Chapter 66 - Statues with Horns
Doubts had found their answers. The quiet tension, the lingering suspicion that had weighed down the team. Especially after one of them was suspected of murder, was finally beginning to dissolve. The vague explanations, the unanswered questions... they had all been sharpened by the clarity that followed near-tragedy.
And now, every member of the team had felt it. What it truly meant to rely on one another. To stand in desperation and realize that your life might depend on the person beside you.
In that fire-forged moment, they understood: They only had each other. And their real challenge was still ahead.
Two mini-boss monsters. That alone was already unheard of for a Tier 3 Rift. And it reminded them. There could still be more waiting. Surprises they weren’t ready for. Dangers far worse.
But at least now... They no longer looked at Orion with the same fear. Yes, there was still caution around the City Lord’s son, but the ordeal with Tave and Lily had opened their eyes.
If they hadn’t held on. If they hadn’t tried to trust, even when trust seemed impossible... Something far worse could have happened.
And if they hadn’t come together, truly as a team. They would have never made it this far. And they certainly wouldn’t make it to the end.
That was the true challenge of a Rift Expedition. Not the monsters. But how each person could learn to truly unite their strength with the others. Because in the end, they had no one else to rely on but each other. No unexpected help would arrive. No outsider would step in to fix what they couldn’t handle themselves.
And once everyone had recovered, physically, mentally. They finally resumed the hunt, just like the days before. Only now, something had changed.
This time, they fought with a sense of unity that hadn’t been there before. They moved with focus. They watched each other’s backs. They weren’t just a group anymore. They were a team.
Tave, for now, could only rely on his second core. The Fire element. But that alone, combined with Fang’s significant boost in power, still gave them a solid edge.