Did she do something wrong? What kind of question was that?! Or rather, how were they supposed to answer that question? She had just effortlessly defeated an elite dungeon monster by herself. However, the method she used to do so was bizarre to say the least. What kind of summoner used their summoner's orb like it was some kind of brick?
How could they tell her that she did something wrong when she had just accomplished something that none of them felt confident doing alone? Even if she did not use her summons like she was supposed to and fought in an unusual way, in the end, she was able to defeat the Serpent Guard.
Reilei became increasingly anxious when she noticed the strange stares she was receiving from the others. Everyone remained speechless as they tried to process what had just taken place. It was not until Phoenix stepped forward with an excited look on her face that the lingering silence was broken.
"That was amazing! How did you do that? A special skill? An item? Is summoner even your real class? What about..." Phoenix continued to barrage Reilei with questions and showed no signs of slowing down.
However, before Reilei could even answer a single question Phoenix would have already moved on to the next one.
"Impossible..." Shuyi said to himself with a look of disbelief on his face. How could a newbie like that take out an elite dungeon monster by herself when even he was unable to do so? Although she said that this was her first time participating in a party and dungeon, Shuyi believed that to be complete and utter nonsense. He believed that she must have been intentionally pretending to be a newbie this entire time just to make a fool out of him!
As for Broken Fists who pushed for the fight to happen between Reilei and the Serpent Guard, he refused to accept that she actually defeated that elite monster using her own strength. There had to be some kind of trick behind it! Or, maybe...
Broken Fists looked as if something had just suddenly dawned on him.
"Hmph, it's just a little Serpent Guard, not a big deal. She just got lucky that it turned out to be some mediocre elite monster, otherwise, how could that newbie possibly solo it by herself?" Broken Fists stated.
"He might be right. Even among elite monsters, there are weaklings who are easy to kill. Who's to say that the Serpent Guard she fought was an actual elite monster? Think about it. Even if a magic caster poured all of their stat points into attack, it would still be impossible for them to do any real damage that way. It doesn't add up!" Shuyi said.
Phoenix stopped barraging Reilei with questions as she immediately turned to look at Shuyi and Broken Fists with a look of disgust and anger on her face. What was with these two? They were all a part of the same party and should have been supportive of one another, yet the two of them were going out of their way to try and belittle Reilei, as well as her achievement.
"Do the two of you only know how to spout nonsense?! Realistic just took down an elite monster by herself and you're not satisfied with that? Are you asking her to take on a boss monster by herself? Better yet, the next time we come across a Serpent Guard, how about one of you try facing it alone?!" Phoenix said in a slightly mocking tone.
"You think I won't?! If that newbie can do it, then it's only natural that I can as well!" Broken Fists retorted.
"Yeah, I'm sure anyone of us here could take on a Serpent Guard alone. Who knows? Maybe the bosses in this dungeon are weak as well." Shuyi said.
"You two-!" Phoenix was about to call out their shameless behavior, however, before she could do so she felt a hand on her shoulder. When she turned to look she found that it was Reilei with a gentle smile on her face.
Reilei was truly happy to have someone willing to stand up for her in this kind of situation. However, she kept asking herself the same question, how long would she continue to let others fight her battles for her? Every time she was met with a direct confrontation, due to her reserved personality, she would always have a difficult time speaking up for herself.
However, Reilei noticed that when it came to defending her son or protecting someone who was unable to protect themselves, she would always somehow find the courage to speak her mind. But, when it came to speaking up for herself, she discovered that she was constantly depending on others to stick up for her.
Reilei kept reminding herself that in this world anything was possible. Even if she struggled to stand up for herself in the real world, perhaps it was possible to start doing so in this world? If that was the case, was it also possible for her to change even if it was just a little?
"Thank you, Phoenix." Reilei said in a polite tone. Phoenix was a bit surprised at first, but when she saw that look in Reilei's eyes, she did not push the matter any further. Reilei then turned her attention towards Shuyi and Broken Fists. There was no look of anger on her face after having heard their words, instead, she maintained that gentle expression of hers.
Two Tons was ready to step in and prevent the argument from going any further, however, when he saw Reilei step forward he stopped himself. When he noticed that look of determination in her eyes, he decided to stay quiet and observe. If things did get too out of hand, then he would not hesitate to step in. There would not always be someone like Phoenix around to step out and say something, therefore, he wanted to see just how that summoner handled things.
"I will admit that my knowledge when it comes to this world is lacking. I know that I still have a lot to learn and I hope that everyone here is willing to teach me the things I lack. However, I won't allow you to ignore the efforts I've made and call it luck." Reilei said in a stern tone. But, although she appeared confident on the surface, she could not help but be nervous on the inside. She was worried that she was being too harsh with her words, even if it was to defend herself. The last thing she wanted to do was to cause any trouble.
