Beside him, Drey remained completely calm, as if they had simply entered an ordinary training field instead of a place where monsters could appear at any second.
"Stay behind me," Drey said without looking back.
Ethan frowned. "I know how to stay alive, thanks."
Drey finally glanced at him. "Then prove it by following instructions." His tone remained emotionless. "Do not wander around. Do not try to act brave. If you want my protection and do not want to die, stay where I can see you."
Ethan rolled his eyes. Was this guy incapable of saying anything without sounding arrogant? Before he could reply, the other Sentinels who had entered with them approached Drey.
"Good luck, Lord Drey."
"May your team achieve the highest score."
Drey only acknowledged them with a slight nod before continuing forward.
Their respect toward Drey was obvious Ethan thought as he watched them leave toward different directions and couldn’t help but notice the difference between how everyone treated Drey compared to him.
Of course.
One was the empire’s youngest and strongest S-class Sentinel.
The other was an F-rank Guide everyone considered useless.
No wonder.
Drey ignored everything else completely and closed his eyes for a moment. A few seconds later, he opened them again. "I located the monsters."
Ethan raised an eyebrow.
Okay.... That was fast.
He had to admit, Drey’s abilities were impressive.
"The highest-ranked monsters are located deeper inside the rift," Drey continued. "But we won’t be going there."
Ethan looked at him suspiciously. "Why?"
Drey eyed him. "Because I’m stuck with you."
Ethan’s eyebrow twitched as Drey continued
"If we go there, you will die within seconds."
There it was.
The unnecessary insult.
Ethan scoffed. "That hurts my pride, you know."
Unfortunately, the annoying part was that Drey was right. This body was weak.
Even if his mind carried the experience of surviving a zombie apocalypse, this Ethan Ashford was still an F-rank Guide who had never properly fought before.
He wasn’t foolish enough to ignore reality. "So what are you saying?"
Drey looked ahead. "We will hunt middle-ranked monsters."
Ethan raised an eyebrow. "Middle-ranked?"
"Yeah, they’ll take me only a few minutes, maybe even seconds, to defeat. Meanwhile, the other S-Class teams will waste far more time fighting higher-ranked monsters, especially if they focus only on the strongest ones."
Drey’s expression remained indifferent as he continued "I’m strong enough and fast enough that collecting enough points from middle-ranked monsters will still give us a surplus. There is no need to waste time risking your life for higher points when I can gather enough without difficulty."
Ethan considered the plan.
It was still risky.
But compared to charging into the deeper areas filled with high-level monsters, this was obviously the better choice.
Besides, he had fought countless zombies during the apocalypse. If not for the fact that this body was currently weak and inexperienced, he was certain this wouldn’t have been nearly as terrifying as it seemed.
"Fine," Ethan agreed.
Drey nodded once before moving forward. The next moment, Ethan barely had time to react before Drey grabbed him and moved.
The world blurred.
Wind rushed past his ears as everything around him disappeared into streaks of color. When Ethan’s feet’s finally touched the ground again, he looked around in surprise, they had already arrived in another section of the rift.
This area was far more active, large creatures moved between the twisted trees, their bodies covered with thick armor-like skin. Some resembled mutated beasts, while others had strange humanoid forms with sharp claws and glowing eyes.
Middle-ranked monsters they were still dangerous, but not impossible.
Drey stepped forward. "Stay behind me."
Ethan clicked his tounge, how annoying "I heard you the first time."
Drey ignored his comment his cold gaze fixed on Ethan "Do not wander off. I don’t want to be blamed for my ex-fiancé’s death."
The way he said it made Ethan want to argue, but before he could, Drey had already moved. And it was then Ethan understood why everyone called him the Empire’s strongest, youngest S-class Sentinel.
Drey was terrifying.
His movements were too fast for ordinary eyes to follow. Every strike was precise, every attack calculated. The monsters barely had time to react before being eliminated one after another. Whether it was speed, strength, or control over his abilities, Drey displayed complete dominance over the battlefield.
Ethan watched silently.
Okay.
He was good.
No, good wasn’t even the right word.
If someone like Drey had existed during the apocalypse in his previous life, he probably would have been completely unstoppable.
As much as Ethan hated admitting it...
The man was impressive.
Ethan leaned against a tree, watching as Drey continued clearing monsters with ease. For once, he actually followed instructions.
He stayed back, didn’t interfere and simply observed.
Until suddenly—
A strange sound came from behind him.
A low, guttural growl.
Ethan froze.
Slowly...
Very slowly...
He turned around and his body instantly went still.
Standing only a few steps away was a terrifying creature unlike anything he had ever seen.
Its body was covered in dark, rough scales, almost like a twisted combination between a reptile and a beast. Its long claws scraped against the ground, while saliva dripped from its sharp teeth as it stared at him with hungry eyes.
Ethan didn’t think.
His body reacted before his mind could. His hand immediately grabbing the knife he had carried before throwing it forward with all his strength.
The blade struck the creature.
Then again.
And again.
He didn’t stop as he fought on pure instinct, but this body was not the one he had in his previous life. And the monster was stronger than he expected.
The next second...
A powerful kick slammed directly into Ethan’s body. Pain instantly exploded through his body as he was thrown backward.
"Damn it—"
His back collided with something solid.
Or rather...
Someone.
Before he could react, both of them fell.
The impact forced the air from his lungs as Ethan landed against the ground, and before he could push himself up, another weight settled above him.
Drey.
For a moment, everything froze.
Ethan stared up at him.
Drey stared down at him.
Their position was far too close, with Ethan trapped beneath him and Drey’s hands braced on either side of his body to prevent crushing him completely.
Drey’s expression changed slightly as he looked at their current situation his Adam’s apple moving as he swallowed.
He closed his eyes briefly then took a slow breath, as if trying to calm himself.
Then he lowered his head, bringing his lips close to Ethan’s ear. "It seems your promise of not playing any dirty tricks to get close to me was just a bluff."
Ethan’s eyes widened.
Was this man seriously saying this right now?
Drey’s lips curved slightly, his usual arrogance returning.
"Well, as much as I appreciate the fact that you’re offering yourself to me..."
His gaze flickered between them.
"Now isn’t exactly a good time."