Chương 122: When Death Misses the Target

It had been a month since Luke disappeared. Gone without a trace — as if he'd simply stopped existing. Allison went out almost every day with the scouting groups. In a strange way, it had reignited a spark in Jonathan, Cecilia, Anna, and the others, pushing them to stay focused on the mission's goal. Paul, meanwhile, had started joining the expeditions more often — growing noticeably closer to Allison with each passing day.

"You're heading out again?" Angelica asked.

"Yeah," Allison replied, her voice steady with determination.

"I want to explore a different area today." Angelica lowered her gaze. She knew that feeling all too well. Everyone here had lost someone at some point. It was just... part of life in this world.

"I get it. I miss that guy too... same as everyone else we've lost in this hell," Angelica sighed.

"Even with how quiet Luke was... he was weirdly easy to talk to. Like... he knew how to hold a conversation with people who didn't talk much." Jonathan crossed his arms.

"When we lost the others during the Midnight Warden attack... I hit a point where I could barely leave the Safe Zone. I was completely wrecked. But for the sake of everyone we've lost... I have to keep searching for the mechanisms. We're heading out. Whether we find Luke or not, at least we'll be making progress. For all the people who didn't make it."

"Where exactly are you going?" Paul asked, stepping closer, his attention sharpening. Allison leaned in slightly, lowering her voice.

"To the barrier in the Wild Zone. Luke's been there a few times. Maybe... just maybe... he figured out how to cross it. And if that's true... he could be on the other side. Looking for one of the mechanisms." That guy actually made it that far. Angelica stared at the ground.

"I never thought anyone would get that close."

"You guys know there's a real chance someone gets hurt out there, right? Have you actually thought about that?" Paul said.

"No healing potions. No healer. If someone falls... what happens?" Anna narrowed her eyes.

"Aren't you coming with us?"

"I am. Because I care about you guys," Paul answered with a calm smile.

"But that doesn't mean I'm not worried about my friends." No one responded. But the tension in the group seemed to ease... just a little. Most of them had already accepted it. Luke was dead. People died here all the time. Some in heroic fights. Others... just unlucky. And when someone vanishes for weeks — no sign, no tracks — it's easier to move on than to keep clinging to false hope. That's why, when Paul told them what he'd heard from a soldier, no one argued.

According to him, someone matching Luke's description had been spotted running from a monster in the Wild Zone. Desperate. Fleeing. And then... nothing. Gone. Probably dead. Nobody questioned it. The story made sense. But the truth... was something else entirely. Paul knew. Luke really had died — but not the way he told them. One of Marshall's soldiers had shared it privately. Told him how they'd chased a lone man. Wounded. Cornered. Desperate. And when there was nowhere left to run...

when death seemed inevitable... He jumped. Straight into orc territory. No sounds. No explosions. No return. Gone. The description matched perfectly. The clothes. The build. Even the way he moved. It was Luke. Paul didn't need to see a body. For him, that was confirmation enough. Luke was dead. And ironically... the ones responsible were the Renegades themselves. Even if it was... indirect. A convenient accident. A troublesome piece... removed from the board.

And that's why, as he walked beside Allison now, Paul decided to lean into the empathy he'd been carefully cultivating. With a genuinely concerned look, Paul rested a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm starting to worry about your health, Allison. You've been pushing yourself way too hard. I'll go with you if you want... but honestly, I think you should take a few more days to rest. These long trips demand full focus." She sighed, lowering her gaze.

"You're right..." Paul smiled internally. Closer. Every day, just a little closer. The reliable friend. The one who showed up when no one else did. At this rate... maybe she'd finally let go of that obsession with Luke. It was only a matter of time. She was already one of the most respected people in the Haven — especially after taking down a tyrannosaurus. She just needed to see it clearly. This... this was where she belonged. The Haven was safe. Stable. That's when it started.

A wave of murmurs spreading through camp. Rushed footsteps. Whispered voices. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work. Angelica's head snapped up, her brow furrowing.

"If it's another damn soldier from Bartholomew, I swear I'm gonna—" She stomped off toward the plaza, already seething. Paul and the others followed. A crowd was forming near the main entrance. People pointing. Some whispering. Others just staring, wide-eyed.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Angelica barked, followed by her signature sharp laugh.

"You are one lucky bastard!" Paul shoved his way past a pair of shoulders and slipped between two tents to get a better look. There. Right in the middle of the commotion. A figure stood, back turned. Something about him vibrated — silent, restrained, threatening. He didn't move, but it was impossible not to feel it: alert, contained, dangerous. A black cloak covered his entire body. Mud. Dried blood. Leaves. Scorch marks. Filth caked into every inch of fabric.

