He paused for a moment to calm himself, taking the last sip of soda from his glass. Zavi immediately stood up and spoke, his voice almost rising:
"You two have to help me… find information about advancing from level one to two."
He sat back down right after. His gaze shifted toward both of them. Their expressions were serious, too serious.
'Strange condition, but I think I know where to get it,' Zuhen thought, lightly touching his chin.
"Alright," he replied hoarsely. His chair scraped backward as he stood. His eyes scanned the surroundings before giving a small gesture with his index finger.
Both of them stood at the same time.
Zavi went inside to make the payment, then returned to meet them, already waiting by the barrier between the shop and the street.
They nodded to each other, exchanging glances for a few seconds before finally walking forward along the Looker path.
Their destination was clear. Niki.
They wanted to gather information. About how to advance the Prisoner ability from level one to two, something slightly different from others.
Niki was located in North Moran. One of the important districts, known for its unique buildings and as a place where various governmental affairs took place.
Their arrival there had only one purpose.
To find someone… who might know the requirements for advancing to the next level, and about the district's condition which was safer compared to the other six.
About that spiritual anchor. It should not have happened like this.
Zavi had planned to place two anchors beforehand. One on a street lamp near the alley before the square, another in a remote area near the road boundary.
He knew the risk. Two anchors at the same time could cause extreme exhaustion… not a safe choice.
But at that moment, he had no time.
Escape was the only option.
He had decided to move to the abandoned area on Capa Street No. 12. But it failed.
Instead of arriving there, his body was dragged somewhere else.
To a place… where Zuhen and Miss Felina were.
His brow furrowed.
'Impossible…'
As he walked, he finally realized it.
Back in the forest.
Zuhen had activated two spells at level one and two. Reversal… and decomposition.
Two things that should not function simultaneously.
And because of that… his anchor did not move. Nor was it destroyed. Instead, it was pulled as if something was binding it.
Both anchors… were gone.
Or more precisely, no longer in the places they were supposed to be.
Zavi took a slow breath.
'I see… not gone. But transferred, into something unseen. A binding chain.'
An invisible chain… now connecting him to the two of them, even though this was the first time he had experienced such a condition.
As the sun began to rise from the east, its warm light slowly illuminated the world that had once been submerged in darkness. The morning air felt more alive, as if signaling that activity would soon begin.
Several hours passed.
The three of them headed toward the outskirts of Looker, searching for transportation at dawn. Their options were limited, only horse rentals at a price they could still afford, with a direct route to Niki, Street No. 10 Menniree.
After following the renter's directions, they left the horses at the designated place, still along the same road.
"So," Zavi said in a low tone. "You think I came here just for a walk?"
His eyes were as sharp as a freshly sharpened blade, staring at them without hesitation.
Zuhen let out a breath.
"You could say… that's not entirely wrong," he replied casually. "Niki is different from the other main districts. Out of seven districts, five have already been destroyed. Only two remain… and this is one of them."
He stepped forward firmly, leaving the stable area where the horses were tied. His hand rose, blocking the sunlight that had begun to glare, occasionally peeking through his fingers.
'This won't be as easy as you think. The person I'm looking for… the same one who destroyed that district. Most likely, they are in Niki. The problem is… this district is too vast.'
After thinking for a moment, Zuhen lowered his hand. He turned back, his voice heavier than before.
"Let's move before sunset."
Miss Felina briefly glanced at Zavi standing beside her before following.
'Strange man. We are not your servants, idiot.'
She stepped closer.
"Sir…" she lowered her voice, "are you sure you want to help him?"
Zuhen let out a short breath.
"It's her order," he replied quietly. "Protecting him… whether it is truly my duty or simply helping him."
The withered grass in front of the stable rustled softly. Their bent tips swayed with the wind, creating a gentle rhythm as if something controlled it beneath that calm.
The atmosphere fell silent as the cold breeze seeped through their skin.
