The hunters gathered their gear,

gripping their weapons as the raid stood on the brink of beginning.

"Our current objective is to find the rest of our fellow hunters!

They’re strong—there’s no way they’d die easily. I’m certain they’re still out there somewhere... fighting."

Ethan addressed the surviving hunters gathered within the colosseum.

He never liked acting as a leader,

yet he had been forced into the role—

after they chose to follow him willingly,

impressed by his recent performance, his rescue, and the overwhelming display of power he had shown.

Though interacting with others and carrying the burden of command clearly unsettled him,

he endured it—for the sake of finding a path to survival.

The hunters responded with unwavering support,

and not a single one of them dared to oppose him.

His strength was one reason.

The other... was the fact that he alone could command the cooperation of a monster like Jackson ...

and without Ethan,

Jackson would have likely never agreed to help them in the first place.

There were only seventeen hunters in total—

eighteen if Jackson was included.

Their weapons were scavenged from the arena’s armory ...

ordinary blades of mediocre durability.

So Ethan distributed part of his own arsenal among them,

making up for the lack in equipment.

Once again, the blessing of the Legendary Weapons Master proved its worth.

If he had enough stock,

Ethan could arm an entire army at will.

Raiden, now holding a massive greatsword... newly sharpened and pristine ...

stared at it in disbelief.

"This is an exceptional weapon... are you really fine just giving it away like this?"

Ethan waved him off dismissively.

"Take it. I don’t need it."

Ethan’s logic was simple ...

to him, any weapon that didn’t carry an Ash of War

was little more than scrap.

Even if, by ordinary standards,

they were perfectly fine weapons.

As Ethan focused on refining his plans,

his urgency became noticeable to his teammates.

But the reason was simple ...

the curse engraved into his very body.

’Soon... the curse of the Beloved by Darkness will activate again...

and I’ll become the target of every horror in this city.’

Ethan calculated the worst-case scenarios in silence.

’If we don’t find Moon and the others before that happens...

I’ll have no choice but to move alone ...

draw the monsters away from everyone else... until they find them.’

The entire plan revolved around that curse.

But Ethan couldn’t sustain it indefinitely—

he needed Luna to restore the barrier,

to suppress it until the exact moment

they chose to lure the monsters.

If the curse remained active at all times,

the creatures would hunt him relentlessly through the night ...

a night with no beginning or end,

deep beneath the earth.

Because of that,

Ethan had already considered the possibility of moving alone.

As these grim possibilities flooded his mind,

a heavy hand landed on his shoulder ...

Jackson.

"No need to worry. I’ll go with you if things turn bad."

The giant smiled,

clearly stating his intent to stand beside Ethan ...

even if the curse activated

and the monsters descended upon him.

"That’s kind of you... were you always this friendly?"

Ethan asked dryly.

"I’m a respectable man," Jackson replied proudly.

"Believe it or not, I was quite popular among the hunters of my time."

Ethan let out a faint, disbelieving chuckle—

especially after watching the same man

crush monsters’ skulls with his bare hands.

"I’ll rely on you when the time comes."

Jackson nodded.

"I never intended to leave your side.

I’m here to see what you’re truly capable of."

In other words ...

as long as Ethan delivered a performance worth watching,

Jackson would stay.

If not,

he would abandon him without hesitation.

"That’s good enough for me.

I prefer this kind of relationship over anything else."

No emotions.

No pointless bonds.

Just efficiency.

"Let’s move! Avoid unnecessary fights ...

focus only on finding our people!"

"Yes!" the hunters shouted in unison,

before rushing through the colosseum gates ...

which Jackson had opened for them alone.

It was worth noting ...

that gate normally required ten men to move.

Jackson opened it effortlessly.

"What monstrous strength..."

Raiden muttered aloud without realizing it.

Jackson grinned, flexing his arm.

"This strength comes from talent... and relentless effort.

Remember that ... muscles alone won’t get you this far."

It sounded like advice ...

but the tone carried a hint of mockery.

Raiden frowned, irritated,

choosing to remain silent instead of responding.

Jackson, however, didn’t mind.

He simply looked ahead,

that same faint smile never leaving his face.

The gate stood open ...

and the hunters surged forward,

returning once more to the streets of old Ashvarn.

Ethan and Jackson led at the front.

Behind them came Ethan’s squad,

followed by the knights,

and finally the archers and mages—kept close,

yet positioned at the rear.

Ethan deliberately kept their formation tight ...

so that everyone remained within the range

of his telekinetic control.

That way,

he could respond instantly to any ambush.

Yet after several minutes of moving through the streets...

they encountered nothing.

No monsters.

No movement.

Only silence.

Ethan activated the Eyes of the Crow,

scanning for every detail— 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

while archers like Chai searched from afar

with their enhanced vision.

But they found nothing.

The towering buildings ... looming high above them blocked everything from sight.

"We won’t find anything like this..." Ethan muttered with a frown,

before turning back and calling out to Chai.

"Come on, Chai—we’re taking to the air!"

Grabbing his younger teammate, Ethan handed command over to Jackson,

then fired the grappling hook from his mechanical arm ...

lifting Chai with him as the two were launched upward,

rising swiftly toward the rooftops surrounding them.

For a brief moment, Chai was startled ...

but he quickly understood Ethan’s intent.

"From up here, searching will be much easier!"

Ethan nodded.

"We’ll move from above and guide the others...

while we search for Moon and the remaining hunters."

Detached from the main formation,

Ethan and Chai stayed within range of Jackson and the others ...

leaping from rooftop to rooftop,

taking advantage of their wider field of vision.

"That kid... can he do everything?"

Jackson let out a low chuckle,

watching Ethan from afar.

A terrifying aura.

A powerful blessing.

Deadly weapons, enhanced vision—

and now flight through that strange mechanical arm.

"You lot look utterly insignificant next to him,

hunters of the new generation."

Jackson laughed, never missing a chance to mock them—

all except Ethan.

No one responded.

Because deep down,

they were all thinking the same thing.

No one spoke ...

except one young girl running near the back.

"He’s chosen by the Lords...

so it’s only natural he can do all those incredible things."

It was Schierke Heart,

her voice carrying a strange, almost reverent admiration.