Kumodesu

We were still talking when a strong tremor shook the entire area, making all four of us stagger.

"We should leave here first," I suggested.

No one said anything.

I knew they were clinging to a sliver of hope, but honestly, it was too thin for me to gamble on it with them.

"Let's go," the Vice Director spoke first, as if he'd made up his mind.

"Alright."

The other two didn't say a word either.

"But this place is more than a hundred miles deep. With our current strength, even getting out will be difficult," the Vice Director added.

"I can carry one person up," Vorsel said. "I have a skill that lets me turn into a shadow and move within it, but the shadow world can only hold one extra person."

We looked at each other for a moment before the Vice Director spoke up again, "The Vice Commander is more heavily injured. She should go first."

"I'm fine," Charlot immediately countered, then turned to look at me.

I had no idea what to do anymore.

"How about... let the Vice Commander go with me," I suggested.

"Do you have a way?" the Vice Director asked.

"I can use my chains."

"Then can you bring everyone up with you?" His eyes lit up with hope.

I didn't know what he was expecting, but I had to let him down.

"Sorry. With my current strength, I can only carry one person,"

I chose the word "carry" poorly, but that was the general idea.

The Vice Director grimaced as soon as he heard the word "carry," then chose to go with Vorsel. Vorsel quickly activated his skill, and his shadow slithered up like a giant cockroach.

Now it was just Charlot and me.

I didn't know what to do for a moment.

"You're really going to 'carry' me?" Charlot asked with an annoyed tone.

"No, that was just to fool him," I replied.

Then I wrapped a chain around my waist and hers...

Somehow, I had just made things awkward for myself. Our bodies were now pressed tightly together—definitely uncomfortable.

I glanced at Charlot. Her expression remained calm, which eased my nerves a little. After a slight hesitation, I decided to wrap an arm around her waist.

"Sorry."

Then I shot another chain upward, latching onto the cliff wall, and used it to pull us up. As soon as we reached a ledge, I formed a stone platform beneath us to stand on, and then repeated the process again.

After a dozen or so times, we finally reached the surface.

As I began to release the chains, Charlot suddenly collapsed, coughing up blood.

"What's wrong?" I quickly used a healing skill to stop the bleeding.

"It was a bit of a shock earlier. Hit one of my wounds," she said, wiping the blood away.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"What could you have done better?"

I fell silent.

"Alright, help me walk."

We had emerged at the thirty-second mile of stage two. This area was far from safe, so I helped her along quickly, but with both of us injured, our walking pace must've looked ridiculous.

Just as we reached stage three, the ground shook again, and a chill ran down our spines.

"It's back," Charlot said.

I knew exactly what she meant, and my movements instantly grew sharper.

"Can you sense the Commander?" I asked.

Charlot closed her eyes for a moment and replied, "Yes, but it's faint. It feels like he could die at any moment."

"What do we do? Leave him or save him?" I asked.

It might've sounded cruel, but I had to ask.

Charlot remained silent.

"I want to save him," I finally said.

Charlot looked at me and nodded.

"Let's get you back first."

Once we returned, the scene before us left us stunned…

For some reason, the nobles were all injured, sprawled across the ground, while the Vice Director stood opposite them, glaring with fierce eyes.

I looked around and spotted Seryl standing off to one side with the other researchers, which put my mind at ease.

"Go join them," I told Charlot, pointing at the research team.

She nodded and went on her own.

Before I could even ask what had happened, I turned and ran back. Honestly, just looking at them was enough for me to predict trouble, which was why I had told Seryl to hide earlier.

Time was short—I had to hurry.

To recover my strength, I was forced to use the [Malice] skill on the dead Scutigera. As soon as I had just enough, I stopped—my strength was now half recovered.

I returned to my previous position and looked down.

At that very moment, a wave of murderous intent like nothing I had ever felt before surged up at me, nearly knocking me off my feet.

I took a deep breath and leapt down. Upon landing, I cloaked myself in stealth and focused all my senses to slowly approach the Commander's location. There, I saw a Scutigera several times the size of the previous mutants. Its body was even more grotesquely transformed, but I didn't have time to observe.

After scanning around, I finally spotted a blood-soaked figure, missing an arm, standing alone against the monster.

The Commander's condition was grim.

But I couldn't act rashly—if I jumped in at the wrong time, I'd die too.

Along the way, I had marked several spots to use my teleportation skill. As powerful as it was, its range was limited, so I couldn't mark anything from the surface.

I had only one chance—but how could I distract the Scutigera King?

While I was still thinking, the battle began.

