Theo glanced at the old man for a moment, his eyes wide.

The man had already done so much for him and Owen.

If it hadn’t been for him, he’d have probably never been able to enter Westridge and become this strong.

Even so, he had no choice but to nod.

’’Understood.’’

Joop smiled as he let go of his shoulder.

’’You’re a good kid,’’ he said softly. ’’Make sure it stays that way.’’

With that, he turned and walked towards the front of the group.

Theo silently watched the old man walk away.

For some reason, Joop’s words left a strange heaviness in his chest.

Almost like...

The man was saying goodbye already.

Theo quickly shook that thought away.

’No,’ he thought firmly. ’We’ll all make it there.’

Right now, they simply needed to keep moving.

That was all.

Ahead of them, civilians slowly pushed through the flooded streets while carrying supplies and injured people.

Several hunters guarded the sides of the group, constantly scanning the water for movement.

The atmosphere remained painfully tense.

Theo stepped toward Owen again, immediately noticing the large guy trying to catch his breath.

"...You alright?" Theo asked quietly.

Owen snorted.

"No," he answered honestly. "But I’m still alive, so I’ll complain later."

Despite the situation, Theo almost laughed slightly.

Just then, Joop’s voice echoed from the very front of the convoy.

"Move faster!"

The exhausted crowd immediately began picking up their pace again.

The floodwater splashed heavily around everyone’s legs as the massive group slowly moved northward through the ruined city.

Theo kept his spear tightly in hand, his eyes constantly scanning the streets around them.

Street after street passed by as they killed tens, if not hundreds, of creatures.

It wasn’t just the hunters who were fighting at this point.

Several young students, some of which Theo had even gone to the same school with, appeared from the crowd.

Though they weren’t strong, they were easily capable of killing an F-rank creature on their own.

’It’s going well like this,’ Theo thought, slicing through another E-rank creature. ’If we just keep this up...’

They were going to reach the mountain within fifteen minutes.

Or at least the outside of the barrier, that is.

’Then we’ll finally be safe.’

For a moment, his thoughts couldn’t help but drift somewhere else.

Though he’d saved his parents, Owen’s parents, Owen, and even Lyra somehow... he hadn’t seen Iris for even a moment.

He tightened his grip around his spear.

’Let’s hope she’s safe too,’ he thought, glancing back at the utterly destroyed city behind him. ’She has to be!’

They continued past building after building as minutes passed.

Eventually, they even picked up the group of people inside the bunker.

But as they continued again---

A scream at the front of the group caught Theo’s attention.

And it wasn’t just him.

Most of the hunters protecting the group turned to the front, worry clouding their expressions.

But each and every one who looked froze in place.

’’What the fuck is this sick joke...’’ Owen muttered beside him.

The barrier flickered far in the distance, being only five minutes away.

Yet... no one had any hope left.

Hundreds of creatures stood lined up side by side, like some miniature army.

Whether they were Fishmen, Crabs, Mantis Shrimp...

Even dozens of races Theo hadn’t even seen before.

Normally, many of these creatures would fight each other on sight.

Yet now... not a single one fought amongst themselves.

They simply stood there in complete silence, all staring directly at the approaching convoy.

Theo felt cold sweat run down his back.

’This isn’t normal,’ he thought. ’Creatures don’t behave like this, especially not with potential food involved.’

"W-What do we do now...?" someone whispered weakly.

"No..." another civilian muttered, trembling. "No no no..."

Like a dam had burst open, murmurs spread one after another.

Theo snapped out of his thoughts and immediately dashed to the front, Owen and Lyra following behind him.

The moment he reached the front, he immediately noticed how grim Joop’s expression had become.

Joop’s eyes slowly shifted toward Theo.

Then, for the first time in a long while, the old man spoke with complete seriousness.

’’Someone is controlling them.’’

Theo’s pupils immediately shrank.

"...What?"

Joop remained silent for a moment.

’’I was right,’’ he finally muttered. ’’In the end, the Calamity Covenant was indeed involved.’’

Theo’s expression darkened.

’Damn it!’

Everything he’d expected and feared had come true in the end.

Joop turned to look behind for a moment, then glanced back at Theo.

’’Remember what I said earlier?’’

Theo snapped out of his thoughts and nodded.

’’Good,’’ he continued. ’’Let me add one thing.’’

’’No matter what happens, if the situation becomes too dangerous, I want you and Owen to escape.’’

Theo froze for a moment, locking eyes with the old man.

’’What?"

A bitter expression appeared on Joop’s face.

’’You two are too talented to die here,’’ he said, his voice going faster. ’’I need you to think of the lives you could save in the future... not just the ones standing in front of you today.’’

Theo’s mouth opened slightly.

Yet no words came out.

The pressure inside his chest grew heavier with each passing second.

Joop grabbed hold of his shoulders again, his expression dead serious.

’’Promise me!’’

Theo nodded once, his mind completely overtaken with doubt and confusion.

Joop let out a quiet breath and finally let go of his shoulders.

’’One day you’ll understand,’’ he muttered under his breath.

For a split second, he glanced behind again.

Then—

Purple flames appeared on his palms as his head snapped back to the army of creatures.

The temperature around Joop immediately began rising.

Steam spread up from the floodwater around his feet as the purple flames intensified further and further.

Even the surrounding hunters slowly stepped backward instinctively.

That’s when Theo’s gaze also landed back on the army of creatures.

Slowly, people dressed in black began calmly walking forward.

And it wasn’t just one.

Several of them appeared all throughout the monster wave.

’’Theo,’’ Joop’s voice echoed out once more. ’’I’ll try to take care of as many of them as possible.’’

He paused for a moment.

"But chances are high you’ll have to take over once that thing behind us makes its move."