It took her a moment to realize what had happened. When she did, a low sigh escaped her lips, and her eyebrows furrowed softly as her hands moved to hide her face.

Placing a comforting hand on her shoulder, I flashed her a gentle smile. "I guess the almighty Master had more to offer than you thought," I teased.

"Shut up," she muttered in embarrassment, her voice muffled by her hands.

Normally, a comment like that would ignite her competitive spirit and immediately spring back up demanding another duel, but even after lowering her hands, she kept her gaze lowered.

I sighed inwardly, sensing her disappointment. 'I guess a pat on the back won't cut it this time…'

Using my thumb, I casually brushed away a speck of dirt from her cheek, the sunlight highlighting her clear skin. She finally met my gaze, her expression tense.

"Damn it, old man! What will it take for me to beat you?" she exclaimed, more frustrated with herself than with me.

A chuckle came from behind me. "It will take more than that to beat Zephyr, Lady Nali."

I didn't need to turn around to recognize the voice. "Seth, what brings you here?"

"Take a guess," he replied, amusement evident in his voice.

I turned to face the ugly bastard. His vibrant green eyes stood out against his brown hair, which was pulled back into a casual half-up bun. He matched my height, his lean frame draped in his usual tailcoat. His carefree smile was slightly wider than usual, a clear sign of his excitement.Returning his smile, I already knew what he was hinting at. "So, how big are we talking about?"

His grin widened. "Big enough for us to never have to go into a dungeon again."

"That's what I like to hear," I said, reaching out for a handshake.

He met my handshake firmly, his grip strong and challenging. I tightened my grip in response, determined not to concede any ground. The fucker loved to remind me that our rivalry was always close, our skills evenly matched. Neither of us could suppress our smiles and soon the handshake turned into a full embrace.

"When are we leaving?"

"As soon as you are finished with Lady Nali." He turned and nodded slightly to Nali.

"Ah, we'll have to delay it then." I scratched the back of my head. "This brat turned eighteen not too long ago, and she can finally take the Ranger exams without parental or guardian intervention." I leaned forward and whispered. "You know how the Blazehearts are."

Nali must have overheard me because her face darkened a little to the mention of her family name. Clearing my throat, I continued. "Saying that, as her teacher, I should go with her. I mean, I spent five years training her. If I don't see the expression on the examiner's face when he faces her, who will?"

Seth laughed, but before he could say anything, a warm embrace enveloped me from behind, catching me off guard.

"It's okay old man,” her voice muffled on my back, "you can go to the dungeon or whatever, and then we'll go together for the exam. There is still a week left before the exam period closes. I can wait."

"Nali..." The name escaped my lips in a whisper. Pride, joy and warmth-emotions I never expected to feel towards the girl I once was kicking out of my yard. I couldn't help but smile. Was this the same girl who cursed me at every change she got?

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"It's a promise." I said softly, feeling her nod against my back.

"It's a promise." She whispered, her voice still muffled barely audible.

"Ahem, I don't want to ruin the mood, but who is going to clean this up?"

I gave him a deadpan expression.

‘You do indeed ruin the mood, Seth, thank you very much.’

He responded with a raised eyebrow and a pointed glance. My yard was a disaster, to say the least. Black footprints were scattered everywhere, and there wasn't a single spot that wasn't covered in dirt, mud, or leaves. Not even the front of my house managed to escape the mess.

Damn it.

That's when it hit me, the corners of my mouth curling up. "Oh well, would you look at the time? Seth, we should hurry. My dear Nali, you can clean this up, right?"

Her eyes converged.

"Thank you!" I quickly added, grabbing Seth and running as fast as I could.

Nali furiously yelled her lungs out. "I'm not you maid, you old fart! You'll be lucky if you find the foundation of your house by the time you get back! The..." She kept yelling despite the growing distance, until, eventually, her voice faded.

"I don't mind the ride, but when are you planning on putting me down?" Seth said.

For a moment, I had completely forgotten about him. Releasing him, I changed the topic. "So, what is it this time?"

"Nothing unusual. We'll just have to go into this dungeon and reach the final zone." He shrugged nonchalantly as if it were an everyday activity. Well, for the two of us, it kinda was, at least in the past...

"Huh, just a normal Tuesday, aye?" I scoffed back, "Say, which dungeon will it be? I expect a high-level one since the pay is big."

"Relatively speaking, it is, but not by that much. There is this guy who wants to go to the Emberforge Depths."

I frowned. The Emberforge Depths are near the base of the left side of the Ashen Heights. It's a well-known location due to the presence of powerful quint beasts that have evolved over millennia by absorbing the rich fire attributed quint present. The beasts there have surpassed their original counterparts to the point where the Ranger Guild had to classify them in higher ranks. But that wasn't my biggest concern...

"Why would someone want to go there?" I asked seriously, my mind racing with the potential dangers.

However I looked at it, it didn't make sense for anyone to want to go to that place. Sure, there were worse places than the Emberforge Depths, but there was a reason why Rangers avoided that place. Excluding the strong beasts and the scorching temperatures, every terrain near the volcanoes is treacherous and hard to navigate. The ground is uneven, littered with sharp rocks and hidden crevices that could easily lead to all shorts of situations. And to top it off, there's always the added danger of a sudden volcanic eruption trapping the expedition team inside, turning a difficult journey into a deadly one.

Seth shrugged once again, his nonchalance almost infuriating. "Beats me. The money is good, and he said a friend of his is a healer and will accompany us. Also, he has already two more people willing to join."

I stared at him, trying to gauge how serious he was about this. "Let me get this straight. We are heading to one of the most unpredictable dungeons with only six people just because one of us will be a healer and the money is good? This doesn't feel fishy at all." I chuckled at the absurdity of the situation, but the concern in my voice was real. "Then again, it wouldn't be the first time we overcame the odds."

He chuckled, probably remembering of our latest escape from the clutches of death. It was during our daring venture deep into the Abyssal Plains, one of—if not, the deadliest regions in the entire Valley of the Beast. The absence of any creature there speaks volumes about its peril. It's not merely dark; no light penetrates that domain, as if some divine decree has condemned whatever lied there, forever to remain hidden.

We found ourselves relentlessly pursued by a horde of what can only be described as abominations. Had it not been for my tattered shirt snagging us at the cliff's edge, we wouldn’t be alive to recount the tale. Quite literally, we were saved by a thread.

To this day, recollecting the experience sent shivers down my spine.

"So what's the plan? You wouldn't act so recklessly when it's something so obviously sketchy," I said teasingly, though Seth knew I was highlighting the seriousness of the situation.

"I don't have a plan," he said honestly.

"What the fu—" I cut myself off and took a deep breath. "What do you mean, you don't have a plan?"

"When I tell you 'enough for you to never have to go into a dungeon ever again,' I mean it," he emphasized. His words made my head involuntarily move back. I thought it was a figure of speech to hook me, but his serious expression told me he truly meant it.

I waited, expecting him to elaborate, but he didn't. He just looked at me seriously, waiting for my response.

"Sigh, and I thought you were the smart one," I said mockingly, shaking my head before flashing him a smile. "Fine, let's go meet them."