Shuyi was startled by Reilei's words. As for Broken Fists, he looked as if he were not ready to let it go, but before he could utter a word, Two Tons determined that now was the perfect opportunity to step in.
"It's never easy to admit one's own faults before others and willingly ask for help learning. Realistic has shown her sincerity. Will the two of you still continue to behave in such an unsightly way? If so, even if it's just the four of us, I won't mind kicking you two out right here and now." Two Tons said in a tone filled with confidence. It was the first time he referred to Reilei by her actual in-game name rather than by newbie.
Unlike Shuyi and Broken Fists, Two Tons was not so foolish as to dismiss Reilei's strength as pure luck. He was smart enough to personally check the battle logs and what he discovered there nearly caused him to faint from shock. Although he was calm and nonchalant on the outside, there were many questions that raced through his mind. However, he knew that every player had their secrets and he would not ask Reilei to reveal hers. He figured that as long as he stayed on good terms with her, then the answers would eventually reveal themselves.
Shuyi was dumbfounded by Two Tons bold words. Forget about Broken Fists, he was the top DPS in their party and yet Two Tons threatened to kick him out? How could he not be upset? However, he only glared coldly in response. It was not that he was afraid of being kicked out of the party, it was just that this entire trip would be wasted if that happened. Also, what if there was something good that turned up from that hidden lever he discovered?
As for Broken Fists, he had an extremely ugly expression on his face when Two Tons brought up kicking him out of the party. All this for a newbie who just got a little lucky?
Phoenix smirked as she had a gleeful look on her face. She was worried that Reilei was the type to let herself be pushed around. She despised those who went out of their way to bully others and would not just sit back and watch. The priceless looks on Shuyi's and Broken Fists' face made this whole dungeon worth the trip even if the loot they received turned out to be mediocre.
"Good, now that that's settled, we can proceed. Since I have the most HP, I'll pull the hidden lever just in case it turns out to be a trap that's able to avoid the Trap Detection skill. The rest of you keep a safe distance and don't move any closer until I give the all-clear. Phoenix, pay close attention to my HP and prepare to use any emergency heals." Two Tons stated as he started to walk towards the corner where the hidden lever was located.
As Two Tons passed by Reilei he stopped for a moment and spoke low enough so that only she could and Phoenix could hear his words as he said, "Realistic, if those two dare cause any trouble for you don't be afraid to knock them around a bit. Guys like that only learn the hard way some times." Two Tons resumed his steps as he soon arrived near the hidden lever.
Reilei was surprised by Two Tons' words. Don't be afraid to knock them around a bit? Was that the type of advice the leader of a party usually gave?
Phoenix giggled a bit as she whispered to Reilei, "He may seem a bit distant and commanding at times, but he's actually a big softie on the inside."
"I see..?" Reilei was still a bit confused, but at the very least, things seemed to have calmed down a lot and neither Shuyi nor Broken Fists were very outspoken afterward.
As for Hidden Pulse, he silently observed without interfering. Though, he was secretly happy that Shuyi who had been so arrogant all this time was left standing there speechless. His only thought was, "Serves him right!".
Two Tons located the hidden lever which was a plain black handle that seemed as if it did not belong in this ancient-looking dungeon environment. However, Two Tons knew that this could only mean one of two things. The first was that they were walking right into a trap. The other was that a hidden treasure awaited them ahead! Two Tons released a deep breath as he went on full alert and pulled the lever back.
Rmmmmmmmble!
The entire room started to tremble violently and it seemed as if the dungeon itself was about to collapse at any given moment!
"I thought you said it wasn't a trap! Is your Trap Detection truly so worthless?!" Hidden Pulse yelled at Shuyi who had bragged about his so-called max Trap Detection skill as he tried to maintain his balance.
"You dare blame this on me?! I clearly said that I was uncertain if it was a trap or not!" Shuyi snapped back.
However, the violent trembling suddenly stopped. The moment it did, Two Tons called everyone over after giving the all-clear. What appeared was a hidden staircase that led deep underground. In fact, it was so far down that the party was unable to tell where it ended. But, there was a vile stench and aura coming from far down below.
"Well, is this a road to riches or one towards self-destruction?" Two Tons said with a grin on his face as mixed feeling of excitement and nervousness washed over him after feeling that vile aura.
"This feeling is..." Reilei muttered quietly to herself as she shivered slightly. The vile aura coming from down below was something she had felt somewhere else before!