Chapter 53: Isla’s Exhaustion
The penthouse suite of the Astra Guild headquarters was silent. Viktor Rostova stood by the massive glass window looking down at the glittering lights of the Mega Sanctuary. On the obsidian table behind him sat a heavy metal case filled with glowing red and purple monster cores.
"The vanguard is fully equipped" Viktor said his voice heavy with exhaustion. "We have drained the guild vaults to provide A Rank cores for the expedition. Every hunter will have their mana reserves artificially expanded."
Sitting on the velvet couch Elena Rostova picked up one of the glowing red stones. She rolled the core between her delicate fingers staring deep into the swirling energy.
"It is a fascinating cycle Father" Elena said her voice soft and melodic.
"What is?" Viktor asked turning around.
"The Awakening System" Elena whispered. "We send our people into the dark to harvest these stones. We forge weapons from them. We consume them to expand our own cores. It is a brilliant flawless design. Humans killing humans repeatedly for power and many do not even realize it."
Viktor’s eyes narrowed sharply studying his daughter’s face. "Go to sleep Elena. The trauma is making you delirious."
Elena offered a perfect trembling smile. "Of course Father. I just meant that the violence feels endless."
Viktor turned back to the window. "It will end soon. Once we destroy the Ghost of Valor the city will be safe."
Elena looked down at the red core hiding the empty silver void that flashed across her eyes. "Yes. It will all be over soon."
...
Deep in the subterranean transit tunnels of Sector Four Glenn Mcdonald wiped a streak of black blood from his cheek.
They were hunting in a C Rank dungeon known as the Weeping Catacombs. They needed three million credits to pay Silas for the Astra Guild vault blueprints and the only way to get that kind of money fast was to slaughter high density targets.
"Three more incoming!" Caleb Sterling shouted slamming his wooden staff into the concrete floor. "Gravity Well!"
The A Rank magic flared. The invisible crushing weight slammed down on the tunnel pinning three massive humanoid creatures to the ground. They were Hollow Crawlers twisted elongated beasts with pale gray skin and hollow black eyes.
Isla Sinclair stepped forward her black duster snapping in the damp wind. She raised her runic pistols channeling absolute zero mana into her left weapon and explosive thermal energy into her right.
"Hold the perimeter Caleb" Isla ordered her green eyes locked on the targets.
She aimed at the largest Crawler struggling against the gravity field. As she placed her finger on the triggers the monster stopped thrashing. It slowly lifted its twisted head and looked directly into Isla’s eyes.
The monster’s jaw unhinged. A wet gurgling sound echoed through the tunnel.
Isla froze. The temperature in the tunnel fluctuated wildly between freezing cold and blistering heat but she did not fire.
"Sinclair!" Glenn yelled gripping his heavy black longsword. "Take the shot!"
The monster reached a long trembling claw toward Isla. The gurgling sound shifted forming a desperate broken syllable.
Isla gasped stepping back. She squeezed the triggers blindly. A beam of absolute zero energy slammed into the first Crawler freezing it solid while a blast of explosive fire incinerated the second. The rapid thermal shock shattered the monsters into piles of bloody ice and gray ash.
The tunnel fell dead silent.
Caleb released the gravity field leaning heavily on his staff. "Nice shooting Isla. But you hesitated. That is not like you."
Isla did not reply. She was staring at the pile of gray ash her runic pistols trembling slightly in her hands. She looked completely pale.
Glenn sheathed his sword and walked over to her. "Isla? Are you hurt?"
"It spoke" Isla whispered her voice barely audible.
Caleb let out a nervous laugh walking over to collect the glowing C Rank cores from the ash. "Come on Isla. Monsters do not speak. They mimic sounds to lure prey. It is a basic survival trait. I fought a harpy once that sounded exactly like a crying baby."
Isla slowly turned her head to look at Caleb. Her green eyes were wide filled with a profound chilling horror.
"It did not mimic a scream Caleb" Isla said her voice shaking. "It looked right at me. It looked terrified. And it screamed help."
Glenn stopped walking. He looked down at the glowing core Caleb had just picked up and then back at Isla. She had been pushing herself far too hard. The lack of sleep and the constant adrenaline were clearly starting to mess with her head.
"You are just exhausted Sinclair" Glenn said his voice firm but not unkind. "We have been diving non stop. Your mind is playing tricks on you. Let us grab the cores and get out of here."
They stepped out of the dungeon Gate, leaving behind them the damp rotting smell of the dungeon. Glenn Mcdonald stood in the dimly lit transit tunnel of Sector Four breathing in the harsh chemical smog of the industrial district. Unlike the last time they had entered an independent Gate that was not strictly controlled by the Association or the Guilds, unlike those at the Gate Hub.
Sector four’s air was not clean air but it was better than the scent of gray ash and blood. He rolled his shoulders feeling the dull ache in his muscles. The C Rank dungeon had pushed them hard but the heavy canvas bag slung over his shoulder was filled with enough glowing cores to finally buy their way into the Astra Guild vault.
Beside him Isla Sinclair leaned against the concrete wall. She was staring at her hands. Her pale fingers were trembling slightly. The absolute zero mana she had channeled to execute the Hollow Crawlers had long since dissipated but she still looked freezing cold. Glenn watched her for a moment. He remembered the horrifying claim she had made inside the dungeon. She believed the monster had looked at her with human terror and screamed for help. Glenn had dismissed it as dungeon fatigue and lack of sleep. He had to dismiss it, nothing like that had ever been noted even back at the Academy.
"We have the cores, it took so long. My first ever C Rank core was from a mutated dungeon dropped by the boss a mutated Hobgoblin, I received three million credits on that alone since it was from a mutated boss." Glenn said his voice echoing softly in the empty tunnel.
" Wow but you do know that a boss core is very expensive in the market right?Anyways, we made our quota let us get to the Rust Grid and find Silas. The joint expedition launches tomorrow morning. We are running out of time."
Caleb Sterling pushed himself off the wall tapping his wooden staff against the ground. "But maybe we should let Isla catch her breath first."
"I am fine" Isla snapped dropping her hands to her sides and standing up straight. Her green eyes hardened the vulnerability vanishing behind a wall of aristocratic discipline. "Do not patronize me Caleb. I said I am fine. Let us go pay the rat and get our blueprints."
Caleb raised his hands in the air and spoke nothing
