Somewhere near the inner area.

Zayne and another Exorcist were scouting the area—mapping the forest better and perhaps even finding new spots for them to settle. In under a day of frantically scouting the forest, they were able to cover a good area of the forest.

Now, the two ventured closer to the inner area.

It would be more dangerous as there are more Ghosts around, but Zayne insisted.

"Zayne, that's enough," the Exorcist said while keeping his focus around, anticipating an ambush. "I don't think we should be mapping this deep. The young lady and that man would be the ones to do that, so let's go back."

He knew what Zayne was feeling right now.

By mapping faster, he would be eliminating more time spent relying on Deklan.

Kaelyn wouldn't need to be in contact as much with him, so he wanted to finish this as soon as possible.

But that would be going against Kaelyn's words.

Hearing that, Zayne's fists tightened until his knuckles blanched, fury boiling up his throat.

He wanted to spit out every curse he knew at the Exorcist beside him—someone who should have been on his side, yet chose to back Deklan and paint him as the scapegoat. Humiliation burned through him, made worse by the sting of betrayal from those who were supposed to stand with him.

All because Deklan 'saved' them—it's infuriating.

And frankly, Zayne thought this to be stupid as Deklan only did that because he had ulterior motives.

Everyone could see that, but none acknowledged it.

Just then, however, his fists slowly uncurled.

He straightened his back, drew in a deep breath, and gave a small nod.

"Yes… You're right," Zayne said—an answer that caught the Exorcist completely off guard. He turned to the man beside him, forcing a frail, defeated smile. "I'm just… angry. That's all. Could you return to the others first? I need a moment alone."

The Exorcist let out a weary sigh, but eventually relented," Fine. Just don't take too long."

He dashed away, pity lingering in his eyes, yet he still felt he made the right decision.

Choosing Deklan had been the correct move… and at least it freed him from feeling indebted.

It would help him stay loyal to Kaelyn by absolving that indebted feeling.

Once the Exorcist was gone, Zayne's expression twisted from helpless to simmering anger in an instant.

"Do you really think I'd say that? Never." Zayne sneered in disgust at the Exorcist, as he had no intention to allow that disrespect to go unpunished. Even if he had to do it alone, he would. Fortunately, he was in luck.

Zayne glanced over his shoulder and dashed straight ahead.

He was silent—his man was suppressed, and his steps made little to no sound.

After half a minute of going straight, he stopped behind a tree and peeked at the scene ahead.

Right outside the inner area, a cluster of Ghosts had oddly gathered.

Each one was wreathed in roaring flames. At their center stood a massive hound-shaped creature—its entire form blazing and its eyes burning like molten coals. This one radiated power unmistakably, a Ghost of bronze-rank strength.

Zayne watched them silently.

He observed that the Hellhound was carrying something in its mouth, a piece of torn, bloodied tunic.

It looked like the main Ghost was letting the others smell that piece of fabric.

"Oh…" Seeing this, Zayne's eyes gleamed with malice. "This is unexpectedly convenient…"

Moments later, in a makeshift settlement.

"Young lady, young lady!"

Kaelyn woke up from her sleep at the sound of someone calling her name repeatedly.

It sounded urgent.

Still sore from the night before—she pushed herself upright. Rest was a luxury she did not have in this unfamiliar territory. She had to remain strong and decisive so the people have someone to lean on—at this time of peril.

She threw on her cloak and stepped out of the carriage.

Awaiting her outside was one of the main Exorcists belonging to Zayne's group.

He was rushing toward her—panic carved deeply into his face.

"What's wrong?" She asked, her expression tightening in worry. "Ghosts?"

"Y-Yes—Ghosts! A lot of them!"

Receiving the news, Kaelyn straightened instantly, "Alright, everyone, pack and prepare to move—"

"They're not heading this way, young lady."

"What?" Her brows drew together, confused. "Then why are you panicking? Where are these Ghosts?"

"Near the inner area," He said, breathless, sweat licking down the side of his face. "I was mapping the forest with Zayne when we stumbled onto a group of flaming Ghosts. And they are heading straight for the hamlet!"

"Deklan's hamlet?"

"Yes!"

Almost instantly, her pulse spiked, "Where's Zayne? We need to go—Deklan would need our help."

"He should be behind me, but I'm not sure… Maybe he already went ahead to help."

Kaelyn's frown deepened.

This doesn't assure her; it did the opposite instead.

Something about this situation didn't sit right, but there was no time to unravel it.

Helping Deklan came first.

"You and you," She snapped, pointing at the panicked Exorcist and another nearby. "With me. We're heading for the hamlet right this instant. Everyone else stays put and stays sharp until we return!"

Kaelyn was already moving before the order finished leaving her lips.

…

Meanwhile, in the Slosa Hamlet.

Sleeping has never been better than this one.

