The Record of Hyoren Enjo’s Journey in Another World

Chapter 235

We Should Trust the Pattern

Date : Day 24 of Deepwinter 1024 Aethellgard Concord Year.

Hyoren looked across the Guardian Chamber once more.

The room was massive, stretching far into the distance. Unlike the Second Floor’s Guardian Chamber, there was no bridge or narrow chokepoint that could be used to control the enemy’s approach. Instead, the entire area was one enormous, rectangular chamber, with a wide, unobstructed path separating Freedom Party from the five enemies waiting at the far end.

Judging by its size, the chamber was roughly three-quarters as large as the one on the second floor. It wasn’t quite as enormous as that place, but it was still massive by any ordinary standard.

If he had to describe it in familiar terms, it was like two football fields stacked together.

This emptiness bothers me…

There was nothing between them and the Goblin Caster’s formation. No obstacles to hide behind, no walls to use as cover, and no convenient chokepoint to prevent the enemy from surrounding them. To reach the guardians, they would have to cross a long stretch of open ground.

And the enemy was waiting patiently at the other end.

Hyoren studied the distant formation for another moment before shaking his head.

There was no point in overthinking it. They had already entered the Guardian Chamber, and they had no intention of turning back without a fight.

He drew his Dawn Breaker and tightened his grip on the Steel Kite Shield. The familiar weight of his equipment settled into his hands, helping him focus on the battle ahead.

“Okay, everyone... let’s do this.”

Elise checked the string of her Moonveil Bow before nocking an arrow. Her emerald eyes remained fixed on the enemy formation, carefully watching for any movement.

Jackey unsheathed both his Bloody Axe and Blackmaw Tomahawk. The twin weapons gleamed under the chamber’s light as he adjusted his grip, his tabby cat ears standing alert.

Arianna secured her wide-brimmed hat and held her Quadraflux Weaver firmly. She took her position behind the others, ready to provide magical support from a safer distance.

After confirming that everyone was prepared, Hyoren gave a short nod.

Then, he charged.

His boots struck the hard dungeon floor as he sprinted toward the enemy formation. The distance between them was considerable, but he didn’t hesitate. Instead, he began activating his skills and spells one after another, preparing himself before reaching the enemy’s effective range.

“Magic Blade.”

Aethell flowed into Dawn Breaker, coating its blade with magical energy.

“Enchant Maledict.”

Dark magic spread over his equipment.

“Accel Zone.”

The spell took effect. A glowing aura spread around him.

Everything was ready.

Hyoren tightened his grip on his sword and narrowed his eyes as he charged. His attention remained fixed on the Goblin Caster standing at the center of the enemy formation.

The guardian isn’t moving yet...

He had already covered a considerable distance, yet the Goblin Caster and its four guards remained completely still.

They weren’t preparing to intercept him. They weren’t advancing to meet the incoming attackers. They simply stood in formation, as though they were waiting for something.

A faint sense of unease crept into his chest.

I’ve got a bad feeling about this...

Even so, he continued his charge.

Jackey was running almost parallel to him on his right, his twin axes ready for battle. The beastkin’s pace was fast and aggressive, as though he could hardly wait to close the distance and swing his weapons.

Elise, meanwhile, moved forward while gradually veering toward the left wall. As a ranger, she needed a suitable position from which to support her companions with ranged attacks. Keeping close to the wall would also help her maintain some distance from the enemy formation.

On the opposite side, Arianna trotted toward the right wall at a more unhurried pace.

As the party’s back-row mage, she had to remain as far away from the enemy as possible to reduce the risk of being targeted. At the same time, she couldn’t afford to position herself so far back that her spells would become ineffective.

She was carefully balancing those two concerns as she moved.

The party’s formation was beginning to spread out as they advanced across the chamber.

Then, just as Hyoren crossed nearly halfway toward the enemy, something changed.

The Goblin Caster raised its staff.

Hyoren immediately lifted his shield higher while focusing his Magic Eyes on the creature. His attention sharpened as he watched the flow of Aethell gathering around its body.

Dark Aethell began swirling around the Goblin Caster, gradually concentrating toward its staff. The energy flowed along the wooden shaft before gathering around the pitch-black orb at its tip.

A moment later, the orb began to glow.

Pure dark energy radiated from its surface, making the surrounding space seem even more ominous.

It’s activating a spell!

Hyoren narrowed his eyes.

