The blonde man at the front was like a bolt of light. Energetic, he rushed forth to Rowan's left. His eyes were closed, and his smile was beaming as he dashed towards the Vile Devoured. His right hand and wrist were glowing with yellow radiance. Squinting from the light, Rowan watched.

The Vile was stunned. But moved once the blinding light had receded. Its vengeful eyes fixed onto Rowan as if bitter about being thrown and was ready to leap towards him.

But the Defected had opened his eyes, too. A spear propelled out of the blonde Defected's hand with supernatural strength, ready to impale the Vile's head.

The Devoured stopped in its tracks. But those fierce, intelligent slits had widened just in time. It craned its head to the right, lowering its sleek red body to the ground as the spear flew past into the forest's depths.

"Idiot!!"

His partner yelled from behind him. He had stopped behind his ally and took a stiff stance. Jagged blue light streamed down his left forearm as he held his spear. Those bulging blue veins and diamond-like skin seemed to deepen the longer he stood.

Rowan recognised the Vile's behaviour as it reigned its head back. The blue-armed Defected yelled a command. However, Rowan's warning was caught in his throat. They were both interrupted as the Devoured reared its head.

"MMAAAAAGGGGGRRRRR!"

Rowan felt his mind going blank. He gripped his knees to resist the blaring barrage. "Hey... mo..." He felt a rough tug on his shoulder as the inky-faced Defected towered over him. His mouth was open, but Rowan couldn't hear a word.

"Hey!..."

After a few painful moments passed, a growl reached him.

"Hey! Hey! Tell us it's second ability! Tell us what it is?"

Rowan blinked. "I, I don't know."

"Then think!!" He yanked Rowan's uniform collar, giving him a close-up of his square, swirling, dark face.

Rowan turned to watch as the Vile Devoured leapt at the blonde unarmed Defected.

As the scarlet monster lunged at him, the blonde man's eyes widened, and so did his nervous, manic smile. His hands were still cupping his ears from the screech. At the last second, his right arm pointed at the beast.

"Hah!"

Bright radiance shone once more from his palm. It had dimmed enough that it didn't even reach Rowan. But the creature flicked back, startled. The Defected escaped with a chuckle as he watched it reel back.

"WATCH OUT!"

The Devoured had flinched. However, its eyes had sealed before the light had burst. Those red slits opened wide again as a scolding red hatred brimmed within. Rowan thought he heard the Defected gulp before a giant talon drove into his body.

Helpless, Rowan watched his body flung. His partner's warning cry had not reached him in time. It was just him left now. Rowan and the tall Defected were still huddled behind.

"Lux didn't buy enough time..."

Rowan looked up at the murmuring, tall man beside him. 'A second ability... did it really have something like that?' Those awful talons that had ripped into the Defected dangled from its paw. The claws were longer and sharper. As if meant to impale many at once. That's when he noticed.

"It gets stronger the more you hurt it. Somehow."

The tattoo-faced Defected looked down at Rowan. "Impossible. Even for a Vile one. That's too deadly. We would've been told beforehand."

Rowan paused, not following. He murmured. "Let me help. I can't just watch."

The black markings on the man's dark, tense face shifted and swirled as he watched the battle. "Don't bother. Clearly, you have no experience or a Defect to help with. Do you?."

The black-haired Defected with the azure arm faced the red entity alone. His feet were firmly planted in the same spot, and his spear hung low. He turned back momentarily and stared at the Defected by Rowan's side.

"Um, Hector? Some help? Please."

"Just do what you can, Andrew."

The Devoured began to charge towards Andrew. Its crude red body looked tougher than before, heavier, like armour. The fangs that adorned its crude, wounded upper maw hung down and glinted in the light.

The lone Defected didn't even face the rampaging creature. He stared back, tears swelling in the corner of his eyes.

Rowan yelled. "Hey, do something, he's going to-"

Smoke swirled above the Vile's body as it was thrown to the floor. A metal spear pierced through its thick red skin. Pushing it into the ground. Skidding to a halt, the Vile gave a painful whine.

Rowan recognised the girl's striking red hair. Her shoulder was bleeding, and her arm was ravaged. She wielded a second spear in her mouth. Her fierce gaze was fixed on the beast below her feet.

Hector yelled right beside Rowan. "Alicia! Don't give it a chance to get stronger. Finish it off!"

Her uninjured arm went to grab the spear from her mouth. The moment she did, the creature shuddered before throwing its body to the side, flinging the girl. The first spear remained embedded in the Vile's flesh as Alicia cluttered to the ground and rolled.

The beast was frozen as if it hadn't quite registered its injury. But then it began to morph. Rowan observed the other three's pale faces.

The blood seeped out of the beast's wound, past the spear and flowed over its body. As it dripped and spread, it began to harden, and its thick red skin grew tougher and more rigid.

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'Now what?'

