"I know what I did deserves no forgiveness, and I will ask for none. I just… want you to know the truth. The reason he was like that back then, the words he said… I… I am at fault, Ayu." Chiara's gaze stayed on Ayu, heavy but unwavering.

Ayu remained silent, her eyes fixed on the ground. She had suspected the reasons behind his departure, but she'd thought it was his choice. It was a decision she didn't like, but she had hoped to confront him about it when the time was right. But now… now, knowing it came from being forced, blackmailed with none other than herself… it hit hard. Very hard.

Her fists clenched tightly, nails biting into her palms. Anger bubbled beneath the surface—sharp and furious—but beneath it all, disappointment weighed heavier.

Chiara… her friend… her savior… How was she supposed to feel after this?

"Thanks for telling me this," Ayu said, her voice steady as she looked at Chiara again. "I'll need some time alone. And… if you haven't, please apologize to him. He's suffered enough, Chiara."

Without waiting for a response, Ayu walked away and sat down next to Alonso. She stared at his pale face and smiled softly.

She closed her eyes, trying to calm the storm of emotions within her. Yet, they kept surging.

What Chiara had confessed was heavy. But it made her resolve even clearer. She had to get stronger. She couldn't slow him down or be his weakness. She loved him too much, and she was selfish enough to want to spend the rest of her life with him. For that… she needed the power to stand where he stood.

Her fists clenched again, tighter this time. The sudden surge of determination gave her strength, but it wasn't enough. Not yet.

She suppressed her emotions and focused on the waves around her, concentrating them into different patterns, forcing herself to refine her control. This was her weak point, and she had to overcome it. She wouldn't let herself be the weight he had to carry, burning his wings to lift her. No… next time, she would fly beside him. She would. She had to.

Meanwhile, Chiara remained silent, staring at the space in front of her.

One weight had been lifted, but her chest still felt heavy. She would have preferred an angry Ayu, one shouting and blaming her. Yet, the Ayu she saw remained composed, though Chiara knew beneath that calm exterior… their relationship would never be the same. The die had been cast.

Chiara tilted her head back, staring at the sky. Why was it all… so hard?

Her thoughts were interrupted by a mental wave.

"I finally got eyes on it."

Chiara shook off her lingering thoughts.

She sent a wave back, syncing with Lukas' frequency. "How is it? Are you safe? What about the wave of Lurkers?"

Less than a second later, his response came.

"Damn, that thing is big. Let's see… about 30 meters for the body, and the tentacles? Maybe another 30 meters."

Chiara's eyes widened, her breath catching. Sixty meters tall? And a 30-meter attack range?

"I can see six, no, seven cores. Same as the normal Glow Lurkers, but these move around. And they're small."

Seven cores. If it had the same regeneration as the regular Lurkers, it would take destroying all seven to kill it. Seven lives. A heavy, focused ranged attack seemed the only way, but…

"If you're thinking of bringing a ballista to the fight, just forget it," Lukas sent, his tone light despite the grim report. "I've got a wave of Lurkers at my feet right now, and another one coming in from the side. Staying still here equals death. We need mobile ranged attacks, mid-range preferably. Given the tentacles' size, we should keep to 40 to 60 meters. And someone's gotta distract its minions."

Chiara frowned. His analysis made sense, but the risk was enormous.

"All in all, not an easy fight," Lukas continued. "Frankly, no one but Alonso or Ayu could engage this thing in melee. For anyone else, it's a death sentence. Oh, and it has 13 tentacles. It's ridiculous. Anyway, gotta run—don't wanna be the afternoon snack for these guys."

Chiara clenched her teeth. The average camp member still struggled in one-on-one battles against a single Lurker, yet thousands roamed the Riftflow, attacking in relentless waves.

They could attempt a war of attrition, using ballista attacks from the border to reduce their numbers. But that would take hours—if not days—and with the Lurkers reviving daily, it was hardly a viable option. That left only one choice: strike the boss, hit hard, kill it, and hope the rest of the Lurkers would retreat, just like the tide of crabs had.

Realistically, though… who could participate besides their squad of six—well, now five—and Ayu and Alonso?

The others' stage progress was far behind. Even she was still farming Kelpies and hadn't begun tackling the octopus on the Isles. Well, reaching the Isles now was risky, but… not impossible. Perhaps they could give it a try and farm some stage progress before the fight.

Chiara shifted her focus to the latest map update she'd asked Arjun, Imani, and Wang to track. The Riftflow's fractures had opened the massive gap where Alonso and Ayu had fallen. Based on the current velocity vectors, there was a chance the fracture would extend to the Coast near the camp in the next three or four days. Sixteen days after that, a third of the Riftflow, most of the Coast, and a quarter of the Molten Crest would completely separate, forming what would effectively become an independent landmass—or, rather, another continent.

As for the Swamp, it was moving west, and the Isles were drifting east. That meant the Isles might merge with the upper part of the Riftflow and converge with the Molten Crest… in the center. All three regions would combine, and that would happen in… thirty-six… no, thirty-seven days. So, the seventh zone might form then.

But that was far off. Right now, she had to focus on the immediate danger. From what she could tell, no other large chunk of land was likely to collapse soon. Still, the camp would need to relocate within two days to stay safe, moving farther down the Coast for now.

She sighed. So much to do…

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

She gazed at Ayu and Alonso. Should she leave them alone for now? They had enough food and water, and Ayu was in fighting form. With her here, Alonso was as safe as he could be. Besides, there was so much to prepare for the battle ahead.

Yes… she decided. She began walking toward them, but then something shifted. Her steps froze as her eyes widened.

