It was actually later than expected.
If it were me, I would have summoned them before the 5th floor ascent and added them to the party.
Anyway, judging solely by the messages, all five are 3-stars.
However, a unique message appeared below them.
[Ting!]
[A strong connection is felt among the five summoned.]
[Bond 'Mane Wolf Mercenary Corps' has been created!]
[Tips/ When performing consecutive summons, heroes with bonds to each other may be summoned at a very low probability. They exhibit greater combat power when placed in the same party than when alone.]
'Bond.'
This is also a rare system.
A Bond is a kind of set concept; sending them out together in the same party provides combat power bonuses. It was a very rare case even with consecutive summons.
Whether Amkena is lucky or unlucky, I'll know when I see them directly.
"So, where are those people now?"
"They said they'd look around here and started exploring."
"You head back to the kitchen."
"Those people..."
"They won't eat you. They're just peculiar."
Chloe nodded and scurried back into the dorm.
"Hyungnim, are you similar to those people?"
"I'm different."
I sheathed my sword and slung the shield onto my back.
"Party dismissed here! Just because unusual newcomers arrived doesn't change anything. Carry on as usual."
"Good work!"
Aaron and Dika bowed deeply to me then headed into the Training Ground.
The plaza clock indicated evening. Diligent fellows.
"Oppa, are you going to check those people out?"
"For now."
"I'll go too. I was curious anyway."
Currently, the facilities installed in the waiting room are the Dormitory, Training Ground, Armory, and Equipment Forge. Four places.
Decided to enter the closest one first, the Dormitory.
A woman I'd never seen before stood in the lobby.
"Hello!" Jena approached the woman directly and called out.
The woman, who had been looking at the fireplace, seemed startled and stammered a reply.
"Ah, hello..."
"I'm Jena Shirai! What's your name, unni?"
"Edith Cullen."
"Nice to meet you!" Jena extended her hand.
Edith hesitated for a moment, then took her hand.
"This handsome Oppa here is Han. He's quiet but has a warm heart."
"Shut up."
I plopped down onto the lobby sofa.
"Edith, you said? I'd like to talk, got time?"
While speaking, I observed Edith.
Brown eyes. Long, black curly hair cascaded down.
She wore black leather armor, and two daggers and a small shortbow hung from the belt at her waist.
'Status Window.'
[Edith Cullen (★★★) Lv.1(Exp 0/10)]
[Class: Thief]
[STR: 13/13]
[INT: 10/10]
[VIT: 14/14]
[AGI: 17/17]
[Skills Owned: Low-Grade Dagger Arts (Lv.3), Low-Grade Archery (Lv.1), Quick Movement (Lv.1)]
As expected of a 3-star, she came with a class.
Low Strength and Vitality, high Agility – a typical Thief type.
Possesses three starting skills: Low-Grade Dagger Arts, Archery, and Quick Movement. Similar to Jena, but focused more on daggers than the bow.
Jena brought two glasses of water.
"Sit down first."
"..."
Edith crouched down on the opposite sofa and drank the water.
Then she asked.
"Do you know about this place?"
"I know some things, and don't know others. What about you? How much do you know? Do you remember how you got here?"
"I don't know that much either. What I know is that I..." Edith narrowed her eyes as if trying to recall. Then she continued haltingly.
"Was summoned here... to fight."
"Summoned to fight."
"It just feels like I should."
"Any reason why?"
"My head hurts when I try to remember..."
'Hah, a dud.'
Sighing, I continued.
"Do you know about things like synthesis?"
"Synthesis..." Edith pondered for a moment, then muttered.
"Growing stronger by sacrificing others."
"You know."
I continued questioning her. Did she know about the existence of the Master?
After thinking for a long time, Edith asked back if it wasn't the person who controls this place. She seemed to grasp the concept. She also vaguely knew about summoning.
However, she didn't seem to know detailed concepts like levels and skills.
I retraced my impressions of the people summoned, from the initial Shea to the current Edith.
The 1-stars, including Jena and Aaron, arrived here not knowing why they were summoned or what they had to do. Shea, a 4-star, seemed to have realized why she had to fight.
And Edith before me, though unaware of why she was summoned, knew what she had to do. She grasped the concept of the Master and even knew about synthesis.
'Information gap is divided according to summoned rank.'
Reaching a simple conclusion, I continued.
"Seems you were a mercenary before coming here."
"Mane Wolf Mercenary Corps."
"Mane Wolf? Cool name." Jena chimed in, sitting beside me and smiling brightly.
"I remember doing mercenary work in Halsea, but when I came to my senses, I was here."
Edith started explaining in detail how the Mane Wolf Mercenary Corps was formed and what kind of work they mainly did.
Judging from her story, they seem to be quite high-level among mercenaries. There seems to be a gap compared to the 2-star Mormont, though he was also a mercenary.
"Cool! Sounds romantic." Jena said, her eyes sparkling.
"Y-yeah?" Edith lowered her head, looking embarrassed. Then she suddenly let out a deep sigh.
"But now..."
"Now?"
"It's nothing."
Then don't bring it up.
"Oppa, why is your reaction like that? A lady's past story is a treasure worth more than gold."
"Is that so."
"Seriously dense."
I stood up from the sofa.
Thought there would be much to hear, but apparently not.
At least wanted to know how they were summoned.
Might learn something about the one who threw me here.
"I'm gonna go sleep. You show her around."
"Alright, let's us girls..."
[Avant, Zaken, Wayfe, Veignin, Edith!]
Isel's voice echoed from the plaza.
I stopped on my way into the dorm.
'Can't sleep yet.'
Seems they wanted to test run the high-grade heroes summoned for the first time since the tutorial. A giant man appeared from the dining hall entrance.