But we’re still so far away… What kind of spell is it going to use…?

He braced himself for the possibility of a long-range attack. With his shield raised, he continued watching the Goblin Caster, ready to defend against whatever it might unleash.

However, before he could finish preparing for the incoming spell, his eyes widened in shock.

He stopped charging immediately.

The other members of Freedom Party also halted their advance, each of them staring at what was happening in front of the enemy formation.

A strange humming sound filled the chamber.

WHUM. WHUM. WHUM.

One after another, creatures began appearing in the open space before the guardians.

Rows of them. A single row appeared first. Then a second. Then a third. Each row contained approximately fifty creatures.

The Goblin Caster continued raising its staff, and with each pulse of dark Aethell, another row of creatures materialized out of thin air. The summons came in rapid succession, filling the previously empty chamber with an ever-growing number of enemies.

Hyoren stared at the expanding formation, momentarily unable to believe what he was seeing.

The creatures resembled goblins, but something about them was distinctly wrong.

Ordinary goblins had green skin. These creatures, however, had dark grey skin, their bodies appearing almost colorless beneath the chamber’s light. Their eyes were different as well. Rather than the usual small, dark eyes of a goblin, these creatures possessed glowing red eyes that gave them a distinctly unsettling appearance.

They wore no armor and carried no weapons. Instead, their fingers ended in elongated claws, each one sharp enough to serve as a natural weapon.

They looked like goblins that had been stripped of their ordinary characteristics and transformed into something far more feral.

The Goblin Caster continued summoning them.

One row after another, until six rows had appeared in front of the guardian formation.

Then, the grey goblins began moving.

With a sudden burst of speed, the creatures charged toward Freedom Party.

At almost the same time, the Goblin Shamans standing to the left and right of the Goblin Caster raised their crude staffs.

The shaman on the left acted first.

Its staff glowed, releasing a wave of Aethell that swept across the advancing grey goblins. The magical energy washed over their bodies, and their already red eyes became even more bloodshot.

The shaman on the right followed suit.

Another wave of Aethell spread through the formation. This time, the effect was immediately apparent in the creatures’ movements. Their pace increased, their legs carrying them across the chamber at a noticeably faster speed.

Hyoren’s expression darkened as he finally understood what was happening.

Damn it… The shamans are buffing those grey goblins…

The enemy formation was no longer simply a group of five guardians.

The Goblin Caster was summoning an entire army while the Goblin Shamans strengthened it with their magic. Meanwhile, the two Goblin Shielders remained stationed in front of the casters, ready to protect them from any incoming attack.

The arrangement was painfully familiar.

Hyoren gritted his teeth.

The pattern still holds... This Fourth Floor Guardian is a horde type in the end…

His earlier unease had been justified. They had been so focused on the unusual Goblin Caster and its four guards that they had failed to consider the possibility that the guardian battle might follow the same pattern of odd and even numbered cycles.

And now, they were paying for that mistake.

Damn it... We should have trusted the pattern instead of recklessly charging in like this…

The grey goblins were already rushing toward them, and the buffs from the shamans had made them even more dangerous. If Freedom Party allowed the creatures to close the distance while their formation remained spread out, they could easily be surrounded.

Hyoren raised his shield and immediately began running backward.

“Everyone! Fall back! Fall back! Or they’ll surround us!”

His companions didn’t need to be told twice.

Jackey turned around and sprinted back the way he had come. Elise also retreated, aiming to reach the back as fast as she could. On the opposite side, Arianna turned and ran toward the rear as well. 

Hyoren watched his companions begin their retreat while keeping an eye on the rapidly approaching horde.

His heart pounded harder as he assessed the situation.

There were far too many enemies for them to deal with carelessly. Worse, the grey goblins were faster than he had initially expected, and the shamans were still supporting them from behind.

Someone had to keep their attention away from the retreating back row.

I need to buy time for the others to retreat…

Hyoren tightened his grip on the Steel Kite Shield and prepared to draw the incoming enemies toward himself.

“Provoke!”

The skill activated.

Almost immediately, the charging grey goblins shifted their attention toward Hyoren. Their bloodshot eyes locked onto him, and the horde surged in his direction.

Hyoren continued running backward, keeping his shield raised between himself and the approaching creatures. He carefully maintained his pace, refusing to turn his back on the enemy completely.

He had to keep their attention long enough for his companions to retreat safely.

