Alone, Mark stood at the center of the Boss Room.
Despite Raven having left, his body was shaking.
Once you get me back, make sure you're still worthy of me-
You know... I've even forgotten about you a few times. Forgotten that you were there... But every time... You've always been there for me when I needed you. You emerge from the shadows when I need you most-
My Lord, if the need ever comes one day, please, do not hesitate... For it would be my greatest pleasure, to become the blood that runs through your veins. The blood that fuels your heart-
This would have been a lot harder without Fiery. Perhaps even impossible-
You serve me, and your family will be safe. From me at least. Yeah. That sounds fair-
Mark struggled to clench his shaking hands as a torrent of thoughts filled his mind.
Underlings that had started out as simple shields.
As puppets would obey his every order.
But with time, they became much more than that.
Levi, the first Being he could converse with in this new World.
Fiery, the one who made plenty of tough situations easier to bear.
Grey, the latest addition, showed, before and after, joining Mark's side, more emotions than most.
And Light, the one that had been by Mark's side for the longest time.
They weren't puppets.
They weren't simple Underlings anymore.
'I'm about... To leave this place... Yet...'
Mark did not know for sure when that switch had taken place, but its effects were more than visible.
'I've rarely... Felt this...'
Throughout his rise inside the Dungeon, Mark's goal was to leave the gigantic prison.
The gigantic cage.
To finally roam the earth and, freely, explore it.
But at some point during his rise, Mark's goal had changed.
It wasn't simply leaving the Dungeon.
Light, Levi, Grey, Fiery, Krista, and Elisa.
Simply leaving wasn't the goal anymore.
Leaving with them.
That was the goal.
And yet, now-
"Fuck... FUCK!" Mark slammed both his clenched fists against the ground with all his strength.
An internal whirlwind of rage, anger, and loss.
A whirlwind he couldn't calm.
Suddenly, On the opposite side of the Boss Room's wide open doors, a portion of the wall fell down, revealing a new set of doors.
Mark remained unmoving, his fists against the cracked floor.
'...'
A timid Elisa and Krista tiptoed their way into the Boss Room.
"Are they gone? Someone else coming? Or can we finally leave?"
"No... No one is coming."
Elisa's eyes shone, but only for a moment.
She stared at the Monster.
"Did something happen?"
The Moonlit Feline slowly walked closer to Mark.
"Nothing... Nothing happened..."
And just when its paws were about to touch the Monster's body,
"I just..." Mark stood up abruptly. "I need a bit of time."
Elisa stared at him as he walked away.
Away from the Dungeon's Exit.
She turned her gaze towards the Moonlit Feline.
"That necklace-"
Nod-
"Mm..."
The two were left alone in the Boss Room.
Elisa glanced over.
The Exit.
It was right there.
She could leave if she wanted to.
After so long, after so much, the Exit was now only a couple dozen meters away.
Her eyes went back to the Moonlit Feline.
She took a seat.
"I was so impatient to get here, but now that I am..." Her slender fingers caressed Krista's fur. "I can wait a bit longer."
Krista pushed her head against Elisa's side, right where the fatal wound was not so long ago.
It didn't hurt at all.
"Now that we're in front of the Exit, the Contract states that I can bring up the issue of my Request..." Elisa whispered. "It'd be pretty selfish to do it now though..."
With both hands, she lifted Krista's body of the ground before letting her back rest against the floor.
Cracked and covered by pieces of rubble, it wasn't comfortable at all.
"Guess I am pretty selfish."
Elisa lay the Moonlit Feline's body on her stomach.
"Think it'll take a long time?" She asked.
Krista turned her gaze towards the doors that the Monster had gone through.
eaglesnovɐ1,сoМ Her pointy ears dropped.
A cheeky smile appeared on Elisa's face.
"Hey..." The Moonlit Feline's eyes turned back towards her. "Say I asked you to leave with me. Right here, right now-"
Before Elisa could even finish her sentence, she could feel an agitated Krista pulling back hurriedly.
"Mm." Elisa nodded.
She raised the Moonlit Feline's body and extended her arms vertically as far as she could extend them.
Her smile was wide, and her teeth shone.
"He's lucky to have you."
Elisa put the Moonlit Feline back down to the ground.
She lay for a bit, before turning on her side.
It hurt.
The floor wasn't comfortable at all.
Still, she lay at her side and stared.
At those doors.
At the Exit.
"You're lucky to have each other, I should say..." Elisa whispered.
Sigh-
She lay on her back once more.
From the moment a hole had been made through the Boss Room's wall, Elisa could tell.
The Wind outside was cold.
Incredibly cold.
Cold and unwelcoming.
'Crossroads, crossroads...' She thought as she stood up. 'I've always hated those.'
***
'Gotta go faster... Gotta go faster...' Raven repeated to himself internally as he ran on the field of snow.
The impact of each stride resembled a small explosion, as if mines had been buried under the snow.
He was in the middle of a tundra, but that didn't seem to matter or affect him at all.
'Where... Where... Show yourself-'
Suddenly, a shockwave in the distance.
Raven smiled maliciously as he ran towards that location.
Seconds later, he found him.
"What was that about, Raven?"
"Oh, come on. Don't be mad because I blew you away. That'd be so boring. There's something interesting I want to discuss first."
"It took a while for Stat Restrictions to undo themselves." Zephyr tightened his grip around his Spear. "You interfered. I'm not about to let that slide."
"Because you think you're capable of doing anything but that? A drop of my blood was enough to restrict your movements for a while."
"As I've said..." Zephyr raised his Spear. "The Stat Restrictions have been undone."
"Alalala..." Raven smiled. "Do we really have to?"
[The Title "Monster Hunter" is getting ready for the incoming Hunt!]
"Oh come on. That," Raven's eyes narrowed. "Is what you're going with?"
Immense pressure immediately made Zephyr's body shiver.
"I'm no Monster, so it won't be of much help to you."
That presence.
That gaze.
"Try..."
[The Title "Possible Demon King Candidate" is staring at you.]
"Something else."
"Huh...? You...?"
