[Ding! Fixed treasure chest acquired: Natasha's Clinic]
[Open now?]
…Let's hold off for now.
I'll deal with this after everything here is settled.
Evan casually stored the chest into the system inventory, then turned his gaze back to Natasha.
"This was found in the alley leading to Rivet Town."
Seele pulled a small doll from her pocket.
It was a cloth doll Natasha herself had given to Hook—and whenever it tore, Natasha was the one who stitched it back together.
Seeing this doll was proof enough.
Hook had really left Boulder Town.
"This is the doll Hook always carries. I sewed it myself."
Evan took the doll and examined it closely.
Sure enough, there were clear stitching marks all over it.
But Evan noticed more than that.
There were no obvious tears or signs of violent damage—
just a bit of dust.
"From the looks of it, Hook hasn't run into danger yet,"
Seele said.
Evan frowned slightly, still holding the doll.
Over the past six months, his relationship with Hook had gone from distant to familiar.
Truth be told, he genuinely liked the little girl.
She might be mischievous, but she was sensible—and never reckless.
This time, she'd gone to Rivet Town to save Old Man.
And that place was crawling with Fragmentum zones.
Fragmentum created by the Stellaron could spawn monsters at any time.
And Hook's Digging Machine was still at Evan's place for repairs.
Sure, he'd fixed it—and even built a brand-new replica.
But he hadn't given it to her yet.
With that tiny body of hers, if she ran into Fragmentum monsters…
That would be disastrous.
"No. Whether she's in danger or not, we need to go check."
Evan wasn't about to let anything happen to her.
…Do I really need to build a Heavy-Duty Bunnybot just to keep an eye on this kid?
"Take me with you."
Seele had already lifted her scythe and turned to Evan.
"That's fine," Evan replied calmly.
"But don't hold me back."
"Tch. You're the one without a Path—don't slow me down."
Seele shot him a look full of disdain.
But the moment her words fell—
she saw a faint ripple of Imaginary energy rise from Evan's hand.
"Wait—y-you stepped onto a Path?"
...
Soon after, Evan and Seele accepted the task.
As someone who had once lived as a drifter, Evan was extremely familiar with the Underworld's terrain.
Mining pits.
Areas slowly consumed by Fragmentum.
All of it was etched clearly into his mind.
Before long, the two of them reached the junction between Rivet Town and Boulder Town.
Although Hook's doll wasn't damaged,
The energy emitted by Fragmentum was inherently corrosive to humans.
Unless one had stepped onto a Path—and walked far enough along it—
even Pathstriders risked being eroded.
"Let's split up and search."
"If you find anything, send a signal. I'll see it."
After speaking, Seele leapt onto a rooftop in one clean motion, scanning the surroundings.
Hook might be young, but she knew the area well.
Still, without any weapons—
She was no match for Fragmentum monsters.
And if she were dragged directly into a Fragmentum zone…
The danger would skyrocket. She might not survive at all.
Evan didn't reply.
He moved straight toward the deeper parts of Rivet Town.
"That kid…"
"When I find her, I'm definitely building you a Heavy-Duty Bunnybot."
"One that does nothing but watch over you."
"…Though I wonder what kind of reward the chest at Natasha's Clinic will give."
As he spoke, Evan marked a symbol on a nearby wall.
Then he pressed onward.
At that very moment—
"Watch out—behind you!"
Evan shouted.
A shadow flashed behind him.
Seele's scythe slashed through the air, blocking an incoming attack.
At the same time, Evan quickly retreated several steps—
then instantly reconstructed a Silvermane Guard shield, placing it in front of himself.
These things were common in the Underworld.
Abandoned relics from years past—
junk Evan had picked up while scavenging.
Heavy.
Very heavy.
His movements were a bit slower—
but still fast enough to block the incoming ice spikes.
Even without Seele, Evan was confident he could've handled that strike.
Seeing Seele's eyebrow twitch slightly, Evan dismissed the shield.
It dissolved into pure energy and returned to his body.
Then—
A large group of Fragmentum monsters under the Stellaron's influence emerged ahead of them.
"All of Rivet Town's monsters came running, or what?"
"Hook… she's not in trouble, right?"
For the first time, a hint of urgency crept into Seele's usually cold voice.
There were far too many of them.
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