For the moment, that was his only priority.

***

Hyoren kept his Steel Kite Shield raised as he retreated, carefully watching the charging grey goblins while maintaining his backward pace.

With his Magic Eyes, he focused on one of the creatures at the front of the horde. The appraisal information appeared before his eyes.

Zomblin - Level 12

Weak Point: Aethell Core (Mid Chest)

State: Undead created by Goblin Caster.

Hyoren’s eyes widened slightly.

Zomblin... Zombie Goblin? What a terrible naming sense, Gidol...

He shook his head, putting aside the unnecessary thought, and refocused on the situation before him.

So, the Goblin Caster’s ability is summoning magic? And it can summon undead creatures... Which means...

His gaze briefly shifted toward his party members.

They were still running desperately toward the teleport gate, putting as much distance as possible between themselves and the advancing horde. Behind them, the Zomblins continued their relentless charge, their elongated claws scraping against the dungeon floor as they rushed forward.

If Hyoren failed to slow them down, the creatures would eventually catch up to his companions.

I need to reduce their numbers...

Hyoren raised Dawn Breaker and pointed its tip toward the charging Zomblins.

“Shadow Bloom.”

A dark orb appeared at the tip of his sword. The condensed darkness pulsed once before rapidly spreading outward, transforming into a wide wave of dark magic that fanned across the chamber.

WHOOSH!

The wave swept toward the incoming horde.

BOOM!

The front ranks were swallowed by the blast. Several Zomblins instantly dissolved into particles of Aethell, leaving gaps in the advancing formation.

For a brief moment, Hyoren had managed to thin the horde.

However, the respite was short-lived. The Zomblins behind the fallen creatures immediately rushed forward, filling the gaps left by their destroyed comrades. The horde continued advancing, seemingly unconcerned by the loss of its front ranks.

Hyoren clicked his tongue and resumed his retreat.

That didn’t buy me much time...

As he ran backward, another detail caught his attention.

The Zomblins hadn’t dropped any magic stones. More importantly, he hadn’t felt any increase in his experience points from killing them.

No magic stones... and no experience points either…?

His eyes widened as the implication began to dawn on him.

At that moment, the Goblin Caster raised its staff once again. Dark Aethell gathered around the pitch-black orb at its tip. A familiar humming sound spread across the chamber, and fresh Zomblins began appearing in front of the enemy formation.

WHUM. WHUM. WHUM.

One row after another, they materialized in rapid succession, replacing the creatures that Hyoren had just destroyed.

It can summon even more…? Damn it…

The summoning speed was noticeably slower than when the Goblin Caster had first unleashed its horde. Nevertheless, the ability to continuously replace fallen creatures was a troublesome advantage. Even if they managed to thin the horde, the Goblin Caster could simply replenish its forces as long as it remained standing.

And with the two Goblin Shielders protecting the casters, attacking the Goblin Caster wouldn’t be easy.

Hyoren tightened his grip on Dawn Breaker.

We need to retreat for now… We need to reorganize…

He glanced over his shoulder to check the distance to the teleport gate, then shouted to his companions while continuing to run backward.

“Everyone! Go to the gate! Quickly!”

He didn’t look back again after giving the order.

He trusted his party members to follow his instructions. There was no time to keep checking on them when he needed to monitor the approaching horde.

The Zomblins at the back will take time to reach us… I need to thin out the ones that spawned first and are already in front…

Hyoren turned his attention back to the charging creatures and raised Dawn Breaker once more.

“Shadow Bloom.”

WHOOSH!

Another wave of dark Aethell fanned outward from his sword, sweeping across the front ranks of the Zomblins.

The blast struck the advancing creatures, causing more of them to dissolve into particles of Aethell. Once again, the gaps were quickly filled by those behind them, but the attack had at least reduced the number of enemies closest to Hyoren.

He continued retreating, buying whatever time he could.

Behind the advancing horde, the Goblin Caster raised its staff again. Fresh Zomblins began appearing before the guardian formation.

WHUM. WHUM. WHUM.

Hyoren noticed the newly summoned creatures forming rows in the distance. He didn’t wait to see what would happen next.

Instead, he finally turned around and ran at full speed toward the teleport gate.

“Strong Legs.”

The skill reinforced his movements, allowing him to accelerate as he sprinted across the chamber.

The teleport gate was finally within sight.

