Out of the Norm Monster!

"Ugh, I'm so sleepy... I just can't get over this jet lag." 

Taking advantage of the red light, I pop a piece of gum into my mouth to stay awake. 

"It's 11 PM right now." 

I was just talking to myself, but a voice answers from the back seat. 

"I'm a night owl. This is when I should be getting started." 

"You should use this chance to fix your sleep schedule." 

"Hah. Like hell I will." 

The light turns green, and I slowly press down on the accelerator. 

"Damn it. Why are Bangladeshi roads so narrow and winding? And driving on the left side makes it even worse." 

"You're always complaining, Cass." 

"Then why don't you drive? You're treating me like a chauffeur..." 

"Unfortunately for you, I don't have an international driver's license." 

"Tch. As if a little thing like that ever stopped you before." 

"Besides, you may have a foul mouth, but you're the most careful driver I know. It's actually kind of cute how it shows your true personality." 

"..." 

I wanted to snap back, but no words came to me. 

I glare at the rearview mirror. 

The woman in the pantsuit just shrugs playfully. 

She chuckles, but I ignore her. 

(Arguing with her is pointless...) 

After about thirty minutes, we arrive at our base. 

I let out a breath and unbuckle my seatbelt. 

"We're here." 

"..." 

"Hey, did you hear me?" 

No response. 

I turn around to see Amanda glued to her device. 

"Oi! Amanda!" 

"Hmm? What?" 

"I said we're here!" 

"Already? I gotta say, Cass, your driving is smooth and stress-free." 

"Flattery ain't gonna work now!" 

Dealing with this woman is exhausting. 

"What were you so focused on? Watching Shahzad again?" 

"Yeah." 

"Why bother? You're gonna meet him soon anyway." 

"Well, turns out Shahzad moved to a different base." 

"...What? From Gulshan Dungeon?" 

"Yeah. He's in Bashundhara Dungeon now. In Ward-17, you know, where Bashundhara Residence is." 

"...What the hell? It took us forever to get permission to enter Gulshan Dungeon." 

"Guess we have to rethink our approach." 

I can feel a headache coming on. 

"Wouldn't it be easiest to just stake out the gate and wait for him to come out?" 

"That's exactly what the Bangladeshi government doesn't want us to do." 

"..." 

I can understand why. 

If Amanda and Shahzad were to clash, the damage would be unimaginable. 

Even arranging a meeting required heavy negotiations. 

The government only agreed on the condition that they meet inside the dungeon, deep in the lower floors, as if by coincidence. 

"Honestly, they're scared of Shahzad for no reason. Government officials bowing to one guy? Ridiculous." 

"It just shows how majestic he is. That's why you agreed to work with me, isn't it?" 

"Then do something about it. You guys said I'd get to study Shahzad, that's why I let UD recruit me." 

"I know. Still, this timing is suspicious… Do you think the government tipped him off?" 

The air inside the car feels five degrees colder. 

"...No way." 

"Why not?" 

"Because they're just as scared of you as they are of him." 

I sigh. 

"No point talking about this here. Let's head inside." 

"..." 

"Amanda?" 

She's watching her screen again. 

I don't even have the energy to be mad anymore. 

(I get it, though...) 

Shahzad is blazing through the dungeon, cutting through the lower floors like a Minecraft speedrun. 

The intensity and thrill are addicting. 

On top of that, his streams are unpredictable. 

Catching them live is a rare treat. 

(...I kinda wanna watch too.) 

But I refuse to be like her. I shake off the urge. 

"Whatever. I'm going ahead." 

I step out of the car and enter the base. 

And immediately regret it. 

"...What the hell is this?" 

The living room is a complete mess. 

On the couch, Riya is sprawled out, sleeping with her stomach exposed. 

"Oi, Riya!" 

"...Mmm. Oh, hey, Casper. Morning." 

"It's the middle of the night, dumbass. And what the hell happened here?" 

"Leftover from a birthday party." 

"Whose birthday?" 

"New bondhus(friends)." 

Riya stretches and yawns. 

"You didn't... invite an outsider into our base, did you?" 

"Yeah, so?" 

"Wait, you seriously don't see the problem with that?!" 

"Nope." 

"Then don't do it..." 

I feel drained. 

(Everyone in this damn group is a pain in the ass...) 

"I couldn't help it. The smell was nostalgic." 

"What does that even mean?" 

Riya smirks like she's reminiscing about something. 

"Secret." 

"...At least clean up." 

"That's impossible." 

"Hah? Why?" 

"You already promised to clean it up." 

"The hell I did! Who did you make that promise to?!" 

"More importantly, Cass, you were late. Weren't you supposed to get here earlier?" 

"Yeah, well, I had business at the airport." 

"Oh? Picking someone up?" 

Before I can answer, she walks in. 

Amanda steps into the room. 

Riya shoots to her feet, standing at full attention. 

"Hey, Riya." 

"Good evening, Boss." 

Riya is tall, but Amanda is even taller. 

With her heels, she easily passes 180 cm. 

(Damn giants...) 

Amanda sits on a single-seater sofa. 

Her favorite chair, custom-made and placed in every base she owns. 

Despite the mess everywhere else, her spot is untouched. 

"This place is a disaster." 

"Uh, well..." 

"She had some friends over for a birthday party." 

Riya glares at me. 

Like a kid sulking over being tattled on. 

I smirk in response. 

"Oh? Making friends already?" 

"I'll clean it up right away..." 

"I'm not scolding you. It's a good thing. And don't worry, Casper will clean it up." 

"The hell I will!" 

"Heh. You act all mad, but you'll do it anyway, right, Riya?" 

"Yeah. Cass is a softie." 

"You bastards! Now I'm definitely not cleaning it up!" 

Yet somehow, I can already picture myself grumbling while tidying up. 

(Damn it... Out of all of us, I'm the most normal one... and I used to be called a lunatic back in academia...) 

"By the way, Riya. Can't you loosen up a little?" 

"You're my boss." 

"I wish you'd be more casual with me. Not as much as Cass, but still." 

"...Sorry." 

"See? That's what I mean." 

Amanda gives a wistful smile. 

"Maybe it's because she was raised by wolves, Cass. Seems like their hierarchy is strict." 

"How should I know? And if that's the case, she should respect me more. I'm your superior, Riya." 

"Screw you, blahh." 

"This bastard..." 

It's pointless. 

Riya doesn't care about rank. 

She probably doesn't even like me. 

But even if the President of a superpower or the head of the mafia stood before her, her attitude wouldn't change. 

The only reason he respects Amanda..

Is because she acknowledges her as her real superior.

Riya is no ordinary adventurer. 

She was raised by wolves. 

At 14, she was already an S-rank. 

Yet even she knows, she'll never beat Amanda. 

Adventurers are ranked from E to S. 

The system was made to minimize casualties. 

E-rank is just training, and only 40% of applicants pass. 

But above S-rank...

Only two people exist outside the system. 

Shahzad. 

And Amanda D. Hopkins. 

The woman who forced the creation of an international guild. 

Who commands four of the twelve S-rank adventurers. 

And who shares the title of the strongest with Shahzad...

An out-of-the-norm monster.