The minotaur didn't fade.
It stayed where it fell.
Its massive body lay sprawled across the cracked entrance of the parking structure, blood slowly seeping into the fractured concrete. One of its horns had snapped slightly on impact, and its chest no longer rose.
Still.
Heavy.
Final.
No one spoke at first.
Marcus leaned forward, hands on his knees, dragging in air like he'd just run a mile. Dana stood a few steps away, flexing her fingers as the faint shimmer over her skin slowly faded. Chris wiped sweat from his forehead, his eyes still fixed on the corpse. Lila didn't move at all, just stared.
Rowan stood closest to the body.
Unmoving.
Watching.
Ivy watched him.
Not the minotaur.
Him.
There was no relief in his expression. No disbelief.
Just calculation.
That was becoming a pattern.
A faint shimmer appeared in her vision.
[Divine Favor Updated]
She didn't need to focus to know it was high.
The fight had been different.
Harder.
More valuable.
But something else had already drawn everyone's attention.
The drops.
Light gathered slowly near the minotaur's body, condensing into solid form.
Coins first—dull silver, clinking faintly as they settled into a small pile.
Then a jagged fragment of horn, dark and dense, pulsing faintly with residual energy.
And finally—
The orb.
It hovered just above the ground, larger than the others they had seen. Its surface wasn't calm. Light flickered beneath it in sharp pulses, thin arcs of energy tracing along its shell.
Stronger.
Everyone felt it.
No one moved.
Then Marcus straightened slightly. "…That's different."
Dana nodded. "Yeah. That's not common."
Chris swallowed. "…We check it first."
Rowan didn't say anything.
He didn't need to.
Ivy stepped forward.
The others didn't stop her.
She reached out—not touching the orb, just focusing.
The surface shifted.
The light inside it sharpened, forming into something clearer.
Then the information appeared.
[Rare Divine Orb]
[Contained Blessing: Thunder Mark]
[Type: Combat / Enhancement]
[Description: Imprints a target with a charged mark. Marked enemies take increased damage and trigger amplified effects when struck with electrical abilities.]
[Stat Bonuses:]
+6 Intelligence
+4 Perception
Silence followed.
Then—
"…That's strong," Marcus said quietly.
Dana crossed her arms. "Yeah. That's not something we ignore."
Chris shifted his weight. "…We all fought it."
There it was.
Ivy stepped back slightly.
Watching.
This mattered more than the fight.
Because this—
This would decide how they worked together.
Or if they did at all.
Marcus rubbed the back of his neck. "We split coins. That's easy."
Dana gestured toward the orb. "That's not."
Chris looked at Rowan. "…You're thinking the same thing, aren't you?"
Rowan finally moved.
He stepped forward—not toward the orb.
Toward them.
"It's not about who deserves it," he said.
The tone changed immediately.
Dana's eyes narrowed slightly. "Then what is it about?"
"Who uses it best."
Marcus exhaled. "…Alright. Say it."
Rowan gestured once toward the orb.
"That blessing enhances electrical abilities."
A pause.
Then Chris looked at him.
"…You."
Rowan didn't confirm it.
Didn't need to.
Dana tilted her head slightly. "Convenient."
"It's efficient," Rowan replied.
Tension built again.
Sharper this time.
Chris shook his head. "We can't just hand everything to one person."
"No," Rowan said. "But we also don't waste power."
That hit differently.
Ivy stepped in.
Not to take control.
Just to guide.
"Then we define the rule," she said calmly.
They looked at her.
"Drops get evaluated," she continued. "Not claimed."
Her voice was steady.
Measured.
"No one takes anything until we know what it is. Then we decide based on impact—not preference."
She let the words settle.
[Aphrodite's Grace – Passive Influence Active]
The shift was subtle.
But real.
Marcus's posture relaxed slightly. Dana's stance eased. Even Chris stopped pushing back.
Ivy felt it.
Not control.
Not force.
Alignment.
Marcus exhaled. "…Yeah. That works."
