Dark Warlock in the Apocalypse

A day after Zachary's visit, Justin met Rachel as planned in the gnoll habitat. They swept through the area, taking down every gnoll in sight.

Thud!

"Keeng!"

"Got it!"

"Don't just stand there—finish it! Aim for the head!"

The hunting method was simple: Justin and his group would incapacitate the gnolls, and Rachel and her companions would rush in to finish them off. With the significant level difference between Justin's team and the gnolls, incapacitating them was not difficult. Both Justin and Nathan could attack safely from a distance, which helped a lot.

Given how low-level Rachel's team was, their levels were rising rapidly.

"Level up! Another level up!"

"Wow, that's already the third one today!"

"Long live the bus! Thank you, big brothers!"

Rachel's companions cheered repeatedly, raising their hands in triumph. Rachel clicked her tongue at their enthusiasm.

"Stop fooling around! Keep your stance right, and don't disobey the instructions from those helping us!"

"Yes, Captain!"

"We'll remember that!"

Though their attitude seemed light-hearted, it was clear that they recognized Rachel as their leader. After their playful responses, they immediately returned to a serious demeanor.

"Rachel's leadership is impressive. Have they fully accepted her as the leader after just one day?" Justin asked.

"Actually, there had been some disputes over the leadership role before. Some people were skeptical because Rachel is a woman, so she gave it up at first," Rachel explained.

Justin nodded. Indeed, Rachel looked quite delicate at first glance. On the other hand, Rodri, with his broad shoulders and sturdy build, seemed more reliable. But their true natures were the complete opposite.

"By the way, what is Justin planning to do now?" Rachel asked as she sidled up to him while they were scouting for another group of gnolls. The real purpose of today's hunt was to discuss where Justin would go next.

"To be honest, moving to Rachel's place wouldn't be recommended. Even she was getting close to a mental breakdown from the constant screams and wailing every day," Rachel said.

"It's the same here. The current leader is ready to quit because of the civilians' attitude, and the remaining candidate is just as bad as Rachel's leader," Justin said.

"Has Justin thought about running for the position?" Rachel asked.

"Not at all. Rachel wouldn't have wanted to become the leader back when the civilians were acting up either, right?" Justin replied.

Rachel let out a deep sigh. It was truly a case of extremes—cold water or boiling water. And they both shared the same sentiment of wanting neither.

"It's really frustrating. Pretending to be a tyrant or living under oppression, yet there's no other option," Rachel said.

"Actually, there is one more option," Justin said.

"What?"

"Reforming the civilians' mindset is difficult, but replacing a leader when the groundwork is already laid is relatively easy."

Rachel's expression hardened as she realized what Justin was suggesting.

"Is Justin planning to kill our leader?"

"To be precise, planning for a war."

"War...!"

Rachel bit her lip, likely recalling Nox's words about fighting, killing, and taking from others. Hearing it from Justin seemed to make it all the more real.

"Why? Does it not sit well with Rachel?" Justin asked.

"A little, yes."

"It was thought that Rachel hated her leader," Justin noted.

"I really do. I hate what he does, and I don't like him. But he's generous with his fellow pioneers."

Even if Rachel couldn't stand his personality, he respected her. That made betraying him difficult for her. Though their relationship wasn't great, he wasn't someone who abused his power to mistreat her.

"What if Rachel's leader decides to attack first?" Justin asked.

"Then Rachel will side with Justin. She doesn't have enough loyalty for that," Rachel replied.

So, it was only the idea of betraying someone who hadn't wronged her that was unsettling. If the other side betrayed her first, she wouldn't hesitate to turn against them.

"Got it. Then let's meet a few more times and try to find common ground," Justin suggested.

With that, Justin ended the conversation. But in reality, there was no need to find more common ground.

'In a few days, she'll have a different idea. Just need to wait until then.'

If the leader had started to manipulate the civilians, he would have developed a taste for control. However, he couldn't continue ruling with tyranny over a limited population of civilians for long. Executing those who displeased him would only decrease the number of people under his rule. To continue playing king, he would need to expand his number of civilians.

And the easiest way to increase the number of civilians was through conquest.

'Now that he knows there's a new territory, he won't be able to sit still.'

For now, he could pretend not to notice, but over time, the desire would consume him. And when he started showing his ambition, Rachel would be disgusted. Then, Justin could attack alongside Rachel's faction, which by then would have gained several levels.

Keeping these thoughts to himself, Justin continued hunting.

"Thank you so much for today," Rachel said.

"Why so formal? Is Rachel coming at the same time tomorrow?" Justin asked.

"Yes. Rachel looks forward to it."

Rachel smiled brightly as she bid Justin farewell. It wasn't a fake smile—she was genuinely happy. After all, everyone, including herself, had gained at least three levels today.

'Already level 9. Just one more level, and Rachel will reach level 10.'

It was said that every job gained a new skill at level 10. The skill for her class, the Barbarian, was [Rage], which drastically increased physical stats for a short period.

'With a new skill, Rachel's survivability will increase significantly.'

Having a secret weapon to use in a pinch was enough to bring peace of mind. In a world like this, a single combat skill was incredibly valuable. Rachel's companions seemed to share the same thought, all of them chatting with cheerful expressions.

As Rachel looked around at her companions, she suddenly noticed something odd.

"Wait, where's Rodri? He was with us just a moment ago."

"Oh, Rodri said he wasn't feeling well, so he decided to head back early," one of them replied.

"He left early? By himself?" Rachel asked.

"Yes. He said he already told you, Captain."

Rachel's expression hardened. She hadn't spoken to Rodri at all that day.

"You believed him? And before that, why didn't anyone stop him from going alone?"

"Well, he said it when we were parting ways at the forest entrance, so it seemed okay... We cleared that area on our way here, after all."

"Even so...! Ugh!"

It was true that once monsters were cleared, they wouldn't reappear in the same spot until the next day. As long as he retraced his steps precisely, there should be no risk of being attacked. But there were always exceptions. Theoretically, it made sense, but attempting it just because he felt sick?

It sounded like an excuse.

'This is a bad feeling.'

For Rodri, who was usually so cowardly, to take that risk—there must have been something important enough to justify it. What could be so important in this situation?

The more Rachel thought about it, the worse her imagination became.

"Does everyone still have some stamina left? Let's head back quickly!"

Though she thought it was already too late, Rachel picked up the pace, with Justin and his team following alongside her. Fortunately, both teams moved without complaint, racing through the forest together. They pushed forward as a unified group, eventually reaching the safe zone when—

"Well, you're quite late, aren't you? Must have leveled up quite a bit?"

"...!"