Phong and the group moved north. They followed a trail by the lake bank, between the jagged cliffs that was the shore of lake Baratok and a patch of deep, dark forest.
The lake stretched wide and dark. Small waves hit the jagged cliff that was the bank and broke instantly.
Mana specks floated from the tree line toward them, casting their reflection onto the water.
It was not long until the team reached a rocky lake bank at the foot of the hill where they had set up the Moletatoes.
For the first time since arriving, things felt… still.
Phong took advantage of that.
He sat near the water's edge with a simple fishing line he had improvised—nothing fancy, just a rod, some string, and a hook shaped from salvaged metal.
Quietly fishing.
He cast the line.
The ripple spread across the lake.
And then he waited.
For about thirty seconds.
Nyx sat beside him, tail neatly wrapped around her paws, trying to look interested. Bruno sat on the other side, ears perked, watching the water like something exciting might leap out any second.
Another ten seconds passed.
Nyx blinked slowly. Bruno tilted his head.
Another twenty seconds.
Nyx stood up. Bruno yawned.
They exchanged a glance. Unspoken agreement.
Then both of them turned and left.
Phong didn't even look back.
"…figured."
Behind him, the sounds of sparring quickly replaced the quiet.
Joanne stood at the center, stretching her fingers, faint mana gathering around her like mist. Jake spun his dagger lazily. Jack cracked his neck.
Nyx darted forward first. Fast, precise, a blur of black fur and claw.
Bruno followed, charging in with brute enthusiasm.
Joanne laughed.
"Alright, come on then."
The shoreline behind Phong turned into a training ground again.
He smiled faintly. At least someone was having fun.
Rico, meanwhile, had found something far more interesting.
The lake.
The raccoon crouched at the water's edge, sniffing it with intense focus.
"…fish inside."
He pulled out his small mana-powered stun baton. Eyes gleaming.
"Fast method."
He leaned forward.
"Efficient method."
The baton sparked faintly.
He prepared to dip it into the water—
A hand grabbed his collar mid-motion.
"No."
Rico froze.
Slowly turned.
Alex stood behind him, expression calm.
"Electrifying the water is illegal."
Rico blinked.
"…we are in dungeon."
"Yes."
"No law here."
"Yes."
"So…"
"No."
Rico frowned.
"Human inefficient."
Alex shrugged.
"Human also doesn't want to accidentally pissed off a monster fish underneath the wave."
Rico paused. Looked at the water. Looked at his baton.
…looked back at Alex.
"…valid argument."
He sighed dramatically and turned the baton off.
"I'm oppressed."
Alex let go of him.
"Go spar with the others."
Rico shook his head.
"Nah."
Then he walked over to Phong.
Sat beside him.
And without asking...
Reached for the fishing rod.
Phong pulled it slightly out of reach.
"No."
Rico pointed at the water.
"Fish."
Phong pointed at the rod.
"Mine."
Rico crossed his arms.
"Stingy farmer."
"Thieving raccoon."
Alex eventually joined Phong by the shore. She sat down beside him, close enough that their shoulders touched.
For a while, she said nothing. Just watched the line in the water.
Then—
poke
Phong blinked.
"…what?"
Alex smiled slightly.
"Nothing."
A few seconds passed.
Then—
poke
Phong sighed.
"You're bored."
"Maybe."
She leaned a little closer. Her fingers moved to his hair, gently brushing through it.
"Hold still."
Phong didn't resist.
She adjusted a few strands, smoothing them down, then messing them up again on purpose.
"Your hair's getting long."
"You cut it then."
"No."
"Why not."
"I like it."
She tugged lightly at a strand.
"Gives you that 'tired farmer protagonist' look."
Phong huffed quietly.
"Great."
Alex leaned back on her hands.
"Oh, and one more thing."
She glanced at his hoodie.
"You're only allowed to keep that NPC hoodie…"
Phong raised an eyebrow.
"Was about to ask why?"
"…because Little Fireball likes it."
Right on cue—
A small, warm weight landed on his head.
