Inside a pristine office lined with medals, framed portraits, awards, and old photos, two men sat on a sofa facing each other with a knee-high table between them.
"Lieutenant General Mon, I understand the urgency to find a cure for the poison," said Isaac.
"I've already sent as many squads as I can to search for the source of the Toxcarver poison."
Isaac leaned back and sighed.
"But there are too many places to cover. If I send more soldiers, the poison collection will slow down, and General Doris will probably take my head."
"So please understand, Lieutenant General. You've dealt with General Doris before. You know what happens when someone breaks a promise to her."
Mon let out a deep breath and replied calmly, "I understand, Major General Isaac. You've already done me a huge favor by helping with the search. It's unfortunate—"
Before Mon could finish, Isaac's emergency line lit up on his ID bracelet.
"One moment, Lieutenant General."
Isaac stepped away and took the emergency call.
"General, Hunting Squad 3B34 reported they may have discovered the source of the Toxcarver poison."
"They've collected evidence and are requesting urgent backup."
"They're currently being chased by a threat-level 4—maybe level 5—monster. I've already dispatched preliminary support and await further instructions."
Isaac's eyes narrowed.
"Send more reinforcements. No—send all nearby units to evacuate Hunting Squad 3B34 immediately."
"Understood."
***
In a wide, open meeting room—
A long rectangular table sat in the center, with many people gathered around it.
High-ranking officers were seated, while their aides stood behind them.
At the far end of the table, a video played on a large holographic screen.
It showed the swirling purple mist Aeris had recorded, being pulled in by a defogging spell—then bursting outward to reveal what was hidden inside.
A towering plant stood beneath the mist.
It was as tall as a five-story building, shaped like a teardrop vase, and covered in deep-pink petals. It looked like a giant flower about to bloom.
But the land around it told a different story.
The ground was cracked and dry, tinted a sickly purple. Nearby plants were shriveled and dead.
The contrast was eerie—beauty surrounded by death.
The room fell silent. Eyes locked on the paused video. Some stared with awe, others with focus, analyzing every detail.
Lieutenant General Mon broke the silence.
"What kind of plant is this? General Doris, any ideas?"
Across the table sat a silver-haired elf with sharp red eyes and a calm, mature face. General Doris remained quiet for a moment, then answered.
"If I remember correctly, this plant has two names: the Eclipse Orchid or the Lament Orchid," said Doris.
"I've only read about it. In my 500-year lifetime, I've never seen one myself."
"From what I know, it's a semi-sentient plant that adapts to its environment."
"So could this flower be the source of the Toxcarver's poison?" another official asked.
Doris shook her head. "There's not enough info. I can't say for sure."
At that moment, Isaac stepped forward.
"Even if it's not the exact source, this is our best lead. And the fact that the Mountain-Eaters are guarding it... I say it's worth a full investigation."
The room filled with chatter as the officials began to argue over what to do next.
***
Meanwhile, in a quiet ward room inside the army's hospital—
William woke up to the same hospital ceiling. Like clockwork, he sat straight up in bed with wide eyes and a startled look.
But this time, instead of dread, he felt a sense of relief.
"Haah... Thank God. We survived."
After calming down, he peeked out of his cubicle.
Drakna bandaged around the head, sat peeling an orange by the window. Tonto lay in bed, quietly reading a book like always. Lina snored loudly from her bed, completely out of her head.
As for Cain and Aeris... they were missing.
William slowly climbed out of bed, walked to Tonto, and asked,
"Where are Cain and Aeris?"
Tonto let out a soft sigh.
"Cain's in the ICU. Aeris was here earlier but ran off the moment she heard about Cain."
"Is he okay?" William asked, worry creeping into his voice.
Tonto closed his book.
"I don't know. You saw how bad he looked in the van. His condition's still unknown."
"Can I visit him?"
"Maybe. But you'll need permission to enter the ICU ward."
"Alright."
William left the ward and walked down a long hallway to the ICU, which was blocked off by two locked doors.
Seeing no nurses or doctors nearby, William decided to walk around the area.
Then he spotted Aeris sitting alone on a bench. Her right arm seemed to have fully regenerated.
He walked over, hesitating. They barely knew each other.
"Hey... are you okay?"
Aeris didn't look at him. "I'm fine. Just a little trauma. Nothing healing magic can't fix."
She brushed off her injuries quickly.
Not pushing the issue, William asked, "What about Cain?"
At his words, Aeris's shoulders tensed. She clenched her fists, then slowly relaxed.
"He's not in danger—for now. But nothing's certain. The nurse said his condition was unstable. He might recover tomorrow… or get worse."
"They're going to send him back to Gorgon City for treatment. But for now, there's nothing more they can do."
Her voice cracked near the end. She kept her head low, letting her hair hide her face as she fought to keep her emotions in check.
William stayed quiet for a moment, then simply said,
"I see."
He turned and walked away.
