The sun had nearly disappeared beneath the shattered skyline when Kaelen and SC returned to the Guild.
The towering structure stood like a fortress amid the ruined city, its walls illuminated by cold white lights that cut through the growing darkness. Adventurers streamed through its massive entrance, carrying monster carcasses, crates of herbs, and bloodstained weapons.
Kaelen's steps were slower than usual.
Although the stabilizer had suppressed the curse temporarily, every movement reminded him that the dark mist still lingered beneath his skin. His wound pulsed with a dull ache that refused to disappear.
SC hovered silently beside him, scanning his vital signs.
"Your condition remains unstable," SC said quietly. "Extended combat is not recommended."
Kaelen gave a faint nod.
"I know."
Before they reached the entrance, a familiar figure emerged from the shadows beside one of the stone pillars.
Eren.
He stood with his hands inside his coat, watching Kaelen approach.
"I've been waiting for you," Eren said calmly.
Kaelen immediately became alert.
"You knew I'd return today?"
"I knew you'd survive."
SC's scanners activated almost instantly, sweeping over Eren from head to toe.
"No abnormal energy detected," SC whispered privately.
Kaelen studied him.
"You didn't wait here just to tell me that."
A faint smile crossed Eren's face.
"No."
He glanced toward the Guild entrance where dozens of adventurers passed by.
"Too many ears."
His voice remained low.
"If you're looking for answers about this city... about the people controlling it... or about the Foundry..."
Kaelen's eyes narrowed.
"...then meet me two nights from now."
Eren slipped a small black object into Kaelen's hand.
It was a smooth metal token engraved with a silver serpent surrounding a crimson eye.
"The Black Market."
Kaelen examined the token carefully.
"I thought the Guild controlled everything."
"The Guild controls what people are allowed to see."
Eren's expression hardened.
"The Black Market controls everything else."
SC projected a small scan over the token.
"Unknown alloy. Multiple encrypted energy signatures."
Eren continued.
"Keep it hidden. Showing it to the wrong person is enough to get you killed."
Kaelen looked back at him.
"Why help me?"
Eren remained silent for several seconds.
"Because someone has to uncover the truth."
Without another explanation, he turned away.
After taking only a few steps he stopped.
"One more thing."
Kaelen looked up.
"You don't have a place to stay."
It wasn't a question.
"There is a boarding house three streets east of the Guild."
Eren handed him a small key attached to a faded brass tag.
"I've already arranged the room."
Kaelen frowned.
"You planned this."
"I prepare for possibilities."
Eren walked into the evening crowd.
Within moments he disappeared among the adventurers, merchants, and hunters until not even SC's sensors could distinguish him from the hundreds of moving life signatures.
Silence settled between Kaelen and SC.
Finally SC spoke.
"He knows too much."
Kaelen closed his hand around the black token.
"So do I."
---
The boarding house was old but clean.
The owner barely looked up as Kaelen entered, simply pointing toward the second floor after confirming the room number.
Inside, the room contained only a narrow bed, a wooden chair, a cracked mirror, and a single window overlooking the dim streets below.
It was enough.
Kaelen carefully removed his armor.
The bandages around his wound had darkened again.
When he peeled them back, thin strands of black mist drifted from the injury before fading into the air.
SC hovered closer.
"The curse continues adapting."
Kaelen remained silent.
"It is progressing faster than expected."
"I know."
"If this continues..."
"I know."
SC's blue optics dimmed slightly.
"There is another matter."
Kaelen looked toward the floating drone.
"I've intercepted fragments of encrypted Guild communications. Someone is deleting mission records involving hybrid creatures."
"The Foundry."
"Possibly."
SC projected several encrypted symbols.
"I cannot access the Guild archives while remaining at your side."
Kaelen understood immediately.
"You want to separate."
"It is the logical decision."
Silence filled the room.
For weeks they had fought together without pause.
Now they would each investigate different paths.
Kaelen nodded.
"How long?"
"Approximately twenty-four hours."
"If anything happens—"
"I will contact you."
Kaelen picked up his rifle.
"And if I disappear?"
SC's lights brightened.
"I will find you."
For the first time in many days, they separated.
SC disappeared through the open window, vanishing into the darkness above the city.
Kaelen watched until the faint blue light was completely gone.
The room suddenly felt much quieter.
---
The next morning began before sunrise.
Kaelen awoke to the familiar throbbing in his shoulder.
The curse hadn't rested.
Neither had he.
He washed the dried blood from his face before opening the small metal container resting on the bedside table.
Inside sat another bottle of nutrient solution.
