Chapter 396 Nicole’s True Rivals
Nicole and Samantha woke up to the smell of bacon being cooked in a pan.
The Adventurers had already left the Safe Zone, leaving only them and Luca’s group. Since that was the case, Ethan deemed that it was fine to cook something warm for breakfast.
After the bacon was cooked, he used the leftover oils to fry some eggs, giving it a bit of its umami.
Ethan also cooked Lady Johanna’s share, making the middle-aged lady quite thankful.
“You’re going to be the perfect house husband, Ethan,” Samantha praised as she shamelessly grabbed the plate of bacon and eggs that Ethan had prepared for her. “You look good, and you cook well too.”
“…It’s just bacon and eggs.” Ethan looked at the young lady with an amused expression on his face. “Anyone can cook it.”
“Not me,” Samantha replied. “The last time I tried cooking bacon, I almost burned down the entire kitchen. It was a life-changing experience for me.”
“Okay, I stand corrected.” Ethan smiled as he placed the newly cooked eggs on Nicole’s plate. “Not everyone can cook bacon and eggs.”
Nicole thanked Ethan and ate the food quietly.
Truth be told, she didn’t expect that their dungeon expedition would be like this. It was as if they were merely on an outing while fighting monsters on the side. But, in the end, she knew that she was only having an easy time because her comrades were very competent.
As everyone ate, Luca’s group finally decided that it was time to go. Unlike Nicole’s group who had something warm to eat, they only ate beef jerky and chugged it down with water.
They never thought that they would need to cook food inside the dungeon and simply brought foods that were easy to carry and convenient to eat anytime, anywhere.
Nicole only gave Luca’s group a glance before focusing on her food. She and her Step Brother weren’t really that close.
The same could be said about her other Step Brothers and Sisters. Whenever they gathered at the Asta Residence, they just ate meals together and did whatever they wanted to do.
Nicole would either be on the training grounds, practicing her swordsmanship, or inside her room, reading books.
When they finished eating, Ethan unexpectedly asked Nicole a question.
“This Heir Wars in your family, do you have anyone in mind aside from you, whom you think has the highest chance to succeed in becoming the winner?” Ethan asked.
Nicole smiled before nodding her head.
“There are two people whom I think have a good shot at becoming the next Heir of the Asta family,” Nicole stated. “One of them is my cousin who goes by the name Vladimir. He is a true genius who has the Rank of Honorable Magistratus.
“He is not yet a Magistratus, but he is already serving as one. He usually accompanies the Senior Members of the organization to conduct Raid Operations, targeting rogue Wizards and Witches. He just turned twenty-three this year and is a favorite to win the Heir Wars.”
“The second one is another genius from the Branch Family who goes by the name Constantine. He is two months away from turning twenty-one, and just like Vladimir, he is also a genius that the Branch Family cares for very much.
“He specializes in Gravity Magic. Once he gets his sights on you, it will be hard for you to break free from his control. He is that powerful of an individual.”
Ethan nodded. “So, do you think you can beat these guys who are older than you by several years? If I’m not mistaken, you’re seventeen years old just like me.”
“Age has nothing to do with it,” Nicole stated. “It’s all about talent. Although the two of them are indeed strong, the Heir Wars doesn't only look at individual strength. This is why we are given the opportunity to challenge the First Trial with two other people.
“However, there is a high chance that Vladimir and Constantine took this trial alone without bringing any teammates with them. They are that confident in their abilities.”
Lady Johanna looked somewhat proud after hearing Nicole’s description of her nephew, Constantine. He was indeed the pride of the Branch Family, and everyone was hoping that he would win the Heir Wars, allowing him to become the next Patriarch.
The only one whom he believed stood in his way was Vladimir, and Vladimir felt the same.
In their eyes, the two were the only ones who were competing to become the next Patriarch. Everyone else was merely stepping stones or decorations to pass by along their way.
Half an hour later, Nicole’s team had finished with their preparation and returned to challenge the Dungeon.
The Sixth Floor was challenging, but it wasn’t anything hard for them. So, after seven hours, they finally arrived at the staircase that led to the Seventh Floor.
However, just a minute after entering the Seventh Floor, they saw a group of people lying dead on the ground, not far from the entrance.
The positions of their bodies seemed as if they were desperately trying to make their way toward the exit, wanting to ascend to the Sixth Floor of the Dungeon.
Nicole inspected their bodies, and according to her inference, the group of people died recently.
Most of their gear was missing, which made them think that they were targeted by the Dungeon Hunters, people who specialized in hunting Adventurers instead of Monsters.
These low lives would steal the hard work of others and kill their targets, leaving no witnesses behind.
There were also signs that the people were already wounded before they were attacked by their fellowmen, which led to their deaths.
After Monsters kill people, they would just eat them on the spot, leaving a more gruesome outcome for those that had died in the Dungeon.
“Be very careful,” Nicole said. “Ethan, stay near Samantha at all times. If we come across Adventurers, make sure to stay on guard and watch your back.”
“Okay.” Ethan nodded in agreement.
Soon, the group delved deeper into the Seventh Floor, leaving the group of corpses behind, which had started to slowly sink into the floor of the Dungeon, serving as nourishment and making it grow as a whole.
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