I could see clearly—the Commander was completely on the defensive, barely able to stand.

I had to act now.

As they clashed, I silently repositioned myself, inching closer and closer to the battlefield.

Once everything was in place, I summoned eight chains, waiting for the right moment. When the Scutigera King was about to strike, all eight chains shot forward and wrapped around its head.

I yanked with all my strength, managing only to tilt its head back slightly—just enough for me to hurl a dagger straight at its eye.

I didn't wait to see if it hit. I immediately activated my teleportation skill, swapping places repeatedly with the marked rocks. After a few exchanges, I finally reached the Commander.

Without saying a word, I lifted him up and teleported us back to the original point where I had descended.

That spot was far enough to buy some time.

But the Scutigera King reacted faster than I thought. Without warning, it lashed out its long body like a whip, striking us hard.

I couldn't think—I just kept activating my teleportation skill.

Unfortunately, my first attempt failed—costing us one crucial second.

And that second was enough for me to take the full brunt of the blow.

As soon as the teleport succeeded, I was hit with searing pain.

From shoulder to toe, I could feel bones breaking—at least a hundred fractures.

The agony nearly knocked me out. I bit my tongue hard to stay conscious.

"Leave me behind…" the Commander murmured weakly.

"Even if you die, I'll still bring your body back."

I wiped the blood off my face and prepared to move again—but then came the sound of thunderous footsteps.

Too fast.

I shot out eight chains, anchoring them to the cliff wall above. The Scutigera King was right on our heels.

It unleashed a long-range attack—I couldn't dodge in time. I lost an arm, and the blast destroyed the terrain around us.

With one arm gone, I was slower, but the chains kept moving, dragging us three-quarters of the way up.

Still, we couldn't outrun a creature with a hundred legs. Soon enough, it was right behind us, jaws wide open to swallow us whole.

I hastily grabbed a rock, marked it, and threw it far away. The moment it lunged, I teleported—just in time.

Another close call.

Now I was clinging to the opposite wall. It reared back again, ready to strike, but I moved positions using my chains.

Right now, the most important thing was to keep changing locations.

Looking down, I saw that the eye I struck earlier was injured. I didn't know how badly, but it had delayed it a few seconds—so I decided to try again.

The Scutigera King had ten eyes—it wasn't going to be easy.

I teleported and threw another dagger. It flinched briefly, then charged again. No scream, no reaction.

I admired its endurance.

Those few seconds were enough for me to gain more distance.

I kept tossing rocks and teleporting, but I failed twice—both times on the first try. Because of that, the Commander lost another leg.

I truly felt sorry, but this skill wasn't perfectly reliable.

One last push…!

We finally reached the surface.

I paused for a breath—but the ground quaked again, and I had to run for my life.

The Scutigera King had climbed up after us. Its movements made the narrow path collapse behind it.

I saw the end of stage three up ahead, hope flaring in my chest—only to fall again as the ground gave way beneath me.

Of course. It could touch the cursed zone.

The Scutigera King no longer cared about anything, madly chasing us. It launched long-range attacks, destroying the path and making me fall several times—narrowly avoiding death.

I clung to the cliffside using my chains, but the road was soon gone.

I threw more rocks, teleported again, crossed to the other side—but it kept coming.

I needed to stall it one more time.

As it neared and prepared to bite, I twisted midair, leaped backward, and flung another dagger at its eye.

It blocked with a leg this time—it had learned.

But I had a backup plan.

A chain shot from my hand—not toward its eye, but its ear.

That's right—the ear. Scutigera were blind and relied on hearing. Their ears were highly sensitive but also their weakest point.

I gambled—and won. Thankfully, even at its evolved stage, the weakness remained.

Without stopping, I ran for my life.

I could see people ahead!

They saw me too. Their faces lit up when they saw the Commander in my arms—then froze in terror at the giant beast chasing me.

"Don't panic! It can't leave the valley area!" the Vice Director shouted, then turned to me.

"Hurry!!"

I've done my best!

The Scutigera King came rushing like the reaper.

No time…!

I gritted my teeth and hurled the Commander forward with all my might—just beyond the valley's border.

"Hurry!!" the Vice Director screamed again. His voice cut through everything.

Many faces appeared in front of me, all shouting "Hurry!!" But among the noise, only one voice stood out—Seryl's.

She was shouting too, tears streaming down her small face.

I pushed myself harder. With the Commander gone, I was faster, but to escape safely, I needed one last gamble.

I quickly mixed a few skills to create a volatile concoction, then sealed it in stone—a simple prototype of the "Magic Tool" I'd been working on. Its function? Explode.

