Chương 77: Chapter 75 – Party Over.

"Ah, finally we're out, and it didn't even take that long!"

"You're right, Miss Odelette." Layla smiled at the smaller halfling girl as they ventured outside the dungeon. Guild officials were already waiting for them, and most of the other parties that had finished their test were long gone. Odelette raised an eyebrow at how Layla had addressed her and quickly corrected her.

"Miss? Come on, we went through that whole dungeon together. Just call me Odelette!" Layla chuckled softly and nodded.

"Alright, if you insist. Odelette it is." Their camaraderie had grown naturally after the ordeal they'd shared. Rusty watched quietly as the two talked, unsure of what was unfolding before him. It seemed similar to his own relationship with Gleam, who was still captured by these strange beings made of flesh. As they neared Garren, the silver-rank adventurer, the party's archer moved to Rusty's side with a question.

"Albert, can I ask you something?"

"Yes?"

"How were you able to resist the sleeping mist when we were in there? Rusty had anticipated this moment, as Alexander had already instructed him on how to respond.

"This helmet is special as it can resist most airborne toxins, like the sleeping mist."

"I see, a special helmet…" Though Rusty was still a monster pretending to be human, he needed to conceal his true identity. Most adventurers without special abilities or items would be vulnerable to poisons, paralysis, or sleep. Norkas eyed Rusty's helmet suspiciously, squinting slightly. Rusty sensed that this wasn't a good sign, but before he could react, the silver-ranked guild official approached them.

"I see you're the last team to return in one piece. Do you have the badges?" Garren's voice sounded tired, as if he didn't care much for the well-being of their party and he only wanted proof of their completed task. Norkas, their temporary leader, nodded and handed over the two badges.

"Good, looks like you've completed the task. Mark it down." Garren turned to another guild worker holding a clipboard, who quickly took note. It seemed that was all the confirmation needed, and before Rusty or anyone else could ask questions, Garren spoke again.

"You can come get your new cards tomorrow. That's all for the test, you can return to the city." The guild official's quick dismissal hung in the air as the group exchanged glances. After all they had been through - facing near-death, unknown threats, and even possible betrayal, this ending felt anticlimactic. Their temporary leader looked like he wanted to ask something but ultimately decided against it.

"Thank you, sir." Norkas replied, lowering his head slightly. Garren turned away to address the other guild members, who seemed eager to leave. Meanwhile, their group gathered for one last conversation before parting ways.

"I wonder if everyone made it out alive... Were we the only ones who had trouble with outside interference?" Norkas asked, his frustration evident. He didn't like that he had nearly lost his life, not to monsters, but to someone else's meddling. He wasn't sure if the attack had been aimed at him or at someone else in their temporary party, but without investigating further, they couldn't be sure.

"Maybe we should ask the guild about it?" Layla suggested while the halfling girl shook her head in disapproval.

"Do you really think they'll tell us anything? They could be in on it! I say we lay low for a few weeks. With the monster parts we gathered, we can easily live well for a month, feasting on all sorts of delicious food!" Layla nodded thoughtfully, while Rusty remained silent. He wasn't truly paying attention to the conversation. These issues didn't concern him anymore. In his mind, his only goal was to earn more money and rescue Gleam. After that, his adventuring days would probably be over.

He hadn't yet thought about what he would do afterward, but for now, he was focused on one thing at a time.

'Can I leave now?' Rusty asked Alexander for advice, unsure of what to do. The test was apparently over, but he still had to wait until the next day to receive his new iron card. Only then would he be able to officially enter the dungeon.

'It'd be better if you stayed with them for now. We still need to divide the earnings from the monster parts between the four of you.'

'Divide them? Even when I killed most of the monsters?' Alexander chuckled.

'That's how parties work. They might give you a bigger cut since you did most of the work, but first, you need to sell the parts and that requires you to return to the guild. Just tag along with them for now, they will probably do that first.' Just as Alexander finished his sentence, the temporary party leader brought up the issue.

"How about we head back to the guild and sell those monster parts first?"

"Oh, good idea, leader!" Odelette chimed in, which surprised their temporary leader.