His party members had already reached the solid surface of the archway that marked the exit from the Guardian Chamber. They were waiting in front of the gate, ready to leave the moment Hyoren arrived.

Elise watched him approach, concern visible in her emerald eyes. Her silver ponytail swayed behind her as she leaned forward slightly, clearly anxious about the distance still separating them.

Beside her, Jackey’s tabby cat ears flattened against his head.

Meanwhile, Arianna had already raised her Quadraflux Weaver. She was preparing a spell to buy Hyoren enough time to reach the gate.

The orb at the tip of her staff flashed.

“Mist Fog.”

A thick mist suddenly appeared behind Hyoren, spreading across the chamber and obscuring the pursuing Zomblins.

The creatures rushed into the fog without slowing down at first. However, as they entered the dense mist, their movements gradually became less coordinated. The cold air hindered their movement slightly, while the thick fog obstructed their vision and disoriented them. Their advance slowed just enough to give Hyoren the opening he needed.

“Hyoren, quick!”

Elise called out from the gate, her voice carrying through the chamber.

Jackey waved both arms urgently, his flattened ears betraying his anxiety.

“Come on, Big Bro!”

Hyoren pushed himself to the limit, his boots pounding against the dungeon floor. A few more steps. Then a few more. Finally, he reached the gate.

Without saying anything, Hyoren extended his hand and touched the solid surface of the archway.

In his mind, he issued the command.

Exit Guardian Chamber.

The world around him dissolved into white light.

The feral Zomblins vanished from his vision. The Goblin Caster and its four guards disappeared as well, along with the vast rectangular chamber that had nearly overwhelmed Freedom Party.

The next moment, the party was gone from the Guardian Chamber. For now—Freedom Party had successfully retreated.

***

The white void disappeared as quickly as it had come.

In the next instant, Freedom Party found themselves back in the antechamber of the fourth floor, the same place where they had made camp the previous night.

Behind them, the archway pulsed with a pale blue glow. The teleport gate to the Guardian Chamber stood quietly, its runic writing glowing quietly as though nothing unusual had happened inside.

Yet the four members of Freedom Party were anything but calm.

They stood near the gate, struggling to catch their breath. Their breathing was ragged, their chests rising and falling rapidly as they tried to recover from the desperate retreat. The adrenaline that had carried them through the escape was gradually fading, leaving behind the exhaustion and tension they had barely noticed while running for their lives.

For a while, nobody spoke.

They simply stood there, breathing heavily and allowing their racing hearts to settle.

Eventually, their breathing began to return to normal.

Arianna was the first to find her voice. Her crimson hair clung slightly to her forehead, and she adjusted her wide-brimmed hat while looking back at the glowing archway.

“What was that... an endless spawning of goblins?”

Jackey’s tabby cat ears flattened against his head at the memory. His tail swayed uneasily behind him.

“There were so many grey skulkers!”

He shuddered, recalling the endless rows of creatures rushing toward them.

“And they kept appearing even when Big Bro wiped them out!”

Elise wiped the sweat from her forehead before slinging her Moonveil Bow over her shoulder. Her breathing had mostly settled, but the concern in her emerald eyes remained.

“The guardian... it’s not only those five enemies. There are actually more...”

She turned toward Hyoren, who was still standing closest to the gate.

“What were those grey and feral goblins, Hyoren?”

Hyoren sheathed Dawn Breaker before reaching into his inventory for a magic potion. He uncorked the bottle and gulped down the blue liquid, feeling the familiar cool sensation as he replenished the Aethell he had spent.

He had used Shadow Bloom twice in quick succession during their retreat. Although the spell had helped thin out the Zomblins, it had consumed a considerable amount of his magical energy.

His companions waited patiently while he finished the potion.

After draining the bottle, Hyoren lowered it and faced the others.

“Those grey goblins are called Zomblins.”

Jackey furrowed his brows, his ears twitching slightly.

“Zomblin? What’s that, Big Bro?”

Elise and Arianna tilted their heads as well. Neither of them seemed familiar with the name.

“Is it a dungeon-exclusive monster, Hyoren?”

Hyoren slowly nodded.

“Yeah. They’re undead summoned by the Goblin Caster. I think the name Zomblin was formed by combining Zombie and Goblin... Demon God Gidol has a bad naming sense, as usual.”

Elise tilted her head again. Her silver hair cascaded slightly over one shoulder as she considered his explanation.

