Chapter 26: Julie's Choice

The sound of the monster smashing the iron doors of the safe room was so loud that it resonated throughout the interior of the safe room. 

The noise induced a palpitating fear in everyone inside, each of them was gripped by the dreadful thought that the monster might break through and kill every last one of them.

The cries of children echoed through the room, and even some adults were beginning to lose control. The situation was slowly deteriorating.

But amidst the chaos, one person remained indifferent to her surroundings. She had already lost someone dear to her, and she would be damned if she couldn't hold her brother one last time.

Julie held her brother's lifeless body in her arms. His warmth had long faded, and the blood on his clothes and on her hands had dried. Her eyes had been closed for some time now as she denied the reality, her tears had long since run dry, now stained red, as if she were crying blood.

Her friend, Marjie, despite the deafening banging on the iron gate and the looming threat of death if the monster were to breach it, stayed by her side. This was the moment Julie needed her friend the most even if it killed her.

Marjie hugged Julie from behind, her voice was shaking as she cried with her. "J-Julie, you must stay strong. Kuya wouldn't want to see you like this," she said to her.

But unbeknownst to Marjie, Julie was undergoing a quiet, transformative awakening. Externally, it was nearly invisible. Like her siblings, and her brother, everyone in their family had been classified as a noncombatant from the start. No one would've ever expected her to become an explorer or a hunter.

Her mind was consumed with grief over her brother's death. No one could even begin to understand what she was going through in these moments.

'Would the events today have changed if I were someone like Kuya Jackson? Could I have prevented this? Would Mom, Dad… and even Kuya still be here if the monsters never existed? What would have changed if… they didn't exist?'

The banging on the gate had stopped since earlier. They received messages confirming the monster's mana fluctuations had weakened, and that hunters were on their way to rescue them.

Someone's voice spoke up, asking, "A-are the monsters gone? Are we safe now?"

Another person spoke, it was a man wearing glasses, and replied, "I think so. The monster trying to destroy the gate probably lost interest and left. The hunters are probably here by now, judging from the bla bla bla" He kept going, rambling about his theory.

A woman ignored him and said, "Then let's just stay quiet and wait for them to reach us. Let's just all calm down and we will surely make it out alive."

A middle-aged man who had restrained Julie earlier sighed. "Phew. Good thing we held her down earlier. If we hadn't, we'd all be dead right now. She almost let the monster inside the safe room."

Another person who had helped pin her down approached and said, "Uh, miss, I'm sorry for your loss. We just did what we had to do. It wasn't just your brother's life at stake, everyone in this safe room would've died if we had let you keep the door open."

Marjie, who had sustained some bruises in some places, spoke up. "Please, give my friend some space. She lost someone dear to her," she said while glaring at the grown men talking behind their backs.

Murmurs and whispers spread from the back. The topic was about how they had nearly died because someone tried to act like a hero and got himself killed.

Marjie was appalled. 'Did they forget… they were willing to sacrifice the lives of two kids, and only Kuya took action?'

As if hearing her thoughts, Julie spoke in a low calm whisper. She had been quiet ever since the topic came up. "You're right, Marjie. They're humans, after all. They'll prioritize their own safety, even if it means sacrificing others so long as they get to live."

Marjie quickly turned to her, she was caught off guard. "Julie… ho-what are you talking about? take hold of yourself. You're stronger than this." She tried to face her directly, and then, there she saw it.

Julie's face was etched with grief, her eyes glowed white, with a halo that formed within them and her tears had been replaced with blood, one would've thought this to be angelic but there was no warmth in them, only a pair of cold eyes that screamed retribution.

Marjie was shocked and spoke in a calm voice. "Julie, please, snap out of it. Please… this isn't you." She pleaded, sensing that her friend was on the brink of no return, her carefree kindness was nowhere to be seen, it's as if she was capable of taking lives without remorse as payment for what she had lost.

Outside the safe room, a group of hunters was locked in a fierce battle with the Mutant Hobgoblin. Its pale skin stretched tightly over bulging muscles, with thick veins pulsating beneath. Towering at ten feet tall, the creature loomed over its attackers like a grotesque titan.

Bart, a D+ rank magician, completed his chant. "Electra! Strike my foe!" The spell surged toward the monster, and unlike chantless magic, its power was amplified. The electricity coursed through the hobgoblin's body, causing its muscles to tense and spasm violently.

Bart shouted, "Now! While it's stunned! Target the joints on its lower body to immobilize it!"

Jay responded instantly, closing the distance in a flash and activating a sword skill. His blade sliced clean through the back of the hobgoblin's leg.

Slashhh!

The strike severed its biceps femoris and the surrounding muscle, causing the monster to buckle and fall to one knee.

