Silence settled heavily over the room as the champions, dazed and struggling, gradually regained their footing. A mix of confusion and anxiety pervaded the group as wary eyes met. No one could fathom what had transpired, but the uncertainty reflected in the eyes of their fellow champions confirmed they were equally clueless.

One by one, champions exited the foreboding shop, settling their bills and departing. Among them, only Scott's group managed to maintain some semblance of composure.

Thirty minutes had elapsed since the unsettling incident, and an oppressive silence had fallen over them. Zara's brows furrowed as she occasionally shot glances at Scott. Slim, seated nearby, drummed his fingers restlessly on the table, muttering under his breath. Llorva clung tightly to the eldritch knight as always, but an aura of melancholy surrounded the elf. Meanwhile, Orion chuckled audibly, expressing his fascination with the idea of encountering alternate versions of himself from different timelines. The mage pondered the cosmic forces and laws that allowed the existence of multiple versions of themselves, destined to converge into a single entity.

“This silence is unbearable,” Slim finally broke the silence with a deep sigh, his stern features softening into a warm smile. “Though I dislike being in the dark, I trust you, buddy. I know you wouldn't withhold information without good reason. Personally, I'd rather not ally with those gory, unstylish zealots,” he added, glancing at Zara. “No offense intended, my leader.”

He quickly shifted his gaze, anticipating a possible rebuke, and continued, “Whether we're facing the Blood Towers or some perilous abyss, count me in. After all, isn't that what friends are for?”

With his trademark smile, Slim gave the eldritch knight a thumbs-up.

Just then, a sharp slap connected with the back of Slim's head, nearly sending him sprawling.

“What was that for, my leader?” Slim protested, rubbing the back of his head.

Zara smirked, turning away from the necromancer. “You talked as if I'm just a side character tagging along. We're doing this together,” she declared.

“You could've spared me the near decapitation,” Slim grumbled; a clear imprint of Zara’s palm lingered on the necromancer’s skull.

Zara glanced at the necromancer; her smile shadowy. “I was only trying to help. I saw something back there and I got rid of it. No need to thank me; that's what friends are for.”

Slim gritted his teeth. “This is an abuse of power. You all saw it, right? I call for a change in leadership. We can't endure this tyranny.”

“You’ve grown bolder since we last met,” Zara cackled, a mischievous grin spreading across her face. She lunged at the necromancer, pinning his skull under her arm, and patting the slick surface vigorously.

“Help! Abuse of power! I'm a victim here!” Slim protested, but Zara only laughed and intensified her patting.

Watching the spectacle, Scott chuckled softly, “Thanks, guys,” he said within the party channel.

He then turned to Llorva and Fi-Fi. “What will you two do? You're free to leave if—”

“I’m staying,” Llorva interrupted, locking eyes with Scott.

“Fi-Fi isn’t going anywhere either,” the slime added softly.

“Thank you for the support,” Scott acknowledged.

Orion interjected, “Aren’t you going to ask me?” He leaned on one arm, grinning and resting his head on his palm.

Scott glanced at him; his smile hidden behind his mask. “You'd follow me even if I told you to leave, so why ask?”

Orion chuckled. “Would’ve been polite to ask, at least,” he said, adjusting his glasses with a grin.

“What's our next move?” Slim managed to ask.

Scott’s companions looked to him. After a pause, he said, “We need to reach the Blood Towers as quickly as possible. We’ll figure out the rest along the way.” He then turned to Zara. “Do you know where the Blood Towers are?”

Zara and the group exchanged stunned glances. The feline's voice trembled with disbelief. “You're not joking, are you?”

“I’m serious,” Scott confirmed. “While I know about the towers and some aspects of the cult's operations, I don’t know the location of their headquarters.”

Zara furrowed her brows, lost in thought for a moment before exhaling deeply. “I have a vague idea where the towers might be, but we're far from them. I could get a more precise location from my contacts, but…” She paused, a wry smile tugging at her lips. “I doubt they'll be eager to help after what happened earlier.”

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Orion chimed in; his smile tinged with caution. “Don’t forget, not everyone is welcoming of the fact you’re coming to the towers. They might use those contacts to determine our location.”

Zara nodded, meeting Orion’s gaze before turning back to Scott. “We should find it ourselves. The headquarters isn’t exactly hidden. The challenge will be getting inside the tower.”

“We'll tackle that problem when we reach that bridge,” Scott replied after a brief silence.

Simultaneously, Scott, Zara, and Slim, the core members of the Hound Extermination Crew, shared a series of quick, meaningful glances. Their subtle exchange didn't go unnoticed by the others. Just then, a system window materialized in front of them, cutting short any further discussion.

