I went outside the barracks, Mark was leaning on the tower with his back, I walked to him and he started to talk.

“Hahaha Hey David, you see, there is something I wanted to talk about since morning.”

“And that is......”

“Hahaha you see, I talked a bit with Jane this morning......... we talked about random stuff at the beginning but, at some point, I asked her what she was thinking of you as a friend....... and she said that you can't be friends since you are her chief.”

“...........”

“.............”

“What about it?”

“What do you mean with What about it? I saw you talk a lot during these days, I thought you were friends.”

“Ours is just a master-servant relationship, I'm the party leader, after all, I need the party members to obey me to be efficient. Like, do what I say and not flashleap around in the middle of a fight, you know?”

I also needed to not let Ron coerce her but here I was still too near to Alua to talk to him about it.

Mark looked down, biting his lip. He then opened his eyes wide, looked up again, and said:

“Wait, don't tell me that Oliver and Lae too.......”

“I don't consider them friends either if that's what you want to know.”

He took a deep breath.

“Dude, I think that's not good. Why are you keeping them away from you, you should trust them more, we're in this together after all.”

'Naive.'

“I haven't any reason to trust them, I don't know them and this situation makes it even riskier to trust someone you don't know.”

“Of course you don't know them, you have to open up yourself first if you want people to trust you.”

“I don't care if they trust me or not and I don't see what's the problem with not trusting them.”

“It's a problem for you if you don't have any friends, you idiot! How long do you think you can keep going on like that?”

'Did this idiot just call me idiot?'

He took another big breath and then continued.

“I know you are probably afraid to suffer but you have to accept that living involves suffering and hurting others. As long as you live others will hurt you and you will hurt others, that is what grandpa always told me when I felt responsible for not helping someone. David, you have to make this step, otherwise, you won't be happy.”

Of course, there was no way I was afraid of it and I wanted Mark to understand it.

“I'm not a-” Suddenly images from the past slashed in my mind and I choked.

“I'm not af-” I choked again.

I felt my heart being grasped by something.

I wanted to speak but I couldn't get the words out of my mouth, I clenched my fists. I didn't know what to do, a situation where I couldn't get a hold of my mind was unacceptable, I was furious about it. Anyway, I couldn't just stay in silence, I needed to say something.

“Like you know anything about pain, do not talk about things you do not understand. And you also think you are in the position to lecture me? You are trying to shoulder everyone's problems when you cannot even solve yours, one day you will learn what pain is, and that day you will crumble under the weight of everyone's expectations. It is truly absurd that someone like you is trying to lecture ME.”

Mark remained with his mouth open, not knowing what to say. Then he managed to utter:

“David, wha-”

I didn't want to continue the conversation so I interrupted him.

“The conversation is over, prepare yourself to fight.”

I walked rapidly back to the barracks, I took a deep breath to calm myself, wore the calmest face I could muster, and got inside.

“It's time to hunt, everyone get up.”

After our exchange I and Mark didn't talk anymore, we all focused on our roles.

We placed a corpse in the open and I then removed the rune from it and another one inside the barracks, letting the smell of blood diffuse in the area.

Oliver was up on the tower, looking out for enemies while concealing his presence.

I was on the roof of the barracks with Jane and was concealing our presence with dark magic. While Mark was on the entrance of the barracks, after a roofless corridor of rock created beforehand by him, behind him was Erian and the non-combat group.

We waited like that with all our lights off and after a while, an arrow with a small fire rune landed where we all could see it and released a few sparks, it was the signal that an enemy we could face was coming.

Then, a Dark Panther approached the bait and started sniffing the air.

This monster was a solitary hunter, able to face by itself almost all the other predators in this area. Dark Panthers used Dark vision to see in the dark, Shadow Leap to jump on the prey, and could also use Dark Infusion on their fangs and claws, on top of that, the ones born in this dungeon could also use the earth attribute to an extent.

Of course, their techniques couldn't be compared to ours. We were taught the most efficient way to use our techniques and spells while monsters learned theirs by instinct and while watching their parents hunt. Because of that they had a much worse energy efficiency and often their techniques were weaker, but monsters were almost always veterans who survived to an endless strife for survival against other monsters. Especially in dungeons, where the density of magic energy fed the Linking Body of every being inside, making them breed and keeping its population constantly at its full capacity.

The Dark panther soon noticed Mark and, judging him weak enough, started to sneak near the stone corridor, it stopped aside from the entrance, where Mark couldn't see it, and then sprinted towards Mark.

