Luke was absorbing everything Angelica had told him about the tutorial, the truths behind the first year. But more than that—the secret that almost no one knew about that place.

The mission statue had revealed the location of the three mechanisms: the first near the statue itself, inside the Bastion fortress; the second hidden somewhere in the orc forest; and the third beyond the barrier of the Wild Zone, guarded by a massive serpent.

"Bartholomew's faction knew the location of the mechanisms from the very beginning," Angelica said. "They were the first to see the statue before it activated. When the first mechanism was triggered, the statue's message changed to the one you know now—about the lords and the three mechanisms. But only those who saw the original version knew where to start looking."

She took a deep breath.

"And Bartholomew and the others in his faction never shared that information. The statue doesn't show progress, doesn't say which mechanisms have been activated. Anyone outside his faction had no idea what to even search for. And even if someone did suspect the Bastion fortress was hiding something... how could they be sure? Hardly anyone there knows—not even the residents, aside from Bartholomew and a few others."

Angelica pulled a knife from her storage ring and tossed it to Luke. He caught it mid-air, inspecting the crown symbol etched into the blade.

"Every soldier under Bartholomew gets one just like it. My brother... he was one of the first to enlist. He joined the faction to protect me."

Her voice softened.

"We came to the tutorial together. He was twenty-eight. I was eighteen. He didn't want me to accept the system's integration—he forbid it. But I was stubborn. When the annual integration window came, I accepted it without telling him. We were brought here together... and just like always, he tried to protect me."

She gripped her bow a little tighter, as if grounding herself with it.

"In the training field, I got chewed out hard. Bryan even pulled my ear in front of everyone."

She let out a small laugh—brief and light, yet heavy with memory.

"He was my only family. Our grandparents had passed away long ago. He chose to become a warrior. He got an axe. And me, of course, I became an archer. Not ideal, but at least I could help from a distance. If healing had been an option, maybe I would've chosen that."

She drew an arrow from her quiver and spun it slowly between her fingers.

"He thought it was too dangerous to take me on missions, but... now and then, he'd give in. And I'd go. Even if just to be near him."

Luke remained silent—not because he had nothing to say, but because he knew words would weigh less in that moment than simply listening.

She stared down at her hands, taking a few seconds to gather the next part of the story.

"My brother stood out quickly among the warriors Bartholomew had recruited. He was dedicated, calm, loyal... It didn't take long before he became close to him. Friends, even." Angelica hugged her bow tightly. "Back then, Marshall and his son were still part of Bartholomew's faction. They were eager to complete the tutorial as fast as possible, but... something happened."

Luke tilted his head. "What?"

"There was a fight. Bartholomew... changed. My brother said it was like night and day. He became paranoid. Started suspecting everyone. Then he expelled Marshall from the faction." She released a heavy breath. "After that, Bryan and Bartholomew grew even closer. Close enough that Bartholomew confided in him the reason behind the expulsion."

Luke narrowed his eyes. "And what was it?"

Angelica shook her head, as if still in disbelief at her own words.

"He said he needed to keep his distance from Marshall. That if he told him the truth, it would only make things worse. He said it had something to do with something called... 51."

"Fifty-one?" Luke repeated, his brow furrowing.

"Yeah. That's all. Nothing else. Bartholomew drank a lot back then, so who knows if it was just some kind of drunken delusion... But he made my brother swear to keep it secret. And in exchange, he told him everything he knew about the mechanisms."

She pointed to her chest, her expression softening with nostalgia. "That's when the Haven was born. I... gave it the name."

Luke raised his eyebrows, surprised.

Angelica went on.

"We started with a small group. Maybe thirty people, maybe fewer. Me, Bryan, Paul, a few others from the faction. All people Bartholomew trusted. We used the hotel as a base because it was more practical than going back and forth to Bastion. It became our forward outpost, so to speak."

She paused, as if the memories were still vivid behind her eyes.

"And then, after a long search... we found it. The second fortress. Buried deep in orc territory. That cursed place surrounded by patrols, sound-triggered traps, and a Midnight Warden."

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Luke absorbed every word.

"Bartholomew came to see us. Said it was too risky to activate the second mechanism while Marshall was still out there. The war between them had already begun. And even though a few years had passed since the tutorial started, there still weren't many survivors—at least not ones he trusted."

Angelica looked at him seriously.

"Bartholomew knew that if he sent a team to the second fortress, he'd have to send his best. But if it failed, he'd lose his front line and be exposed. And if it worked... he'd have to defend two fortresses at once. With a mortal enemy waiting to strike. Marshall was experienced, a trained soldier. Bartholomew knew that if Marshall seized a fortress, he'd gain access to chests, potions, equipment. That would be more than enough to kill him. In the end, no matter what move he made... it would be like signing his own death warrant."

