"Are you sure?" Faralynn asked Matthew about his hearing while examining him.

"Can't hear a thing from it." Matthew answered while drinking a mana potion.

They were now back at the tent they were in earlier resting again after the battle. Not long ago, reinforcements arrived from the front and assumed the command of the camp. Matthew and the others were given sincere thanks and guided to rest while the newcomers would take care of reinforcing the defenses and cleaning up the dead.

They were hailed as celebrities by the soldiers who witnessed them fighting. When they heard Faralynn's name, they all nodded sagely saying things like "As expected from Laufgraan School."

Erin used the flashlight on her phone to take a look into Matthew's ear looking for signs of damage. There were none.

"It's the demonic mana." Matthew said resigned. "Mommy said it was growing. Most likely took my ear since I could hear well before purifying myself."

No one was surprised or laughed anymore at Matthew referring to Titania as mommy. It wasn't surprising anymore and was no longer funny. It was just a thing now. Faralynn, however, still cringed with jealousy every time he said it.

"Are you going to become a demon?" Mia asked concerned.

"If he lets the demonic part of his soul take over the rest of it, yes." Ffyr explained unconcerned while eating some chocolate the soldiers gave her.

"Why aren't you scared?" Mia admonished the fairy.

"Because mom said she would take care of it." Ffyr shrugged.

"If he's willing to something that he loves." Faralynn was stern with Ffyr. "Do you want him to go through that?"

Ffyr looked at the elf at shrugged again.

"It will be alright. My mom is a pain, but she's fair." The fairy said.

Faralynn sighed shaking her head disproving of Ffyr's carelessness.

"We can worry about it later." Faynn said while using a needle made of shadow to sew a whole the Balor's blood burned on her armor. "We're still in the middle of an invasion." She called their attention.

"So… What's the plan now? After we rest, I mean." Tina asked looking at Vanessa.

"Go to the central zone and scout the Howling Spear's HQ." Vanessa answered.

"Are you sure about that?" Erin asked gently.

"I am. You girls don't need to come with me. This is something I have to do myself." Vanessa's tone got gentle with Erin as well.

"I want to go there too." Faralynn said. "A gate to hell opening like that in the middle of the sky… It's not the first time it happens."

"What do you mean?" Matthew asked her.

"She's implying that the time you three got sucked in there, might be connected to this one." Tina was sharp.

"You think someone opened the gate on purpose? Both times?" Mia was skeptic.

"I don't doubt they would." Vanessa said remembering the horrible things she saw on those pictures with their guild master.

"Yeah." Matthew agreed also with those pictures in mind.

"And how do you all think we'll pass through the army's blockade?" Faynn said being more realist.

"We have no idea how the battle front looks like. But their blockade can't be very secure if they let an army that size march all the way up here to the safe zone." Tina replied.

"I think I should stay here." Mia said looking at the ground. "If the front line is anything like what happened here. I don't think I can help you out. I did level up during combat, 3 levels at that, but I'm still level 12." She explained. "I'll stay here and help around where I can."

"You all leveled up?" Matthew asked looking at his own stat screen and realizing he didn't.

"I did." Vanessa said. "3 levels as well. I'm on 16 now."

"I went up to 14. 3 level ups too." Erin said.

"Same." Tina added.

"I got to 19. 3 as well." Faralynn said.

"I don't level up, but I did absorb some mana too." Faynn said.

Matthew looked at his own level. 35. It was very high, but shouldn't he at least level up once after fighting the Balor hand to hand like that? The mana knows. He said to himself to calm his anxiety. At that level, it wasn't easy to level up. He shouldn't expect it anymore.

"Then level up and let's move." Vanessa said, her fingers already moving on the air as the fiddled with her own screen.

"Get at least 1 level of Priest." Matthew said. "Holy Mana will aid us immensely against the demons." Matthew said to Vanessa.

"Already did, kid." She smiled at him.

"Good idea." Tina said seemingly picking Priest as her last class.

"This brings back memories." Erin said with a soft chuckle and then looking at Matthew and Faralynn to see if she was insensitive with them.

But both of them just chuckled as well remembering their first time fighting demons. Apparently, their trauma no longer hindering their emotions.

Vanessa took two levels of Thief and a level of Priest. Faralynn got 3 levels of Swordsman. Erin got 3 levels of Visomancer. Mia got a level in mage, her 10th, and 2 levels in Luxomancer. As she was staying behind, she thought to keep her original build plan. Tina got a level in Priest and 2 levels in Gemcutter, her original build being an item maker.

After everyone picked their classes and distributed their points, they got up to leave. All but Mia who stayed on the couch she was sitting.

Erin looked at her and then said to the others:

"I'll stay too."

"Why?" Faralynn asked.

"I wont be able to rest if I leave Mia here alone." She answered. "And… I confess I'm a bit scared after that fight."

"I'm going to stay too, then." Tina said sitting back down. "I'll keep an eye on these two. Besides, I don't think my worker build is good enough to face what you're going to."

"Are you three sure?" Faralynn asked.

"We are." Tina answered for all of them.

Faralynn looked at Matthew who made no mention to stay as well. He was dead set into going with Vanessa and she could see it in his eyes.

"Stay safe you three." Faralynn said. "We'll see you all later."

"You too. Don't be afraid to run away." Erin said hugging Faralynn goodbye.

Faynn, Vanessa, Faralynn and Matthew then left the tent and walked towards the camp gates. They were on their way out when a soldier came to them running and yelling for them to wait.

"Please, the captain wants to speak with you." The soldier said when he caught up to them.

He guided them into the command office, a small room inside a small building that used to some sort of architecture office before the invasion.

The captain was in there giving some orders about moving food between safe zones to another soldier when Matthew and the others came in.

"Is this the adventuring party that defeated the Balor?" The captain asked the soldier that escorted them in.

"Yes, sir." The soldier said.

"Good. May I ask your names?" The captain said.

They all gave their names one by one.

"Weren't there others?" The captain asked after confirming their names were enlisted as volunteers in his tablet.

"They will stay behind. They're too tired to keep going." Vanessa said. Even volunteers could face military discipline for desertion, so it was better if the army thought they were just resting. "You can use them in the base when they're rested." She added.

"I see… Does your party have a name?" The captain asked.

"No." Matthew answered.

"Let's call you Laufgraan Party 1 then. And the others who will stay will be 2." The captain said. "I have new orders for you."

"What are they?" Vanessa asked concerned it would bring them away from her objective.

"You are to report to General Yu at front command. The tale of your victory here has peaked the interest of upper command. They want your help in closing the gate." The captain said.

Center command, Vanessa thought remembering the map, it was near the front were they would find the Howling Spear HQ. This served them well.

"Yes, sir." She said hiding her thoughts really well.

"I'll have Shelly here get you a vehicle to get there." The captain said pointing to a soldier near him. "I can't give you a driver, but I believe at least one of you can drive?"

"I'm well acquainted with military vehicles." Faynn said.

"All right then. I wish you all good luck. May the gods help you all." The captain said saluting them as Shelly stoop up.

"Come with me." The female soldier said.

Shelly gave them the keys to an Armored Humvee. It had no mounted weapons on it, they were salvaged and used to improve the camp defenses. Nonetheless, the shielding on it was enough to keep them safe on their way to Center Command.

Faynn took the wheel and turned it on as the others got in.

"Thank you. You all saved our lives today." Shelly said ordering the improvised gate to open so that they could leave. "I hope you all can return safely from there."

They nodded at the soldier's well wishes and drove out to the front line.

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