A stalemate ensued as all five hesitated. The thing before them had an aura it didn't before. Its teeth were sharper, longer. Its hide was thicker, and its mass larger. The one who approached first would die.

Hector whispered. "Andrew, you're ready by now, right? Everyone! Get behind him. That's an order."

Calm and collected, Rowan was grabbed by his collar and dragged by Hector. With slow, steady steps, the tall Defected pulled him until they were behind Andrew.

Andrew's blue arm was darker, more rigid, and more vibrant. It resembled an insidious weapon rather than a real arm. Smoke puffed around Alicia's figure as she emerged beside them.

Behind Andrew, Alicia raised her spear.

"Just deal with the impact, Andrew. I'll do the rest."

As he eyed the three figures before him, a sense of guilt gripped Rowan.

He murmured. "I, I can help. I have to."

Alicia turned to him. Rather than ridicule him, she lingered. Then she smiled and nodded. They could only stand and wait as the creature prowled towards them. As it did, its eyes were drawn to Andrew at the front, and it craned its head forward.

The red slits that marked its eyes had doubled in both size and number. Its angular head was decorated entirely with hateful red fissures. All of them flicked towards the group in front.

Then it stopped.

He saw the group's eyes widen unanimously. Even the stoic tattoo-Defected blinked in surprise. The Devoured took a step to the side and turned. With the spear still protruding from its back, it limped away.

Andrew whimpered. "It, it let us go?... did it figure out my Defect? They're not supposed to do that. They never run away."

Andrew seemed fixed to the same spot, shaking and refusing to move even an inch. But Rowan's attention was drawn to Alicia.

"Hector... What the hell was the Boss thinking this time? What were you thinking?"

Hector shrugged his wide shoulders without a care.

"We all survived, didn't we? Was it really worth the risk?... Besides, if she had warned us. And things had gone wrong. Maybe we'd have lost something more valuable than our lives."

The ink on Hector's face twisted as he glanced at Rowan. Alicia followed his eyes. Frustrated, she approached and thrust her finger into the tall Defected's chest.

"But it isn't just today. She can't keep doing this. Does she even stop to think what we could have accomplished with a detailed warning? Whoever dies to that thing." She glanced at the sky. "It's on her."

Hector ignored the girl's poking. But his eyes did darken, and the inky swirls on his black skin grew slightly restless.

He said. "You lost. You failed to kill it. You're just deflecting the blame on the Boss."

"Blame? You're the one who's too afraid to use your Defect. Is your loyalty just for pretend?"

"No."

Hector didn't flinch. His tone grew softer as Alicia's grew harsher. The air was tense as Andrew finally moved from his spot to put his veiny blue arm between them. After a few painful seconds, Alicia backed away with a sigh and grabbed her wounded shoulder with a wince.

"I'm going back to escort the girls from the bath. Wounded as it is, there might even be enough of us there to deal with that thing if it makes an appearance. You take the new guy back and make sure you don't fuck it up." Alicia spat.

Smoke enveloped her being. Then she vanished. Hector's gaze lingered as the smoke dissipated. Then he turned to face Rowan with a tired expression.

"Well, good. Now that that's over with, what's your name?"

"Um, my name is Rowan."

Hector nodded. "Rowan. We'll take you back to camp... No wait. Andrew, where did Lux go?"

It took only a little walking from the clearing into the forest edge before they found him. Sprawled against the tree, he waved weakly with his golden Defected arm. The light surrounding it had dimmed, but it was still blinding. There were cruel flesh wounds across his chest. Rowan was almost convinced he was dead despite his waving.

"Hah, you guys killed it right? Good, good. I held it off long enough, didn't I?"

'He's alive.'

Lux, the first Defected who had jumped between him and the Devoured, sat cheerfully and smiling despite his horrendous wounds. He even waved at Rowan.

Andrew walked over and hoisted his injured friend on his back. Annoyed, he reprimanded him whilst Rowan watched from behind.

"Lux, your spear is gone. But it wouldn't have happened if you hadn't thrown it like a fucking idiot. It ended up stuck in that creature's hide, so good luck getting it back. It's stronger now, too. We all really messed up."

Lux's eyes narrowed. "Ah, well. Alicia's hot. She's scary, too. I suppose I'll let her off for losing my spear this once." With a cheerful snicker, the two Defected bickered.

Meanwhile, Rowan was trapped beside the tall Defected in dead silence. Hector seemed oblivious to the awkwardness.

'They're taking me back to camp... So there must be even more Defected than these four. Those people from the bath, too. They were all real? They were Defected.'

"Sorry, but I must take you to the Boss when we return. You won't be able to sleep until that is over with."

Hector's deep tone startled Rowan. Nervous, he looked up.

"Is that what you meant earlier?"

The large Defected paused. The moment grew longer and longer as Rowan felt uncomfortable again.

"...We haven't had contact with the outside world for a while. No Defected have arrived since we did. Even the Devoured's numbers have grown thin. It's your information that's valuable. That's what I meant."

