"So, when we reach Kali Village, we'll be taking a different route to Velhein," Yosul said, leaning back in his seat. "Instead of going north like usual, we'll be heading east."
"East?" Erik raised an eyebrow. "Wouldn't that take us into the Death Valley?"
"Technically, no," Yosul replied. "Even though it's called the Death Valley, that's only because it's uncharted territory. Not many have travelled that way—at least not officially."
"Alright… but why are we going through there in the first place?"
Yosul reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a jagged black stone—one that pulsed faintly with a sickly purple hue.
Erik frowned. He recognized the sensation immediately.
"A Ruin Stone."
"This one's saturated with corrupted dark mana," Yosul said, holding it up. "The kind the dungeon monsters have been feeding on. We're heading toward a cave in the valley. There's said to be an old temple deep inside—possibly housing a relic that could counteract the effects of this corruption. Our mission is to find and secure that relic before the raid begins."
Erik took the stone in his hand. The mana hit him like a cold wave.
"…This mana… where have I felt this before?" Then it hit him. "Yosul… this is the same mana the Karken had when we fought it in the canyon."
Yosul nodded. "Exactly. Ian Vector was carrying a lot of these when he was attacked by that Karken."
"Why the hell would he carry something this dangerous while hunting a monster?"
Yosul's gaze hardened.
"That's the thing. Ian was never in that forest to hunt a monster. He was smuggling Ruin Stones."
"…What?" Erik stared at him, stunned.
"It's why he had twenty hunters in his team. If anything went wrong, he could use them as cover and escape. But he didn't. Which means…"
"It doesn't make sense," Erik muttered. "If he planned everything, why didn't he escape?"
Yosul glanced out the window, his voice quieter now. "That's the part we don't understand. The only explanation is… someone made sure he couldn't. Someone wanted that Karken to kill Ian."
Erik felt a chill crawl down his spine.
"You're saying… this was a test?"
"Possibly," Yosul said. "If someone wanted to test the Ruin Stones' effects, what better way than feeding them to a Karken that's already on a rampage? No one will be able to suspect anything"
Erik gripped the stone tighter, his thoughts racing.
"If one Karken became that powerful from just a few stones… then…" His eyes widened. "Yosul, this Velhein raid—we are straightly walking to a trap that was set by someone"
Yosul nodded grimly.
"Someone—or an organization. But until we find out who's behind it, we can't let them know we're on to them."
"…And the only way to make sure this raid succeeds is by securing that relic."
"Exactly," Yosul said. "It's the only card we can play right now."
Erik leaned back in his seat, exhaling sharply. "Hah… things just got a lot more interesting."
As the sun dipped behind the mountains and the first stars appeared, the convoy rolled into Kali Village under the cover of night.
The convoy stopped in front of the Kali Temple, its massive stone steps bathed in orange firelight as carriages began forming a loose circle around the clearing.
A large bonfire crackled at the center, casting flickering shadows across the temple walls. The adventurers would spend the night here.
The sky was clear. No signs of rain. No tents, no shelters—just sheets and cloaks. It would be enough.
Yosul stood near the fire, addressing the crowd.
"Get some good rest after dinner. We leave before sunrise—at five."
"At five?" Erik repeated, brows furrowing. Then he remembered.
"Oh!" He reached into his pocket and pulled out the clock Evalyn had given him, flipping it open with both hands.
"If we're leaving at five, then we have… one, two… eight…" He squinted. "Eh?"
"…Hours!"
"Oh, right. Hours."
Yosul chuckled as he stepped away. "I'll go check in with the commander. Be back in a bit."
Erik was left standing alone, still staring at the clock when a voice cut in from behind, making him jump slightly.
"You're bad at reading a clock, aren't you, Erik?"
He turned. "Leena—would you stop sneaking up on people?"
"Did I scare you?" she asked flatly.
"What? No."
"Good. If you did, you wouldn't make a good hunter."
"And what makes you say that?"
"Because a hunter can't afford to be surprised. A moment of surprise is a moment you lose your composure."
Erik nodded. "That… makes sense."
In the background, a group of adventurers had started singing around the bonfire, cups raised, spirits high.
"Looks like they're enjoying themselves," Erik said, watching the scene.
Leena didn't respond immediately. Instead, her gaze shifted across the firelight.
"Erik," she said quietly. "That man has been staring at you since we arrived."
Erik followed her eyes.
It was Aron.
He was standing near a group of adventurers, arms crossed, face unreadable—but unmistakably irritated.
"You gonna talk to him?" Leena asked.
"No."
Aron glanced away and left without a word.
"You know him?"
"Yeah… We used to train together."
"With Evalyn?"
"Not exactly with her. But she was there." Erik paused. "Wait—how do you know that?"
"Evalyn told me."
"She told you we knew each other? Why?"
Leena's tone remained neutral. "We got into an argument."
"About what?"
She looked away. "I can't say."
Erik sighed. "I don't understand either of you."
He looked up. The full moon hung high above the temple, luminous and pale. Clouds drifted far below it.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?"
Leena followed his gaze.
"It's just a moon," she replied.
Her tone was so simple, so dismissive—it caught Erik off guard.
"…You don't think it's beautiful?"
She stared at it a bit longer. Then, after a pause:
"It's glowing."
Erik blinked. "It sure is."
A quiet beat passed between them, filled only by the crackling of the fire and the faint echoes of laughter.
"Let's get some rest," Leena said. "We have to wake up earlier than the others."
"Alright. See you at five Erik."
"Yeah… At five."
Leena walked off toward the commander's camp, disappearing into the shadows cast by the temple.
Erik made his way to his assigned carriage. As he reached for the door, it opened from the inside.
The old man with the axe stepped out.
"Oh. Kid," the old man grunted.
"Hey," Erik replied.
The man handed him a folded sheet.
"Here. Sleep on this."
"Thanks." Erik accepted it gratefully.
The old man nodded once and found a spot to spread his own sheet. Without another word, he lay down and closed his eyes.
As Erik began setting up his own sleeping space, the old man's voice came again:
"Make sure you eat something before you pass out."
Erik glanced back toward the fire. A man was walking around, handing out bowls of steaming stew to everyone sitting nearby.
"That must be what he meant."
Suddenly—
"I got you one."
Leena appeared beside him, holding out a bowl.
"…You've gotta stop doing that," Erik muttered, shaking his head.
"Doing what?"
"…Never mind. Thanks."
He took the bowl and sat beside the fire, eating quietly. The stew was hot, simple, but satisfying.
Afterward, Erik lay beside the old man, pulling his cloak over his shoulders.
The night was still.
The fire was quiet now, embers glowing.
The full moon remained above, watching in silence.
"…I've got a feeling tomorrow's gonna be a long day."