CHAPTER 248: LOOPHOLE

But then Gork slowly lifted his head, and something shifted in his eyes.

A flicker of realization.

His lips moved, mouthing the word like he’d just stumbled on a hidden door in a room he thought he knew inside out.

"Intentionally?" he repeated under his breath. "So... what if you believe you can face a hundred goblins and survive... even though in reality you can’t. Does that mean I didn’t break the oath—since you didn’t intend to die?"

I raised a brow, tilting my head slightly. "I mean... if I truly don’t think I’ll die, and I do... then yeah, it wasn’t intentional. Was it?"

"Oh, lord..." Gork muttered, his face draining as the full implication hit him like a falling stone. "There’s a loophole."

"Did you know this?" he asked, horror creeping into his voice.

"No," I answered plainly. "Does it matter?"

"No... it doesn’t," Gork muttered under his breath, though he looked like his lifespan had just been shaved in half from the stress.

I watched the unease crawl across his face, his brows furrowed, shoulders tense, eyes darting—like he was replaying every bad scenario in his head. And despite that, I couldn’t help but grin. The guy was acting like I’d just asked him to walk into a volcano with a bucket of water.

He was worried over nothing.

I wasn’t about to throw him into something insane. I wasn’t that cruel.

Besides, I had no intention of putting this burden on anyone else. Not when I was fully capable. Between my innate skill and the pile of abilities I’d inherited from the Chosen I’d slain, I was more than armed for whatever was waiting. Not to mention the divine skills granted to me by the Overseer—each one strong enough to flip the odds entirely if needed.

Fear? No. That wasn’t what I felt.

I was ready. Eager, even.

Just then, Zarah spoke quietly from beside me. "Is Chief going to face the enemy alone again?"

I turned to face her, slowly, already knowing where this was heading. That’s right—I’d made a promise. I told her I’d start involving her more, that I’d stop shouldering everything on my own like some lone wanderer cursed to walk a bloody path. And I meant that.

But this mission... this wasn’t one I could afford to share.

Going solo wasn’t about pride. It was about precision. Simplicity. Control. Fewer moving parts, fewer risks. The garnet was too important, and the margin for error was razor-thin.

Still, I found myself struggling to string together the words. How do you tell someone to trust you... and then immediately ask them to stay behind?

"Zarah..." I started, but my voice trailed off.

She didn’t wait for me to finish.

"There’s no need to explain," she said softly, shaking her head. "It’s alright. I understand how serious this is. Taking us along would only slow you down. We’d be a liability, and you can’t afford that right now."

I stared at her for a second longer, feeling a warmth press behind my chest.

She understood.

I was grateful for that—more than she knew.

I turned toward Flogga and Narg, shifting the weight of the room back onto them.

"What do you think?" I asked, letting my gaze sweep over both. "I haven’t heard your opinions yet."

Flogga shrugged, her voice steady, unshaken as always. "You can do whatever you want, young totem. Just don’t die while doing it."

A short answer, but one that held weight. As always, she had my back, there no need for fanfare or sugarcoated warnings, just the truth. Do not die.

I nodded once, then turned to Narg. "And you?"

He straightened slightly, hands resting on the table, then said, "I feel the same as Granny Flogga. I trust your judgment, Chief. You haven’t led us wrong yet."

His words settled something in me.

They didn’t erase the risk, but they reminded me I wasn’t walking this path entirely alone.

Finally, I turned to the one who’d tried the hardest to stop me—Gork.

"And you?"

He looked tired, like his brain was still catching up to the decision already made. "Do I even have a choice in your plans?" he muttered, then let out a slow breath. "Fine. I’ll escort you there... if that’s what you really want."

"It is."

With that, I stood from my seat and stretched, rolling the tension out of my shoulders.

"Then the meeting’s adjourned," I said. "Let’s all get some well-deserved rest."

Flogga, Narg, and Gork filed out of the room without much fuss, each disappearing into the night with the weight of the coming day resting on their shoulders.

Zarah lingered a moment longer before rising from her seat. "I’ll go get our meal," she said softly, brushing her fingers across the back of my hand as she passed. I gave a slight nod and watched her leave.

With the room empty and quiet, I took the chance to head upstairs, curious to see what kind of quarters the former chief had kept for himself. The steps creaked under my feet, the air growing a little warmer as I reached the upper floor. It wasn’t grand, but it was clean—modest bedding tucked into the corner, a small stand with carved trinkets, and a map spread across the far table. That caught my eye.

I was still studying it when Zarah returned, a wooden tray in her hands carrying bowls of something that smelled surprisingly decent. We sat together on the floor, leaning against the wall as we ate in silence broken only by small talk—nothing important, just enough to keep the weight of tomorrow at bay.

Eventually, her head dropped onto my shoulder, her breathing soft and even. She was asleep.

I didn’t move her.

Instead, I returned my focus to the map, trying to make sense of the scattered markings, terrain lines, and what looked like patrol routes drawn in rough strokes.

My eyes narrowed, tracing over a symbol I didn’t recognize—

DING!

A system notification interrupted me.

And it was not one I wanted to see.

[You have not completed today’s Daily Quest]

[Daily Quest will end in 1 minute]

[Failure to complete will result in Penalty]

"Shit!"