Gabe could never have imagined that this hunt would end like this—he had become the prey. Not only had he lost all his men, but he had also lost a leg.
His face was ashen, and his eyes locked onto Kaires in front of him, filled with terror. *He can control such a powerful corpse? No… this isn't just puppet mastery. That corpse has its own will…*
Suddenly, a realization struck him, and his eyes widened in horror. *Could it be… the power of one of the Primordial Demons? The 'Resurrection of the Dead'?!*
A low, mocking laugh echoed as Kaires gazed down at the kneeling Gabe, his voice dripping with disdain. "Don't fall apart so soon. You filthy scavenger, a 'drifter' like you—your so-called 'Revelation' ability is nothing but a pathetic joke. Now tell me, how do we reverse their condition?"
Without hesitation, Gabe collapsed at Kaires' feet, his voice trembling, almost on the verge of tears. "P-Primordial Demon… I beg you, please don't kill me!"
Kaires snorted coldly, raising an eyebrow slightly. "You recognized me? Impressive. Now, speak. How do I restore them?"
Shaking uncontrollably, Gabe unsteadily handed over a small vial. "The pills inside… if they take them… they'll recover…"
Kaires took it with ease, a cold smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Dolos, give the other two pills to those women."
With that, Kaires swallowed the pill meant for himself, then slowly turned his gaze back to Gabe, his voice icy and laced with mockery. "Thank you."
Just as Gabe thought he had narrowly escaped death, a fleeting sense of relief washed over him. But before he could fully savor it, a small gravity sphere materialized before his eyes.
"No—!"
With Gabe's final scream, the gravity sphere crushed him into a pool of lifeless blood, his existence snuffed out.
A sparrow quietly perched on Kaires' shoulder, gently pecking at his cheek, rousing him from his daze.
"My head… what was in that pill?" Kaires muttered, rubbing his temples as he slowly lifted his gaze toward Josier and Elaine, still unconscious beneath a nearby tree.
Leaning against the trunk, he struggled to stand and glanced around. "Strange… where did those people go? And why is there blood on the ground… what happened?"
Ignoring his weakness, Kaires hurried over to Josier and Elaine, gently shaking their shoulders. After a moment, the two slowly began to awaken.
"What happened?" Elaine asked, bewildered, as she glanced around. Josier rubbed her forehead and murmured, confused, "It feels like we just... fell asleep."
Kaires replied in a low voice, "Yes, Gabe drugged our food. We were all knocked unconscious."
"What?" Elaine's eyes widened in shock, and she looked around warily. "Then... where are they? Where did that group go?"
"I'm not entirely sure what happened, but one thing is certain—we need to leave immediately. The scent of blood will soon attract unwanted trouble."
Josier nodded, though her mind was clouded with questions, she urged, "You're right, let's go. We must leave this place at once."
Despite their swift departure, Josier's heart remained troubled, still unsure of what had truly transpired.
After a day of arduous travel, following the path Gabe had indicated, Josier and Elaine finally reached familiar territory.
Elaine's face brightened with a hint of joy as she gazed ahead. "We're almost at Shelter 35. This is where we regularly patrol."
Josier smiled, though tinged with melancholy, and whispered, "It's good... finally, I'll be able to see Father and my brother again." Yet, her expression betrayed a subtle sadness and unease.
Elaine nodded, her eyes flickering with worry. "Yes, I'm anxious to know how my sister is doing… Do you think those people might have harmed her?"
Josier sighed softly. "I hope not. We've been out here for nearly ten days now..."
As they conversed, the three of them arrived at the gates of Shelter 35.
Two fully armed soldiers stood guard, gripping rifles. Upon seeing Josier and Elaine, one soldier gasped in surprise, "Is that Josier and Elaine? You're alive! Quickly, radio the leader!"
One soldier immediately reported, "The leader orders Josier and Elaine to report to the assembly hall at once!"
The soldier then noticed Kaires standing behind them and asked with a hint of curiosity, "And he is...?"
Josier explained briefly, "He escorted us back."
The soldier nodded. "Understood. Let's go meet the leader together."
The trio followed the soldiers into the shelter, eventually arriving at a modest building—the very place the soldiers had referred to as the assembly hall.
Josier and Elaine stepped forward and knocked on the door, and a voice from within called out, "Enter."
They pushed the door open and entered, bowing slightly in respect. "Leader, we have returned."
The assembly hall was modestly furnished—just a few sofas and a desk, with the banner of Shelter 35 hanging behind it, exuding an atmosphere of simplicity and restraint. Behind the desk sat the slightly graying middle-aged leader of the shelter, while two unfamiliar figures were seated on the sofas.
As soon as Kaires entered, his attention was drawn to the two men on the sofa. His instincts sharpened, alert. *These two… they're no ordinary people. There's a palpable sense of menace about them.*
Josier and Elaine also noticed the strangers, though they had never encountered the high-ranking Revelationists of the shelter before and thus had no idea who they were.
"Hmm... so you've returned," the leader spoke calmly, his gaze sweeping over the three of them.
With her head bowed, Josier's voice was soft. "Yes, Leader, Elaine and I were fortunate to make it back safely..."
