Yellow opened her mouth to remind him of the very first day they met. She desperately wanted him to remember her pathetic situation back then to earn some pity. But Kian felt a harsh wave of embarrassment crash into his skull instead. The memory of all his past delusions burned his pride like hot coals. Tears still flowed freely from Yellow's blue eyes.
"But Ki, you're the reason why I—"
"Okay, I get it," Kian interrupted quickly. He raised a hand to cut her off. "Just keep quiet for a second."
"Hmmn?" Yellow tilted her head. She was really confused by the sudden dismissal.
Inside his own mind, Kian panicked.
I can't let her say another single word about that day. I will die of embarrassment if she repeats my stupid speeches out loud.
With a heavy sob, Yellow tightened her arms around his chest. "If you're going to fire me, then please kill me right here and now. I better die than lose my mind."
Behind his calm face, Kian groaned.
I don't really understand what nonsense this old hag is talking about, but I absolutely cannot let her mouth run wild about the things I said to them.
He let out a long, heavy sigh to stall for time.
"Please, give me a chance to prove myself," Yellow pleaded.
Oh, oh. This sounds so familiar. Of course it does. She won't let go.
Kian struggles to catch his breath, pinned by Yellow's iron-tight grip.
I guess I have no choice.
Kian cleared his throat to regain control of the situation.
"Alright, I'll give you one last chance, but you have to let me go now," Kian bargained.
Yellow immediately released her tight hug. Her sad face brightened instantly the exact moment she heard those words.
Kian drew a deep breath.
This elf is so incredibly troublesome.
As Kian walked slowly toward the cavern exit, Yellow followed closely behind his heels. When they finally stepped outside, the other kids were nowhere to be seen. Kian turned around to face the elf directly.
"As of this moment, you're no longer part of the Feeble Soul," Kian declared.
Yellow gasped in pure shock and immediately argued the point. "But you said you'll give me a chance!"
"Yes," Kian agreed flatly. "You can come back if you ever manage to cast a continuous low-level healing spell for ten hours straight. That's the condition before you can return."
Yellow fell completely silent as she thought about the impossible demand for a long while.
"Give me a hint," she finally asked.
Of course. Kian smirked in his mind. This is the exact pattern. She will ask for a second chance, and then she will ask for a clue. Black was a really talented kid. But Yellow? I don't think she can increase her casting duration time at all.
He pointed his right index finger toward a random direction in the distance. "Up there. You will find the hint you're looking for."
"Up North?" Yellow guessed.
"Pack your things and leave early in the morning," Kian instructed. "Don't come back until you find out the answer."
Yellow wiped her eyes. "I... I promise to come back."
Please don't. Kian kept his face neutral as he looked at Yellow's determined expression. There is no way she could actually do it, right?
Under the yellow and orange glow of the sunset, Kian stared at the sky. A cold breeze brushed past his collar.
Why do I have a bad feeling about this?
The day after tomorrow, Yellow packed her bags. She left early in the morning right after she said her tearful goodbyes to everyone.
Without the party's designated Healer, the Feeble Soul continued their non-stop dungeon exploration for an entire week. Having no medical support was a big rookie mistake for any Adventurer's party, but Kian did not care at all.
Because Celia was gone, Alden had to pay a completely different Healer from another party every single night. The Tanker used his own coin pouch to fix his broken bones.
Raze and Lexi quickly came back to their cheerful selves. They bickered and fought just like normal.
Lumina, however, was incredibly devastated over losing Yellow. The young Mage dragged her feet and kept her head down for days.
One quiet afternoon after their grueling dungeon run, Lumina could not take the pain anymore.
She walked directly toward Kian. He was sitting comfortably in his chair inside the inn's lobby. Lumina slammed her small hands violently onto the table right in front of him.
BAM.
Her face was dead serious.
Lexi, Raze, and Alden were all completely shocked as they stared in horror at what she had just done.
Lumina looked intently into Kian's eyes. "Give her back."
Kian looked at her.