Chris hesitated.
Then nodded. "…As long as it actually makes us stronger."
Dana looked at Rowan.
"…Then prove it."
Rowan met her gaze.
"I will."
That was enough.
For now.
Ivy stepped back.
Rowan turned and picked up the orb.
It felt heavier than the others.
Denser.
He crushed it.
Light exploded outward.
[Rare Blessing Acquired: Thunder Mark]
Energy surged through him—sharp, precise. Thin arcs of electricity traced across his fingers, tighter and more controlled than before.
[Thunder Mark - Rare]
[Description: Imprints a target with a charged mark. Marked enemies take increased damage and trigger amplified effects when struck with electrical abilities.]
[Synergy Detected: Shock + Thunder Mark]
Rowan flexed his hand slightly.
Understanding settled instantly.
Not just stronger.
More efficient.
Ivy watched him.
He didn't test it.
Didn't question it.
He already knew how to use it.
That was dangerous.
Behind them, Chris spoke.
"…So what about the rest?"
The tension returned.
But this time—
Controlled.
Marcus crouched, picking up the coins. "These get split evenly."
Dana turned the horn fragment over in her hand. "This feels like crafting material… or equipment later."
Lila finally spoke, quieter now. "…We should keep things like that shared."
Rowan nodded once.
"Agreed."
They formed a loose circle.
"Evaluation first," Rowan said. "Then decision."
Marcus added, "And no one takes something without saying it."
Chris nodded. "…Yeah. No surprises."
Ivy watched the structure form.
It wasn't trust.
Not yet.
But it was something better.
A system.
Before anything else could be said—
Footsteps echoed from outside.
Not heavy.
Not monstrous.
Human.
Everyone turned.
Three figures stepped into the structure.
They weren't panicked.
But they weren't calm either.
Loose.
Unfocused.
One held a crowbar. Another a knife. The third scanned the space quickly, eyes sharp but restless.
They stopped when they saw the group.
Then the body.
Then the drops.
"…Damn," one of them said. "You guys already cleared it."
Marcus didn't respond.
The man smiled slightly.
"Good," he said. "Saves us the trouble."
He stepped forward.
Dana shifted her stance immediately.
Chris tensed.
Lila froze.
Rowan didn't move.
Ivy stepped slightly ahead.
Not aggressively.
Deliberately.
Her presence shifted.
[Aphrodite's Grace Activated]
The air softened.
The tension dulled—just slightly.
"Does it have to go that way?" she asked.
Her voice was calm.
Controlled.
The man hesitated.
Just for a second.
"…Depends," he said, slower now.
Ivy tilted her head slightly.
"We just killed that," she said, gesturing toward the minotaur. "You don't want that fight."
Logic.
Delivered gently.
Behind the man, the one with the knife shifted.
"…We don't need everything," he muttered.
The third glanced between them.
Uncertain.
Ivy felt the shift.
Small.
But real.
Rowan stepped forward.
"If you walk away now," he said calmly, "you keep what you have."
The tone changed.
Firm.
Final.
A line.
The man with the crowbar looked between them.
Then at the body.
Then back at Rowan.
"…Not worth it," he muttered.
They backed off.
Slowly.
No sudden moves.
No last attempt.
Just… retreat.
Their footsteps faded.
Silence returned.
Marcus let out a breath. "…That was close."
Dana glanced at Ivy. "…You did something."
Ivy met her gaze.
"I gave them an easier choice."
Rowan looked at her.
Understanding.
Not suspicion.
Good.
Outside, something roared in the distance.
Closer than before.
Rowan turned toward the entrance.
"They won't all walk away."
No one argued.
The world had shifted again.
Not just monsters.
Not just survival.
People were changing too.
Ivy stepped beside him.
"…Then we don't give them the chance," she said softly.
Rowan raised his hand slightly.
A faint spark flickered across his fingers.
Controlled.
Precise.
"No," he said.
His voice was steady.
"We don't."
The next step wasn't coming.
It was already here.