Little Fireball had clearly grown bored of doing nothing. She perched on top of his hair like she owned the place. Then began scratching lightly, tiny talons working through his hair like she was searching for something.
Phong winced.
"…what is she doing."
Alex grinned.
"Foraging."
Rico nodded seriously.
"Looking for bugs."
"I don't have bugs."
"You are the biggest one we know."
Phong sighed.
Accepted his fate.
Little Fireball chirped happily, clearly satisfied with her new "nest."
The lake remained still. The line barely moved.
The world, for once, didn't feel like it was about to explode into chaos.
Alex leaned her head lightly against Phong's shoulder.
"You're quiet."
"Fishing."
"That's not talking."
"That's the point."
She hummed softly.
Then—
"Are you still thinking about everything?"
Phong didn't answer immediately.
The water rippled faintly.
"…yeah."
Alex didn't push. She just stayed there. Close. Warm. Real.
After a moment, he exhaled.
"But not as much."
She smiled faintly.
"Good."
Behind them, Bruno barked triumphantly as he managed to tackle Jake. Nyx darted past Joanne's spell and landed a clean hit on Jack's shoulder. Rico was now lying flat on the ground, staring at the sky, probably thinking about coffee. Little Fireball chirped again, still happily messing with Phong's hair.
And the fishing line—
Finally twitched.
Phong's hand moved instantly. He pulled.
A fish burst from the water, glistening under the faint dungeon light.
Small.
But real.
Phong looked at it.
Then at Alex.
"…dinner."
Alex laughed softly.
"See? Efficient."
Rico sat up instantly.
"My turn!."
The lake had only just gone still again.
Phong held the small fish in one hand while Alex laughed beside him, the sound soft and warm against the cold air of Floor 2. Behind them, Bruno had started barking at Rico for trying to inch closer to the catch, and Nyx looked one second away from deciding the fish belonged to her by divine right.
For a few breaths, it almost felt normal.
Then... movement.
Phong felt it first. Not because his stats were high, but he was familiar with dungeon soil than everyone else combined.
A faint tremor. Not danger yet, but movement. Four sets of footsteps approaching from the edge of their claimed ground, steady and unhurried, like people who either did not know where they were walking or did not care.
Phong turned.
Four figures were coming along the shoreline.
The one in front was a broad-shouldered man, maybe twenty-eight, with brown skin, close-cropped black hair, and the kind of relaxed posture that only worked when backed by real strength. He wore dark gear that had been patched more than once, but every strap sat exactly where it should. Nothing loose. Nothing wasted. His eyes swept over the camp in one clean pass, taking in the water, the stone wall, the training group, and finally Alex.
At his right walked a young woman with long dark hair tied back in a practical braid. Nineteen, maybe. Her face was sharp, her expression sharper. She carried herself with the easy certainty of someone used to standing just one step behind command and never seeing that as lesser. Her gaze landed on Alex, then slid toward Phong, and something ugly flickered there.
On the other side were the twins.
Identical faces. Pale skin. dark blond hair. Same eyes, same mouth, same almost amused look. But one was a man and one was a woman, both twenty-three or close to it. The brother was taller by a little, built lean and loose like a knife fighter. The sister stood straighter, one hand resting near the handle of a short spear at her side. They looked similar enough to be unsettling, but their body language made the difference clear. He watched the camp like a game. She watched it like a puzzle.
Alex stood first.
The others behind them slowed as they noticed the newcomers. Jake twirled his dagger once, then let it settle. Jack rolled one shoulder. Joanne stopped gathering mana, though the last traces of it still shimmered around her fingertips. Bruno came trotting back toward Phong. Nyx was already there, tail low, eyes narrowed.
Rico squinted toward the shoreline.
"…dramatic entrance," he muttered.
The man in front stopped a comfortable distance away. Close enough to talk. Far enough that it would be rude to call it a threat without proof.
He gave a small nod.
"Didn't mean to interrupt dinner." His voice was low and even. "Samir Nassar."
He tilted his head slightly toward the others.
"My vice captain, Ageyudi Selu."
The Cherokee girl lifted her chin, not smiling.
