The journey from the blood-soaked plains of Zone D to the twilight forests of Zone C took two days. It was a quiet, almost unnervingly peaceful trek. The monsters we encountered were few and far between, pathetic creatures that were no match for our hardened team. A pack of shadow hounds, a nest of armored beetles; they were little more than walking mana cores, dispatched with a bored efficiency that spoke volumes about how far we had come.
We shared the mana from these meager kills, a process now tinged with a silent, unspoken tension. The others absorbed the energy with a quiet diligence, but for me, it was like pouring water into a full cup. The vast power I had stolen from the orc horde had solidified within me, creating a new, higher plateau. But it had also created a new ceiling. My summon capacity was locked at six. No matter how much mana I consumed, the vessel of my soul refused to expand further. I had reached a limit. And I hated it.
We made camp in a small clearing, surrounded by ancient, moss-covered trees whose leaves were a deep, bruised purple, casting the world in a perpetual twilight. The fire crackled, a lonely point of warmth in the oppressive gloom.
"Dante, you're looking sad."
Rina's voice, soft and gentle, pulled me from my dark thoughts. She sat down beside me, her expression one of pure, unclouded concern. She was the only one left who still looked at me without a trace of fear. It was an innocence I found both irritating and, in a strange way, useful.
"Why wouldn't I be?" I replied, not bothering to hide the frustration in my voice. I tossed a twig into the fire and watched it ignite. "I worked hard all these days. I brought myself to the brink of exhaustion, to the edge of death itself. And for what? To hit a wall. I'm not getting any stronger. My skills aren't improving."
She placed a hand on my shoulder, her touch light and reassuring. "Don't worry," she said with a smile that was far too bright for this dark world. "We have a long journey ahead, and I have full faith in you." She patted my shoulder gently. "One day, you'll be able to summon a whole empire. I just know it."
"Thanks for the boost," I said, the words tasting like ash. "But the first thing is, I have to survive. And for that, I have to become stronger. Without my mana, without my puppets, I'm nothing. I'll fall again, just like I did with Rhonda."
"You don't have to worry," Rina insisted, her belief in me absolute. "You are not alone in this. We are a team, remember? And the strongest one at that."
"Yeah, I guess you're right," I conceded, though the words felt hollow. My team was strong, yes. But they were also a drain. My gaze drifted over them. Eric and Jin, sparring quietly to keep their senses sharp. Talia, polishing her rapier. Kael, practicing his stolen skills. Masha, studying the map. Erica… Erica was sitting alone, her back to the group, but I could feel her eyes on me, a constant, burning pressure.
My mind, unbidden, went to a dark, logical place. The problem wasn't just my own limit. It was them. Every mana core we shared was a resource divided eight ways. Every victory was a diluted triumph. The Orc Champion puppet, as powerful as it was, was a massive drain, taking up a slot that could potentially be used for something more versatile. The core issue was inefficiency.
Maybe I should start executing them, the thought came, cold and clear as a winter morning. It wasn't born of malice, but of pure, ruthless logic. If I killed one, say Edgar, I would absorb his mana core. It might be enough to push me past my limit. And it would decrease the share of future rewards by one. Two birds, one stone. My eyes narrowed as I watched them. They trust me completely. It would be so easy. A quick blade in the dark. An "accident" during a hunt. Who would question it?
"You're thinking too much, dude. Just relax."
Masha's voice, sharp and sarcastic, cut through my dark calculations. She walked over, holding the artifact map Jin had given her. "We are in Zone C now. And according to the exact location the Goddess gave Erica, we are getting dangerously close to the lair of that S-rank serpent she warned us about. We should change our direction now to avoid it. Or don't tell me you're actually planning to fight it."
Her words brought me back to the present. The cold logic of murder receded, replaced by the more immediate puzzle of our current situation. From the corner of my eye, I saw Erica tense up. She had been distant for days, ever since she had woken me. My interactions with Rina and now Masha were clearly grating on her obsessive possessiveness. Her jealousy was a tool I could use later, but for now, it was just another complication.
"We are not going to fight it," I said, my voice firm, causing Masha to let out a visible sigh of relief. "We can't take on an S-rank monster right now. As Erica told us, each zone has exceptions, monsters that surpass the zone's level. This serpent is one of them."
"Thank god you're not acting like a complete maniac today," Masha muttered. "I guess I get to see one more day."
"No, we are not resting today either," I said, my voice dropping, recapturing everyone's attention. "We have to get stronger. And we have one week to do it. After that, we will come back here. And we will defeat that serpent."
A stunned silence fell over the camp. Every eye was fixed on me, their expressions a mixture of shock, disbelief, and terror. Even Erica turned to stare, her jealousy forgotten in the face of my insane declaration.
"You're joking," Jin said, his sparring forgotten. "An S-rank? Dante, that's suicide."
"It would be suicide today," I corrected him. "But not in a week." I stood up, my presence dominating the small clearing. "We are going on a hunt. Not for monsters, but for power. This zone is filled with hidden artifacts, tools of immense strength left behind by whatever ancient civilization built this forest. We have a full map of their locations. And we know that such rewards are never free. We will have to face whatever monsters, traps, or guardians protect them."
I let my gaze sweep over each of them, my eyes burning with a cold, ambitious fire. "We have less time than you think. Other teams are getting stronger too. The race for the Bone Dragon, for the final prize, has already begun. We will not be left behind."
I held out my hand. "We will divide the team into two to cover more ground. We will claim every last artifact in this zone. We will become so powerful that an S-rank monster will be nothing more than another stepping stone on our path to victory."
My voice was a hypnotic promise of power, a siren song that drowned out their fear with the allure of strength. Their hesitation began to fade, replaced by a grim, reluctant determination. They were my tools, and I was winding them up for their purpose.
"Jin," I commanded, my hand still outstretched. "Hand over the map to the artifacts."
He looked at me, then at the others, and finally, with a resigned nod, he walked over and placed the ancient, worn map into my waiting palm. The hunt was about to begin.