"Do you need any help?" I ask as George begins setting up his tent.

"Oh, no, I got it," George says, turning briefly to acknowledge me. "Thanks for asking."

The tent's pole leans dangerously to one side, threatening to fall on George's head. Acting swiftly, I grasp it and steady it before the metal can cause harm.

"Wow, nice reflex!" George smiles, giving me a thumbs-up. "That was a close one, eh? Can't afford to lose any more brain cells." Leaning in close, he whispers, "They're an endangered species, according to Ollie."

Considering the things I've seen him get up to, I think Ollie might be right about that. There's a reason why no one lets him near a box of Ucroils.

"Since you don't need anything else, I'll leave you to your devices," I say as George turns his attention back to setting up his tent.

Rolling my shoulders, I start walking away from George.

"Oi! Hurry up with that!" one of the porters shouts at a boy who looks a year younger than me. "Be careful not to drop those Ucroils! They're very flammable!"

"Coming!" the boy yells back, rushing toward the older porters.

In his mad dash, the boy almost bumps into me.

"Sorry!" he mutters before hurrying off.

"Alright, let me show you how to set up a fire using Ucroil," one of the porters says when the boy arrives. "Watch closely."

Looking away from the scene, I glance at my surroundings. Many porters wander around, occupied with various tasks. Some gather nearby materials or set up their sleeping arrangements. Though there's a hint of wariness in their glances at each other, there's no outright hostility or restricted areas. Everyone moves freely about, going wherever they choose.

This is different from what I'm used to back at Crystal Blossom. There, everyone usually keeps to their own space. Unless you're close to someone, you try not to cross into anyone's area. Sure, there's some hostility and occasional fights break out, but it's somewhat expected. It's probably better now since Mary is regulating them.

A few lizardmen cut past me, nodding in acknowledgment. Some of my tentacles wave at them, while others stretch themselves.

Even though I've been working as a porter for quite a while, I usually spend more time alone. Is this the usual interaction everyone has with each other? It feels much more peaceful than what I'm used to.

Sidestepping a couple of borned Essevian, I ignore their presence.

"Hey, Beatrice!" Arbora calls out, balancing several containers filled with berries and water. "I'm dropping some of these off near your sleeping bag."

"Thank you, Arbora," I respond, feeling grateful as my tentacles fill the bond with relief.

After walking around and assessing tasks that need attention, I stop at a large boulder.

Mary is probably still held up in the meeting with the asura hunters, so she won't be returning anytime soon. Arbora already helped me with getting berries and drinkable water, so I can cross that off my list of chores. It also seems like no one needs my help at the moment.

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

Placing one hand on my hip, I scratch my head.

I think this is the first time in a long while that I have some free time. There's just one problem, though: What am I supposed to do now?

----------------------------------------

Ignoring the waves of annoyance and discomfort emanating from my tentacles, I scribble in my notebook while crouching in a bush. The leaves and branches poke against my skin whenever I shift my body.

This position might not be comfortable, but it should do for now. It's rather unfortunate there isn't a place with a high enough vantage point around here.

Peering through a small hole in the bush, I observe some asura hunters in the distance.

'Fwoosh!'

Suddenly, a ball of flame the size of a man's head appears in an asura hunter's hand. With a smirk on his face, he says something to his comrades.

He's able to summon fire using his asura quite easily. He must either have a strong affinity toward the fire element or possess a good amount of asura and control over them.

As I jot down my observations, the tentacle beside me swats at a branch of the bush in annoyance. Holding back a sigh, I mentally will it to behave. It resists slightly before huffily moving away.

Tough luck. As long as I maintain control, I'll play by my rules.

The man feigns a throw at an Asura hunter and chuckles loudly as they flinch. Glancing at the fireball in his hand, he sends it flying towards one of the dungeon walls.

'Boom!'

The blast creates a huge hole in the dungeon wall's surface with a dark blemish around it. Charred remains from the impact break off and fall to the ground.

Judging by the damage on the dungeon's wall, that asura hunter must have had a very high potency within his asura or supplied a huge amount of his asura to the blast. Either way, his asura rank falls between 4.5 and 6, spanning from D up to C rank.

As one of the other asura hunters confronts the man, stepping into his personal space, his hood slips off, revealing shiny red hair that rivals the fiery hue of flames. My vision whites out, overwhelmed by staticky sounds that drown out the surrounding noise.

Blackish-brown eyes bore into mine as he stood there with his chin jutted out in defiance. The green, transparent shield continues to bear the brunt of attacks while he keeps his hands in front of him.

"Beatrice?" Mary's voice breaks through, dissipating the vision. "What are you doing inside a bush?"

Quickly shaking my head, I start to stand up. A questioning pulse emits from the tentacles as they prod at me through the bond. I push them away before poking my head out of the bush. Suspicion radiates from the tentacles at my actions.

"Mary?" I say while awkwardly getting out of the bush. "I thought the meeting would take longer. How did it go?"

At my question, something flashes across Mary's eyes as her gaze darkens. With her head hung low, she crosses her arms.

"They decide to drop the case until we exit the dungeon," Mary sighs, glaring at something in the distance. "Until then, the Essevian will be under their jurisdiction."

But by then, any evidence within the dungeon may be tampered with or erased.

Frowning, Mary turns toward me. "What do you think regarding this case?"

Scanning the area around me, I make sure no one is within earshot before looking at Mary.

"Do you remember what we discussed about the light asura found at the scene and that time I almost got shot with one?"

"So you think those events are connected?" Mary asks.

"No, I don't believe so," I shake my head. "The light asura from those events are vastly different. One of them feels like a highly concentrated, pure light asura, while the other is a weaker version, likely mixed with other elements. It feels like they were made by two different people."

Placing a hand under my chin, I frown. "It also seems like they were used for different purposes. Regarding the light asura arrow, I can't tell if it was an accident. As for the incident with the other Essevian, it was a deliberate act against his tentacles, judging from how they were butchered."

I can't tell if the lack of sleep is finally getting to me, but something about the light asura-infused arrow feels familiar. It's like I've tasted it before, for some strange reason.

"Anyway, all of this is speculation, not concrete evidence," I sigh, looking at Mary. "I don't think it matters if we bring this up to the people in charge of the expedition's team."

Mary glances off to the side with narrow eyes.

"Uh, Mary?" I ask, waving a hand in front of her face.

She jolts in place before shaking her head. "Sorry, I was distracted by... something." Pinching the bridge of her nose, Mary turns towards me. "Do you want to get something to drink? I think we both need a little distraction."