The day after that, Party 1 returned to the waiting area.
The results were not insignificant. We had gathered information about the dungeon and obtained useful items like Rebirth Stones. Furthermore, the accumulated stress levels had decreased, giving us the impetus to move forward again. We would return to the Exploration Dungeon once we acquired the qualification to use Engravings.
"Couldn't reach the sea, you know. It got blocked off after going a little way."
"You actually went to see it?"
"Of course."
After returning to the Rift of Time and Space, Iolka held her fan with a dissatisfied expression. It seemed impossible to go beyond a certain area. Exploration Dungeons unlocked one area every 10 floors. It appeared we could go to all regions once we cleared the 100th floor.
"By the way, how many days has it been? I see some unfamiliar faces."
"About a week."
"What? That long?"
I nodded. Time flowed differently between the stage and the waiting area. This was a fact proven through several experiments.
As Iolka said, unfamiliar Heroes were noticeable in the second-floor plaza. I knew who they were. They were assistants to the artisans in the equipment workshop. They were moving materials from the warehouse to the workshop.
'Looks like they've officially moved up to the second floor.' Not a bad change. Seeing first-floor Heroes ascend to the second floor directly serves as strong motivation for those around them. The reverse was also true.
I looked up at the sky. Amkena wasn't logged in, and the night sky was a dark, earthy color. Judging by the sky's color, it seemed to be late evening. We stored the spoils in the warehouse and then gathered once in the plaza.
"Go inside and rest. Report to the training ground starting tomorrow morning."
"Hoo, back at it again starting tomorrow."
"Let's go take a bath, sister!" Zena and Iolka disappeared into the living quarters. Aron was walking towards the training ground.
"Where are you going?"
"Ah, well..."
"If I told you to rest, you should rest. Why do you keep straying? Want to ruin your body?"
"But, Han."
"I said starting tomorrow. Go inside." Aron's shoulders slumped as he turned towards the living quarters. I quietly watched Aron's retreating back.
'...'
Since returning from the 15th floor, his symptoms had been worsening. There were a few types like that in Niflheim too. Addicts who forgot the corrosion and immersed themselves only in training. Most didn't end well.
Simply increasing training time wasn't the answer. Balancing training and rest was crucial for efficiency. Gutsy manga-like stories didn't work here. If it was still not enough, it ultimately meant a lack of talent. There was no choice but to find another path. Or die along the way.
Of course, it wasn't impossible for seemingly useless Heroes to suddenly awaken, but the probability was extremely low. Even in Niflheim, there was only one such case.
The next day, daily life resumed. After an early breakfast, the three members of Party 1 gathered and continued training as usual. However, there was one change in the training ground's scenery.
"Faster. You're too slow!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
"Your body is tense."
"Yes!"
Edis and Usher were facing off in the sparring arena. Both were using real weapons. Every time Edis swung her dagger, a line of blood appeared on Usher's body. Usher winced in pain but continued his attack.
"That's surprising. I thought Party 2 didn't do dangerous training." Zena muttered, running beside me.
She was right. Party 2 also invested a lot of time in training, but they had avoided bloody training like ours as much as possible. But now, that approach was broken.
"Some change of heart..."
"Dika isn't here."
The ones in the training ground were Edis, Usher, and Roderick. Dika, an initial member, was missing.
"Ah, right. I'll go ask." Zena stopped running and approached Roderick near the sparring arena. Roderick stood with a serious expression, gripping his spear. Zena chatted briefly, then came back towards me. Zena's face was also tense.
"She said Dika went down to the first floor."
"Reason?"
"Because she couldn't kill people." The answer came from the side. Edis was wiping blood off her dagger with a cloth. In front of her, Usher lay sprawled, covered in wounds.
"I see." I had expected it to some extent. Dika hadn't quite recovered from the shock of the 10th floor. Her talent was average, but her personality was weak. She could handle monsters, but likely couldn't perform well against living people.
"Instead of gaining members, we lost one. Can't go anywhere with just three people. That's why we decided to increase our training intensity too. It would be nice if the Master did a high-grade summon."
"Doesn't seem like she'll do a high-grade summon though." Since the last failure, Amkena hadn't performed a single paid draw. This was a symptom called 'Summoning Distrust'. It manifested in Masters who lost significant Gems in high-grade summons. Masters suffering from Summoning Distrust tended to invest Gems excessively in facilities instead of summons.
'Summons may betray you, but facilities won't.' It was one of the widely known adages in Pick Me Up. I had suffered from it severely in the past too, though that was because I couldn't pull anything above 4-star.
Edis bit her lip, looking troubled. "If that happens, our party..."
"You could go and nag her."
"I don't want to go that far."
"Then give up. No other way." I said. Just because they were long-time companions didn't mean she could force them along. In any case, it was far better than watching them die while dragging them along. The fact that Synthesis was unlikely would be some consolation.
Edis, having been through the wringer as a mercenary, knew well the risk a weak party member posed. That's why she wasn't demanding Dika's return from the Master.
"It's not easy." Edis gave a bitter smile and descended from the sparring arena. Usher pushed his battered body up. Soon after, Roderick climbed onto the arena. Usher clenched his jaw tightly and gripped his sword. Seeing a companion fall right beside him must have strengthened his resolve.
"Ugh, smell of blood." Iolka waved her hand dismissively. Zena and Aron looked relatively serious, but Iolka spoke as if it were someone else's problem.
