[CH598+ Continued] Dungeon Diver: Stealing A Monster's Power

Both of the teleport crystals are crushed in our fists, and we're brought to the Crimson City.

My double greets us beneath the guildhall, keeping guard over the last remaining isolation pod that's healing Ember.

"Back so soon?" He locks eyes with Rodrigo, then looks back at me before continuing. "It appears everything went exactly as expected. He didn't take the deal?"

I smirk and reply while leading Rodrigo to the stairway upstairs. "No, he didn't. I'm the one making the deals now."

Once we reach the ground floor, another normal day in the Crimson City guildhall is playing out. Dozens of hunters are walking in and out, buying, selling, and commissioning gear and magical loot. All of the workers greet us as we make our way to the second floor, and as we walk through the tables of craftsmen leading to Bri's office, I motion for Rodrigo to knock on the closed door at the back of the room.

There are three knocks and a moment of silence before the door opens and Bri locks eyes with Rodrigo.

It feels as if the world has stopped in time as I watch from the back of the room with my arms crossed and a thin grin. Memories of my first time meeting Bri, when she crafted my Flame Emperor's sword, feel like a lifetime ago.

It was right before my C-Class exams, where I met Rodrigo as a proctor and got a taste of what real power in this world of hunters was like.

Back then, I knew there was an odd tension between a sister being a black market merchant and a brother working as an A-Class Hunter for one of the strongest nations in the world. However, I never expected the roots of their problems to run so deep or for everything to come full circle and be resolved like this.

Both of their eyes widen as Rodrigo's lips move to say, "I'm free."

The siblings jump forward to hug each other tight and begin to cry, making a scene that has all heads in the room turning their way. They don't even notice the eyes on them, and the room doesn't dare break up this moment.

I only entered their lives less than a year ago; there must be decades of sour memories dealing with the Association that I have no knowledge of. It makes me happy to see Bri smile with such genuine joy. She's usually very focused on business; I've never seen this side of her before.

I don't want to ruin their moment, so I, too, stay silent like all the other workers in the room until they finally release their grip after a full minute passes.

Still, it doesn't seem like the right time to go over my own personal goals when this is most likely the first time they've had a candid conversation since childhood. The plans I made with Rodrigo beneath the Apex Region can wait.

I nod and let a weak wave of telepathy hit both of them.

"I'm happy I could keep my word and bring you two together again. Enjoy each other's presence. Please, take as much time as you want."

Then, without waiting for a response, I walk back down the guildhall stairs to the main hall with a smile on my face while they hug again.

I walk out the front door, doing a full scan of the city and surrounding desert moments later. A wave of telepathy reaches the body double that is keeping watch over the city, and it deactivates itself. I respawn a new one right in front of me that has the updated memories of today's events, and it flies off in the direction of the canyon of dungeons to explore the Apex Region's labyrinth and create dungeon walker points for me on every floor.

While it goes off to do that, I fly outside the Crimson Dome and make my way far out into the desert to meet with the Lich King and my four teammates, who sit in a circle of Abby's Restoration magic while slowly refining orange divine energy.