Guess today it's just one thing after another, huh?

After the fight against the Wyvern, the discovery of a Dark Pit, and a string of near-death escapes, Isaac had dared to think they might be done with the unwelcome surprises for the day. Naturally, the universe took personal offense to that.

Hence his current predicament.

Once he decided it was high time to find a somewhat safe place to rest, he kept his eyes wide open. He scanned everything that caught his fancy, no matter how small it was. And sure, maybe a massive cloud of smoke on the horizon didn't scream "safe," but he still directed his team toward it. At the very least, he wanted to get a bit closer to see more than just the dark clouds rising above that place.

Which was exactly what he did. It took about another twenty minutes of flying, but the mystery behind the smoke finally revealed itself. And what a reveal it was.

A sea of monsters.

That was the easiest way to explain the scenery to the east. Wherever he looked, a monster was already there, either resting or fighting with another beast. Mutated wolves, salamanders, vultures, Glassstalkers, and so much more were among the horde. And worst of all, Isaac couldn't see the end of this place. It stretched both far and wide, serving as a sort of border for the territories beyond it.

And as if that wasn't bad enough, the terrain wasn't exactly welcoming either.

It was as dry and cracked as the Burning Wasteland, but instead of sand dunes and scattered rock clusters, this land was flat and dead. A literal light brown plain littered with skeletal, stone-like trees. Black flames clung to their branches, sending up thick columns of smoke, the very same ones he had spotted from afar.

Really, it was quite the sight. A terrible, dangerous one and probably going-there-will-get-you-killed kind of sight… but a sight nonetheless.

Isaac grimaced and let out two sharp, loud caws. Below, his teammates froze in place, immediately recognizing the signal to stop and wait. It was really the only way they could communicate without the need for him to transform back and forth.

All right, quick scouting run, he thought after seeing his team disappear into a nearby cluster of rocks. Let's make this fast. The night is almost here…

Without wasting another second, Isaac shot toward the sea of monsters, eyes sharp for any sign of danger. He just wanted to get close enough for his Analyze to kick in and maybe force the Interface to give him a notification about this place. Because there was no way this thing was normal.

By some miracle, the skies over this region were as empty as the rest of the Burning Wasteland. He spotted a couple of birds flying here and there, but none of them were a threat. Now, if the vultures and some other bird-like creatures in the sea of monsters spotted him, he just might have a problem.

But to his relief, he didn't need to go too far to get what he wanted. A bright red notification appeared before him, taking up most of his vision with its massive letters.

Warning! You're nearing an Unregulated Quarantine Site. Turn back or face the wrath of the Endless Burning Horde. Note: As this is your first encounter with an Unregulated Quarantine Site, the Interface has prepared a short guide for you.

Right away, Isaac stopped, refusing to fly any further. It was the first time the Interface had ever been so blunt about danger. Sure, it might be exaggerating with the "endless" part, but based on just how many monsters he could see, maybe it really wasn't.

Either way, show me what this place is, he ordered.

[Unregulated Quarantine Sites - Rare and very dangerous instances usually only found in the wilds. Rich in corrupted Immortal Mana and unregulated by the Overseer, there is no limit to their growth. Ideal breeding grounds for beasts, nests, and monster villages. Most of those instances contain at least a couple of Dark Pits and possibly a Dimensional Tear. If left unchecked, an Unregulated Quarantine may develop into a Hazard Zone.]

Isaac might have laughed if not for the wave of terror that flooded his body and mind at the mention of a Hazard Zone. He had no idea where it came from and why those two words even affected him. But if not for the sudden surge of the Symphony in his veins, his blood would have literally frozen.

What the hell? He swallowed hard, feeling his heart—core—beat like never before. His Viron was also a wild mess, as if it somehow understood the threat of this Hazard Zone better than he did. Only his Origin seemed unaffected.

Yeah, screw that, he thought, turning around and flying back toward his team. Before he got out of range, though, he fired off a couple of Analyzes to find out just what he was dealing with. The results didn't disappoint.

