The plan to kill a queen.

They walked through the camp in silence.

Eventually, they reached one of the larger tents near the center of camp, reinforced with beast hide, metal clasps, and a small banner marked with an unfamiliar sigil stitched in silver thread.

Iane stopped in front of it.

"Alright," he said, "this is the one."

He pulled back the flap and stepped inside.

Arah followed behind, but the moment they entered, he froze.

A man sat at the desk. He was massive, with dark brown skin stretched tight over thick cords of muscle. His shaved head bore a jagged X-shaped scar, and a heavy black beard flowed down to his chest. He didn't look up when they entered. Instead, he kept scribbling something into a worn leather-bound notebook, the quill scratching loudly in the silence.

He wore a plain black shirt that looked like it was barely containing his broad frame, the fabric stretched taut across his chest and shoulders. His pants were simple and utilitarian, though even they seemed strained against the size of his legs.

But it wasn't his appearance that made Arah's heart lurch.

It was the pressure.

An invisible crushing weight hung in the air, suffocating, dense, and hot. The kind of heat you would experience if you were near a volcano, but he knew it was an illusion of the senses, and that the heat was not there. He didn't even need to try and actively feel soul energy in the air to know it was crying at the presence of the man. He wasn't even sure how that was possible. The man himself seemed to defy the very nature of this place.

Arah's hand twitched, almost summoning his spear on instinct. It felt like standing in the presence of a sleeping predator, and one wrong move, and he would be dead before he knew how.

He glanced at the others. Sofise had gone still, her face had visibly been drained of all color, and her jaw was tight. Tarese stared at the ground, refusing to look up. Terent, usually cowardly, had a serious expression on his face all of a sudden.

Only Iane smiled.

But as he kept watching him, Arah caught it, the slightest tremble in his fingers.

'Fear.'

The kind that had kept Arah alive more times than he could count had risen again in him, and every single bit of his senses asked him to run, and he tried desperately not to follow their lead.

Then the man finally stopped writing. He lifted his head, revealing eyes that were sharp, cold, calculating. They were slightly unfocused and had a hint of boredom.

"Well?" he said. "Report what you came to report."

Iane scratched the back of his head, his voice taking on a slightly firmer tone.

"Reporting, sir... we just came back from the deeper end of the Black Zone. Our group encountered a beast that had been overtaken by what we believe to be a Bloodfiend. We need to act fast. If it spreads, or worse, evolves... We'll have a real outbreak on our hands."

The man's expression didn't shift. He let out a long, tired sigh.

"Gather one hundred hunters outside. Have them prepare to enter."

He didn't raise his voice, nor did he ask anyone.

Still, a light, sweet voice came from behind them.

"Okay, sweetie. Anything for you."

Arah turned instinctively.

'Since when?!'

He hadn't sensed a presence at all.

A woman stood just inside the tent flap, arms folded. Her long black hair was tied in a high ponytail, and her pale skin almost seemed to glow in the low light. She had grey, doe-like eyes framed by a perfectly symmetrical face, and her clothes, tight, dark, and far more decorative than functional, clung to her figure.

She was beautiful. Stunning, even.

But all Arah could think was how dangerous she was.

Terent tried to look away but failed, his face turning red as he swallowed hard. Sofise scowled, glanced at the woman up and down, and snorted.

Arah's frown deepened.

'This place is filled with monsters.'

The man at the desk hadn't moved. He sighed again, rubbing his temples.

"Rina. Please be mindful of your manners."

The woman rolled her eyes and looked at Iane.

He immediately turned his head, avoiding her gaze completely.

She smiled.

"Hello, little brother."

Iane flinched and whipped his head back to her so fast he might have gotten whiplash.

"Shhh... I'm on a job right now, sis! I have to act cool and all that!"

She laughed softly and waved her hand, then in the blink of an eye, she was gone.

Arah's eyes narrowed. She didn't release any soul energy or presence at all, even when she was just standing in front of them. She just disappeared.

He glanced at Iane again. He was clearly flustered, trying to keep a straight face.

The man at the desk looked up again, eyes narrowing slightly.

"You're Iane?" He snorted. "Stinky little brat. You grew your hair out and changed your hair color, trying to make sure I wouldn't recognize you? I may have lost some of my vision, but don't underestimate me, brat."

