Leon, standing beside me, remained silent, his jaw clenched. He didn't like this any more than I did, but he wasn't going to argue. Not when the stakes were this high.
Christa, on the other hand, had her arms crossed, lips pressed into a thin line. She might have been quieter than usual, but her frustration was clear.
Darius continued explaining the structure of the operation—the division of teams, the specialized roles, the emergency protocols in case of a worst-case scenario. Everything was being laid out with military precision.
If I wasn't allowed inside, then I needed another way to monitor what was happening.
And I had just the means to do it.
I glanced at Leon's shadow, subtle and undisturbed beneath his feet. He was strong, but he wouldn't notice it.
Not if I placed it carefully.
With a flicker of will, I activated my connection to the Abyss.
Fenrir.
Silently, without drawing a shred of attention, I sent my familiar slipping into Leon's shadow, embedding itself within it like an extension of my own senses. It would stay there, hidden, unseen, waiting.
No matter what happened inside that dungeon—I would know.
Darius Vaughn's voice cut through the tension. "That concludes the revised strategy."
The murmurs and quiet conversations among the hunters died down as he straightened, giving one final glance around the room. His expression was unreadable, but the gravity of his words weighed on everyone present.
"The strike force will depart in three days."
A moment of silence. Then, as if signaling the finality of his statement, the holographic display behind him flickered off.
Vice Director Alastair Crowe stepped forward, his cold gaze sweeping across the room. "In the meantime, you are expected to prepare accordingly. This is not a mission where overconfidence or recklessness will be tolerated. If you are not ready, you will die."
Blunt. Unforgiving. But undeniably true.
"The Association will oversee all logistical preparations, including travel, equipment, and last-minute evaluations. You are all dismissed."
With that, the briefing officially ended.
-
As the doors opened, hunters began filing out, some murmuring amongst themselves, others lost in their own thoughts. The tension remained, lingering in the air like an invisible storm cloud.
I stepped out into the hallway, hands in my pockets, deep in thought. My mind kept replaying the new information, analyzing it over and over.
Three days to prepare for something that could be the worst catastrophe in history.
Just as that thought settled, Leon and Christa caught up to me.
"Well, that went about as well as expected," Leon muttered, running a hand through his hair. "Three days. That's not a lot of time."
Christa, walking beside him, nodded. "At least it gives us some breathing room. We need to use it wisely."
I exhaled sharply, my gaze shifting toward Leon.
He met my stare and frowned. "You're still thinking about it, aren't you?"
"About what?" I asked, playing dumb.
Leon scoffed. "Don't give me that. I know that look. You're already trying to figure out how to get involved, even after what Vaughn and Crowe just said."
Christa glanced between us but said nothing, though her eyes narrowed slightly—like she had her own suspicions.
I shrugged. "I'm just thinking about the bigger picture."
"Uh-huh." Leon clearly wasn't convinced. "Well, whatever's going through that scheming head of yours, just don't do anything stupid."
I smirked but didn't respond.
Leon sighed. "Either way, I'll be training until we depart. Christa, what about you?"
"I'll be doing the same," she said. Then, turning to me, she added, "You should too. We still have that spar after the raid, remember?"
I brushed it off with a lazy wave of my hand. "We'll see."
Christa just rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed with my lack of commitment.
Leon stretched, cracking his neck. "Well, I'll see you both later. Need to start preparing."
With that, he walked off, heading toward the Black Valor guild's quarters.
Christa gave me one last look before following suit.
The city's skyline shimmered under the glow of neon lights, but my mind was far from admiring the view. I sat on the rooftop of the Hunter Association's headquarters, overlooking the vast metropolis below. Three days. That wasn't a lot of time, but I wasn't planning to waste a second.
-
The next morning, the entire facility was buzzing with activity. With the upcoming operation, hunters were training harder than ever. The sound of weapons clashing, energy explosions, and battle cries echoed through the massive training grounds.
I stood at the edge of one of the sparring arenas, watching as various A-rank hunters went through their drills. Even though they wouldn't be entering the dungeon anymore, their role as a containment force outside the city was just as crucial. If a dungeon break happened, they would be the first and last line of defense.
I felt a presence approach before a familiar voice spoke up.
"You're surprisingly quiet."
I glanced to the side. Christa Vaughn.
She was dressed in a sleek combat suit, arms crossed as she studied me with an unreadable expression.
"Just thinking," I replied.
She raised an eyebrow. "About what?"
I smirked. "What else? The fact that I'm being benched while the real fight happens."
Christa scoffed. "You and me both. But like it or not, this is the best course of action. If we were in there, we'd only be liabilities. They said."
Christa studied me for a moment, then smirked slightly. "You know… we still have that spar to do after the raid."
I rolled my eyes. "You're really not letting that go, huh?"
"Of course not. If you're so eager to prove yourself, why not show me what you've got?"
I let out a short laugh. "We'll see."
She shook her head, clearly unimpressed with my lack of commitment, then turned away. "Just don't get yourself killed doing something reckless, Ryzen."
I waved her off. No promises.
With the countdown to the raid officially underway, there was only one thing left to do.
I needed to get stronger.