I then deactivated Dark Vision, launched myself behind it while reinforcing my legs with fire to not be hurt by the fall, at the same time I heard:

“Light!”

The panther relied on Dark Vision to see, so the light blinded it.

The panther stopped in its track and stood on the defensive while I was recovering from the fall.

Mark then prepared his shield and used all the defensive techniques he could while Erian and Jane also used their defensive spells on him.

I then pointed my wand at the Panther and chanted:

“Flamethrower.”

The panther started to scream for the pain while it thrashed about, the walls didn't let it get away from the fire though and due to the flames, it was also unable to use both its nose and its eyes to understand what was going on. It then decided to rush blindly ahead towards Mark, I kept the flames going as long as I could but when the beast rammed against Mark's shield I ended the spell and ran against it.

Mark blocked the charge successfully and kept the beast at bait long enough for me to reach them.

The panther was still raging for the pain so it didn't notice me.

Right now the win was in our hands, but a better solution just came to my mind, like this I could get more exp than others and also show everyone my strength.

I jumped upon it and rode on the panther's back, the monster finally noticed me and started to flail around again, but due to the narrow corridor and Mark, it couldn't do too much.

I then started to stab its throat with my trusted stiletto, making blood gush out like a fountain, and then went for its front legs.

The Dark Panther soon started to run out of juice and then I managed to stab its head without risking losing my hand.

After the panther fell to the ground dead, I let out I sigh of relief and said:

“Well done, everyone. Now you can rest, I'll go to put a rune on the bait again, after we get all our mana back we'll resume.”

“Got it.”

“Ok.”

Erian and Jane replied right away, while Oliver probably didn't hear me.

Mark then said:

“Hey David, wasn't that a bit too much?”

“What?”

“Bro, you jumped on the back of a bloody Dark Panther, you could have just kept casting spells.”

“Like this was more efficient, I didn't use more mana and also kept it from fleeing.”

“Yea, I get it but you could have just wounded its rear legs and then wore it down slowly.”

“It was still dangerous, the panther could have stabilized its mind and then used its techniques to attack or to flee. Like this, I ended the fight rapidly while the enemy was still flustered.”

He lowered his eyes.

“Okay okay, I got it, all is well that ends well, I guess.”

“Exactly.”

I then went to the bait and carved the rune of preservation, when I heard a whistle. I looked behind me and saw an arrow burning in flames, that was bad news.

I shouted:

“Enemy incoming! it's too strong for us, we are fleeing to the cave we came from.”

Jane slid down from a rope while Oliver rushed down from the tower.

Everyone left their spot and we regrouped near the bait.

We then started to run in formation, paying attention not to get too distant from each other, I then heard the noise of steps coming from behind.

I looked back and saw a three meters tall humanoid with taurine features, in other words: a minotaur, a descendant of the results from the experiments of the Shovos.

It was moving too fast, it would reach us before we could reach safety.

“We can't outrun it, turn around, we're fighting it.”

As we were getting in formation I tried to think of a plan but with so little time I could only think of a way to slow his charge.

“Oliver, when I raise my right hand shot an arrow with enough power to distract him, and Jane, when you see him do it make the ground in front of the minotaur slippery.”

I then rushed ahead, positioning myself aside from the minotaur's trajectory, and concealed my presence as much as I could.

I then looked at the enemy and saw the huge humanoid monster running towards us, it didn't have any weapon but its bulging muscles suggested he didn't need one.

I calculated the timing, then raised my hand, an arrow filled with dark mana flew towards the enemy.

Minotaurs mainly used the same method as Rock Bulls to perceive their surrounding, but every being with a core could perceive the magic energy around them to an extent and that arrow was difficult to not notice.

It slowed down and prepared to block the arrow with his hands reinforced with earth ki.

I then launched myself against it, I enhanced my legs and arm with fire, hoping that it would have been too distracted by the arrow to notice me.

The minotaur then slowed down even more and sniffed the air in my direction.

'Fuck.'

Due to it slowing down even more I had to cover a bit more distance and the arrow arrived before me. Still, as the minotaur blocked the arrow I got the chance to slice at its legs, swung my infused sabre as I passed, and wounded one of its legs, but due to it noticing me, the leg was reinforced with earth ki, so I didn't do too much damage.

“Mark, come here and take its attention! Everyone else, support me and Mark!”

I ordered.

