{A several people didn't like how I had been writing the dialogues, so I went back to how it was before}
POV Narrator
Several days had passed since the encounter between the hunters and Chryssia. Her arm had almost fully regenerated, with only the fingers left to grow back.
For now, Chryssia had kept a low profile in the forest, wary of anything the hunters might try to do.
She was also testing a few things.
"Forty-eight."
"Forty-nine."
"Fifty."
When she finished, she dropped the large rock she was using as a dumbbell for her good arm.
"I can do fifty reps in my normal form, but only thirty-five using [Demonic Blood]... I guess that makes sense."
After reaching her conclusion, she nodded to herself and sat down to rest.
Her gaze unfocused as she recalled the past few days. Finding a cave had been the first step — the real problem was what to do afterward. Of course, she had to wait for her wounds to heal.
But therein lay the problem: waiting. Staying still in one place for days… for someone who had lived the way Chryssia had in this new life, it was unbearable.
So she decided to do something she had never stopped to do before — train. Or more precisely, test her limits.
After all, if she only wanted to test her strength, the easiest and most effective way would be to hunt other monsters.
"My body… feels strange," she said, staring at her own hand. "As if something's holding me back… or missing."
She lay down and stared at the cave's ceiling.'At first, I thought it was just my imagination, but it seems real. My abilities aren't as powerful as they should be.'
She paused for a moment, listening to the drip of water falling from a stalactite.
'I don't think the system is malfunctioning — that idea is ridiculous. And I doubt the goddess who reincarnated me lied. She had no reason to.'
She kept staring at the ceiling in silent thought.
With a sigh, she muttered, "I'm missing something… and I have no idea what it is."
After a while of silence, she stood up again to continue her training.
...
"Get those cannons ready now!"
"Where do we load the ammunition?"
"The routes for injured hunters will be there, there, and over there!"
"Cover that entrance with vines!"
"Who took my hammer!?"
It had been a couple of days since they started planning the ambush, but the hunters and logistics teams still had work to do.
"Everything's running smoothly for now," said an engineer to the commander, who only nodded, looking distant.
The engineer didn't take offense — everyone knew the commander had been the busiest person since the ambush was decided. Between the search for Chryssia and preparing for the operation itself, sleep had become a luxury for him.
Seeing that the commander had no further orders, the engineer quietly left. He'd just come to report the monitoring status — there was still work to do.
The commander remained alone on his perch — a high point that allowed him to oversee most of the ambush site, except for the cavern areas, which were under the blacksmith's supervision.
"Hey!"
Speak of the devil.
The commander snapped out of his thoughts and turned toward the blacksmith, who looked just as exhausted as he did.
"Is there a problem?" the commander asked.
"No, I just had a bit of free time and thought I'd talk with you."
The commander resisted the urge to roll his eyes, but he didn't refuse either.
"What's bothering you? Aside from the obvious."
The commander sighed, a bitter smile forming.
"It's that obvious?"
"Not really. But after knowing you this long, let's just say I've learned to recognize your patterns."
The commander chuckled softly, shaking his head. After another sigh, his expression grew more serious.
"I'm worried about potential casualties. The master hunter is still in the medical wing with several others. Add that to the hunters who died in the last operation… and now most of our group are rookies."
Now it was the blacksmith's turn to sigh.
"Yeah, I've thought about that too… But leaving the Phageris free isn't an option. After the last battle, there's a real risk she'll start attacking hunters."
"Right. We can't delay this. At least we can prevent the hunters from getting too close to her."
"That's a good plan. We also have the retreat routes ready if we need them."
"I know, but…"
"But it's not enough, right?"
The commander let out another sigh.
"Yes…"
"You know… all of them are hunters. From the moment they start, they know there's a real risk they won't come back one day. And those who came to the New World know it even better. They're not children — they're people who understand the risk… and chose to face it."
...
"Don't take this the wrong way, but… aren't you pushing yourself too hard?"
Several groups were preparing the ambush, and one of them was led by Lyra.
"As long as they don't make me read, I'll be fine," replied the novice hunter, now wearing an eye patch.
"I'm serious. I know your injuries weren't limited to your eye." Her tone, once gentle, grew more firm.
The hunter, defensive, answered, "The medical staff cleared me. I can take part in the ambush."
Lyra's gaze softened, and she spoke more calmly."Look, I know you're recovered, and your eye isn't a real handicap." Her tone grew serious again. "But honestly, given your history with the Phageris, I'm worried you'll make a decision you'll regret."
Angrily, the hunter shot back, "And what if I do? It's my decision, my consequences!"
Matching his firmness, Lyra replied, "If this were a personal mission, I wouldn't care. But this is a team operation — your mistake won't just cost you."
She paused before continuing in a calmer tone."I admit, I'm not the one making decisions here. If the commander lets you join, there's nothing I can do. Just… please, don't act on impulse. Okay?"
A bit hesitant, the novice hunter answered,"Okay."