The entire field fell deathly silent.
No one moved. No one breathed. For a few seconds, it was as though time itself had stopped.
Each person glanced down at themselves, checking for wounds after the echo of the gunshot faded.
Aria's sharp eyes instantly darted toward the source of the sound.
And then she saw him.
Gon.
His frail hands trembled from the rifle's recoil, thin wisps of smoke curling out from the barrel.
Her gaze followed the line of the shot, slowly shifting from the old man to the one who had been hit.
Akhil.
He stood in front of Samxon, a gaping hole torn through his abdomen.
Blood poured freely from the wound, spilling across the dirt and soaking the earth in red.
Aria's eyes went red with anger.
"You old bastard!" she roared.
In a blur, she vanished from where she stood—reappearing beside the old orc in an instant.
Her hand shot forward, gripping the collar of his worn tunic and lifting him clean off the ground.
Gon struggled, wheezing from the pressure of her grip. His legs kicked weakly against the air.
"Let me go!" he rasped. "It's pointless! He won't survive—none of you will!"
His voice broke into a shrill, hysterical laugh.
Aria's rage boiled over. Her fingers twitched with the urge to snap his neck then and there.
Every part of her screamed to end him—to tear him apart for what he'd done.
But then—
'I need to check on him.'
Her grip loosened. She dropped the old man to the ground, where he collapsed in a heap, coughing.
Without hesitation, she turned back toward Akhil.
And froze.
Everyone did.
The sight before them was beyond belief.
The wound on Akhil's abdomen—deep enough to kill any normal being—was closing. Slowly, but visibly.
The torn veins stitched themselves together, the blood flow easing as his flesh began to mend.
{500 Blood Essence used for Healing!}
Akhil winced, beads of sweat forming on his brow. His hardened-skin ability wasn't active when the bullet struck; that was the only reason it pierced him so easily.
'Thankfully... I managed to get that healing ability before this,' he thought, his expression tight with pain.
He steadied himself, straightening his back. Then, with a faint smirk, he turned his head toward the old orc.
"Well... that was unexpected," Akhil said calmly.
Gon's eyes went wide, his face drained of color.
"H-how... how is this possible?" he stammered. "Three abilities?! That's not possible!"
He stumbled backward, his legs shaking as if the ground beneath him had disappeared.
He looked as though he had seen a dead man rise before his eyes.
Gon already knew what abilities Akhil had from the start. He had watched him since they first met.
Akhil had hardening—yes—but now he could control blood and heal himself. That thought froze Gon in place.
As he found his footing, he pointed a trembling finger at Akhil, terror written across his face.
"Demon! You're a demon!" Gon shouted, then turned and bolted for the bushes.
Before he could disappear, a hand hooked his tunic cuff.
"Where do you think you're running to?" came a cold voice.
Gon felt an icy chill run down his spine. He slowly looked back.
Aria's eyes had gone dark.
Even wounded Akhil hadn't had that look. Her gaze wasn't only rage—there was something beneath it, a restrained promise of danger. Whatever this demoness had in store, Gon wasn't prepared for it.
BOOM.
A thunderous crack rolled through the forest. The earth trembled under their feet. Everyone's heads snapped toward the sound.
Nibo stood with his hands pressed to the ground. Between them lay the head of the hulking man, like a grotesque trophy. As he drew his hand back, a long trail of blood followed. The giant's eyes rolled back; blood sprayed the clearing.
Nibo stared in shock, nudging the body, trying to get a response. There was none.
Panic flushed across his face as he met the others' gazes.
"I didn't do it on purpose! It was a mistake!" he stammered.
Aria sighed, a harsh little laugh escaping her. "No one cares. The bastard deserved it."
Nibo scratched his head uneasily. Akhil watched the scene with a small, satisfied smile.
'The orcs aren't so hopeless after all,' he thought.
Nibo hadn't used the stabilizer, but his raw strength—made fiercer by his hardening—was terrifying on its own.
Akhil, who shared that ability, knew how useful it could be.
But it's not over yet… he reminded himself, turning his attention to Samxon.
Samxon had staggered back to his feet. He clutched his injured chest, staring at the carnage: his men either decapitated by Aria or maimed by Nibo.
Two of his top lieutenants had been killed.
"Mark my words! Th-this isn't over!" Samxon hissed, his earlier confidence crumbling into fear.
"Are you sure?" Akhil asked, a dark grin curling his mouth.
Samxon flinched but tried to keep his resolve. "Just you wait!" he spat, then darted into the forest. "Sir Samxon! Wait for us!" his men called, rushing after him.
Aria moved as if to give chase, but Akhil stepped in and held up a hand. "Let them go. No need to spill more blood." He glanced at the two corpses and added, "They'll be useful later."
"You heard him," Aria snapped. "We should finish this now."
"As much as I don't want future trouble, they'll be of use," Akhil said with a wry smile. "We leave them for now."
Aria watched the fleeing men, frustration and weariness dancing across her face. She let out a tired sigh. "I just hope you don't regret this."
Akhil laughed softly. "No. I won't. The next scenario will need quite a few of them. Better to leave them alive."
"Hmm… alright then," Aria said. Her voice dropped when she asked, "What do we do with him?" — she nodded toward Gon, who lay dragged across the dirt.
"Not sure yet. Maybe we could—"
{Ding!}
{Players! You have 10 Mins Until the next Scenario!}