Chapter 6 – Guilt of a survivor.

The sun rose gently over Algora City, casting a golden glow across its rooftops. The streets buzzed with life—vendors shouting about fresh produce, travelers from distant villages brushing past armored adventurers.

Shuri strolled at a relaxed pace.

For once, she wasn't locked in her lab experimenting.

"My team practically shoved me out the door," she muttered to herself, smiling a little.

Shuri looked around. Her eyes lit up when she spotted a small store tucked between two larger buildings. Its wooden sign read: "Moon's Relics."

"Well, that sounds promising."

She stepped inside. The place was cozy and dimly lit, lined wall-to-wall with strange artifacts: crystals, scrolls, glass spheres.

"I could spend hours in here," she whispered, already reaching for a curious mirror that shimmered like water.

Outside, beyond the flow of the street crowd, a figure lingered near the shade of a stone archway.

Wrapped in a dark cloak, face half-covered beneath a hood, the figure watched silently.

The Silver Star party trudged through the bustling western market, their steps heavy with exhaustion after a sleepless night in the forest. Amid the crowd, Elin slowed her pace, eyes narrowing.

"Wait… I know that face," she murmured, pointing toward a figure near a store.

Shuri stepped out of a small relic shop, a paper-wrapped trinket tucked under her arm. The enchanted shop bell jingled behind her as the door closed. She stretched with a soft sigh, her blue cloak catching the breeze.

As she strolled along the cobbled street, scanning a stand that sold enchanted accessories, she suddenly heard a familiar voice call out—

"Shuri-tan?"

Shuri blinked and turned, surprised. A warm smile spread across her face. "Elin-san!"

The two young women met halfway through the crowd and exchanged a brief, excited hug.

Elin grinned. "It's been forever! You're still with the Guild Research Division, right?"

Shuri chuckled. "Unfortunately, yes. Still buried in artifacts and scrolls."

Elin laughed and turned, gesturing to the people behind her. "Let me introduce you—this is Rein, our team's leader. That's Silvyi, wind and water mage. Lysa, fire and earth combo. And that's Faren—dark magic and illusions, don't let the cloak fool you, he's actually nice."

Each of them gave a brief wave or nod, and Shuri returned the gesture politely.

"A pleasure. Elin-san never shuts up about her party, silver star. So it's nice to finally meet you all."

Rein smirked. "All good things, I hope."

Faren stayed quiet, eyes scanning the crowd casually. 

For a split second, He saw a figure. But then, in the blink of an eye, it vanished behind a passing cart.

Faren shook his head. Probably just my imagination. He turned his focus back to the group.

"So," Elin asked, "what are you doing out here, Shuri-tan? You never leave the Guild."

Shuri puffed her cheeks. "Exactly. I was forcibly shoved out by my team. They said I've been working too much. So… here I am."

The group chuckled.

Elin smiled. "Well, at least you're getting some sun."

"What about you all?" Shuri tilted her head.

Rein nodded. "Just wrapped up our investigation. Heading back to the Guild now to submit the report."

"Mm. I heard something happened out there," Shuri said, tone a little more serious.

"We'll leave the details for the official report," Elin replied. "But yeah… it wasn't normal."

There was a pause between them, just a flicker of tension in the air.

"Well then," Shuri said, giving a little wave. "I should head back" 

"Take care, Shuri-tan!" Elin called.

"You too, Elin-san."

The party continued down the street, heading towards the Adventurer Guild.

Scene Shift : Adventurer Guild.

The Guild was unusually quiet that morning. Vel sat slouched at his desk, eyes half-shut, a document in one hand and a pen hanging loosely in the other.

Shin stood beside him, silently flipping through incident reports.

Just then, the door burst open.

Maya, the Receptionists stepped in, her face pale with urgency.

"Vel-sama, Shin-sama—Tessa is awake!"

Vel was up in an instant, the pen clattering to the desk. Shin's eyes narrowed, "When?".

"Just now!!," Maya said, already turning to lead the way.

They moved fast, Vel and Shin hurried down the hall. When they reached the infirmary, the nurse stationed there was struggling to keep Tessa calm.

She thrashed under the sheets, eyes wide in panic, muttering incoherently.

"It's all my fault... I shouldn't have... It's all my fault…"

"Tessa." Vel's voice cut through the haze—calm but commanding.

She turned to him, but her eyes barely registered the sight. "It's all my fault…"

"Maya," Vel said without taking his eyes off her, "Bring Bella..."

Maya nodded and disappeared.

Within moments, Bella, the Guild's chief healer, arrived with her staff. She moved swiftly, kneeling beside Tessa and placing a hand on her forehead.

"Just breathe, dear." Her voice was gentle, She casted a spell. "Lion's heart."

A soft yellow glow enveloped Tessa. Her breathing steadied. She blinked slowly, her panicked sobs giving way to quiet whimpers.

"Thank you," Vel murmured. Bella gave a nod.

Shin stepped closer. "Tessa, can you tell us what happened?"

Tessa looked between them, tears still trailing down her cheeks.

"We… We thought it was just another monster. A strange one, yes—but it ran when it saw us. We didn't think it'd be dangerous if it fled…" Her voice shook.

"We approached it... and then—" her fingers dug into the sheets. "It moved so fast. We didn't even see it. In one instant, they were gone. Everyone… just gone."

She clutched her chest. "Lio—he shielded me. He said, 'Run.' So I ran. But I was injured… I don't even remember reaching the gate."

Bella stepped forward again. "She needs sleep, and time. Her condition is out of danger physically, but mentally... she'll need care."

Vel exchanged a quiet glance with Shin. His jaw clenched, but his voice remained steady.

"You did what you could, Tessa. Rest now. We'll take care of it."

Shin placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "You're safe. We'll handle the rest."

Vel nodded. "Make sure she gets Rest."

As they turned to leave the room, Vel muttered under his breath to Shin.

"A mutation...."

Shin's concerned. "First let's wait for the report from the A-rank party. Something's wrong."

The door closed behind them.