This is the very first time Black has acted like this, he thought. She's usually so obedient to whatever I say. She's actually protesting now?
He smirked internally.
This could be a very good sign. If I refuse her demand, she might quit the party eventually.
He maintained a flawless poker face.
"No," Kian stated coldly. "She's weak. Feeble Soul doesn't need a weakling."
That was the exact moment when Black truly exploded. She became incredibly angry at her boss.
Look at her face, Kian thought. She's really furious. I'll have to insult that elf a lot more to put fuel on the fire.
"Yellow was just dead weight," Kian sneered. "She cried all the time and tripped over her own robes. We're far better off without an old hag who can't even hold a simple spell for a few hours. She belongs in the trash, not in a dungeon."
"Shut up!" Lumina screamed. Her cheeks flushed bright red with pure rage, but she still tried to hold back her tears stubbornly. "Don't talk to her like that! She worked harder than anyone! She patched up every single cut we got without complaining!"
She's falling right for it, Kian cheered in his mind.
Alden just stood frozen in the corner. The Tanker's eyes darted wildly between the angry girl and his boss, entirely too scared to say a single word.
Lexi darted forward to grab Lumina's arm. "Lumina, stop it right now! You're crossing the line!"
"Let me go!" Lumina shrieked.
Raze stepped up on her other side and nervously waved his hands. "Come on, calm down! Kian is going to get really mad. You don't want to make him mad. Just apologize before he throws you out too!"
They were terrified of what Kian might do to her if she continued her loud protest.
Kian leaned back in his chair. "If you want, you can go with that weakling. I don't mind."
Lumina finally snapped her very last straw. She raised her small fist and punched the wooden table with all her might.
KRA-CRACK.
The wood splintered loudly down the middle.
Lexi gasped out loud. Raze stumbled backward in pure shock, and Alden covered his mouth with his hand.
Lumina stared at Kian. Her entire body trembled violently with anger and fear.
"I... I challenge you to a duel," Lumina demanded. "Fight me!"
She leaned closer across the broken wood and forced a brave face. "If I beat you, you will take her back."
The moment the duel request left Lumina's lips, a heavy shock completely paralyzed the room.
Alden, Raze, and Lexi stared at the young Mage in sheer disbelief. From their perspective, Lumina was asking for something completely ridiculous. A formal duel between Adventurers is a rare event. A duel between knights happens inside a pristine arena where men fight for pride, honor, and political favor. Knights stop their blades when a referee waves a colored flag or someone draws first blood.
A duel between Adventurers is slightly different. Adventurers clash in the wild without rules, referees, or formal restrictions. They fight over stolen loot, bloody territory, or bitter grudges. Brutal survival instincts always take over in the wilderness, so an Adventurer duel usually ends with a severed limb or a mangled corpse. It is basically an execution disguised as a match.
Raze was the first one to cut the silence. He threw his head back, and a massive roar of laughter erupted from his throat.
"BWAHAHAHA!" Raze slapped his own knee hard. "You're completely insane!"
Lexi quickly interjected, her face twisting into a sharp scowl. "That's the most ridiculous thing I ever heard in a while. Are you out of your mind?"
Alden nodded his head in firm agreement with Lexi. He simply could not understand why the fragile kid wanted to die so badly.
Lumina kept her small hands planted on the broken table, but she gripped her fingers into tight fists to hide the violent tremors. She acted incredibly tough on the outside, but she was terrified in reality. Her heart beat wildly. She slowly looked down at the floor.
"I know I sound like a crazy person right now," Lumina admitted softly to Lexi. She lifted her chin and looked directly at Kian's calm face again. "But I have to do this."
Raze crossed his arms over his chest. "Don't get me wrong, Missy. I know you're tough, but it's obvious you don't stand a chance against Kian. It's an unwinnable battle."
"I'm not a fool," Lumina countered immediately. "I know I'll lose in a fair fight. That's exactly why I need a handicap."
Lexi raised an eyebrow. "A handicap?"