When did the atmosphere change?
The air grew thick, flowing like sticky mud. The Adventurers' Guild suddenly became suffocating, and both Belto and the rest of the Group could clearly sense that something was very wrong.
Being stared at by so many eyes—this kind of attention should have been encouraging. It should have pushed them forward.
But now…
Cold sweat trickled down the backs of the New Strategy Group members.
"Hey… they really did kill Living Pot, didn't they?" a man wearing a flower crown said in disbelief.
"How awful… even something that cute…" a woman murmured, covering her mouth with a wreath-adorned hand.
What the hell is a Living Pot anyway?!
As the atmosphere grew heavier by the second, Belto forced a stiff smile. He was just about to ask what everyone meant by "Living Pot" when someone else spoke up first.
"They killed the Warrior Pot and even found the hidden door. Of course they killed Little Pot too!"
"Seriously, shouldn't you pay more attention when exploring? Didn't you notice the Warrior Pot never attacked anyone?"
"…I was just starting to like them."
People were already turning away in disappointment. Belto hurriedly looked at Luluwo. From the scattered remarks, he finally pieced together the situation.
The Warrior Pot that had been attacked by monsters was actually friendly.
If you didn't kill it, you would receive rewards—and even meet smaller, adorable Warrior Pots. The flower crowns everyone was wearing were gifts from Little Pot.
What…?
When the Group had entered the dungeon, all they'd seen were mangled, fleshy contents of living pots and Warrior Pots charging at them in spinning attacks. Where were these "cute Pots" people were talking about?
Was it because they killed the Warrior Pot right at the start?
"Wait!"
Luluwo suddenly spoke up. She stared straight into the crowd, refusing to retreat.
"All we did was kill a monster! Why are you all making those faces? Isn't killing monsters the natural duty of adventurers?!"
The crowd exploded.
"Do you know the Little Pots you killed were innocent children? The first flower I ever received in my life was from them!"
"So what? We never even saw any Little Pots!" Luluwo snapped back. "That graveyard was filled with nothing but twisted, bloody abominations!"
"That was your punishment! And it happened because you killed the Warrior Pot!"
Someone shouted angrily, "Who told you not to pay attention? From beginning to end, the Warrior Pot never showed hostility! Did it never occur to you that it might have been an event?!"
Luluwo fell silent.
They had been rushing to explore more of the map. They really hadn't paid attention to details.
Thinking back carefully…
That battered Warrior Pot truly hadn't attacked them first.
"But—" She tried to speak again.
An older adventurer shook his head.
"You picked the worst possible timing."
"Early this morning, Maru from the Leon Group released partial intel about the Catacombs. It detailed a hidden map called Pot Settlement. The difficulty is moderate, but the rewards are extremely generous. Anyone who entered the dungeon today—eight or nine out of ten—went there specifically."
More importantly, he gestured to the flower crown on his head.
"This is the first time we've encountered something this adorable in the Sein Dungeon. The emotional reward alone outweighs the material gains. It's only the first day, and the Warrior Pots are already this beloved. Who knows what they'll become in the future? They might even turn into Sein's mascot."
"So when you barged in and announced that you killed them—and even stole their flowers—of course people reacted badly."
Luluwo's pupils trembled.
What kind of absurd situation was this?
How could their luck possibly be this terrible?
"But… surely we're not the only ones who killed Warrior Pots, right?" she made one final attempt. "Why is the hostility toward us so extreme?"
"Because you call yourselves the New Raid Group."
The older adventurer continued calmly, "I've seen many Raid groups. Do you know what they all have in common?"
"…What?" Luluwo asked stiffly.
"Details."
"The intel you released is useful—more detailed than Leon's, even. But the moment people realized you completely missed the Warrior Pot event, they lost confidence in everything else."
"Before Maru released her intel, some groups had already discovered the Warrior Pot event. The trigger conditions aren't even difficult."
"Every Raid group values details above all else. They verify the same information over and over before releasing it. But you…" He sighed. "You were too fast. Too rough."
"If you had released this intel as ordinary adventurers, everyone here would be celebrating—throwing you into the air, stuffing silver coins into your hands. You'd be praised in taverns as equals to a Raid group."
"But you chose to use the name of a Raid group. Naturally, people hold you to higher standards."
Once you take on the name of a Raid group, you must shoulder the responsibility that comes with it.
Especially when Leon's group had already set such a high bar. Any flaw in the New Group would be magnified endlessly.
The adventurer placed a mug of ice-cold beer in front of Luluwo.
"This one's on me. Thanks for the intel."
Bubbles rose endlessly in the golden liquid, popping one after another—like a dream shattering.
"But here's a word of advice." He stood. "If you want to keep using the name of a Raid group, learn from Leon and the others."
He paused, then added,
"Stop trying to take shortcuts. Even if you want fame, you still have to keep your feet on the ground."
That sentence dealt massive critical damage to Luluwo.