Everyone else was still far though and I was also too far to receive any protection from Erian or Jane, I was alone with the enemy.

But I could see that Alua and Ron weren't with Lae anymore, they were probably near me, ready to save in case things went awry. I had no intention of receiving any help from those guys though.

'Well, let's see if you can help me impress those bastards, cowdude.'

The minotaur faced me and swung one of its arms, trying to catch me.

I used my enhanced reflexes to evade it and slashed at one of its fingers but it moved its hand away fast enough to avoid it.

I kept myself out of its range while evading its attacks and trying to wound it whenever I could. I got a couple of slashes in its arms, but with that, I only managed to anger it.

The enemy prepared a punch, I judged it would be a hook and prepared to dodge when I suddenly couldn't see anything anymore.

“Flash Leap!”

'Fucking idiot!'

I used all the ki I could to jump back while blocking with my arms reinforced with fire but felt the monster's arm crush into my left arm anyway.

I flew away and rolled on the ground, got on my feet as fast as I could, and deactivated Dark Vision.

I looked ahead and saw Mark fighting alone, the others were still too far so he had no buff, he was blocking desperately while retreating. He was in a difficult position but his face was determined, he didn't seem scared at all like he was sure he was going to win.

I on the meanwhile was behind, with an arm broken, unable to do anything.

'This cannot be it.'

The others reached their position and started to back up Mark, he received two magic armours and Oliver shot an arrow whenever he saw an opening.

Mark then started to fight back, poking with his sword whenever he could.

The enemy still had the upper hand, but he wasn't winning one-sidedly anymore.

This was really irritating.

I felt the demonic attribute stirring inside me, I considered using it, but I decided it was better not to. Still, I couldn't let things go on like this.

I tried to calm my mind, I needed to find a plan to turn things around.

I tried to think how I could have killed the enemy with only an arm, but nothing came to mind, even a Dark Bullet to the head wouldn't have been enough, I needed to reach his head with my stiletto to kill it, but I didn't know how to reach it.

It knew about me, it wouldn't let me sneak behind it and with a broken arm, I couldn't even fight it while looking for an opening.

My mind continued to look for a plan but nothing realistic came to mind......

'Wait, why does it have to be a realistic plan.'

I thought back at all the manga and anime I watched, there the protagonist always managed to unlock a new power when he most needed it, I always thought it was just fantasy...... but after all, I was in a fantasy world now.

I concentrated as hard as I could and spread dark mana on the ground underneath me while infusing my boots and gathering dark ki in my feet.

I emptied my mind and focused on the idea of Nothing. I then tried to grab the dark mana underneath me and gave it a shape, I then used my infused booths to link my feet and the lump of dark mana under me.

I wanted to erase that minotaur from existence, I wanted to make it nothing. I felt my harmony with the dark attribute raise and then activated the technique.

“Shadow Leap.”

I made the lump of mana slide across the shadow and arrived right behind the minotaur.

I then enhanced my legs with fire, jumped upon the enemy, raised my right hand, concentrated all my ki on it, and then...

“Die!”

I stabbed with all my might.

The minotaur's skull was penetrated before it could do anything.

But it still wasn't enough to kill it right away.

I wrapped my legs around its neck to not fall while ignoring the pain in my left arm.

The minotaur fell to its knees and lowered its arms for an instant, then I felt a huge amount of earth ki gathering to the brain, trying to keep it alive.

“Diediediediedie!”

I started to make as much dark mana as I could course through the blade into the brain.

The minotaur in the meanwhile grabbed my legs with its hand, it hadn't enough strength to crush them completely but it still wounded me while trying to make me fall.

I felt about to lose my strength when I felt magic enveloping me.

“Heal, Holy Armour.”

Erian erased her spell on Mark and applied it to me while healing me at the same time.

“Keep it on!”

“Don't let go!”

I heard Erian and Lae cheering me.

I grinned and felt excitement taking over me.

I kept myself from fainting and continued with the infusion.

In the meanwhile Mark also started to slash at the minotaur, wounding its chest.

After a little, the monster fell to the ground, dead.

I got up, limping for the pain.

“Hahaha.”

My mind felt light.

I felt the soul's fragment entering me, it was a huge amount of exp.

“HAHAHAHAHA.”

I started laughing like a lunatic, I couldn't help myself, I just showed Mark who was the protagonist after all.

Erian then rushed to me and started to heal me, I looked at Mark and saw a sad expression on his face.