Aurelius and Aurelia locked on with the Alpha Hyper and couldn't help their other teammates.

Hell, if they were distracted even for a moment, there was a huge risk of being injured and that would certainly mean the end of the battle. Worse, they would have to use the Return Crystal.

'If there was little help...'

Aurelius thought inwardly.

Maybe his prayers were answered, but he suddenly heard a loud familiar voice. "I will help you."

"Adrian?"

"Brother?"

Both looked in the direction of the voice and saw Adrian starting to kill the Hypers one after another.

An uncontrollable smile appeared on their faces and they turned back to the alpha with a newfound determination and focus.

But, their joy was short-lived as suddenly a swarm of Thunderflies filled the place.

Sensing another powerful aura, Alpha's their attention turned to the Thunderfly King who also looked in their direction.

Alpha let out a loud roar, directed at the Thunderfly King, and the Thunderfly King replied with a loud screech.

As the Alpha ThunderClap Hyper and the Thunderfly King locked eyes, a tense silence fell over the clearing. The air crackled with electricity as the two powerful creatures faced off, each sensing the other's strength and determination.

Aurelius and Aurelia braced themselves, ready to take advantage of the distraction to strike at the Alpha ThunderClap Hyper. But before they could make a move, Adrian stepped in and stopped the two.

"Let's retreat." He told them in a calm voice.

"B-But, t-the treasure." Aurelius wanted to say something but Adrian was one step ahead again.

"I got it, let's leave now."

"O-Oh, ok."

As Adrian's words sunk in, Aurelius and Aurelia realized the wisdom in his decision. With the Thunderfly King and the Alpha ThunderClap Hyper locked in a fierce battle, it was their chance to retreat without risking further injury.

"Alright," Aurelius agreed reluctantly, his gaze still fixed on the ongoing confrontation. "Let's fall back for now."

Aurelia nodded in agreement, her grip tightening on her weapon as she prepared to make a strategic retreat.

Adrian wasted no time. He quickly led the way, weaving through the swarm of Thunderflies with ease as he guided them out of the clearing and back into the safety of the forest.

As they retreated, the sounds of battle behind them grew fainter, replaced by the buzzing of the Thunderflies and the distant roar of the Alpha ThunderClap Hyper.

Once they were a safe distance away, Adrian finally came to a stop, allowing the others to catch their breath.

"T-Thank you for your help." Aurelius thanked Adrian while taking a deep breath.

"..." Adrian looked at him, pondering how to reply. "I didn't it to help you, not entirely I mean."

"Those flies were chasing me, so it can be said I used your situation to my advantage."

"Still, if not you have appeared, I'm not sure whether we would be able to defeat them." Aurelius shook his head, adamant on expressing his gratefulness.

"Yes, at worst, we would have to use the Return Crystal." Ren joined the conversation.

'Heh, if I hadn't intervened, you would have used your ability to crush all those monsters.' Adrian muttered inwardly. "OK, you can think however you want. Now, here take this, this is yours, right?"

He took out a bone which was medium in size. The bone emitted a faint blue light, pulsating with a mysterious energy that seemed to hum with power.

"Is this the treasure?" Aurelius asked after getting the bone. "We only saw the light it was emanating, but who knew it would be a bone..."

"Yeah, I managed to pick it up while the Alpha Hyper was distracted with you," Adrian said. "Now I have achieved my purpose, I will be taking my leave. I need to find my teammates after all."

"..." Aurelius was silent, his expression hesitant. 'S-Should I tell him? He helped us after all...'

'Not to mention, he is the strongest among us...'

'We can negotiate the terms later. And our chance of success will definitely increase.'

'We will even get Miss Aria's help since she is in his team...'

Adrian walked with slow steps, already anticipating what was about to happen.

"W-Wait!"

'Haha, the fish caught the bait.' He chuckled inwardly, a smile playing on his lips.

"What is it?" He turned back, his expression now indifferent.

Aurelius took a deep breath, gathering his courage as he stepped forward to address Adrian.

"We... We have a proposition for you," he began, his voice steady but tinged with uncertainty. "Since you've helped us, we thought... perhaps you might be interested in joining forces with us to acquire the artifact and conquer the Ruin."

Adrian raised an eyebrow, seemingly intrigued by Aurelius's proposal. "Go on."

"We have information on the location of the artifact and the guardian," Aurelius continued. "With your and your team's strength and expertise, our chances of success would increase drastically."

Aurelius's words seemed to resonate with the rest of his team, who nodded in agreement. They understood the value of having Adrian's team on their side, especially considering the dangers they would face later.

"We understand that you have your own objectives," Aurelius added quickly, not wanting to overstep. "But if you help us, we can negotiate how to divide the rewards. With your team and ours combined, we can ensure that everyone benefits."

'Oho, he already learned how to negotiate, huh.' Adrian quickly noted down on his mind. "Ok, I will discuss it with my team and then decide." He replied in a calm voice.

Aurelius and his team nodded, relieved that Adrian seemed open to the idea.

"Thank you, Adrian," Aurelius said with gratitude. "We look forward to hearing your decision. You can find it here. But we will leave after half an hour."

"Ok." Adrian nodded in response before turning to leave, his mind already racing with thoughts of how he could benefit from this situation.

As he walked away, Aurelius couldn't help but feel a sense of optimism. At the same time, Aurelia felt different kinds of emotions. Adrian didn't even look at her once this whole time after all.

'D-Does he really not care about me anymore?'