The group moved through the forest, following Jack. Finn and Daion carried the barrels; Finn did so without complaint, while Daion grumbled the entire way. When they'd told him this would be his first mission, he hadn't imagined they'd treat him like a pack mule. He clenched his teeth.
As they advanced, the forest began to change. The once lush trees twisted at unnatural angles, their dry, brittle leaves falling to the ground. Daion frowned.
"These aren't supposed to look like this, right?" he asked with mild disgust as he noticed some trunks oozing a reddish sap.
Finn shook his head.
"When the Corrupt reach a territory, they devour the Omega energy from all living things. This is what's left behind," he explained, his tone heavy.
A chill ran down Daion's spine. Now he understood why the people of SteelWall were terrified. They left behind nothing but lifeless wastelands.
But if they're after resources… what will they do if they win? he thought, glancing to the side. Between the dry leaves, a few animal bones jutted out. Will they consume everything and then what? Starve to death? He was tempted to ask, but it didn't feel like the right time… and he doubted anyone actually knew the answer.
"Hey, can I ask you something?" Daion quickened his pace to catch up with Finn.
Finn glanced at him, curious.
"Sure…"
"What do you think of the rest of the group?" Daion asked. He felt like some nosy old lady gossiping, but he still felt uneasy around them. His nerves kept tightening; his instincts urged caution, though he couldn't even explain why. Finn was the only one who didn't set him on edge—probably because he was a rookie too.
Finn thought for a few seconds.
"Well… there's not much to say." He adjusted the barrel he was carrying, which was starting to feel heavy. Daion, on the other hand, seemed to carry his easily. "Haruka's pretty nice, though she never says out loud what she's really thinking. Minjae… well, he thinks he's some cool protagonist, so he barely talks, though in reality he's just unsettling." He smirked slightly, but Daion didn't share the laugh; even he could tell it was true.
"And Jack?" That was the real question.
Finn glanced at him sideways.
"You don't like him much, do you?" he asked warily. Daion looked away by reflex. "Ever since you saw them with that prostitute…"
"I'm not against the business," he replied, though the image of the girl struggling was still burned into his mind, unsure if he could even trust what he remembered from that night. "I just care about knowing who I'm following as a leader."
Finn looked at him; he didn't buy it, though Daion tried to keep his expression steady. It wasn't entirely a lie—until he got an answer, the unease wouldn't go away.
"He's a great leader. The three of us would be dead without him," Finn said. Daion's stare pressed him further; the rookie wasn't exactly sure what Daion wanted from him, but he was starting to feel uncomfortable. "He always tries to do the right thing, and he's very charismatic. He's gotten us out of a lot of situations without having to fight."
"Is he a good guy?"
"Does that matter?" Finn quickened his pace, clearly trying not to say too much. "In the end, he'll always try to do the right thing. I'm sure of it."
Daion nodded slowly.
Above them, the twin suns blazed brightly. He found it fascinating—he was almost certain his world had only one—and it made him wonder how such a system worked. He also had the distinct feeling he possessed some scientific knowledge.
If we can see both suns, we must be orbiting the two of them… and they must be close enough to each other. Interesting. His amnesia seemed to affect only his memories, not his understanding of things. I wonder if that has anything to do with my past. He drifted so deep into thought that he almost took the wrong path, if not for Haruka grabbing his arm. Not the time for that.
He shook his head and focused on the mission. After half an hour of walking, Jack raised a hand, and the group stopped. Ahead, a dark, ominous cave yawned open in the earth. Bad idea. That was Daion's first thought.
He glanced at Haruka and saw she, too, was looking at Jack with irritation.
"Dungeons are never a good idea, Jack," she muttered, visibly uneasy.
Daion wasn't sure what she meant, but something about that cave set his nerves on edge. His skin prickled, and his gauntlet pulsed faintly, as if trying to warn him of imminent danger. Minjae noticed his reaction and smiled to himself without saying a word.
"There's nothing to worry about," Jack said dismissively. "It's way too small to be a dungeon."
"Then why would they be in there?" Finn asked, confused.
Jack sighed, as if the explanation was more effort than it was worth.
"We followed the trail of the missing soldiers here… turns out this place is a Devourer nest."
"That doesn't sound too good," Daion said, frowning.
"They sound worse than they really are," Jack replied with a casual wave. "They're like rats… or something." He hesitated, coughed, and went on, "The good news is they keep their prey close to the entrance so it doesn't rot. And that's where our supplies come in."
