Somewhere distant, a blond woman clasped her hands, humming melodies as she looked at the dark sky. Clouds blocked the heavens. Winds carried cinders and ash as distant flames continued to rage on.
Then… it all became quiet for a while. Plants began to emerge from the soil, roots pulsed with mana as trees rapidly grew. Behind her, a man with long black hair and red eyes appeared; he raised his sword.
In an instant, he cleaved the heavens, ridding them of the dark clouds. The warm rays of the sun made their way down to the ground. A pair of beautiful sunny eyes finally opened. She looked at the man beside her with a smile.
"Thank you," she said. "Are you hurt anywhere?" she asked, circling him.
"I'm fine," the man replied coolly.
"Mm~hmm? Hilos, you always say that! You have to really tell me, okay?" she retorted as she lightly poked his cheek.
"Hmph…" Hilos scoffed, then chuckled. "I am fine, Hycin."
He looked at her, really looked at her.
Ever since they met, his world wasn't necessarily filled with less slaughter, but… seeing how she treats the world, a little bit of compassion was replanted within his heart. They might've met on the battlefield—him endlessly slaughtering her godly kin. Yet, she never said a word, even after abducting her and keeping her as a prisoner of war.
"I wonder…" Hycin suddenly voiced as she clasped his hand. "Do you think our future children will believe how gloomy the world used to be?"
"You assume as though I'd won."
Hycin smiled. "Hehe, you will, and I'll make everything pretty!" she softly laughed. "Also… You're not denying the children part?" she teased.
—This woman must've been dropped as a kid… something's wrong with her, alright, Hilos remarked inwardly. Then again… the world is simply wrong, he thought.
"Were you thinking something rude just now?" Hycin asked, tilting her head.
"Hah. You must've been dropped as a kid—"
"If so!" She didn't let him finish. "Then I'm glad I landed here on this earth to meet you!"
"…"
Though Hilos rarely spoke, he was rarely speechless. This world, this cruel world—it has no place for someone like her.
"I see," he simply said.
..
Having reminisced, Hilos awoke from his slumber. It had been like this ever since he'd awoken as a spirit, his consciousness fading in and out. When his subordinates noticed he was awake, they prepared him a feast even though a spirit didn't need to eat.
She said all that; in the end, she was all talk. Went ahead and died on her own, Hilos scoffed inwardly as he ate, having nothing better to do.
"Tsk. The food's disgusting."
Even in death. They were apart. The memories of a first love would never fade.
"Ignol," Hilos voiced abruptly. "Is Eterisa still alive?"
"Why are you asking that now, My Liege?" the dark armor replied.
"ANSWER ME."
"The Angel is most likely still alive… The Machina presumably couldn't kill her."
"I see," he calmly murmured. "Lay a finger on her, and you'd wish death a sentence kinder than any 'mercy'."
Ignol almost averted his gaze. He was quiet for a moment—nobody agreed to their relationship. But after he and the other betrayed their lord, who are they to condemn?
"Understood… We shall welcome the ang… Lady Eterisa, once found."
Hilos leaned back, chin resting on his palm.
At the very least, someone whom he treasured was still in this world.
…
..
Early in the morning, Amethely awoke first. Small rays of light pierced through the small gaps between the curtains. The room was dim. Alum was still asleep, breathing soundly as she felt his chest rise and fall.
"Mmnhg…?"
She blinked. Her amethyst eyes brightened. The warm heart in her chest was at peace, just as serene as a flower petal landing on still waters. She was wrapped in Alum's arm, his hand just resting on her stomach.
Albeit shy, she went ahead and did all that yesterday. She curled up close to his face, making sure not to wake him up, resting her head on the pillow beside his face. She placed his hand on his chest, then tucked him in properly.
"…"
W-We… Just thinking about it made her face melt—I wanted to cuddle up to him… but… But! I might just get… aroused again, she thought, unconsciously rubbing her thighs under the blanket. She covered her face, curling up a little. Too late... she squirmed restlessly.
She decided to take a few deep breaths. It was now cozy; the room was dim, warm, and she was at peace. For a while, she'd watch Alum's sleeping face. It was unusually innocent, relaxed, and vulnerable. His eyelashes were long and pretty; his bangs half-covered his shut eyes, and his slightly parted lips…
Amethely gulped, then lightly poked his cheek with a mock-frowned expression.
Isn't it unfair to be that handsome? She wondered.
After a while, Alum stirred, his eyes twitched for a moment before they slowly revealed a pair of golden jewels. His eyes shifted to the side, meeting hers. They widened, then, as if to study her, they slowly trickled down to her lips and chin before he averted them. His cheeks reddened slightly.
"Good morning," Amethely warmly said, cheeks faintly pink. She clenched her chest, looking at him adorably.
"Mm… Morning," Alum replied, scratching his cheek. He turned onto his side and looked her in the eyes. "Are you okay? Any discomfort?" he inquired.
Amethely bashfully shook her head. Her hair had gotten a little messier, clinging to her cheek. "I'm okay. But…" Her words trailed off.
It wasn't the first time he asked, but this time, she had a slightly different answer. Her emotions were running high at the time, after all.
Amethely slowly averted her eyes, then pressed her palms together in front of her mouth, fidgeting. Finally, her gaze returned to meet his, "J-Just… a little sore," her soft voice managed to stammer.
