"RUN! RUN! RUN!!!" Multiple voices screamed in unison, an unplanned chorus of desperation.
Eugene made a move to rush back for Ellie, but Rosaline seized him and hurled him backward. Charlwind caught the boy instantly.
"I'll get her! Edgar! Amalin! When I push the beds, catch them!" Rosaline barked urgent orders. Using 'Shadow's Speed,' she blurred across the distance to where the casualties lay.
"On it!"
"Understood!"
Amalin and Edgar replied.
Reaching the beds, Rosaline shoved the two metal frames carrying Malloch and the other wounded Hunter with all her might. Amalin and Edgar caught the headboards and sprinted forward alongside Charlwind.
Rosaline hoisted Ellie over her shoulder, running clumsily under the weight. 'Damn it! Dungeon Gates aren't supposed to have Bosses!'
The Cave Guardian's roar shattered the air again. Parasitic snakes and insects surged from the shadows on both sides. The group unleashed their skills without regard for mana, sprinting blindly while dragging the metal surgical beds behind them.
"Shield Bash!" "Gale Storm!" "Vroom vroom vroom!!!!" The last sound was Edgar, spinning his ice sword like a turbine to shred the encroaching swarm.
"How much further?!" Rosaline yelled at Charlwind.
"It's this way for sure! I don't know how far, but I can feel it—we're close!" Charlwind shouted back, hands busy fending off De-vons from the rear while Eugene clung to his shoulder.
"Feel it?! Are you serious, Professor?! Your feelings?!" Rosaline snapped back.
The others shot him with sharp glares, but no one had the breath to argue.
"How was I supposed to know this would happen? I didn't have time for measurements! Have some sympathy!" Charlwind retorted.
They argued as they ran until, finally, light began to leak from a tunnel deep ahead.
"The exit!" Edgar, in Adrian's form, cheered.
"It's the Gate connecting to the De-von dimension!" Charlwind shouted. "But I have two or three ways to force it into a portal back to our world!"
Hope flared in their eyes as they sprinted toward the light. But just as the exit loomed before them, a gargantuan shadow eclipsed their path.
THUD!
The massive Bat Guardian slammed down, kicking up a cloud of dust and blocking the way to the outside world. The group skidded to a halt.
"Dammit! We were so close!" Amalin raged, raising her ice pickaxe. Everyone could feel the wind being sucked toward the tunnel entrance.
Charlwind looked at the giant bat and turned to Eugene. "Eugene, can you move on your own?"
"A little. Professor, what are you doing?"
Ignoring the question, Charlwind set Eugene down and shoved a small, fuse-like device into his hand. "Once you reach the Gate, throw this into it. It'll disrupt the stability and force the destination back to our world for a short time."
"Then—!" Eugene shouted.
"Once the stability breaks, run through! You'll only have three minutes before the Gate collapses," Charlwind said, patting Eugene's shoulder. "Go."
"No, Professor!" Rosaline protested. "I'll stall it!"
"Get the wounded out, Hermit!! That is an order from your Team Leader!" Charlwind barked with absolute authority. "They can't afford to lose you. And I... I have my own ways of surviving."
Rosaline wanted to argue, but an order was an order. "Eugene, give me the device! Get on the bed! Edgar, watch Eugene! Mr. Alka, once we run, use your wind to its absolute limit!"
Eugene tossed the device to Rosaline and jumped onto the bed for Edgar to pull. Alka unleashed a storm to clear the parasites and irritate the Guardian's eyes.
'This is all the mana I have left,' Rosaline thought. "Domain: Meadow of Honor!! Domain Exclusive Skill: Freedom of the West Wind!"
Lush green grass erupted beneath their feet, spreading rapidly alongside the whispering wind. Their movement speed skyrocketed. They blurred past the De-vons, racing against the seconds before the skill vanished.
They saw the Gate—a massive, shimmering rainbow square. Rosaline hurled the device with all her strength; the rainbow shifted into a pale, glowing blue.
They plunged into the Gate, leaving Charlwind behind. In that final split second, Rosaline saw Charlwind firing grapple hooks into the walls, weaving a net of cables to block the Boss from following them. She grit her teeth and stepped through the light.
…
…
Rosaline's group emerged back at the mouth of the pit they had jumped into. Everyone was there... except Charlwind.
"They're back! Get the medics, hurry!" someone screamed.
As the medical units swarmed the survivors, Rosaline stood perfectly still. She looked down, whispering in a hollow voice, "It's happening again... just like before. What's the point of being S-Rank... what's the point of having Aeternum if I can't even save one person..."