The hobgoblin was outnumbered, facing four groups of Class D-ranked hunters, each led by someone striving for a promotion to Rank C. Despite being a mutant, the beast couldn't endure the synchronized assault from Brandon, a D+ rank spearman; Rand Marvin, also a D+ archer; Bart, the skilled D++ magician; and Jay, the D++ rank swordsman.

Its body bore the damage: a spear wound in the upper right chest reaching its shoulder had crippled it, Marvin's attacks had blinded one of its eyes, and Bart's spells had left it open for follow-up strikes from Jay and the others.

Brandon leapt into the air to finish it and delivered a powerful thrust with the rare-class spear Jay had lent him. The hobgoblin raised its left arm to shield itself, but the spear pierced through both the limb and its chest.

With a thunderous thud, the monster collapsed. Its minor regenerative abilities were no match for the relentless assault from multiple directions.

Jay turned toward his allies. "What's our status?"

May stepped forward. "Two KIA and one critically injured in Group 4. Group 2, led by Rand Marvin, has three injured. Group 3, led by Brandon, has two injured. And Group 1, led by Bart, has one injury."

Jay clenched his fists. His group had taken the heaviest losses. 

'I shouldn't have sent them ahead to scout. My promotion to Rank C will probably be delayed… in the worst case scenario, I might even get demoted.'

He glanced at Paul, who was barely clinging to life. 'At least we made it in time… or he would've also died.'

Bart, the leader of Group 1, raised his voice. "Everyone, stay vigilant. Search for survivors and secure the area. I know we're exhausted, but we must ensure everyone's safety."

Rand Marvin clicked his tongue and addressed his group. "Alright, follow me. Two of you, secure the area. The rest, stay and rest."

'Acting like he's the leader when we're all the same rank… asshole,' Marvin thought as he moved off with his team.

Jay exchanged a look with Bart. Bart nodded and turned to Brandon. "Um, leader Brandon…"

Brandon raised his hand before he could finish. "Alright, don't worry about it," he said before moving off to secure his assigned area.

"Then, leader Jay, let's hold our position until they get back," Bart said.

"Right. We can't afford to get careless, especially after taking this much damage from a single monster," Jay replied with a heavy tone.

Time passed. The groups eventually returned after confirming the area was clear.

Rand Marvin was the first to speak. "So, when are we splitting the monster parts? I'll start us off, how about you take the body and we take the mana core?"

Jay's brow twitched. Bart immediately responded, "Our priority is to get the civilians to safety. That comes first, plus the association will take care of it"

"We did what we came here to do, so rather than letting the association handle it, how about we split the rewards here so it's only fair, right?" Marvin argued while looking towards Brandon for support.

Brandon hesitated. "Well… you have a point."

"Right? So we'll just-" Marvin approached the hobgoblin's corpse, as he was ready to extract the core.

Brandon cut him off. "But the core isn't yours to take. It should go to Jay's group. They delayed the monster and kept the civilians safe. They also suffered the most casualties so it's only right to give the biggest share to their fallen teammates."

'This muscle-head just wants to get on Jay's good side so he can keep the spear,' Marvin's nerves on his head were visible as he thought bitterly about Brandon's intent.

Jay ignored their bickering and turned away, as they had to wait for higher-rank responders to open the safe room's heavy gate. Instead of listening to them he walked over to Paul, checking on him, May was also there tending to Paul.

"Don't worry too much, Leader. He's stable for now. We'll move him once the responders arrive," she reassured him.

"…Alright. That's good to hear," Jay said.

But something felt wrong, he froze in place. 'What is this? Something's off.'

He scanned the area and saw Bart with the same alert expression. Jay moved next to him and said, "You felt it too, right? Something's wrong."

"Yes. There's definitely something off," Bart replied, his eyes narrowing.

Brandon and Marvin paused their argument when they noticed the change in the two men's demeanor.

Marvin scoffed. "Oi! What's wrong? If you're trying to haggle with me, then forget it!"

"Will you shut up, you idiot. Focus your senses," Brandon snapped, his tone heavy with urgency.

"Huuuh?! This bastard, What did you just say to me? You wanna fight?!" Marvin growled at him, as he narrowed his eyes, then he felt it too.

A chilling pulse of corrupted mana flooded the air.

Their gazes snapped toward the fallen body of the Mutant Hobgoblin Cadre. It was standing, its mangled form slowly rising as grotesque energy surged from within transforming the body.

"Shit! My core!" Marvin shouted in disbelief.

In the center of its body where the monster's core should've been, a twisted black-red crystal pulsed violently. It had transformed and corrupted it, turning it into a demonic mana core.

Veins of dark energy crept through the monster's body as its flesh slowly reconstructed itself, pulsing with an unnatural rhythm.

