Elizabeth raised her arm toward Ezekiel and cast a spell.
"You can carry him now," Elizabeth said with a tired yawn. "I'm going back to sleep, so handle the rest and get us out of here. He'll feel as light as paper in your hands."
Before Viola could ask anything more, the little dragon quietly walked over to Ezekiel, curled up on his chest as if it were the most natural place in the world, and quickly fell asleep.
Paper?
Viola hesitated, unsure if it would truly work. Ezekiel was tall, broad-shouldered, and heavy. Carrying him earlier would have been impossible for her.
Still, she bent down and slid her arms beneath him.
To her shock, his body felt incredibly light. It was as if she were lifting a bundle of clothes rather than a fully grown man. She easily lifted him and held him in a princess carry.
It was a strange sight. A petite woman with gentle, innocent features carrying a tall man dressed entirely in black, his sharp features and powerful build making him look like some domineering person.
Anyone seeing them would probably laugh at the absurdity of the scene. Yet at the same time, it felt oddly beautiful.
It was like the princess in distress had become the one doing the saving of the Demon Lord.
Viola adjusted her hold and began walking toward the dungeon exit. As she moved carefully through the dark tunnel, her thoughts slowly returned to reality.
What would happen once she got outside?
Would monsters still be waiting near the gate? Or worse, would the Hunter Association arrest her, considering that she entered a gate illegally?
Her chest tightened at the thought. She didn't have time to deal with that now.
Then something clicked in her mind.
Her stats.
The new skill she gained.
The Viel skill.
It worked similarly to the dragon's ability to hide presence. If she remembered correctly, it erased the user's presence for several hours.
Hope flickered inside her.
She activated the skill.
A subtle sensation washed over her body, like the air around her had changed. Ezekiel, still in her arms, was also covered by the effect since anything she held was included.
Now, even monsters would have difficulty noticing them.
She continued walking, and after some time, she noticed something strange. The horde of monsters that had once chased them was gone. Only claw marks and destruction remained, but there were no signs that someone had died.
It seemed like they managed to escape.
Viola frowned slightly.
What happened to the Mutt group?
She remembered how chaotic everything had become earlier. Those people had left Ezekiel to die.
I'm surprised they survived that.
Then again, maybe survival was better.
A darker thought followed.
Death by monsters felt too easy for them.
They deserved something worse.
Viola might have lived a relatively normal life, but deep inside, there seemed to be a tiny problem in her head.
And right now, that problem whispered of revenge.
Soon, she reached the exit gate and stepped outside.
The scene beyond was chaotic.
Police cars, ambulances, and media vans crowded the area. Flashing lights painted the surroundings red and blue. Civilians gathered nearby, trying to catch a glimpse of what was happening.
Reporters spoke loudly into cameras.
Because of her skill, no one noticed Viola walking past them while carrying Ezekiel.
She slowed down when she overheard people talking nearby.
"Did you hear? Hunter Ezekiel Solace is dead!"
Murmurs immediately spread through the crowd.
"Is it true?"
"Yes! His party member Clyde confirmed it in an interview just now!"
"Oh goodness."
Another voice joined in.
"But isn't that a good thing? They said he was violent and even killed people. Maybe society is safer now."
Viola felt her grip tighten.
Her jaw clenched as anger bubbled in her chest.
Enough.
She walked away, unwilling to listen any longer.
As she moved farther from the gate, her thoughts turned to what she should do next.
Should she rush him to the hospital?
No.
That would be dangerous.
She already knew what would happen. Ezekiel would be framed again. Powerful people behind Clyde would twist the story and place all the blame on him.
They would destroy him completely this time.
She couldn't allow that.
His life had already been taken twice, and if she had not awakened, she wouldn't even have imagined him not returning anymore.
Over my dead body will I let that happen again.
With her decision made, Viola returned home while her skill remained active. Thankfully, the streets were mostly quiet by then.
Once inside, she carefully placed Ezekiel in the empty guest room.
She checked his pulse and breathing.
Everything seemed normal.
There were no visible injuries, no signs of internal damage. His body looked fine.
Only unconscious.
She let out a slow breath of relief and canceled the Viel skill.
After that, she changed into clean clothes and went outside again to buy necessities. She bought comfortable clothing for Ezekiel so he wouldn't have to remain in his torn dungeon gear.
Later, she changed his clothes and made sure he was comfortable.
And yes, she saw everything.
But she was a nurse.
Seeing patients' bodies was simply part of her job. There was nothing embarrassing or unusual about it.
By the time she finished everything, it was already past midnight.
Exhaustion finally caught up to her, and she collapsed into bed.
Morning came quietly.
Sunlight slipped through the curtains, and Viola slowly opened her eyes.
To her surprise, her body felt refreshed. The injuries she suffered the previous night were gone when she awakened as a healer, as if the injuries had never existed.
She didn't even feel tired.
After washing up, she immediately went to check on Ezekiel.
He was still asleep.
There was no sign he had woken up, yet his breathing was stable and his body temperature normal.
Maybe the problem wasn't physical.
Maybe it was psychological.
After everything he experienced, it made sense.
She prepared an IV using spare medical supplies she kept at home, just in case his body needed nutrients while unconscious.
Once done, she brewed coffee and prepared a simple breakfast.
Then she remembered something.
Her phone.
She had left it at the meetup venue yesterday.
She turned on her computer instead and opened the news.
Immediately, headlines filled the screen.
"Hunter Ezekiel Solace Confirmed Dead in Dungeon Incident."
News channels replayed context of articles again and again.
For a moment, memories surfaced.
She remembered when she first heard of his death in the middle of the city once before.
But she pushed the thought away.
Because now he was alive.
Sleeping peacefully in the next room.
However, the news grew worse.
Accusations about missing dungeon resources were resurfacing, and once again, Ezekiel's name was being accused.
It won't be long till they gather forge evidence again.
Viola scrolled further and soon found interviews with the party members who had gone with him.
And there it was again.
Their lies.
Her hands trembled as anger surged through her body.
Seeing their faces smiling while spreading false stories made her blood boil.
At that moment, she wanted nothing more than to make them pay.
Just wait.
I'll tear all of you apart in the end.
In Viola's eyes, those people were no longer human.
They were worse than the monsters crawling out of the gates.
And this time, she wouldn't let them get away with it.