Outside Elena's room, Furina stood leaning on the door, a bright smile softly playing on her lips. As she muttered to herself, her voice barely above a whisper, "Your strength is to bring out the good in others, even in times of darkness, Alya. I'm sure you'll grow as strong as the rest of us once you find your path."
Her words were filled with a quiet warmth as if she believed wholeheartedly in the future she saw for Alya.
With a sigh, Furina turned to leave, only to stop as she noticed Connor at the corner. His expression was unreadable, but Furina could tell he too had listened to the conversation with his enhanced senses.
"You didn't stay back because you knew your pep talk wouldn't help, didn't you? It would've only made things worse," Connor remarked, stepping forward slightly, his eyes searching her face for some kind of confirmation.
Furina glanced at him, her smile deepening but with a touch of wry amusement. "Who knows? I'm terrible at giving advice anyway," she said lightly, though her eyes were sharp with self-awareness. "Besides, she was feeling inferior just because of me. Elena and Alya have always been close, even before I came into the picture. So, I figured it wasn't my place to step in."
She shrugged but then paused, her expression hardening with a fierceness that caught Connor off guard. "But don't get me wrong, if anything happens to either of them, I'll be the first to act."
The weight of her words lingered in the air, the determination in her voice unshakable, as if no force could stop her from protecting those she cared about. There was no need for further explanation—Connor could sense that unwavering devotion, the fierce loyalty that burned within her.
"I see," Connor muttered under his breath, his gaze shifting downward for a moment before he turned, ready to leave the conversation behind.
Furina, however, wasn't quite finished. "So, what's going on between you and Elena?" she asked, her tone shifting from casual curiosity to something more probing. She didn't want the conversation to end, and her question was a pointed one.
Connor stopped in his tracks, frowning slightly. Though he understood where the conversation was headed, it wasn't a subject he enjoyed discussing. "What do you mean?" he replied, his voice edged with caution, hoping she might drop it.
Furina's teasing smile returned, but there was a seriousness beneath it. "I mean exactly what I said, Mr. Otaku Devil," she said, using the nickname in a half-joking, half-sincere way that made him cringe internally. "What is she to you? What do you plan to do with her?"
Her words hung in the air, echoing something Alya had mentioned earlier. Connor felt as though he was suddenly being interrogated as if he were meeting his girlfriend's protective parents for the first time, forced to justify himself.
He sighed, his shoulders slumping slightly as he looked at the ground. "She's just a valuable friend," he said, though there was a heaviness in his voice that Furina didn't miss. "I don't have any plans for her, not in the way you're thinking, or in using her either."
As he walked away, Furina watched him closely. His retreating figure seemed lonely, weighed down by something unspoken, a quiet sadness that clung to him like a shadow. She didn't say anything further, but the image of him walking away lingered in her mind longer than she expected.
*****
The next day, three out of the four squads gathered at the dungeon gate. After days of relentless hunting, they had stockpiled enough monster meat to sustain the survivors for a week, along with rations they had looted from nearby stores.
However, the looming threat of the unknown still lingered, casting a shadow over the survivors. Tension simmered beneath the surface, prompting Connor and the others to devise a strategy to ensure both their safety and progress.
Their plan was straightforward. One squad would remain behind to guard the hospital, while the remaining squads would explore and clear the dungeon floors.
Each squad would head in different directions, searching for treasures and slaying monsters, before regrouping to face the floor boss together.
For the third floor, it was Squad Charlie's turn to guard the hospital.
After nearly an hour of navigating through the dungeon, the group finally arrived on the third floor. A surreal sight greeted them as an artificial sky stretched above, casting an eerie glow over a dense and twisted forest. The squad leaders decided to take a quick five-minute break to catch their breath after the long trek.
During the pause, Connor decided to ask Furina about her skill in detail to get an idea of how she could improve. After thinking for a while Connor came up with an idea
" You know, You could use the Aqua Swirl to block or deflect projectile attacks in a defensive way, The torrent of waters would redirect the force of the attack or completely disperse the momentum if your orbs were oscillating faster"
" Ohh.. I never thought that, But wait.. You are a business student, right? How do you know these science theories of motions and oscillations?"
Connor smirked, the corners of his lips curling up mischievously. "I was pretty good at physics in high school," he admitted. "And besides," he added with a grin, "I've watched a lot of shonen anime and supernatural web series."
Furina's eyes twitched at his last statement. Really? she thought. Is this guy serious? Who in their right mind would use fictional theories from anime to guide actual combat strategies?
"What?" Connor said, noticing her look of disbelief. "Don't give me that face. I could be wrong, sure, but there's no harm in trying. Worst-case scenario, you might get a scar or something." He shrugged, as if they weren't about to experiment on a 2nd order skill but rather tackle a simple science project.
"I am not going along with whatever insane idea you've got in mind, Connor! You're a madman!" Furina snapped, raising her voice in frustration.
Her shout immediately drew the attention of the rest of the squad, who watched the scene unfold with a mix of amusement and concern.
But Connor, undeterred by her protest, grabbed Furina by the arm and began pulling her away toward the trees. "We'll be back in a few minutes. Just going to try something fun," he called over his shoulder, his tone casual and carefree.
As they disappeared into the dense forest, Furina's voice echoed, laced with exasperation. "Dammit! I finally understand why women live longer than men!"
Her words hung in the air, sending a shiver down the spines of the others. At this point, everyone knew Connor had a knack for pushing things to the edge, and whatever he was about to try could easily end in disaster.
Julian, watching the two vanish, shrugged nonchalantly. He wasn't about to get involved in their antics. "I'm going to head east from here with my squad," he informed Elena. "Let Connor know when he gets back." Without waiting for a response, he turned and marched off, his squad following close behind.