“What is a zombie, Hyoren?”

Arianna and Jackey looked equally confused.

Hyoren paused.

Huh…? There’s no zombie in Kresneger…?

For a moment, he simply stared at his companions. Then, realization dawned on him.

Oh, right... They’re called Living Dead in this world…

He remembered that both skeleton-type and corpse-type undead were generally referred to as Living Dead. Even the undead summoned by the Voided Covenant had been classified under that name.

Scratching his cheek, Hyoren tried to explain the unfamiliar term.

“Err... Zombie is the term used in my world for this type of undead. It’s a corpse that moves around, acts feral, and doesn’t seem to have any thoughts of its own. It just charges mindlessly toward anything it considers an enemy.”

He gave them a wry smile.

“Basically, it’s a Living Dead.”

Elise, Jackey, and Arianna nodded as they began to understand what he meant.

Elise smiled faintly.

“So, it’s basically a Living Dead Goblin...”

Arianna adjusted the brim of her wide-brimmed hat, her expression thoughtful.

“So, they’re called zombies in your world, Leader?”

Jackey crossed his arms and nodded enthusiastically, apparently satisfied with the explanation.

“So it’s an undead skulker! I see, I see.”

Hyoren smiled at their reactions. At least they had understood the general idea, even if the terminology differed between worlds.

However, as he watched his companions settle down, another thought crossed his mind.

Wait a minute...

His smile gradually faded as he recalled the name of the creatures.

If undead creatures in Kresneger are called Living Dead, why did Gidol name them Zomblins?

It was an oddly specific name. Not Living Dead Goblins, not Undead Goblins, but Zomblins—a combination of two words that belonged to the terminology of his original world.

And that wasn’t the only strange thing.

More and more evidence had been accumulating, suggesting that Gidol understood something about Earth.

The way the dungeons operated resembled the mechanics of role-playing games. Monsters inside the dungeon dissolved into particles of Aethell after death, unlike surface monsters that left behind physical corpses. Guardian Chambers were isolated spaces that could be entered through teleport gates, almost like instanced areas in a game.

And now, there was a creature whose name seemed to come directly from Earth’s vocabulary.

Hyoren’s expression became increasingly serious.

The mythology of Kresneger says that Gidol came from another world...

He lowered his gaze, thinking carefully.

Could that world have been Earth…?

The possibility was unsettling. If Gidol really had a connection to Earth, then there might be far more to the Demon God’s existence than Hyoren had initially imagined. But he had no evidence to confirm the theory, and there was nothing he could do about it right now.

Hyoren shook his head, trying to push the thought aside.

It worries me, but there’s nothing I can do about it for now...

He forced a wry smile.

Maybe Earth really does have demons like succubi, vampires, and mimics, along with magic... 

Perhaps I’m just one of the many people who never knew about them... 

Or maybe there’s a parallel version of Earth where demons and magic actually exist.

His imagination began to wander, entertaining possibilities that would have sounded ridiculous to him back when he was still living on Earth.

For a while, Hyoren remained deep in thought, wondering just how much he truly understood about the world he had been summoned into.

***

Elise’s voice finally pulled Hyoren out of his deep thoughts.

The silver-haired elf tucked a strand of hair behind her pointed ear and looked at him curiously.

“So… The zomblins… Is it weak, Hyoren?”

Hyoren smiled.

“I think so. It’s only Level 12. Its weak point is the Aethell Core in the middle of its chest. My Shadow Bloom could kill them with a single attack, too.”

He tapped his chin.

“The only problem is how the Goblin Caster keeps spawning them…”

Arianna smiled softly.

“So we got caught off guard again, after all.”

She glanced toward the guardian gate behind them.

“And our theory about the floor pattern was right, too. The Fourth Floor guardian is a horde type, not an elite type.”

Hyoren nodded.

“That’s right. We saw only five monsters when we arrived, so we assumed it was an elite boss fight. We forgot that the Fourth Floor is even-numbered, just like the Second Floor.”

Elise sighed quietly.

“We should have trusted the pattern more…”

Hyoren smiled wryly. He had thought the same thing when the Zomblins kept appearing, no matter how many he killed.

“Yeah…”

Arianna looked at the others.

“I think that’s the theme of this floor, everyone. It keeps trying to lull us into complacency.”

Jackey tilted his head, his tabby cat ears twitching.

“Complacency?”

