As the blood-soaked wind settled and the corpses of the fallen monsters were left behind, Selene stepped forward, brushing a few strands of silver hair from her face.
"We were actually heading toward a tournament," she said, her voice calm but edged with excitement. "One hosted by the outer guild council. It's a test of strength — a kill-count competition, essentially. Teams enter a designated gate, and the one with the highest monster tally wins."
Kaelra nodded, crossing her arms. "And it's not just for bragging rights. Winning teams are offered sponsorships, rare techniques, even cultivation resources. We were confident with the three of us… but with you?"
She gave him a quick up-and-down glance.
Airi chimed in, her smile mischievous. "With you, we might just break every record. You're like… a walking catastrophe."
Zairon blinked once, then grinned like a lunatic.
"Wait… a dungeon full of monsters... designed specifically for us to go in and kill everything… and get rewarded for it?"
He let that settle in his mind for a second.
Then laughed.
"So basically… a legally sanctioned farming field? For EXP?"
He cracked his knuckles, his grin growing wilder.
"Why didn't you say so earlier? What are we waiting for? Sign me up! This world really was built for me!"
Selene exchanged glances with the others, half amused, half intrigued by this chaotic force of nature they'd brought along.
"The qualifiers start in three days," Kaelra added. "We'll need to register as a four-person team. If you're in… it's going to be intense."
Zairon tossed his coat back, full of swagger.
"Oh, I'm in. And don't worry — this tournament won't know what hit it."