keep your quest givers happy while you sit around here doing nothing?”
Her cold eyes flicked toward him, unamused. “I have my priorities.”
Time dragged on, and the tension between the adventurers grew thicker.
Arguments began to break out more frequently, fueled by frustration and impatience.
They had all expected to ambush the person as soon as they returned, but the wait had stretched far longer than any of them anticipated.
“I swear, if he doesn’t come out soon, I’ll drag him out myself.” the brute muttered, glaring at the statue as if he could force the person to reappear through sheer willpower.
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“You know that’s not how it works.” his companion scoffed. “We’re here until he decides to come out with the reward. No breaking in, no shortcuts.”
By the time an entire day had passed with no sign of the person emerging, the adventurers were on edge.
The longer they waited, the more tempers flared. But no one dared leave, not yet. They knew the prize was still in play.
The silver-armored woman, however, had been quietly calculating her next move.
As the hours ticked by, her patience wore thin. She finally sighed and turned to her team.
“We’re leaving,” she said curtly.
One of her teammates looked at her in surprise. “Now? You’re sure?”
“We have an exclusive quest that needs completing.” she said firmly. “We’ve wasted enough time here. They’ll come out eventually, but I can’t delay this any longer.”
As she began to gather her things, the brute sneered and called out after her. “Running off already? Guess that quest of yours is just a convenient excuse, huh? Too scared to wait it out like the rest of us?”
She stopped mid-step, her shoulders stiffening. Slowly, she turned back to face him, her hand resting on the hilt of her sword. “What did you say?”
The brute grinned, flashing his crooked teeth. “You heard me. You’re using that quest as an excuse to get out of here without a fight. Can’t handle the pressure, huh?”
Her fingers twitched on the hilt of her sword, and for a tense moment, it seemed like she might draw it.
But before she could react, one of her teammates stepped forward, laying a hand on her shoulder. “Let it go,” they muttered, their voice low. “He’s just trying to get under your skin. We have more important things to do.”
Her jaw clenched, eyes locked on the brute, but after a long moment, she relented. “Let’s go,” she said coldly, turning away
As her team began to leave, the brute called after her again. “That’s right, run along, princess! Go finish your little quest."
She didn’t respond, but her grip on her sword tightened as her team disappeared down the corridor, clearly agitated by the brute’s taunts.
The brute chuckled darkly, his gaze lingering on her as she walked away, hips swaying with every step.
He crossed his arms, his eyes trailing down her back with a hungry gleam. "Can’t wait to get my hands on that." he muttered under his breath, a twisted grin creeping across his face as she disappeared from view.
The group of adventurers waiting outside the reward room had dwindled, but only slightly.
The faction led by the silver-armored woman had left, off to complete their exclusive quest, but the others remained.
The brute’s faction lingered, as did the opposing faction, and a small group of independent adventurers who weren’t aligned with anyone.
The brute cracked his knuckles, his scarred face splitting into a grin. "Good. Less competition." he sneered, glaring over at the other faction. "This won’t even be a challenge now." His eyes gleamed with a predatory look as he tried to provoke them.
The leader of the rival faction, a lean man with sharp eyes and a calm demeanor, didn’t even flinch.
He remained leaning against the wall, arms crossed, eyes closed.
He hadn’t moved since the silver-armored woman left, seemingly unfazed by the brute’s attempts to rile him up.
“Taunt all you want,” the leader of the other faction said, adjusting his posture.
The brute snorted, his grin widening.
Tension simmered between them as they continued their long, silent wait.
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Meanwhile, inside the reward room, Leon lay comfortably in a quiet corner, resting.
his back resting against the smooth dark floor, his eyes fully-closed.
Lila was curled up beside him, her tiny body rising and falling as she dozed peacefully.
Strangely enough, a full day had passed since they first entered the room.
And now, five new slimes bounced lazily around the chamber—far more than there had been when they arrived.
They moved about the space quietly, occasionally playing with each other, their gelatinous bodies wobbling gently as they interacted with each other.
The outside world, the adventurers, the factions waiting for him to return—completely oblivious to what was happening on his end.