The group remained away from the camp for a while, alert and ready in case anything happened. After some time, Ascalon decided to cross the gateway again and scout the base’s surroundings. As his presence expanded, the few lowly beasts in the area scrambled to flee, and the knight deemed it safe enough for everyone to return. He tried to gesture to them by sticking his hand in the portal, but that didn’t seem to work, unfortunately—it seemed a limb wasn’t enough, and he had to cross entirely.

After another back-and-forth, Ascalon and the rest regrouped at the makeshift camp, a sigh of relief collectively escaping some of the researcher’s lips. Ragna, most of all, seemed incredibly pleased.

“Nicely done, everyone! No injuries, no damaged equipment—this is by far the best visit to the ruins we’ve had so far!” The dwarf exclaimed excitedly, earning a few nods from his comrades, and causing Lilithra to beam with glee. Ascalon shared her joy, as it seemed they were doing a great job as the researchers’ guards, unlike whoever had accompanied them in prior expeditions.

Now that the danger seemed to have passed, the scientists quickly resumed their tasks, and Lilithra took the chance to join her friends. She was clenching her fists tight, a mix of shyness and excitement clear in her expression as she spoke up.

“I can’t hold it in anymore!” Lilithra suddenly blurted out, causing Selorien to arch an eyebrow in suspicion as he replied.

“Need to pee?” The elf asked carefreely, earning a fast punch to his shoulder from Lilithra. “Ow!” He complained, a mischievous grin on his face. Lilithra shook her head, her entire body trembling slightly as she traced the air with her fingers. Then, a screen appeared before Selorien, showing him the skill both she and Ascalon had unlocked.

“Wha—… are you for real?” The elf gasped in amazement as he began reading, surprised by the very beginning of the skill. As he read further, his expression gradually shifted to shock, his mouth slightly agape under the revelation of a skill for the Guild as a whole.

“I’ve… I’ve actually never heard of this…” Selorien mumbled, his current behavior making it clear for Ascalon that a ‘cooperative’ skill was indeed a rare occurrence. The knight had his suspicions of course, knowing that if his friends didn’t have one already, it had to be hard to get—though it seemed to go far beyond ‘hard’.

“He-he!” Lilithra laughed with pride, puffing out her chest dramatically. “Isn’t it amazing?!” She replaced her prideful act with pure elation, her eyes sparkling as she placed her clenched fists below her chin. Ascalon chuckled at her reaction, finding her excitement endearing, though he too felt a profound sense of joy.

“It’s not fair!” Selorien retorted abruptly, furrowing his brows and narrowing his eyes. “I can’t join you guys with my daggers—that’s discrimination!” The elf groaned, half-joking, half-dejected. It was to be expected that he would feel left out, and both Ascalon and Lilithra felt a bit sorry—even though it was not their fault, and was beyond their control.

“We might get a new one if we try hard enough!” Ascalon encouraged with a confident tone, raising his fist in the air in a resolute gesture. Selorien sighed in resignation and grinned before replying.

“I dunno… oh, well—it is what it is.” The elf said in a matter of fact fashion, though Lilithra didn’t seem to agree with him.

“No! Bad!” She chastised Selorien while punching his shoulder playfully. “You should say ‘yes, let’s do our best!’, not that ‘it is what it is’ crap!” Lilithra complained, while both her friends burst out laughing at her words.

“Alright, let’s do our best! Yay, yippee!” Selorien mocked her words, his tone ringing with mischievousness, and Lilithra kept punching his shoulder. Ascalon smiled warmly while watching over them, and time passed slowly as they basked on the peaceful moment.

Eventually, the researchers decided to take a brief rest from their work, and invited the group to join them for dinner. The menu consisted of various sandwiches, juice boxes, and even some sweet pastries. The sight reminded Ascalon of wizards he had met back in Excadia—so absorbed in their magic research they would go entire days munching on bread alone instead of having a proper meal.

While most researchers sat around a table on their foldable chairs, the group decided to remain standing just in case they had to move quickly—though Selorien looked like he really wanted to just plop himself onto a seat, or even the ground, really. The only scientist standing was Damian, a few steps away from them and nibbling on a sandwich in aloof silence.

Everyone chatted about various things, like how their individual researches were progressing, until Irwin breached an interesting topic.

“So yes, basically, they are ‘natural’ living beings—even outside their confinement.” He revealed to his companions, causing Lilly and Lidia to gasp in surprise.