"No! We have to destroy it quickly while we still can!" Bart shouted in urgency..

He'd read about this in the guild's emergency protocols: demon cores. Monsters born during the first Overpour called the Red Tide, the monsters during this time possessed these cursed cores. They weren't just stronger than normal creatures found in gates or dungeons. They were in a league of their own.

The hunters launched their attacks, pouring everything they had left, but each of their attacks bounced off a thin but impenetrable barrier made up of corrupted mana,

'Damn it… we're all exhausted and most of us are injured. Bart's also nearly out of mana… if that thing revives, we're screwed. Even if we run, it'll hunt us down,' Jay thought bitterly while biting his lip.

Just as despair was settling in on them, a figure suddenly appeared.

With a blur of motion, a massive cyan blade cleaved through the corrupted barrier and the hobgoblin's reconstructing body in a single strike. Followed by the man's left hand that shot forward, grabbing the demon core and crushing it.

BOOOM!

A shockwave erupted, sending a concussive blast through the area. Every hunter was pushed back, skidding across the floor.

The air fell silent and all the eyes turned toward the figure standing in the center where the monster had been.

"N-no way… he crushed it… with his hands..." Marvin stammered with a trembling voice.

Brandon was wide-eyed as he finished Marvin's sentence. "That's… B+ Rank Jackson an Aura user from the Invictus Guild."

Jackson stood tall in full black-and-silver armor, his dark cyan greatsword resting on his shoulder. His presence radiated strength showcasing his adeptness in Aura and the difference in their rank, the situation was silent and overwhelming.

Jackson didn't turn to face them. Instead, with a steady voice, he spoke as his eyes locked onto the heavily damaged gate of the safe room.

"Squad leaders… report to me."

Hearing this Brandon immediately took the opportunity and stepped forward to introduce himself. "I'm Brandon, Rank D+ Spearman, leader of Group 3."

And then one by one, the other leaders followed Jay, Bart, and Marvin each gave a brief rundown of what happened, the civilians they managed to save, the injuries they sustained, and the people they couldn't save in time.

Behind Jackson, there are other hunters and explorers, which was sent by his guild as a backup squad, standing at the ready. They had been dispatched after it became clear the threat in City J was more severe than expected.

Jackson gave a quiet nod to them, then spoke.

"Alright. Everyone is dismissed. Tend to your wounds and pay your respects to the fallen."

There was a noticeable weight in his tone, a hint of sorrow that didn't go unnoticed.

"Sir, yes sir!" The newly arrived hunters responded in unison.

"Thank you, sir!" The original teams echoed with sincere gratitude. If Jackson hadn't arrived when he did, they would have been wiped out.

Jackson approached the broken gate and handed his massive blade to one of his men. He then raised both arms and pulled apart the metal doors, his muscles bulging as grinding gears snapped and screeched from the pressure.

Inside the safe room, Marjie held Julie tightly, her voice was shaking as she pleaded with her to wake up. "Julie, please… please, come to your senses…"

But Julie was unresponsive, her eyes red, and her tears were dried onto her cheeks.

Then a loud boom echoed through the room, followed by heavy vibrations. The sound of twisting iron and shattered gear mechanisms grew louder.

Marjie froze, thinking the monster had returned. She shut her eyes tightly, bracing herself while clinging onto Julie.

Light bled into the room through the widening gap in the gate.

Then silence.

She dared to open her eyes. A figure clad in armor stood tall in the doorway, the light framing him like a savior's silhouette.

Her breath was caught as she immediately thought of someone. 'That can't be… Kuya… Kuya Jackson?'

Before Jackson's arrival he had been with his guild surveying the gate in another city when the distress call came, one from the association branch in City J and the emergency beacon from his closest friend.

As the gate creaked fully open, Jackson's gaze swept the room. His heart dropped as soon as he looked below him.

'Marjie? Julie… and…'

He couldn't speak.

Julie was cradling someone very close to him, it was none other than his childhood friend. A brother in all but blood. And yet, what truly stopped him was the pressure he felt coming from Julie. It was identical to that of Invictus Guild's leader.

He walked slowly, his eyes never leaving Julie's face, etched with sorrow, she was barely conscious from exhaustion.

Julie looked up weakly at him and whispered before collapsing, "…Kuya Jackson… why are you late…"

He caught her, holding her gently.

"I'm sorry, Julie… it was my fault for letting your brother come here."

Then he looked at Marjie. "Thank you for staying with her. Some people here might've died if you hadn't been there to hold her back."

Marjie's chest tightened, and tears spilled once more. She knew it. Her instincts had been right all along.

