Warner leaned toward Rainer, his voice low. "They're acting like we didn't just walk out of that nightmare ourselves. All about the Dragon Lord now."
Rainer shrugged, his blue eyes scanning the chaos. "Can't blame 'em. Guy tears open a Red Gate like it's paper, says he's off to fight the boss solo? That's legend stuff."
Logan chuckled weakly. "Yeah, and we're just the sidekicks who didn't die."
Jarek grunted, his gaze distant. "Sidekicks or not, we're alive because of him. Never thought I'd owe my life to a summoner."
Inside, Arden felt the system's buzz lingering, its warning about Alister—Household Head, risk of House War—still prickling his nerves.
He glanced at his team, their faces a mix of relief and exhaustion, and felt the weight of their survival settle heavier. The reporters weren't wrong—walking out of an uncleared SS-ranked dungeon was unheard of, and Alister's role in it would spark questions the guild couldn't dodge forever.