He kicked the barrels Finn and Daion had been hauling.
"Since we're so generous with the townsfolk…" he said with mocking cheer, then added under his breath, "and because Devourers hold grudges like crows, we leave these barrels at the entrance, Haruka lights them, and… boom! The monsters get trapped in their own nest."
Daion froze.
"Wait…" He stepped back, putting distance between himself and the barrels. "Are you telling me I've been carrying explosives this whole time?"
Jack smirked.
"Yep. And look at you—still alive."
Finn laughed as Daion shot Jack a withering glare.
"Hey," Haruka cut in, "the Devourers kidnapped two armed soldiers from nearly a mile away?"
Jack stopped and eyed her carefully.
"Well, we didn't find any trace of Corrupt. And if there were a high-ranking one, we would've sensed it. A few Devourers won't be a problem," Minjae explained.
Haruka sighed and nodded.
Without further delay, they slipped quietly into the cave. They set the barrels at the weakest structural points. Jack signaled for them to draw their weapons and move ahead with caution.
Daion unsheathed his sword with practiced ease. Haruka pulled a thirty-centimeter cylinder from her pouch; with a swift motion, it extended into a nearly two-meter staff, sharp blades gleaming at its tip. Minjae drew a pair of knives from his back, while Finn unfolded a hunting rifle that reminded Daion of the masked man's weapon—though smaller and simpler.
The moment they stepped into the darkness, the gem on Daion's glove began to glow. They advanced carefully; only the echo of their footsteps and the faint drip of water through cracks in the stone broke the silence.
Daion was just beginning to relax when something brushed against his leg.
He turned, glove raised. The light swept over the floor and revealed Haruka, who had nudged him with her foot. She gave him a mischievous smile and kept walking.
Daion exhaled—half relieved, half annoyed.
"Idiot." Haruka stifled a chuckle and kept walking.
To distract himself, he aimed the light toward the walls. In front of him, cave paintings caught his attention. The images showed a world bathed in red, where up and down seemed not to exist—figures walked upside down or sideways. It reminded him of that god's domain… but darker.
Further ahead, he noticed two triangles with figures inside. At the base, scattered dots; higher up, four distinct colors—pink, blue, black, and green; and at the very top, a single red dot.
Daion narrowed his eyes. Something about those symbols stirred his curiosity, but before he could examine them further, Jack's voice cut through his thoughts.
"Lower that," he whispered firmly.
Daion obeyed. As the light faded, he caught movement in the darkness. He swung the beam toward it.
A creature—about half a meter long, salamander-like, but with skin entirely black, crisscrossed by glowing red lines that trailed steaming mist.
Daion froze. The creature froze. They studied each other in tense silence. Then, the beast opened its mouth—no tongue, no throat, just teeth. Rows and rows of teeth turning like gears in an endless spiral.
It lunged. Instinct took over before thought. Daion stepped back and, with a swift strike, cleaved the creature in two. Silence once again filled the cave. Jack watched him with a mix of irritation and unease.
Minjae didn't look pleased either—some of the beast's blood had splattered across his face.
"…Sorry," Daion murmured, lowering the gauntlet so the light wouldn't draw more creatures.
The group pressed on until they reached the end of the cave. Something gleamed in the distance. Light? They advanced cautiously, stepping into a wider space. There, a small campfire burned weakly. Beside it, two men lay bound and gagged, struggling faintly. The missing soldiers. Alive.
Daion bent down to approach, but Jack gently pushed him lower, motioning for silence.
He squinted, focusing. Then he saw them—hundreds of creatures like the one before, crouched in the shadows, all exhaling that dark smoke.
And beneath them… two figures. Hard to make out.
"Jack, for the love of the Abyss… that's not just a pack of Devourers—it's a Corrupt outpost," he whispered, pointing at the silhouettes. "And there are hundreds of them. We couldn't possibly—"
"Minjae," Jack cut in, frowning in concern.
"Yeah, yeah, I know," Minjae grumbled, annoyed.
Without hesitation, he moved forward. He made a subtle hand gesture and shot Daion a cocky grin before vanishing into the darkness. Daion tried to strain his eyes to find him, but it was useless.
The silence that followed was suffocating; only the faint crackle of the fire in the distance and the mingled breathing and snores of the two figures could be heard.