Only their gazes met… and a sense of vigilance slowly tightened within each of them, as if they were all hiding something.
As they knew.
Zavi understood their abilities, but not their purpose. Meanwhile, they understood Zavi's abilities, but only partially understood his intentions.
And somehow… everything felt increasingly strange with each passing second.
'Why would he help someone like me?'
'Am I not someone hunted by dozens… hundreds, even entire groups?'
Zavi did not know who they truly were, while his mind was drowned in questions.
And they… did not truly know who Zavi was either.
"I want to ask, for the last time."
He paused briefly, taking a breath.
"About… why you're willing to help me. And your real purpose. How did you know my position back then?"
Zuhen's pupils widened. For a moment, he even forgot how to breathe properly.
"I… I just want to help. Nothing more," he answered, his voice filled with hesitation. "We just happened to pass through the town square."
Felina remained silent. She only glanced from the side, observing Zuhen without saying anything, as if even her thoughts had stopped functioning.
'This… is not what I expected.'
'My meeting with him… it feels as if something commanded both of us. Including the order to help him. I don't even know… what "helping" truly means. Before, I failed to do it. As if… this time, something is giving me a final chance.'
Zavi decided to step forward, approaching them.
"Thank you," he said softly. A faint smile formed on his face. "I'm truly grateful… even though we've just met."
Zuhen fell silent.
Those words felt comforting. Too comforting.
'This isn't forced… right?' he thought, the corner of his lips lifting slightly, though stiff.
They exchanged glances for a few seconds before leaving the stable and walking along a narrow path squeezed between wide grasslands before entering a small alley toward the main road.
Evening had arrived. A warm orange glow spread across the horizon, signaling that night would soon come.
Realizing this, the three of them moved faster, searching for channels and connections regarding the group's whereabouts from one tavern to another, places where information was traded in silence.
But the result was nothing.
Zavi felt that this search was far more difficult than he had expected.
"So," he said in a low tone, "where are we going to look next?"
Zuhen adjusted his round hat slightly with his right hand, his eyes scanning the surroundings as he replied hoarsely,
"There are two more information exchange points… but the price is a bit expensive."
His gaze did not shift at all.
He was watching.
And the feeling became clearer, as if someone had been following them all this time.
He let out a short breath.
"It seems… we have an uninvited guest."
Both of them were startled. They instinctively glanced around, trying to find the source.
Thud
A wooden crate fell not far from them.
A silhouette moved.
Running away.
With swift motion, Felina raised her hand, forming a pistol-like gesture, then aimed at the figure's leg running beneath the flickering street lamp.
Whoosh
A pale blue light formed, condensed into a small needle, then shot forward rapidly.
Just inches from its target.
"Damn… missed," Felina muttered.
Zuhen did not wait. He dashed forward immediately.
Zavi followed without a word.
"Troublesome."
Felina clicked her tongue softly, then ran after them.
Just as Zuhen opened his mouth slightly to call out to Tell, he was unable to do so because the figure before him vanished, replaced by a shadow that swept across his face with incredible speed.
The shadow immediately engulfed Zuhen, as if it had discovered something within him.
His vision blurred for a moment, as if the shadow were disrupting the way he perceived the world. Then the shadow shot upwards like a fountain before forming a veil of shadow around him.
"What? How did I fall into its trap…?" whispered Zuhen, his lips trembling, his fingers clutching his chest tightly to withstand the effect.
This… was the power of the second-tier Exorcist ability, Extraction. An ability capable of controlling or creating through shadows at its first tier, the shadow veil, and its user would become far stronger at night.
"Are you the ones looking for me?" a calm, cold, and threatening voice echoed down the empty street.
"Who are you?" asked Zuhen, his voice trembling.
"Who am I?" the voice repeated calmly.
"… That's not important." A brief silence. "Die, you bastard who keeps meddling in other people's lives."
The sound of a finger snap echoed briefly through the air.
Zuhen's vision had gone completely blurry, as if the shadow were blocking his view of the world.