Alfred was nothing if not a man of his word—Kai was learning that the hard way. Not only had the man dragged him out of his room like he said he would if he didn't get out himself, but he had also gone ahead and put Kaiser's name on the hunting list. All because he assumed Kai had fled, while in reality, his had just been hiding among the crowd.

Thinking of it, he almost let out a laugh. 'Yeah, right. Does he really think he can fool me that easily?' he mused, shaking his head. There was no way Alfred was serious about putting his name on every map distributed to every participant - it had to be some twisted joke. Or was it?

"Hey, hurry up, slowpoke, or do you wanna be left behind and get snatched by that monster?" Brick called out, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "No wonder no team picked this guy—he's a total newbie."

Kai rolled his eyes at Brick's attitude. Despite Brick’s spot among the outcasts, his arrogance was still intact, possibly fueled by his bruised ego after their last fight. It was clear that his defeat at Kai's hands had damaged his reputation so much that no one wanted to team up with him—or maybe Brick had refused the offers himself, holding out for something better.

"Brick, don’t be too harsh on him, He’s trying his best, just like me." The female hunter chimed in, her voice soft and gentle, not at all what Kai had expected from someone in this rough occupation.

Unexpectedly, Brick's expression shifted almost imperceptibly, his smug demeanor softening as he responded to her. "Tsk, just don’t blame me if that guy dies suddenly. I can’t protect both of you if something happens, so make sure to stay close to me." He said, a hint of nervousness in his voice.

Kai’s eyes narrowed slightly as he observed the bastard sudden change in tone. Was Brick... blushing?

He smirked to himself, finding this hidden side of the tough guy rather amusing.

'Don’t tell me this bastard’s got a crush,' he thought. It wouldn’t be a stretch to imagine that Brick had purposely stayed out of other teams just to end up with her, playing it off like it was a happy coincidence. Though... The date in the night Brick had expected was spoiled by another unexpected outcast.

So, was Kai now the unwanted third wheel? He had to admit, it was kind of funny. If only he considered Kaiser being a loner in the crowd, then his plan would be perfect. His a total stranger, after all. While Kayla is a soft-spoken archer no one chose for some reason, and Brick, an easy pick thanks to his strength had likely manipulated this whole setup to get closer to his crush. But was spoiled by Kaiser's involvement, no wonder Brick looked at him with such disdain earlier.

'Acting all tough and mighty when you’re too scared to approach a girl directly... What a coward,' Kai thought, his smirk widening.

Realizing he was falling behind, Kai quickened his pace to catch up with them, overhearing bits of their conversation. Brick was being awkwardly polite, restraining his original bearing in an attempt to not be disliked by the girl and avoiding making a fool of himself. When Brick finally noticed Kai, whose face was shrouded in the shadows of his hood, trailing behind.

Brick sneered.

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"What’s with that get-up? Gotta name, newbie?" Brick asked, glancing over his shoulder with suspicion.

The female hunter turned to him with a friendlier smile. "I’m Kayla," she said, her tone polite and welcoming. "I don’t think I’ve seen you before... Sir?"

Kai hesitated, realizing he had to be careful. His real name was on that cursed hunting list thanks to Alfred. His not sure if that's really a joke or not, so he couldn’t risk revealing his identity in fear of being hunted down by swarms of Hunters. Moreover, judging by his issues with Brick, this guy would be more than happy to bring him down. With two questions pressuring him, Kai can't delay any longer to avoid suspicion. So, he took a deep breath and answered in a voice deeper than his usual tone. Spouting whatever name that came out of his mind.

"Lolo. That’s my name."

Brick rolled his eyes. "Weirdo," he muttered with a dismissive shrug.

But Kayla, ever the polite one, nodded and said, "It’s a pleasure meeting you, Sir Lolo." She then turned back around, leading the way as they continued their patrol.

Meanwhile...

Kaiser was screaming internally.

'Damn you, idiot. Seriously, Lolo?! Is that the best name you could think of! What are you, a freaking old hag!'

Kaiser wanted to smack his face in embarrassment, but restrained himself. After a while, he let out a quiet sigh of relief. Jokes aside, his disguise seemed to be working for now. Fortunately, his hooded attire followed Alfred's suggestions which almost every starting hunter under him received, as well. Making his clothing common in the ranks of Hunters. Coupled with an obscuring darkness and the forced change in his voice made it hard for anyone to recognize him. As long as he kept his face hidden and his interactions minimal, he could avoid being identified.

As the night deepened, the last traces of sunlight vanished, plunging the village into complete darkness. Their little group lit their lanterns, the soft glow barely cutting through the thick night as they moved past abandoned houses. The once-familiar village now seemed eerie and hollow, the dismantled structures casting twisted shadows around them.

With every step, they inched closer into their destination. Their gaze alert, searching for any sign of the monster that had been terrorizing their home.

As their patrol dragged on, it began to feel more like a quiet stroll through the night rather than a tense search for a dangerous beast. The silence around them was thick and all-encompassing, almost lulling Kai into a false sense of peace. The lack of any real action was making his eyelids grow heavy, the exhaustion from his sleepless morning finally catching up with him.

Kai watched the two figures ahead of him with half-lidded eyes, suppressing a yawn. He didn’t know much about battle formations, but even he could tell that the group’s setup was all wrong. Logically, Kayla, as the archer, should have been stationed at the back with Brick and himself positioned up front to shield her from danger, giving her a clear shot at any potential threats. But instead, what did he see?

The supposedly veteran Brick was too busy enjoying himself, completely absorbed in conversation with Kayla. Their whispers and low giggles were carried to him through the still night air. What started as casual talk gradually shifted to chuckles and poorly disguised flirting, Brick boasting about his past glories and cracking cringe-worthy jokes that somehow had Kayla laughing softly. All the while completely treating their third companion as nonexistent.

He can't blame them, though. Kai’s presence went wholly unnoticed, which wasn’t a surprise. He had always been the type to fade into the background, ever since his school days. Blending in was his nature, his presence as dull and unremarkable as ever specially in strangers. And yet, being ignored so thoroughly while forced to witness this budding romance grated on his nerves.

Kaiser narrowed his eyes at the two lovebirds, his thoughts turning dark for a brief second.

'This is unbearable... Maybe I should just take this chance to kill Brick and hide the evidence.'

The thought was fleeting, vanishing almost as quickly as it came. Kai shook his head with a sigh, knowing that was impossible. Too many variables were at play, and he had bigger priorities—like staying alive and avoiding troubles. He swallowed down his irritation, his mind wandering back to Ariella and Cia, wondering if they were sleeping peacefully without him.

'My goddess is probably crying right now,' he thought with a faint smile tugging at his lips.

Their slow and steady walk continued, ears strained to pick up any unusual sound in the night. The air grew colder as they neared the edge of the village, the thick line of the forest looming just ahead. If they didn’t find anything soon, they’d have to turn back and report their fruitless search before being assigned a new route to patrol.

But just as Kai was about to drift into his own thoughts again, his weary eyes snapped wide open. His senses went on high alert as he heard it—a sound that didn’t belong to the quiet night. He stiffened, his head jerking slightly to the side.

Brick and Kayla noticed his reaction and instantly fell silent, their previous light-hearted conversation coming to a sharp halt. In almost an instant, they picked up on the unnatural sound, too.

But Kai’s ears caught more than just a strange noise.

It was unmistakable, clear to his heightened hearing in the stillness of the night.

It was the sound of...

'...Something climbing the stairs.'