Chapter 119: Decisions

’Come on, Derek. It’s a dungeon core, not some worthless pebble,’ he thought. ’Something this valuable could make a real difference to my abilities.’

He lowered his gaze.

’But Mark has earned his share of the rewards, too. And I know exactly how I’d feel if someone pulled this kind of stunt on me.’

His fingers tightened briefly around the concealed object.

For a moment, he considered keeping quiet and pretending he had never found it. Mark would probably never discover what had happened, and Derek could absorb the core without having to explain anything.

The thought brought him no satisfaction.

Instead, it left him feeling as though he would be carrying an unnecessary burden long after they had left the dungeon.

He released a slow breath, allowing his shoulders to slump.

"Well, there goes that idea," he murmured.

Mark glanced toward him.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

"You’ve been saying that a lot today."

"Maybe you should stop asking so many questions."

"Maybe you should stop acting suspicious."

Derek rolled his eyes, but the remark struck closer to home than he wanted to admit.

He knew what he needed to do.

With one final glance at the core, he brought it out from its concealment and turned toward Mark. His expression was calmer now, although a trace of reluctance remained in his eyes.

Mark looked at the object, then at Derek.

"Huh? Where did you get that?"

"Found it over there," Derek replied, gesturing toward the stones where the core had been resting. "I picked it up a little while ago."

Mark’s eyebrows rose.

"You found the dungeon core and didn’t say anything?"

"I was going to."

"When? After we got back to school?"

"Don’t make it sound like I was planning a crime."

Mark folded his arms, waiting.

Derek sighed before extending the dungeon core toward him.

"Here. Take it. I found it a while ago, but you deserve it more."

Mark stared at the object for a moment without immediately accepting it.

Then he looked back at Derek, his expression shifting from surprise to mild amusement.

"Wait a second. Don’t tell me Hermione’s influence has gotten into you."

Derek frowned.

"What does Hermione have to do with this?"

"Think about it. Remember what happened at the hospital clinic? When I missed the competition position, she made a similar offer instead of keeping everything for herself."

Mark shook his head with a small smile.

"Now you’re doing the same thing. First Hermione, and now you. What’s next? Are you going to start giving motivational speeches about friendship?"

"Forget it. I knew I shouldn’t have bothered."

Derek began to pull the core back, but Mark raised a hand to stop him.

"Hold on. I didn’t say I was refusing it because I think you don’t deserve it."

"Then take it."

"You really want me to?"

"That’s what I’ve been trying to do this entire time."

Mark studied the dungeon core again. Its faint energy fluctuations were noticeable even from where he stood, and he could understand why Derek had been tempted to keep it.

For someone whose abilities were closely connected to diamonds, a high-quality dungeon core would undoubtedly be valuable. Depending on how he absorbed and processed its energy, it could offer opportunities for development that ordinary materials might never provide.

Mark also understood Derek well enough to recognize that his friend’s interest in valuable things wasn’t something that had appeared overnight.

He considered the offer for a moment before waving his hand.

"You can keep it."

Derek blinked.

"What?"

"I said you can keep it. I know you really want it, and after the help you’ve given me, I don’t see why you shouldn’t have something useful out of this."

Derek looked at him as though he hadn’t expected that response.

"But it’s a dungeon core. We both know how valuable this thing is."

"Of course I do."

"And you’re just going to let me have it?"

"Do you want me to change my mind?"

"No, but..."

"Then stop making that face."

Mark chuckled and gestured toward the core.

"Seriously, take it. You’ve helped me enough already. I can manage without this one for now."

Derek hesitated, still uncertain whether accepting the offer was the right thing to do.

"Are you sure? I’m not going to pretend I don’t want it."

"That’s the first honest thing you’ve said in the last five minutes."

"Hey!"

Mark laughed.

"Come on, doofus. I’m not going to stand here all day arguing over a dungeon core. Take it before I decide to use it as a paperweight."

Derek shook his head, a reluctant smile appearing on his face.

"You’re an idiot."

"And yet you’re the one who’s been holding a valuable object while looking like you just confessed to a crime."

"Fine, fine. I’ll take it."

He accepted the core’s weight in his palm, looking at Mark with renewed appreciation.

"Thanks. I mean it."

Mark gave him a casual wave.

"Don’t mention it. Just make sure you don’t waste it."

"I wouldn’t dream of it."

"And try not to get distracted by the next shiny thing you see."