I took a deep breath, turned around, and launched eight chains at its eyes—they were blocked.

It was fine.

I just needed to block its sight.

I threw the magic tool between us.

Boom!!

The explosion rocked the air. I used the blast's force to launch myself out of the valley.

Even so, my body was badly burned.

The Scutigera King burst out of the smoke, unharmed, but upon seeing I had exited its territory, it could only roar in fury and retreat.

Only then did I let out a long sigh.

"Aaaaghh!!"

A wave of pain hit me, making me scream.

I looked down—

It was Seryl, clinging tightly to me.

"Miss Seryl… I'm still alive…"

She didn't answer—just hugged me even tighter.

Well… even though it hurt like hell… I'd gladly savor this moment.

A few days later.

Although we hadn't suffered heavy losses in numbers this time, the quality of our forces had taken a serious hit. All four squad captains who had accompanied us had fallen, and now the commander lay on the brink of death.

I wasn't doing much better myself.

My whole body was covered in burns, making me look rather grotesque—but they were treatable. I just needed time. Thankfully, the arm I lost had been recovered and restored by the Vice headmaster.

I honestly thought this would be the end of the road for me.

I'd been lying in this tent for days. During this time, Seryl was the one who came to take care of me.

Three days after the battle, Charlot came to visit.

Her body was still wrapped in bandages from her injuries. She had fainted from blood loss and had only recently regained consciousness.

"How's the commander doing?" I asked.

"Not very well," Charlot replied softly, shaking her head.

Though I had brought the commander back alive, it didn't seem like there was much hope.

"What exactly happened?"

Charlot paused for a while before replying, "He was cursed."

I froze. "How serious is it?"

"When the Vice headmaster examined him, he found an unknown force slowly eating away at his life force. No healing skills have been able to cleanse it. After further analysis, we concluded it was a curse from the third trial zone," she explained.

"The amount of the curse isn't overwhelming, which is why he's still alive," she added.

"Is there a cure?" I asked.

"The Vice headmaster has tried everything, but right now, the only hope may lie in taking him to the Holy Nation of Aeons."

The Holy Nation of Aeons…

That place is even farther than our current destination.

There's no telling whether the commander can last that long—and even if he does, the people of Aeons may not agree to treat him. Besides, we can't just change our course arbitrarily.

It seemed the commander didn't have much time left.

"What about the nobles?" I suddenly remembered that mess and decided to ask.

"After their leader disappeared, they started expressing discontent—claiming that the commander had been suppressing them all along. Once we passed the third trial and they saw only Alger remained, they began getting restless," she explained.

"They insisted on continuing the journey, assuming we were dead. But Alger refused. A fight broke out. Alger, with his experience and superior strength, quickly subdued them."

"At first, it was just an exchange of skills, but one of them attempted to kill Alger with a high-damage skill. Luckily, the Vice headmaster returned just in time."

So that's what happened.

"Can't we deal with them once and for all?" I asked.

"The Vice headmaster wouldn't allow it. After the commander was gravely wounded, he became the de facto authority. The nobles don't dare make any more moves," Charlot replied.

Still, if we don't resolve this cleanly, it'll be a problem for the journey ahead.

"They don't seem to fear you," I commented.

"In noble society, I never made much of a name for myself, so they still just see me as another youngster," she said flatly.

That's understandable. Given Charlot's youth, she could easily be mistaken as inexperienced and weak. But for those who had seen battle, no one could forget the name "Six-Blade Ghost – The Swift Phantom."

"You'll probably become the next commander," I said.

Charlot glanced at me with displeasure, and I quickly shut up.

"But now that we've made it past the valley, the path ahead should be much smoother. If all goes well, maybe the commander still has a chance."

I tried to steer the conversation to a more hopeful direction.

This journey's most dangerous part was behind us. From here on out, it was mostly plains and cities, where we could resupply and reinforce our numbers.

"Thank you," Charlot said suddenly, her voice heavy.

"If you hadn't risked your life, he would never have made it back."

I had risked everything. That definitely wasn't in my original plan—but so be it.

"I couldn't even follow through on my own intentions," I muttered, laughing bitterly at myself.

"Sometimes life pushes us in unexpected directions," Charlot said with a faint smile.

We chatted a bit more about the road ahead. While the external threats had lessened, signs of internal fracture were starting to emerge.

Mid-conversation, Seryl brought over some food. When she saw Charlot sitting there, her smile faded a little, and her eye twitched slightly.

"When you're well enough to walk, go see the commander. He said he wanted to speak with you," Charlot passed on the message before quickly taking her leave.

