Teo yawned as he stepped off the final stairs. The passage stretched out before him, and there he saw it. A set of huge double doors leading to the boss room. Normally, this would have sparked some excitement, but he was just done with this dungeon by now.
"Same old, same old," he muttered, striding forward without bothering to check his surroundings. A faint rumble echoed from behind the doors. Likely the boss, waiting to strike terror into any poor soul reckless enough to wander in. Teo smirked, stretching out his arms as he pushed open the doors. "Alright, let's get this over with."
He shot a glance back at his familiars, gesturing dismissively. "Remember, minor mobs are all yours. Not like anything will pose a problem here." Without waiting for a response, he entered the boss room, his familiars trailing close behind.
As they all stepped in, the doors swung shut with a heavy thud. Teo gave a quick shrug. "Don't worry, that's normal. It's expected to feel like a battle for survival. You either come out victorious or you don't." His tone was as dismissive as ever.
"Alright, let's see what this boss looks like." Teo squinted toward the center of the massive room, which resembled a circular arena. Four towering pillars surrounded the boss, casting long shadows across the stone floor.
The boss itself looked like a blend of the trolls from the previous floor and a monstrous wolf. It had the muscular, hulking body of a wolf but stood on eight long, slender legs, each covered in shaggy white fur. Three black eyes gleamed in the dim light, watching Teo intently.
"You all wait here," Teo said, glancing back at his familiars. "When you see any minor mobs, dispose of them. Make it as brutal as you want." He turned back to the boss, a smirk tugging at his lips. "I'll have some fun with this little kitty." He strode forward, each step measured, confident, almost taunting.
As Teo walked toward the boss, his familiars exchanged glances, standing at the edge of the room. The silence stretched for a moment before Wéidù Māo, the foxlike familiar, spoke up in a soft, feminine voice.
"Did the other familiars in the spiritual world lie?" Wéidù Māo asked, her ears twitching as she watched Teo.
Atlas, the large, bear-like familiar, snorted, crossing its arms. "You saw his memories too. Why do you think he acts like that? He's just distracting himself."
Wéidù Māo tilted her head, her bright eyes flicking toward Teo's back. "Well, yeah, it makes sense... but isn't it a bit extreme?"
Her gaze lingered on Teo for a moment, watching him move with relaxed confidence. "I suppose... I get it, but doesn't it get tiring? It's like this is nothing to him."
Atlas grunted, shifting his weight as he sat down. "That's because, for him, this is nothing. Teo's an A-rank hunter. He's been clearing dungeons since he was eight years old. All he looks for in a fight is the thrill of taking on strong opponents—and eating them. But this dungeon doesn't offer that thrill. It's no longer a challenge for him. So now, it's all about efficiency."
"Efficiency?" Wéidù Māo echoed, tilting her head slightly. "Is that all? Won't he want to help people by clearing this dungeon?" She paused, suddenly realizing how impossible that sounded.
"Never mind," she continued. "After going through his memories, the ones we got after becoming his familiars, I think I understand him a bit more. But why is he even clearing these dungeons then?"
Atlas shifted its weight slightly, sitting with a relaxed posture. With one hand resting on its chin, it leaned in. "Well, that's because the only person who ever truly supported him through all these years asked him to."
Wéidù raised an eyebrow; her curiosity piqued. "Who?"
Atlas let out a small, exasperated sigh. "Do you not pay attention during the inheritance?" it asked, a hint of irritation creeping into its voice. "Is this your first time becoming a familiar or something?" It leaned forward slightly, eyeing her with mild disbelief.
She flinched slightly at the question, her ears drooping as she lowered her gaze. "I... I'm sorry." She whispered, her voice soft and apologetic. "I didn't mean to cause trouble. I just didn't understand everything at first. It's my first time, and I'm still.. getting used to it."
She paused her tail flicking nervously as she looked away, clearly uncomfortable with her own uncertainty. "I didn't mean to be a nuisance."
"Okay, that's enough, Atlas," a calm voice interrupted. Yuurei stepped forward, a soothing presence in contrast to the bear-like creature's bluntness. "It's fine, Wéidù. We all know what it's like the first time. Don't mind Atlas too much."
Atlas only grunted, leaning back against the double doors and folding its arms. For a moment, it seemed to retreat into its own thoughts. In the stillness, it muttered, almost inaudibly, "I'm sorry."
The fox-like creature caught the words, her ears twitching slightly, but she said nothing. She appreciated the gesture, even if it was quietly made. Instead, she gave Yuurei a small, grateful smile. "Thank you, Yuurei. I feel... a bit better now."
Yuurei nodded back. "No need to thank me. We're all in this together, remember?" She glanced toward Teo, who was already munching on the remains of the dungeon boss, completely unfazed by the battle that had just taken place.
The familiars exchanged incredulous glances, their eyes wide as they took in the sight of their master casually devouring the monster.
Teo looked up at them, his expression a mix of annoyance and dry humor. "Where were you all? I had to take care of the dungeon boss and all the mobs," he said, clearly irritated as he continued to munch. "While you all had a nice heart to heart, huh?"
The familiars blinked, unsure whether to be amused or frustrated by his nonchalant attitude. Atlas gave a low chuckle, clearly entertained by the irony. "Guess we got too caught up in our little conversation," it remarked, its voice thick with sarcasm.
Wéidù Māo's ears drooped a little, embarrassed. "I... I didn't realize you'd finished already, master," she murmured.
Teo waved her off dismissively, his voice muffled by the food in his mouth. "It's fine. Not like it was a challenge anyway. Just don't get too cozy next time."