As planned by Freya, we did eventually set out for the campaign.
And true to her word—or maybe after getting properly scolded—she did inform everyone about the tiny death sentence detail we had discussed earlier.
The reaction was about what you’d expect.
A lot of nervous glances. A lot of pale faces.
Whispers rising like smoke in a burning forest.
The group thinned out almost immediately, with many people making the smart decision to get out of the expedition altogether.
But, surprisingly, not nearly as many as I had anticipated.
Out of the original fifty members, thirty-nine stubborn souls remained.
It was almost... admirable.
I walked near the front, right beside Freya, who carried herself with a tense but determined air.
We were traveling on foot.
The ground beneath us—cracked, blackened earth—radiated heat like a forge.
Every step felt like I was pressing my boots into a searing iron plate.
But when I glanced around, nobody else seemed even remotely bothered by it.
They marched along with calm expressions, chatting quietly or adjusting their gear.
As such, like any good sheep, I gritted my teeth and kept walking.
’Fuck, peer pressure really is undefeated.’
According to the map Freya had laid out earlier, the zone contained three major landmarks:
One was a mountainous region made of obsidian-black rocks that seemed to claw at the sky.
The second was a bizarre oasis-like area—not filled with life-giving water, but with bubbling rivers of molten lava.
And the third was a relatively flat semi-plain located near the foot of a rumbling volcano.
Supposedly, they had a manageable density of ★ and ★★ ranked monsters, perfect for point farming without getting massacred.
According to the map, all we needed to do was head directly east from our original cave camp, and we’d find ourselves standing on those gentle plains.
There was just one tiny problem.
I wasn’t seeing anything remotely resembling a plain.
Only more jagged rocks, broken ground, and occasional steaming fissures.
My patience was starting to fray.
I nudged Freya with my elbow, leaning toward her and whispering, "Oi, is your map actual garbage, or are we being pranked? Because this doesn’t even feel remotely accurate."
Freya stiffened, her lips pressing into a tight line.
"I... I don’t know," she admitted, a rare crack in her usually composed tone. "But at least we’re moving, right? We’re bound to find something... eventually?"
She looked at me with hopeful, almost pleading eyes.
And something inside me stirred.
A wicked part of me—probably the one responsible for all my poor life choices—wanted to tease her mercilessly.
Poke fun at how hopelessly lost we were under her brilliant leadership.
But I held myself back.
Not because I suddenly developed self-restraint, mind you. No.
I needed Freya—and the other heroines—to stay on my side if I wanted to pull off my ultimate goal: changing Leon’s personality.
If I pushed her too hard now, mocked her when she was vulnerable, she might resent me.
Or worse—distance herself.
And I couldn’t afford that.
Swallowing my snark, I straightened my back and gave her a stern nod.
"I suppose so," I said seriously. "We can just hope for the best."
Freya’s shoulders visibly relaxed at my answer. She pursed her lips, then gave a small nod, as if bracing herself.
Behind us, however, the group’s patience was clearly running thinner by the second.
The murmurs had started.
Low at first, but growing steadily louder, like an approaching swarm of mosquitoes.
Grumbles about the heat, about the slow pace.
Snide comments about Freya’s leadership.
And, of course, juicy gossip about the nature of my relationship with her.
I caught snippets as we walked.
"...think he’s just sucking up to her..."
"...probably sleeping with her for protection..."
’Did these fuckers not see when I fried that drake’s brain?’
They needed a hand too. But I controlled myself.
Annoying, petty nonsense.
It wasn’t worth the energy. Not yet.
’Just you bastards wait... I will show you hell.’
Eventually, after what felt like hours of trudging across hell’s front porch, we arrived somewhere.
But it wasn’t the semi-plains.
Instead of the gentle, manageable fields we had hoped for, we found ourselves standing at the base of jagged, towering black mountains.
The ground beneath us was even more uneven, the heat more oppressive, and the air practically buzzing with raw, dangerous mana.
I stopped dead in my tracks, squinting up at the monstrous peaks looming above us.
Freya stood beside me, equally stunned.
"...This... isn’t right," she whispered.
I exhaled sharply through my nose, feeling a headache starting to pound behind my eyes.
"No shit, genius," I muttered under my breath. "We’re at the Black Mountains."
