Zach bent down and picked it up. Caleb immediately stepped closer, eager to look at it, but his mother quickly stopped him.
"Caleb, this isn’t the time," Rose, the twin’s mother, said.
"...Sorry," Caleb replied.
Unlike his twin brother, Joshua stayed quiet the entire time. His eyes kept drifting toward the monster corpses and the corpses scattered across the road before quickly looking away again. None of the adults mentioned it because most of them were trying just as hard to ignore the bodies.
Now Zach only needed to kill a monster to complete his second Tutorial Quest. After that, his third quest would tell him to join a faction, allowing him to officially become part of Alex’s.
"Let’s keep moving. We’ll help you kill a monster when a chance comes," Alex said.
Zach tightened his grip on the sword and nodded. As the group continued down the street, he looked noticeably more relaxed than before. He finally had the strength to protect his family, and that seemed to lift a weight from his shoulders.
As they walked, Alex continued practicing his Mana Sense Spell. Thin rings of mana spread outward from him one after another, passing through buildings and abandoned cars before fading into the distance. Since there was nothing demanding his immediate attention, he decided to use the walk to improve his control over the spell.
After casting it several more times, Alex noticed something unusual. Mia’s ears twitched every time the mana ring expanded, and her eyes followed it as though she could see the invisible wave moving away from him.
None of the people in his group reacted to it, which meant the mana ring was likely too faint for them to detect. Somehow, the cat could sense it anyway.
Alex thought about it for a moment as he continued practicing. If Mia could detect the spell that easily, then other animals or monsters might be able to notice it as well. That wasn’t ideal for something meant to scout the surroundings without drawing attention. He began trying to make each mana ring even thinner than before.
Mia, however, had another issue with him entirely. Every so often, she looked back at Alex with an obvious glare before turning away again. She was almost certainly still upset that he had handed her over to Charlotta back in the convenience store just to send the little girl away from him.
Alex pretended not to notice. He knew exactly how petty Mia could be when she wanted revenge. Once, after he forgot to feed her because he had rushed to college, she somehow found a dead mouse and left it neatly on his bed.
To be fair, it hadn’t been just one missed meal. He had forgotten to feed her in the morning for two days because exams were going on, although he always made sure she got extra food in the evening. Mia clearly hadn’t considered that a valid excuse. Alex made a mental note again to give her some treats the next time the group stopped to rest.
The group continued forward for another few minutes before Alex expanded another mana ring. This time, he detected several living beings moving toward them from further down the road. Their movements were steady and coordinated, making it obvious they weren’t monsters.
"People," Alex said.
Some of the group relaxed after hearing that it wasn’t another monster. Others remained alert, knowing that strangers could still be dangerous in the new world. Everyone slowed slightly as they waited for the approaching group to come into view.
A few moments later, three people rounded the corner. Leading them was a blond man with blue eyes who looked to be in his early twenties. He stood around six foot two with a lean but athletic build, and despite his calm expression, there was a seriousness in his gaze.
Walking beside him was a woman with black hair and black eyes who appeared to be around the same age. Behind the pair was a giant of a man in his late twenties who stood nearly a head taller than the blond man. He had broad shoulders, muscular arms, and a slightly pudgy stomach, looking like someone who thought only arm or chest days existed at the gym.
Alex observed them carefully while they jogged closer.
All three seemed to be Ascendants, their movements carrying a level of strength and balance that ordinary people couldn’t fake. His attention lingered on the shield strapped to the blond man’s back. Since Ascendants had inventories, the shield could be stored in the inventory.
They had no other weapons, so those were in inventory. The shield’s rank must be high, enough to cause considerable mental strain to be kept in the inventory.
The trio increased their pace after spotting Alex’s group. Alex stepped forward to meet them, and Tina quietly moved up beside him without needing to be asked. Neither of them lowered their guard.
When they stopped a few meters away, the blond man spoke first. "Hello. Did you happen to run into three Doom Bulls that already had slash wounds on them? They were also much more agitated than normal."
"We did." Alex nodded.
"I’m sorry about that. We were trying to lure those Doom Bulls in a direction to use them as bait, but they ended up charging in this direction instead. If anyone got hurt because of it, the rest of my group has a Level 10 Healer. We’d be happy to help," the blond man said with an apologetic expression.
Alex was slightly surprised by the apology. He had expected the man to complain about kill-stealing or ask about the Gene Potentials instead. The thought made him wonder if he had an unfair bias against good-looking people.
"We’re fine. Everyone leveled up during the fight, so our injuries healed on their own," Alex replied.
"I’m glad to hear that. I’d offer compensation too, but I don’t think money has much value anymore," the blond man replied with a faint smile, though there was a trace of bitterness behind it.
Alex couldn’t argue with that.
The blond man held out his hand. "I’m Stefan Smith."
..
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