Published: January 22, 2026
"Alright, everyone! Let’s wrap up work as planned today and start the party!"
When Mr. Gerald, one of the clan executives and the head of the general affairs department, announced this, cheers erupted from the members.
It seemed he had planned the party in advance because, in no time, a standing buffet was being set up in an open space within the grounds.
Drinks and food were brought in abundantly, and nearly all the members stationed at headquarters were finishing their work to join the party.
By "nearly all," it meant that some executives and those in important positions had tasks that had to be completed today, so they couldn’t stay for the entire event.
And from there, the raucous celebration began.
"Hi, nice to meet you! Mr. Orun! I’m Eliza! Congratulations on reaching the 93rd layer!"
"Hey! No sneaking ahead! Nice to meet you, Mr. Orun! I’m Miranda."
It had been about a month since I joined the clan, but until now, I hadn’t really blended in with the other members.
Well, I’m a former hero party explorer, and I became an executive right after joining, so maybe it’s understandable.
But today, regardless of gender, I was able to talk with many members I hadn’t spoken to before.
"This might sound rude, but Mr. Orun, you kind of gave off a vibe that made people hesitant to approach you… But today, that’s gone, and since I’ve wanted to talk to you for a long time, I finally took the plunge! You're surprisingly easy to talk to, and I wonder why I was afraid to approach you before."
What this person said was true.
I had never made the effort to get close to others.
Yet I wanted friends—that’s how twisted I was, even I admit it…
But being accepted by everyone in the first squad has given me a lot of mental relief.
Today has been a good day not only for the silver rabbits of the night sky but also for me.
"Hey, Orun! Long time no see!"
Just as I finished talking with various people, I heard a voice from behind.
I turned around to see Mr. Anthem and Mr. Barnard standing there.
Also present were Ms. Cathy and some rookie explorers who had participated in last month’s training expedition.
The number of rookies had been cut in half, though.
Some rookies were transferred to other departments or had left the clan entirely.
Well, after such a scary experience, no one could blame them for that.
"Long time no see, Mr. Anthem, Mr. Barnard, Ms. Cathy. And hello again to all the rookies."
"Reaching the 93rd layer right after joining? Well, you do have the strength to take down the black dragon alone, so this result is only natural. I thought I’d finally catch up to the first squad, but you’ve pulled ahead again."
"Mr. Barnard, you reached the 88th layer recently, right?"
"Yeah! Soon I'll be done with the front-line nightmare areas! Heading into the deep layers first, Anthem!"
"You’re only saying that now. I’ll be overtaking you soon enough."
Mr. Anthem and Mr. Barnard belonged to different parties but seemed to motivate each other through friendly rivalry.
That kind of relationship is nice.
"Congratulations on reaching the 93rd layer, Mr. Orun!"
"Congratulations!"
While Mr. Anthem and Mr. Barnard were exchanging words, the rookies congratulated me.
"Thanks. I’ve heard from Ms. Estella that you’re all working hard, too."
"Are you really paying attention to us!?"
One of the rookie girls exclaimed in surprise.
It’s not so much that I’m paying attention as that I happened to hear about their progress and the way the exploration management department was educating them while confirming things with Ms. Estella...
I couldn’t say that outright, so I just smiled vaguely.
"Seriously! The rookies spent the past month just watching the master from afar without trying to get involved, but as soon as the master does something amazing, they flip and suddenly get close!"
When Log grumbled this, everyone around shot him a cold look.
Still, looking at everyone’s faces, they were smiling.
They didn’t seem to be seriously upset.
"Pfft. Hahaha! Yeah, it’s funny hearing that from you, Log!"