Astra, leaning against the ancient tree, found himself lost in thought, his mind racing with questions he couldn't quite answer.

Why did the monster choose to eat Hylax when there are so many other prisoners? And why doesn’t it care about waking the others with its high battle IQ? Is it because it underestimated us? Maybe it’s because it has no eyes? But then, how can it see Hylax?

Astra pondered, his mind swirling with questions.

The only difference between us and Hylax is that he ate the Lumifloras. Could that be the reason?

He shifted his thoughts to his own survival and the conditions he needed to meet to evolve.

As for food, I have more than enough. I don't know how long it will last, and I refuse to eat creatures in this place, as for sleep quality, after what just happened and if I sleep, I don't know if I can wake up the next day. This is hard.

He sighed, his breath a quiet whisper in the still air.

He glanced over at Ejio’s team. Aria had already healed them all, but the atmosphere was heavy, tense. Ejio sat leaning against a tree, his gaze fixed downward, unreadable.

No one knew what he was thinking. Asa and Biya had just finished burying Hylax’s lower half. Agro, still unconscious, hadn't woken up yet, and Aria was resting after the exhausting task of healing them.

Well, it makes sense that she sleeps after healing them all, especially after she healed Ejio; most of his body was broken. I still don’t understand how he can stay conscious.

Maybe it’s his race’s characteristics? Just like Biya has a special eye, and Aria has special blood. No... not Aria. She’s different. She’s a Genesis user, but I have no idea what that means.

His gaze shifted to Zor, who sat a distance away, looking down, his posture slouched in a way that spoke volumes. He wasn’t facing them; his body language was full of shame and a sense of uselessness.

Is he feeling shame for not helping us? Well, he shouldn’t. If he tried to help, he’d just be a burden, just like that sleeping beast.

he thought, briefly glancing over at Agro.

⊶☽☬☾⊷

Biya sat in front of Hylax’s grave, his wand thrust into the earth as a makeshift marker. Astra felt a bit of regret because he didn't appraise the wand before but he didn't regret enough to pluck it out. Biya clasped her hands together, bringing them close to her face, and closed her eyes in prayer, paying her respects. After a few minutes she stood up and walked towards Ejio.

“What should we do now, leader?” she asked calmly, her voice a quiet whisper in the stillness.

Ejio looked at her, his eyes were blank for a moment then quickly changed to his usual confident face.

"Let’s eat first. We’ll wait for Agro and Aria to wake up, and then we move forward.”

They ate, but this time they didn’t cook the food. They could make fire but didn’t want to waste time or attract other creatures. The usual chatter was missing, and even Biya, normally talkative, was quiet, lost in her thoughts about what had just happened.

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Suddenly, Agro jolted awake, breaking the silence. His eyes were wide, and sweat dripped down his face. After taking a moment to grasp the situation, he started to calm down.

“What happened? Did we win? Did that misty monster die?” he blurted out, a rush of questions spilling from his lips.

“Yeah, we won. And our injuries are healed, thanks to Aria,” Biya replied, then she glanced at the monster's corpse.

“The misty monster is dead, and its head… got split open by that prisoner,” Biya said while glancing at Astra.

Agro’s eyes widened, disbelief transforming into loud, disbelieving laughter. The sound was sharp in the otherwise silent air, so much so that Aria stirred awake, rubbing her eyes as she searched her bag.

“You're telling me the crazy prisoner is only an E rank, and he took down the monster? Stop messing with me,” he said.

“Well, it’s true he killed the monster, but to be precise, he landed the final blow,” Ejio said.

“But without him—” Biya started to explain, but Agro interrupted her.

“I knew it! There's no way that primitive could take down the monster on his own,” he said, shaking his head.

"I’m surprised you’re so cheerful, especially after losing your hand,” Asa remarked with a smirk.

“My hand? What are you talking about?"

Agro turned to see his right hand missing. Agro froze, eyes snapping to the stump where his hand should have been. The wound was already scabbed over, and a cold wave of panic washed over him. He turned to Aria, desperation in his voice.

“Aria, my hand! Where is my hand!? You need to heal my hand!” His grip tightened on her shoulder, shaking her in his growing panic.

“I... I’m sorry. I can heal wounds, but I can’t regenerate your hand,” Aria said, her voice trembling.

“Don't fucking lie to me! You said you're an arcane type. You should be able to regenerate it!” Agro shouted.

Before things could escalate further, Asa moved quickly, kicking Agro a few meters back. "Calm down," Asa said.

"That bitch doesn’t want to regenerate my arm! Is this how you get back at me?" Agro spat angrily.

"Even if she did it on purpose, she still saved your life. If not for her power, you would have died from blood loss,” Asa’s gaze was cold, his expression unshaken.

The anger was still there, but it wasn’t the same panic. Agro glared at Aria, the sharpness in his eyes replaced with deeper frustration. He clenched his jaw but remained silent as Ejio spoke, cutting through the tension with his usual calm.

"Eat. We leave in a few minutes. If you don’t eat, we leave you behind," Ejio said, his voice unwavering.

Agro’s gaze never left Aria, but he did as he was told. He grabbed his food, chewing it with gritted teeth, his anger simmering beneath the surface.

⊶☽☬☾⊷

The group continued their journey in silence, only sometimes filled with the soft rustle of the Lumiflora. They had all agreed not to eat any of the misty monster’s meat, especially since it had consumed Hylax. Even the thought of eating such a repulsive creature made their stomachs hurt.

The road ahead seemed endless, stretching on in a monotonous rhythm that left little room for conversation. Hours passed, and the heavy atmosphere remained, each person lost in their thoughts, their footsteps the only thing that kept them grounded in the present.

After a few hours of steady walking, Asa suddenly spoke, breaking the silence.

“There is a river up ahead”

“A river? Are you sure?” Ejio responded, a hint of disbelief in his tone.

“Wait, since when can you see that far?” Biya asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Since the beginning. My race has one of the best eyesight in the universe,” Asa replied, his voice calm and matter-of-fact.

“How far?” Ejio pressed.

“About four miles,” Asa answered, his gaze unwavering as he focused on the distant horizon.

The group continued forward, moving toward the river Asa had sensed. As they approached, the faint sound of flowing water reached their ears. They soon found themselves at the river’s edge, though it wasn’t as vibrant as they expected.

There were no fish, no life of any kind in the water. The river flowed with an unremarkable rhythm, the water clear but still, like any ordinary stream.

𓆩✧𓆪