Noah had been marching north-east for quite some time, keeping the otherworldly, ancient structure known as Schuler's Pyramid in his sights, while giving it a very wide berth, seeing as an entire army had been annihilated by the monsters lurking underneath it.

The creatures infesting this world tend to be migratory for the most part, which is why The Arc's armed forces and expeditions often encounter new species. Not so with the subterranean monsters infesting the Pyramid and the area surrounding it, though. They have instead remained put for centuries. Periodic surveillance from Arcturus City often records monsters unwittingly wandering into that region before being summarily dragged underground to what is likely a rather unpleasant demise.

For that reason, both military and private expeditions are under strict orders to avoid disturbing the area surrounding Schuler's Pyramid, even if only with drones, out of fear that it might direct the subterranean monsters' ire towards The Arc.

Naturally, Noah had no intention of taking a leisurely stroll through a death zone, so he was circling around the Pyramid, constantly gazing over the horizon to check if he could spot The Arc's silhouette in the distance, as well as repeatedly glancing at his omni device to see if he could get a connection.

Alas, as the sun began to set, Noah had to come to terms with the fact that he wouldn't be seeing The Arc today and set up camp for the night, partially hidden behind a tree line.

As Harold was cooking a somewhat small monster, hunted by Claws earlier, Noah sat, warming himself by the campfire, lost in thought. He hoped that the omni device would get a connection once sufficiently near The Arc, at which point he would call the authorities and request a rescue. Once back in the city, perhaps it might become less risky to convince The Vanguard that he posed no threat to them.

The next day, Noah continued his trek. Since the monsters roaming the surface during the day seemed to prefer keeping their distance from Noah and his merry group, he took the time to observe his surroundings.

Rusted remains of ancient, pre-fall military vehicles dotted the landscape, almost entirely overgrown by the wild vegetation.

‘Were these used during the delaying battles of The Arc’s construction?’

Countless millions of people sacrificed their lives to buy time for the construction of Arcturus City's first walls and infrastructure. For years, anyone not required for the construction work was sent to the frontlines. From teenagers to the elderly, as well as the first generation of the Touched, still learning how to use their powers, they were all locked in an endless battle against hordes of monsters, still drunk from gorging themselves in the feeding frenzy of the Great Fall.

Arcturus Valke himself, the officer who proposed the megacities project as a means of saving the human race, had also perished while leading forces against the ravenous hordes, solidifying his legacy as a symbol and a legend.

As Noah was taking in the somber landscape, a movement over the horizon caught his attention. It was a shuttle, flying in from The Arc's direction.

‘Oh, fudge!’

Instinctively, Noah and his minions ran to the side of a rusting, overgrown tank and took cover, hiding from the shuttle's view.

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‘Nothing good would come from encountering people out here...’

The idea of a repeat of the incident with the members of the Blazing Path terrified Noah. Or perhaps the shuttle belonged to The Vanguard, which Noah wished to deal with after returning to the city, in hopes of making it more difficult for them to get rid of him.

In the end, Noah remained in cover even after the shuttle had vanished across the skyline, just to be sure, before carefully emerging from his hideout and resuming his march.

As the hours went by, it became evident that Noah would not reach The Arc today, either. Making camp inside the ruins of a partially crumbled, pre-fall building, Noah leaned against the cracked wall, his mind racing with so many worries about what he was about to face upon reaching Arcturus City.

Absentmindedly, Noah was about to ask Silas if he knew how long it would take them to reach The Arc, before recalling that he was gone.

'Heh.’

It was still a strange concept to get used to – truly being alone and free from the constant threat that loomed over him by Silas. Was he supposed to be grateful to him for saving his life in the end? No, Noah couldn't bring himself to feel that way. Not after everything that he was forced to go through. If anything, he resented being saved by him.

While still contemplating his emotions, Noah was suddenly alerted by his connection to Claws. The undead reptile had encountered something while patrolling outside the ruined building and was now fighting.

Rushing to Claws' aid along with the rest of the minions, Noah dashed outside into the darkness. The skeletal lizard was fighting a pack of beasts resembling boars that had been thrown out of hell for bad behavior. Their fur looked sharp enough to pierce flesh, and the creatures' backs were lined with rows of spikes.

The hellish boars must have followed Noah's scent and had the confidence to get close, or perhaps they were desperately hungry enough to target prey as powerful as him. Regardless of their motives, they soon regretted their mistake, as the undead minions made short work of the pack, with Noah barely needing to interfere. When the survivors fled, Noah did not bother giving chase and instead returned to the ruined building.

After disassembling his bone gauntlets and settling down onto the cold floor of the ruined building for the night, Noah lay awake, his mind drifting to the skirmish with the hellish boars. He could have easily caught up with the fleeing beasts and finished them off, yet he decided not to, on a whim.

Eventually, Noah drifted into slumber.

The next day, Noah continued his journey, with the distant silhouette of Schuler's Pyramid now to his west, acting as a sort of cursed, horrifying compass.

The day was fairly uneventful, with monsters seemingly having more sense than the hell boars from last night, making a quick getaway whenever they caught wind of Noah's powerful presence. Towards the afternoon, after climbing up a hill, Noah studied the horizon.

'It's... The Arc!'

While still barely a speck in the distance, there was no doubt that Arcturus City was within view, with holographic commercials plastered across the skyline and the occasional flashes of explosions, which must have been from flying monsters getting too close.

‘I’m almost home...’

While still reeling from the sight of The Arc, Noah suddenly heard a familiar digital sound. It was familiar, yet it felt as though it had been a lifetime since he last heard it.

Raising his wrist and gazing at his omni device, Noah had to rub his eyes to make sure he wasn't imagining it. A text read: "Connection established."

The text faded, followed by a flood of holographic notifications. There were hundreds of them, from his grandmother, from work, from the bank. With his head spinning, Noah began to scroll through them before stopping.

‘What am I doing...? I need to call the police!’

Using his eyes to navigate the menu, Noah suddenly caught a movement up ahead. To his utter shock and horror, a glowing red sphere was materializing out of thin air, several dozen meters away from him. When the shape was fully formed, a woman stepped out of it, wearing a tight black suit under an expensive-looking Dark Steel polymer armor. She was clutching a short sword, and her radiant crimson eyes were glaring right at Noah.

‘Voidstrider.’