"Yellow, you're fired."
The harsh words hung heavy in the air. Shock washed over the entire Feeble Soul party. Their young faces quickly turned pale with horror.
Celia's wooden staff clattered against the floor as she lost her grip.
CLACK-THUD.
The sharp noise bounced loudly off the dark tunnel walls. Her knees gave out a second later. She collapsed onto the ground, paralyzed by the sudden rejection. A suffocating silence filled the dungeon, replacing the usual chaotic sounds of their battles.
Lumina was the first one to break the quiet. She stepped forward, and her small hands trembled violently against the hem of her cloak.
"Please don't do this to her," Lumina begged, her voice cracking in the cold wind. "I beg you. She's doing her absolute best."
Raze quickly chimed in to support the young Mage. "Yeah. If she's gone, I don't have a sparring partner with a sword anymore."
Lexi stepped closer to the group. She looked up at Kian with a highly nervous gaze. "Can we give her a little more time, Kian?"
"Shut up!" Kian yelled.
The loud command echoed fiercely, making the children flinch backward. He looked at them, and his eyes were as cold as ice.
"If you are against my decision, then why don't you all leave?" Kian demanded.
Pure terror gripped Raze and Lexi. They stared at Kian's freezing expression, because they had never seen him look that furious before. The threat of abandonment hit them like a falling rock.
Lumina stood completely stunned. Her tongue felt heavy, so she was entirely unable to speak another word. Her whole body trembled from the sheer fear of getting fired next. But she cared deeply for Celia, leaving her mind trapped in a messy conflict. She did not know what to do.
Kian shifted his cold gaze. "Red and Pink, you are both failures."
The word dropped onto the floor like a heavy anvil.
Failure.
For Raze and Lexi, that single word tore right through their fierce pride. Raze's young face twisted in pure distress. He always thought he was a strong fighter, but hearing his idol call him a failure made his stomach drop entirely into his boots. A deep, heavy shame pooled in his chest. It made it hard to pull air into his lungs.
Lexi felt the exact same crushing devastation. Her eyes widened, and a terrible ache gripped her throat. She desperately wanted his approval more than anything else in the entire world. Hearing she failed him completely shattered her confidence, leaving her feeling small and entirely useless.
Lexi immediately bowed her head and stared hard at the toes of her boots.
"I'm sorry for letting you down," Lexi said, her voice shaking with raw desperation. "I'll do better starting from now on to live up to your expectations."
Raze saw Lexi apologize, so he quickly bowed his head as well.
"I apologize," Raze declared. "I know we still have a long way to go to reach your level, but I promise you this. One day, I'll be the second strongest Adventurer in the world, second to you."
Lexi glared fiercely at Raze while she kept her head bowed.
"I will be the second strongest, not you," she murmured under her breath.
"I am," Raze whispered back.
They exchanged sharp, competitive glances.
But Lexi noticed Lumina's devastated face right after that exchange. The young Mage looked completely heartbroken. Lexi realized this was definitely not the time for them to argue over ranks. Celia was about to get fired, and the party was falling apart.
A sudden thought distracted Lexi's panic. She looked at Lumina and analyzed the future.
If I'm going to be the second strongest Adventurer in the world, Raze is a tough one to beat. However, there's someone else I'm weary with. Lumina.
Normally, Mages are weak in close-quarter combat. When a Thief closes the distance with a Mage, the fight is usually game over in a single slash. But Lumina is different from the rest.
If Lumina and I fight head on, I'm not even sure if I can get close to her. And even if I close the distance between us, she has a lot of tricks up her sleeve. She uses close-quarter magic spells, so it would be incredibly difficult to beat her.
Lexi tightened her grip on her daggers.
If I'm going to beat her, then I should be able to hide my presence entirely. I have to conceal my Aura at the very last moment before I land a hit. That's the only way to bypass her magical defenses.
A spark of intense realization hit the Thief.