"Wait, so you're stuck here? No, wait, how many of you are there?"

Hector took his time to respond again. Despite his gentle manner, his stern face never changed.

"No, not stuck. Leaving here has always been an option. It's just a bad one. Sure, things were terrible at first, but thanks to the Boss, we now have a solid foundation, and this zone is as safe as they get. Some of us even like it here. I don't know how much you know, but you must at least recognise it. A place like this is rare in the world beyond the Mist."

His voice grew quiet. Rowan waited and anticipated his next words. But Hector didn't add anything more.

"Don't let that guy get you down. He's just not much of a talker. In fact, that's the most I've ever heard him say." Andrew said.

With a wry smile, the dark-haired Andrew turned back to the pair, stopping ahead. His injured companion rested on his back with a conceited smile. Rowan couldn't help but avoid that glossy gaze.

"We haven't heard about the real world for a couple of years now, so help us out. Which nation are you from?"

As they caught up with Andrew, the four walked together, and Rowan settled on the edge of their formation. Their presence made him nervous, even though they'd saved him.

'Am I just that out of practice with people?'

"...I'm from Civilia."

The light-haired Defected perked up and leaned over his friend's shoulder with a beaming smile.

"Civilia! Which part? Andrew!"

Excited, the wounded Lux looked between Rowan and his friend. Andrew smiled and nodded.

"I know, I know. I'm excited, too." Content, he glanced at Rowan with calm sky-blue eyes.

"My little brother and my little sister were sent to Civilia to seek refuge. All of us are from Montarc and were scheduled to migrate to Civilia."

Lux bobbed his head. Keeping quiet for once as Andrew spoke.

"Because we were older, we had a lower priority, and then, it was too late. We were swallowed by the Mist. The same is probably true for our parents and everyone else."

As they ventured deeper into the forest, Rowan listened with a scowl.

"Of course, Lux knows my siblings too. He's an only child, but he likes them. Maybe more than I do-"

"Wait."

Rowan interrupted. "You make it sound like you all know each other. How many of you are there, really?"

All three Defected turned and glanced at Rowan. As they approached an opening in the trees, more light poured into the forest's depths. The silent Hector decided to answer his question as they stepped out of the woodland.

"A lot. Two years ago, we were all swallowed by the Mist. Our entire town probably was. We were at our school at the time. It seems only those close together end up in a similar place. Most died. But thanks to the Boss's efforts, many didn't."

'Something like this exists inside the Mist?'

The world before him opened up as the forest's dense depths ceased.

Before him were man-made wooden buildings strewn across the plains in great numbers. Rowan noticed their designs were identical, and each log was the same size and length. He was stunned by the amount of effort it must have taken.

Though they did vary a little in size, their dark birch outline was congruent. Those huge wooden structures stood tall, rivalling the trees and forest that encircled them.

The massive flat area was bustling with men. Their ages were similar to Rowan's escorts, ranging from nineteen to twenty-two. Their unshaven faces were shrewd and driven with intent as they strutted around holding all sorts. Almost every single inhabitant wielded the same rustic, gleaming grey weapons.

"Defected," Rowan whispered.

These were no ordinary men. Many were decorated with peculiar features, from daring, deadly claws to legs formed of sickly plant-like limbs. One Defected who noticed Rowan and caught his eye had strands of strange, long, netted hair he flicked over his shoulder.

Their features were strange, and their bodies were different. The only trait that marked them as a collective was the spears.

'Warriors. They're all fighters, every last one.'

Though it might have been hard to notice from a distance, he could almost feel it. He could just tell. The rest of their bodies, too, had usurped the strength of mundane humans.

There were hundreds. Half like giants, to the animalistic and elemental. The swarming of these individuals was utterly unlike his school. It had more in common with the cold, haunting mountains than any part of Civilia.

"So many."

Rowan's body trembled as more and more poured out from the surrounding buildings. Most of them noticed Rowan straight away and simply gazed. Soon, an immense crowd formed, watching Rowan with formidable, firm stares.

"They just keep coming."

Rowan found himself short of breath as he stared at the floor. A sea of beady eyes watching him.

Obscuring their view, Hector stepped between Rowan and his audience with his broad shoulders and tall stature. A scowl adorning his face.

Hector glanced at Andrew. Nodding, Andrew moved to confront the swarming masses. He took the whining, wounded Lux with him. However, Rowan didn't watch them leave or get the chance to thank them. His gaze remained fixed on the ground, hidden behind Hector's tall figure.

"Are you scared of them? Us?"

Hector didn't turn back to him, but his voice was plenty loud.

"We all used to wear the same uniform. One just like yours. But that's in the past. Take it from me. Whoever you were before won't cut it here."

Hector's tone was slow and monotonous, his words stern and patronising. Yet hidden behind his tall body, the one that guarded him from the crowd. He felt compelled to listen.

"Let's find somewhere quiet while we wait for the Boss."