His right hand gripped an improvised staff — a thick, broken branch. And his face... a strip of cloth was tied tightly across one eye. Paul's eyes narrowed.

"Is it just me... or did you come back looking half feral?" Angelica grinned and clapped the figure brutally on the back. The man flinched in pain and slowly turned. Paul saw the eyes—just one glimpse was enough. Luke. Alive. The stunned silence broke as Luke raised his chin and said, "I'm back. Miss me?" Paul froze. The bastard survived. Luke... had come back to the Haven.

Now, lying in the makeshift infirmary, Luke was telling the story of how he'd survived a full month in the forest — for the third time.

"So you fell off a cliff?" Anna asked, looking at him like he was insane. A few people laughed. To most, he was just the stubborn idiot with the insane luck to dive headfirst into orc territory and — against all odds — walk back out alive. Of course, Luke made sure to leave about ninety percent of the real story out.

"You didn't... drink your own piss, did you?" Angelica fired, her signature sharp humor on full blast.

"What? Hell no!" Luke frowned — only to immediately wince as pain shot through his ribs.

"Don't move too much, Mister Luke," Thiara said calmly, hands glowing as she continued healing his wounds.

"You'll make it worse."

"So... what was it like in there?" Jonathan leaned in, curiosity burning in his eyes.

"See anything interesting? You're one of the few who's ever gone that deep alone... and actually made it back. Not even Bartholomew's soldiers dare to go that far."

"Mostly forest... but I saw a few orc villages." Luke shifted slightly, gritting his teeth.

"They're a lot more organized than I expected." Allison, on the other side of the room, watched in silence, eyes narrowed. She knew Luke well enough to tell he was lying—a lot. The conversations carried on. The group shared how they had searched for him, recounting a few expeditions into the Wild Zone, tossing around theories about what might have happened. But nothing was ever confirmed. Luke was in such bad shape that Thiara had nearly drained all her mana healing him. Her hands trembled—just barely.

"So... how exactly did you fall off that cliff?" Paul asked, arms crossed.

"I already told you. A monster was chasing me. It was the only option."

"Matches what we heard," Jonathan said.

"One of the soldiers said he saw someone matching your description running through the Wild Zone. Looked like you were... fleeing." Cecilia signed something to Anna, but Luke caught most of it.

"She says she's really glad you survived... and she's gonna cook something special for you," Anna translated with a grin. Luke nodded. Weeks of living off wild fruits and half-burnt meat came with a price. His stomach was already screaming for a proper breakfast. I'm hitting my stash later. Eggs and bacon. No question.

"Must've gotten into some serious crap to come back this beat up," Paul commented.

"Got jumped by... two Orc Captains."

"Two?!" Jonathan's eyes widened.

"Man, you are way too lucky to still be breathing."

"Sounds like we need to throw a party to celebrate," Angelica grinned, slapping him on the back—way too hard.

"That... actually hurt..." Luke groaned, but no one took offense. Angelica was blunt by nature. Everyone knew that.

"You've officially broken the record for the longest disappearance," Anna chimed in.

"An entire month." The conversation drifted between updates, nervous laughter, and talk about the last invasion that happened during his absence—apparently calmer than the previous ones. No Beast Captains this time. Just regular monsters. Eventually, when everyone left, the infirmary fell quiet. Luke stayed behind. Thiara was still there, sitting in a nearby chair with her eyes closed, fully immersed in Meditation as her mana slowly recovered. Luke lay down, staring at the ceiling—but relaxing wasn't happening.

Every sound outside—the hammering of nails, the screech of a saw cutting wood, even someone laughing too loud—made his fingers twitch instinctively. His kukris appeared from the inventory without him even realizing. The tension didn't go away. It was like... he was still in the forest. Still being hunted. Still running. Always on alert. His hand drifted to his side... and something appeared. A stone. Simple at first glance. Fit perfectly in his palm, with strange runes etched into the surface.

The item he'd received when Morvat died. Every time he touched it, a mix of anxiety and caution stirred inside him. His thumb hovered over it. Then... he activated Identify. A window blinked open. [Skill Rune]: When certain monsters are defeated, they may leave behind a crystallized fragment of power called a Skill Rune. Consuming this rune grants you the contained skill permanently. It was one of the Orc General's skills.