A long silence hung between us, Marcus still unbothered, Nadia seething. She could barely hold back anymore. "You don't understand," she spat. "All of this is for the greater good. If you really care about survival, you'll help me clear the path. Help me break them down. We'll work together and end this nightmare." Her eyes flicked to Marcus, who nodded slightly, though his expression remained impassive.
"You want us to join you, and for what? To build your empire on the backs of those who can't fight back? This ends with you, Nadia. You're not getting our people to help with your twisted little power grab." I said my voice low.
Marcus, not phased, shrugged again. "You talk about 'people' like you're any different. Everyone's a resource until they're not."
Jasmine stepped forward. "Don't mistake us for the kind of people who follow someone like you."
The tension crackled in the air. Nadia's smile returned, but it was colder now. "We'll see how long that confidence lasts once the goblins start pushing back. This is your last chance to choose a side."
Jasmine's POV
I closed my eyes and pulled in a long, steady breath. The urge to snap, to drive my blade through Marcus's throat or put a bullet between Nadia's eyes, simmered just beneath the surface. But giving in now? That would get us nowhere. Argument, bloodshed—it'd just thin our own ranks before the real fight even started.
What mattered was the outcome.
We needed people. And as much as I hated admitting it, the intel Nadia dangled in front of us could make the difference between scraping through another day or walking into a slaughter.
They killed others. Exploited them. And I wanted to judge, tried to call it weakness, cruelty, evil. But who was I to stand on that high ground? I'd killed hundreds—maybe thousands. Some of it for survival. Most of it was because someone told me to. And now? I'd do it again without hesitation if it meant protecting the people I cared about.
Survival was survival. Morality was just a luxury.
I let the breath out slowly, opened my eyes, and looked at Marcus. His pale stare was as steady as ever. I exhaled through my nose, resigned. "We should work together."
A stiff nod was all I got from him. No gloating, no smirk. Just a cold agreement. Nadia, though—she practically glowed with triumph, lips curling into that self-satisfied smile like she'd already won.
The weight of someone's stare pulled me sideways. Nicole.
Her eyes hit like a blade, betrayal flashing clear across her face. Hurt, too.
"Why?" she demanded, voice sharp.
I held her gaze, forcing mine to stay calm. "Because we don't have time for infighting. We've been in this dungeon for days now—five, six? Maybe more. Every hour we waste, the goblins organize strongly. The longer we stay, the more dangerous this place becomes."
Nicole's mouth pressed into a thin line, but I pressed on before she could argue.
"This is temporary. I don't like them. I don't trust them. But Nadia has information, and Marcus… Marcus can fight. If we keep going solo, we'll end up like Marco and his team—burned out, boxed in, dead. I won't let that happen to us."
I turned back to the pair of them, setting my shoulders. "But let's be clear. We don't follow your orders. Your people handle your fights, ours handle ours. If we're working together, it's side by side—not under your thumb."
Nadia's smirk faltered, irritation cracking her polished mask. "That's ridiculous. If we're going to do this, we should function as one group. One command, one plan—"
"No." My voice cut her off like a blade. "We don't trust you. Especially not with your little mind tricks."
Her eyes narrowed, lips parting like she was about to argue again—until Marcus's hand lifted, halting her cold. His tone was steady, unconcerned. "Doesn't matter. Separate or together. As long as the boss dies, we all win."
His gaze swept between us, detached as always. "So," he said, "should we start planning?"
Nadia's fingertip circled the food court on the mall directory, the ink smudged from repeated tracing.
"The Shaman is the priority. He can buff every goblin within range: strength, speed, and even healing. You leave him standing; you're not fighting just mere goblins anymore. You will be fighting an army."
Nadia leaned forward, her eyes glinting in the lantern light. "He favors three spells: a shield chant, a frenzy that drives his warriors into a blood rage, and a healing that binds wounds shut faster than you can cut them. He'll stay back, protected, until he knows he has the upper hand. The moment you close in, he calls in his elites."
Nicole narrowed her eyes. "And how exactly do you know that?"
The smile on Nadia's lips didn't falter, but I caught the twitch in her jaw before she answered. "Because I've seen him before. I tried once, alongside the other agents. We thought we could bring down the dungeon boss and end this nightmare for good." Her gaze flicked to Marcus. "It didn't work. The goblins killed everyone, and I was nearly torn apart myself. That's when I realized I needed more people and stronger allies. Which led me to him."
Marcus didn't look at her, didn't even acknowledge the explanation. He just stared at the map like the Shaman was already in his grasp.
Nicole leaned back, arms crossed, tone flat but sharp as a knife. "So you failed, and then decided to build your own army. By whatever means necessary."
Nadia's smile thinned into something that wasn't quite denial. "I adapted. Survival favors those who do."
I held her gaze for a moment, weighing the words. Survival or manipulation, either way, it didn't matter. What mattered was what she knew, and how we'd use it.
I kept my tone flat. "And you expect us to take your word for it."
Her eyes glittered. "Of course not. That's why you send scouts, people who can move unseen, watch, and live long enough to tell us what they saw. We need a current report on the food court. I believe the goblins are multiplying."
I leaned an elbow on the counter, studying the map, but my mind was already on names. Logan. Mitch. Logan and Viktor, who is on Mitch's team, have the training, and I know Mitch definitely has the instincts to sneak around, so this will be a good match for everyone.
"Fine," I said. "Logan and Mitch's teams handle recon. They'll shadow the food court, confirm numbers, routes, and any traps. No engagement unless they get caught."
Nicole added, voice clipped, "And if your intel's garbage, we'll know who to blame."
Marcus gave a low grunt, almost amused. "Scouts don't matter. Kill enough goblins and the Shaman shows himself."
I shot him a look sharp enough to cut. "Scouts matter if you don't want half your force gutted before you ever see him."
That shut him up, if only for now.
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