GDoc . To all of you who have been waiting so long for a curb stomp battle, here it is.

With his dying breath, the chief's second-in-command cast an explosion spell.

As he intended, the boom successfully caused his allies to return to Doria Village, but the sound also alerted Royce to the fact that the situation had changed.

Royce, along with the young woman who was waiting with him, hurried towards Doria Village.

"Are you scared?"

Breathing heavily as he moved, Royce asked her a question. Her face hidden in the hood she wore, the young woman didn't answer. She merely set her eyes straight ahead as she walked.

Impatience, Fear, Grief.

She was headed to a battlefield, but she felt none of those emotions, but rather, a solid determination.

She focused on walking straight ahead. She didn't answer the question, nor did her eyes waver.

Royce silently mocked himself as he moved his gaze away from the girl to stare forward once more.

'Well, it's a natural reaction.'

She had accompanied Kelvin, Wynn and Locke when they met back up with Royce. At that time, he could plainly see the wariness on her face.

Despite being in his mid-thirties, his belly was as fat as a beer barrel, his head was bald, his face was round and squishy, and his chin was flabby. Moreover, his sharp, appraising eyes made it look like he was always plotting something sinister.

Royce himself didn't realize how repulsed females would be upon seeing him for the first time.

She already didn't have a good impression of him, and also just had a bad experience. She couldn't be faulted for being wary of Royce.

It used up energy to talk while they moved.

Royce did not try to start another conversation with the girl.