Jevnie patted Kellan's shoulder, still treating him like a kid.
"Looks like they're not having a pleasant chat, so I chose to stay out of it… because I expected this outcome. Demon Hunters are a fractured bunch—not everyone has a strong will or solid training. If you ever had the wrong idea about us, what you're seeing now should clear that up."
Kellan kept his eyes locked on the Camping Stone. He saw Dalton storm off from Frederick and the others, head down, walking away without so much as a word as he passed Kellan and Jevnie.
Dalton ignored Jevnie, but she wasn't about to let him go so easily.
"Hey, where are you going?" Jevnie took a quick step in front of him. Older and more commanding, she forced Dalton to stop.
"I'm going home," Dalton repeated.
That sealed it for Kellan—Dalton was a coward. Here we all are, dropping everything to hunt the Blade Demon in the Twilight Forest, and this guy just wants to quit?
"You know how dangerous it is out there," Jevnie said, trying to reason with him.
"It's just as bad here. This place gives me the creeps—I shouldn't have come!" Dalton snapped.
"We're Demon Hunters. We have a mission to finish," Kellan couldn't hold back.
Dalton's reply was sharp and angry. "Don't lecture me, idiot. And who do you think you are? Jevnie's a hunter. You're just a rookie, nothing more."
Kellan took the insult without flinching. He knew it was just anger venting; he despised people like Dalton and wouldn't let those words get to him.
Seeing Kellan stay calm, Jevnie nodded approvingly.
"I'm a Demon Hunter, same as you. We've sworn oaths in the same sanctuary, prayed to the god Lorne, shared good holidays, and celebrated successful hunts. Dalton, you know my advice is sound. This is the last time I'll say it—don't leave alone."
Jevnie tried her best to pull Dalton back into their cause.
"This is all nonsense… this place is madness…" Dalton was sweating. "It's daytime now—I can find my way out with a day's walk."
"You don't understand how vast and wild the Twilight Forest is. You'll get lost," Jevnie warned.
"Are we not already lost?!" Dalton yelled, his voice cracking. "We've proven Dylan bears the demon's mark, but Frederick refuses to arrest him! You—none of you—can be trusted! It was Dylan who suggested we split up, and you're all too blind to see it's a trap meant to get us killed! Get out of my way!"
Jevnie stepped aside and let him storm off, anger blazing behind him.
"Is Dylan really a demon?" Kellan glanced toward the Camping Stone.
"There are rumors… that Dylan stared too long at a demon's true form during a mission and his mind was fractured to some degree… but I believe he can still control himself," Jevnie admitted quietly.
A demon among us. The thought sent a chill down Kellan's spine. Last night, Dylan had rested just a few steps away from him. Dylan even grabbed my neck… maybe he really wants to kill me.
His brow furrowed deeply, dread settling in his chest.
Jevnie sighed heavily and led Kellan back toward the Camping Stone. Frederick and Dylan were deep in discussion, both fighting to keep their emotions in check. Etienne interjected occasionally but spoke little.
"Dalton's gone!" Jevnie announced. "Look at you all—thanks to our 'teamwork,' our numbers are shrinking. Now, there are only four hunters left… and one rookie."
"Are you really a demon?" Kellan summoned his courage and asked Dylan directly. He needed an answer—he wanted to believe they were still a human team, dedicated to hunting demons.
Dylan gave Kellan a chilling smile and said nothing.
"Enough. We'll discuss this back at the sanctuary," Master Frederick waved his hand to end the conversation. "What matters now—my demon-hunting spells are responding. We've finally pinpointed the Blade Demon's location. We can strike at any moment."
"So the plan worked," Jevnie said.
"Yes," Frederick nodded. "The Blade Demon didn't escape in time."
Kellan's mind raced through wild theories, sending a shiver through his body.
Wait… the Blade Demon didn't flee because it stopped. Its movements slowed.
Why didn't it break through the hunter's encirclement? Because it had to face us. It had to fight. It needed to lay traps to kill hunters.
It succeeded in killing some hunters… but suffered a decisive defeat.
Because it stayed too long. It lingered long enough for us to pinpoint its location with a tracking spell…
Kellan's breath quickened.
He looked to Etienne, seeking confirmation. "Denvar… Denvar died because we delayed… the Blade Demon?"
