Chapter 19: Prrr

The twin suns of Zenith City began their slow descent.

A cold breeze swept through the forest, rustling the leaves and carrying the scent of nature. Vell and Wren were still out cold, their bodies finally succumbing to exhaustion.

Yenna, however, started to stir. Her fingers twitched as the chill seeped into her bones. Her eyes fluttered open, her vision blurry at first, then slowly clearing to reveal the dark, unfamiliar trees around her. Memories flooded back—the Section Chief at her door, the flash of a blade, the searing pain in her stomach.

She tried to jump to her feet, but a sharp pain shot through her, making her collapse back to the ground with a gasp. She looked around, her mind racing. She was outside the city, and beside her, the man who had stabbed her lay unconscious, looking just as broken as she felt.

’How am I alive? What happened to the Section Chief? Why are we out here?’ So many questions, but no answers. The situation was more pressing than the questions, though.

’He looks tired. What happened while I was out? Did he save me? But why?’

She managed to crawl over to a large tree, leaning against its rough bark for support. Her yellow eyes, usually so bright and full of life, reflected the last rays of the setting sun. She looked peaceful, but it was just a mask.

’Why did they betray me? I just don’t understand…’

But that was a lie.

She knew exactly why. When she first joined Jolly’s team, they had welcomed her with open arms. They treated her as an equal, shared their rewards fairly. But over time, she started to see their true colors.

They’d refuse to help civilians unless there was a hefty payment involved. They’d use other, weaker players as bait to draw out monsters. She’d questioned Jolly’s orders, slowly becoming an outcast. She hated their methods, but what could she do? Finding a good team was hard, and living in the city was expensive.

’I knew they hated me, but… I didn’t think they would actually throw me under the bus like that. No, it’s my fault. I should have seen it coming. In this world, only the strong…’

Her eyes drifted to Vell’s sleeping form. Right in front of her was someone who completely contradicted the very point she was about to make.

’Hahaha, he sure is dangerous for a tamer. I wonder how much he’ll grow if given the chance.’

The sun finally dipped below the horizon, and the forest was plunged into darkness. A strong, disgusting stench immediately hit her nose. It was like rotten eggs and feces all mixed together, but there was something else in it too—a strange, cloying scent that felt like death approaching.

’Hold on, this is…’ Her head snapped toward the source of the smell as it grew stronger. ’Oh no. Why did you bring us into this cursed place?’

This forest looked normal during the day, but at night, it was a different story. Creatures that fed on fear and death emerged from the shadows. They were known as Niks, and they were rare, highly sought after by players for the valuable cores they dropped. But few who hunted them ever came back alive.

’Dammit, they’re coming. And I sense a lot of them.’ Her heart started pounding. ’Normally, these things would be no problem, but I’m too weak. And once a Nik lands even a tiny scratch on you, they say it can dominate your mind.’

They were approaching, taking their time, sensing her weakness. She desperately tried to get to her feet, but she didn’t have the strength. There wasn’t even a weapon in sight.

“Shit, shit. Why? Is this a sign? Why are Niks appearing? Are they perhaps attracted to something?”

She looked at Vell again, still unconscious. Her eyes lingered on him for a few seconds before she bit her lip and gripped the tree with all her might. She pulled herself to her feet, her body trembling, already out of breath.

“Dammit, I have no choice but to fight. I’ll die anyway, so I might as well go out fighting.”

She tried to take a step, but her body wouldn’t cooperate. She collapsed back to the ground. “Fuck.”

The Niks, seeing her struggle, seemed to smile, their shadowy forms twitching with amusement. They weren’t even moving anymore, just watching her, enjoying her despair before they moved in for the kill.

“Kugh, come on, Yenna. You may be weak, but you’re still a player. Get your ass off the ground.”

She tried again, slowly, painfully rising to her feet. But even her own self-motivation wasn’t enough. With nothing left to do, she gave up. She lay there, breathing heavily, the last of her fight gone. The Niks, seeing her surrender, finally resumed their slow, deliberate approach.

“So this is it, huh…” Memories of Vell played in her mind—their short time together, the easy way he smiled, the unexpected kindness. It was strange, but those brief moments had made her feel more alive than she had in months.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to betray you. The truth is, I’m just as bad as them. Despite knowing what terrible things they’ve done, I did nothing. I just watched. I’m a terrible person who deserves this.” She laughed, a weak, broken sound. “I wish I could at least tell you this instead of just thinking it… hahaha…”

One of the Niks leaped at her. She closed her eyes, bracing for the end.

But nothing happened.

She waited, her heart pounding, but death didn’t claim her. She slowly opened her eyes. The Niks were dead, their shadowy bodies lying in a heap in front of her. And on top of them, facing the remaining enemies, was Wren.

“A hunter.”

That was the only thought that came to her mind as she looked at the transformed weasel. The little beast’s runes glowed beautifully in the dark, her posture calm, confident—a predator ready to claim its prey.

“Amazing. I knew she was strong, but this is beyond my expectations.” Her attention shifted back to Vell, who was still fast asleep. “Just what did he go through for him to still be out?”

She looked back at Wren and noticed that the Niks she had killed were disappearing, leaving behind small, dark stones.

“T-there it is, the super rare core… Should I take it and use it? They’re known to boost mana conductivity, so that would mean my body could heal faster… No, stop being shameless. His beast defeated them, so that means it belongs to him. I just hope she can deal with that many.”

Her worries were pointless. Wren was in her element. Yenna couldn’t see it from her angle, but the little weasel was smiling.

“Prrrrr.”

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