Arianna nodded.

“Think about those endless corridors and traps. We spent hours dealing with them. After a while, we got used to them, didn’t we?”

Elise nodded in agreement.

“That’s true. We knew what to look out for, so it started feeling routine.”

Arianna smiled faintly.

“And then we encountered the Goblin Avenger. Just when we thought we understood the floor, it threw a troublesome opponent at us.”

Hyoren folded his arms. The Goblin Avenger had certainly been a nasty surprise. Even after learning its abilities, they still had to be careful when fighting it.

Arianna turned toward the guardian gate and gestured at it.

“And now, we see only five monsters and assume it’s an elite fight. But once we charge in, the Goblin Caster summons its horde.”

She paused briefly.

“If we were late to retreat, while those Zomblins keep getting spawned, we’ll be overwhelmed and surrounded.”

Jackey shivered.

“What a scary floor!”

Elise furrowed her eyebrows.

“Yeah. It really keeps catching us off guard…”

Hyoren smiled.

“So the lesson is simple. Never get complacent when diving into a dungeon. We should always be careful, even when things seem easy.”

He glanced toward the gate again.

“Although, this floor isn’t that bad once you know the pattern. But for pioneers like us…”

Hyoren shrugged.

“We have to figure everything out ourselves.”

Elise giggled.

“Fufu. That’s the life of a pioneer. We need to be prepared for anything.”

Arianna covered her mouth with one hand.

“Ohoho. At least our hard work will help the adventurers who come after us. They won’t have to be caught off guard like we were.”

Jackey crossed his arms confidently.

“But Freedom Party is strong! We can face anything this dungeon throws at us! WOHOO!”

Hyoren smiled at Jackey’s enthusiasm. The mood had certainly improved compared to when they had first retreated from the guardian chamber.

He waited until everyone settled down before returning to their opponent.

“Okay, so the Fourth Floor Guardian is a horde type, just like the Second Floor.”

Hyoren raised a finger.

“But the second floor had around 1,500 goblins waiting for us from the beginning. This time, the horde only appears after the battle starts.”

He tapped his chin, thinking about the fight again.

“The Goblin Caster summoned about 300 Zomblins at the start.”

He paused for a moment.

“And it tries to replenish them when we kill them.”

Arianna tilted her head.

“Isn’t that similar to a Monster Room?”

Elise’s ears perked up. Jackey also seemed to realize what Arianna meant.

Hyoren grinned.

“Right. It’s similar to a Monster Room.”

He looked at his companions.

“The initial summoning was quick, but replenishing the Zomblins took longer. We might be able to use that window.”

Elise watched him with an amused smile. Hyoren was already thinking about how to defeat the guardian, even though they had just been forced to retreat.

“So, we’re still going back to challenge it? Fufu.”

Jackey raised his fist.

“Of course, Elise! We got caught off guard this time, but Big Bro will come up with a plan! I’m sure we’ll be victorious!”

Arianna giggled.

“Ohohoho. And you’re not going to come up with a plan yourself, Jackey?”

Jackey scratched his cheek and grinned sheepishly.

“Hehe. I’ll leave the thinking to Big Bro! Leave the whacking to me instead!”

Everyone laughed at his answer. The tension from their earlier encounter had completely disappeared.

After a while, the others looked toward Hyoren. As their party leader, the final decision rested with him.

Hyoren placed one hand on the hilt of his sheathed Dawn Breaker. He looked at his companions before nodding confidently.

“We’ll challenge the guardian again. We retreated once, but we won’t run with our tails tucked between our legs. We’ll fight it.”

Jackey immediately unsheathed both of his axes and twirled them enthusiastically.

“THAT’S WHAT I WANTED TO HEAR! Time to whack those grey skulkers! WOHOO!”

Arianna smiled.

“If that is your decision, Leader, then I shall follow your lead.”

Elise nodded as well.

“Fufu. Then you already have a plan for dealing with those endlessly spawning Zomblins, don’t you, Hyoren?”

Hyoren grinned.

The expression on his face changed. His eyes sharpened, and a familiar excitement appeared as he began thinking about the fight ahead. It was a rare expression, one that appeared whenever he enjoyed strategizing and figuring out how to overcome a difficult opponent.

“I do.”

Freedom Party had retreated once from the Fourth Floor Guardian.

But now that they understood how the Guardian worked, they were ready to challenge it once again.