Chapter 54: Boss
The late afternoon sun was blinding after spending hours in the pitch-black tunnels.
Arthur stepped out of the Iron-Vein Mines, his boots crunching loudly on the gravel. Behind him, Emily, Felix, and Chloe followed, all covered in dust, sweat, and dried monster blood. But their spatial bags and physical satchels were absolutely bulging with spider silk, venom glands, and dozens of F-Rank cores.
It was a massively successful haul.
"Arthur!"
A bright, overly enthusiastic voice cut through the noise of the crowded mercenary camp.
Arthur suppressed a sigh. He didn’t even need to look to know who it was.
Leon Braveheart jogged over, wearing pristine, high-tier silver armor that gleamed perfectly in the sunlight. He looked like he had just stepped off a recruitment poster. Right behind him were Cedric, Alicia, and Elara, looking equally spotless.
"Vance," Leon grinned, stopping in front of them. "What are you guys doing out here?"
Arthur stared at him flatly, completely covered in spider ichor. "Fishing, Leon. The gravel bass are really biting today."
Leon blinked, his bright smile faltering for a split second as his brain tried to process the information. Then, he let out a loud, booming laugh, slapping Arthur heavily on the shoulder.
"Man, you sure know how to joke!" Leon chuckled, entirely missing the deadpan sarcasm. He waved at the rest of the squad. "Hi, Emily. Felix. Chloe. You guys look like you’ve been busy."
"We cleared a few tunnels," Felix said with a polite nod, adjusting his heavy shield.
"You should have said something if you were coming out here for the weekend," Leon said earnestly. "We could have done a group raid! We had excellent teamwork in the crypt last week."
"Indeed," Cedric chimed in, adjusting his glasses with a slightly arrogant smirk. "After all, our combined vanguard managed to hold off a Level 45 boss. F-Rank Hobgoblins must seem like target practice now."
Alicia stepped up beside Cedric, her sharp blue eyes flicking over their bulging satchels. She gave a polite, slightly patronizing smile.
"You certainly gathered quite a bit," Alicia noted smoothly. "Just be careful at the outer merchant stalls. The buyers out here will absolutely scam academy students if you don’t know the exact market rates."
"We’ll manage," Arthur replied flatly.
While Leon and Cedric chatted with Felix, Elara stepped forward.
The high-elf archer was as haughty as ever, her posture rigid and perfect. But the absolute disdain she usually held for Arthur was gone. She had seen his bowmanship in the crypt. She respected lethal accuracy, even if she still thought he was a low-born thug.
As Arthur adjusted his heavy leather satchel, the flap shifted.
Nestled right at the top of the bag, wrapped hastily in cloth, was the black ore splinter from the Matriarch’s chamber.
Elara’s emerald eyes instantly locked onto it. Her sharp, elven ears twitched, and her pristine face contorted into a look of deep disgust.
"What is that?" Elara asked sharply, pointing at his bag.
"Iron ore," Arthur replied smoothly, casually pulling the leather flap down to cover it.
"No, it isn’t," Elara pressed, stepping closer. Her elf instincts were flaring wildly. "That thing... it smells wrong. Like dead earth and rot."
"It’s the Iron-Vein Mines, Elara," Arthur brushed her off, fastening the buckle securely. "Everything down there smells like sulfur and rot. Don’t worry about it."
Elara narrowed her eyes, clearly not buying the excuse, but before she could push the issue, Leon clapped his hands together.
"Well, we still want to farm a few more levels before it gets dark!" Leon announced brightly. "Keep up the good work, Arthur. See you guys back at the academy on Monday!"
"See you, Leon," Arthur nodded dismissively.
The golden squad headed toward the main entrance of the mines, drawing the awed stares of every mercenary in the camp. Arthur watched them go, his hand resting casually over his satchel.
Elara’s instincts were dangerously sharp. He needed to get the Abyssal materials into his private, locked storage immediately.
"They are exhausting," Emily muttered, dropping her heavy bag of loot onto the dirt with a loud thud.
"They mean well," Chloe said softly, wiping a smear of soot off her cheek. "And... they aren’t wrong. The crypt boss made today feel a lot slower. Did everyone check their status?"
"Yeah," Felix grinned, flexing his right arm. "I leveled up twice. My endurance stat jumped three points. And this B-Rank shield? It’s flawless. I didn’t feel a single club strike."
"I hit Level 12," Emily grinned, shadow-boxing the air. She was still completely fired up. "Honestly, I could go back in right now for another round."
"We’re done for the day," Arthur stated, cutting off her battle-high. "Your stamina might be full, but your mental fatigue will get you killed. You need to decompress."
Emily pouted, but she didn’t argue.
"Since everyone leveled up..." Chloe started, her voice a bit timid but much more confident than it had been that morning. "And since this was our first real team outing... maybe we should eat out? To celebrate?"
Felix nodded in immediate agreement. "I’m starving. Dried rations don’t cut it."
Arthur looked at the squad.
Emily was eager and lethal, finally finding an outlet for her aggression. Felix was steady, finding his rhythm as an unbreakable wall. And Chloe was stepping out of her shell, finally trusting the people around her.
The bootcamp was a massive success.
"Alright," Arthur agreed, a faint smirk touching his lips. "Skip the academy cafeteria. I know a place a few miles down the road. It’s famous among the veteran hunters. Big portions, cold ale, and nobody asks questions about where your loot came from."
"Now you’re speaking my language, boss," Emily laughed, grabbing her bag.
"You’re always prepared for everything, boss," Felix added with an appreciative grin.
Arthur raised an eyebrow. "Stop calling me boss. When did I become your boss?"
Chloe blinked, looking up at him innocently. "Well, obviously, the boss is the boss."
"Indeed. The boss is the boss," Emily chimed in, leaning into the mischief. "You make the plans, you lead the team, you call the shots... so, naturally, you’re the boss."
Felix chuckled, adjusting his massive shield. "And as the boss, it’s only right that you treat us to dinner."
Arthur let out a dry, amused huff. "So that was the plan all along. Butter me up just to make me cough up the credits."
The squad broke into genuine laughter. It was the first time they had truly let their guard down around each other. As they walked away from the mines toward the setting sun, Arthur couldn’t help but shake his head.