Derek immediately looked offended.

"That’s an outrageous accusation."

"Is it?"

"Absolutely."

"Right. I’ll remember that the next time I catch you staring at a pile of precious stones."

Derek snorted.

"Whatever you say, doofus."

With that, he focused on the dungeon core and began drawing its energy into himself.

The moment he initiated the process, the object responded with a powerful surge. A concentrated wave of energy spread through his palm, flowing into his body before gradually extending deeper into his soul. The sensation was far more intense than he had anticipated, and he instinctively straightened as the energy circulated through him.

His diamond armor shimmered faintly, its surface reflecting the surrounding light in a brief, brilliant flash. The energy coursing through him felt dense and remarkably pure, carrying a distinct quality that separated it from the weaker cores he had encountered before.

Derek closed his eyes and concentrated on controlling the absorption. He didn’t want the sudden influx of power to disrupt his body’s natural balance, especially after the exhausting battle he had just endured.

For several moments, the surrounding chamber seemed to grow quieter as he focused entirely on the process.

Then the glow gradually faded.

When Derek finally opened his eyes, the dungeon core had disappeared into his body and soul, leaving behind no trace of its former presence.

He exhaled slowly, examining the sensation of energy lingering within him.

"Well, that’s something."

Mark watched him with interest.

"How does it feel?"

"Pretty good. The energy is much more concentrated than I expected."

"Can you tell what tier it belongs to?"

Derek nodded thoughtfully.

"From the energy density and the way it reacted during absorption, I’d say it’s a high-level Elite-tier core. That confirms what I suspected about this dungeon."

Mark’s expression became more serious.

"An Elite-tier core? Then the creatures we fought weren’t ordinary dungeon monsters."

"Not even close. Their strength, their behavior, and the amount of energy surrounding them all point toward something much more organized than a random collection of powerful opponents."

Mark looked toward the fallen dinosaurs.

"That explains why they were so difficult to handle. Even with our abilities, we had to work for that victory."

"Exactly," Derek replied. "The core’s quality suggests that the dungeon itself was operating at a considerably higher level than we first assumed."

Mark fell silent, thinking through the implications.

Their encounter with Noah had already raised enough questions, but the discovery of such a valuable core made the situation even more suspicious. The dungeon’s opponents had been formidable, and the circumstances surrounding their appearance had never felt entirely natural.

He glanced toward the surrounding chamber, as though expecting to discover another clue among the scattered rocks and fallen creatures.

"Say, about Noah," Mark began. "He claimed he was behind all this scheme, right?"

Derek turned toward him.

"That’s what he said."

"Do you think it really has something to do with him alone? Because I’m starting to feel like there’s something much bigger going on here."

Derek considered the question.

"I’ve been wondering about that myself. Noah might have played a role, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he was responsible for everything. There’s too much about this place that we still don’t understand."

"Exactly. The core, the creatures, and the way everything unfolded. It all feels connected, but we don’t have enough information to work out how."

"Which is why we shouldn’t jump to conclusions."

Mark nodded slowly.

"Still, I don’t like the idea that someone might be using us for something we don’t understand."

"Neither do I," Derek admitted. "But whatever is going on, we can’t do much about it while we’re still stuck here."

He glanced around the chamber, taking in the fallen dinosaurs and the scattered remains of their battle.

"Besides, we have other problems to deal with first."

Mark raised an eyebrow.

"Such as?"

"Getting back to school before anyone notices we’ve been gone too long."

Mark’s expression changed immediately.

"Oh, right."

Derek gave him a knowing look.

"You remember that you have tests and assignments waiting for you, don’t you? Or have you decided that fighting dinosaurs counts as a valid excuse for missing everything?"

"Don’t start."

"You also don’t want to get punished again for coming late."

Mark groaned.

"Why do you have to remind me of that now? I was enjoying the feeling of finally surviving this place."

"Because someone has to remind you that your ordinary life still exists."

"Wonderful. I survive a dangerous dungeon, and my reward is going back to schoolwork."

"That’s life."

"That’s terrible."

Derek laughed under his breath.

Mark shook his head before a more serious thought occurred to him.

"Wait. You said the school shouldn’t know about everything that happened here. Why?"

Derek’s expression settled.

"Because if they find out what we’re dealing with, they’ll probably start paying closer attention to us. And I don’t mean the ordinary kind of attention."

Mark watched him carefully.

