Ben couldn't help but stare at the landscape of the cave, he has never seen a waterfall this huge. Bioluminescent fish and plants made the entire place very eery yet mesmerizing.

"This is beautiful." Were the only words that came out of his mouth after few minutes of just taking everything in.

Some people around him looked at him with disgust in their eyes, to them it was a creepy, danger-filled tomb, how could he consider such a thing beautiful?

"Oh, we have a poet in our team." Hatsu approached them. "I too think it is pretty, but it's nothing compared to me."

Arath intruduced Hatsu and Rym to Ben, and thanks to the latter's innate ability to make friends just as quickly as he makes his breakfest, they chatted lively for a while before Elizabeth gave them sign to set off. Just like two days ago, Arath was assigned to patrol waters beneath their feet together with Water Elementalists and help the scouting team. Ben on the other hand, after being told what he was supposed to do as a squire, sighed heavily and proceeded to complete the most tedious tasks.

Journey to the safe, dry land passed without any surprises and so the mercenaries entered the darkness of the caves. Slowly but steadily, they defeated monsters and pushed forward. They killed dozens of Ampycertas and stumbled upon a three Giant Cave Spiders' nest. There were many signs of a fight that probably took place there earlier as litres of blood had been spilled, painting the walls red. After dealing with the monsters, two dead and one unconcious men were found among corpses of other creatures. The unconcious person was half-wrapped in a white substance later recognised as spider web. Elizabeth wasn't sure what to do but after consulting the matter with other experienced Leafers they decided to burry the deceased and take the last remaining with them.

Few hours of continuous fights and struggles later, the leader announced a break. Arath had no intention to make it easy for his friend and without hesitation ordered him around. Being the one who must be served felt refreshing to him, finally he didn't have to slave for other people. Of course when Elizabeth asked him to pass on her orders, he had to get up and comply, so his moment of happiness didn't have the chance to last long.

They haven't lost a single man so far and the morale was high, even higher when everyone found out that Elizabeth signed a contract with the cook and they would receive hot meals midway through their escapades. Once rested, the Leafers continued to move deeper and deeper into the Tower. The further they went the more unsettling creatures became, some would just watch them from darkness with their two pairs of enormously giant eyes and a glowing appendix between them. These creatures would always watch them, no matter where the mercenaries hid, but never showed their faces. It was like as if it tried to lure their prey by driving them insane. Two hours after the break when the company was fighting a group of ferocious creatures that looked like a combination of a lizard and the most ugly and disgusting fish one could ever see, they heard voices coming from a perpendicular corridor.

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"Reserves, block the entrance, make a shieldwall!" Elizabeth, afraid of being caught uprepared, ordered her troops to prepare for another fight.

To the people from reserves surprise, it wasn't any sort of enemy, rather a group of humans. They all wore decent armor and carried high-quality wepaons and overall seemed to not give a a single care about them being loud. The same moment the main force dealt with the monsters a high-pitched voice came from over the shieldwall.

"Are you really trying to block us? We could destroy your little force without even looking."

"Who are you and what are your intentions?" Elizabeth shouted back.

"We are the strongest people you have met in your entire life and we will not answer your questions. We are the one with the authority to question you." The leader of the other group answered.

All Leafers looked at each under in understanding and nodded their heads.

"Heroes. Of course we had to meet them." A united gasp came out of their mouths.

"What the fuck did you just say? If you don't want to die, let us through and do as we say."

Elizabeth ordered her comrades to move away but not lower their weapons, this meeting didn't look like it was going to be a date in a cafe. Heroes walked in as if they owned the place and laughed at some Leafers. A girl was leading the team, she had short blue hair and wielded a crossbow.

"I recognise that bitch, she's one of the so-called 'elites'. She is a field commander of Hero units and doesn't like when someone has a different opinion than her on any topic." Ben whispered to Arath who then passed the news to Elizabeth.

"I will take your best soldiers, we need some melee fighters. They are wasting their time with you anyways." She started to evaluate people in front of her and her eyes locked on Beniamin.

She looked as if she was contemplating on something and in the meantime Ben felt a lump in his throat. With every passing second he wanted to run away more and more, without ever looking back. That women's gaze pierced his very soul and had no intention to stop there.

"It's good to see you again Ben, I can see you are back on your feet. You could have at least stayed and tell me what had happened, not just run away like a mad beast. I heard some women casted her spell on you, is that true?" She smiled broadly but anyone with a brain bigger than a peanut could see how fake it was.

"I'm fine, thank you but you don't need to worry. And by the way my life is mine so please mind your own business, if you could." He smiled back and caused two completely different reactions.

The Heroes gasped in disbelief and cursed both internally and out loud how churlish the boy was, while Leafers burst out in laughter and were proud of their new comrade. Arath and Elizabeth had very complicated feelings about that answer, the other's team leader was too bossy but in no case did they want to pick a bone with her. There was only one person whose expression didn't change.

"Arrest him for disrespecting his superior." She said with no emotion and loaded her crossbow.