Eugene and Rosaline temporarily swapped positions. The young man now led the way, using his skill to track Charlwind, guided only by the dagger conjured from the Professor's power. Thus far, Eugene showed no signs of abnormality, and strangely, nothing had emerged from the void to attack them.
Rosaline deactivated her Aeternum skill periodically to prevent her body from collapsing under the strain. At times, the world blurred into dizziness, forcing her to halt. While the muscle cramps from Malloch's electrocution had subsided, a lingering numbness still clung to her limbs. She shared her mana orbs with Eugene at intervals, replenishing his energy to maintain the Resonance Compass.
Finally, after nearly an hour of trekking, the glow of lamps and flashlights flickered ahead.
"It's not the Professor," Eugene noted, spotting a small group. Among them were Amalin—her skin tanned and weathered—and two low-rank Hunters who appeared unharmed.
"Grey Hood!" Amalin greeted her, her voice laced with relief. The grim, stressed lines on her face softened at the sight of Rosaline and Eugene. Both of her arms were wrapped in bandages, covering burns from the electrical discharge. Excluding Ellia and Rosaline, Amalin had been closest to Malloch during the clash, and her shield skill hadn't been enough to absorb the full brunt of the impact.
"Where is Ellia?" Eugene asked, his voice tight with anxiety as he rushed toward them.
Amalin shook her head. "Everything was too chaotic back then."
"But you were the closest to her at the time!" Eugene's voice rose, bordering on a shout.
"And what was I supposed to do?!" Amalin snapped back, her irritation flaring. "If it wasn't for that bastard, we wouldn't even be trapped down here!"
Rosaline let out a weary sigh and sat down on a plastic sheet spread over the ground. "I need to rest. Be quiet, all of you."
Amalin and Eugene started to protest, but one look at the masked Hunter's demeanor silenced them instantly. Eugene sat down near the group. After a moment, Amalin asked, "How did you find us?"
"I used Professor Charlwind's knife and my tracking skill. Though I'm surprised it led me to you," Eugene replied with a long sigh.
Amalin shrugged. "I don't know."
"Did you keep any of the Professor's knives on you?" Rosaline asked.
"No," Amalin answered shortly.
"Er, I have one," one of the low-rank Hunters sitting with his back to them spoke up, producing the blade. The mystery was solved.
"Regardless, the Professor will have to use his skill again eventually. We'll be able to regroup then," Rosaline said, closing her eyes to rest.
"But Ellia..." Eugene started again.
"Maybe she's with the Professor," Rosaline replied. She was still curious about the sudden gust of wind that had saved them, though she couldn't be certain of its source. "If she's not there, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it."
Eugene bit his lip, trying to suppress his agitation. He was far too restless to stay still.
Rosaline drifted into a shallow sleep where she sat. Forcing the Aeternum system while her body was still recovering had led to severe accumulated fatigue. The voices around her began to fade into the distance. Though she knew she shouldn't sleep, her body simply gave out.
"Grey Hood," Amalin called softly, not daring to touch her. "Grey Hood? Are you alright?"
After listening closely to ensure the Hunter was merely asleep from exhaustion, Amalin turned to Eugene. "I'll look after Grey Hood. You guys go scout the perimeter."
"Right now?" Eugene asked. The other two low-rank Hunters looked at Amalin in confusion.
"I just want to be sure it's safe. No need to go far, just a 50-meter radius," Amalin instructed. "Go together as a three-man team. Don't split up."
"Understood." Recalling Rosaline's earlier words, Eugene nodded. "We'll be right back."
Once they were gone, curiosity got the better of Amalin. She tentatively poked Rosaline with her pickaxe.
'I've heard rumors of a support Hunter who rarely appears in public—one of the three best supports in the Union. One who... prefers ordinary clothes, a hoodie, jeans, and most importantly, always hides behind a mask.'
In that moment, Rosaline's hand shot out, gripping the pickaxe even while she remained asleep. Her fingers tightened with an unnatural, crushing strength. Amalin felt a mix of admiration and terror, realizing she might truly be working alongside the legendary High-Rank Hunter, 'The Hermit.'
Eugene and the two low-rank Hunters ventured out, dropping cold glow sticks along the way to mark their path back through the dark.
"How could Malloch go that insane?" one of them asked.
