C18 Criticism

Yesterday started off fine, but Sophia's demeanor soured after Ryan showed up. It was as if I had somehow offended her. Could it be that Ryan is the one Sophia has feelings for? Maybe she's upset because my presence is affecting his work. With that in mind, Egerton downplayed Sophia's presence.

You know, it's quite typical—two guys getting jealous over a woman and causing a scene at work. It's understandable that she'd be upset.

"Is that the case?" Ryan, ignoring Harper who was making the biggest fuss, turned to Sophia.

"Indeed," Sophia confirmed, giving Egerton a grateful glance as Ryan looked away.

I should be more cautious from now on. If I get too close to Sophia, it could lead to a misunderstanding with Ryan.

"Lord Ryan, please don't take him seriously. Sophia is just upset with me; it's not at all what it seems!" Harper attempted to clarify, but Ryan had already seized him, dragging him out of the Bounty Guild to the astonishment of onlookers.

It looks like Harper is in for a rough time. The punishment at the Bounty Guild is no joke.

He had it coming. He was already reprimanded yesterday, and yet he dared to repeat his mistake. I wonder where he gets his audacity.

"Can I pick up a mission now?" Egerton inquired cautiously.

"Go ahead, you've earned it this time," Sophia said, her eyes softening towards Egerton, her mood visibly improved.

Egerton selected several Level D magical creature hunting missions and left the Bounty Guild, making his way toward Sunblessed Vale.

"Verl, did you have a rough night, or was yesterday's date so thrilling that you couldn't sleep?"

In the crowd, Bran eyed Verl, who looked a bit peaky, and couldn't resist teasing her.

Verl shook her head silently, scanning the crowd.

"Hold on," Ngoh cut off Bran, who was eager to keep talking, and shook his head at him.

"What's the matter?" Bran whispered.

"I'm not sure, but it looks like there was some trouble with Verl and Egerton's date," Ngoh replied with a shrug.

"Here they come," Hankamer interjected.

Egerton was making his way through the crowd toward them. Upon seeing him, Verl's previously stern face lit up with joy, but her smile vanished as quickly as it had appeared.

"All of you are here. I'm not late, am I?" Without sparing Verl a glance, Egerton strode toward Macleay and the rest of the group.

"Hey, hey, Egerton, what's going on?" "Right, everyone's here. Let's get moving. Today's goal is to take down twenty Level D magical creatures. No time to dawdle!" Macleay interjected, effectively cutting off any chance for the new recruits to exchange words and sparing Egerton from a slew of potentially awkward encounters.

"It figures. Macleay and the others are aware of Verl's background and seem skeptical about any prospects between us," Egerton realized internally.

"Let's not ask anymore. The team leader and the others are probably aware of the situation too. It's best not to meddle," Ngoh advised, trailing behind Macleay and Egerton, noticing Bran's reluctance to drop the subject.

"I get that it might not be so straightforward, but we are a team," Bran responded, feeling somewhat helpless.

As members of the same Adventure Team, seeing each other day in and day out, a strained relationship could lead to complications.

"Let's just see how it plays out. The team leader will handle it," Ngoh suggested after a brief pause.

"How will they handle it? By kicking one of us out?" Bran countered.

"Perhaps, if things continue to feel this way," Ngoh said, glancing at Verl and Egerton.

"That's not acceptable. No, I need to find a way to help them patch things up!" Bran resolved.

Re-entering the 100th floor of Skyreach Spire, the team was still adjusting to the sudden gloom, but Egerton seemed unfazed as he began to survey their surroundings.

"There are no magical creatures nearby. Let's keep moving. Hankamer, take the lead. Ngoh, you're in the middle. Verl and Bran, flank Ngoh on either side. I'll cover the rear. Let's advance slowly and steadily. No need to rush," Egerton instructed.

"He's still upset with me," Verl realized with a twinge of disappointment as she heard the altered marching orders.

Ideally, Egerton and Ngoh should swap places, since Egerton could best manage the team and respond to emergencies if he were positioned at the center.

However, Egerton had now made a risky change to avoid standing too close to him, which only underscored the depth of his dislike.

"What's the problem with my plan?" Egerton asked, turning to Macleay after noticing his gaze.

"I'm just here to ensure your safety," Macleay replied, shaking his head without elaborating further.

Egerton's strategy might have raised the stakes, but the five of them were more than capable of handling it.

