Chapter 257: A Change in Garm
<<Previous Chapter | Live Dungeon! | Next Chapter>>
“Waaaah! This is awful! Teach, it’s all your fault!” Hannah’s wail echoed through the living room as she held up Solit Company’s morning newspaper.
Her fingers gripped the pages tightly, her eyes locked on a photograph that captured her mid-gasp, a moment from the eighty-first layer. The image showed her, wide-eyed and on the verge of tears, a sight that had apparently amused the audience greatly.
The article noted the audience’s delight in her genuine, unfiltered reaction. The eighty-first layer, currently accessible only to a select few, had already seen the seasoned members of Ealdred Crow’s teams react with their own stunned expressions. But Hannah’s fresh surprise brought a wave of renewed laughter and interest from those who followed these Explorers closely.
Meanwhile, Tsutomu, ignoring Hannah’s ongoing lament, trudged into the room, his breath coming in heavy pants after a grueling morning run. His stamina remained the weakest among the Clan, and the daily runs, though now ingrained in his routine, had yet to yield significant improvements. Beating even Korinna in endurance still seemed a distant dream. Yet, despite the slow progress, Tsutomu was determined to persist.
[So today… maybe I’ll team up with those I couldn’t yesterday.] The current record of layer progress was eighty-three, held by Ealdred Crow. Given the pace they were going, though, there was no particular need to rush. Tsutomu had shifted his focus, prioritizing the team’s acclimatization to the Light and Darkness layers’ monsters and peculiarities. As such, he decided to allow free team formation for now.
As he sat down for breakfast, he extended an invitation to those who had not partnered with him the previous day — Daryl, Garm, Diniel, and Amy. Daryl, his energy evident in the excited wagging of his black tail, readily agreed. Diniel quietly nodded her assent.
Garm’s response, however, was unexpected.
“Sorry, I want to team up with Korinna today.”