Kian was right all along, Lexi concluded. I have to totally hide my presence if I want to stand beside him as the second strongest. I have to be strong.
A few meters away, Kian stared at the bowing children. He maintained his cold face, but his mind was a frantic, confused mess.
I don't know where they got the idea that I'm strong, Kian thought, a heavy knot twisting in his gut. I don't have Mana in the first place.
He remembered the very first time he met these color-coded kids. They had followed him around the city streets like lost little ducks.
It must be from the time I used to brag about how strong I am, Kian realized. I told them I was very strong. And these kids just believed every word I said.
He felt a sharp twinge of guilt.
Well, I didn't intend to lie at that time. I really thought that I was strong at that moment. I honestly thought I was.
I remembered my old, foolish ambitions. I dreamt of becoming the strongest Adventurer in the world, and I wanted to make legends to build a grand legacy for myself.
Kian sighed in his mind, his eyes dead.
But brutal reality came crashing down very fast. When we first entered a low-level dungeon, I failed to kill a single monster. A weak beast almost knocked me out, so that was the exact moment I realized how weak and pathetic I really was.
Kian looked at the color-coded kids. He looked at Yellow lying on the ground.
And what made it worse, Kian thought bitterly, I discovered that these kids I thought were supposed to be my lackeys were actually far stronger than me.
He remembered watching them fight in their very first dungeon raid. They massacred an entire hoard of beasts all on their own. They moved with terrifying speed and destructive power.
They are monsters, Kian admitted to himself.
A wave of hot embarrassment washed over him. He remembered his own arrogant words from two years ago.
*Just stay close to me. I'm going to protect you if the situation gets dire.*
How embarrassing, Kian thought, his face burning underneath his calm face. I practically told a group of predators that a harmless civilian would protect them.
He looked down at the floor.
I don't understand how come these kids never realize I'm actually a weakling, Kian wondered. They really believe I'm strong, and they just think I'm pretending to be weak.
Whenever I got cuts from minor flying debris, the kids assumed I deliberately let myself get cut to test them, and whenever I got knocked down, they thought I was just kidding around and pretending to be hurt to teach them a lesson. So even if I say I am weak right now, they will never believe it.
He shook his head slowly. A heavy, profound sadness settled deep inside his chest. He looked at Black's fierce loyalty, Red's raw potential, and Pink's terrifying dedication, alongside Brown's silent endurance and Yellow's desperate persistence.
These kids have a brighter future without me, Kian thought. I've witnessed their talent grow exponentially for almost two years. There's no doubt in my mind they will become legends one day.
The bitter taste of his own incompetence filled his mouth. He was a fraud dragging them down.
That's why I need to remove myself from the equation, Kian thought, and his heart ached at the thought. I have to disband the Feeble Soul so that they could all move to a different stage.
Kian felt the sharp, stinging pain of his own weakness. Letting go of the color-coded kids tore him apart inside. They were loud, but they were the only people who ever looked at him with genuine respect. Giving that up felt like ripping a piece of his own soul away.
He hated his own lack of talent.
They can't follow a weakling leader like me, Kian thought, fighting back the heavy despair threatening to break his cold expression. I have to give them a reality without me. It's the only way they can truly spread their wings and conquer the world. I'm nothing but a heavy anchor holding back a fleet of grand ships. I have to... cut the rope.
Kian swallowed his grief as he looked at their terrified, hopeful faces.
Fine. If they think I'm strong, then I'll pretend to be one just to get rid of them.
He straightened his posture and took a deep, slow breath to steady his shaking nerves. He put on the most arrogant, dismissive face he could manage.
"I don't like to be in a party that consists of weaklings," Kian said flatly.
He sighed loudly. He made sure to paint a deeply disappointed expression across his features.
"I'm disappointed with all of you," Kian declared, his voice cutting through the air. "You're too weak to be part of my dream party. If you disagree with my decision of firing Yellow, then I'll be the one to leave this party."