Chapter 56

A day had passed since Zachary’s unexpected visit.

As promised, Justin met Rachel and her team at the gnoll habitat. Without wasting time, they swept through the area, eliminating every gnoll that crossed their path.

Thwack!

“Keheng!”

“Got it!”

“Don’t just stand there—aim for the head!”

Their hunting strategy was simple but effective. Justin and his team would weaken the gnolls, and Rachel’s team would rush in for the finishing blow.

Given the overwhelming level gap between Justin’s team and the gnolls, incapacitating the monsters was effortless. The fact that both Justin and Nathan could safely attack from range made the whole process even more efficient.

For Rachel’s low-level team, this was a golden opportunity—they were leveling up at an incredible rate.

“Level up! I leveled up again!”
“I can’t believe it—this is my third level today!”
“All hail the power-leveling gods! Thank you!”

Her teammates cheered, raising their hands in triumph as they soaked in the newfound strength.

Watching their excitement, Rachel clicked her tongue in mock irritation.

“Don’t get cocky! Keep your stance right! Follow their instructions properly!”

“Yes, Captain!”
“We’ll keep that in mind!”

Their playful salutes betrayed their light-hearted moods, but the respect they had for Rachel as their leader was genuine. Even after the jokes, they quickly fell back into a serious formation.

“You’ve got solid authority over them. They recognize you as their leader already?” Justin asked.

“We’ve fought over leadership before. Some doubted me just because I’m a woman. I let it slide for a while, but not anymore.”

“Ah, I get it.”

It wasn’t surprising. Outwardly, Rachel had a slender, seemingly delicate appearance, while someone like David—broad-shouldered and imposing—gave off a more traditionally ‘reliable’ vibe.

In reality, though, appearances couldn’t have been more deceiving.

While they were tracking down the next group of gnolls, Rachel sidled up to Justin and lowered her voice.

“So, what’s your next move?”

This was the real purpose of today’s hunt—to discuss his potential relocation.

“Honestly? I wouldn’t recommend moving to where I live. I’m starting to lose my mind from all the screaming and crying every night.”

“Same here. Our leader’s ready to quit because of the settlers’ attitude. And the other candidate for leadership? Just as bad as your dictator.”

“You’re not thinking of running for leadership yourself?”

“Not a chance. Would you have wanted to lead back when the settlers in your zone were out of control?”

“Fair point.”

They were both stuck between extremes—a dictatorship on one side and entitled freeloaders on the other.

Neither of them seemed particularly appealing.

“This is frustrating. Pretending to be a tyrant is exhausting, but living under constant abuse from settlers isn’t much better. And we don’t have any other choices.”

“Actually, there’s one more.”

“What?”

“Reforming the settlers’ attitudes is next to impossible. But what if the problem wasn’t the people? What if we just replaced their leader?”

Rachel’s expression stiffened immediately. She knew where this was going.

“You’re planning to kill your leader?”

“Not exactly. I’m thinking… war.”

“War…”

The word weighed heavily in the air.

A flash of Aaron’s warnings about conflicts between pioneers resurfaced in Rachel’s mind. This wasn’t just idle talk—he meant it.

“You don’t like the idea?” Justin asked.

“I’m not sure.”

“I thought you hated your leader.”

“I do. I despise him. But he treats fellow pioneers with a certain level of respect.”

So, while she couldn’t stand him personally, there was no outright abuse of power directed toward pioneers like her. That, at least, kept her from fully turning against him.

“What if your leader decides to attack first? What would you do?”

“If he makes the first move, I’d have no problem backing you. Loyalty only goes so far.”

In other words, she wasn’t ready to betray him preemptively—but if her leader became hostile, she wouldn’t hesitate to retaliate.

“Fair enough. Let’s take a few more days and see where things go.”

But deep down, Justin didn’t think they needed more time.

‘Once his greed kicks in, everything will fall apart on its own.’

Their leader was already indulging in absolute control over the settlers. But even tyrants had limits. The number of settlers was finite, and executing those who displeased him would eventually leave him with fewer people to rule over.

If he wanted to continue playing king, he would need to expand.

‘Now that he knows other safe zones exist, he won’t sit still for long.’

And when the desire to conquer grew too strong to resist, Rachel wouldn’t hesitate to turn against him.

All he had to do was wait.

“Thanks for today.”

“No need to thank me. Same time tomorrow?”

“Yeah. I’ll look forward to it.”

The genuine smile Rachel offered wasn’t an act—she was truly grateful.

In just one day, her team had gained over three levels each.

‘Level 9 already. Just one more, and I’ll hit level 10.’

Hitting level 10 unlocked a new skill for every class. For her class, Berserker, that meant gaining [Rage]—a skill that drastically boosted physical stats for a short time.

‘With that, my survival chances will skyrocket.’

In a world like this, even a single combat skill could mean the difference between life and death.

Her teammates seemed to share her optimism, their cheerful conversations filling the air as they made their way back.

But then she noticed something.

“Wait, where’s David? He was with us earlier.”

“Oh, he said he wasn’t feeling well and went back early.”

“Alone?”

“Yeah. He said he already told you, Captain.”

Her expression immediately darkened.

“I never spoke to him today.”

“Really? Well, we figured it was fine since we cleared out the entrance of the forest already. He should’ve been safe going back the same way.”

“Even so…”

Rachel felt a knot of unease tighten in her chest.

Yes, monsters wouldn’t reappear immediately after being cleared out—but something about David going back alone didn’t sit right with her.

And considering how often he had a habit of slipping away when things got tough, this could mean trouble.

There’s always an exception to every rule.

Even if the odds were in favor of safety, Rachel couldn’t shake off her instincts.

‘Something’s wrong.’

The coward David wouldn’t take a risk unless something important was at stake. And the excuse of a stomach ache? That was too convenient. There had to be a reason he was willing to put himself in danger.

The more she thought about it, the worse the possibilities became.