Jackson glanced around the room, the civilians, the broken bodies, and the survivors trembling in silence, especially those that initially pinned Julie and Marjie to the floor. His eyes narrowed at something no one else seemed to notice.

'There's something… wrong,' he thought.

In his mind, he saw it again, 'it was an invisible, transparent scythe hovering over the necks of some of the survivors. Held by something I can't see…'

A chill ran down his spine.

A few days later the association opened the area for reporters.

"BNC News! reporting on the Central City J monster attack. As of now, there are 345 confirmed casualties and approximately 289 injured. The estimated damages-"

Pssub!

The holographic projector shut off with a hiss.

"…Why? Why did Julie have to go to City J, huh?! Ate Bridget? Kuya would've been fine on his own if she did not go there in the first place!" shouted Ben, the third eldest sibling.

Bridget sighed deeply, her voice sharp and trembling. "Ben, we've talked about this so don't get me started. And don't you dare blame Julie, it's not her fault. It was an accident. No one could've predicted what would happen. And watch your mouth when you talk about Kuya's friend, if Kuya were here, he would've slapped some sense into you. Kuya Jackson saved Julie, Marjie, and a lot of others that day."

Ben's eyes flared as he pointed out accusingly. "So what?! Kuya's dead because he's the one who pushed him to move to City J! He could've just come back here, he wouldn't be inside that cof-!"

SLAP!

Bridget's hand struck his face, her tears were already streaming down her cheeks.

"Do not… huh… do not speak about him that way, you have no right! No right!," she said with a shaking voice, while pressing her trembling fingers into his chest.

"Did you even think, huh Ben? For even a second? While you're shouting at Kuya Jackson, you're also shouting at our Kuya too…" Ben stayed silent after hearing her.

Behind her, Lany stepped forward to support her sister as she saw her stagger.

"Kuya Ben, please… that's enough, Ate Bridget is tired."

Lany hadn't slept since the news came to her. She had been in the middle of class when the message arrived, she left her class immediately and booked a flight on the same day just to get home.

Ben stepped back, his jaw clenched tight, then without a word, he turned around and walked out to the backyard.

The cold air greeted him as he sat down on the old wooden stool, one of the last things his brother had built with his own hands. It creaked under his weight. He pulled out a cigar from his pocket, lit it, and took a deep puff. The bitter smoke filled his lungs.

It had been years since he last touched one. His brother always gave him hell for it, saying along the lines.

"You'll die young if you keep that up, idiot."

But tonight, he needed it. He looked up at the night sky, the stars were faint and distant, their glow choked by the city's air pollution. It reminded him of long-gone nights, of simpler times.

"It feels just like yesterday, right, Kuya?" he murmured. "When we all watched the stars here in the yard. I'd always fight Lany over the telescope, and you'd scold me for picking on her. Then Mom and Dad would just laugh at us…"

His voice cracked up. He looked down at his calloused hands, then covered his face with them.

"Why did you leave us like this… especially today… on Mom and Dad's anniversary…"

Tears slipped through his fingers.

He threw the cigar onto the grass and crushed it with his shoe. When he looked up again, Bridget and Lany were standing near the gate.

He stood up quickly, wiped his face with the back of his hand, and tried to compose himself. "Why are you here? What do you want?"

They didn't answer him.

Bridget walked forward and wrapped her arms around him tightly. Lany followed, embracing them both.

"It's alright," Bridget whispered. "You're not alone. Me, Lany, and Julie… we're still here. We're still your family, so stop carrying it all on your own."

Ben froze at first, but slowly, he returned the embrace, his voice sound strained. "I'm sorry… Ate… I'm sorry for what I said earlier."

While the siblings made peace, Julie remained locked inside her room.

Outside, the house was filled with people, relatives, friends, neighbors, they all gathered for the lamay, the wake of their brother.

Julie barely ate, they were worried about her health so her siblings took turns bringing her food and urging her to come out, especially for the burial day.

Then eventually, she did.

When she stepped out, the silence followed her. Dozens of mourners bowed their heads, whispering prayers, there were familiar faces that came and went, Jackson was among them, along with his guildmates and his family.

As days passed, the visitors lessened. Some returned to their routines. Then the house grew quieter.

Ben approached Jackson and apologized for what he'd said before. Jackson gave him a tired smile, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"I understand," he said. "You're grieving, we all are."

Then later, Jackson sat beside Julie in the garden, the same stool Ben once used, now empty, a quiet breeze passed them.

The silence lingered, it was thick and unbearable, it wasn't until Julie finally spoke up.

"Kuya Jackson… I want to be… a hunter."

Jackson turned to her, surprised, but he didn't say a word.

He just listened, and the stars above blinked faintly, watching the birth of something new in the aftermath of grief.

End of Chapter