Chapter 294, Ninetieth Layer: Party Selection

Translator: Barnnn

Editor: Silavin

 

“……”

 

“……”

 

Tsutomu cast a glance around at the nine Clan members gathered in the living room, muttering to himself,

 

“…Pretty tense in here.”

 

There had been tension before — like when they faced the Winter General — but this was different. The sharp hostility saturating the room likely stemmed from the simmering rivalry between Leleia and Amira.

 

Leleia, motivated by vengeance, and Amira — though her personal goals were less clear — had always possessed a relentless drive, once even considering Diniel a rival. Both were fiercely determined to be the best Attacker in the Clan. Though now seated quietly on the couch, their refusal to so much as glance at each other filled the space with palpable aggression.

 

On top of that, the air between Garm and Amy was hardly pleasant. As Tsutomu would later learn from Camille, the two had once sought advice from their former mentor and Guild Master on how to improve their abilities. Camille had encouraged them to form a party together, thinking they would push each other to greater heights. Unfortunately, the plan had backfired.

 

Tsutomu had already been made aware of the fallout. During the commotion that followed their battle with the mutated Shell Crab, Camille had pulled him aside and apologized for Garm’s behavior.

 

Garm had always walked his own path. In a time when Tanks were seen as a liability, he had carved out his role with sheer determination. His mindset aligned closely with Camille’s, both of them driven by the desire to redefine the limits of their Jobs. But eventually, Garm had hit a wall. He reached the upper bounds of what a Tank could achieve and found himself stagnating as an Explorer.

 

Teaming up with Tsutomu had brought him back into the vanguard. Once again, he was a frontline Tank, thriving. Yet with the emergence of Daryl, Hannah, and Xeno, Garm was forced to reevaluate his place. That was when he sought Camille’s guidance.

 

From then on, Garm had returned to the solitary road he once walked, aiming to forge a new path for himself. Although Tsutomu’s training had been showing results, the progress only seemed to drive Garm further into isolation.

 

For now, the tension between him and Tsutomu had somewhat eased. Garm had abandoned his reckless, self-destructive Tanking style, and their relationship had begun to mend. Even so, the stiffness in his expression made it clear he was still unsatisfied with himself.

 

Amy, on the other hand, had chosen a different route. Rather than working alongside Garm, she had opted to focus on personal growth by training under Camille and Tsutomu. Yet, despite the grueling regimen, the lack of tangible results was starting to wear on her. Tsutomu’s relentless instruction on skill rotation was demanding, and while her technique had undoubtedly improved, the progress was not as visible as she had hoped. Her frustration was plain to see. She knew the outcome of today’s selection long before it was announced — and she was bracing for it.

 

The rest of the group, while not as tense, was not exactly relaxed. Daryl, sensitive to Garm’s mood, had darkened along with him. Meanwhile, Diniel, always the outlier, yawned without a care in the world. Her indifference left Korinna and Hannah visibly on edge.

 

“All right, let’s get started with the selection criteria” Tsutomu announced, settling into a single-seater sofa. At once, all eyes turned to him. “First, the Attackers. This time, elemental attributes were a key factor — light and darkness can be covered with weapons, but having additional elements never hurts. So, I prioritized elemental diversity alongside raw strength. As for the Tanks, I focused on compatibility with the Corrupted Shell and its petrifying Mystic Eyes. Since we’re aiming for a first-try clear, stability and synergy were the deciding factors.”

 

Tsutomu’s eyes flicked to the papers in his hand, avoiding the steely gazes of everyone — especially the women — in the room. “For this layer, the Attackers will be Diniel and Leleia. The Tanks will be Daryl and Hannah.”

 

A beat of silence, then–

 

“OH MY GOD!” Xeno shouted dramatically, clutching his head.

 

Garm, in contrast, barely reacted. Daryl and Hannah, however, turned to one another, eyes wide and uncertain. Korinna, picking up on their nervousness, glanced around anxiously.

 

Amy, unsurprised, merely let out a small sigh. She had seen it coming. Amira, on the other hand, ground her teeth with audible frustration, clearly stung. She had been confident in her chances — and was now fuming at the rejection.

