(Logan's POV)

Steps echoed far away. My bones ached and muscles cramped, as though my whole body had been run over by a truck. My attention was drawn to the nylon ropes bounding my wrists to my ankles at my back. Now thoroughly spooked conscious, I wriggled from my belly to the side, bulging veins and defined fibers emerging across the surface of my skin as I struggled to liberate myself, but to no avail. Recognizing that ripping or slipping them off my thick forearms wasn't an option, I looked about for alternatives.

Torrid caricatures were painted on the stony-gray rugged walls. Outdated newspapers, shattered jars, and empty syringes, among other raw garbage, were spread around the floor. I could tell this shaky construction had been abandoned before the Overflow materialized, used as a shelter by hobos and one hell of a playground for imprudent brats. Our weapons and supplies were also nowhere to be found.

"Fuck," I groaned.

With his back laying beneath the area where a window should've been, Lucas was still in his dreams, his wrist cuffed to a rusted pipe protruding out of the wall. Shards were everywhere around him. Maybe he'll throw one of them to me and I'll escape—

"You're awake," someone remarked with a whisper.

I shifted my gaze to the familiar tone. I knew it had to be Eddie's without a doubt. I felt a wave of relief wash over me as I realized this smartass might be able to figure everything out, the situation we were in, and how we could get out of it. His wrists were manacled at his back, but his legs were just fine. Moving around doesn't represent an issue. The situation's already improving.

"What—" I asked, only to swallow as I spotted his scrawny cheek dyed purple, his dark-framed glasses cracked near a cobwebbed corner. "What happened to you?"

"That's simple," a voice came through the gap; there was no door. The intonation was casual, as if they found the whole thing comical, the shadow of his palm opening and closing into a fist. "It's because I hit him."

Ryan—the well-geared hunter we encountered earlier on our expedition, strode into the angled beams of lights that extended right into the center of this dreadful room. As soon as the dots connected, I strained my eyes and strengthened my grip, only to be astonished by how powerless I truly was.

"Don't glare like that. If we wanted to harm you, we would have done it while you were napping," Ryan remarked, throwing a glance at the one with mana-filled augmentations replacing his limbs. "Right, Aaron?"

To which he simply nodded, his arms folded. My eyes traveled along the cerulean tubes on the slick metal's surface and to the slender blade sheathed at his side. When a mystical element like mana was involved, neither shape nor size mattered.

"That still doesn't explain why we're here," I said, my tone deep and commanding.

The cloaked hunter shrugged, not looking threatened in any manner. "I don't see the reason why I should tell you."

I clenched my teeth, but kept the wrath that was building up to my neck in check. I wasn't in a position to fight or demand anything. The best course of action now would be to stroke his ego and learn everything I could.

"If you truly wanted to, you could've killed us already; you said so yourself," I added, measuring my words. "I doubt you're the kind to act without reason. There must be a cause as to why you have imprisoned us."

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His lip curled upward. I wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing.

"It's because we're just bait," Edward grumbled, pushing his shoulder on the ground and twisting himself to face me.

My devastated brain refused to acknowledge reality. The heart in my chest skipped a beat, eyes quivering as I uttered, "Bait?"

"Keep going," our captor advised. He leaned against the wall with his hands behind his back, joyfully observing us. "Your deduction has been spot on up until now."

"And what if I don't?" Eddie retorted.

Ryan bridged the gap and stooped down, grabbing a clump of his hair and forcing him to meet his gaze. "It would be a waste of mana to deal with you," he muttered. "And only one of you is enough to draw that thing here."

"By that thing, you couldn't possibly mean—"

"Exactly," the hunter responded. "We're going to kill that ogre-sized goblin. It's nothing personal, really. You were simply at the wrong place at the wrong time."

Just as he let go and was about to pull away, Ryan stepped upon Edward's skull, slamming his forehead hard on the cement floor. My muscles jerked as I attempted to move, only to be reminded of the coarse ropes wrapped around me.

"Aaron," called Ryan. "Please calm down our friend over there. He is a bit... impatient..."

The augmented mercenary sighed as he approached, curling his fingers in his augmented gauntlet. Anticipating the upcoming strike, I tensed my abdomen. Aaron lowered his fist, the actual impact quivering through my entire gut and spreading throughout every part of my body. My surroundings faded for a split second, followed by a spasm of coughers. Only with the last shred of my will did I manage to gulp the vomit lingering at the back of my throat. This was the first time in my life that I've been so clearly outclassed.

Eddie could only hold his breath, unwilling to believe I had been dealt with so quickly. The gap between what someone could do with or without mana was substantial, yet the mercenary who had attacked me wasn't even a full-fledged hunter. He simply wore an expensive prosthetic limb and lacked the intrinsic ability to manipulate mana.

Aaron turned to face Ryan, his stare contemplating whether the punishment was sufficient or if he needed to go further. The hunter merely raised his hand. "That should suffice. After all, the man had lost his, mm, son?"

"...son...? I don't have a—" Gray's image sprang to mind. He was the closest thing I had to a son.

"It has finally crept in, huh?" Ryan scratched the back of his neck. "By my estimations, that monster should've arrived by now, but everyone in this room can tell that isn't the case. We're in its territory, and it's been hunting whatever it could get its claws on without prejudice, which means that someone else temporarily diverted its attention."

"Be quiet."

"And it's also a well-known fact that goblins are attracted to female pheromones, isn't it?" he went on, unconcerned about my interruption. "You only have yourself to blame, big fella. When you were attacked by a pack of goblins, you should've known it wasn't safe to proceed any further with a lady in your company."

If the only monsters left in this shithole are goblins, Mara and Gray would be their first targets. That was the only logical outcome. No, I shut my eyes for a moment. They aren't—

"You son of a fucking bitch!" I howled, my eyes bloodshot as I glared at this larva-like creature. "You knew this would happen when we first met!"

He chuckled.

"I'll kill you," my voice rang out across the room. "Do you fucking hear what I'm saying?! I'll wipe that smirk off your face even if it's the last thing I do!"

"Grab the mouthy one, Aaron. And don't forget about the one without glasses," Ryan ordered, wiping a tear. Reaching down for the shattered frames, he placed them on Edward's face. "With glasses," he clarified. "It'd be a pain to unshackle that dozing rookie from the pipe, so let him be. We should at least spare them the agony of seeing each other ripped to shreds."

"That's a nasty habit you have," whispered Aaron, wrinkling his nose as he grabbed me by the ropes and dragged Eddie by his handcuffs. I wobbled around, but couldn't do a damned thing. The knots were too tight.

"Let go of me!" I roared once more. "I'll fuck you up, I swear to—"

Something then brushed against my jaw. The only image that registered in my mind was of the hunter's shoe, not even giving me time to absorb or dispute what occurred.

And with that, the world around plunged into darkness.