Potential Threat: Moderate-high

Potential Threat: Moderate

Potential Threat: High

It went on and on, with none of the monsters being ranked below moderate threat. Even worse, most of them were above it. A literal hell on Earth. One that could still take a turn for the worse in the future.

Isaac tore his gaze away from the endless horde and focused on returning to his team. As much as he hated to be the bearer of bad news again, it was better that they learned about this now than later. He definitely wasn't planning to hide this discovery from anyone.

That's gonna be a wonderful conversation, he grumbled internally. I bet Elaine will be delighted…

Shortly before the sun slipped beneath the horizon, Isaac and his team settled atop a high cliff, where a cluster of massive boulders offered a decent hiding spot. The fact that this spot also provided a clear, distant view of the sea of monsters definitely wasn't a factor in choosing it.

Oh, who am I kidding? Isaac snorted, his gaze glued to the dark smoke above the Unregulated Quarantine Site.

After he had returned and filled the others in on what he had seen, naturally, they wanted to take a look too—even if it was from a very safe and very far distance. That was why they had ended up here. Not that his team could see much without his enhanced eyesight. For them, the sea of monsters was just a blur of different creatures. Still, even that put some things into perspective.

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

And then there was the mention of the Hazard Zone.

Similar to him, they had all frozen at the mention of the name. For a short second, they looked like puppets with their strings cut. It would have been a funny sight if not for what caused it.

Still, after a quick vote, they all decided to shelve any discussion about that nightmare for later. Instead, they focused on setting up a camp for the night and getting something to eat. Unfortunately, nobody wanted to try cooking the Wyvern egg.

A pity, but they didn't even have any proper tools for that. Maybe once they reached LA…

Isaac let out a deep sigh just as a hand landed on his shoulder. He turned to find James standing beside him, an easy grin on his face.

"You go rest," he said, jerking his thumb toward the small camp they had set up. "We agreed I'm taking the first watch."

Isaac frowned, his gaze drifting to the man's still reddened, healing hands. "You sure? I don't mind staying up longer."

That earned him a solid pat on the back. "Don't worry 'bout me, boss. I'm more than fine. Now, off you go. You can take the next shift."

"Fine, fine," Isaac muttered, waving him off. As he stepped away from the edge of the cliff, he threw one last look at the older man. "Just try not to fall. Marie wouldn't be happy."

James rolled his eyes. "Hilarious. Now get lost. Don't want to see your ugly mug 'til morning."

Chuckling, Isaac left the man alone.

His eyes slipped open, awakening to darkness. Isaac blinked, and his night vision flickered on. A quick glance at the Interface timer made him frown. Almost four hours. Way too long.

James didn't wake me up…

Chasing off the last wisps of sleep out of his mind, he stood up from his makeshift cot—a bunch of rags and a small pillow—and looked around the camp. The fire pit was long dead, just a ring of cold ash and stone. And from what he could see, the girls didn't come out of the tent.

Which leaves…

His gaze shifted toward the edge of the cliff, where a lone person still sat. A tiny solar lamp lay nearby, casting a soft, weak glow on the surroundings. Based on the shifting shadows, the individual definitely wasn't asleep.

Isaac's frown deepened. James…

Without a sound, he moved onward, keeping his eyes on the older man. His hand moved constantly, rolling a small, square object between his fingers—its gray surface catching the dim light of the lamp.

James's Patron reward for defeating the Wyvern. An object quite similar in use to what Isaac had received. Obviously, also unused for now.

"You didn't wake me up," Isaac stated, settling onto a rock beside James. "My three hours are up."

Yet, the older man only hummed in response, the gray object in his hands never stopping. It was like he was in some sort of a trance. Not like him at all.

Isaac let the silence stretch for a moment before breaking it again. "Still thinking if you should use it now?"

"No," James muttered, his voice distant, oddly hollow.

Isaac looked up at the heavens and counted to ten. This wasn't how he expected this conversation to go. For a moment, he even considered going back to sleep, but he quickly dismissed that idea. They were a team, after all. Leaving without trying to help felt wrong at this point.