Etienne nodded coldly, confirming Kellan's grim suspicion.
"He died still holding his weapon. He fought bravely. He was a good man—just like you said," Kellan said, turning to Master Frederick with fear in his eyes. Frederick was their strong leader—how could he make such a cold decision? He should have...
Frederick met Kellan's gaze without hesitation. "Child, you must understand: sacrifice is a virtue."
Kellan searched the others' faces, hoping for a comforting answer.
"Yeah, yeah," Dylan said with exaggerated sarcasm. "We'll do whatever it takes to successfully hunt demons. Isn't that what we are? This is your first time realizing that? The Blade Demon is a high-ranking, powerful demon lord in Hell. When we catch it, poets will sing endless ballads praising our skills! Generations will thank us for our deeds. So what if two people die?"
Jevnie caught Kellan's pained, confused look and tried to soothe him. "Kellan, we're at a disadvantage in hunting demons here. Other hunter groups have tracking and hunting spells suited for the task—but we don't. We can't ride horses either, because animals get possessed by demons instantly. We can only rely on ourselves, on human hunters. This operation proved successful—we delayed the Blade Demon's escape. As long as we bring it back to the sanctuary alive, Denvar and Julius won't have died in vain."
"Did you know from the start?" Kellan looked at Etienne, his mentor who'd brought him into the hunters' world.
"Julius and the others were just unlucky," Etienne said dryly, avoiding his apprentice's gaze. "They were the worst pair to face the Blade Demon. Julius has limited skills, and Denvar... Denvar is even worse than you. If the Blade Demon had met either of us, or Frederick, or Jevnie, or Dylan, or even Dalton... it wouldn't have scored such clean kills."
Was it luck... fate... or were the hunters just ruthless? Maybe they had secretly planned from the beginning to sacrifice the weakest among them to delay the Blade Demon. Half the team might be in the dark.
The thought felt absurd to Kellan.
"Look at that expression," Dylan sneered, glancing at Kellan. "What's that? 'Sense of justice'? Spare me. It's disgusting. Frederick, cast the tracking spell. Let's move."
"'The hunt begins!'" Frederick shouted the hunter's incantation. A blue arrow shot from his palm, soaring east into the forest. At its tip, a faint, shimmering thread stretched back to Frederick, linking him to the target.
The thread trembled violently at first, then gradually steadied after several seconds.
"Now, the Grey Tree Hall Sanctuary will become the kingdom's most famous hunter sanctuary," Frederick said, watching the thread settle with satisfaction. "Other sanctuaries—the West Coast branch, Qinghe region, Lower Lorne—they'll all look up to our legendary achievements. The 'Blade Demon'—a truly powerful demon, symbolizing blades, sharpness, and countless weapons under its domain, wielding unparalleled strength—has fallen into our trap. Many wizards will pay handsomely for fragments of its power."
Frederick took a deep breath.
"Let's go—Dylan, Jevnie, Etienne. All the hardship and sacrifices pay off today." Frederick's voice was fired up, ready to move out.
"Kellan can't be left alone," Etienne suddenly said. "I'm staying behind."
"...Do as you please, old man. But I've got my eyes on you," Frederick said impatiently, shaking his head. "You better know what you're doing."
Jevnie gave Kellan an apologetic glance before they all vanished into the trees.
The sky above was heavy with dark clouds, threatening rain. Though it was daytime, visibility was low. A damp chill hung in the air. The forest swayed in the gentle wind, branches clashing with eerie creaks. The entire Ruined Stone Camp looked even paler and lonelier beneath the autumn gloom and wind. The two ancient stone walls, relics of a long-gone civilization, seemed fragile—one strong gust and they'd collapse.
Kellan watched as the others slipped into the woods, their figures swallowed by the shadows.
"Kellan, why are you acting so strange?" Etienne asked quietly. "You seem afraid."
"Afraid... I feel pity. Pity for him—pity for Denvar." But deep down, Kellan felt a chill.
"'Pity,' huh?" Etienne seemed to drift into thought. "Speaking of pity... that was probably the first feeling I lost."
"Why?"
"Maybe because... out of all emotions, it's the most useless one." Etienne's lips twitched slowly, muscles twitching in a strange, almost painful attempt at a smile.
You could tell the old hunter was trying to smile—but failing.