"So he forbade you from going?"

She shook her head. "No. He didn't forbid it. He asked us to wait. To hold off until the time was right."

Luke exhaled. "But you couldn't wait any longer."

Angelica nodded slowly. "Knowing the way out was that close... it's not something you can just forget. My brother didn't want me stuck in this place. I wanted to go too, but... I had another reason."

She lifted her bow slightly, her eyes resting on the carved symbol in the wood.

"I awakened an uncommon skill. Something none of the other archers had at the time. Maybe it was granted by the system because of how much I'd devoted myself. I thought we finally had what we needed, thanks to that ability."

"What kind of skill?" Luke asked.

"It's pretty simple... if I lock onto an object and mark it with my focus, I can sense any other identical objects within my awareness range. If I marked a coin, for example, I'd know if there were more nearby. Do you see the potential?"

Luke nodded.

"You were going to mark…"

"The alarms."

She gave a faint smile—brief, almost proud—but it quickly faded.

"That's why I became the ace of the Haven. And also... that's why I killed them all. It was my fault. I was the one who pushed them forward."

Luke could see her starting to close off again. "What happened?"

"We destroyed almost all of the external alarms around the fortress. They're made of mana, so they regenerate after a while. Still, we cleared the perimeter and got ready."

She drew in a long breath.

"There were thirty of us. We knew what the mechanism was. We knew how to activate it. We stayed hidden in nearby houses for days. Paul... he tried to convince us to wait for Bartholomew's support. But we were so close. When you're that close to victory, it's impossible to turn back."

A heavy silence settled.

"Twenty-nine people went into that fortress. Paul was the only one who returned to the Safe Zone."

Angelica gripped her bow tightly.

"And that's when I realized the mistake."

Her gaze drifted.

"Our strategy was to go in at midnight, when the Warden leaves the fortress and begins patrolling the streets. But... once we were inside, we saw the interior was full of alarms. So many that not even my ability could detect them all at once. Still, we pressed on. The plan was simple: follow the corridors to the mechanism, since it was identical to Bastion. But then…"

She swallowed hard.

"The Midnight Warden came back. Before six a.m."

Luke leaned forward. "What? But... why did it come back?"

"The internal alarms don't make any noise. They just... change color." Her voice dropped, hoarse. "It was my fault. I must've missed one. And then..."

She closed her eyes.

"All hell broke loose. It hunted us. One by one. I heard the screams. I heard bones being crushed. That place turned into a maze. As we ran, the alarms lit up in red—silently. And that's when I understood our mistake."

More tears ran down her face.

"Then the Warden stood in front of me. I... froze."

Luke held his breath.

"My brother saved me. He stepped in front of me and took the hit. Even wounded, he dragged me away. Told me he loved me... gave me his axe. Asked me to be strong. Said he'd be right behind me."

Her voice broke.

"He told me to run. And I did. When I looked back, I saw him get caught. I tried to go back, but he... even while dying, he begged me to keep going."

She wiped her tears with the back of her hand.

"The last sound I heard... was his scream. After that... silence."

Angelica stood up slowly.

"I made it outside. I went back to the hotel... and never left that place again."

She stared down.

"To this day... I still wait for my brother to come back."

With those words, she began to walk, quietly, further down the tunnel.

Luke stood there for a moment, watching her.

The darkness ahead didn't seem nearly as oppressive as what he had just heard. And yet... he felt the weight of her story press against his chest. One question echoed deep inside, relentless:

Would the Baumann family also end up waiting for someone who would never return?

He didn't want anyone to feel that. Because for thirteen long years, he had lived with the pain of waiting for his mother to come home.

***

The two of them walked in silence. Luke regretted the question he had asked. He'd stirred her memories, reopened an old wound. But it was too late now to take it back.

"Don't look so down," Angelica said, still walking, not looking back. "I haven't forgotten your promise to have a drink with me."

There was a soft laugh in her voice—the return of her usual humor, acting like a pressure valve, as always.

"I'm sorry…" he said quietly, genuinely.

Angelica paused for a moment, maybe about to respond, but—

"AAARGH!"

The scream echoed down the tunnel.

Both of them raised their weapons in an instant, senses sharp. Footsteps echoed from the darkness ahead. A flicker of light appeared at the bend.

"It's you guys!" Jonathan's voice rang out as he came into view, the others right behind him.

They were emerging from a side tunnel that sloped downward. Dirty, out of breath—but alive. The reunion was brief—because all eyes quickly turned to the end of the main tunnel. A chaotic scene unfolded before them. And then, the system announced:

[Ant Queen (General Beast) – Lvl 35]

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