they had attempted to send a message outside...

using this exact method.

And they had failed.

"To establish a new bonfire in cursed territory,

you must first purge the entire area ...

every single monster within it."

There were many such regions in Old Ashvarn ...

but clearing even one of them

would require an entire army.

"And even if you managed to clear them one by one...

you would need an immense amount of fire

to influence the primal flame."

"That means more ash than you possess...

and flames far stronger than anything natural."

Achieving all of that was nearly impossible.

Their ashes would be depleted long before

they could stir even the slightest response from the source.

Jackson’s words crushed the fragile hope

that had just begun to rise among the hunters.

But Ethan...

had a different answer.

"No... we can make this work."

Jackson frowned slightly,

gesturing for him to explain.

And Ethan did.

"We need to clear entire regions ...

and yes, that alone is incredibly difficult.

Some monsters will inevitably slip through."

"But we don’t need to worry about that."

"...Because I’m cursed."

Ethan pointed to the Blood Eclipse mark

at the back of his neck.

"Once this curse activates...

all the monsters in any region I enter

will be drawn straight to me."

"I’ll gather them all in one place—

and then... we kill them together."

Ethan intended to turn his curse into an advantage ...

to force every monster to target him,

ensuring none escaped.

It was reckless.

It meant he would serve as bait—

standing at the center of overwhelming danger.

And yet, he showed no hesitation.

Jackson’s eyes widened slightly

as he noticed the Blood Eclipse mark—

but he quickly regained his composure.

"Your plan is reckless."

"And even if it somehow works ...

you’ve forgotten the second problem."

"The ashes of the Hearts inside this city

are nowhere near enough."

"Our flame is weak.

It won’t make a difference."

"It will." Ethan cut him off.

"It will be more than enough."

"Our ashes are sufficient ...

because among the hunters in this city...

there is one who carries

one of the purest and most powerful flames."

A fire great enough

to compensate for their lack of numbers—

a fire capable of igniting a blaze

that would never die.

The moment Ethan said it—

his team understood instantly.

"The Phoenix Blessing...

Moon!!" Raiden shouted.

Now everyone understood.

"The leader of the Third Squad carries the Phoenix Blessing.

She can wield one of the strongest flames there is."

"With her...

we can ignite the fire without issue."

Ethan turned back to Jackson ...

his voice firm, his resolve unshaken.

"I told you once before, Jackson Heart...

and I’ll keep repeating it

until you understand."

"Your generation failed ...

but that doesn’t mean the next one will."

"You had your strengths—your blessings—

and we have ours."

Ethan’s curse.

Moon’s blessing.

A curse and a blessing ...

now the very foundation of their survival.

The final spark of hope

in a city overrun by monsters.

"We need to find Moon and the others ... fast.

Once we unite our strength...

we begin."

"Yeah!"

The hunters shouted in unison ...

their spirits reignited,

now that survival finally felt possible.

Even if the plan itself

was incredibly difficult to execute.

They would have to cleanse region after region—

starting from the outskirts

where the weakest monsters roamed...

and pushing all the way to the depths,

where the strongest awaited.

The cathedral, of course, was excluded.

It was far beyond their reach.

All they could do...

was hope the other regions would be enough

to send their message outward.

The situation was still dire.

And the coming night of the hunt

would be long.

Yet Jackson found himself...

defeated.

His despair had failed

to crush the hope of these young hunters.

"Come with us, Jackson Heart."

Ethan extended his hand toward him.

"You’re one of us.

This was your battle...

long before it became ours."

He refused to let go of such strength.

Jackson was on par with the elders outside...

and with him,

their chances would rise dramatically.

The giant hesitated for a moment.

Centuries of imprisonment had left him doubtful—

unable to believe in victory.

He did not take Ethan’s hand.

But he stepped forward.

"I still believe failure is all that awaits you, Ethan Heart..."

"But I’ll help you."

"...Perhaps...

I’m the one who’s wrong."

"...Perhaps you truly can end this long nightmare."

Though he wasn’t fully convinced,

Jackson’s willingness to participate was more than enough for Ethan.

"Thank you."

Ethan gave him a small nod of appreciation before turning away.

Then he shifted his gaze toward the young huntress—the one who had proposed the plan ...

offering her a wide, genuine smile.

"Would you mind telling me your name?

I’d like to thank you properly. Without you,

we would never have found this plan that brought hope back to us."

Ethan spoke with complete sincerity,

and his words made the girl wave her hands in flustered embarrassment.

"No, no... you don’t have to thank me. I’m a hunter too ...

getting out of here is what I want most."

She let out a dry, awkward laugh before continuing.

"Oh—and forgive my rudeness...

I should have introduced myself earlier."

Placing a hand over her chest,

she gave her name.

"From the Sixth Hunting Squad ...

the mage, Schierke Heart."

"I look forward to working with you from now on, Ethan."

She spoke warmly, openly expressing her readiness

to fight alongside him.

At first, Ethan’s expression stiffened slightly

the moment he heard that familiar name ...

but he masked it instantly,

responding with equal politeness.

"Likewise... I look forward to fighting beside you."

They shook hands ...

then released at the same time,

already preparing to move.

Their first priority was clear:

find Moon and the others.

Without them,

the plan would never succeed.

And yet...

at the same time, Ethan chose to remain cautious.

Because the name he had just heard—

was one he knew far too well.

A name that never brought anything good with it.