—Then suddenly, the guillotine's blade came down. "D-Don't worry… I…" Amethely's face grew increasingly hot. "I find it… reassuring. W-What about you?"
"…"
Alum's heart palpitated for a second—Urk… too Cute…? No wait… sexy…? Sexy-cute? His brain short-circuited for a moment. Then again, how was he supposed to reply to that?
"…!?" Amethely's eyes widened.
Alum had suddenly pulled her into a hug. Already melting, she wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her body closer to his. Alum leaned his forehead against hers, his eyes shaking like hers. Amethely closed her eyes, lips slightly parted.
"…"
Relaxing a little, Alum's complexion melted completely. Then, he softly placed his lips on hers.
..
After a while of cuddling, they decided to get dressed and head down to the dining hall. They had a light breakfast and went to meet the others by the lounge.
The plan was to have Jan and Jua scout the locations, which would take some time, considering Themp was all the way back in Ilifel.
Sarah and Phantom Dusk had last seen the drakes around Mornth Forest and the Bonsha Valley; it would take Jan roughly two hours to go back and forth with an additional scouting time.
Taking that into consideration, they needed to head out as soon as Jan returned with their location, meaning they might need to leave today.
Luna hadn't appeared in the guild's database either; she wouldn't be able to hunt with them. However… Alum thought it was a good thing since she could accompany Amethely.
And before long, around 3 pm, Jan and Jua returned. Everything was already prepared during the day at that point.
"Ailz," Amethely called his name, hugging him from behind as she buried her face in his back.
"Mm." Alum turned around and enveloped her in his arms, then kissed her forehead. "We'll see each other soon at the base."
"Nn, okay," Amethely melted into a smile.
Even with a hood on, face half covered, she still beamed with warmth.
Alum also smiled, then turned to Luna. "Take care," he said, patting her head.
"Mm, you too," she replied.
Both the girls waved as he boarded the levitating carriage. Pulled by large ground birds, they traversed the plains. They eventually arrived at the northern forest where Jan and Jua last saw them.
The crew decided to set up a camp and process the twin-tailed panther. It was a massive 250kg feline that had attacked their birds on the way. Though the meat wasn't in demand, their fur was rather nice.
Even though they aren't in the species control list, if they happened to attack, it was justified to kill them like any other predators.
"Currently, there are 3 crystal drakes further along the river, all fire resonant. Then there are 10 deeper into the crystalline forest," Jua said after coming back from scouting.
"Hmm, we should take the ones by the river," Turen said.
"You sure? These three are behemoths, easily a level 5 threat," Jan remarked.
"Oh? Isn't that better?" Turen grinned, leaving Nuli and Jua slightly exasperated.
Alum contemplated. Crystal drakes were usually heard animals, but at a certain age, around 50 and up, they begin to defect and live alone or in smaller groups. Though they are less aggressive, they also have more experience.
From his intel. The reason they leave the herd might have something to do with how certain predators hunt. It was not for flesh; the beasts were mostly metal and crystal.
To Alum, it made sense considering how strange the creatures of this world were. Some weren't even organic, some were a mix of organic and inorganic—like the crystal drakes who could process the metals.
They're not exactly hunters, but they will consume their attackers. Otherwise, they tend to eat rocks or inorganic flora like the ones in the crystalline forest. At a certain point, they grow so large that they can directly absorb mana from their scales.
Eventually, they would abstain from eating. Their organic parts would slowly crystallize, and they'd die once the brain reached that stage. Unlike inorganic beings, their sentience was tied to an organic brain.
They're quite intriguing creatures… Alum thought.
The conversation went on for a while. The logistics crew began to set up a barrier and other defenses for the night. The team leader, Ralph, walked up to them.
"Everything good?" he asked.
"Mm-hm! Currently, Hunbun and the others contemplate how many we should hunt or which ones we're going for," Nuli replied.
"Oh… well. It's up to you guys. My crew and I will be on standby for the time being."
"Got it," Nuli nodded.
"By the way… will you guys join us for dinner? I know you sold the panther to us, but since you guys took it down, the least I can do is offer a meal, right?" Ralph laughed.
"Sure!" Nuli exclaimed. "Do you mind if I join the cooking?" she asked.
"No, no… not a problem at all," Ralph slowly shook his head, crossing his arms in a relaxed manner. "We always appreciate an extra hand."
Nuli smiled. She then tugged on Turen's armor.
"I'll go cook. Whatever you decide, you have my vote~" she sweetly said as she pecked him on the cheek.
"Oh, thanks—I'll brief you about the rest of the plan before sleep."
Nuli made an X with her arms. "No, I just want to have silly talk during rest time—go over it during dinner instead."
Ralph and the crew burst out laughing at her response. Turen chuckled as he then heaved a sigh.
"Alright, Sugarbun, alright," he said, raising his hands.
…
..
It had gotten dark, and Night Ouen had to quickly finish the job the first thing in the morning. It was dark, and they went to sleep early. Phantoms screamed during the night.
When morning came with heavy fog, they made it out of the tents and prepared for the hunt. Jua stretched alongside Nuli. Turen finished his morning drink while Jan meditated.
Alum snacked on the treats he recently received from Amethely. There were crumbs on his face as he listlessly looked at the sky. Nobody pointed it out since it was a strangely endearing sight.
In 30 minutes, they'll be heading out.