Aftermath

Chapter 13: Aftermath

Quinn groaned, his entire body aching as he lay against the crumbling wall of the ruined building. His legs burned, the poison from the snake Hallow still eating away at his skin despite his high endurance. The pain was sharp, but exhaustion was worse—his mana reserves were dangerously low, and every breath felt like a weight pressing down on his chest.

He glanced at his legs. The flesh was red, blistered, and raw from the venom.

"What a pain..." he muttered, tilting his head back against the rubble.

His gaze drifted upward, locking onto the towering skyscraper that now stood in ruins. That building—his chosen future guild headquarters—was now in the worst shape possible, thanks to his battle with the Hallows. What had once been a grand, imposing structure was now a half-collapsed wreck, steel beams jutting out and shattered glass scattered across the ground.

"Damn it. I was planning to use that as my guild HQ. Now it's in the worst shape possible."

A system notification popped up before his eyes.

[Quest Completed]

[Reward: Mana Pool Increased (+500,000 MP), High Resistance to Poison Attacks, Endurance Increased by 50%]

Quinn blinked at the last reward and let out a weak chuckle.

"Resistance to poison? Now that's great."

At least he wouldn't have to deal with something like this again.

A distant noise caught his attention. Headlights appeared in the distance, cutting through the dust-filled air. Multiple vehicles were approaching at high speed. Within moments, the armored cars of the Awakened Guild Commission (AGC) pulled up, their engines rumbling as armed personnel jumped out.

Leading them was Cedric, his expression unreadable as he surveyed the destruction. The moment he stepped closer, he let out a low whistle.

"What a tough battle you had, huh?"

Quinn exhaled heavily, shaking his head. "Yeah. The toughest I've had."

One of the AGC healers approached him, a young man with glowing hands. Without a word, the healer knelt beside Quinn and placed his hands over his legs, golden light washing over the burned skin.

A cooling sensation spread through his body as the pain started to fade. The blisters shrank, the wounds closed, and within moments, Quinn's legs felt normal again. He flexed his feet, rolling his ankles before letting out a sigh of relief.

"That's way better."

As he tested his healed limbs, his gaze flicked toward the man who had driven him here.

"What about the girl I handed over to you?" Quinn asked.

The driver nodded. "She's doing fine. Safe and stable."

Quinn nodded, finally relaxing. "Good. That's a relief."

Now that the pain was gone, he pushed himself up to his feet, brushing dust off his torn suit. He sighed as he looked down at himself.

"Look at this… brand-new suit, completely ruined."

Cedric, meanwhile, was holding two large, pulsating Hallow Cores, one from each defeated monster. His expression was unusually serious as he studied them.

"A-ranks, huh…?" he muttered. Then, his face darkened. "If stronger Hallows keep appearing like this in the city, we need to be prepared."

Quinn met his gaze and nodded. "You're right. We have to be ready."

He turned back to the driver and pointed at him.

"Well, I'm exhausted. Drive me back home."

As he stepped into the car, he paused for a moment, glancing at Cedric. A smirk played on his lips.

"That building would make a great guild HQ, don't you think?"

Cedric turned, looking up at the half-destroyed skyscraper. He folded his arms, expression thoughtful.

"Yeah… It would make a wonderful guild HQ."

The car door shut, and with the growl of an engine, Quinn was driven away, leaving behind the wreckage of his toughest battle yet.

*********

Deep underground, far from the ruined battlefield, in another city, a lone Hallow moved through a dimly lit tunnel. His figure was tall and eerily humanoid, but his skin resembled the gnarled bark of an ancient tree, rough and cracked with deep, twisting grooves. Dark veins pulsed beneath the surface, glowing faintly with an ominous purple hue. His fingers were elongated, sharp like withered branches, and his eyes gleamed with an unnatural light as he stepped into a vast underground chamber, where dozens of other Hallows lurked in the shadows.

The chamber was vast, its ceiling high and arched like an ancient crypt. The walls were lined with grotesque carvings of past massacres, and the air reeked of blood and decay. In the center sat a figure draped in a dark cloak, his presence suffocating and powerful.

A cold, measured voice rang out from the darkness.

"Veyron… what are you doing here?"

The approaching Hallow Veyron paused, his reptilian eyes narrowing at the figure before him.

"I sent you to that small city with those two. So why are you here instead of finishing your mission?"

Veyron exhaled through his sharp teeth, shaking his head.

"I left them to handle the job while I attended to other matters," he said. "But when I was returning… I found them already in battle with an Awakened." He paused, his voice carrying an edge of disbelief. "And they were both defeated."

A ripple of silence passed through the room.

The cloaked figure's glowing red eyes flared.

"Defeated?" he repeated, his voice calm yet laced with hidden menace. "Impossible. They were both A-ranked. The only A-rank in that city is Cedric. Are you telling me he's stronger than we expected?"

Veyron shook his head, his clawed fingers tapping against his chin.

"No… it wasn't Cedric." His voice lowered. "Someone else defeated them. A kid."

The chamber fell into a heavier silence. A few of the Hallows shifted uneasily, exchanging glances.

The cloaked figure let out a low chuckle.

"A kid, huh? Now that's interesting, a kid defeating those two fools"

He leaned back against his throne of bones, his fingers tapping rhythmically against the armrest.

"I'd love to investigate this myself… but I have important matters to handle in this city." His gaze drifted toward the shadows, where a sleek, feminine silhouette emerged.

A female Hallow stepped forward, her body shrouded in a tattered black cloak. Her glowing silver eyes locked onto Veyron as she approached. Unlike the other monstrous Hallows, her form was more refined—her movements smooth, controlled, and deadly.

"Nyx," the cloaked figure addressed her, his voice carrying a tone of command.

The female Hallow Nyx tilted her head slightly in acknowledgment.

"Follow Veyron back to that city. I want you to observe this 'kid' and determine whether he's a threat." His tone darkened. "Be wise and don't do anything reckless. We still don't know how strong he is."

Nyx smirked, her voice smooth like silk.

"Understood."

Veyron glanced at her, his expression unreadable, before turning toward the exit.

As they walked into the shadows, leaving the chamber behind, the cloaked figure whispered to himself.

"If a mere kid took down two A-rank Hallows… then perhaps it's time we start paying closer attention to that city."

And with that, the underground lair fell into silence once more.