Then, one of the bound soldiers slowly rose into the air, floating toward them. Jack stood and caught him without trouble, removing the gag. The guard was about to cry out in relief, but Jack managed to cover his mouth in time.
The Devourers began to make inhuman murmurs—wet, rasping noises, like something viscous sliding between teeth, or as if entrails themselves were twisting and knotting. They were restless. Why?
The second soldier floated toward them… and then something dropped from the ceiling.
A Devourer landed on the suspended body, writhing in confusion. Its nostrils flared as it sniffed, like a hound on a scent, until it stopped at the victim's chest and froze. Everyone held their breath, tense. The screech it released was piercing… and without warning, it sank its teeth into the soldier's throat.
A horrific scream shook the cavern. The man thrashed desperately, trying to push it away, but he was still tied up.
Minjae reappeared, startled by the double cry of man and beast. He dropped them both to the ground, drove one of his knives into the Devourer's head, and the creature released its victim. With a swift motion, he cut the ropes; the soldier clutched his wound, groaning in pain.
Then, from the darkness, a voice spoke:
"Well, well… what do we have here?"
Minjae spun around instantly, blades in hand. The rest of the group readied themselves.
From the shadows emerged a reptilian creature nearly two and a half meters tall. Its body—a mass of muscle—was covered in dull scales and crisscrossed with old scars. Its long arms held a massive war axe, its edges chipped and splintered as if it had shattered countless bones. Yellow eyes gleamed with anticipation. Daion wasn't sure how a reptile was supposed to smile… but definitely not like that.
Without warning, the axe came down in a brutal swing. Minjae rolled aside just in time; the blade struck the rock, sending shards flying like shrapnel. Without hesitation, Minjae countered with a clean, precise slash—the reptile's arm flew off in a spray of dark blood. The monster roared from deep within its chest. Minjae leapt back, smiling to himself, while the wounded soldier staggered toward the exit.
What happened next was even more disturbing. Showing neither pain nor desperation, the creature crouched down, picked up its own severed arm… and pressed it against the stump. Before their eyes, the wound began to seal, as if it had never been cut at all.
"Ugh… damn humans," it growled, flexing its jaw. Unfazed, it adjusted its grip on the axe with its remaining hand and locked eyes on Minjae.
"Minjae, watch out!" Haruka shouted.
The second figure appeared out of nowhere, right behind him.
Minjae reacted at the last possible moment. A massive club whooshed past his head; the sheer force of the swing sent a gust of wind through his hair. Another strike. And another. Wild. Erratic. Minjae dodged with inhuman reflexes, but each blow drove him back, cornering him. His opponent moved with absurd speed—so fast Daion stared in disbelief. But not invincible.
"Did you hear that?" the reptile hissed, its forked tongue flicking. "There's a woman here."
"Yes…" replied its companion—a gaunt creature with black skin and four glowing red eyes. It tilted its head, revealing two straight horns jutting from its forehead. "Probably more summons around."
The reptile's gaze darkened with a hunger that had nothing to do with food.
A chill ran down Daion's spine. Then, he moved. Jack tried to grab his arm, but Daion shook him off and sprinted forward without hesitation. If it's a fight they want, it's a fight they'll get. He slashed at the reptile's back.
But the creature was ready. It spun with unnatural speed, dodging with ease, and counterattacked. Off-balance, Daion dropped his sword to leap back, narrowly avoiding the blade. But now he was unarmed.
He remembered the battle with the bat in the city. The sword. Raising his hand, he focused. The blade responded instantly, hurtling back into his palm with terrifying speed—and on its way, it sliced through the leg of the black monster. The creature stared at its split foot with unsettling calm.
"Gah! Filthy creature!" the reptile snarled upon seeing its companion wounded.
"I'd say that title suits you better," Daion shot back without thinking, tightening his grip on the sword.
Jack appeared from behind, blade drawn.
"Look, I don't know what kind of Rambo you think you were in a past life, but don't ever attack that recklessly again."
Daion frowned, annoyed by the order, but gave a brief nod and fixed his focus on the growling reptile. Jack smirked sarcastically.
"Whatever you say, leader," Daion cleared his throat, dragging out the last word. He still wasn't comfortable calling him that.
The conversation was cut short when Minjae, still carrying the wounded soldier, shouted:
"Catch him!"
Daion turned, thinking Minjae meant him, but the man's eyes were on Haruka and Finn. He tossed the soldier toward them.
