Dimensional Descent

[Second chapter otw]

Leonel led Aina into the basement. The sudden movement caused everyone to look in his direction simultaneously, their gloominess on full display.

Kaela smiled somewhat weakly when she saw Leonel. Realizing that he was holding a girl's small hand, she looked over and gave a polite nod to Aina as well. As for the fact she was wearing a mask… Well, Kaela wore a lab coat everywhere, so who was she to judge.

Leonel scanned their faces. He couldn't help but feel a twang of guilt seeing their downcast expressions.

The truth was that Leonel wasn't very surprised to find them all here. It was clear and obvious that none of them cared to go to the arena after hearing the bells because they somewhat already knew what would happen.

However, what Leonel didn't expect was…

"I'm sorry!"

After a deep breath, Kaela suddenly stood and bowed to everyone. She did so, so deeply that her forehead almost rebounded against her shins. It would have almost been comical had tears she had been holding back not spilled forth at that very moment.

It was obvious to everyone that Kaela was only waiting for everyone to be present for her to give this apology. All her frustration and rage welled up in her eyes, flooding forth. It became obvious very quickly that she had only bowed so low in an attempt to hide the tears she could no longer hold back.

I should have known things wouldn't be

that she had failed as a leader. She had walked them all right into a trap and wasn't even any wiser. She knew that her former master wasn't such a nice person, and neither were his wives. Each was more evil than the last. To have trusted them was the worst mistake

falling to the

could lose balance, a strong arm had already

but his speed was much faster.

to Rum. But, the big man was just as

Kaela!" Litia immediately interjected, rushing up and helping Kaela to wipe her tears. "We'd never blame you for something so sinister. It

Litia's words. Even the quiet Thilly hummed in

him. Kaela was a convenient target not much unlike he was. Leonel had a feeling, though, that regardless of which Faction he had chosen to enter,

considered to have been wasted too. They had no Ores left, their merit points were now deemed useless, and even if by some miracle they managed to recover, who would buy from

Kaela couldn't hold back her stream of tears, her shoulders

safety of Valiant Hall because she believed her master wasn't looking out for her. Since then, despite having poor combat prowess as a Crafter, she managed to join Brave Peak and claw her way back, gathering a group

went, it seemed that she would run

was the soaring price of Ores, the monopoly on stores, the difficulty in completing a novel design with her lack of knowledge… It was like continuously climbing one

the last, instead of finding shining sun and colorful rainbows, she found a steep drop into an endless abyss she could never

torture and laborious work didn't break her, but

of her story, but she could still feel a shadow of something familiar when she looked at her. It almost felt like Aina was watching a possible ending for