"Do you guys know the hunting grounds of other teams?" Moon asked.

With the tournament approaching in just mere days, he didn’t have time for a slow, methodical dismantling of the base. He needed to move fast, free the controlled Evolvers, eliminate the woman’s inner circle, deal with her directly, and then turn his attention to the real prize.

His eyes drifted toward the distant peak where the castle stood against the sky, defying anybody that tried to go against it for decades, perhaps centuries.

That was his true objective. Everything else was just clearing the path.

"Yes, we know the hunting grounds of other teams." The tank replied. "But we don’t know their exact schedules. They also receive commands on when to go out."

"I see." Moon nodded. "Well, it’s time to wake him up, he will provide us with the answers we need."

He walked over to Mirage and grabbed Frey by the back of his collar. With a single pull, he yanked the Runesmith off the horse’s back.

~Thud~ 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

Frey’s body hit the rocky ground hard. His eyes snapped open from the impact, blinking rapidly as consciousness rushed back in.

"Ugh..." Frey groaned, lifting his head from the dirt, and froze at the sight before his eyes.

Six Evolvers stood in a semicircle behind Moon. Six people Frey recognized instantly, people who had been following the master just hours ago.

None of them were looking at Moon with hostility anymore.

They were looking at Frey.

The anger on their faces wasn’t even slightly concealed. The archer’s hand rested on his bow. The brute was staring at him the way someone stares at an insect they’re deciding whether to step on.

Frey’s mouth opened but no sound came out.

He looked up at Moon, standing above him, and the last shred of hope behind his eyes went dark.

The grin on Moon’s face made Frey shudder. It ran through his body like electricity, from the base of his skull all the way down to his toes.

"Now, Frey." Moon crouched beside him, his voice light and pleasant, contrary to their true relationship. "Why don’t you lead me and my new friends to our next playground? There are still many friends we haven’t gotten to know yet."

He turned toward the six Evolvers behind him, the grin softening into a warm smile.

"Right, guys?"

"Yes, sir!" They responded in unison, all six of them smiling down at Frey with a smile that promised nothing good for him.

Frey looked at Moon. Then at the six Evolvers. Then back at Moon.

His mouth moved silently for a moment before the words finally came out.

"...Yes."

Frey led them across the island to an open field. The terrain was flat, exposed, with little cover in any direction. For most people, approaching an enemy in a place like this would have been suicide.

But for Moon, it wasn’t much of an issue. With six Evolvers at his side, Mirage, and the beast soul, he had more than enough to handle whatever waited ahead.

Besides, he had a plan in mind.

"There they are!" The archer said, spotting a group of five Evolvers several hundred meters away. They were resting around a small campfire, their weapons set aside. Clearly recovering from a recent fight.

"Just like we discussed. Proceed with the plan."

They all nodded. Including Frey — who had no say in the matter.

♢♢♢♢

At their campfire, the team of five Evolvers was enjoying a moment of rest when one of them caught movement in the distance.

"Look! There’s a team coming toward us." one of the Evolvers said, grabbing his weapon as he stood up to have a better view of those approaching.

The rest of the group followed suit, hands moving toward weapons. The approaching figures were too far away to identify, but as the distance closed, familiar faces began to take shape.

The teams’ guard lowered a little.

"It’s one of our own."

"Wait." One of them squinted, shielding his eyes from the glare. "That person they’re holding... isn’t he the one Joseph told us about?!"

"Frey is with them too!" Another one said. "He went missing recently. Turns out the kid tried to run and they caught him!"

Moon was being held upright by two of the Evolvers on either side, his arms draped over their shoulders. His head hung low, his body limp. Blood covered his face and clothes, some real from earlier fights, most smeared on deliberately. He could barely walk, his feet dragging through the dirt with every step.

The five Evolvers at the campfire watched the group approach with relaxed grins. It was a successful capture. Good news to bring back to the base.

None of them noticed that the six people escorting Moon were smiling too.

—

One of the five Evolvers at the campfire broke into a wide grin. "I need to inform Joseph about this."

Another waved him off. "They must’ve told him already, they will not waste the bounty. You’re wasting your time."

The first one chuckled. "It never hurts to try get an extra pill."

He pulled out his communication device and pressed the button. "Joseph. We spotted that boy you were talking about. He’s with Frey and a bunch of others. They captured him."

There was a pause on the other end.

"What?!" Joseph’s voice crackled through the device in disbelief.

The news had never reached him. Frey had gone silent according to the master. As for the six-man team they didn’t report anything, which was very strange. And now the captured boy was being escorted across the island by people who should have reported in hours ago.

’Why did Frey and the others never report back? Something is wrong.’

"Be care—"

Moon’s team arrived at the campfire.

Moon’s expression darkened the instant he saw the device.

"Hehe, they’re here now." The Evolver spoke into the device with a smug grin, completely oblivious to Moon’s brewing plan. "This kid is so bloodied up, it’s pathetic. You sound like this is the first time hearing this, Joseph. What reward do I get for the information? Kek..."

"You fool! These might not b—"