Davorin and the others entered the lodging. Inside, they saw fifteen people who had survived the first objective.
"Hmm… so that makes twenty of us left, including me and my party." Davorin thought to himself.
"Lena, before the first objective, how many people were sent here?" he asked.
"Let me think… if I'm not mistaken, around fifty." Lena replied.
"So more than half are already dead." Davorin muttered.
"They died because they were weak. Simple as that." Garran said coldly.
"Hahaha, that's funny coming from you, old man. You were scared out of your wits earlier." Davorin teased.
"What did you say, kid?!" Garran snapped.
"Alright, that's enough, you two. We should rest instead of wasting energy arguing." Lena interjected.
"Sorry, just messing around. Anyway, we should take a look around the place. Looks like someone needs the bathroom." Davorin said, glancing at Georgia, who had been quiet the whole time.
They walked around to inspect the lodging, while some of the other survivors kept watching them from a distance.
"Tch. Those useless people won't stop staring." Garran muttered.
"Forget about them, old man." Davorin replied casually.
After checking things out, they regrouped.
"Looks like there aren't any proper rooms here, just a two-story hall and two bathrooms at the far end." Logan said.
"Well, at least we have somewhere to rest. That's good enough." Davorin responded.
"Lena, can you come with me to the bathroom?" Georgia whispered.
"Of course. I need to go too." Lena smiled and followed her.
Davorin watched them leave and thought to himself.
"This must be really hard for her. Even though she tries to stay strong, I know she's scared and anxious inside."
"Alright, listen up, both of you. While the girls are gone, I want to talk about something." Davorin said.
"What is it now, kid? I'm exhausted and just want to rest." Garran groaned.
"Just hear me out. I want to talk about those footprints we saw earlier. We also need to prepare ourselves and train for the next seven days." Davorin explained.
"You think those footprints mean something?" Logan asked.
"Do you know anything about them?" he added.
"If my theory is right, this world and the astral realm are overlapping. That might explain why mythical creatures like Redcaps are showing up. I'm starting to think it's all because of that damn Arbiter." Davorin said.
"So you're saying we're going to face even more monsters like that from now on." Logan said grimly.
"That's my assumption. As for the footprints, I have a few ideas about what left them." Davorin continued.
"How the hell do you know all this? Don't tell me you're working with that bastard Arbiter." Garran accused.
"Watch your mouth, old man. I've always been interested in studying mythology and ancient legends. I just never imagined they were real—and trying to kill me." Davorin snapped back.
"Well, I trust you, Davorin. No point in pointing fingers now." Logan said, giving Garran a sharp look.
"Tch." Garran muttered.
"Anyway, about those footprints… I have a few theories." Davorin said.
"Go on, tell us." Logan encouraged.
Unbeknownst to them, someone had been quietly listening in.
"Judging by the hoof-like tracks and referencing Scottish folklore, they could belong to a Kelpie, an Each-Uisge, or maybe even a Ceffyl Dŵr from Welsh mythology. But all of them are usually said to live near lakes or the sea." Davorin explained.
"Damn, is that all I can remember? Feels like I'm missing something." he thought.
"Sounds like you are missing something." a voice said as someone approached.
"Huh?!" Davorin turned around sharply.
"My name's Ailsa Faye, and this is my friend Ewan Macrae. You can call me Ailsa." she said with a smile, holding out her hand.
"Hey. Nice to meet you." Ewan said with a nod.
"Nice to meet you both. I'm Davorin. The muscular guy is Logan, and the cranky one is Garran." Davorin introduced.
"So… what did you mean about me missing something?" he asked Ailsa.
"I think I know what creature we're up against next." Ailsa replied.
"What? Seriously?" Davorin asked.
"But I'm not giving that info away for free. If you want my help, let me join your group." she said, still smiling.
"Sure, the more the better. But I'll need everyone's agreement first. Let's wait for Lena and Georgia to get back." Davorin said.
"Alright, I'll wait here." Ailsa said, taking a seat right next to Davorin.
"Ugh, why'd she have to sit right here? There's plenty of space..." Davorin complained internally.
Meanwhile, Ewan walked over and stood next to Logan.
"Yo, Ewan, right? Sit down. No need to keep standing." Logan offered.
"Thanks. You're Logan, yeah? Nice to meet you." Ewan said, shaking his hand firmly.
"Oh? You've got some strength too." Logan replied, impressed.
"You're not weak yourself." Ewan smirked back.
"Those two muscleheads are already bonding. Meanwhile, that damn old man's already fast asleep. Unbelievable." Davorin muttered to himself.
"Hey, Davorin. What did you do for work before all this? Judging by that shirt, you look like an office guy." Ailsa asked.
"Pretty much. I was a corporate slave at some random company." he replied.
"What about you, Ailsa?" Davorin asked.
"I used to be a ballerina. Ewan was a carpenter." she answered.
"Mind if I ask what weapons you two picked as your rewards?" he added.
"I picked dual daggers. I'm confident in my agility. Ewan went with a round shield." she said.
"So basically, we just added an assassin and a tank to our team." Davorin thought.
A little while later, Lena and Georgia returned from the bathroom and approached them.
"Man, a wash after a long day feels so good, right Georgia?" Lena said cheerfully.
"Yeah, it was really refreshing." Georgia replied.
"Yo, took you two long enough." Davorin greeted.
Georgia and Lena noticed the new faces.
"Eh? Who are they, senpai?" Georgia asked.
"Why is that girl sitting next to senpai?" she muttered under her breath.
"Senpai?" Ailsa repeated, puzzled.
"Hahaha, don't mind her. Georgia just likes calling me that." Davorin explained, laughing.
"Wow, looks like we've got two new members." Lena said excitedly.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Ailsa Faye, and the guy over there is Ewan Macrae." Ailsa introduced.
"Nice to meet you too. I'm Lena Whitmore, and this is Georgia." Lena replied.
"N-Nice to meet you." Georgia said shyly.
"Well, looks like everyone's okay with you two joining us." Davorin said, glancing at Ailsa.
"Alright then, let's talk strategy and figure out what kind of creature we're facing next." he added.