Derimiel and the rest charged forward, wolves at their side.
Ahrie and Daiki were snatched up again, grabbed by the backs of their clothes—held like pups.
"Amariel, Daiki, and half the guards will handle the rescue mission," Derimiel said.
"Me… Ahrie… and the other half will create distractions. Cause chaos. Make as much noise as possible."
"Ohh… chaos… my favourite word," Ahrie muttered, squinting, a wicked grin spreading.
Everyone nodded, faces serious.
On Luar's camp…
George struggled to speak, trying to stand.
"B-b-booosss… b-booss…" he stammered, voice weak.
His medic team… asleep.
"He~ey…" he tried again, but his voice barely made it out, trembling as he crawled forward.
He slapped one of the medics—so weak he fell to the ground instead.
Crawling out of his tent, he tried shouting once more. "Oiii—"
But he didn't have the strength. No one noticed. His voice was soft, low, too weak.
Around him, chaos bloomed.
Some prepared breakfast.
Others clashed in chaotic 1v1 duels, spectators cheering.
A few hunted for food.
Meanwhile, the boss flirted with a woman, utterly unconcerned.
In a far corner, Luar, Olivia, and Aisyah sat quietly, observing the madness unfold.
"B-booosss…" George repeated, desperation in his weak voice.
Finally, someone noticed him.
"Ohhh fuckkk! GEORGEEE!" a goon yelled.
The boss immediately bolted toward George.
"GEOOOOORGEEE!" he bellowed dramatically. "Whyy… what happened?!"
George gave a shaky thumbs-up.
"I found them…"
The boss's grin widened.
"GEOOORGE FOUND THEMM!!"
The entire camp erupted in cheers.
Luar let out a relieved sigh. His head is finally safe…
Aisyah's eyes went wide.
"We'll head there!!! RIGHT BEFORE BREAKFAST!"
And so, amid the chaos, they celebrated—and finally ate breakfast.
Back to Derimiel and his rescue squad.
With the wolves' fast feet, they reached the supposed black market in just four hours… somewhere near Glimmerfen, at the edge of the South Forest.
A makeshift place. Collapsible tents, tables stacked with goods, cages crammed with strange creatures. People moved around with masks hiding their faces.
They waited nearby, hidden, surveying. Eyes locked. Laser focus.
Ahrie grinned, shaking like a mad dog.
Daiki glanced at him. "Sup with you?"
"Gonna beat them all up," Ahrie said, eyes gleaming.
"Weird-ass bastard…" Daiki muttered.
"Go get 'em," Amariel encouraged, smirking.
Daiki muttered softly, "I wonder what their levels are… they're super fast."
Ahrie smirked. "Welp… not our concern, my lvl 1 friend."
"Huh? Fuck off, you're level one too!" Daiki shot back.
"I'll level up before you since you're busy babysitting your little sweetie princess,"Ahrie mocked, flailing his arms dramatically.
Daiki lunged, pissed, but Ahrie dodged every attempt to pin him down.
Derimiel and the rest laughed, the tension easing a bit. The mood lightened… chaos tempered with amusement.
At Luar's camp…
Breakfast was over. Steel clattered. Leather buckles snapped shut. Men strapped on armor, swords, and tools for capture.
In the middle of camp, they assembled a thick iron cage onto an empty wagon—They hadn't built the cage before leaving—dragging a ready-made prison wagon through checkpoints would've drawn suspicion.
"Hold that tight… no escapees this time," one man muttered, tightening the frame.
Another hammered a nail into place—
Clang, Clang, Clang.
Aisyah's eyes darted left and right. Quietly, she slipped away, hiding behind a tree. She pressed her ring close to her lips.
"This is Windy… they've found leads to a Floriae village near the south forest…"
The HQ's reply came in quick, panicked bursts.
"How many? Where are you right now?" someone asked through the line.
"About sixty or so…"
Thud.
A figure dropped from the tree above.
Aisyah froze, eyes wide. "...Boss…" she whispered.
"Hello, HQ!" she screamed into the ring, desperate.
The Boss smiled and raised his hand—showing a familiar ring.
Aisyah's eyes widened in terror.
"…How—"
"Ohh… looks the same," the Boss muttered, lifting it. "Kinda feels like we're engaged,huh?"
He twirled it lazily. "Got this off someone. Guy fought harder than I expected for such a skinny bastard."
Aisyah remembered HQ talking about sending backup.
She grit her teeth. Not yet.
she thrust her hand forward, unleashing a massive gust.
[Healz-A-Breeze]
WOOOOSH.
Trees bent. Branches snapped. Leaves ripped free
The boss just stood there. Unmoved. Unbothered.
He closed his eyes, letting the wind wash over him.
"…Ahhh… what a nice breeze," he said with a smile. "Do you want to be my electric fan?"
Aisyah's heart sank.
"No… no, no!" she cried,
She screamed into the ring, voice shaking. "Abort mission! They noticed us!"
"Argh, stop nagging."
The Boss covered one ear, annoyed, then swung his massive axe.
Shhk!
One clean slice.
The Boss clicked his tongue, wiping blood off his cheek. "Tch… messy."
And just like that, he turned and walked back toward camp, axe dragging behind him.
As Aisyah's body lay still, the ring's signal flickered back, growing clearer the further the Boss walked away.
"H–twizzc–OOO… W–zchhh–dy… Windy, can you hear us? How many are there—"
The Boss re-entered the camp, axe scraping the dirt.
Everyone stood ready.
He lifted it high and shouted, "Zǒu!"
No one moved.
He blinked, tilted his head, then tapped his fist into his open palm.
"Right… English."
He raised the axe again. This time he roared, "GOOO!"
The camp roared back, charging to arms.
Luar cracked his neck, eyes scanning.
"Where's Aisyah?"
Black market.
The scouts returned, breathing hard, five tickets slapped into Derimiel's palm.
"What's this?" Derimiel asked.
"Looks like coupons for buying stuff," the scout said. "We grabbed them at the entrance.
Two of ours swapped places with their gate guards. We can move in safely now."
"Good work," Derimiel muttered.
They added, "The place is crawling with armed squads."
"I see… Did you find them?" Derimiel asked flatly.
"We found some… not all."
Derimiel's jaw tightened. "Then we'll burn this place down if we have to."
"And my siblings?" he asked, voice tight.
"No sign. Sorry." The scout's eyes dropped. Derimiel stared at the black market, eyes heavy with rage and restraint.
"When does it start?" he asked.
"The market's open. Auction in one to two hours," the scout said.
"Perfect." He handed one ticket to Ahrie, three more to his most trusted.
"Buy something. Cause trouble. Doesn't matter how—just keep the chaos boiling."
He stared at the tents, concern carved into his face. "I'm here… wait a little longer.
Finally, he turned to Ahrie.
"You ready?"
"HELL YEAAA!" Ahrie shouted, vibrating like a maniac.