The team continued deeper into the second floor, the red glow pulsing steadily from somewhere ahead. The cavern walls were narrower now, forcing them to walk single file. The air was damp and heavy, carrying the faint metallic scent of old blood.
Lisa, who was walking behind Hope, spoke up curiously.
"Hope… if you don't mind me asking, is there any monster that you've had a really hard time defeating?"
Hope glanced back with a thoughtful expression. "Hmm… there was one. A Hydra-class monster in an S-rank gate a few years ago. It had seven heads, and each time we cut one off, two more would grow back. It took our entire team nearly six hours to finally bring it down."
Sein scoffed, walking a few steps ahead. "And why don't you ever ask me something like that? I have more experience than half the heroes in this city."
Sarah, walking behind Sein, immediately responded in a flat, teasing tone.
