Chapter 370: The Two OGs
The morning after Absolute Helix’s Team 1 challenged the hundredth layer, the Clan’s daily stamina training run began, as always, with the Tanks making up the majority of the participants.
Among them, Garm, who usually claimed the top position, was pacing steadily near the front, his gaze fixed on the figure of Tsutomu running ahead of him… or, technically, trailing a whole lap behind. Still, he was keeping a respectable pace; it was taking longer than usual for Garm to catch up, and Tsutomu did not seem to be struggling for breath. He was not pushing himself to the limit, just running with steady focus.
[So he’s fired up for the hundredth layer, eh? Makes sense.]
After all, this could be the end of the line, the final layer of God’s Dungeon. If they were the first to conquer it, their names might be spoken in Dungeon City for generations to come. For someone like Tsutomu, who had shown a near-obsessive devotion to the Dungeon, that sort of legacy would be a powerful motivator.
[And yet… no reaction today.]
Ordinarily, as soon as Tsutomu heard Garm’s approaching footsteps, he would turn around and wave him off irritably, or quicken his pace with a look that said ‘Don’t you dare.’ Their encounters during these runs had become something of a ritual. It was almost an everyday occurrence, considering how surprisingly often Tsutomu participated in the morning runs. Even Daryl and Leleia had begun running faster, if only to get the satisfaction of lapping Tsutomu at least once.
[Still… it feels a little lonely without it.]
When Tsutomu was physically worn down during these runs, he often became more goofy, in a good way. Sometimes he would pretend to trip, trying to provoke a reaction. Garm would typically pass him in silence, suppressing a sigh. But today, he had half-expected something ridiculous again and had looked forward to it. A small part of him was disappointed.
He came up beside Tsutomu, deliberately matching his pace.