Back in the wardroom, he sat on his bed, staring into space. His mind was full of noise, with no clear thoughts.
Tonto glanced over and asked, "So? Did you see Cain?"
"No," William replied with a shake of his head.
"Aeris?"
"She's... fine too."
"I see."
Tonto didn't press further. He returned to his book.
***
The next day—
William was fully healed and discharged from the hospital, along with the rest of his squad.
Normally, they'd be sent right back to the frontlines to hunt the Toxcarver—with Aeris leading in Cain's place.
But ever since the report about the purple mist, the atmosphere at camp had changed overnight.
Now, they were all ordered to stay on standby and wait for new orders from higher-ups.
That left William with more free time than he'd ever had since joining the army.
Still shaken by his first mission, William wandered around camp, trying to clear his head—or at least learn the layout.
Even though it was called a camp, the place looked more like a city. Clean paved streets, buildings on every corner, food vendors, shops, bathhouses...
But as William walked, he saw barely anyone.
The streets were empty. It was too quiet.
Then, faint sounds of movement caught his ear.
He followed the noise and found a bar with an intimidating name painted above the door: Tears of Sinners.
Without much thought, he walked in—only to be greeted by near silence, with only a few murmurs and ambient clinking of glasses. No shouting. No laughter.
Some soldiers sat alone, others in groups. But none of them spoke. They drank silently, faces red and tired.
William froze at the entrance, unsure what to do, until a voice called out to him.
"Hey, boy! Are you coming in or what? Don't just stand there and block the door."
"Ah, sorry," William replied quickly and walked over to the bar.
"What do you want?" the bartender asked.
"Um... I don't know. Do you have any recommendations?"
The woman behind the counter gave him a long, weird look.
"How old are you?"
"Seventeen."
"Huh. Didn't know they were sending babies to the frontlines now. Here, have a chocolate milk. On the house."
William, lost in thought, didn't even register the sarcasm and accepted the drink without complaint.
"Hey," William asked a bartender, "why is everyone so quiet? And why are the streets so empty?"
The bartender stared at him like he was an idiot.
Then her eyes lit up, and she looked at him with a mix of pity and sadness.
"Oh, you poor baby!" she cried, grabbing him in a massive hug across the counter.
"What the—?!" William squirmed, trying to break free. But she didn't budge.
She was huge—easily twice his size—and super strong.
"Don't worry, sweetie. I'll file a complaint right now and get you back home!"
With one arm still wrapped around him, she stormed out of the bar, dragging William along like a toy.
It took several minutes of struggling before William managed to make her stop and listen.
"What!? Did you volunteer to be sent out here? And even a general tried to stop you, but you passed his test and got deployed? Why?!"
"Because... It's my personal business, okay? And I barely know you. Why should I tell you anything?"
"…"
"Won't you tell me, pretty please~?"
William scowled. "Do you seriously think I'm a child?"
"Aren't you? You're only seventeen, right?"
"I'll have you know that seventeen is considered a teenager in human years. And in four more years, I'll be a full adult."
"Haaah... humans and your short lives. It's sad you only get to live for a brief moment in time."
The bartender sighed, sounding genuinely sorry.
William raised an eyebrow. "Then what are you? You don't look like an elf."
"Hm?" She looked at him, then smirked. "Ha~ That's my personal business. We're not that close, are we?"
A vein popped in William's forehead. "Fine. Whatever. I'm leaving."
"Whoa there, little baby. What's the rush? Didn't you want to know why the camp feels so quiet and gloomy? I can show you. One look and all your questions will be answered."
William eyed her suspiciously but stayed quiet.
"How about it?" she grinned, suspiciously cheerful.
He hesitated... but curiosity won out.
"Fine."
She turned and led the way, which was in the opposite direction from the bar.
"Uhm... Miss? Aren't you a bartender? Can you just leave your bar like that?"
"It's fine. There are other workers. And those kids only need booze and a table. Pretty low-maintenance."
She smiled over her shoulder. "You can call me Miss Nova, by the way."
Kids? William thought. Did she call people twice my age kids? Just how old is she?
He kept that to himself and asked instead, "Is this... normal here?"
"HAHAHA!" Nova laughed so hard she almost teared up. "And you say you're not a naïve baby."
William frowned, but Nova kept laughing.
"Boy, do you think this is some safe city surrounded by walls? This is the frontlines, kid. The place where your brothers and sisters die."
She pointed at the streets. "Don't let the buildings fool you. It might look nice, but it's rotten on the inside."
As they walked, more soldiers came into view, and the mood turned grim.
Many sat on the ground with grim expressions, blank stares, or empty eyes.
William's expression turned serious. The atmosphere told him he was about to see something grim.
Soon, they arrived at a large warehouse-like building.
Nova placed both hands on the door. Before opening it, she looked at William.
"Don't forget—this is a warzone, not a city."
She pushed the doors open.
Inside, William was met with an endless line of bodies, each draped in white sheets that stretched as far as he could see.