"Leader?" Norkas responded in a flustered tone at Odelette's casual title for him. Layla on the other hand just chuckled while Rusty remained silent. The three quickly realized their companion, Albert, was the strong, silent type and didn't push him for conversation. That didn't stop them from mentioning him occasionally, to which he responded with as few words as possible. Eventually, the group arrived at the guild building where they were greeted by loud shouting coming from inside.

"Doesn't it feel more rowdy than usual?" Layla inquired as their group moved in through the guild entrance. Inside they could see a small group of people arguing with the guild receptionist wearing large glasses. The woman seemed in distress but she was being protected by some adventurers as well. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

"There is something not right about that test of yours, how did my brother get injured this bad?"

"Please sir, calm down, accidents happen, even during the rank up tests…" Rusty and the others paused as they entered the guild hall, taking in the scene of commotion before them. An armor-wearing middle-aged man with a deep scowl was standing at the counter, pointing accusingly at the guild receptionist. His voice carried across the hall as he gestured toward the limp form of another man being held up by a healer nearby.

Blood-soaked bandages were wrapped around his left arm, that had been severed near his forearm.

"You call this an accident? He went in for a simple rank-up test, and now he's missing an arm! You're telling me that's normal?" The receptionist, clearly flustered, tried to respond calmly.

"Sir, I understand your frustration, but the guild cannot guarantee complete safety in dungeons, even during tests. All participants are made aware of the risks…"

"My brother didn't sign up to get ambushed by monsters that shouldn't even be in that part of the dungeon!" The man cut her off, fury etched on his face and his group continued to listen.

"So it wasn't us that were the only us, maybe that's why Garren looked so tired?" Norkas pondered while the others just nodded. They continued to listen to the conversation but eventually even the guild master appeared to take care of the issue. Once the burly man was there, the other adventurers went silent. It was clear to Rusty that the leader of the guild was powerful and without many more words being spoken, the group that had been complaining retreated.

"It might be best to just get our coins and leave. I don't like what's happening here, the guild might be hiding something." The others nodded in agreement and headed to the guild's trading counter to exchange the monster parts they had collected. Despite the unsettling events, the area remained bustling with activity. Unlike the main guild area, this section had counters protected by reinforced metal bars to ensure the safety of the guild workers inside.

Rusty noticed that when it came to money, these adventurers were serious. This was where they received mission rewards or exchanged materials for cash. The exchange process here was specialized and more efficient than asking around at the main guild counters. There were three booths, and after waiting for about ten minutes, it was their turn to approach one.

"Good evening. Are you here to turn in a mission contract, sell monster parts, or perhaps some equipment?" The guild bought a wide range of items from adventurers, including weapons and armor found within dungeons, though the deals were usually less favorable than going directly to a blacksmith. It was a convenient way to offload unused items quickly, even if it meant accepting a five to ten percent lower price.

Most adventurers preferred the speed and ease of this process over spending half the day haggling with merchants.

"We want to sell lizardman parts."

"Of course, please place the items on the special holding tray there." Rusty wasn't familiar with this process and continued to watch as a large shelf emerged from under the counter. It resembled a sizable box, slightly over one meter wide and with a similar depth. Using his mana sense, Rusty quickly realized that this was a magical item, much like the spatial satchel he had discovered in the dungeon. His suspicions were soon confirmed.

His party members began retrieving the monster parts they had collected, distributing them among themselves. Even Rusty had some lizardmen tongues and claws stored in his bag. One by one, they placed the parts into the box, which seemed to have no bottom as the items vanished into it.

"Ugh, it stinks…" Odelette commented as they finally deposited all the bloodied monster parts. They hadn't had time to properly dislodge them, so instead of just taking the claws, they had cut off the lizardmen's limbs near their hands and feet. This didn't seem to bother the clerk behind the counter, who remained unphased for some reason. Rusty could only attribute this to the magical barrier he could sense, thanks to his mana sense.

