The One Who Escaped

Chapter 17 The One Who Escaped

Quinn walked toward Veyron slowly, his hands tucked into his pockets, a casual smile on his face. The smile wasn't one of amusement—it was condescending, a predator watching its prey struggle in its final moments.

Veyron, lying in a pool of his own blood, barely clinging to life, felt an overwhelming fear wash over him. It was suffocating. His instincts screamed at him—Run! Hide! But how? His body was broken. His strength was gone.

Yet… he wasn't dead.

I refuse to die here.

His trembling fingers dug into the ground as he focused the last remnants of his mana. His breath hitched as he activated his final, desperate ability.

"Verdant Rebirth…" he whispered.

The earth beneath him trembled. Suddenly, thick roots burst from the ground, twisting and curling around his body. Within seconds, they swallowed him whole, pulling him into the depths of the earth. The ground shifted, sealing the spot as if he had never been there.

Silence.

Quinn's brows furrowed as he watched the scene unfold. One moment, Veyron had been there, dying, bleeding out. The next—gone.

"…Huh?"

Quinn glanced around, his head tilting slightly. Then his smile dropped. His brow twitched in irritation.

"What the hell?" He muttered, scanning the area. He looked left, right—nothing. His senses spread out, trying to pick up any trace of life.

But there was nothing.

"…No way." Quinn clenched his fist, his annoyance growing. "That guy—he was on death's door. How the hell did he escape in that condition?"

A sharp ding echoed in his mind, and a translucent blue screen appeared before his eyes.

[Quest: Defeat the A-ranked Hallow][Failed]

Quinn exhaled sharply, rubbing his forehead.

"I failed?" He muttered in disbelief before his expression twisted into a scowl. "Tch. What a waste of damn time."

He kicked a small rock, sending it flying into the distance.

"His core would've been worth so much," he muttered, clearly frustrated. After all that effort, all that build-up—nothing. The prey had slipped away at the last moment.

With an irritated sigh, Quinn turned and started walking back home, his hands still in his pockets, his mood completely ruined.

Elsewhere…

Darkness. Cold. Pain.

Veyron's body was barely holding together as he emerged from the earth, roots slowly uncoiling from around him. His breath was ragged, his vision flickering in and out. Half of his body was missing—his left arm gone, part of his torso missing, blood oozing from every wound.

Yet, he had survived.

He dragged himself forward, crawling across the cold, damp ground. After what felt like an eternity, he reached an abandoned tunnel beneath a ruined overpass. It was dark, hidden from prying eyes.

And yet—someone was there.

A figure stepped out from the shadows. Pale skin. Cold, piercing eyes. A presence that felt like the night itself.

Nyx.

She looked down at him, unimpressed. "The hell happened to you?"

Veyron let out a weak, wheezing chuckle—one filled with bitter defeat. His lips trembled as he spoke.

"He… is strong," he rasped, his voice barely above a whisper.

Nyx narrowed her eyes. "Who?"

Veyron coughed, blood spilling from his mouth.

"The S-ranked… we can't handle him."

A heavy silence followed. Nyx stared at his broken form for a moment, then sighed, shaking her head.

"…Looks like this is going to be troublesome, I will have to hunt more awakened and grow stronger."

Chapter 17: The One Who Escaped (Part 2)

Nyx clicked her tongue, her cold eyes narrowing as she examined Veyron's ruined body. His wounds were severe—his left arm completely gone, chunks of his torso missing, blood still trickling down his shredded form. He was barely holding on.

"Tch. You're a mess," she muttered.

Veyron let out a weak, breathless chuckle. "No… kidding…" His voice was hoarse, barely audible.

Nyx exhaled through her nose before kneeling beside him. With a flick of her wrist, the shadows around them thickened, swirling like liquid smoke. "You're lucky I'm not in the mood to let you die."

She extended her hand, and the darkness obeyed, coiling around Veyron's broken form. The shadows seeped into his wounds, slowing the bleeding and numbing his pain. It wasn't true healing—but it would keep him alive long enough.

With a final glance around, she grabbed his remaining arm and hoisted him onto her back.

"Hang on," she muttered.

Veyron grunted, too weak to respond.

Then, without another word, Nyx stepped into the darkness—quite literally.

The shadows beneath her rippled like water, swallowing them both whole.

Darkness. Thick. Heavy. Unyielding.

Beneath the ruined overpass, far beneath the another city's surface, Nyx emerged from the shadows, carrying Veyron with her. The underground tunnels were vast and winding, an abandoned labyrinth that had long been forgotten by the world above.

Only those who thrived in the dark knew of this place.

She moved quickly, navigating through the endless tunnels until she reached a massive chamber—an ancient cavern lined with jagged black stone. The air was thick with a strange, eerie energy. This was the very same underground sanctuary she had visited before.

And this time, she was not alone.

Figures lurked in the shadows—whispers echoing in the chamber.

She ignored them all, making her way toward a raised stone platform in the center. There, she gently dropped Veyron onto the cold rock.

"Rest," she ordered. "You're no good to me dead."

Veyron groaned, his body barely responding. He turned his head slightly, eyes hazy. "Nyx… that guy… you have no idea how dangerous he is."

She scoffed. "You sound terrified."

Veyron coughed, more blood spilling from his lips. "Because I am."

Nyx crossed her arms. "Tch. You Hallows never shut up about strength."

Veyron's eyes locked onto hers, desperation flickering in them. "Listen to me, Nyx… He—Quinn—he's different. He's an S-rank yes, but his power… it's suffocating. Like standing in front of a force of nature."

Nyx narrowed her eyes. "So? You think I can't handle him?"

Veyron chuckled weakly. "You don't get it… He barely tried against me. And still—I almost died. No… I should have died. He's only getting stronger, and if we let him grow unchecked…"

Nyx remained silent for a moment. Then, slowly, she exhaled.

"So, what? You want me to run?" Her voice dripped with mockery. "Hide like a rat?"

Veyron struggled to shake his head. "No… We need to grow stronger—fast."

Nyx smirked, but there was no humor in her expression.

"That," she muttered, "was always the plan."

She turned away from him, her gaze shifting to the far side of the chamber. There, in the deepest shadows, lay something alive—a presence darker than the night itself, lurking in the depths of the underground.

She had come here for a reason.

"I was already planning to hunt more Awakened," she murmured. "But now… I suppose I'll have to speed things up."

Veyron wheezed, his vision blurring.

Nyx's expression darkened as she took a step forward, her voice barely above a whisper.

"If Quinn is really that dangerous…" She glanced back at Veyron one last time, her eyes cold and unreadable.

"Then I'll just have to become something even worse, by hunting weaker Awakened in groups… just like we did to that so-called Black Hound."