Rubbing my temples in frustration, I asked, voice strained, "What’s the difficulty level here?"
Freya met my gaze without flinching and said flatly, "I don’t know."
For a moment, I was genuinely stunned.
My mouth opened and closed, struggling for words. "You’re in bad company, you know that?"
With a pitiful, almost tragic look, she turned her face toward the distant sky and murmured dramatically, "I know."
"Hey, you’re supposed to deny that! Not agree like it’s the king’s decree!"
Freya simply looked me dead in the eyes. "But it’s the truth."
I stared at her, at a complete loss for words. ’Fuck your truth! Ever heard of basic courtesy?’
But I didn’t lash out. I took a deep, soul-cleansing breath, forcing the irritation down my throat.
I had bigger problems to deal with right now.
With a newfound, and frankly unstable, awareness of myself, I turned from Freya and faced the ragtag group behind us.
Tilting my head slightly to the side, my voice sharp and no-nonsense, I barked out, "What do you guys want to do? Move on, or waste more time searching for another spot?"
There was a brief, awkward silence.
Then, from the back of the group, a boy strutted forward with far more confidence than common sense.
He oozed fake bravado, and his eyes? Yeah, they weren’t on me. They kept darting toward Freya like moths to a flame.
It was honestly pathetic.
Clearing his throat unnecessarily loud, he finally spoke, "I think we should move on, Cassius. Finding another location would cost us too much time. Surely... Miss Freya would be displeased if we failed to pass the exam because of delays, don’t you think?"
He even emphasized the "Miss Freya" part, his voice practically dripping with desperation to impress her.
Lowering my head slightly, a sinister smirk tugged at my lips.
And then, in the next instant, I was standing right in front of him.
So close he could probably count my eyelashes.
The blood drained from his face faster than a punctured water skin.
With a pitiful thud, he dropped onto the cracked earth, staring up at me with wide, terrified eyes.
I leaned down slightly, letting my shadow loom over him.
"Good," I said, my voice soft, almost approving. "Actually, very good decision."
Then my tone dropped, becoming as cold and sharp as a dagger pressed to the throat.
"But just keep something in mind."
I let the words hang in the air, savoring the growing fear in his expression.
"If you’re going to call Freya Miss out of respect for her title, then remember this—I am the child of a Grand Duke. Which means, next time you talk to me, you better watch your mouth."
The final words hit like a slap across the face.
I didn’t give a shit about nobility rankings, titles, or all the other petty hierarchies these people worshiped.
That was the kind of bullshit that never interested me.
He had been the one whispering rumors about me and Freya behind our backs.
A little reminder of his place was the least he deserved.
Straightening up, I turned my eyes to the rest of the group.
They froze, avoiding my gaze like guilty children.
"Move out," I said simply, voice brooking no argument. "We don’t have all day."
The message was loud and clear.
They nodded—some hurriedly—and fell into line behind me.
As I walked back to my position beside Freya, she quietly sidled up to me, whispering under her breath, "Was that really necessary?"
I shook my head slowly, a small smile playing on my lips.
"He was spreading some very creative rumors," I said, voice light but laced with steel. "He needed a little... education."
Freya’s eyes widened in surprise, and she formed a silent ’O’ with her mouth before wisely deciding to keep quiet.
We continued the march.
The trek up the Black Mountain was grueling.
The ground was treacherous, uneven, and still burning hot under the relentless sun.
Some of the weaker members stumbled frequently, scraping knees or bruising elbows.
Others, thankfully, showed quick thinking—using their air magic to stabilize themselves or helping those who fell.
Slowly, painfully, with much cursing and gritted teeth, we climbed higher.
The air grew thinner.
The sky above seemed further away, a pale white smudge against the volcanic haze.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, we reached the summit.
My gaze sharpened as the system window blinked open in front of my eyes.
Alignment: Aggressive
Drop: Ridgescale, Venom Gland
The Ridge Serpents were long, sinewy creatures with black, ridged scales that shimmered dangerously under the light.
Their yellow eyes glowed like lanterns in the dark.
Hissing sounds filled the air, thick with menace.
If only they were the only thing waiting for us up here.
As I squinted into the distance, past the sea of writhing serpents, something else caught my attention.