Elaine quickly added, "Reporting to the Leader, this is the Revelationist who escorted us back, Kaires… Kaires, this is our Leader, Allen. You should offer your respects."
At that moment, the shorter man on the sofa raised his head, his gaze locking onto Kaires with an unyielding intensity. The other man pulled out a small device, and after a few beeps, he suddenly burst into laughter.
"Hahahaha… I thought we were dealing with some powerful Revelationist, but after testing, it turns out he's an E-rank. And not just that—an 'E-' rank." His laughter echoed through the assembly hall.
Allen glanced at Kaires coldly, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Are you certain this 'E-' Revelationist was the one who escorted you back?"
However, the man holding the device suddenly froze, his expression shifting to one of shock. "Leader, Josier's rating has increased… and what's even stranger, Elaine has somehow become a Revelationist as well!"
Allen's eyes widened in disbelief. "What exactly happened out there? Why are you the only two who returned? Give me a reasonable explanation!"
Josier and Elaine exchanged a brief look, and then Josier began recounting the events of their mission. She described how the team had fallen into danger, how they had been saved by another shelter, and how they had met Kaires—carefully omitting any mention of Hades.
Elaine followed her lead, fabricating a story. "I don't know what happened either. After being poisoned and losing consciousness, I woke up as a Revelationist, though I still don't understand my ability..."
Allen leaned back in his chair, lighting a cigarette, taking a deep drag before letting out a long sigh. His expression made it clear he didn't entirely believe their account.
The two strangers seated on the sofa, having listened to the entire story, exchanged doubtful glances, their expressions betraying suspicion that something was being concealed.
The man who had earlier held the testing device stood up and slowly approached Kaires, sneering. "Hey, what's your name? I'm Baron, the strongest 'A- rank Revelationist' in this shelter."
Kaires remained indifferent to the mention of an A-rank, responding calmly, "My name is Kai—"
Before he could finish, Baron suddenly spat in Kaires' direction, taunting, "Trash."
In an instant, faint arcs of electricity began to coil around Kaires, though Baron seemed oblivious to the danger. At that moment, the smaller man seated on the sofa—Minos—finally spoke.
"Baron, you've gone too far. Apologize," Minos said, his voice cold but laced with an undeniable authority.
Baron scoffed in disdain, retorting, "Minos, you want me to apologize to this piece of trash? Have you lost your mind?"
Minos' brow furrowed slightly, his tone calm yet filled with a chilling menace. "I won't repeat myself."
Beads of sweat began to form on Baron's forehead as he hesitated, then grudgingly gave in, turning to Kaires with a forced apology. "Fine… I'm sorry. I lost my temper."
Kaires, sensing the overwhelming killing intent emanating from Minos, nodded and replied, "It's fine. I accept your apology."
Baron kicked the sofa in frustration, let out an angry grunt, and stormed out of the hall, his face twisted with unwillingness.
Minos rose to his feet, taking a napkin from the table and handing it to Kaires to wipe the dirt from his face. A sly smile played on his lips as he remarked, "For that brief moment, I didn't think you were just an E- level Seer. But alas... it was only fleeting. Otherwise, your head would already be separated from your body. Hahaha…"
Though Minos wore a smile and spoke lightly, Kaires, Josier, and Elaine could all sense the malice hidden beneath his words. His demeanor was filled with veiled threats, the kind that made their skin crawl, revealing him as a man who concealed a sinister nature beneath a facade of charm.
Allen, noticing that Kaires and the others were clearly shaken by Minos' presence, took the opportunity to interject. "Though I don't quite understand why you, Josier, and Elaine felt the need to lie, I will let it slide this time. You two may go. As for Kaires… he will stay with you for the time being."
Josier hastily nodded. "Thank you, Chief. We'll take our leave now."
The three of them quickly retreated from the room, and once the door was shut, they exhaled deeply in unison. Elaine, still visibly shaken, whispered, "That Minos… he's terrifying. It feels like he could kill someone with just a glance."
Kaires nodded slightly. "Indeed. His power is formidable—far stronger than Baron."
Josier shook her head and lowered her voice. "Let's not dwell on it. We need to get back to the 'quarters.' Come on, Kaires, follow us."
Not far from the assembly hall stood several buildings arranged in a tight circle, surrounding a small courtyard where residents often gathered. The five-story structures formed the main residential area of the shelter—what Josier had referred to as their "quarters."
As they entered the courtyard of one of the buildings, Josier spotted a neighbor, "Sister Zhang," hanging laundry outside her home. Josier greeted her, "Sister Zhang, you're doing laundry?"
Sister Zhang, startled by their presence, turned toward them with wide eyes. "Heavens! Bless the stars, where have you been? You're finally back!"
Josier, puzzled, asked, "What happened?"
Sister Zhang's tone grew somber, laced with worry. "Your father and brother… and Elaine's sister… they went out of the shelter to search for you when you didn't return. The next day… their bodies were found outside the perimeter. They're all gone…"
The devastating news hit Josier and Elaine like a hammer blow. Without a word, they both took off running toward their homes, unable to process anything else. Kaires, watching them go, sighed heavily and followed Josier, his steps heavy with the weight of the loss.