Another Surprise! Troubling News!

Cassy moved beside Aster before turning to watch Kali's intense battle against the mid-boss, the goblin chief.

"You think she needs help?" Cassy asked casually but already knew the answer to it.

"Nah, let her be." Aster confirmed, "We'll just get in the way if we join the fray."

It was obvious that Kali wasn't even fighting at her best yet, visibly holding back. Although Aster was unsure why, he didn't dare nitpick on her when she was doing her task beautifully.

"..."

For a brief moment, Kali's eyes turned to the two.

As soon as she realized that they were done wiping out the small fries, she decided to also wrap up the fight on her side.

"Skill: Assassinate!" Kali called the name of the skill.

The next moment, her figure disappeared completely.

The goblin chief panicked, looking around while waving its club randomly. Even if it was simply flailing about, like a child throwing a tantrum, the trees that got hit fell down, a testament to the power behind each swing.

If anyone got hit by it, they would die without a doubt!

*THWACK!* *PISHHHH!*

However, Kali wasn't someone who would get hit by such a simple attack. Her figure reappeared behind the goblin chief, her legs planted against its back, with her daggers embedded in its nape.

She twisted them, aggravating the wound while snapping off the neck spine, before jumping away and dodging the spray of green blood that came shortly after.

*Swish!*

After waving the blood off her daggers, she placed them back in their sheath before turning to the others.

"What the hell are you two doing, just watching me fight? We have hundreds of goblins to get loot from! Move it!"

"... Oh."

"Right, we still need to get the loot!"

Aster and Cassy responded, respectively, before checking their surroundings. Corpses lay around, bloody and mangled, making them wince.

"We need to get loot from all these...?"

Of course, it was all for the sake of money. Holding back their disgruntlement, they started to do the cleanup and loot gathering.

The corpses could be left simply lying around. Shortly after, the dungeon itself would absorb it and make the corpses vanish. It was a weird phenomenon, and a hateful one if you have a lot of loot to get. They can't do it leisurely, or the dungeon would "snatch" their rightful prize!

They spent a full hour just getting the accessories from the goblins. It was backbreaking work, literally, but it was more than worth it.

"Our overall loot should fetch us 200 thousand Tels at least." Kali declared.

Adding to the amount they earned that morning, it was already a sizeable amount.

It was a little low when thinking of the number of enemies they killed, but not all goblins had accessories, after all. Aster looked at the backpack, already full to the brim, with a handful of accessories lying beside it, unable to fit any longer.

"... Should we return for today?" He asked the two for their opinions.

Cassy, who was resting casually, raised her hand with a smile and said, "I concur~!"

"Our pack is full, so hunting any more than this is just a waste," Kali commented with solid logic. "You two, carry the loot. I need to keep both hands open in case we get ambushed."

"Alright." Aster nodded, thinking that it was fair.

She was, after all, their best fighter. Sealing her abilities by letting her carry the loot would be putting the cart before the horse.

"Then I'll carry the bag! Star, you carry the little trinkets left."

Cassy didn't seem to have any qualms about it either, and she nodded her head. Before Aster could carry the bag, she had already grabbed it and worn the straps over her shoulders.

The bag was heavy since it was full of bone and metal-based accessories. It should be roughly 60 kilograms overall, but Cassy was carrying it as if it were nothing. The difference in their stats was just shocking.

Having no choice, Aster grabbed a random vine and tied up the remaining accessories together, carrying them over his shoulder, before marching back the way they came.

---

Back at the guild, right as the clock hit 5 p.m., the trio arrived.

"W-We made it in time..." Aster panted.

A few more goblins bothered them on the way back, which significantly delayed them. As such, they had to run all the way back just to make it in time before the guild closed.

"Oh, sorry, but the guild is already closing."

However, Zenearith greeted them and expressed regret that they "were" unable to arrive in time.

"Again..." Aster sighed.

"Then keep our loot here. Although the exchange is closed, that should be possible, right?"

But thankfully, someone was knowledgeable enough among their group. Kali's words brought life to Aster's dead eyes! Being able to leave their loot meant he wouldn't need to take the loot on hand back to his hotel room!

"Of course, it's possible," Zena answered with a smile. "Would you like to sell them off first thing tomorrow morning too? We can handle the procedure and send everything to your accounts afterward. Though the guild will take a 5% cut from the profits."

"That's fine." Kali nodded without waiting for the other two's agreement.

'Well, 5% isn't much, so I have no problems with it.'

After that, Cassy and Aster dumped their items into a random chest before leaving the guild.

"Hey, Kali. What do you think about having dinner with us?"

Cassy asked with a sweet smile, offering out of kindness. It was nearly evening, and they were getting hungry, so it was a natural question.

Kali stared at them before turning around and walking away. "... Pass." That was the only thing she said as she left.

"Is she shy, perhaps?" Cassy reasoned, shrugging her shoulders lightly. "Then, what about you, Star? Wanna grab a bite?"

"Sure, let's—!"

But just as he was about to answer, a car stopped before the two, surprising them. From there, two men in black suits stepped out, walking to Aster's side before asking in a deep voice.

"Mr. Aster Mistral, correct? The mayor is calling for you."

Aster's eyebrows twitched, wondering what the reason was for being called. Cassy looked over in worry but didn't say anything. She didn't have the "right" to say anything, after all.

*Sigh...*

"Sorry, Cassy. It looks like I can't join you for dinner today." Aster apologized with a wry smile.

"It's fine, it's fine," Cassy replied, grinning. "You should go; don't make the mayor wait!"

Aster smiled before whispering a short "Thanks" before entering the flying car parked before them.