"Who is it! Who's calling my name?"
The man was a head taller than me, with broad shoulders.
Wearing the same leather armor as Edith, he carried a huge axe on his back.
Checking his status window revealed the name Zaken. A Warrior class focused on Strength and Vitality.
Just looking at his physique, you could tell.
"Looks like the Master is calling." Edith stood up from the sofa.
"Been a while since I had meat, wonder what that guy looks like!" Zaken exited to the plaza with Edith.
Holding the roasted deer hind leg.
Didn't even spare a glance for me or Jena.
"That was supposed to be shared!" Chloe ran out from the dining hall.
I asked Chloe.
"What happened?"
"That person said he wanted meat and took the whole leg. If cooked well, five people could eat..."
"Then let's ask for it back!" Jena stood up, clenching her fists.
"Hold on."
"Why?"
"Let's go out to the plaza first."
We exited to the plaza.
A rare sight unfolded.
Almost everyone in the waiting room had gathered. They huddled in a corner, murmuring and watching the source of the commotion.
I also chose a suitable bench and sat down.
In the center of the plaza stood five people.
Five men and women clad in black leather armor.
[Rename 'Party 5' to 'Mane Wolf'? Confirm?]
[Yes(Selected) / No]
Amkena was preparing to form a fixed party.
Seems they took quite a liking to them.
[Forming Party.]
[Drag and drop heroes!]
['Avant (★★★)' joins 'Mane Wolf'!]
['Zaken (★★★)' joins 'Mane Wolf'!]
['Wayfe (★★★)' joins 'Mane Wolf'!]
['Veignin (★★★)' joins 'Mane Wolf'!]
['Edith (★★★)' joins 'Mane Wolf'!]
[Set 'Avant (★★★)' as leader of 'Mane Wolf' team!]
[Open, Rift of Time and Spaaaace!]
Clunk.
The front gate of the plaza opened.
"Sending them out right away?" A man with sharp features in the center of the group muttered.
A vertical scar ran across his right eye.
I quickly scanned his status window. Name: Avant Desik. Judging by stats and skills alone, a speed-focused warrior using a one-handed sword.
'So that guy's the leader.'
The other four were subtly watching Avant's reactions.
[Alright, alright, newcomers, get in! Get in! The Master is waiting!]
"We know even without being told."
"Let's go wild!" Avant was the first to enter the Rift of Time and Space.
Zaken followed, tossing away the bone-bare hind leg.
Behind them were Wayfe and Veignin, with Edith bringing up the rear.
'No mage.'
Things would get easier for everyone once research unlocks, but seems luck isn't on our side yet.
The Mane Wolf Mercenary Corps consisted of four warriors and one thief.
Once all five entered, the Rift of Time and Space closed.
"H-Han-ssi!" A middle-aged man approached me as I sat.
It was Joffrey, whom I met in the Forest Daily Dungeon.
"What is it?"
"Do you know those people? Something's strange!"
"Don't know them."
"They're carrying weapons!"
"I carry weapons too."
"The feeling is..."
"Don't seem like good people?"
"Yes!"
I laughed.
That was the source of the commotion.
Don't seem like good people.
Yet they possess power.
"Jena, what do you think of those people?"
"The Mane Wolf Mercenary Corps? Hmm? Sister Edith seems nice. Don't know about the others."
Looking back at Joffrey, I said.
"So Joffrey-ssi, what do you want me to do? Protect you?"
"I'd be grateful if you would..."
"For free?"
"W-well..."
I looked around.
Dozens of pairs of eyes were watching me.
Those eyes held the same light as Joffrey's.
"If you want protection so badly, just get stronger yourselves. Slacking off during training, and now asking for help? Have you no shame? Besides, is there any guarantee those guys will harm you? This place is full of cowards."
"But you're strong!"
"So your survival method is to cling to someone who looks strong and grovel?"
Most of the 1-stars gathered here fall far short of even Dika, let alone Aaron.
No matter how untalented, they're not so weak they can't protect themselves. Yet, these guys barely swing swords in the training ground before returning, stuffing themselves with meat Jena hunted and Chloe cooked as their daily routine.
Not learning skills either.
If they wanted, they could have learned skills from Chloe or the artisans in their spare time.
These guys were very cunning.
Exploiting the fact that Amkena doesn't watch closely, they were just pretending to work hard to avoid synthesis.
Not that I plan to particularly harass or bully them.
Once the Master gets the hang of things, they'll disappear naturally anyway. But this is different.
"Get lost. Before I get angry."
The gathered people scattered hastily.
Remaining in the plaza were me, Jena, Aaron, and Dika.
The same four who went to Floor 6.
"Aaron."
"Yes, Hyungnim."
"While you were bleeding out and dying, those guys were poking one or two goblins and then sleeping like logs."
"I know that."
"Then straighten your face. It looks bad."
"Yes..."
I looked at Dika.
"So Dika, what happened?"
"What do you mean..."
"What happened, I said. You fought just now."
"How did you know?"
"Your face is bruised like a punching bag, think I wouldn't notice?"
Though it looked better now, when he first came to the plaza, Dika's face was swollen purplish. Clear signs of being beaten.
Dika replied with a sullen expression.
"I-It was just simple sparring. A newcomer requested sparring, and fighting led to this."
"Is that really all? Aaron, you saw it too, right?"
Aaron, clenching his fists, closed his eyes tightly and said.
"That wasn't all."
"...Alright. Go rest."
"Hyungnim..."
"I'm just gonna watch those guys for a bit."
It was very late.
Aaron and Dika bowed to me and returned to the dorm.
"Why aren't you going back?"
Jena whistled beside me, pretending to look elsewhere.
I smirked.