“Since you’re willing to risk your lives by accompany us, it’s only fair we recognize you as official members of our party,” Zara announced as the leader of the party.

Orion grinned as he readjusted his glasses, instantly accepting the invitation. Fi-Fi too accepted the invitation, and Llorva only accepted after a brief hesitation. A surprise since most of them believed she would have been the first to accept the invitation.

Zara wore a smile as she continued, “Welcome to the Hound Extermination Crew.”

Orion, still chuckling, spoke up, “What a name.”

“You see?” Slim said excitedly as he proceeded to summon his status window. The necromancer imputed a series of commands, and a new system window appeared in front of the group.

Anonymous Poll Purpose: Deciding whether the name of the group “Hound Extermination Crew” be changed. Yes! No!

Without hesitation, Slim clicked on his preferred choice while Zara glared at him. Surprisingly, the brawler had no objections to the impromptu poll, which made Slim somewhat guarded.

One after the other, each member of the party cast their vote, with Scott being last. Instantly, a new system window appeared, and Slim couldn’t contain his excitement as he perused through its content.

Anonymous Poll—Results Yes ~1 vote. No ~5 votes. Conclusion: Based on the results of the poll, the party name “Hound Extermination Crew” will remain.

Slim's mouth parted as he read the notification repeatedly. He shot a glance at Scott, but the eldritch knight avoided his searching eyes. Meanwhile, Zara laughed heartily, producing several elegantly designed wine bottles. She set one in front of each person, placing two before Llorva, who Fi-Fi still clung onto.

A sudden realization struck Slim, his mouth opening wider in disbelief. “You... you bribed them?” he stammered.

“Of course,” Zara said, unabashed. “There were no rules against it, were there?” She winked, patting the necromancer's skull.

“But how could you? Where’s your dignity? What about your pride? What of the people’s choice?” Slim stammered, his eyes shifting to Scott. “I can't believe you didn't support me, buddy.”

“Look at it this way, nothing would change even if I'd voted your preferred option,” Scott replied.

“You should've had my back regardless,” Slim protested, then turned to Zara with a huff. “Fine, I concede. Where's my bottle?” He grinned slyly.

“You're finally seeing your place. Took you long enough,” Zara remarked, retrieving another bottle from her inventory. Just as Slim reached for it, Zara pulled back. “I've changed my mind. You've been challenging lately,” she said, a mischievous smile on her face.

“What do you want from me?" Slim asked, sensing trouble.

Zara started to speak, “If you promise to not…” she paused abruptly, chuckling while shaking her head. “You know what? Never mind. Here,” she said, tossing the bottle to Slim.

Alarm bells rang in Slim's mind. He knew Zara well; she wasn't one to let things go easily. He scrutinized the bottle, comparing it to the others. Could it be drugged? he wondered.

“If you don't want it, hand it back,” Zara said, her smile becoming even more devious.

Slim hesitated, wary of another trick. He then clutched the bottle tightly; at that same moment, he met Zara's even more mischievous smile, feeding his growing paranoia.

“Relax, Slim. She’s just messing with you,” Scott communicated telepathically. “We can swap bottles if you're that concerned,” he suggested.

Unbeknownst to Scott, his words heightened the necromancer’s paranoia. Given their previous conspiracy, Slim couldn’t help but wonder if Scott was trying to deceive him again.

Zara uncorked her bottle first, filling the now-empty coffee shop with a rich, fruity aroma. From her inventory, she produced several wine glasses. “Since it’s been a while since we last gathered like this—and to welcome our newest member—I suggest we mark the occasion with a drinking game.”

Orion, taking a glass from Zara, remarked, “I’ve never participated in one of these. Count me in.”

“It’s probably best you stay out of this,” Scott warned telepathically. “You weren't the intended recipient of her words,” he reminded.

“Actually, I think I’ll just watch,” Orion reconsidered, taking a sip of the aromatic wine.

“Me too,” Llorva and Fi-Fi chimed in after Scott’s warning. They too sipped their wine, observing the interactions between Scott, Zara, and Slim.

“I’ll sit this one out,” Scott announced, but Zara and Slim ignored him.

“How convenient,” Zara grinned, a hint of mischief in her eyes. “Looks like it’ll be just the two of us.”

Slim matched her grin and casually placed one of his loafers on the table.

“The hammer of justice makes its return,” Zara quipped.

Orion and Llorva burst into laughter, spilling some wine in the process.

“Same rules apply, right?” Slim asked, a cold smile on his face.

“Absolutely,” Zara confirmed with a nod. “This time, no interruptions.” She paused. “So, who’s up first?”

Just as Slim was about to respond, the coffee shop doors burst open, and a group of champions stormed in.

A commanding voice rang out, “Clear out now. Only Vipers are allowed in this building until tomorrow morning.”