Alvin quickly turned to where Meryl's wide eyes were fixed. That girl had been with Elina in the tunnel. He'd seen Elina defending her against the Ozu'mith beasts, which could only mean…
He pulled his sword from the ground and vanished from in front of Meryl—only to reappear beside the monster clutching Elina's hair, severing its head with one clean strike.
[They might be fast and have heightened senses, but their flaw is slow comprehension.] a message flashed in the chat. Alvin gave it a quick glance before dashing at another beast and slicing off its arm.
[Their second flaw: they lose consciousness for several minutes after using their ability for two minutes.]
"What's their ability?" Alvin shouted, blood from the beasts splattered across his face and what was left of his tattered cloak.
[When they pin down their victim and make contact, the Azvarine temporarily erases the victim's memory.]
Only now did he understand what had happened to him earlier—when one of the monsters had forced him to stare into its eyes. And judging by Elina's hollow stare… they'd emptied her memory too!
While still fighting, Alvin spotted Meryl off in the distance, struggling to escape a monster whose hand was tightening around her neck.
He could've left her—focused on the battle. Her life meant nothing to him. But… he remembered how Elina had screamed her name in the tunnel, and how desperately she'd tried to save her.
"Just for Elina," he whispered, wrapping one arm around her waist and pulling her away, heading toward Meryl.
With swift movement, he severed the monster's arm, then kicked it in the stomach, launching it back. The creature didn't scream or show pain. It simply raised its severed limb and licked the blood off with its long, dark tongue.
Alvin placed Elina into Meryl's arms, then shouted while watching the monsters approach in eerie silence, "Protect her. If she dies—I'll burn you to ashes."
[Don't threaten my future girlfriend, you punk!]
"I won't," Alvin whispered, "Just tell me how to face them!"
He knew Cherry Pie would hear him, no matter how low his voice was.
[You can't. Your level is far too low to face the Azvarine. Their real strength lies not in individual combat—but in fighting as massive groups.]
[And from where I'm watching, I can confirm: there are hundreds surrounding you. You'll collapse before you even kill half of them.]
"Then what's the solution?" Alvin asked, eyes locked on the approaching beasts.
[Running away is half of manhood.]
[One last piece of info that might save your life: Azvarine are extremely sensitive to light.]
{Cherry Pie has left the chat.}
Alvin quickly pulled out his phone. Its screen was cracked, but still working. He turned on the flashlight instantly. Some of the beasts shielded their eyes with their arms—but the light was far too weak to handle this many.
He opened the shop tab in a rush, waving his hand left and right in the air, trying to hold the monsters back.
"What are you looking for? Tell me, I can help!" Meryl called anxiously from behind, carrying the unconscious Elina on her back, gripping her thighs tightly to keep her steady.
"Help me by shutting up!" Alvin hissed, glancing up every few seconds to track how close the monsters were getting.
Then—finally—a small, transparent crystal appeared in his palm. He clenched it tightly, and shouted:
"Get ready! We'll run back the moment I throw this!"
Alvin didn't wait for her reply—he hurled the crystal directly into the midst of the Azvarine. The moment it hit the ground, it exploded in a blinding flash of light that forced the beasts to recoil. Their mouths moved silently, and their faces tightened under the burning brightness.
He grabbed Elina from Meryl's back and took off running as fast as he could. Behind him, Meryl struggled to keep up, glancing back every few seconds, her nerves on edge, checking to make sure they were still out of danger.
"Run faster! If you slow down, I'll leave you behind!" Alvin yelled over his shoulder.
"S-sorry!" Meryl cried, her voice trembling, doing her best to close the distance between them.
"What are you apologizing for?"
Because I'm slow! For slowing you down!"
"The only real apology you can give me is to move faster!"
With every bit of strength left in her body, Meryl pushed herself to match his speed. But he was still much faster—even with Elina on his back.
Between the alleys and the mud-brick shops, more monsters emerged. At first, they crouched low on bent knees, then sprang up with eerie grace, leaping into the air—disappearing for a brief moment…
…only for one of them to appear right in front of Alvin and launch a brutal kick straight into his chest!
Alvin stepped back toward Meryl, his head darting in every direction. The beasts were surrounding them again—this time, in even greater numbers. Sweat trickled down his forehead, his face tight with stress and frantic thought. He was desperately searching for a way out before they became a meal.
Suddenly, a voice rang out, filled with admiration: "My God, I didn't expect this many of them!"
Alvin spun around, but saw no one. Maybe the speaker was hidden behind the monsters, out of sight.
Then came another voice—this one sly and mocking: "We're gonna rake in tons of coins and XP for killing them!"
Alvin imagined the speaker grinning confidently. He didn't know whether these newcomers were allies or enemies, but one thing was certain—the arrival of hunters at that moment could be his ticket out.
Moments later, the beasts began turning their heads eastward. Then, all at once, they charged in that direction—as if sensing the hunters' presence.
Alvin seized the opportunity, quickly buying several light crystals from his store. "Run! Now!" he shouted.
Had he been the type to thank others, Alvin might've expressed his gratitude to the hunters—for showing up and unintentionally giving them a chance to escape. At first, the sheer number of monsters had terrified him, but now he was grateful. Their presence had bought him time.
In Noxara, hunters didn't much care whether they were fighting monsters or humans. As long as there were rewards or coins involved, they were willing to kill anything.
But truthfully, it wasn't just about the money. Life in Noxara was brutal, and everything was rare. Many had lost their sense of compassion, forced to make harsh choices—like stealing or even killing—just to survive and feed their families.
Because of this, new generations had grown up caring little about right or wrong—generations that believed it was normal to take what belonged to others… even their lives, if necessary.
