“Are you going to fight?”“No. There’s nothing to gain, just risk.”“This is for Jäger research.”“The ammo costs more. Besides, how do you even know that?”Joo-o clamped his mouth shut. Didn’t he say he remembered nothing? The more I looked, the more suspicious he seemed.“I know some things too.”Joo-o added some belated excuse or protest, but my furrowed brow didn’t soften.Beep- Beep- Beep-!The radar warned of life signs again. I realized I didn’t even have time to argue, spun Joo-o around, and opened his jacket.“What’s in here?”“…”“It’s mine—why’d you put it in my pack?”“Shut up.”In my hand appeared two black spheres. I pressed the round centers and they snapped open, revealing flimsy little propellers. Disposable drones that’d scream when their timers expired.“Can you run with these?”“Yeah.”“Don’t huff and puff, and keep the noise down.”“Okay.”Ziiiiiing-.Once I’d gotten confirmation, the two drones drifted up into the air. Fragile as if they’d shatter at a tap, they hovered in the direction I nudged them.“In ten minutes they’ll make that fucking racket. Don’t freak out—just follow me.”Joo-o nodded enthusiastically, his cheeks flushed with excitement—almost pleasing to see, even compared to the sulking he’d done in the bar.‘Damn.’Maybe my heart was racing from that lousy Jäger imitation. Distracting thoughts flitted through my head. I shook them off and bolted toward the radar’s blip.Only once we’d closed in on the mining site did I slow to a cautious trot. Now we walked more than ran, choosing each footfall, holding our breath against every rustle of grass. With each step closer to the radar’s center, Joo-o cocked his head. When I asked if something was odd, he replied lightly, “I’m listening.” As if he were some dog or cat.When about two hundred meters remained, a faint sound emerged from a completely different direction.Beep-woong! Beep-woong!The “godawful noise” I’d warned of began. Simultaneously, Joo-o’s pupils snapped wide.‘I think his ears just twitched.’Do people tilt their ears at loud noises? I scowled, checking my radar.Beep- Beep- Beep-!Sure enough, the red blip that’d hovered nearby now darted rapidly in the noise’s direction. Joo-o’s eyes flicked left to right. From the mining field toward where the drone screamed—clearly detecting something moving and tracking it.“Move out.”At my whisper, his dazed expression snapped alert. He nodded. Then we sprinted again. After only a few charges, the dense trees thinned noticeably.At the target clearing, two silhouettes stood, and crystalline blue spikes erupted from the ground, their glow deepening the twilight around us.Siiiiiing.A vibration too subtle for words trembled through my fingertips. I flicked my LINK watch to summon the holographic overlay.Brrrip. The Company’s mapping program booted up. Video of the spot aligned with the real view, arrows marking points along the edges.Following the on-screen instructions, I edged right. From far off, the drone’s shriek persisted.18%33%57%78%99%[Complete]Once I’d compared every scattered crystal, a large checkmark appeared and the video cut off. The glow from my LINK watch died.Then—thud-!The faint drone noise abruptly ceased. I whipped my head to meet Joo-o’s eyes. Had the drones run out of juice? He toyed with his sleeve and asked,“Shall we bolt?”“Run.”Joo-o blinked, smiled, then sprang forward so swiftly and silently it made my worry seem absurd. Excited, he led the way, and I hurried to follow.Along the return toward the bike, Joo-o’s head kept pivoting left. Though he gave no explanation, I realized he was keyed into where the anomaly lurked. The sensation was so unreal, it felt utterly foreign to my eyes.“Heh. That was fun.”“This isn’t about fun.”“Well, uh… it was thrilling.”“Everything’s thrilling to you.”No idea what had him so hyped. All the way to the next waypoint on the bike, Joo-o chattered behind me. The Company’s rental bike was whisper-quiet; the breeze ruffled his hair just enough that his soft voice filtered annoyingly well into my ear. I narrowed my eyes at the occasional brush of breath on my neck. Not unpleasant, but uncomfortable—maybe because I’m not used to someone so close. Each time Joo-o pressed in, I felt a tick, tick, as if some nerve snapped.“How far can it smell and hear?”“Huh?”“I mean your detection—how far does it reach?”Come to think of it, when we hunted the Thorn Wolf, Joo-o once described distant terrain in uncanny detail. Maybe his superhuman senses weren’t limited to smell and hearing. The hand on my waist tapped in a steady rhythm, as though he considered his answer.“I don’t know.”“Don’t know again?”“It’s enough to help you.”He spoke as if that answered everything. Audacious, given how he’d clung to me just to tag along—but also true. I fell silent, no longer insulted by how useful he’d become. After all, I’d even given him those pricey drones. Though I hated admitting it, I’d worried about his safety.‘Damn it.’Caring for a stranger went against my nature—and I had no reason to do so. Yet letting him fend for himself felt wrong too. I didn’t want to care, but I did. Leaving the brat behind first felt callous, yet the moment danger loomed I checked on him first. My reactions baffled me. Yes, I’d loosened up when I scored that fifty-thousand-dil Thorn Wolf payout—but even so, I was softer than I liked to think.‘So now I’ve got a sixth sense.’That forever-vacant, languid kid pinpointed exactly when I’d gone soft. Busy, annoyed, pity, or just because his tone was persuasive—I’d abandoned every razor-sharp plan and wound up hauling him through this hellscape.“I’ll check for you next time, too.”His obliviously bright voice reminded me of his worth. I shot the hand holding my waist a brief glare.By the time we’d confirmed the second spot, the sun had fully set. The road, devoid of lights, plunged into pitch darkness. Riding fast here with lamps on would turn us into brightly colored bait in inky waters. I dipped the bike’s headlight as low as it would go and veered toward a completely different third site.“Want to rest?”“Until sunrise.”Even in a place where anything could lunge out, there were relatively safe points—relative, but still. The spot farthest from anomaly and beast territories. No choice.Vroooom—.The bike stopped and the engine cut. With the headlight off, only terrifying black void remained. I switched on my flashlight, stepped off the road, and soon found a broad clearing that looked artificially made. A familiar silhouette emerged. As I approached and raised my hand, the craft’s lights flicked on, illuminating the dusk. The small plane we’d flown in by day had finally reached its pre-set coordinates.“Waaa.”Joo-o gasped with wonder—I ushered him inside and switched off the flashlight. ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) No suspicious movements around. After checking my radar repeatedly, I climbed into the plane.Click.Once the door closed, the external lights went out. Inside, light blinked on, revealing Joo-o’s dust-streaked face.“I can’t see outside.”Of course not. From the moment we set it to stealth mode, the windows had been covered. No need to advertise human presence. I gave up answering his unpredictable mutterings and tossed him a wet wipe.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.