Macleay's real concern was whether Egerton would let his emotions dictate his actions in battle and maintain this risky behavior.

Imagine, if a magical creature attacked Verl and only Egerton could save her, but he chose not to act—what then?

But Macleay's worries were soon shown to be unfounded.

The team had barely covered a kilometer when they were ambushed by two Level D magical creatures. The Rhinotaurs shattered Hankamer's defenses—one deflecting Ngoh's greatsword, the other nearly inflicting fatal wounds on Verl and Bran.

A blur of motion, and Egerton's knife was suddenly deflecting the Rhinotaur's horn, shifting the deadly trajectory. With a burst of strength, he pulled Verl to safety from the sweeping horn, while Bran was unceremoniously nudged, nearly crashing into an ancient wall.

"Bran, assist Ngoh with the attack. Hankamer, join the offensive. Verl, snap out of it and heal me!"

Egerton's commands were swift and decisive, galvanizing the previously flustered Sunstriders into action. In no time, the two Rhinotaurs, which had threatened to wipe out the team, were reduced to charred remains by Bran's flames.

"Your vigilance is still lacking, and your performance is subpar. You should have been aware of the Rhinotaurs without my prompting. Hankamer, you only reacted after they charged—you should have been able to hold at least one of them. Bran, your spellcasting is slow, so it's understandable you couldn't keep up. Verl, what exactly were you thinking during those crucial seconds? Even with a Holy Light personality, as a Class 2 Magician, casting some blinding light magic shouldn't be too difficult, right?" Having gathered the Rhinotaurs' materials, Egerton called for an impromptu debriefing.

Egerton felt compelled to continue his exploration in the same manner as before, but he couldn't help thinking that going solo might be more relaxing.

"I..." Verl began, attempting to offer an explanation, but the words caught in her throat, and a blush crept across her pale face.

She couldn't very well admit that her momentary distraction had been due to thoughts of Egerton, could she?

"Egerton, have you purchased any protective gear and shoes?" Bran interjected abruptly.

Before the Rhinotaur's assault, Egerton hadn't donned any new gear, so Bran and the others hadn't noticed his footwear change. It was only through the swift actions he had taken moments earlier that they suspected something.

"What else could I have done? If I hadn't bought those shoes to increase my speed, I might have saved you all, but at the cost of my own injury," Egerton said, lifting his arm to reveal a white mark on his armpit from the Rhinotaur's horn.

"Did you get that gear and those shoes while you were out with Verl yesterday?" Bran teased.

His comment, however, sucked the life out of the previously pleasant atmosphere, leaving an awkward silence.

"What, you think I'm the kind of guy who lives off others?" Egerton frowned, more puzzled than angry at Bran's odd timing for such a remark.

"Ahem, it was just a joke. I obviously know you bought them to better sync up with the team."

"To sync up with this sorry excuse for a team?" Egerton retorted, clearly unimpressed.

"Hey now, that's a bit harsh. How are we sorry? We're quite exceptional compared to your average adventurers, you know?" Bran protested, clearly offended.

"Exceptional? More like exceptionally close to an early grave," Egerton scoffed.

"Hankamer just wasn't on his game earlier," Bran said, deflated.

"He's the prison warden, the critical bulwark against enemy attacks. You say he wasn't on his game so casually, but these are the kinds of mistakes that cost lives. Do you really think I'm just messing around with you?" Egerton responded, his patience wearing thin.

He suspected Bran of trying to deflect the conversation, unaware of his deeper motives.

"Egerton is correct. Hankamer, you were indeed distracted, which is a serious mistake. If Egerton hadn't been here, and we'd had another rookie from a different Class, all five of you would've been decimated by now. The moment you set foot in the Skyreach Spire, you should be in constant battle readiness. You may not have noticed, but Egerton has been on high alert since the moment we arrived, vigilant even while pointing out your errors," Macleay finally chimed in.

Bran and his companions fell silent, taking a closer look and indeed confirming Macleay's statement.

"We can't blame Hankamer entirely. After all, what happened yesterday was quite significant," Ngoh interjected suddenly.

"Yesterday? Wasn't it just a skirmish with some magical creatures and a heretic? Is it possible that left some kind of lasting impact?"

"No, there was more to it. An Adventure Team encountered the Masked Demon on the 100th floor of Skyreach Spire yesterday!"