"C-Captain…?" Belto asked anxiously, watching her slender body tremble.
All the misfortune of the day had piled up at once. Their impatience had led them straight into this bitter outcome.
When did things start going wrong?
Belto thought carefully.
It seemed that ever since they used Darkwraiths to hinder Leon's group, everything had spiraled downward.
His body shuddered.
Perhaps the gods really were watching. Once they harbored malicious intent, misfortune followed naturally.
"Captain… let's head back first," Belto said bitterly. "Let's rest for now—"
Luluwo suddenly slapped his arm away and sprinted out of the Adventurers' Guild.
"Captain!"
The Group chased after her, but Luluwo's strength far surpassed theirs. In the blink of an eye, she vanished.
And the direction she ran toward was—
The Sein Dungeon.
"Oh no!" Belto cried out. "She doesn't have any teleport crystals left!"
When had her streak of bad luck truly begun?
Probably the moment she started using underhanded tactics against Leon.
Maybe this really was divine punishment.
Luluwo sprinted through the night. It wasn't even midnight when she shoved past people at the teleport gate and rushed into the Sein Dungeon.
"Hey! Don't cut in line!"
Those already inside were stunned when Luluwo appeared alone instead of with her team.
She ignored the bonfire and charged straight into the Catacombs.
Madness and confusion filled her eyes. The chain of events had completely shattered her mental state.
And so, she made an irrational decision.
But one thing was crystal clear—
If she could secure the first kill of the Death Rite Bird, she could continue calling herself a Raid Group.
Only under that name could she attempt the Gold-ranked Adventurer promotion. And once Gold-ranked, she'd have a chance at being granted noble status by the Kingdom.
The Kingdom valued Gold-ranked adventurers highly. Swear loyalty to the king, and even the lowest noble title would be granted.
On the Catacombs' walls, a giant summoned countless archers. Luluwo's chains locked together, forming a massive shield as she forced her way through the barrage. She reached the giant and kicked it flat to the ground.
Without sparing it another glance, she sprinted along the city wall path.
This was the route to the Calling Ship.
And at the end of it waited the Death Ritual Bird.
Right.
Why did she want to become a noble in the first place?
Luluwo remembered her starving childhood. The family taken by a powerful noble. The thief grandmother who raised her.
She couldn't remember the noble's face—only his overwhelming power and status. It was said he shared blood with the king.
Someone so far above her that even becoming a noble might never let her cross paths with him.
So why strive for nobility?
To rescue her family?
No.
They would never live to see today.
Then why?
"You have to take shortcuts," her grandmother once told her before dying. "Climb faster than anyone else. Higher than anyone else. Reach the top of the royal capital, and then—"
Luluwo whispered,
"Find the root of everything… and kick that bastard king's ass to pieces."
That's right.
Her true target had always been the king's ass.
Without the king's indulgence, how could nobles abduct families so easily? How could her childhood have been so miserable?
When I find him, I'll stuff ten chains up his ass—no, twenty. Thirty. As many as I can fit! Then I'll dunk him in a cesspit until he repents!
That cesspit will be called the Rebirth Pool.
A sharp gleam lit Luluwo's eyes.
But as she passed a silent lake, the water suddenly exploded.
An enormous white ape leapt out.
A Guardian Ape.
It had been placed here.
"Get out of my way!"
In the past, Luluwo would have leisurely dismantled it, never letting it resurrect.
Another detail she'd overlooked.
She was in a hurry.
Her chains wrapped around the massive blade hanging from its neck. With a violent yank, she severed its head.
Blood rained down.
Luluwo licked her dry lips. After running this long, she really did need something to drink.
Her bat bloodline resonated with blood. Even Guardian Ape blood would suffice.
She drank deeply.
With the replenishment, her rationality slowly returned.
Her eyes widened.
What am I doing?!
How could I charge into the dungeon alone without a teleport crystal?!
Am I an idiot?!
Panic surged. She turned to flee—
And met a pair of shining eyes.
The Guardian Ape was staring at her.
Blinking.
"…Ah."
Crimson droplets slid from Luluwo's lips as she stared, utterly dumbfounded.
"ROOOOAR!"
A crimson mist erupted as the Guardian Ape's furious roar echoed through the Sein Dungeon.
Luluwo's Fear Gauge filled completely.
"Eek!"
Her worst fears flooded her vision—nobles, werewolves, garlic, crosses—
And at the very end stood a figure in a pointed hood. Hollow eye sockets glimmered with eerie light.
With a strangled sound, Luluwo collapsed unconscious.
On one side—
A headless Guardian Ape.
On the other—
An unconscious beauty.
What happened next needed no explanation.
The Lion Ape picked up the great blade and raised it toward Luluwo.
[You are being invaded by Warrior of Sunlight "Mysterious Hooded Man"!]
And at that moment—
The masked hero who brings hope to the people made his entrance.