While Luna was catching up with her fellow comrades, Jay and Erik took a few steps back and observed the scene. Apparently, Nina and the others got to know Neil during their latest quest, and because they got along quickly, they wanted him to tag along for their next quest with Luna.
"I hope nothing happens this time." Jay sighed.
"Well, if anything happens, she can call us. Since they'll most likely head to the forest, chances are high that we'll cross paths a few times." Erik replied. Based on his knowledge, Luna's quest required her to escort a potion maker who wanted to go deep into the forest to gather ingredients. He and Jay would probably be in their vicinity, searching for the mutation.
The two realized soon that there was no room for them to join their conversation. Even Jay, who escorted them during a quest back then, was hesitant about walking up to them now.
"Let's resume our quest." Erik sighed, smiling faintly. He looked back at Luna, who was still immersed in her conversation, and walked away with Jay.
Although it was typical for most Challengers to go to the hunting fields while the sun was up, Erik and Jay specifically waited for the sun to go down. During the day, weaker monsters, like Killer Rabbits, were active, whereas more dangerous monsters woke up once it had turned dark. The mutation they were looking for was also one of those monsters that were nocturnal.
When the two arrived at the fields, they looked around themselves. The sun was setting, and some Challengers began to return. There was also no sight of irregular swarms of monsters like a week ago. Despite not being able to slay the mutation back then and letting it escape, the monster stampedes had stopped, and the monsters resumed their normal activities in their usual spots—almost as if the mutation was inactive inside the forest.
"Let's go then." Jay said, with a lack of enthusiasm, as he and Erik were about to enter the forest.
While encountering many monsters, like Haunting Trees, the two refrained from fighting them as long as the monsters did not rush at them first. That way, they could save their energy and time. However, once they were deep inside the forest with the moon shining on them, fewer but stronger monsters started to appear. Among them was a Hunter Bear.
It ambushed the two from behind, baring its fangs and claws at them. However, its wide arm swings did not hit them. It shook its head, searching for them, only to realize that it was too late. Small icicles were launched at its face, and even though they just shattered, unable to pierce its thick skin, it was enough to lure its attention away from Erik, who appeared from the other side.
Erik swung his staff right into the back of the bear's knee, making it drop to one knee. Glaring at Erik, the bear neglected Jay, who in turn, jumped out of the nearby bushes and sliced off its head cleanly.
"Let's continue." Erik suggested bluntly, treating the encounter with the Hunter Bear as if it were just a Killer Rabbit.
It was already midnight when they were still exploring the forest.
"Are you still against Luna joining our party?" Jay asked, his expression and tone remaining indifferent as he watched his steps in the darkness.
"Why are you bringing this topic up?"
"I heard what you said back then." Jay replied. He recalled the moment when the mutation had appeared in front of them. While Alice had been keeping it busy, Jay and Erik had gotten into a discussion about what they should do, with Luna right behind them.
Erik, who did not respond immediately, thought that no one had heard what he had said back then—that he did not want Luna to be with them.
"How many times do I have to repeat myself? It's too dangerous for her to join us..." Erik stated, scratching his head out of frustration. He meant what he said. If Luna had not been with them during the encounter with the mutation, the two would not have had to worry about anyone and could have focused on defeating the mutation.
"What about you, Jay? Are you still feeling guilty?" Erik threw back a question at him. He thought that Jay deemed joining their party as dangerous, too, but to Erik, it looked like Jay had a soft spot for Luna.
"I..."
"It's not your fault that she happened to cross paths with your other versions."
Erik knew that deep down, Jay was feeling guilty for the incidents Luna had to face because of his other versions. If one pondered about it, Luna was technically sent to the hospital twice because of the cold Jay. Jay understood that it was not actually him that caused Luna to suffer, but at the same time, those versions were still him—parts of his original self.
"Maybe you're right... Maybe I do feel guilty about what she had to go through because of me and my other selves..." Jay admitted, with a smile that did not reach his eyes.