"The twins are Cian Vale and Ciara Vale."
The twins gave matching little nods, almost mocking in how perfectly timed they were.
Alex said nothing.
Samir's gaze rested on her a second longer.
"So it's true." A faint smile touched his mouth. "Arbiter Mindblade."
Rico made a tiny choking sound of delight, like he had just been handed gossip and a front row seat at the same time.
The recognition passed through the camp in silence. It was not surprise on their side. More like confirmation. They had known there was a good chance. Seeing her in person just settled it.
Samir looked past Alex, toward the dark stretch of lake water.
"Interesting place to set up camp," he said. "Especially with a body of water this size."
No one answered.
His tone stayed polite. That made it worse.
"From what I've heard, shoreline territory on this floor tends to belong to lizardmen. Territorial ones." He glanced back at her. "Camping here feels careless."
Phong watched Alex from the side.
She heard the hook in it. Anyone with half a brain would. The words were mild, but the intent underneath them was not. Samir was testing. Measuring. Looking for the edge where calm became reaction.
Alex gave him nothing.
Not even a blink.
Ageyudi's mouth tightened.
She stepped forward half a pace. "Or maybe she just thinks nothing here can touch her."
Still nothing from Alex.
That seemed to annoy the younger woman more than any insult would have.
Her eyes cut to Phong, lingering on the fishing rod, the fish, the hoodie, the entire image of him sitting near the water while Alex stood in front.
Then she laughed once, short and cold.
"Actually, no. I get it." Her gaze returned to Alex. "You're arrogant."
Jake's expression soured immediately. Jack's shoulders stiffened. Joanne's eyes narrowed.
Phong stayed seated, though Bruno had already pressed against his leg and Nyx's fur had started to puff along her spine.
Ageyudi crossed her arms.
"Bringing your dead weight boyfriend to Floor 2 says enough on its own."
The air shifted.
Not from mana. Not yet.
It was the kind of silence that came right before the first strike in a fight.
Alex still did not answer.
That made Ageyudi smile.
She had wanted anger, and being ignored only pushed her to reach further.
"So that's what this is?" she asked. "You playing protector?" Her eyes flicked to Phong again, openly dismissive now. "Babysitting a level one farmer with no growth mindset to actually farm and level up?"
Phong's face did not change, but Rico sat up straight.
Ageyudi kept going, voice sharp and deliberate.
"You should've found someone on your level. Someone useful. Someone like Olen." She tilted her head. "Not wasted your potential dragging around a guy like this."
This time, Alex moved.
It happened so fast that even Phong only caught pieces.
One second she was standing still.
The next, psychic light flashed into being beside her hand, bright and hard and perfect. A spear formed from pure will, sleek and bright purple, the tip so sharp it looked like it could split thought itself.
The pressure of it hit the shoreline all at once.
The lake surface trembled.
Nyx's ears flattened. Bruno let out a low growl. Even the twins lost their faint amusement.
Alex released it without warning.
The spear shot forward.
It crossed the space between them in a streak of pale force, straight for Ageyudi's face.
Ageyudi's eyes widened. For the first time since arriving, real shock broke through her expression.
Then Samir moved.
His hand came up, palm open, with almost lazy precision.
The psychic spear stopped.
It hovered half an inch from Ageyudi's face, trembling with enough force to make the air around it whine. The tip touched the bridge of her nose just enough to break skin.
A thin line of blood slid down.
No one spoke.
Ageyudi stood frozen, staring at the spear point nearly pressed between her eyes, all the heat gone from her face.
Samir's arm remained extended. His expression had changed very little, but the ease in it was gone now. What remained was control. Clean, focus, locked in.
The kind that did not need display to be frightening.
Alex replied with a gaze cold enough to cut stone.
"Say his name again," she said softly, "and I won't stop at blood."
The lake, the camp, the cavern ceiling, everything seemed to hold its breath around them.
And at the center of it, the spear stayed hanging in the air, its tip red with a single drop from Ageyudi Selu's nose.
Samir moved first.
