Chapter 228: Misguided

Words : 1228 Updated : Oct 7th, 2025

Valhalla’s Sinners set up near the fallen mural wall: their gear was arranged with militaristic order. Despite being content creators, their camp looked quite professional. Vaelira’s squad took a corner closer to the hallway entrance. Her dungeon aide did his best to satisfy the woman with every detail, even placing enchanted lanterns to perfectly light her tent’s angles for her future stream clips. Diaz picked a cold, isolated patch of stone across the room and silently pitched his lone tent. His gear was black, spartan, military-style. No show. No team. But now, they were truly done with the preparations. Thus... Three teams. One dungeon. The Hollow waited. ... As the final gear was stowed, a tense silence hovered in the dungeon’s ancient ballroom. It was time. Kaiden, Diaz, and Vaelira converged at the center beneath a fractured crystal chandelier. Diaz spoke first. "Let’s agree to keep things simple. I take point. You follow orders. I know this place best." Vaelira raised a perfectly arched brow, lips already curling into a smirk as her mana camera buzzed behind her, recording every word for her ever-hungry viewers. "Oh my~ Big, tall, silver rogue boy wants to play general?" she cooed. "You’ve seen one small area of the dungeon, darling. Let’s not pretend you’re some dungeon messiah because you tiptoed past a few ghouls." Diaz’s eyes turned colder, but he didn’t react to the demeaning names Vaelira used on him. "I’m level 25. I’ve been on over twenty clears, while this is only the second undertaking for you newbies. This shouldn’t even be a conversation to be had." "Wow~" Vaelira gasped with a great deal of theatrical mockery. "So shiny. So accomplished. But remind me... where’s your team now? Oh, that’s right. They’re buried in your previous dungeon clear’s dirt." Diaz’s face remained unreadable. She leaned closer with her camera angling just right to catch the glint in her eye. "You’re a rogue, Diaz. And we both know no one wants a rogue to lead. You’re a slippery man, good at vanishing when things get ugly. That’s how you survived your twenty clears, I bet. And that’s fine with me, I’m not faulting your cowardice. But don’t you dare expect me and Kaiden to hand over leadership of our precious comrades to someone who’s designed to run the moment things go sideways." Diaz opened his mouth to retort, but... "Enough." Kaiden’s voice came faster. "We’re wasting time with this nonsense." He turned toward Diaz first. "Vaelira is right about one thing. There’s no world where I let you lead my team. You might be stronger, more experienced, and better suited to scouting, but that doesn’t mean I trust you with our lives. If this were a regular team-up, maybe. But it’s not. You’re a rogue who survived a massacre by being the one who didn’t die. That’s not leadership. That’s self-preservation." Diaz narrowed his eyes at him, but said nothing. "If we can’t agree on a single leader," Kaiden added, "then we default to council-based decisions. One from each group. That’s inefficient, but I’d rather be slow than see myself dressing for the funeral of my lovers." Vaelira smirked once she realized he was taking her side. Hands on her hips, eyes sparkling with self-satisfaction. "Well, well. I didn’t expect you to take my side, Kaiden." But instead of reciprocating the gesture, Kaiden turned toward her next. And his eyes were colder than Diaz’s ever had been. "You’re an A-rank awakened, Vaelira. You’ve got immense talent and potential. You could be a name that matters in the future." The smugness on her face slowly began to peel away. "But instead you’re out here peddling drama and stirring shit for clicks like a washed-up F-tier with nothing but a donation bar to her name." Her lips parted. But he spoke up before she could. "I know you won’t listen to me, but I’ll say this nonetheless. You need to decide. Are you going to be a proper awakened combatant and lead your team seriously? Or are you going to keep pretending this is some stage play where your careless actions will lead to nothing troublesome, when in reality, they might cost someone’s life?" Silence. Vaelira stared at him, the glow of her mana camera still humming behind her, quietly recording every inch of the moment. She wasn’t doing a delayed stream like Kaiden, so all of his words have been recorded and broadcast. Her glare was murderous. Not playful. Not performative. No wink to the chat this time. Just pure venom. Kaiden had humiliated her. But worse? He’d struck a truth she couldn’t deny. - GoreFan44: Bro... He’s goddamn right. - Vaelira4Ever: STFU loser, dude’s just being a condescending dick. - Switch2Kaiden: Can’t wait for his stream to start. This is pure cringe. I can’t bear with it any longer. - Vaelira4Ever: Fuck you too. The moment Vaelira read those messages, her eyes flicked left. [User has been banned.] [User has been banned.] She purged them without hesitation. Her smile returned a moment later, but it was thinner. Tighter. Laced with strain. "Council-based decisions it is then." Kaiden didn’t even acknowledge the change in her tone. He was already turning around. "If that’s settled, we’ll handle this like professionals. We split into two teams. Valhalla’s Sinners will move independently. We’re already five strong. Diaz, you should team up with Vaelira’s squad to make another group of five." Diaz frowned. "Splitting the group is plain reckless-" "No, it’s the smart move," Kaiden interrupted. "We need to map out the area around the portal and test how the enemy is in this section of the dungeon. It’s better to cover more ground with two active parties. We’ll regroup later with shared intel. The dungeon will break in only 3 weeks’ time, which in turn gives us a little over 2 weeks to get the job done before the association takes over and your guild fails." Vaelira’s expression soured. This wasn’t what she wanted. She wanted friction. She wanted overlap, chances to leech fame from the famed group and stir drama between clips of blood and battle. Being sent off with the stone-faced, barely reacting Diaz, who wasn’t a known awakened at all? It was a nightmare pairing. But Kaiden didn’t care for any words of objection she might offer. He began walking away. And just before stepping past the torchlight, he paused and spoke over his shoulder. "But let me be clear about one thing. If anyone from your side starts sniffing around my group... I’ll take it as hostile behavior. We’re mercenaries here to clear the dungeon, not to reveal all our secrets to you people." A few beats passed. "I don’t care if you’re ’just filming,’ or ’are curious,’ I’ll treat you like a spy." He looked directly at Vaelira. "And I won’t hesitate to retaliate." Vaelira’s smile finally cracked in full. Diaz said nothing, just watched Kaiden with those calculating silver eyes of his, unreadable as always. And then, without another word... Kaiden disappeared into the corridor with his team at his back, leaving the needless drama behind. Only the Hollow waited ahead. And it was far hungrier than any of them knew. Furthermore... There was a good reason why Kaiden was adamant about splitting the groups. It was time to test out their new abilities against the undead!

Chapter 228: Misguided

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