Noxara wasn't just a place overflowing with trash. It was home to human beasts—creatures starving for power and cruelty.
As Alvin ran, he was certain he had finally put enough distance between them and the monsters. He glanced back but saw no sign of them. Meryl trailed behind, panting and struggling to keep up. Just a few meters ahead, a massive concrete wall came into view, bearing a sign with information about the tunnel beneath it.
Alvin stopped at the wall. Minutes later, Meryl caught up to him, gasping and bent over with her hands on her knees, trying to breathe.
Now they faced a choice—both options dangerous.
They could stay above ground, where the open space made running easier, or descend into the tunnel. It was narrow and packed with risks, but from what Alvin remembered before he left the city years ago, the lights inside the tunnel stayed on at all times—which meant the Azvarin beasts couldn't enter.
They needed rest. They needed time to catch their breath and recover before facing any more threats.
"Follow me, or stay here and get eaten," Alvin said coldly, starting down the staircase into the tunnel.
Meryl felt the sting of his words. He clearly didn't care about her, not even trying to hide it. But she had no other choice—she had to follow.
If she stayed alone, she'd either become a meal for the beasts or an easy target for the hunters.
Alvin wasn't kind—but at least he didn't hurt her.
The tunnel was less chaotic than the surface, but that didn't mean it was safe. There were still monsters… and hunters with greedy faces hiding darker intentions.
They could move among the crowd without being noticed—everyone was too busy fighting, too consumed by killing one another. Alvin took a side path with fewer corpses and survivors. From there, he turned again into another corridor.
He repeated the process several times, weaving through the maze, until he reached a quiet hallway lined with rooms on either side.
Gripping his sword, he cautiously opened one of the doors. He entered in silence, his sharp eyes scanning every corner. Once he was sure the room was empty—except for some old furniture—he gently placed Elina on the couch, then collapsed on the floor, gasping for breath.
Meryl sat beside Elina and checked her condition. She opened her shop and purchased a few healing elixirs.
Taking one of the vials, she brought it to Elina's lips, ready to help her drink. But before the liquid could touch her mouth, a black sword with glowing violet edges appeared in front of her.
A cold voice, as if it had crawled out of ice itself, asked, "What are you doing?"
Meryl froze, her hand trembling. "I… I was trying to heal her… with elixirs," she whispered, her voice barely audible.
She didn't dare speak louder. Fear gripped her chest. This man—his mere presence was paralyzing. She could feel it in her bones: one wrong move, and his reaction might be fatal.
But what terrified her more than anything else… were his eyes.
They were blue. Vivid, clear blue.
And yet… she was certain they had been green before.
Could he have changed them with an elixir? But she hadn't seen him drink anything the entire time they'd been together…
"There were scratches on your face just moments ago. Do you have a healing ability? Or did you use an elixir?"
She answered hesitantly, "It's… my ability."
His eyes narrowed. He stepped closer until the blade of his sword brushed her neck, leaving a thin cut from which a drop of blood trickled. "If that's true, then why didn't you use your ability to heal Elina instead of the elixir?"
Meryl quickly replied, "I used up all my energy healing myself and others before the Azvarin attack."
Despite her words, the doubt in his heart remained. "You're lying. You're trying to kill her."
She cried out, voice rising in protest, "That's not true! If I wanted to kill her, I would've done it long ago. And have you forgotten? I'm the one who woke you to save her!"
Her actions in the battle spoke in her favor, yet Alvin still couldn't bring himself to trust her. The Empire wasn't what it used to be. Everyone was after power—even if it meant betrayal or bloodshed.
Maybe Meryl really had intended to save Elina… but Alvin's mind wouldn't stop whispering doubts. There was another possibility he couldn't ignore: maybe she didn't want to save her at all… maybe she was just keeping her alive for now—to sacrifice her later.
"Stand up," he said quietly.
He withdrew his sword in a swift motion, then sat beside Elina. His gaze drifted to the golden cherry orbs in his inventory. For a moment, he considered giving her one—but she was asleep, and that made it impossible.
In the end, he bought some liquid medicine and slowly gave it to her. A few drops slipped from the corners of her lips, while Meryl watched from the couch across the room.
[Would you like some candy?]
A message appeared in her private chat with her master, The Last Minstrel.
Meryl replied, "The last candy you gave me tasted awful."
She typed the message and sent it—she wasn't alone, so she couldn't respond with her voice.
[Then tell me, what do you want so you'll stop being sad? I hate seeing you like this.]
Meryl replied, "I'm not sad. I just… I think I'm a burden to them."
[You're right. That's why they would've ended up as monster food if you hadn't woken him up.]
"He would've woken up without me. I didn't do anything that mattered."
"He's a skilled hunter. He doesn't need me to be okay."
The planet went silent—no more messages for a short while. Meryl lay down, resting her head on the armrest, assuming he had grown bored of her. She closed her eyes for a brief moment, searching for a sliver of peace, but reopened them when a system notification chimed.
[He's not as strong as you think. He's very weak. His strength lies only in his speed and his sword.]
[Your stats are much better than his.]
Meryl responded, "Maybe you're right. But he's still better than me. He's slain many monsters, while I've barely managed to injure a few."
[That's his role—to fight on the front lines. You're a healer. Your strength lies in staying back and tending to your teammates when they're hurt.]
[And remember, no matter how high their health is, they can't win without you. You are the heartbeat of the team.]
Suddenly, Alvin called out to Meryl, his eyes sharp and intense: "Hey, you!"
Meryl tore her gaze away from her conversation with her master and looked at him. He said,
"I'm going to ask you a question. If you don't answer truthfully… I'll kill you on the spot."