"You think they’d put us under surveillance?"

"They might. If the school has any idea how unusual this dungeon is, they could start monitoring our movements more closely. We don’t know what they already know, and I don’t intend to give them more information than necessary."

Mark tilted his head.

"So you’re saying we should keep everything quiet until we understand the situation better."

"Exactly. We need to figure out what happened here before deciding who deserves to hear about it."

Mark considered the explanation before giving a small nod.

"Fair enough. Although, I have to ask, how long have you been keeping secrets from the school?"

Derek glanced at him.

"What makes you think I’ve been keeping secrets?"

"Because you just explained the importance of keeping secrets with the confidence of someone who’s been doing it for years."

Derek shrugged.

"Maybe I have. Maybe I haven’t."

"That’s not an answer."

"It’s the only one you’re getting."

Mark sighed dramatically.

"Unbelievable. Here I am, thinking we’re supposed to be friends, and you’re still keeping things from me."

"You’re free to stop being my friend whenever you want."

"Don’t tempt me. Who else am I going to complain to when things go wrong?"

"Yourself. You’re pretty good at it."

Mark gave him an unimpressed look.

"You’re really enjoying this, aren’t you?"

"A little."

Penthesilea approached them again, her attention drawn by the shift in their conversation. She had finished examining the immediate surroundings and appeared satisfied that no new threat was approaching.

"Have you both finished discussing your secrets?" she asked.

Mark turned toward her.

"Apparently, Derek has a long history of keeping things to himself."

"That doesn’t surprise me," Penthesilea replied calmly.

Derek looked at her in disbelief.

"Whose side are you on?"

"The side that makes the most sense."

Mark laughed.

"See? Even she knows."

"Wonderful. I’ve been betrayed by everyone."

"You’re being dramatic," Mark said.

"And you’re being annoying."

"Good. That means we’re back to normal."

For a moment, the three of them stood together amid the aftermath of the battle. The chamber remained filled with the scent of dust and the lingering traces of energy left behind by the defeated creatures. Broken stones littered the floor, and the enormous bodies of their opponents lay motionless beneath the dim light.

Despite their victory, the atmosphere still carried a strange sense of uncertainty.

They had survived the encounter, secured a valuable dungeon core, and learned something about the level of power involved in this place. Yet none of those achievements explained why Noah had been involved or whether someone else had arranged the entire ordeal.

Mark glanced toward the distant passages one last time.

"So, what happens now?"

Derek followed his gaze.

"We wait."

"For what?"

"For the dungeon to finish whatever it’s about to do."

Mark frowned.

"That’s reassuring."

"What do you want me to say? That we’re going to walk out of here and everything will magically make sense?"

"That would be nice."

"Then you’re going to be disappointed."

Penthesilea folded her arms, keeping her attention on the chamber around them.

"If the dungeon is nearing its end, we should remain prepared for any changes in the environment. The energy fluctuations may become unstable as the structure begins to collapse."

Mark nodded.

"Understood. No wandering off, no touching anything strange, and no picking fights with whatever appears next."

Derek looked at him.

"You make it sound as though you’re the one who needs those instructions."

"Considering what we’ve been through, I think they apply to everyone."

"Fair enough."

The three of them settled into a cautious wait, examining their surroundings while remaining alert to any changes. Derek occasionally checked his newly absorbed energy, still fascinated by the power contained within the Elite-tier core. Mark, meanwhile, continued thinking about Noah and the possibility that their encounter had been part of a much larger scheme.

Neither of them could be certain what awaited them beyond the dungeon.

But one thing was clear.

Their raid was finally approaching its conclusion, and they needed to return to their ordinary lives before their absence raised unwanted questions.

Derek glanced toward Mark and allowed himself a small smile.

"Well, at least we can say we survived."

Mark snorted.

"Let’s wait until we’re actually out before celebrating."

"You’re no fun."

"And you’re too eager to celebrate."

Penthesilea gave them a final look before returning her attention to the surrounding chamber.

"Both of you should conserve your energy. We don’t know exactly when the dungeon will collapse."

Mark nodded.

"Right. We’ll wait until we’re back where we belong."

Derek leaned back slightly, his expression thoughtful as he continued examining the environment.

"Yeah. In no time, this place will crumble, and we’ll be back at our original spots."

With that, they remained together, waiting for the dungeon’s final changes while keeping a watchful eye on their surroundings.