 

Diniel, characteristically unfazed, showed no change in expression. Meanwhile, Leleia slumped back into the couch, as if all tension had drained from her body.

 

“…So, you’re saying I’m weaker than HER?”

 

For once, someone voiced their discontent aloud. Amira’s voice was low, but the seething anger behind it was unmistakable. Her eyes burned with frustration — not from mere indignation, but from a genuine desire to understand. She wasn’t lashing out; she wanted answers.

 

“Not quite,” Tsutomu replied. “If we’re talking pure strength, you’re not weaker. Your <<Dragon Form>> has stabilized, and honestly, before the Shell Crab fight, I even thought you might surpass Camille. That opinion only changed because she stepped up her game afterward. Even now, you’re not weaker than Leleia.”

 

“Then why–”

 

“Well, you’ve been leaning too heavily on <<Dragon Union>> in combat. And you’re not making any effort to coordinate with the others. You still haven’t practiced <<Dragon Union>> with Xeno, Diniel, or Leleia. You can’t even pull it off with them.”

 

“But I CAN do it with the others,” she muttered stubbornly.

 

“Sure. But not with Diniel. And Diniel was a guaranteed pick for this run. <<Dragon Union>> only works if you can link it to someone who knows how to make use of it — if you can’t make it work with her, it’s useless. Giving it to me or a Tank won’t do much good — it won’t be nearly as effective without someone seasoned, like Amy.”

 

“…Tch.”

 

Indeed, Amira could form <<Dragon Union>> with only a few of her comrades — that limitation weakened the versatility of her ability. According to Camille, there should not be any restriction on the skill’s targets. Which meant the issue was not with the skill itself — it was Amira’s unwillingness to work with certain individuals.

 

Her refusal to improve that compatibility was precisely why she had not been chosen. For this party, Diniel was a necessary piece of the puzzle, and Xeno had also been a candidate. Amira, despite her strength, had been left out.

 

“Leleia had a restriction with Spirit affinity, sure, but she practiced with everyone. Even with you — probably the one she likes least. You, on the other hand, avoided her. You barely made any effort to train <<Dragon Union>> with her. Besides, Spiritualists have a natural affinity with the Corrupted Shell’s element. Plus, judging from the Shell Crab fight, she’s not bad in close combat either. In terms of raw power, you still have the edge. But not by much. And from what I’ve seen, her synergy with Hannah is excellent. She and Diniel are a strong pairing, too. When it comes to the ninetieth layer, she’s the better fit.”

 

Leleia had made it her mission to prepare for this moment. She had drilled relentlessly, practicing Spirit <<Contracts>> with every potential party member — despite their affinity limitations. She knew none of the others could reach Tsutomu’s universal compatibility, but she made sure she could coordinate with anyone the best she could.

 

Her motivation had always been clear: revenge. That drive pushed her beyond even Amira’s dedication. Though Amira’s unique skill, <<Dragon Form>>, made her individually stronger, Leleia had sharpened her teamwork to make up the difference. And now, in Tsutomu’s eyes, she was simply the better pick.

 

“…So that’s why I chose Leleia over you this time,” Tsutomu concluded bluntly. “Any other questions?”

 

“……”

 

Amira’s breath caught in her throat. She stared at him in stunned silence, her face flushing with humiliation. Her fingers twitched slightly, clenching into fists. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears — more than when she had failed to claim first blood against the mutated Shell Crab.

 

“…Heh,” a sharp, stifled sound broke the silence.

 

Amira stiffened. She recognized that voice — Leleia.

 

She remembered that day — the aftermath of yet another failed Shell Crab battle. She had watched the Monitors — watched her mother, Camille, as tears of frustration welled in her eyes. Leleia had seen her then, seen how deeply it had wounded her. Yet now, the look on Amira’s face was even more satisfying. Because this time, Leleia had taken her place.

 

The laughter started low and guttural, bubbling up from Leleia’s throat — a sharp, broken cackle she could no longer suppress.

 

“…Nuhuhu… huhuhu… Nuhu — ! Hehehe…! Nuhuhuhu!!”

 

Her laughter rose in pitch, twisting into an eerie, high-pitched cackle. It rang through the room — warped, shrill, and unrestrained.