Medics took Ellie from Rosaline's back. Eugene and the others were rushed to ambulances. Behind them, the pit began to fill with earth, smoothing over until it was just ordinary ground.
"Miss Grey Hood," Marvin, the young policeman, asked tentatively. "Where is Professor Charlwind?"
Rosaline looked at Marvin as her friends were wheeled away. She wanted to go back, but the Gate was gone. The path was severed.
"The Professor... he..." Rosaline's voice trembled. Her deep blue eyes welled with tears beneath her mask. Her hands shook with suppressed grief.
Marvin frowned. "What happened to him?"
Rosaline stood there, her body quivering with a silent sob.
"...What's this? Are you crying for me?"
The familiar voice made Rosaline freeze. She spun around. Charlwind was standing right behind her.
"Pro...fessor..." she stammered.
"You don't actually have to slay a Dungeon Gate Boss to close the Gate. S-Rank Hunters who are used to normal Dungeons tend to forget that... though, uh, I suppose I didn't mention it," Charlwind said with a sheepish laugh. "But I was surprised a Boss appeared. According to my studies, the chance was only 0.01 percent, so I didn't bring it up."
Rosaline's tears continued to fall as she stared at him, speechless.
"I'm touched you'd cry for me. I didn't think..." Charlwind's voice trailed off as his eyes widened, looking across the street.
Rosaline followed his gaze. A silver-haired young man with red eyes stood there, tall and lean in a polite dress shirt.
It was the real Adrian.
He stood on the other side of the road, staring back at Charlwind with a neutral expression. Charlwind's gaze, however, was unreadable—filled with a strange, unexpected intensity.
"Are you Professor Charlwind Ashworth?" A young woman accompanying Adrian walked up and offered a business card. "I'm Flora, from Giga Shop & Paramedic Super Exchange. We are a trading company trusted by customers for over ten years."
Rosaline watched Flora, feeling incredibly awkward. 'Isn't she the accountant?! And isn't today the company holiday?! Are you two on a date?!'
"Ah, a trading company? Thank you, but I need to head to the hospital first. I'll email you," Charlwind smiled, accepting the card. "And... the gentleman with you?"
"This is Adrian Vell, our top salesperson," Flora introduced. Adrian stepped closer to Charlwind.
"I'm Adrian Vell. It's a pleasure to meet you, Professor Ashworth," Adrian said in a polite yet composed voice. "Pardon my intrusion, but per regulations, outsiders shouldn't have contact with those who have just exited a Dungeon. I'll look forward to scheduling a proper meeting later."
The two men smiled at each other, but the meanings behind those smiles were worlds apart.
"I'll be going then," Charlwind said. "Grey Hood, see you at the hospital."
"Yes, Professor," Rosaline replied, preparing to slip away.
"Wait a moment, Miss Hunter," Flora called out. Rosaline nearly jumped. Flora scanned her figure curiously. "Have we... met before?"
"No," Rosaline answered shortly, deepening her voice. Her mask usually had a voice changer, but right now it was just a simple fox mask.
"Well, here is my card. If you're interested in trading services, do contact us," Flora said with a sweet smile. "Oh, and you too, Officer. Here is my card."
Marvin smiled as he took it. Rosaline's mouth twitched behind her mask. "Thank you. Excuse me."
From the corner of his eye, Adrian noticed a movement in the distance. He glanced toward it briefly before looking back.
"Miss Flora, it seems there are no other Hunters. Let's head back," Adrian said. "Since it's our day off, dinner is on me."
"Really? You're so kind today, Adrian! The Boss keeps telling me to get to know more Hunters; it's so tiring," Flora grumbled as they walked away.
…
…
Once everyone had dispersed, Rosaline slipped into an alleyway near some trash bins.
"There you are. I was wondering where you went." Rosaline looked at Edgar, who was still in Adrian's form, hiding behind a bin.
"Rosaline... Edgar is scared of Flora, waaaah," Edgar whined, his voice trembling.
"...You fought all those insects and you weren't scared," Rosaline said flatly.
"...Flora likes to tease Edgar... and she says mean things to me all the time..."
"...Sigh, honestly." Rosaline patted his head. "Well, get back into the inventory and rest. I'll check the hospital and then we'll head home. We'll have chocolate later, okay? You were very brave today, Edgar."
Edgar's eyes sparkled. "Edgar protected everyone just like I said, right? So you have to give me lots of chocolate!"
"Of course," Rosaline smiled. "Let's go."
— End of Chapter 1: The Hermit —