Chapter 38: Winter Lin
Terrence and Gilbert entered the indigo dungeon rift together. Terrence felt the usual spatial sensation wash over him before he was greeted immediately by an environment shrouded in dark, dense foliage. He recognized some of the growth as normal trees commonly found in the Fringe, while others were unnaturally tall, skinny trunks stretching upward into the gloom.
As he took a step forward, knee-high grasses brushed against his heavy boots, rustling softly in the quiet air. He paused for a second to inspect his surroundings. It appeared to be nighttime inside this Forest Biome. Time flowed within dungeon rifts at the exact same pace as in the outside world—only the day and night cycle varied.
"There," Gilbert said, pointing toward a faint light flashing through the trees to their east.
"Do you usually practice camping inside a dungeon?" Terrence asked.
Gilbert didn’t reply as he worked to clear the dense grass blocking their path. He casually swayed his hand, and invisible, thin threads materialized from his fingers, instantly slicing through the thick vegetation.
Forgetting his unheard question, Terrence observed the action closely. It was a unique technique, but completely possible through a Skill Share ability. He noted inwardly, ’Could his contracted beast be a spider-type?’
Without asking about it out loud, Terrence followed behind until a wide clearing finally appeared before them, past a seemingly unending stretch of bothersome trees.
Terrence’s eyes immediately fell upon a young lady gracefully dancing through the air with a sword gripped firmly in her hand. Facing her were massive tentacles—or more accurately, sprawling vine-roots belonging to a giant plant beast. The grotesque, spiked pincers of its open pitcher mouth snapped violently in different directions, lunging toward her.
Adorned in pristine green, short-collared tactical gear, she didn’t break a sweat as she sliced through the thick roots with absolute precision. Her long silver hair whipped through the humid air of the forest biome like a silken banner. Her sharp, dark brown eyes tracked the movement of every spiked pincer with the cold calculation of a seasoned predator.
A sudden flash of brilliant green light burst from her sword blade as she thrust it directly into the beast’s massive core. Green blood splattered across the clearing like rain as the towering plant creature slowly collapsed to the dirt.
She landed on her feet without making a single sound. Looking over her shoulder, she checked on her three teammates, who were currently dealing with another A-Rank plant monster identical to the one she had just slain.
"That’s Winter Lin... the heiress of the Lin Clan," Gilbert whispered, his eyes sparkling with admiration.
Terrence understood the situation immediately. "So, she’s strong."
"Really strong," Gilbert followed up without hesitation. "But she’s still just a little bit inferior to me, you know. Good thing I’m around so I can protect her."
Terrence didn’t bother replying to that, choosing instead to quietly watch how seasoned, high-ranking beast tamers fought in actual combat. Not all tamers focused heavily on personal martial arts, so he wanted to use this spectacle as a learning experience to sharpen his own combat instincts.
While his primary goal was simply to sell beasts, he knew he had to use every available opportunity to grow as an independent fighter.
The battle continued for another fifteen minutes. Still moving with effortless grace, Winter wove her sword through the air, single-handedly suppressing three A-Rank beasts at the same time. Even though it was a clear challenge, visible in the careful way she calculated every strike, she still forced the outcome entirely in her favor.
Meanwhile, the other three members of her team—two men and a woman—successfully brought down another four plant beasts through smooth, practiced teamwork. Finally, the clearing fell silent as the last monster collapsed.
Gilbert immediately stepped out from behind the tree trunk that had provided them cover. He walked right over to approach Winter, greeting her with a broad, warm smile.
Even in the low light of the forest, Terrence could clearly see how cold and indifferent the young lady was. She merely offered a brief, curt nod to the simping Gilbert.
"Who is that?" Winter asked, her sharp gaze cutting toward Terrence, who was still standing by the edge of the tree line.
Gilbert’s eyes widened, and he gestured grandly with both hands to show Terrence’s location. "He is Terrence! Our new recruit."
Winter didn’t pry any further. She didn’t feel the need to, turning away to find a fallen log to sit down and rest. She unclipped a water pouch from her belt, taking a few small sips to regulate her breathing.
The other three tamers from her squad walked over to Terrence, friendly smiles curling up their lips.
"Hello... I am Jean. Nice to meet you," the woman said, extending her hand first.
The two men stepped up right beside her.
"The name’s Goon."
"Mine is Larp."
Terrence gave a polite nod, shaking their hands one by one. "Terrence."
"You came with mister Gilbert, right? Are you planning to join our squad?" Jean asked, wiping sweat from her forehead.
Terrence simply shrugged, leaning back slightly. "I don’t know. I just came here to loot a few beasts for beast cores. Are the drops here good?"
Goon and Larp shook their heads in unison.
"No. Mostly, beasts here drop one core out of every ten," Goon explained.
"But we heard that the deeper part, across the lake, has a much stronger drop rate," Larp added.
"I see... Do you have a map? Do you plan to clear the dungeon?" Terrence asked, genuinely curious.
There was no complex battle plan for the night. Inside this A-Rank rift, only two separate groups were currently present: Winter’s personal squad and a joint squad of about ten independent tamers who had entered to gather rare materials.
Winter eventually stood up from the log and extended her hand to Terrence. Behind her, a crackling campfire danced gracefully, casting her long shadow over him.
"Winter Lin," she introduced herself calmly. "I heard you are new to our scheme. Is that right?"
Terrence nodded, reaching out to give her hand a firm shake. "Yeah. I’m new. The name is Terrence. Nice to meet you."
Neither of them spoke further for the rest of the night. Terrence leaned back against a tree, closing his eyes to rest while keeping his guard up.
That silence lasted until the next morning, when Terrence was abruptly jarred awake by the sound of utter chaos ransacking their camp. Loud shouts, metallic clashing, and the frantic screeching of beasts shattered the early morning air.