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“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.”
“Huh?”
Tsutomu blinked, momentarily at a loss for words. Garm’s refusal was an unprecedented occurrence — there was no apparent reason for him to turn down Tsutomu’s invitation and team up with Korinna instead. Even Daryl’s enthusiasm faltered as he looked at Garm in surprise.
Amy, who had been fidgeting uncomfortably, gathered her courage, flattening her white cat ears against her head as she spoke up,
“I’d like to go with Korinny today too...”
Hannah’s earlier gloom evaporated, replaced by a burst of energy as she shadow-boxed in excitement. Amira, smirking mischievously, stuck out her tongue at Tsutomu, mocking him as if he were a toddler. Tsutomu, doing his best to ignore their antics, focused on the members he would be leading.
After breakfast, everyone carried their dishes to the kitchen and returned to their rooms to prepare for the day’s delve into God’s Dungeon. Tsutomu, as always, changed from his loungewear into his combat attire — a white robe paired with the black pants from the Volcano layer, cinched at the waist with a belt laden with Potion vials.
Finally, after slinging his Magic Bag over his shoulder, he left his room. On his way downstairs, Tsutomu hesitated briefly outside Garm’s room, standing there for a moment before continuing his descent.
“Looks like it’s just Diniel and Xeno left,” Tsutomu said as he entered the living room, finding Daryl and Leleia already waiting.
“Ah, y-yes,” Daryl replied.
“I swear, Xeno is always so slow...” Leleia added.
Tsutomu cast a weary glance upstairs, where Diniel was likely still lounging about, and Xeno was undoubtedly taking his time perfecting his appearance.
“I wonder what’s up with Sir Garm today? He’s never turned down your invitation before, has he?” Daryl asked, his brows furrowed in worry.
“...Who knows? If something’s up, he’ll tell us. No point in worrying,” Tsutomu replied with a dismissive wave, though he himself remained uncertain.
“Yes... you’re right...”
Afterward, Tsutomu headed back upstairs to drag Diniel out of bed.
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