Alonso was breathing.

Ayu noticed immediately, her focus snapping to him. Gently, she placed her hand on his chest and felt the steady beat of his heart. Her teeth clenched, and a heartfelt smile spread across her face.

She wanted to hug him tightly but stopped, afraid it might hurt him in his fragile state. Instead, she held his hand, feeling the warmth returning as blood began circulating again.

He… he's coming back. A single tear slid down her cheek as she lowered her forehead to his, pressing it gently while still holding his hand. She knew recovery would take time, but… finally… he was with her again.

A soft chuckle escaped her lips. Even death had lost to him.

Chiara stood to the side, watching the scene unfold. A wave of guilt washed over her, heavy and suffocating. She hesitated, unsure of what to do.

After several moments of silence, she sent Ayu a wave.

"I'll be going. If you need anything, send me a signal."

Ayu didn't respond immediately, and Chiara waited, almost holding her breath. Then, moments later, Ayu's reply came.

"Okay."

Chiara exhaled deeply, turned, and walked away. Alonso would be back soon, and she needed to make preparations. If he didn't want to delay the fight, then they had to move with whatever they had ready.

Her fist clenched as resolve hardened within her. She would start by clearing his path. She would use strength if she had to and make it unmistakably clear to everyone: Either you accept Alonso, or you leave.

Even if she was left with only a handful of people, it would be enough. As Alonso had told her: In this world, the strength of one can surpass the many.

She understood now, all too clearly. This world cared for nothing but progress. It demanded the best—the strongest, the most adaptable, those who could endure its relentless trials and rise to the challenge. The ones with the will to climb.

The rest? They would fall, left to perish along the way. Survival of the fittest—a harsh, unyielding law of nature.

If she wanted to lead, then she, too, would have to be harsh and unyielding.

I slowly open my eyes. My body feels so, so heavy.

Everything is blurry, but I manage to turn my head to the side.

So… so beautiful. Am I…

Then I feel it—a tight hug. The embrace is firm yet soft, warm, comforting. So… good.

So, this is indeed heav—

Wait.

"Ayu," I croak, my voice hoarse and strained. But I don't care.

Her hug tightens. I smile and wrap an arm around her, weak as it feels.

She's well. That's… that's very good.

I feel light, almost weightless. Despite the dizziness, thirst, and gnawing hunger, I feel content. This moment—this is enough. I don't want it to end anytime soon.

Her shoulders tremble, and I feel the wetness of her tears against me. But gradually, her trembling subsides.

She lifts her head, quickly swiping her tears away, and smiles at me. She tries to look tough. She's so cute. So… so beautiful. My Ayu.

I raise my hand, slow and unsteady, and gently caress her cheek. She blushes, her lips forming a slight pout.

Her skin is soft, a little damp. My fingers brush her hair, tucking it behind her ear.

I can't stop staring at her. For some reason, everything else fades. Nothing else exists in this moment.

My gaze lingers on her lips.

But then her eyes widen, and she pulls back suddenly. What happened?

She gets up quickly. Is there danger?!

Panic surges, and I try to move, but my body refuses to cooperate. A sharp jolt of pain shoots through my back, like shards of glass grinding into my flesh. I clench my teeth as hard as I can to stifle a scream.

FUUUCKKKK! It hurts! What the hell is this?!

The pain claws at me, relentless, like iron needles scraping against raw nerves. Dammit!

I collapse back onto the bed, teeth gritted, my breaths shallow and ragged.

Focus. Breathe. I can't let her see me scream. Shit…

She returns, her eyes filled with worry and something else—pain. I can feel it radiating from her.

I force a smile, doing my best to appear natural, even as the searing pain lingers in the background.

Ayu, however, seems to see right through me. She sits down on the ground next to me, presses my back firmly against the ground, and frowns at me.

Such a cute expression. I smile at her, which only makes her glare harder—until, finally, her face softens into a smile of her own.

She shakes her head, muttering something under her breath, then gently supports the back of my head with one hand and presses a large wooden jug of water to my lips.

Ah… it feels nice being spoiled for a change.

I drink, the water tasting far better than usual, cool and refreshing. Before I realize it, I've emptied the entire jug.

Well, I guess I was thirsty.

As Ayu gets up to refill it, my thoughts begin to swirl. Everything from the last turn of events comes rushing back—my meeting with Darius, the spars, and, most of all… Houston.

My face grows serious, and it's enough to make Ayu pause, her gaze sharpening. Dammit, is she perceptive.

I send her a wave. A simple thumbs-up and a smiley face.

She narrows her eyes. Yeah, she's not buying it.

I send another image—a playful one of her hugging me and spoiling me more.

She pouts, shakes her head, and comes back with a fresh jug of water, forcing me to drink the entire thing again.

As I gulp it down, my thoughts drift further. This is the first time anyone has taken care of me in The Tower. No… wait. There was one other time.

I glance at Ayu. It was her then, too. Back when she barely knew me, she gave me all her reserved meat after I'd nearly passed out from Overdrive. Guess history does repeat itself.

I stay where I am, reluctant to move after my back's earlier warning shot. Ayu sits beside me, feeding me pieces of crab meat. It tastes far better than I remember. Is this seasoned? Damn, it's good.

I devour it voraciously, losing track of how much kilos of meat and liters of water I consume. By the end, my eyelids grow heavy, and I struggle to stay awake. Ayu gently lowers my head into her lap, brushing my hair back softly.

Ah… this is life.

Not long after, I fall into a deep, dreamless sleep.

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.