Zachary didn't think.
He just ran.
"Eleora!" His voice cracked as he closed the distance in seconds, his speed tearing through the air like a sudden gust.
He dropped to his knees beside her, hands hovering for a moment—afraid to touch, afraid to make it worse.
Then he forced himself to act.
Her wound was bad.
Very, very bad.
Blood soaked through her clothes, pooling beneath her as it refused to stop.
His fingers pressed lightly near the injury, trying to assess it—but his expression tightened almost instantly.
"We don't have a healer…" he muttered, panic creeping into his voice.
Then—
A glowing circle formed beneath them.
The exit portal.
"Don't worry," Cole said quickly, his voice steadier than he felt. "We're getting out."
The ground vanished.
And then—
Thud!
They landed outside, the rough grass brushing against their legs as reality snapped back into place. The air felt different. Lighter. Real.
People surrounded the dungeon entrance.
Watching.
Waiting.
And now—
Staring.
Zachary didn't care.
"Is somebody a healer here!?" he shouted, his voice raw, desperate.
Silence.
No one moved.
His jaw clenched.
"Call the hospital—or the Hunter's Association!" he shouted again, louder this time. "Please!"
That broke it.
Phones came out.
Voices overlapped.
Some people dialed numbers with shaky hands.
Others—
Recorded.
Zachary didn't even look at them.
Eleora's breathing was getting weaker.
Her body colder.
"There's no time," he said suddenly.
Without hesitation, he lifted her into his arms.
"…Activate."
-[Stats]-
-[Strength: 8239.5 points]-
-[Agility: 7672.5 points]-
-[Recovery: 5252.4 points]-
-[Durability: 5117.4 points]-
-[Mana: 5378.6 points]-
-[Casting speed: 5432.4 points]-
Whoosh!
The air exploded behind him as he took off.
To everyone watching—
He became a blur.
Cameras couldn't keep up.
He didn't slow down.
Not even a little bit.
The Hunter's Association building came into view—
And then he was already there.
He burst inside.
"Is somebody a healer here!?" he shouted, his voice echoing through the halls.
The receptionist froze—
Then snapped into action.
"I-I'll call one!" she said quickly, fumbling for the phone.
Moments later—
A healer arrived.
Magic formed instantly.
Soft.
Bright.
Precise.
The wound began to close.
The bleeding slowed—
Then stopped.
Zachary stood there, unmoving.
Looking at his hands.
Covered in her blood.
Then—
"Z… Zach?"
His head snapped up.
Eleora's eyes were barely open, her voice weak—but alive.
"Eleora…" His voice softened immediately, relief hitting him all at once. "You're alive."
She gave a faint, tired smile.
Then she was taken away.
A stretcher.
Quick movements.
An ambulance waiting outside.
And just like that—
She was gone.
Zachary stood there.
Still.
"S-Sir…" the receptionist called out hesitantly.
He turned slightly.
"How did you get here so fast?" she asked, clearly shaken. "Are you… a hunter?"
Zachary paused.
"…I'm Zachary Quinn."
That was all he said.
"…W-would you like to be tested?" she asked, her tone shifting—almost cautious now. Like she already expected something.
"…Yeah."
The answer came automatically.
Before he realized it—
He was already in the testing room.
His hand rested against a smooth stone.
Familiar.
A screen appeared.
Just like before.
It flickered.
Once.
Twice—
Then—
Crack—!
The glass shattered.
The receptionist stumbled back slightly, eyes wide.
"That's… never happened before…"
But before she could say anything else—
ALARM—!
A loud siren filled the building.
"Alert! Alert! A dungeon break has occurred near the Sydney Opera House! All non-hunters must evacuate immediately!"
—The barrier that kept the monsters inside the dungeon had been shattered from within. It wasn't supposed to happen. Not unless something inside was strong enough… or desperate enough—
—Dungeon breaks occur when that protective seal collapses. Normally, it keeps everything contained. Hunters can go in—but disappears when the boss is killed—
Zachary's eyes narrowed.
A dungeon break.
The worst-case scenario.
They ran outside.
And what they saw—
Was chaos.
Monsters filled the streets.
Creatures far too large.
Far too unnatural.
One of them crushed a parked vehicle under its weight like it was nothing.
Another roared, its voice shaking the air itself.
"What the—"
BOOM!
The ground shook violently.
"—Ngh!" Zachary staggered slightly, catching his balance.
The sound came from nearby.
A residential area.
Then—
"HELP!"
Not one voice.
Three.
Overlapping.
Desperate.