 

Once, as a child, her parents had scolded her for laughing so unseemly, telling her it was not becoming of a knight’s daughter. She had worked hard to change it, to smooth it out into something elegant and refined. But now, all that conditioning melted away. Her laughter spilled out freely — a cruel, witch-like shriek, raw with long-repressed glee.

 

The other Clan members glanced at each other, clearly unsettled. Their faces were a mixture of unease and disbelief. Except for Amira, whose face twisted in revulsion.

 

“…The hell are you laughing at?” she spat, voice low and venomous. “You sound disgusting!”

 

But Leleia did not stop. She only gradually reined in her mirth, finally turning to face Amira. Her eyes glimmered with satisfaction, and the corner of her mouth curled into a cruel smirk.

 

“But how could I not? You — so desperate to be part of the first team — got left behind. While I was chosen.” She leaned in slightly, her eyes narrowing. “You can’t possibly imagine how long I’ve been waiting for this. How I’ve dreamed of this moment.”

 

Amira’s jaw clenched. The blood pounding in her ears drowned out the murmurs of the others. Her vision blurred at the edges, darkening, narrowing to Leleia’s face.

 

“What… did you just say?”

 

Leleia’s smile widened, unflinching beneath Amira’s smoldering glare. If anything, she seemed to savor it.

 

“Aww… What’s wrong? Are you thinking of cutting me down? Like you always did in our last Clan? Go ahead. Take a swing. It won’t change a thing. You still lost. You still weren’t chosen.”

 

Amira’s eyes sharpened. “…So that’s it, huh? You’re still holding a grudge over that?”

 

“Should I not?” Leleia hissed. “After you slaughtered me over and over with that greatsword of yours? After you humiliated me, mocked me with every cut? No, Amira — I could never let that go. You’d be ridiculous if you thought I could. Get this — your former comrades came crawling back with their pathetic attitude. It’s all in the past, let it go, they said. Revenge will only bring you emptiness, they said. Well, I’m NOT them. No matter how much it hurt, I clawed my way forward. I trained like hell. For this. For the chance to take your spot — to take what you wanted most. Just to see that look on your face.”

 

“You–!”

 

With a guttural snarl, Amira lunged. She seized Leleia by the collar, yanking her forward, her knuckles white with rage. Their faces were inches apart, Amira’s crimson eyes burning with barely restrained fury.

 

But Leleia only smiled. Slowly, deliberately, she leaned in, bringing their faces closer still. Her breath was warm against Amira’s cheek as she whispered,

 

“Does it hurt? Knowing I took it from you? Knowing I’m stronger than you — here, now? I can see it, you know. In your eyes. That pitiful, trembling anger. I’ve longed to see you like this.”

 

“You… you did all this… just for revenge!? You–”

 

“Of course,” Leleia replied sweetly. “Why else do you think I joined Absolute Helix? It was all for this moment — to strip you of the first team slot. To make you watch as I took it. I wanted nothing more than to see you suffer — and now I have. This… this is my revenge.” Her eyes glittered with unrepentant malice. “And you know what? It feels glorious. Nuhuhu! Nuhuhuhu!!”

 

Amira’s chest heaved. Her teeth ground together so tightly she thought her jaw might crack. She trembled with fury and shame. But before she could react, Leleia suddenly lunged forward — and ran her tongue slowly, deliberately along Amira’s tear-streaked cheek.

 

“Mmm…”

 

“…?”

 

Leleia pulled back with a satisfied sigh, licking her lips with exaggerated relish.

 

“Sooo tasty,” she purred.

 

For a moment, Amira stared at her in stunned disbelief. Then, feeling the saliva dripping from her face, she violently shoved Leleia away.

 

“The hell’s wrong with you!?” she roared, her voice thick with revulsion. She scrubbed at her cheek as though trying to erase the sensation. “You sick freak!”

 

Amira proceeded to run straight out of the living room — and Leleia, still laughing softly to herself, turned and casually strolled after her, leaving the rest of the Clan behind.

 

In the heavy silence that followed, Amy let out a stunned breath, her voice flat with disbelief — and it echoed surprisingly loudly through the room.

 

“…What the heck did I just see?”