After that ominous night in the town square, when the heavy gates of the Veil of Shadows cult closed behind Kurumi, the familiar scent inside filled her lungs. Katori had opened the door. Her crimson hair, tied into two sections at the sides, was still damp, carrying the fresh warmth of a recent shower.

  As Kurumi stepped inside, bearing an invisible weight on her shoulders, she managed to say in a weary voice, “Thank you, Katori.”

  A sincere smile bloomed on Katori’s face. Kurumi’s eagerness to throw herself into every mission, never backing down even in the most dangerous moments, had always impressed her. “So,” Katori said, narrowing her eyes with curiosity, “tell me. How did the mission go? What did you accomplish this time?”

  Kurumi hesitated. The image of that massive, bloodshot eye and Sae’s flawless composure flashed through her mind. As for herself—she had simply fallen asleep and run away like dead weight.

  “Well…” Kurumi said, forcing a weak smile. “I didn’t really do much. Sae handled the real work again. I was just… there.”

  Katori sensed the bitterness in her voice. She placed a gentle hand on Kurumi’s shoulder. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. You’re still very new. And shining beside a shadow like Sae isn’t easy. In time, you’ll find your own light.”

  Kurumi returned the comfort with a grateful look, but the unease inside her didn’t fade. “I’m going upstairs,” she said, turning toward the stairs.

  When she cracked open the door to her room, she hoped to see the one thing that could bring her peace: Amy. The little girl was curled up in bed like a cocoon, wrapped in her blanket, sleeping with the purest innocence imaginable. Watching Amy’s steady breathing, Kurumi smiled without realizing it.

  For a moment, her mind drifted to the past—to the dangerous roads they had fled along to protect Amy, to their desperate struggle just to survive. All this cult business, the dangerous missions, the Void creatures… it was all for a single purpose: to live freely, safely, and peacefully with Amy in Ayanon. This small girl, her only family, was her sole anchor in the world. Kurumi gently curled up beside her and, quieting the chaos in her mind, surrendered herself to sleep.

  When the morning sun generously streamed into the room and brushed against Kurumi’s face, she stirred uneasily. Opening her eyes and glancing to her side, she saw that Amy was already gone. With a deep sigh, she got out of bed. Another long, uncertain day awaited her.

  The large dining hall was unusually silent and empty. Most of the squad leaders and veteran soldiers had been dispatched across Ayanon in response to reports of “Void creatures.” Sae was among those who had already set out early that morning. The Veil of Shadows cult was perhaps living through the busiest days in its history.

  Kurumi and Hu sat at one of the empty tables. As Kurumi poked at the food on her plate, Hu had already figured out what was on her mind.

  “Kurumi, you’re really overthinking this,” Hu said while chewing his bite. “Right now, the most important thing is gaining experience without dying. Every day you survive is a victory.”

  Kurumi looked up. Hu was right—being a dead hero helped no one. Still, she wanted to feel that she could stand on her own feet, that she actually mattered. Just then, a shadow fell over their table.

  With short blond hair, bright green eyes, and a slightly dazed yet sincere smile on his face, Taka stood before them holding a tray. “Hey guys! Mind if I sit with you?”

  Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

  They were surprised by the sudden visitor but didn’t object. The moment Taka sat down, he started talking like an excited child who couldn’t sit still.

  “I couldn’t believe what I heard! The whole cult is talking about how you saved Master Rex. You’re incredible!”

  Hu immediately straightened up at the praise. Puffing out his chest, he grinned proudly. “Heh, well… it was no big deal for us. There were at least ten guys, armed head to toe. Each one was twice our size! But you know what happened in the end? We split every last one of them in half. Not something just anyone can do—but we handled it.”

  Kurumi couldn’t help but giggle as she listened to Hu’s outrageously exaggerated story. Ten armed giants? Hu’s imagination was truly working overtime. Taka, however, stared at them with eyes wide as saucers, as if he were listening to the greatest epic of his life.

  “Wow…” Taka murmured. “You’re really legendary.”

  The cheerful atmosphere in the dining hall shattered like thin ice when the massive doors slammed open. Senior soldier Rowan appeared in the doorway, his armor bearing the scars of battle and exhaustion. His face was hard as marble, his gaze as sharp as an executioner’s blade.

  “Attention, cult soldiers!” his voice echoed off the stone walls. “The operation to reclaim the Shogun Region is beginning! All rookies are to be ready in the assembly area within ten minutes. This is an order!”

  Kurumi, Hu, and Taka froze where they sat. When their eyes met, the same thought passed through all their minds: the Shogun Region. That cursed land ruled by Dravok’s iron fist, where death lurked in every corner… Going there without the cult’s strongest leaders and elite warriors like Sae was the same as willingly throwing themselves off a cliff.

  The trio rose from the table and silently made their way toward the assembly area. Kurumi’s heart beat like a wild bird trapped in her chest. One part of her burned with excitement—this was her first mission where she could step out of Sae’s shadow and prove herself. But another part of her trembled in fear at the darkness of Shogun.

  Hu whispered through clenched teeth, “What is Master Rex thinking? This is suicide! He’s sending us straight to our deaths—right into the jaws of those monsters.”

  When they reached the assembly area, the sight before them only deepened that fear. There were barely two hundred soldiers and ten senior leaders. For reclaiming such a strategic region, those numbers seemed as insignificant as a pebble thrown into the ocean. The murmur among the soldiers grew louder, a mixture of anxiety and rebellion.

  Just then, Rex appeared atop the high platform. His wounds hadn’t fully healed yet; faint blood seeped through his bandages. Even so, his stance was as imposing as a mountain.

  With a deep, authoritative voice, Rex silenced the crowd. “I know you have a thousand questions in your minds. I can hear you thinking, ‘Is he trying to get us killed?’ But believe me—there will never be a better time to strike than this!”

  Kurumi blinked in disbelief. How could this be a good time? she thought. With the best warriors away and a wounded leader in command, this sounded like a disaster. As if reading her mind, Rex continued:

  “You’ve seen how much damage the Void creatures have done to us. But those same monsters have cornered the cruel Dravok forces as well. The infestation in the Shogun Region is so severe that the Dravok have been forced to withdraw completely! If we seize the region while they’re gone, it will be the greatest step toward freeing Ayanon!”

  His words spread through the crowd like an electric current. This wasn’t just about reclaiming land—it was the beginning of the Ayanon Century.

  Rex drew out a massive crystal from beneath his cloak, glowing with a brilliant bluish light. The energy radiating from it made even the dust in the air tremble.

  “You will place this crystal into the ancient rock at the far edge of the city,” Rex said, holding it aloft. “The moment you succeed, the barrier protecting the entire region will activate. All you need to do is reach it without becoming food for the Void creatures and awaken the barrier. Whether this succeeds or not is now entirely in your hands!”

  The soldiers shouted in unison, their voices shaking the ground: “Understood!”

  Standing amid the crowd, Kurumi still felt that cold shiver inside her. Making it through those creatures alive and reaching that stone was nearly impossible. She might never return from this path. But then she remembered Amy’s face, Katori’s trust, and Sae’s cold yet unwavering gaze.

  There was no turning back.

  She was no longer just a rookie—she was now one of the soldiers holding Ayanon’s fate in her hands.

  Sae was a very quiet and shy child, he managed to win most of the fights he had with Tora with ease.

  Because Tora never accepted defeat, he constantly challenged Sae to rematches—only to lose again each time.