Once all the monster parts were deposited into the magical holding tray, the guild clerk gestured for a brief pause. She tapped a glowing rune embedded in her desk, causing a soft hum to fill the air. It took a few minutes, but eventually, a scroll emerged from a slot beside her. It detailed the quantity of materials submitted along with other relevant information.

"Let's see… this will amount to… one gold coin and four silver coins."

"Not even two gold coins? Are you sure you got the right amount?" Odelette frowned after hearing the meager amount that they were getting. They still had to split the money between four people which would leave her with not that much.

"Most of the parts are damaged and will require our staff to process them again. If they were in better condition I could offer you a higher price, but in their current state, this is the best we can offer." The clerk explained politely, her voice flat and unyielding. Odelette sighed in frustration but didn't press further. They had little choice in the matter if they wanted to offload the monster parts quickly.

It was possible to receive more if they picked out the claws and other parts that were profitable but none of them had the time or skills. To Rusty, this was quite an annoyance. His current quest was to earn more money, and gaining just a few silver coins wouldn't help him much.

'This might be more difficult than I expected. What monsters bring in the most gold?' While his party members were busy talking to the guild clerk, Rusty took a moment to look around. The answer to his question was right in front of his metallic visor. A nearby noticeboard held all the information he needed, divided into several sections that listed the most desirable items and their prices. The names of the monsters and items didn't tell him much, but fortunately, his guide was with him.

'Alexander, can you remember those before we leave?'

'Uh… it might be better to ask Aburdon instead. I don't think I can take all of this in with just a few glances.' Rusty felt a bit disappointed but reminded himself that both his guides had their strengths and weaknesses. Aburdon was knowledgeable in the arcane arts and often lingered in the Soul Forge library, likely possessing a far better memory than Alexander. He could probably absorb information much quicker.

Alexander, on the other hand, had been a hero and a warrior which meant he would probably be better at guiding him towards those monsters or telling him how he should act like a human. As the group finished their exchange, Rusty silently mulled over the disappointing earnings. One gold coin and four silver pieces barely made a dent in his goal to amass enough money to free Gleam. He needed a plan that went beyond scraping by on lizardmen parts. With the list in front of him, he had a new strategy.

First thing in the morning, he'd get his card replaced and have Aburdon memorize all the necessary information. Then, it would finally be time to scour the iron-ranked maze. This was his best chance to make real progress.

"Well then, how about we give Albert 5 silver coins and each of us keeps three each?" Once they had gotten all the money, the party moved over to one of the free guild tables. There Norkas surprisingly presented a plan of giving Rusty most of the money, something he didn't expect. He thought that all of these adventurers were far too greedy to share their resources.

"Think that's fair!" Layla nodded with confirmation and Odelette did the same.

"Yeah, we wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for him, he also took care of most of the lizardmen!" Rusty just nodded; earning half a gold coin was still good enough for his efforts. Now that he had his money and had added it to the coins he'd earned from selling metals, it was time to leave. However, before he could stand up, the others started talking again.

"Now then, on to other things. Can I make a proposition?" Their temporary leader spoke up, and everyone turned to listen.

"I think we did well in the dungeon. What if we formed an official party?" Odelette chimed in, clearly liking the idea.

"Oh, that's not a bad idea! We just need one more fighter at the front to help Albert, and we'll take over that dungeon in no time!"

"Sorry, but... I already have other plans." Layla said, declining before Rusty could give his own thoughts.

"That's a shame, but we could still form a party with the three of us," the leader suggested.

"Ah... sorry, but I also have other plans." Rusty said, mirroring Layla's response before Norkas could continue. He had realized that working with others had its benefits, but also its downsides. While the group provided safety, it meant fewer experience points for him and the need to share resources and money. This was for the best. Norkas blinked in surprise at Rusty's refusal. He had been so sure that everyone would be on board. A flash of disappointment crossed his face, but he quickly recovered and smiled.

"I see. Well, if you ever change your mind, don't be a stranger." Odelette pouted, which made Layla feel a bit guilty about the situation. Everyone had their own reasons for becoming adventurers and their own ways of doing things. With that, the temporary party was officially dissolved, and their paths would now diverge. However, perhaps in the future, their journeys would cross once again.