Dark Warlock in the Apocalypse-Chapter 190: It’s far from fine

"It’s far from fine," Justin thought with a smirk, glancing at the pioneers standing behind Damian. As expected, their faces were dark with exhaustion and tension. It was only natural—most of them were far too under-leveled to handle the rock golems they had just faced.

"Most of them are in their late teens level-wise, or just entering the 20s," Justin observed. For an average pioneer, that was certainly a decent level. But this wasn’t just an average situation. For a force from a large territory with over a thousand civilians, considered elite, they fell short. By comparison, Justin’s own pioneers were all in their early 20s in level.

"They’re making up for their lack of levels with excellent teamwork and Damian’s buffs, but that has its limits when facing stone-type monsters with no blood or flesh," Justin mused.

Monsters, no matter how dangerous, were living creatures. Cut their legs, and they couldn’t walk properly. Break an arm, and they couldn’t wield a weapon. Even small injuries, when accumulated, would drastically reduce their combat power. But stone monsters like these rock golems had no such weaknesses. Even if their arms cracked or their legs crumbled, they’d keep moving as long as their core structure remained intact. The only way to defeat them was to break them to pieces—pure brute force was the only solution.

"For an enemy lacking in firepower, these things are practically their worst nightmare," Justin thought. No matter how good their teamwork or how many buffs they had, the fundamental issue of insufficient firepower couldn’t be solved. While Justin and Yu Ha-eun could step in and help their team if things got dangerous, Damian’s group didn’t have that luxury. A catastrophe could easily occur for them if things went wrong.

Still, Damian gritted his teeth and accepted Justin’s request. Refusing would be akin to admitting his group’s weakness, and that wasn’t something Damian could afford to do.

"Everyone, form battle formations! Split into groups of ten!" Damian ordered.

"Yes!" his pioneers responded, their faces set with determination as they moved forward with their weapons. They must have realized instinctively that if they showed weakness here, they’d lose all control of the situation to Justin’s group.

"Guooooo!"

"They’re coming!"

With a thunderous roar, the rock golems attacked, and light burst from Damian’s body as he activated his buffs. For Justin, it was going to be a tedious battle. For Damian’s group, it was a matter of life and death.

"Agh, I’m dying here…"

"Huff, huff, huff…"

A long while later, the battle finally ended, and voices emerged from both sides, though in stark contrast. Justin’s pioneers were exhausted but still in good spirits. In contrast, Damian’s pioneers were drenched in sweat, staggering and barely able to stand.

"Are you all right? Need some help?" Justin offered.

"Don’t worry! It’s nothing serious!" Damian replied, wiping the sweat from his brow and shaking his head vigorously. From the dark circles under his eyes, it was clear that his mental exhaustion was even worse than the physical toll.

"At least we managed to finish the fight at the same time," Damian said, trying to sound casual. "Neither side had to suffer more than the other."

"Pfft."

Justin couldn’t help but stifle a laugh. After all that panting and struggling, Damian was subtly trying to elevate himself to Justin’s level. But despite hearing the laughter, Damian didn’t flinch, acting as though nothing had happened. It seemed he had fully committed to playing the role of the thick-skinned leader.

"How about we rest for today? Both sides are tired from the intense battle, and since we’re in the same area where we just fought, it should be relatively safe from further attacks."

"Hmph! I was just about to suggest the same thing. Let’s do that," Justin agreed, suppressing the remnants of his laughter with a cough. Once the decision was made, both groups began preparing to set up camp.

Justin’s team pulled out their tents and sleeping bags, while Damian’s group laid out their nonwoven fabric and straw mats. It was an odd, unbalanced scene, but after two days of seeing the same thing, both sides had grown accustomed to it.

"Though no matter how accustomed they are, you can never stop the comparisons," Justin thought as he glanced around. Sure enough, a hint of superiority lingered on the faces of Justin’s pioneers, while traces of inferiority clung to Damian’s group. Yet Damian pretended not to notice and even went one step further by making another suggestion.

"How about we share a meal together as well? We’re all limited by our inventory capacity, so no matter how good the food is, you can get tired of eating the same things. Wouldn’t it be nice to swap side dishes?"

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"So you’re saying we should share our food?" Justin asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Exactly. There’s an old saying about eating from the same pot bringing people closer. It’s the perfect opportunity to bond," Damian responded.

Justin looked at him in surprise. Had Damian really chosen to drop all pretense? Perhaps Damian realized that keeping his distance would only make the feelings of inferiority grow. This could be his way of confronting the issue head-on.

"You’re trying to say we’re equals, aren’t you? Even if there’s a difference in levels, you want to make sure no one feels like they’re beneath anyone else," Justin thought. It wasn’t a bad approach. If they could solidify the idea of being equals, it would help ease the feelings of inferiority within Damian’s group.

"But there’s one thing he’s overlooked," Justin thought with a smile. In any other situation, this might have worked, but in the current context, it was a short-sighted move.

"Sounds good to me. It’s true that we’re allies, but things have been a bit distant. Let’s take this chance to bond."

"I knew you’d agree. It seems we’re of the same mind."

"If you want, feel free to come by our tents after dinner too. I’m sure there’s a lot we’re all curious about."

"Oh, would that be all right?" Damian’s eyes lit up, clearly seeing this as an opportunity to gather more information about Justin’s team.

Justin nodded with a wide smile. "Of course. We’re trying to build camaraderie, right? Just having dinner together seems too short. Besides, we’re almost at our destination."

"Well said. In that case, I won’t hold back," Damian replied, bowing lightly before walking away, a satisfied expression on his face.

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That expression, however, would soon crumble. It only took an hour after dinner for Damian’s mood to sour, as the first person to visit Justin’s tent wasn’t from his group—it was Grayson.

"Damn, those two days felt like two months. It was impossible to get a moment with you," Grayson grumbled as he collapsed into Justin’s tent.

He immediately began looking around, eventually fiddling with a sleeping bag next to him. "Wow, this is really nice. I know someone who wanted to buy one of these, but the price was way too steep. Looks like you’ve got some room in the budget."