REINCARNATION OF THE STRONGEST WAR HERO

Gideon picked up the monster core from the boss's corpse. And soon it started to fade into ash. Logan had a longing look on his face. He could sense the amount. It would have been a great opportunity if he was alone at the moment.

After giving a final check, they started to head out. The dungeon was cleared.

Ronald was walking at the front with a heavy expression. Melissa was on his back, her arms dangling loosely at his sides and her head resting against his shoulder. Behind him, Logan was walking in silence, his eyes locked ahead but his mind clearly elsewhere. Jessi and Luna followed quietly, while Gideon was trailing at the rear, fists still slightly clenched.

They had won but Melissa was seriously hurt. And about the anomaly, it still lingered on every one's mind. Nobody had an answer to what the hell was actually happening.

They reached their wagon outside the forest and climbed in wordlessly. The mood was quiet. Nobody joked, nobody spoke. The rhythmic sound of wooden wheels and the occasional clatter of hooves echoed as they made their way back to Solvane.

Inside the Hunter's Guild,

the main hall was alive with chatter. Multiple groups of hunters sat at long wooden tables, plates of food and mugs of ale in front of them. Most wore light armor and relaxed expressions—laughing, boasting, or talking about dungeon loot.

At a large table near the center, Leonard was seated with Lucas and three other members of his party. Leonard was leaning over a scroll spread across the table.

"So," Leonard said, dragging his finger across the scroll which was actually a dungeon map, "If we follow this route, we can raid two C-class dungeons in a day. Currently we are just a bit ahead from Leo's track record. If we don't work hard, then soon we will lose our position as the top hunter party."

"Hold up," Lucas cut in, looking toward the next table. "Did you hear that?"

Leonard raised an eyebrow.

From the nearby table, voices drifted clearly into earshot.

"Did you know? That boy, Aiden, he joined Gideon's party today and went in a mission."

"Really?! So he finally picked a team, huh?"

"But why would he pick such a pathetic party? They've been stuck at the bottom for nearly two years now. And that was back when they had seven or eight members. I heard three of them died recently. With just this handful left, can they even clear a D-class dungeon?"

A wave of laughter spread through the hall.

Leonard's face froze.

His fingers slowly tightened around the glass in his hand.

CRACK!

The glass shattered in his palm.

Liquid spilled across the table, dripping to the floor as the sharp fragments clattered against wood.

Lucas chuckled. "See? Told you he wasn't anything special. But you were busy singing his praises like he was some hidden gem. Or else why would he join such a party filled with losers."

Leonard didn't say a word.

Lucas leaned back lazily. "And in the end? He didn't even give you a second glance."

"Please Lucas, don't rub more salt on a wound," Leonard spelled out those words with gritted teeth.

Lucas smirked and raised his hands. "Fine, fine."

Leonard's jaw tightened as he recalled how Logan had almost joined his party. Everything had been ready. Or atleast that's what he thought. And yet….he changed sides.

Betrayal. That's what it felt like.

But just when he was about to lose his cool, the front door of the guild creaked open.

Everyone turned their heads.

Gideon stepped through, followed closely by Ronald, Jessi, Logan, and Luna. Their clothes were torn. Armor cracked. Faces bruised. Melissa's limp form was still hanging over Ronald's shoulder.

The entire hall went quiet.

Eyes widened. Forks paused in midair. Even the drunkest hunter blinked in surprise.

They looked like they had crawled out of a battlefield.

One of the hunters near Leonard whispered, "Wait… didn't they go to a D-class dungeon?"

Another laughed. "They look like they fought a dragon."

"D-class? Seriously?"

Leonard's party members snickered beside him.

One leaned over. "Serves them right. That team leader is so annoying but acts like he is a big shot."

Another added, "Guess that kid's first dungeon didn't go so well, huh?"

Leonard didn't laugh. Not completely. But the corner of his mouth curled upward.

Elizabeth spotted them immediately and rushed forward.

"What happened?!"

Ronald shifted slightly. "Melissa's hurt. She needs treatment."

"Follow me!"

She turned and led them down the hall toward the healing chambers.

Other hunters watched as they passed, murmuring.

Inside the healer's chamber, the staff quickly cleared a table. Ronald carefully laid Melissa down.

The guild's healer, a middle-aged woman with short silver hair, placed her glowing hand over Melissa's chest. Her brows furrowed as she worked silently for a moment.

Finally, the light dimmed. She sighed.

"She's out of danger. But just barely," she said sharply. "A few more minutes and her pulse would've faded."

Everyone in the room exhaled.

The healer turned toward Gideon, hands on her hips.

"Why don't you have a healer in your team?" she demanded. "Every other serious party has one. Do you think you're invincible or just stupid?"

Gideon scratched his neck, avoiding her gaze.

"We wanted to hire one. But considering our party's present conditions, no one was willing to join."

"Then stop going inside dungeons until you find one," she snapped. "You're lucky this girl is strong. But next time, don't push that luck."

"Understood."

The healer clicked her tongue and walked away, muttering under her breath.

Logan stood silently near the corner of the room. His eyes were fixed on Melissa.

Then he slowly turned and walked out.

The moment he stepped out, he found someone waiting for him outside.

It was Leonard. He slowly walked toward Logan.

"Aiden, wasn't my offer good enough?! You said you'd join our party, remember? Then how dare you choose someone else's?"

"I said I would consider. I didn't say it's a deal done." Logan said calmly.