“Wow… to think we would actually confirm that theory!” Lidia chimed in, her voice a mix of astonishment and excitement. Ascalon and his friends exchanged confused glances, and Irwin seemed to take note of that.

“Ehem… let me do a quick recap for our escorts!” The older man exclaimed, garnering everyone’s attention. “You know that dungeon’s ‘reset’, yes?” He began with a question, to which Ascalon and his friends nodded. Satisfied with their agreement, Irwin continued.

“Due to the fact they reset, there are many different theories about dungeons and their dwellers, and some of them agree on the point that they’re ‘artificial’ environments.” The man adjusted his glasses, pausing for a moment to let everyone absorb the thought.

“It’s no surprise, since it’s a strange notion to think these places to be natural, especially when they defy the concept of life and death.” Irwin explained, folding his arms with a thoughtful look on his face. “The bosses ‘respawn’ just like in ‘video games’—and so far none of these monsters has failed to reappear. It seems impossible that they would be replaced by exact copies or resurrected every time—or so I believed.” He continued as the group’s curiosity increased.

“The general consensus among scientists is that these creatures aren’t ‘real’—though I’m sure you would disagree, having fought them and likely been hurt by them, haha.” Irwin addressed Ascalon and his friends, earning agreeing nods. “If these beings were merely illusions or entities fabricated by the ‘network’, that would make more sense, yes.” He concluded, clearing his throat before proceeding.

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

“But here’s the thing. We’ve been observing the monsters from Hedistrung’s ruins for a while now, and while doing so we’ve come to learn about these creatures' behavior.” Irwin smiled, looking more excited. “And they act just like normal, living beings. They have their own territories, hierarchies, habits… but the most notable thing is they grow, and breed.” He revealed, his words ringing with pride.

Ascalon pondered over his words, though he failed to see the significance behind it. He let out a thoughtful ‘hmm’, trying to think about it more deeply, his friends likely on the same boat as him. Then, Lilithra spoke up, her words guided by curiosity.

“Uhm, what does that mean…? S-sorry…” She asked shyly, embarrassed by her lack of knowledge, but earning knowing grins from the scientists. Irwin looked at Julian, and the Leporian nodded as he responded.

“It’s not entirely confirmed of course, but it would suggest the other theories, like ours, are right—that every dungeon originates from another world, along with its inhabitants.” Julian explained, a concept more familiar to Ascalon and his friends. “What we’ve been studying also shows that the beasts can adapt to other environments, grow, and even reproduce under the right circumstances.” His bunny ears twitched as he grinned, clearly excited about his research.

“We’ve seen the creatures here have been growing and changing—we’ve even found samples that show they’re mating regularly, and their newest generations are steadily evolving to adapt to our world!” Julian exclaimed with enthusiasm, earning a collective ‘ooh’ from Ascalon and his friends.

Still, even if it was an interesting reveal, Ascalon couldn’t really share the same level of excitement. He had always guessed these dungeons were from other worlds, and despite the ‘resets’ and all the mystery behind the Gifted network, he thought it was the most likely answer. Just then, Selorien surprisingly raised his voice.

“But… isn’t that like, a really common theory, too?” The elf asked with a dubious stare, and the researchers smiled awkwardly. Ragna chuckled heartily as he replied.

“Yes, of course! It’s probably one of the most common theories out there. But that’s the point—we turn theories and ‘what ifs’ into proven facts! That’s what we researchers do, haha!” The dwarf laughed, with his companions nodding in agreement, and Lilly continued his train of thoughts.

“It might seem like we’re stating the sky is blue or that water is cold—but for us, it’s not enough to just guess. Our work is about confirming the truth ourselves, with proof! To explore the unknown and dispel uncertainties. That’s what drives science!” She exclaimed with energy, standing up and raising her hands high. Her tiny frame mixed with her prideful expression made for an adorable sight.

Ascalon then finally understood what they meant. It wasn’t about how obvious or common the theories seemed to be—it was about proving them, about confirming their beliefs with their own eyes, and for the sake of the world’s science as a whole. These researchers probably felt a similar sense of purpose and joy by seeking the truth behind these mysteries just as he did by fighting powerful foes on the battlefield.