"However... something tells me that we'd regret it later on if we were to reject her." he added pensively. While staring at the moon, Jay tried to explain that strange feeling inside of him.
Was it romantic? No. Was it still his guilt in the end? No. Was it due to her potential as a magic-based combatant? Also no. It was something else. Jay felt that having her join their journey, something would change, even though he did not know what should change and how. He only knew that he wanted her in their party.
Erik seemed to notice that Jay pondered about it deeply and heaved a sigh of defeat.
"Whatever... She can join us." he gave in as he got ahead of Jay, whose face lit up.
"As long as she doesn't drag us down, I'm fine with having her join us." he elaborated.
Jay was content with being able to convince Erik, but simultaneously, another topic crossed his mind.
"Since you mentioned it..." Jay began, his expression hardening and his pace slowing down until he completely halted.
"You talked about them back then. Who exactly are they?" Jay wondered. He remembered Erik saying that he did not want certain people to get an advantage over them while they had to wait for their next quest, due to possibly facing a penalty if they were to fail taking down the mutation.
Erik glanced at Jay, his eyes devoid of emotion.
"Searching for your other parts isn't as easy as you may think."
"Huh? Of course not. Even I know that it'll be hard."
"Just like you, your other parts might have gathered allies around them, helping them with their goals."
"Isn't it a good thing, though? I mean, they're most likely trying to become whole like me, right?"
"What if that's not the case? What if each one of them has something different in their mind than you? Even though you're the same person in the end, some of your fragments could possess other kinds of experiences or have other kinds of views on the world and life."
"As time passes, they will get stronger... Far stronger. And I'm not just talking about your other selves. I'm talking about the other people who are hostile toward you. Everyone is making their first moves, and if we were still stuck in the Tutorial Section, they could wipe us out easily." Erik elaborated, balling his fists up until the veins were about to pop.
If this Jay were to be killed by another version of himself, he would just merge with that person, raising the completion rate. On paper, it was a good thing, knowing that Jay's goal was to become whole again. Jay knew that killing his other selves or getting killed by them would not make a difference in the long run, but he felt reluctant to say that out loud.
However, Erik could say it.
"Remember what I said to you when we first met...?"
Jay kept listening without uttering a word that could interrupt Erik.
"I wanted to help you...! I wanted you to hunt your other selves, but I won't let the others hunt you!" Erik stated, gripping his chest tightly.
"A hunter can't become the hunted. That's why I want you to become stronger quickly!"
Because they stopped moving and talked loudly, they attracted a few monsters in their vicinity. Among a few Night Deer, there were also monsters resembling bats and owls. Erik and Jay took notice when the bushes near them rustled, with Jay being the first one to draw his sword.
"I understand now. Thanks for being honest with me, Erik." Jay said determinedly as he faced the monsters behind him.
"Hearing that you earnestly want to help me with my selfish goal... it makes me kind of happy." he admitted, hiding his embarrassment by lowering his voice.
When a bat-like monster charged at Jay, it was instantly cut in two.
"I won't betray your feelings and aim to become stronger. Just wait and see...!" Jay declared before rushing at the nocturnal monsters.
Meanwhile, at the rooftop of the high school located in the Tutorial Section.
"H-hey, is it really fine to go onto the rooftop...?" a nervous high school girl asked. She was led by the hand of a fellow male student whose strides appeared confident.
"There's nothing to worry about, babe! An upperclassman of mine told me that there's no one at this hour!" he tried to reassure her.
"And thanks to some careless teacher, I got these keys...!" he chuckled slyly, unlocking the door to the school's rooftop.
That young man had waited for this moment the entire day. He wanted to show his girlfriend the sight of the starry sky from the rooftop, hoping to build up a romantic mood. However, when he opened the door, that romantic mood was the last thing he would worry about.
With a silent growl, the thing in front of the young couple turned its head to them. Their legs gave out, and they trembled in fear as the black entity approached them.
The sight of the almost faceless being was the last thing burned into their minds before everything went black.