"...?"
"We've found him."
"..."
"Hmph… okay." He presses his hands against his knees and pushes himself up.
Whoooosh.
A faint breeze sweeps past him.
"Let's go."
---
Whoosh.
A streak of dust forms as Tristan dashes past.
I need to find the others… make sure they're safe, Tristan thinks.
Tak, tak, tak, tak, tak.
His footsteps grow faster as he moves.
—!
Skrr.
Tristan's legs skid across the ground as he abruptly stops.
Fwip.
His head snaps back, his eyes frantically searching for something—no…
I just felt someone's gaze.
...Someone.
His head tilts upward, his eyes narrowing slightly.
Three shadowy silhouettes stand atop a nearby building.
"Finally found you!" one of them proclaims.
That voice?! Tristan exclaims mentally.
"Jin?!" he asks, a faint smile forming on his face.
"Hmph." Jin lets out a sigh, a small smile following.
"Where have you been, Tristan?" Jin scoffs, his face finally coming into view.
---
"How did you find me?" Tristan asks, resting an arm on the hilt of his sword as he and Jin begin walking together.
"I sent my shadow clones to search within my radius. Turns out you weren't that far," Jin replies, his hands tucked inside the pockets of his long black trench coat.
"Anyway…" he continues, jogging forward slightly to match Tristan's pace.
His eyes scan Tristan's face—small stains of dust and dirt scattered across both his clothes and skin.
"...What happened? Did you fight someone before this?" Jin asks, raising a brow.
"..."
Tristan lets out a deep sigh, his eyes closing as he recalls the encounter.
"Ran into an A-rank named Rook. He was an Asper, so it wasn't an easy fight," he begins, his gaze drifting into the distance.
"He used a great hammer, and his constitution allowed him to absorb the surrounding mana… made him durable as hell."
"Damn… you're really unlucky, haha," Jin scoffs, slowing his steps.
"Haha… yeah. I guess I really am unlucky," Tristan chuckles nervously.
"At first I was angry at myself for struggling against a mere A-rank. But as if that wasn't bad enough… some random E-rank guy showed up—wielding a whole stop sign."
"..."
Tristan's head lowers, an uncomfortable smile on his face.
"...I still lost," he mutters quietly, halting his steps.
Jin watches him silently.
"Even after trying twenty-four more times…" Tristan adds, resuming his stride.
—!
Jin's eyes snap wide open.
"What did you just say?" he asks shakily, confusion etched across his face as a bead of sweat rolls down his cheek.
"Hm?" Tristan hums, stopping and turning around.
"You said you tried again twenty-four more times…" Jin says, his brows knitting together as anger and confusion clash inside him.
"...Tristan. Did you regress? And how?"
"What?" Tristan scoffs.
"...What do you mean how?"
"I killed myself."
—?!
Jin freezes.
For a moment, he wonders if he misheard.
He stares into Tristan's calm, almost relaxed eyes.
Inside his pockets, Jin's fists tighten, the fabric wrinkling under the pressure.
"...?"
Noticing his reaction, Tristan sighs.
"Stop overreacting," he says, walking over and placing a hand on Jin's shoulder.
"I'm here right now, aren't I?"
Jin stares at the hand resting on his shoulder before slowly lifting his gaze to meet Tristan's eyes.
"If I didn't tell you, you wouldn't have even known," Tristan adds.
He's right… I wouldn't have, Jin thinks, his grip tightening.
And that's the scary part.
I can't even tell if he's lying… or how many times he's killed himself before this.
...And I can't even do anything about it.
Tristan removes his hand and turns around.
"Let's go. We still have to find the rest."
"..."
Jin silently follows behind him.
---
55 minutes earlier
Somewhere on the island.
"Well, well… if it isn't our Mira," Cara says, a devious grin spreading across her face as she spreads her arms slightly.
Mira scans her opponents, a stern expression set on her face.
Cara stands with four other hunters—their ranks unknown.
Mira's eyes briefly drift toward Cara's hip, where a whip rests. She continues observing the others.
One wears reinforced gloves.
Another pulls a short sword from his inventory.
A slim staff materializes in a woman's hand.
"One mage and three vanguards…" Mira mutters.
Her left hand extends outward, palm open, as her staff materializes in her grip.
"Should be easy."
A confident smile appears on her face.
"Hahaha… wonderful," Cara laughs as she equips her whip.
"Let's see if you can back it up."
"Gale Blade!" Mira shouts, pointing her staff forward.
Three blades of compressed wind tear through the air toward her opponents.
"Barrier!" Lizzy exclaims.
Violet mana forms into a transparent shield, blocking the attack.
...
Lizzy
A-rank Hunter – Ranked 902nd Worldwide
Weapon: Thin Staff (Mage).
Whoosh.
Tak, tak, tak, tak.
Two from each side, Mira notes mentally.
"Shock!" she commands, briefly aiming her staff to the right.
Mana condenses into crackling electricity and launches toward Phil.
Phil
A-rank Hunter – Ranked 873rd Worldwide
Weapon: Linen Gloves.
Shhk.
Phil slides beneath the attack, continuing his advance.
"Space!" Mira commands.
A bubble of mana suddenly forms around him.
Thud.
Phil crashes into the invisible barrier, losing his balance.
"Force!"
Mana surges forward and slams into the bubble, sending it flying.
Slash.
Mark suddenly swings his blade toward the distracted Mira.
—!
Swish.
Mira tilts her head, narrowly dodging the attack.
Thud.
Her staff drives into Mark's abdomen, forcing him backward.
"Original…" Mira mutters.
—?!
Mark drops the short sword.
Clasp.
He catches it with his other hand, spinning the blade between his fingers in a flashy display.
A sadistic grin spreads across his face.
"Let me see your scared expression, my dear Mira!" he shouts, thrusting the blade toward her face.
Fwip.
Mira calmly tilts her head aside, avoiding the strike.
Thud.
Her staff slams into Mark's abdomen.
He staggers.
"Original."
—?!
"MARK, MOVE!" Cara shouts.
Too late.
"...Recoil."
"Agh!"
A condensed sphere of pale pink mana slams into Mark's stomach.
"KARGHHHH!"
He screams as the force tears through his muscles and cracks his bones.
Thud.
His body crashes into the ground, dust erupting from the impact.
"Fucking dumbass," Cara mutters, anger and frustration written across her face.
Mira lowers her staff slightly, her gaze shifting toward the remaining opponents.
"That's one."