"What's up?" Elijah asked with a mouthful of food.
Adan hesitated for a moment before asking,
"Why do you want me to join your crew? I know I'm good at shooting and mana control, but given your backgrounds, I didn't think I'd be the best choice. At most, I might be average."
"Hold on," Elijah said, drinking some water.
"That's easy—it's because I like you. We're friends now, so why not explore together?"
"Is that all?" Adan expected more and waited, but Elijah just nodded and continued eating.
Kai burst out laughing at Adan's bewildered expression. "You see, Adan, Elijah did the same to me and Julia. And we follow him because… well, we can do whatever we want."
"What do you mean?" Adan asked.
"You'll see," Kai replied with a knowing smile.
Adan then confessed, "Stella and I broke up."
The two guys showed no reaction. "She wanted me to use you and Elijah as distractions while we escaped.
But I just couldn't do it. You've shown me kindness and trust, and I'm growing more interested in sticking with you guys…"
He paused, noticing that Kai was drinking his beer and Elijah was still eating, but he knew they were both listening.
"She said if an Emperor-tier was really here, our chances of escaping would be extremely low. I told her I wouldn't do it, and we agreed to part ways. I know you might decide not to help them after this, but…"
Adan looked directly at Elijah and said, "I still want to help her, even if it means risking my life. So I'm sorry, but you'll have to leave without me."
Elijah glanced at Kai, who shrugged. "What is he talking about?" Elijah asked.
Veins popped on Adan's forehead as Kai laughed, "Hahahaha, I have no idea."
Adan almost shouted but stopped when Elijah called his name. "Adan…"
"If you want to fight, we've got your back. We're not going anywhere. Why do you think we were helping Stella in the first place?" Elijah said.
"We knew you wouldn't abandon your girl and leave her to die. If you had decided to leave her, we wouldn't have done anything," Elijah continued before returning to his meal.
"Yeah, we're no charity. How can you help someone who doesn't want to help themselves?" Kai added, drinking his beer.
"You can give a homeless person money, but that doesn't mean you've really helped them. In fact, that's a sign of disrespect," Kai explained.
Adan stayed silent as he watched the two drink, eat, and laugh. After paying for Elijah's meal, Elijah stood up and said,
"We couldn't find what they wanted, so let's go and kick some Emperor-tier butt."