"Who knows? He was always a nutjob," the other replied. "But I've never seen him use black lightning before. Did he always have a trump card like that?"
"How should I know? I don't even know if he's dead yet. Honestly, I hope he is. He was a pain in the ass," the first Hunter spat. "But man... that Grey Hood person was incredible. I don't know where she came from, but she's no ordinary Hunter. Maybe a High-Rank? What do you think, Eugene?"
"...I don't know," Eugene said, his mind flashing back to Rosaline's crimson eyes glowing like a blood moon. "But I think so too."
"See? I told you!" the Hunter exclaimed.
"I think we should keep it down," Eugene whispered, gripping his gun tightly and scanning the area with his flashlight. "We don't know what's waiting in the dark."
"True, but I really have to pee," the first Hunter said, veering off to one side.
"Me too," the second added, splitting off in another direction.
"Don't separate! Amalin told us to stay together!" Eugene urged.
"If you're scared, stay here. We'll only be a second," the first Hunter said before vanishing into the gloom.
Eugene closed his eyes and let out a heavy sigh. His nose had gone numb to the stench, but now he felt the urge to relieve himself as well. However, just as he was nearly finished...
"ARGH!" "HELP!"
"What happened?!" Eugene scrambled to buckle his belt and ran toward the screams. He recognized the voices of his fellow Hunters—agonized, tortured shrieks echoing from the surrounding darkness.
He reached the source but found neither of them. Only their flashlights lay on the ground, cast aside, amidst the fading echoes of their horrific cries.
Eugene's heart plummeted. He whirled around, his gun drawn and safety off, aiming wildly into the dark as he searched for the glow sticks he had dropped. When he found one, he began to back away toward the camp, his legs trembling uncontrollably.
"Come out! Come out, you coward!" Eugene screamed. His hands shook as the tortured voices finally fell silent. "Don't hide! Just come out and kill me!"
Nothing answered his roar. No strike, no ambush, no monstrous roar to declare an enemy.
There was only... a familiar voice.
"Eugene," a sweet, familiar voice whispered from behind him.
"Ellia!" Eugene spun around. His flashlight caught a silhouette resembling a girl being dragged backward by something.
"AAAH! Eugene, help! Help me!"
"Ellia!" Eugene sprinted toward the voice, heedless of anything else. Then, the sound of horror erupted again.
"No, no! Stop! AAAHHH!"
"ELLIA!"
Under the beam of his flashlight, Eugene saw Ellia. A massive, distorted De-von had already consumed half her body. It looked like a mass of liquid with a gaping maw full of jagged teeth where a face should be. Tentacles sprouted randomly from its body as it dripped saliva mixed with fresh blood.
"Eugene!"
The boy didn't hesitate. He unloaded his gun into the creature. "LET HER GO!"
The De-von bit through Ellia, severing her in half, before dissolving into a liquid state and slithering away.
Eugene rushed to the girl, who lay gasping for air. "Ellia... I..."
"Y-Eugene... you're never on time..." Ellia whispered, raising a blood-stained hand. Her lower half was gone, and the ground was soaked in a spreading crimson pool. "Whether it was Malloch harassing me... or the guild members blackmailing me with those videos..."
"I'm sorry..." Eugene sobbed, tears streaming down his face. He pressed his hand against hers. "Ellia, don't die... please."
"I love you... Eugene," she whispered weakly. "I love you..."
"I love you too," he replied through his tears. The world was a blur, but to him, she was as beautiful as ever in her final moments.
The girl smiled at her lover one last time before her eyes went vacant, her vibrant expression withering like a dying flower.
Eugene sat in stunned silence, his mind and heart retreating into memories of when they first became Hunters, dreaming of a better life—not knowing it would be a prison. The only thing that had kept him going was Ellia's smile. Even in the worst times, they had dreamed of a bright future together.
"Ellia..." Eugene's hands fell limp. "Is this... is this finally our 'freedom'?"
The boy raised his gun to his temple. He held his breath for a moment, letting out a final, broken sob.
Truthfully, Eugene didn't want to die. But... he had come here for their freedom. And now, Ellia was gone. No... she was finally free.
"Wait for me... Ellia. I'm coming with you." The boy closed his eyes, his shaking finger finally growing steady.
Before he pulled the trigger.
BANG!