CHAPTER 43: WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING?

The room fell quiet, filled only by the ambient beeps and low noises of the clinic’s machines.

For a second, it felt like the argument had left a crater between them, something neither of them knew how to cross without saying something they might regret.

Then, unexpectedly, Theodore let out a low scoff, the sound almost like a laugh.

Lea blinked. "Why are you laughing?"

He shook his head, still smirking like he was surprised by his own reaction. "It’s nothing. I just... I didn’t think you cared that much."

Her eyes went wide, face pulling into a look halfway between outrage and disbelief. "Are you an idiot?" she snapped. "I was just—"

But before she could finish laying into him, Theodore raised a hand in surrender, the grin fading into something gentler. "I know. I know. You don’t have to say it. I get it."

Lea hesitated, thrown off by the shift in energy. "Then what did you mean, when you said I didn’t need to worry?"

Theodore leaned back slightly, folding his arms across his chest. "Because I’m not joining just any guild. I got contacted by a really good one. After the Eastern District Gate Challenge, someone reached out."

Lea squinted. "What’s the Eastern District Gate Challenge?"

He blinked, face blank. "...Don’t worry about it."

His deadpan delivery made her snort in disbelief.

A second later, she actually laughed — a short, surprised sound that pulled her shoulders up and even made the monitor blip in time with the motion.

"You’re unbelievable," she muttered, still smiling.

Theodore just shrugged, finally looking more relaxed than he had since he walked into the room. "But I’m not lying. It’s a real offer. Better cut, safer runs, actual support team. It’s not perfect, but it’s better than bouncing jobs or joining some sketchy local guild that disappears every other month."

Lea looked at him for a long moment. There was still hesitation in her eyes, but the tension in her shoulders had finally started to fade. "This is good," she said quietly. "I mean— this is really good. Congratulations, Theo."

He smiled, that softer kind of smile that didn’t need to be big to mean something. "Thanks."

And just like that, the tension dissolved — not all of it, but enough for the moment to breathe again.

The lights flicked off with that exact kind of dramatic timing that made it feel like someone, somewhere, was watching this whole situation with popcorn in hand.

And when they flicked back on, everything had changed.

The sterile clinic was gone.

Now, Theodore was standing behind a BB-rank Hunter in full gear — a man built like someone who benched trauma and ate anxiety for breakfast — while his own hands were tucked stiffly behind his back like he was suddenly in the army.

His posture was perfect, painfully so, and there was a brief, terrifying moment where he wondered if his spine had locked in that position out of sheer panic.

And then the BB-rank turned around, grin wide enough to cause emotional damage, and bellowed with all the enthusiasm of a deranged children’s show host.

"ARE YOU READY, KIDS?!"

The all the students in the Hunter Prep Track shouted back in unison like they’d rehearsed this in some kind of dream.

"AYE, AYE, CAPTAIN!!"

The man cupped a hand to his ear, not satisfied.

"I CAN’T HEAR YOU!!"

This time, the birds flocked from the yell.

"AYE, AYE, CAPTAIN!!!"

Somewhere, in the deep folds of his soul, Theodore’s sanity quietly packed its bags and left.

’What the actual hell is happening,’ he thought, blinking in pure disbelief.

Was this a gate raid or a theme park ride sponsored by nostalgia?

While Theodore was standing there, questioning all of his life choices that led him to this moment and wondering if joining this guild meant mandatory karaoke nights or worse, ritualized SpongeBob chants, Lanz was off to the side, not even pretending to be helpful, just full-on living for the chaos.

Kenji looked like he was on the verge of tears. "LANZ, DON’T CRY, IDIOT!" he yelled, voice cracking in real time.

"You’re the one with tears in your eyes, dumbass," Leo said with a sigh, giving Kenji a look like he’d just stepped in something regrettable.

"Aren’t you sad, Leo?" Hiro asked, voice too soft, too innocent for the moment.

Leo turned toward him slowly. "Of course I am, but we have to stay— what the hell happened to you?!" he exclaimed, his body recoiled from the sight of Hiro’s face.

Hiro, bless him, looked like someone had turned on the emotional faucet and forgot to turn it off. His eyes were red, his nose was running, and he looked one wrong word away from a full breakdown.

"Sniff... nothing," Hiro mumbled, voice wobbling.

Meanwhile, Lanz stood up from where he was lounging like he wasn’t emotionally invested at all — because of course he wasn’t, he was the instigator. "Alright, I’m outta here! Good luck getting boddied by goblins to oblivion!" he shouted cheerfully, already halfway to the door.

Without missing a beat, the group of them waved him off in perfect, synchronized disrespect — all middle fingers up.

Lanz just laughed, not even mad. If anything, he looked proud.

Across the room, Talia had been watching everything unfold like it was a wildlife documentary. Arms crossed, expression unreadable, she looked calm. As always.

Lanz spotted her near the middle of the stadium. His grin softened. He mouthed something as he locked eyes with her, two simple words.

"Ace that sh*t."

And Talia... smiled.

Just a small smile. Barely there. But it was the kind of smile that could break glass, or hearts, or possibly both.

She turned forward without saying anything, but it was already too late — Lanz was cooked.

’F*cking hell,’ he thought as his face lit up red from the neck up, ears basically steaming. ’She’s gonna kill me with that smile.’

End of Chapter 43.

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ALT SYSTEM — USER PROFILE: ZERO

Level: 13

EXP: 64 / 130

Next Reward: +10 Stat Points to a chosen stat

Global System Tracking: DISABLED

World Rank Association: UNLINKED

Stats:

STR: 10 | AGI: 10 (Affinity) | VIT: 5 | DEX: 5 | INT: 11 | WIS: 5

[Available Stat Points: 0]

[Derived Stat — MANA: 55 / 55]

Skills:

[Crimson Slash Lv. 1]

[Phantom Stride Lv. 2]

[Blade Control Lv.1]

[Parry Timing Lv.1]

[Reflex Sync Lv.1] (Passive Skill)

[Combat Awareness Lv.2] (Passive Skill)

[Skill Fusion Menu: Active]

[Dev Tree: Tier 0 Access Granted]

[Developer Node – Fusion Core Anchor: Active]

[Skill Slot Available — Unassigned]

Equipment:

Aged Blade Fragment (??? Rarity) (Bound)

Goblin Dagger

Spiked Boar Tusk Shard

Lightweight Chest Padding

Boots of Basic Mobility

Fingerless Gloves (Basic)

Starter Cloak: Faded Black

Training Ring (+1 VIT)