“I see…” Ascalon murmured to himself, his mind traveling back to Excadia. He felt he understood some of his old wizard friends a bit more now—they had surely been doing their best to push magic forward, and for the benefit of mankind. If only he had realized back then, perhaps he could’ve aided them better… but it wasn’t like he could do anything about it now. At the very least, he would honor them by remembering.

Just as he was starting to get nostalgic, Lilithra’s cheerful voice brought him back to the present.

“Amazing! Your research is so admirable!” She exclaimed with conviction, her eyes glowing with pure appreciation. Her words made the researchers smile warmly, along with Ascalon. He knew the importance of feeling validated—especially for people that worked quietly behind the scenes, overshadowed by Guilds, dungeon conquerors, and whatnot. Encouraging them to continue was simply the right thing to do!

“I agree. You are doing marvelous work.” Ascalon chimed in with a gentle voice, adding to the joyful atmosphere, while Selorien sighed and nodded in reluctant agreement.

“Thank you guys…” Lilly replied, her voice full of emotion as her eyes glimmered, slightly teary. “It’s hard work, very scary at times, for little to no reward other than proving something true or wrong… It's lovely to hear our little team is appreciated!” She sniffled, clearly moved by the situation. Lidia grabbed Lilly gently and pulled her into a hug, squeezing her as if she were a cherished stuffed animal.

“It does feel nice!” Lidia declared while Lilly complained cutely in her arms. “But we love our job either way, hehe.” She added, a proud, confident grin adorning her face. Ascalon nodded in appreciation, beginning to see just how determined they all were. Facing against dangerous beasts just for the sake of studying them—without being fighters themselves—they were a remarkably strong bunch, in their own way!

With the harmonious mood enveloping them, they kept chatting about various things, eventually moving away from the research theme and touching on more mundane topics. It was then that Lilly suddenly blurted out a question.

“So, are you guys going out?” She asked, glancing between Lilithra and Ascalon, her cheeks reddening slightly.

The first to react was Selorien, who smirked mischievously as he stifled a laugh, clearly amused. Ascalon tilted his head in confusion, as the words seemed somewhat familiar—he had likely heard them somewhere before, but couldn’t quite recall their meaning. Meanwhile, the remaining girl seemed the most taken aback.

“Huh?!” Lilithra muttered with a panicked expression, her yellow eyes widening as her face brightened with a deep crimson. “W—what?! G—go—going out?! W—who?” She stammered, her thoughts and heart racing furiously. It was the first time someone had addressed their nonexistent romantic situation so straightforwardly, so she was completely off-guard—even though she could have simply said no!

“Oh, uh… I’m sorry—I just thought…” Lilly apologized after seeing their reactions, causing Lilithra to calm down slightly. But to add fuel to the fire, Ascalon spoke up.

“What does that mean?” He questioned with curiosity, and Lilithra looked at him with a nervous expression just as Lidia chimed in.

“Well, you know, we were curious if you two were in a relationship, hehe~!” She giggled heartily, with Lilly nodding shyly. The rest of the researchers seemed awkward, perhaps not as interested or accustomed to these kinds of topics.

For a moment, Ascalon was going to reply that they were indeed in a relationship—yet their inquisitive stares, shy smiles, and blushed cheeks made him realize what they were actually implying: a relationship beyond friendship, most likely.

“Well, no… not in ‘that’ way…” The knight answered in a steady voice, with Lilithra fidgeting in place at his side. Somehow, he felt a pit on his stomach, and at the same time, a strange sense of bashfulness.

The thought of Lilithra being cute and all had crossed his mind, of course. But the researchers’ words had struck at a wall in his mind, chipping away at it slightly and allowing a glimpse of something new to shine through. Could he and Lilithra…? He started to think, glancing over at her.

She was shyly playing with her long, silky red hair, almost as if hiding behind it. She looked just like always, yet it seemed like there was something different about her—she radiated a mysterious, enchanting allure. Ascalon gulped and shook his head, dissipating the intrusive, rude thoughts under the watchful stares of Lilly and Lidia. They exchanged knowing glances, and smirked knowingly, but decided to let the matter rest.

After all, the seed had been planted.

As the tension dissipated, the mood shifted once more with the researchers gradually starting to converse again, easing the awkwardness between Ascalon and Lilithra. Meanwhile, Selorien concocted many mischievous plans for them in the future—a mix of teasing, and perhaps, matchmaking…? It was time for him to step up—for the sake of his own amusement!