Without thinking, Haruka reached out. The weight nearly toppled her, and in the process, the tip of her spear grazed the soldier's leg.
Finn and Daion exchanged puzzled looks.
"Shit, I'm sorry!" she blurted immediately.
The soldier only groaned in response. Minjae clasped his hands together, and from them poured a thick, black smoke—like poison—that engulfed the monsters in a blinding haze. Then, with the precision of an executioner, his knife sliced clean through the reptile's neck.
A wet gurgle echoed through the cave. The lizard dropped to its knees, convulsing as blood bubbled from its open throat. A faint, choking sound slipped past its lips before its eyes went blank.
"Bastard!" its companion roared.
With a furious swing, the remaining creature brought its massive club down on Minjae with brutal force. The impact was deafening, smashing him against the cave wall with a sickening crunch.
Minjae gasped. He opened his mouth to breathe, but only coughed up blood. A cold shiver ran down Daion's spine. Just seconds ago, Minjae had shown skills far beyond his own—and now he was on the ground.
What can I do?
The monster advanced, stepping over its fallen comrade without hesitation. A twisted satisfaction gleamed in its grotesque face. Daion tried to back away, but his body wouldn't respond. Then he saw it—the creature's leg… was regenerating.
"…Shit. It's a Hellseaker," Jack muttered, pale.
A gunshot cracked through the cave. The bullet tore straight through the creature's eye, blasting through its skull in a spray of flesh and bone. But the Hellseaker didn't fall. It roared, the two remaining eyes blazing with fury.
"Daion, move!" Finn shouted, hoisting the other soldier over his shoulder. "The Devourers are awake!!"
The ground trembled under the weight of dozens of creatures spilling out of the darkness. Small, skeletal bodies swarmed forward, jaws gaping wide with endless hunger.
Daion cut the guard's bindings, and together they bolted. Somehow, Jack managed to hoist Minjae over his shoulders as they fled.
"What the hell just happened?" Daion panted.
"What do you think? You screwed up!" Minjae growled through clenched teeth.
"The Devourer you killed…" Haruka murmured, tension in her voice. "Its blood fell on Minjae. That must have alerted them."
A knot twisted in Daion's stomach. The weight of guilt hit him like a punch to the gut, but there was no time for regret. Jack kept running at full speed.
"We can't worry about that now. Our only hope is to reach the exit," Jack said, frustrated but breathless. "Haruka, get ready!"
She nodded, flames dancing in the palm of her hand. They sprinted through the cave, past the ancient paintings Daion had seen before. The light from the exit seemed closer with every step.
Then, a bloodcurdling scream froze them in place. Daion turned—one of the soldiers had fallen. The one with the wounded neck was now buried under a swarm of Devourers. The creatures tore into him mercilessly, sinking their teeth into his flesh with ravenous hunger. Their claws ripped open his abdomen, peeling away skin and organs with horrifying ease.
The soldier's screams—pure, unfiltered terror—sent shivers down everyone's spine. Daion's body moved before his mind caught up; his sword was already in hand, ready to strike. He was going to save him. But a hand stopped him.
"Leave him, idiot!" Jack barked, gripping Daion's wrist.
Daion froze. The others stopped too, momentarily stunned.
"…What?" was all he managed to say.
Jack's eyes burned with fury… and fear.
"You can't do anything!" he snarled through gritted teeth. "Look at him! They're tearing him apart. He won't be able to move. And even if you manage to pull those things off him, are you going to carry him all the way to the exit by yourself?"
Daion's world wavered. He looked at the soldier, then at Jack. He understood—his instinct clashed with the cold logic in Jack's words. Jack was telling him to let someone die… someone who was in this situation because of him.
Daion stood still for a few seconds, then pulled free from Jack's grip and stepped forward.
I caused this, so I'll fix it, he thought.
"If you go in there, we won't save you," Jack warned, his tone like steel. "If you try to rescue him, I'll have no choice but to bring the entrance down with you still inside."
Haruka stared at him, stunned.
"I can't put my team at risk for a suicidal fool," Jack added before turning and sprinting toward the exit.
Daion watched him, disbelief written all over his face. The soldier's screams drilled into his ears. Saving him meant dying.
The Hellseaker's roar shook the cave. Daion glanced back—the Devourers were closing in fast. And then, he did the only thing he could.
He ran.
End of chapter 7.