Back to the moment when Jay and the others entered the Rookie Dorms, heading toward the rooftop.
"Oh, there you are, Luna. I was wondering where you were. Were you doing a quest, perhaps?" Alice greeted Luna, who had just fought her way through the crowd.
"Where... Where are Erik and Jay...?" Luna asked, out of breath. She was sweating and tired. With her hands placed on her knees, she tried to gasp for air.
"They already went inside." Alice replied, glancing at the building's rooftop.
Hearing that, Luna was about to storm inside, too, but was stopped when Alice grabbed her arm.
"Please don't stop me! I want to help my friends!" Luna begged desperately, turning her face to Alice, whose facial expression turned indifferent. Although she said that, Luna knew that there would not be much she could do anyway. She might have enough energy left, but knowing who the enemy was, chances were high that she could become more of a hindrance than help for Erik and Jay.
And yet, she wanted to head to their side. If they were in danger, she wanted to be there with them. Even if she was useless, she wanted to be with them. It was that kind of conviction that even reached Alice.
"Knowing that there's more danger to come, do you still intend to fight alongside them?" Alice asked. Her eyes softened up a little, staring deep into Luna's eyes. It was not that they just softened up; rather, they looked sad if one looked close enough.
Luna lightly placed her hand on top of Alice's hand, reassuring her with her eyes and smile.
"I've already made up my mind."
Alice's mouth opened, trying to convince her otherwise. However, she quickly closed it again.
"Thank you." she muttered, relieved.
[Do you want to join [Erik and Jay]? Joining a party will change your current quest to the quest of the party member with the highest level. Do you still wish to proceed?]
Luna stared at the sudden window screen that popped up before her.
"Yes!" she answered firmly.
Satisfied with the outcome, Alice pointed to a building in the opposite direction from the Rookie Dorms. It was an apartment complex that was bigger than the dorms.
"Go to that building's rooftop. You understand what you have to do without me saying that, right?" Alice ordered, her tone turning soft toward the end.
Luna nodded and immediately rushed to that building.
"Please help him." Alice let those words slip out of her mouth by accident. Those words were heard by Luna, who looked back at her. She appeared like a pitiful child, seeking help.
"I will!" Luna responded confidently, misunderstanding the real meaning behind those words.
Then, Luna disappeared from Alice's sight as she dove into the crowd again. The only thing left for Alice to do was to hope that they would finish up quickly before she had to take action.
"What a sly man you are..." she chuckled wryly. Despite her desire to join them, too, she was already rejected, or rather, she was taught what she really had to do.
But with that, she succeeded in passing on Jay's message to Luna. Before he and the others entered the Rookie Dorms, Jay asked her to deliver his party invitation to Luna. However, he never stated how she had to give it to her. Testing her determination and even giving her advice for the battle were all the true thoughts of Alice.
"Miss Alice! Captain Scarlet reported that the two men arrived on the rooftop!" a police officer stated.
"Understood. Tell those on the rooftop to retreat." Alice replied.
Meanwhile, Luna was about to arrive at the entrance of the gigantic apartment complex. Her breath was ragged, and her legs turned heavier with each step she took. People who entered and left the complex looked at her weirdly, wondering why she was in such a hurry.
Usually, only people with a key card could enter the building, but Luna sneaked in just in time when someone used their key card right in front of her. The person was about to call Luna out as they had never seen her before, but Luna already spammed the button for the elevator. And even after entering the elevator, waiting for it to arrive at the highest floor, Luna still remained impatient, tapping her foot while supporting herself with her spear.
A few residents entered the elevator as it was on its way up, worsening the panic Luna already felt. Even when the others in the elevator asked if everything was alright, Luna did not hear a word. She was in her own world, drowned in worries.
Despite telling Alice confidently to leave everything to her, Luna was now facing the harsh reality that she had no idea what she should do next. And without her realizing, she was now on the rooftop. Since the rain grew heavier, Luna turned wet quickly.
Her gaze was directed at the rooftop of the Rookie Dorms—her current residence. Now a big monster was rampaging right on top of it, fighting against people. She glanced at her spear, its tip reflecting her anxious face.
A while ago, she could not imagine herself standing on the rooftop of an apartment complex, holding a spear and observing a gigantic monster on top of a dorm for adventurers. From the beginning to the end—despite all the similarities on the surface—this was another world. For Luna, who wished for something like this, it was clear that she had to change, too. She could not stay as a person, clinging to the norms of her previous world. She had to embrace the new world.
Tightening the grip on her spear, she slowly headed toward the rooftop's edge. She squinted her eyes, locking her gaze on the monster that was just a few buildings away. And since it was as huge as a two-story building, it was hard to miss it.
"You can do it..." she whispered to herself, taking a deep breath. Luna retracted her arm that was holding the spear. Lightning gathered around it and was sparking so much that people on the ground could notice it. Still, she continued charging it. Until she could not pump out magic anymore, she charged her spear.
And just a few seconds later, she did it. Her mana reserves were completely exhausted, meaning that the single thing left to do was to throw the spear. Luna's strength was below average, but in this case, it did not matter.
Disregarding the sting in her shoulder, she launched the spear whose speed exceeded any throw she had ever made. The human eye could barely follow the spear, and only because of the spear's sparks.
The spear hit its target. Although it did not penetrate its chest and instead ripped off its arm, it hit the monster.
"I did it..." Luna huffed out of breath, letting herself fall into a puddle. Right now, she just wanted to close her eyes and rest. Not only were her mana reserves drained, but she had been running from one spot to another all the time—even during her quest earlier today.
"N-no... not yet..."
However, until the monster was defeated, she could not allow herself to rest. If she wanted to be seen as a fellow comrade, she had to see the quest through. Thus, she staggeringly headed to the exit.
Back to Erik and Jay.
"That spear..." Erik muttered pensively, recognizing the spear that just flew in. Even though it was a mass-produced spear, he was able to recognize it.
"Hey... eyes to the front..." Jay sneered. His body was in shambles, and he sensed how his blood was trickling down from every angle.
The monster, which had lost its entire left arm and its right hand, was roaring so loud that it drowned out the thunder that was about to strike nearby.
Meanwhile, Erik gripped his staff, changing its shape to an ax once more. Despite his wounds, he intended to finish the fight alone as he could not risk letting Jay get hit one more time. His friend was already on the verge of losing consciousness, and the fact that he was still standing was a wonder to him. However, it was clear to every person that his body was screaming to give it a rest, as another hit could end up deadly for Jay.
"Don't worry about me..." Jay said, his confidence not vanishing despite being out of breath. While Erik was worrying about him, Jay also worried about Erik. Even if the monster was severely weakened and handicapped, it was still a threat. And Erik was by no means in his best shape.
Jay looked at his legs.
"They look pretty fine to me..." he remarked, seeing that his legs were the least damaged parts of his body.
"What are you planning?" Erik asked, sensing something suspicious.
"Me? Just thinking how long I have to stay in the hospital this time."