Iane held up his hands defensively. "N-no! I didn't do anything to avoid... you! I just wanted to try out a new style! That's all."

The man leaned back in his chair, frowning.

"Then I suppose you came to repay your—"

"Yes, yes! I'll do it! Just... can we not do this now? There's more important stuff to handle."

There was a pause.

The man blinked, his eyes passing over Arah and the others. "I suppose you're right."

He stood up, his towering frame casting a long shadow across the table. He reached for a large rolled-up map and spread it out flat.

"Show me where you encountered the infected beast."

"Uh... sir... It's the wrong map," Iane said.

The man frowned again before he coughed.

"Of course it is... just... wanted to check the validity of the information, to see if you were lying!"

It was a terrible excuse, but no one dared to speak out against it. Iane seemed to hesitate on whether he should say something or not.

The man reached for another scroll and rolled it, spreading it out flat.

Iane sighed, stepped forward, and pointed to the eastern edge. "Here. Right along the clearing of the forest."

The man studied the area, then began scanning upward, following the terrain.

"There are two likely locations where a Bloodfiend Queen could've nested."

He tapped one spot.

"First is Hell Lake. It has plenty of beasts and aquatic life to serve as hosts. Wild creatures also drink from it, so if it's infected, the parasite will spread fast."

He moved his finger to another part of the map.

"Second is the Redbat Cave. It's warmer. A dense population of flying beasts. If I were a parasite queen, that's where I'd go. Heat speeds their growth, and the bats are perfect carriers."

Then, just as he finished speaking, the tent flap rustled behind them.

One by one, people began entering, some armored, some robed, all armed.

People slowly entered the tent. Before long, nearly a hundred had gathered, all of them radiating faint pressure. Most were Rank 1s, with a few Rank 2s and 3s mixed in. The air buzzed with restrained energy.

As they stepped inside, each of them gave a slight bow upon seeing the man at the center. One stepped forward.

"Branch Manager Gilheart, we were summoned."

The man, Gilheart, gave a firm nod."We've received a report that a Bloodfiend is on the loose," he said, voice deep and direct. "There are two possible locations where it might be nesting, one in the Red Zone, Hell Lake, and one in the Orange, Redbat Cave."

He glanced back at Iane briefly, then turned to the gathered hunters."I'll be dividing you into two teams. One will investigate Hell Lake. The other will move toward Redbat Cave."

A few nods rippled through the group.

"You depart at sunrise," Gilheart continued. "Gather your supplies and rest tonight. Move out first thing tomorrow."

With that, the meeting ended. The tent emptied just as steadily as it had filled, the hunters departing in near silence.

As they watched the last few leave, Iane casually turned to the group.

"Alright," he said. "We're heading to Hell Lake. It's in the Red Zone, so we'll be following that team."

He had barely finished when Tarese's mechanical voice cut through the air."Must we go? We are under no obligation to follow them and fight the Bloodfiend. Our trip was cut short, and nowhere in the contract does it mention that we must participate in this type of event."

Iane gave her a blank stare.

"You're correct. You're not being forced to go," he said simply. "You can stay here. In fact, I'm sure you can find a caravan heading back to town."

He shrugged, "I just thought most of the unawakened wanted to reach Rank 1 as fast as possible. That's what I would've done."

'Most people aren't you...' Arah thought silently.

Then Iane slapped his forehead. "Ah, that's right. I should've done this from the start."

He grinned and clapped his hands.

"Alright. For those who want to go, raise your hand."

Arah raised his hand without hesitation. He had to grow stronger. Quickly. Weakness wasn't an option anymore.

He turned to glance at the others.

Terent had raised his hand as well. So had Sofise.

Only Tarese stood with arms crossed, unmoved.

She looked at Sofise with disbelief.

"Aren't you afraid of dying? Didn't you see what almost happened to them?" she said, pointing at Arah and Terent.

Sofise looked conflicted for a moment, but kept her hand up.

Iane nodded. "Alright then. Those who want to go, come with me. Tarese, feel free to stay in camp or find yourself a ride back."

Without waiting for a reply, he turned and walked off.

Terent and Sofise followed.

Arah remained still for a moment, then stepped forward.

Playing it safe might get you to tomorrow. But tomorrow means nothing if you're still weak.

He shook his head.

There was only one way to live without danger. It's to become the biggest danger there is.