Astera.
The twilight afterglow spilled over the high towers of Astera, dyeing the entire camp in gold and crimson.
Leon landed with the returning Wingdrake. His wounds had already scabbed over, but the crimson stain on his shoulder remained striking.
Yuri had been waiting on the platform and hurried forward the moment he saw Leon's silhouette.
"You're finally back." Yuri's gaze fell on Leon's untreated injury as he scolded, "You're still the same. You never come back to treat your wounds first after a hunt ends."
Leon smiled faintly. "Isn't this just what a hunter does?"
Yuri rolled his eyes and gave a wry smile. "A hunter? You're going to lose your life at this rate. Just get to the medical ward already."
"It's just a scratch, I'm fine." Leon tried to change the subject. "Where are Flora and Ramsey?"
He remembered Yuri mentioning before he left that the two were headed to the Elder's Recess, so he asked casually.
At those words, Yuri's expression changed instantly.
"Flora..." Yuri lowered his head, his voice trembling slightly. "She's hurt. It's bad."
Leon's heart tightened. His tone sharpened involuntarily as he pressed, "What happened?"
"A little while ago, Ramsey brought Flora back. Both of them were injured..." Yuri said.
"Where are they now?" Leon's face darkened, his fists clenching slightly.
"They're in the medical ward. Flora just made it out of the critical phase, but she's still unconscious," Yuri continued. "If you're going to see her now, be quiet. She lost a lot of blood, and the outlook isn't great yet."
Leon didn't say another word. He strode off the platform and headed straight for the base's medical area.
At the end of the corridor, the lights were dim, and the air was thick with the scent of mixed herbs.
He pushed aside the curtain.
Leon saw Flora lying quietly on the bed. Her face was pale, beads of cold sweat dotting her forehead. Thick bandages wrapped around her flank, with blood already soaking through the outermost layer.
A small figure sat beside her.
Coco's eyes were red as it helped change the cold compress, muttering something under its breath.
"Flora..."
Leon walked to the bedside, his throat tightening.
Coco looked up. Seeing it was Leon, its eyes wavered. "Flora was hurt really badly this time. It's my fault... I was too slow getting her onto the cart..."
"You did well," Leon said calmly, though his voice carried a low, suppressed heat. "Bringing her back was the best possible outcome."
He didn't blame Coco, only silently reaching out to adjust the compress on Flora's forehead.
"..." Coco kept its head down, its paws tightly gripping a medicine bottle as it fell into silence.
In that moment,
The only sound in the medical ward was the soft bubbling of boiling herbs.
The curtain was gently lifted, and a tall man stepped inside. It was Ramsey.
His shoulder was bandaged, and one arm was still in a splint. Seeing Leon, he paused for a second before walking in to stand on the other side of the bed.
"Her condition just stabilized; it won't get worse for now," Ramsey said, his voice raspy. "The doctor said we have to observe her for two more days to see if she'll wake up."
Leon didn't look at Ramsey. His gaze remained fixed on Flora's pale face. "How did it come to this? What monster did you encounter?"
"I was careless." Ramsey bowed his head, his knuckles turning white as his voice grew strained. "We were only ordered to scout the outskirts of the Elder's Recess. We didn't intend to go deep, but after entering Area 5..."
He paused for a half-second before continuing, "We found abnormal traces—scorched crystals and signs of a violent struggle between large monsters."
"I judged it might be an Elder Dragon nesting in the depths. After discussing it with Flora, we decided to investigate further to gather intelligence."
Leon's brow furrowed, but he didn't interrupt.
"I didn't expect us to run into—Lunastra and Teostra." Ramsey's voice dropped, as if recalling a nightmare. "But they weren't in a normal state at all... Their bodies were covered in battle scars, scales were falling off, and their eyes were filled with pure bloodlust."
"We didn't even get close before they lunged at us almost simultaneously." Ramsey gave a bitter smile. "We chose to retreat immediately, but Flora was hit by Lunastra's fire breath while covering the rear... We only escaped because she forced them back with a Flash Pod..."
He paused, his voice hoarse. "I underestimated the danger there... I never expected two Elder Dragons to appear at once, let alone in such a frenzied state."
Leon fell silent for a long time after listening. His gaze remained on Flora's face, his eyes growing colder by the second.
He knew it was the Qurio again. If left unchecked, more hunters would surely be injured.
Leon suddenly asked, "Are they still there?"
Ramsey was stunned. "Who do you mean?"
"Those two Elder Dragons," Leon said coldly.
"There's no sign they've left," Ramsey said. "They're likely still active in the Elder's Recess. The scouting teams have all been pulled back; no one dares get close now."
Leon took a deep breath, his hands hanging at his sides slowly clenching. "I'll go."
Ramsey stammered, "You're going now?"
Leon's gaze was sharp as a blade. "If left alone, more hunters will only get hurt. At least I understand their situation..."
He paused for a second before adding, "Besides, those two Elder Dragons are already wounded. I can do this."
"Going alone is suicide," Ramsey frowned. "Their current state isn't right. Even an 8-star hunter wouldn't be certain of success, let alone a 5-star like you. How can you even think of going to the Elder's Recess?"
Leon didn't say anything more.
He simply looked down at Flora one last time, then turned to leave, his steps steady and resolute.
Coco looked up, wanting to call out to him, but ultimately said nothing.
Ramsey took a step out, standing by the curtain as he watched Leon's departing figure, but he didn't stop him either.
...
Commander's Office.
Two iron-walled guards blocked the main door, but Leon said without hesitation, "I want to see the Commander."
The guards frowned. "The Commander is holding a mission deployment meeting. No interruptions unless it's an emergency."
"I want to apply for an emergency quest," Leon said.
The two guards were stunned and shared a look. One of them whispered, "Are you crazy?"
"Please pass on the message," Leon said coldly.
The guard finally relented.
One of them hurried into the Commander's office.
A short while later, the doors opened.
Inside.
The Commander looked at Leon and asked, "We depart to hunt Malzeno in two days. What quest are you applying for?"
Leon stepped forward and said without hesitation, "I want to hunt Teostra and Lunastra."
The Commander frowned. "Reason?"
Leon's eyes were like blades. "They are highly likely affected by the Qurio. If not dealt with soon, more hunters will be injured or even killed."
"Do you know what level of monsters they are?" the Commander asked, puzzled. "Do you want to die alone?"
Leon looked up and said calmly, "This battle isn't just for the base; it's for myself. If I can't even handle two wounded Elder Dragons, how can I hunt Malzeno?"
The Commander stared at Leon for a long while in silence.
After some time, the Commander took out a piece of parchment and began writing.
Once finished, he stood up and handed the parchment to Leon. "Take it. But you must remember, hunting Malzeno is the top priority. Don't be late."
Leon took the parchment and replied earnestly, "Don't worry, I'll be on time."
The Commander narrowed his eyes slightly, watching him as if looking at a newly forged blade.
Leon then turned and left, his pace as before—fearless and without regret. He unfurled the parchment and read—
[QUEST NAME: PANDEMONIUM FORGETS]
[QUEST LEVEL: 8★]
[TARGET: SLAY TEOSTRA AND LUNASTRA]
[VERIFICATION ITEM: TEOSTRA AND LUNASTRA FANGS]
[LOCATION: ELDER'S RECESS]
[CLIENT: COMMANDER]
[DESCRIPTION: SPECIAL ASSIGNMENT!]
[REWARD: 28800Z]
[TIME LIMIT: NO LIMIT]
[Author's Note : If you're loving the story, a power_stone, review or comment means the world!
Want 40+ chapters ahead right now? Check my author profile or novel description for Patreon.]