Cosmic Peak

Aren and others saw Reto looking at them with a sick grin on his face and became worried.

"Hahaha, no need to worry. Just relax," Reto said as he played with a blue fireball on his hands, "I am not going to kill you right now but later. For now, I've satiated my bloodlust, hehehe."

'Later?' Aren thought with doubt, but he understood his meaning by the next thing that Reto said.

"For now, you all will follow me inside," Reto licked his lips before saying, "Or...would you prefer dying right now? Hehehe, come forward one step if you want to follow me in three seconds. Those who don't come forward will die right now."

Aren hurridly informed others through his spiritual link to move forward one step.

"Hahaha, good." Reto said as he turned around, "Now follow me and don't try to be smart. If you tried to run then...well, you can't run from me, so you will just die earlier."

Reto paused as he looked back and grinned, "But if you follow me inside the dungeon, then you might get a chance to survive and escape from me, Hahaha."

He then turned around and started walking towards the dungeon entrance that looked like a cave.

Aren--'Just follow him for now. If push comes to shove, I can use my life-saving method.'

Lorain and others nodded as the only reason they were not feeling hopeless was Aren's guarantee.

As Aren and others followed Reto inside, Aren thought with doubt and confusion, 'From the quest, this dungeon is not that tough and seems to be low-leveled. But then...why such high-level people like Reto who are at Supreme-stage lifeform doing here?'

This was a truly unexpected disaster. Aren didn't think that the dungeon that only gave 5000 exp and a bronze mystery box would attract people at the level of Reto.

Aren then started thinking about all the things till now while following Reto inside the dungeon.

'The three of them were standing outside when we arrived here...According to everything until now, them standing outside while we arrived here shouldn't be a coincidence. If so, then...

Aren looked at Reto's back and concluded, 'Then they were waiting for us. Not specifically us but...some people. On top of that, Reto's behavior at the end, this...'

"Move fast!" Reto spoke as he looked back and started running. Some demon ants that were the size of sheep attacked them, but Reto was killing them quickly and easily by controlling a wisp of blue fire.

They also dead bodies of other demon ants on the way killed by Reto's companions.

While running, Aren was beginning to put together the pieces, and according to him, Reto and others were going to use them for something inside this dungeon. That's why he brought them inside.

'He first scared us into submission by killing the other group; he targetted the other group because that girl gave him the reason and left us alive. In the end, he gave us hope that we might be able to survive and escape from him if we followed him...

'Hmmm, something is wrong in this dungeon, and they are going to use us for something. This...can also mean that we have some value, for now,' Shaking his head, Aren thought, 'No, it would be foolish to try to run right now based on my guesses so far.'

After a while, they reached the end of the dungeon where the dead body of the Queen Demon Ant was lying on the ground.

But a few meters away, at the corner of the cave, was a meter and half radius-sized hole.

Reto went to the hole and said to Aren and others with a grin, "Jump down. Hehehe, don't worry because you won't die by jumping down. But...if you didn't jump, then you will definitely die."

Saying that, Reto conjured a blue fireball on his hand and showed a ruthless expression.

Aren hurriedly nodded as he said with a scared expression, "W-we will jump down."

He also told others to jump down while they also showed scared expressions.

...

After Aren and others jumped down into the tunnel that was not that long, they arrived in another cave where the other two companions of Reto were waiting.

Reto also arrived at the end.

"Why did you bring them here?" Lamila said with a frown as she crossed her arms below her melons.

"Hahaha, It's fine. I brought them here, so they are our pathfinder. As you know, there are traps ahead, and it's better to use them to clear the path for us."

Hearing that, the other companion of Reto named Kozark said with disdain, "We can easily clear the traps and don't forget that the path also contains benefits and blessings other than traps. If we use them, then they might get it and also escape. Wouldn't you feel bad then?"

Lorain and others were surprised, but Aren coldly smiled, 'Nice acting.'

His guess was correct, as they are really going to use them as cannon fodder to clear the path ahead.

He didn't believe in that bull shit blessings and benefits because that would be absurd, 'They are likely saying that because we feel that we still have a chance to live and escape and don't give in to despair. After all, if we feel that we don't have any chance to live at all, then what;'s the point of helping them before dying?'

"Shut up, you two! Since I have decided, then it's decided. You two can also clear the path along with them, but I am not going to risk it, humph!"

Lamila and Kozark looked at each other with helplessness before Lamila said, "You psychopath, always doing whatever you wish. Fine, we'll do it your way."

Kozark also nodded before he looked at Aren and others with a sneer, "You ants, you are lucky that this psychopath brought you here and gave you a chance to become strong, humph. If he were not more powerful than me, then I would've killed you right here!"