Studying for the final exams like hell, going on caffeine with barely enough sleep was tiring, but Deklan has never been more exhausted than tonight. He had been battling, moving, and suffering wounds several times over.

And thus, sleeping has never been so pleasant as this one.

Deklan woke up and realized the sun was already way past its peak.

He groggily sat up on the bed and rubbed his eyes, feeling like absolute shit—like playing a game until sunrise and ending up with a loss. "Man, I'm really hungry and thirsty…" Deklan muttered, turning his head around to scan the room. "Where am I? This is not my place."

It was tidy, neat, and surprisingly fragrant.

For someone who only goes hunting and sleeps, this state was practically impossible to achieve.

Deklan threw his legs over the bed and sat on the edge.

He felt light.

Lighter than he should've been with all the wounds he suffered from last night.

"Hmm, wounds?" Deklan looked down at his bare torso and realized there were no more wounds—not even a scar. He didn't remember applying any Healing Cream again—before sleeping, "All of them are healed perfectly. Of course, other than this one."

His hand rubbed his shoulder and felt a scar there.

It was really close to his neck, so he didn't see it the first time.

That was the grievous wound inflicted by Kaelyn.

She really put everything she had into that attack, and it showed.

Deklan dwelt in his confusion for a moment, trying to remember what really happened last night—the last thing he remembered was the excruciating pain in his hand, and then everything went black. Everything he did after that—he couldn't remember.

"Either way—I need to experiment with using spells today," He rubbed his forehead, remembering that he was now an Exorcist and would need to start training around it. "Kaelyn seemed knowledgeable, so I'll start by asking her about how to properly become an Exorcist."

Just then, the door was pushed open, and an angel entered—he soon realized where he was.

"Did I bother you last night?" Deklan smiled acutely, scratching the back of his head.

"Yes," Marsha entered and handed him a pumpkin soup—and bread. "It was early in the morning when you came, making a ruckus in the living room before crashing onto the bed. But it doesn't matter, I'm planning to wake up early."

"Sorry," Deklan immediately dove into eating, taking big scoops and shoving them into his mouth. "Oh, I'm also sorry that I broke my promise. Though mostly I did it because I could not help it—there's also this uncomfortable feeling in the pit of my stomach that something bad was going to happen."

Marsha already forgave Deklan last night.

However, hearing him apologize like this was nice.

It shows that he still thought about her even though he broke his promise anyway.

"I understand, young master…" Marsha smiled sweetly.

Such a smile made the morning even sweeter than it already was for Deklan.

"What about you? How are you feeling? Still sick?"

"No, I'm feeling a lot better. Why? Are you going to hunt again?"

Deklan lowered the bowl to his lap and smiled acutely, hearing an edge in her voice, "If you don't want me to hunt, then you shouldn't have healed me."

"You misunderstood me, young master," Marsha said, taking the empty bowl and pausing. "I'm sorry, I must've gone over the line. I was only… worried."

"Hey, hey…" Deklan held her hands. "No need to apologize. I know you're worried about me, and I don't blame you one bit. I'm also quite reckless and deserve a hit on the head sometimes, so it's really fine. Besides, now that you're healed, I'll be a lot saf—"

Crash!

A loud crashing sound thundered outside, catching Deklan and Marsha off guard.

And what followed was total chaos.

People could be heard screaming in terror or for help, while others scattered everywhere.

Deklan lurched to the window, even tripping in his haste, and what he saw outside made his stomach drop. Everyone was already in full survival mode, scrambling with a single, desperate focus. Their faces showed no other sign than to preserve their lives.

And that could only mean one thing: they were under attack.

"How did this happen? Ghosts can't enter our place. So, what are the people running from?"

"Sometimes, the barrier can malfunction. It was how that Ghost took the blue tower."

"But still, what are the odds the barrier malfunctioned and Ghosts were nearby?"

"Young master," Marsha held Deklan's hand with both of hers. "Please save the people..."

"Of course, I promise. And this time, I intended to keep it."

Boom!

Deklan looked up and saw a massive fire flaring skyward as the ground shook underneath them.

Just that fire alone made his heart pound.

"Come on, let's help the people," Deklan said as he sprinted out of the house.

He sprinted toward the main square—with Marsha close on his heels, weaving through the stream of frightened villagers. A young girl stumbled and hit the ground in front of him—Deklan scooped her up without slowing, steadying her before sending her off with a firm push.

"Run to the red tower! You'll be safe there—go!"

Even though the tower might malfunction, being closer to it should still protect them.

Upon reaching the main square, Deklan's gaze snapped to the entrance.

And it was then his eyes met with the predatory gazes of many.

"For fuck's sake, how did they get out of the inner area?" Deklan rasped, noting several flaming Ghosts that came knocking on their door.

[Sudden Quest: Protect the Slosa Hamlet!]

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