He stared at it with visible annoyance.
"Every morning..."
Removing the cap, he swallowed the thick liquid in one motion.
The bitter taste spread instantly across his tongue.
His expression darkened.
"I'll never get used to this."
The solution settled heavily in his stomach, restoring strength while leaving behind an unpleasant aftertaste.
After replacing his bandages and fastening his equipment, Kaelen left the boarding house.
Without SC beside him, the city felt strangely different.
Every sound seemed louder.
Every shadow appeared deeper.
---
The streets gradually became narrower as he approached the inner districts.
Instead of the crowded merchant roads, broken alleyways twisted between abandoned buildings covered with rusted pipes and hanging cables.
Kaelen chose the shortcut.
Halfway through the alley, several figures stepped into his path.
Five of them.
Young scavengers.
Their clothing was patched together from scraps of armor and old Guild uniforms.
Their weapons were crude but well maintained.
One woman with short black hair rested a metal pipe across her shoulder.
She smiled.
"Never seen you around here."
Kaelen stopped.
"I'm only passing through."
"Everyone says that."
The others quietly spread out, blocking both ends of the alley.
Kaelen counted escape routes.
None were necessary.
The woman tilted her head.
"New arrivals pay a toll."
"And if they don't?"
She grinned.
"They usually change their minds."
Kaelen remained perfectly calm.
"I don't carry Guild credits."
One of the scavengers laughed loudly.
"Good joke."
The leader stepped closer.
"Contribution points are stored in every Guild ring."
Kaelen glanced briefly toward his command bracelet.
"They aren't there."
She folded her arms.
"You expect me to believe that?"
"No."
"So?"
"They're somewhere else."
The group exchanged confused looks.
The woman frowned.
"Where?"
"Inside the Guild."
Several seconds passed.
Finally one of the younger scavengers whispered,
"What if he's telling the truth?"
Another shrugged.
"Worst case, we beat him afterward."
The leader sighed dramatically.
"Fine."
She pointed the pipe toward Kaelen.
"You'll take us there."
Kaelen nodded once.
"If you insist."
The scavengers followed him through the winding streets toward the Guild.
As they walked, the leader spoke almost constantly.
"You picked a bad time to arrive."
"Why?"
"Hodge's gang disappeared yesterday."
Kaelen kept his expression neutral.
"They vanished?"
"No one's seen them since."
She scratched her head.
"Rumor says some monster hunter beat every one of them."
Another scavenger snorted.
"They deserved it."
"Hodge robbed everyone."
The leader nodded.
"Maybe whoever defeated them finally got tired of their nonsense."
Kaelen listened carefully.
"What happens now?"
"Now everyone's fighting over their territory."
She laughed bitterly.
"Nothing stays peaceful for long."
Kaelen asked another question.
"The Black Market."
She immediately lowered her voice.
"You know about that?"
"I've heard the name."
"It's real."
Her smile disappeared.
"You'll only find trouble there."
"Have you been?"
"No."
"But everyone knows someone who has."
She looked around cautiously.
"They say anything can be bought there."
"Weapons."
"Medicine."
"Information."
"Even people's lives."
Kaelen remained thoughtful.
Exactly what Eren had implied.
By the time they reached the Guild entrance, the scavengers looked increasingly nervous.
The leader rubbed the back of her neck.
"I've actually never been this close before."
Kaelen raised an eyebrow.
"Then why follow me?"
She looked embarrassed.
"I already committed."
He almost smiled.
Almost.
Inside the Guild hall, adventurers moved between holographic mission boards while reception staff directed new teams toward different sectors.
Kaelen walked directly toward an empty mission terminal.
The scavengers hesitated several meters behind him.
A blue holographic screen appeared.
Available Missions
Kaelen scrolled through dozens of assignments.
Most were ordinary.
Monster extermination.
Escort duty.
Resource gathering.
Then one mission caught his attention.
B-Rank Mission
Objective: Recover biological samples from Sector Twelve.
Warning: Multiple hybrid sightings confirmed.
Kaelen selected it immediately.
The terminal requested teammate registration.
Without hesitation, he entered the temporary identification number belonging to the scavenger leader standing behind him.
The terminal chimed.
Mission Accepted.
The leader finally stepped closer.
"What did you—"
She froze.
Her eyes locked onto the glowing B-rank symbol.
Her face instantly lost all color.
"B..."
She blinked once.
Then twice.
"B-Rank...?"
The metal pipe slipped from her fingers and struck the floor with a loud clang.
She stared at Kaelen in complete disbelief.
"...Are you insane?"