His hand closed around the psychic spear hovering in front of Ageyudi's face, and with a sharp crack of force, he broke it in his grip.
The sound hit the shoreline like glass snapping under pressure.
Alex was already moving.
She did not wait to see the fragments fade.
A psychic bow flashed into existence at her side, already drawn, the string made of pale light. The arrow flew at Samir's chest at the same instant a psychic rapier formed in her other hand and drove forward in a clean thrust.
Above them, a psychic vajra appeared a split second ahead of his line of movement, not aimed to kill, but to meet him where he would be if he pushed through.
Two broad psychic shields hovered low at Alex's flanks, angled with care, ready to slam into him or turn aside whatever came next. Neither shield overcommitted. Both waited, disciplined and precise.
The twins moved the moment Alex did.
Cian came in fast from the right, body low, eyes on the opening around Samir's shoulder.
Stone surged from the ground in front of him.
Three pillars burst upward hard and uneven, forcing him to twist back mid-step. Jack stood behind the line with one hand still lowered, jaw set, the stone rising exactly where Cian wanted to be.
It was not a direct hit.
Yet it served its purpose. Zoning. Pure and ugly and effective, cutting his angle and breaking the tandem charge before it could link up.
On the other side, Ciara lunged in with her spear.
Jake intercepted her.
His ant mandible daggers snapped into place with that strange hooked geometry they had, one catching her shaft, the other slicing across the line of her movement just enough to halt her advance.
Steel scraped. Sparks kicked out. Ciara had to stop or lose the weapon.
Behind them, Joanne raised one finger.
Lightning crawled over it in a tight, crackling sphere, bright enough to turn the shadows blue-white for a heartbeat. The scope set into the ring she wore clicked into place, its line steady and merciless as it settled over Ageyudi's forehead.
Joanne's voice was barely more than breath.
"Try me. I double dare you."
Ageyudi did not move.
Not because she wanted to seem calm.
Because for one very honest second, she knew exactly how dead she could be.
At the center of it all, Alex's constructs hit Samir.
Or should have.
The arrow reached him first.
Samir's right arm came up, and only then did the shape around it become clear.
An ethereal upper jaw of a crocodile wrapped his forearm like a gauntlet, half translucent and yet heavy with presence, every spectral tooth outlined in pale green light. On his left arm was the matching lower jaw, the two pieces moving as if the rest of the beast existed just outside the material realm.
The psychic arrow shattered between those ghostly teeth.
The rapier thrust came next. Samir stepped inside it, the lower jaw on his left hand slamming across the blade and breaking it apart into fragments of silver light.
Then the vajra dropped toward the path he should have taken.
The crocodile jaws snapped shut on the construct from opposite angles, crushing it in a burst of force.
The recoil rolled outward like a pressure wave, enough to send dust skittering over the shoreline stones.
Alex's shields slammed in a heartbeat later.
Samir met one with the upper jaw, the other with the lower, battering both away before they could pin him.
The impact was so violent that Alex herself was forced back three steps, boots digging into the dirt, shoulders tightening as the psychic feedback hit her.
The whole exchange lasted maybe two seconds.
Maybe less.
But when it ended, the lines were drawn.
Cian was boxed out behind Jack's stone pillars, searching for a gap that was not there.
Ciara was locked against Jake, unable to rejoin the main clash without giving him an opening.
Ageyudi stood under Joanne's aim, a thin line of blood still down her nose, all her earlier smugness gone quiet.
And Samir stood in front of Alex.
His arms were lowered now, but the spectral crocodile jaws still clung to them, half-seen, faintly smoking where psychic force had met them.
Alex's eyes narrowed.
Samir saw through her, realizing she was aiming for his friends, and intercepted all of her attempts. If he had taken just one step back, had given her the smallest of opening, a constructs would have came for any of his three teammates.
Samir's did not.
He spoke in a low voice, calm enough to be worse than anger.
"I suggest you keep your focus on me, Alexandra Vogel."
No one on the shoreline mistook that for advice.
It was a warning.
And for the first time since the four strangers arrived, the camp stopped feeling like it belonged entirely to Phong.