The five adventurers strode toward them, their faces marked with smug and underestimating expressions that only added to the tension in the air that John felt.Marik clenched his teeth and his fists tightening at his sides while Amel glared with open anger. Irene, however, kept her expression calm, though John could sense the irritation she worked to conceal behind her composed expression."So, this guy really is an annoying character," John thought, already exhausted by their arrival. "Maybe his friends as well."The leader of the group, a tall, wiry man with an air of practiced arrogance had a striking bird hovering above his head. Its feathers were a vivid blend of red and orange, like flames flickering in the wind.Beside him stood a brawny man, who have a Beast that look like a hulking bear with thick, stone-like fur, the Beast towered intimidatingly.Another member was a sly-looking woman with narrow eyes that kept her sleek, shadow-colored panther close by, its tail flicking in quiet anticipation.The fourth adventurer was a quiet, wiry figure who had a snake draped lazily around his neck, its scales shimmering green and gold. The leader turned his gaze to John, his eyes scanning him from head to toe. His lips curled in a sneer as he took in John's attire, clearly marking him as a newbie and definitely amateur."And who's this?" he asked with an exaggerated air of disinterest, glancing dismissively at Irene before focusing back on John. "Picked up a new guy, huh? Guess you're scraping the bottom of the barrel."John felt a flash of annoyance but managed to keep his face impassive. He could tell that this guy thrived on provoking people, and he wasn't about to give him the satisfaction of a reaction."Gervas, what are you doing here?" Irene asked with steady voice but with an edge of tension.Gervas tilted his head toward the Dungeon entrance. "What do you think? I'm here to explore that Dungeon." His smirk was smug, barely glancing at Irene's team as if they were hardly worth his time.Amel leaned in close to Irene, whispering nervously, "What should we do? We can't compete with them. If they ask us to leave."But Irene didn't respond, her gaze locked on Gervas with a sharp intensity, ignoring Amel's worry.Gervas's smirk widened, and said with voice filled with mock sympathy. "I'll give you some advice, Irene. Turn around and leave. This Dungeon isn't a playground for a band of low-rank adventurers with low-ranked tamed Beast."His team chuckled behind him, clearly enjoying the display."You only have Uncommon-ranked Beasts, right?" the sly-looking woman added, her tone mocking as her panther slinked forward, tail flicking like a whip.Gervas pointed a finger at Irene. "Or maybe... you could join my team. We could make a real profit, Irene. Stop wasting your potential with these weaklings."John glanced at Irene, curious and concerned, wondering how she would respond.Without missing a beat, Irene replied with cool and casual tone, "I like my team. I'd rather work with them a hundred times over than with you."Gervas's smirk was gone, his eyes narrowing. "Suit yourself! You should remember that if you came with me, you could be someone. You'd have a real name for yourself and get rid the title of an illegitimate child."A flicker of anger flashed in Irene's eyes, and her hand drifted toward the hilt of her sword. John tensed, half-expecting her to draw it then and there, but Irene held herself back, the sharpness in her eyes her only response."Let's go," Gervas said to his group, dismissing them with a wave. "And if they die in that Dungeon? Leave them. Don't even bother helping."He laughed, leading his team toward the ancient ruin without a backward glance.As the group watched Gervas and his team disappear into the ruins, John felt a lingering curiosity about Gervas's jab regarding Irene. He wanted to ask but sensed it wasn't the time. Instead, Irene let out a long sigh, as if releasing pent-up frustration, while Marik scowled in the direction that group."Those pompous jerks," Marik muttered, fists clenched. "They think they're better because they have Rare Beast but that's because they can just buy their Beasts with their parents' money. Meanwhile, we've earned everything through our own grit."Irene, Amel, and Marik all wore expressions of frustration and anger that flashing in their eyes.John stayed quiet, masking his own irritation as he mentally recalled his earlier Beast Insight Vision assessment of Gervas's team.Their Beasts were indeed Rare-ranked, but something about them felt unpolished, as if the creatures had raw power without real synergy. Their advantage might show in a one-on-one match, but in a coordinated battle no one will be able to tell who'd come out on top.Irene turned to John with an apologetic look. "Sorry you had to get caught up in that mess."John shrugged, offering a reassuring smile. "No problem. They're getting under my skin too. But who are they, really?""Just a bunch of noble kids," Marik replied, spitting out the words like a curse. "They get everything handed to them, even their 'strong' Beasts.""Rich, spoiled bullies?" John scoffed, shaking his head. "And they think they're better than us? If you ask me, they're long overdue for a reality check."A shared spark of agreement flickered in Marik's eyes, and he clapped John on the shoulder, laughing. "You're speaking my mind, John.""Still..." Amel cautioned, her voice low and measured. "If we cross them, we risk drawing trouble down on ourselves. Nobles can pay for revenge, send assassins, or use the knight orders against us. And they do have powerful Beasts."John leaned in, lowering his voice. "But if it happens inside the Dungeon, it's just another accident, right? After all, the Beasts in there can be... unpredictable." He glanced toward Irene. "What do you think?"Irene looked thoughtful, then her lips curling into a smirk. She met John's gaze, her eyes gleaming with a mischievous light. "I think we can try."---