'This is why mages are like this.' A cushy job, can't be helped.
I smiled and continued training.
And a few days later, that evening, Amkena changed the Heroes' affiliations. Belkist and Nerisa were called and summoned to the first-floor plaza.
[Forming party!]
[Drag and drop Hero!]
['Belkist (★★)' removed from 'Party 3'.]
['Nerisa (★★)' removed from 'Party 3'.]
She removed the two core members of Party 3. The meaning was clear. Promotion to the first string. Party 3, the second string, would be replenished with new personnel.
[Changing Hero living quarters.]
[Living Quarters cross-section displayed.]
[Drag and drop Hero!]
['Belkist (★★)'...]
[Changing Hero permissions.]
[Current Facility List - 'Mess Hall Lv.2', 'Bathhouse Lv.1', 'Lounge Lv.1'...]
A brief configuration process followed. Iseul's annoyed voice reached all the way to the second floor.
[You two, pack your things and come up.]
I was practicing swordsmanship in my private training room. I sheathed my sword and went outside. Usher was looking towards the plaza with a tense expression.
"The newcomers are here." I smirked.
Soon after, Belkist and Nerisa came up the second-floor stairs. Neither showed any particular change. Belkist wore his characteristic confident expression. Nerisa looked composed. Though told to pack, they seemed to have no personal belongings, just their weapons.
"Training is suspended for today. Assemble." The two were currently unaffiliated. The fact that Amkena didn't explicitly assign them meant the leaders of Party 1 and Party 2 were supposed to decide. The members of Party 1 and Party 2 quickly finished up and gathered in a corner of the training ground.
"Seems like it's time for personnel reinforcement." Currently, Party 1 had 1 vacant spot, and Party 2 had 2. It was surprising only two came up, but nonetheless, it was time to recruit new members. I unfolded a folding chair and sat down.
"Shall I bring lots?"
"Hold on." Drawing lots would be necessary for a draft, but the situation wasn't suitable. Firstly, the personnel balance was off. Furthermore, Amkena didn't seem inclined to perform high-grade summons.
'Is she planning to run just one party properly?' A lot of time had passed since clearing the 15th floor. Delaying the climb further risked losing combat readiness.
There was no need to call people over. The two who came up to the plaza entered the training ground where we were right away. Belkist glanced around briefly and muttered, "Looks flashy. Completely different from the first floor."
The existing members looked at the newcomers with a mixture of curiosity and caution. Belkist grinned. "Why the glares? Looks like you want to eat us alive. Just came to say hello."
"I am not here for greetings." Nerisa stepped forward, blocking Belkist. "We will likely join either Party 1 or Party 2. I heard the rumors. Isn't that right?"
"Asking pointless questions, isn't it obvious?"
"Then I'll be direct." Nerisa met my eyes and said, "Please assign me to Party 1."
"..."
"I am confident I will not be a hindrance. You will not be disappointed."
Belkist chuckled darkly. Then suddenly, he glared at Nerisa with murderous eyes. "This girl's lost her mind. Know your place."
"Strength isn't the only measure of usefulness. I am learning many skills besides combat."
"What else is useful besides that?"
"You should know if you've seen." Nerisa looked at Belkist coolly. Belkist scowled and fell silent.
Edis stepped forward. "Where you go isn't up to you."
"I know. Either the Master decides, or the two of you will." Even while speaking to Edis, Nerisa kept her gaze fixed on me. A strange heat emanated from her eyes.
Zena whispered in my ear, "What's wrong with her, Oppa? She seems really desperate to join Party 1."
"How would I know?" Belkist was the same. Until recently, neither seemed to care where they ended up, but their attitude had suddenly changed.
"Why are you so set on joining Party 1?" I asked, remaining seated.
Nerisa closed her eyes and continued, "I thought the rumors were exaggerated."
"What rumors?"
"The rumors about you. I didn't believe them at first either." Rumors about me. I vaguely suspected strange rumors were circulating among the first-floor residents. Since they avoided me whenever I approached, I couldn't hear the specifics.
"But I saw it myself."
"...Rebirth Stone." Only one cause came to mind. For some reason, the two had frequently entered the Rift of Time and Space together. Experiencing it as a Hero yourself versus experiencing someone else's record. Rebirth Stones could be used in one of these two ways. The former was standard, but Amkena must have shown them the mission recording using the latter method.
"How much did you see?"
"Everything." Nerisa narrowed her eyes. "The rumors downplayed it. I have truly seen the light. To survive, aligning with the strong is the natural course. That is the sole reason I wish to join Party 1."
"And Party 2?"
"If possible, I'd like to decline."
"What do you mean? Our Party 2 isn't bad either!" Usher exclaimed.
"Do you really think so?"
"O-of course." Nerisa gave a cool smile. Clear mockery. Usher's face flushed red and purple.
"This brat, just because you're new...!"
"Being late or early doesn't matter. The strong rise, the weak fall. This person arrived earlier than us, but still seems clueless about this world. Right, Senior?" Belkist looked at me and grinned, leaning against the sparring arena's railing.
"Anyway, I agree too. Don't want to go anywhere but Party 1. I'll be more useful than that woman. I guarantee it."
I crossed my arms.
'This just got annoying.' The two showed absolutely no intention of compromising.