I wanted to say she could've stayed to eat with me…

"Miss Seryl, you weren't injured, were you?"

I figured now that I was more clear-headed, I should take the opportunity to talk to her properly.

"I'm fine. Thanks to your warning, I managed to hide in time. But you—how many times have I told you to be more careful!"

Thinking back, I had nearly died twice on this trip… fought to the point of collapse twice…

Yeah, not exactly what you'd call "being careful."

"Sorry. I just couldn't stand by and do nothing," I said, scratching my head.

"You care a lot about her, don't you?"

My body froze.

"Who… who are you talking about?" I still tried to play dumb.

"Stop pretending. I'm talking about the vice commander," Seryl puffed out her cheeks, glaring at me.

Too cute!

No—stay calm!

She was definitely suspicious of me now. I had to clear things up.

"Miss Seryl, if it weren't for the vice commander, I wouldn't even be here in Lubberia. You could say I owe her a new life. That's why I'll help her as long as I can… But of course, that goes for you too."

I threw in a few flattering lines.

Not entirely a lie, but not the full truth either.

Back when I first fought Charlot, I was drawn in by her powerful swordsmanship. That led to me offering her a spot in the assassin's guild.

But as I realized the futility of everything I was doing, I decided to leave the guild and come to Lubberia in hopes of meeting her again.

Fate, however, had made me a researcher instead.

I stayed quiet, waiting for Seryl's reply.

"I understand… But just remember—someone here is waiting for you, too."

Her cheeks turned red as she spoke, then she quickly ran out of the tent.

Did I hear that right?

I reached up and placed my hand over my chest.

My heart was pounding. My face was warm.

So this… is what it feels like to be wanted…

…

The next day, I was feeling better, so I went to visit the commander.

When I entered the tent, I saw Charlot and the Vice headmaster already there.

The commander was still lying weakly on the sickbed, barely clinging to life.

"How's he doing?" I whispered.

No one answered. But the look on their faces told me everything I needed to know.

"He woke up once… but he's still extremely weak," Charlot said, her eyes heavy with sorrow.

As she spoke, the commander stirred again. The room went still.

The Vice headmaster rushed over to check his condition. A moment later, the commander slowly opened his eyes, his lips trembling as he forced out a few broken words.

"Call… everyone… here…"

We understood immediately—he was preparing to pass the torch.

I quickly left to gather the key people: the newly appointed squad leaders, a few special assignment soldiers, and Alger.

Once everyone had assembled, the commander signaled Charlot to help him sit up. His body trembled, each breath ragged and fleeting, like a candle in its final flicker.

He coughed weakly, then summoned what little strength he had left to speak. Though faint, his voice carried a heavy weight: "I… can no longer… go on… From now… the position of commander… will go to Charlot…"

He turned, eyes dull yet still filled with meaning, to look at Vorsel.

"And you… Vorsel… will become the new vice commander…"

He paused, scanning the faces of everyone in the room, as if trying to etch each one into his memory. Then he spoke once more: "I hope… you all… will carry this mission… to the end…"

"Charlot… stay strong…"

And with that, he released Charlot's hand, his body trembling once more before collapsing backward. His eyes slowly closed. His final breath drifted into the air—silent, final.

The room fell into absolute silence.

No one spoke.

Charlot remained kneeling by his side, head bowed.

But I could see her hands shaking and the silent tears that fell, soaking into the commander's uniform.

The journey still lay ahead.

But from this moment on, we all knew—we had lost someone irreplaceable.

I could only stand quietly off to the side.

Others, unable to hold back, began to weep softly.

To me, this was just a mission—and my first time meeting the commander. But to them, he was the one who had fought alongside them for years.

So many had already fallen… But his death was the greatest loss of all.

After what felt like an eternity, Charlot stood and turned to face us. Her face was blank, but her eyes were red.

"Prepare the funeral rites for the commander," she said.

The ceremony was simple.

All the soldiers saluted the man who had once led them.

The research team, having little personal connection, stood silently at the rear.

I stood next to Seryl.

"A man so strong… and even he is gone," she murmured.

"Are you afraid, Miss Seryl?" I asked.

She shook her head.

"I'm afraid of dying alone."

"Then how about… I go with you?" I replied without thinking.

"Don't say something so unlucky!" she scolded me.

But she was the one who started it first.

"…But, if that were the case… I suppose it wouldn't be so bad."

Her voice was so quiet I nearly missed it—except I was right beside her.

I didn't hesitate.

I reached out and firmly took her hand.

Seryl flinched slightly—but didn't pull away.

We didn't say another word but just silently attended the ceremony.