He sighed and nudged the other man's shoulder. "Then what is it? I might not be Tyler with his wise-ass advice, but I think I'm a decent listener."

That drew a soft, humorless chuckle. "I'm worried," James admitted quietly, still staring out into the endless night. "Really worried."

"About?"

James' shoulders slumped. "Everything… At first, when we got out of Galt, I didn't care about anything. Only reaching LA and finding my family mattered. But now? After seeing all this shit on the way…" He shook his head. "It's all I can think of. Especially after well…" he gestured toward the horizon, where the sea of monsters was located.

Isaac grimaced, finally understanding some of the issue here. Still, he remained silent, letting the other man continue.

"It really hits you, y'know? The nests, monsters crawling everywhere… that Dark Pit…" James smiled weakly. "The world has gone to hell, and here we are—four idiots trying to cross a whole damn state to reach a city that might not even exist anymore."

"We will find it," Isaac said without thinking.

James scoffed. "You don't know that. We might as well be running to our death." He raised a hand before Isaac could argue. "Yeah, yeah, I know it was my idea. And fuck, I am so damn grateful you guys decided to help me…"

"But?" Isaac prodded.

"But I don't want to be the reason you three waste your lives," James muttered, and silence followed.

So that's what it is, Isaac thought, closing his eyes for a moment. In hindsight, a pretty obvious and natural fear. If not for the goal of reaching LA, none of them would be here in the first place.

Still…

"You're an idiot," he said flatly, earning an outraged gasp from the older man. "Listen… We didn't come with you because you forced us to. No, we're here because we wanted to help. Yeah, maybe we will be all dead by the end of the week, but at least we tried, right?"

After a few seconds, James snorted. "Damn, you were right. You really are shitty at this pep talk thing."

"Oi!" Isaac hissed. "I'm trying to help here."

James raised his hands in surrender. "Just kidding, boss. Just kidding." He sighed, some tension leaving his shoulders. "I really needed that. Thanks."

Isaac's frown made a return. "Doesn't sound like I helped much."

The man shrugged. "Hey, I'm still allowed to worry. Besides… I might need you to do something for me."

"Might?"

"A precaution, if you will," James elaborated, smiling a bit. "Look, we both know that with the way things are going, with monsters getting stronger, there's no guarantee we will all make it to LA alive. Let me finish, please," he quickly added when Isaac opened his mouth to protest. "Don't get me wrong, I want all of us to get there in one piece. But in case we don't, or rather I don't, there's one thing I need you to do."

Isaac's stomach tightened, already getting an idea where this was going. He didn't like it one bit.

"I'm not asking you to take care of my family. You have your own life to worry about after all," James went on. "No, I just… I would like you to find my sisters. Tell them I tried… tell them I did everything I could to reach them… that I never forgot about them."

By the end of it, James was looking straight at him, his eyes pleading. Isaac held his gaze for a long, heavy moment before finally looking away.

"You have my word," he whispered before adding quickly. "But it won't come to that. You're gonna tell them all that yourself. Stop playing a pessimist. That's my job."

James let out a choked laugh. "Of course you would say that, man. Come here!"

Before Isaac could react, James yanked him into a crushing bear hug. He was pretty sure a rib or two of his snapped from that action, but in the end, his healing could take care of that. He gave the older man a few solid pats on the back before pulling away.

"Now go to sleep," he ordered. "We will never hear the end of it from Marie otherwise."

James chuckled and stood up. "True that." A smile—not a forced one—made its way to his face. "And Isaac? Thanks, man. Really. Couldn't have done any of this without you or the girls. If you ever need anything…"

Isaac nodded as the older man trailed off. "We will see about that. Go rest now."

James threw him a lazy salute and wandered off toward camp without another word. There was still a lot that probably had gone unsaid, but for now, it had to be enough. Worries and fears would stay with them no matter what. It was the natural way of life.

All that matters is not letting them control you, Isaac mused, looking up at the night sky. Ain't that right, Old Man?

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