Spatial Dimension comes with different forms thanks to the combined efforts of magic and alchemy. It also thanks to these two's collaboration that different variety of scrolls were invented, making a lot of things more convenient to do and handle.

Such examples were the Transfer Scroll and Contract Scroll. There's also these potions and other more.

Those incredible inventions were not easily obtained just because those people wanted it. With their sweats and tears, rigorous work, countless failures, emotional, physical, and psychological strains, that's how it all became possible.

"Stop eating, Mage. What will you do if a sudden fight breaks out and you're that full, barely moving. Can you still fight? Tsk."

Three hours have passed since the two Mercenaries signed the contract and temporarily joined Rusty and Vrylle's group. Since then, the Knight, Rusty, and the Mage, Alex, seems like a cat and a mouse, never fails to find a word to fry the other.

The twos action, however, gives Vrylle and Valdez some entertainment for the time being.

"Even with closed eyes, I can fight. That's how awesome I am. You Knight just have to worry about yourself. You look like you was about to fall. Heh!"

"A dog who knew nothing but to bark, was no bite. Congratulations, Mage. You fit the bill."

"...W, What did you say?!"

As expected, the two stood up and engaged into a 'sparring session'... again, for the third time. They attack and defend, then attack and defend again, but it was obvious with each of their attacks didn't dare to seriously injure their 'opponent'. It was just enough to let off some steam.

While the two were busy 'playing' with each other, Vrylle and Valdez were so leisure, watching them by the side while having their own conversation with a smile pasted on their faces.

The inside of the cave was not small and narrow, but it wasn't that big and wide, either. Just spacious enough to rest while doing some 'exercises' if necessary. For four people, the place was decent. Good to do some things while waiting for another wave.

Rusty, Valdez, and Alex, these three men were always on high alert despite their laid back attitude. It was because they didn't know that there was no other wave to come. They were oblivious that that was the last wave. That the odd way of the monsters' retreat was because of the conclusion of the Dungeon Break.

Based on what Phantom prompted Vrylle halfway while all the monsters were busy scurrying away, the last wave ended and the monsters were giving half an hour to come back inside their designated Dungeon before the barrier reappears and preventing them from coming in.

Monsters who fail to enter their home Dungeon were bound to lose three-forth of their power and strength, giving them quite a disadvantage.

As a creature who rely with their instinct and by the power and strength of their opponents, it was a loss since they could be easily overwhelmed.

That was why the monsters hurried back.

Unfortunately for those monsters who failed to come back in time, they were now lurking around the Hunting Ground, waiting for a kill or be killed.

Whereas, monsters who were capable to lead and long since gave up on coming back because of many reasons, built their own stronghold in some part of the Hunting Ground and created their own 'Circle of Family'.

That's when Phantom issued a mission. A mission for Vrylle to kill the remaining enemies within the area. Humans and monsters alike.

"Rusty and Mr. Alex seems to get along well. They might be good friends in the future, right Mr. Valdez?"

Valdez gave out a hearty laugh and agreed.

Since seeing Vrylle, Valdez felt like his motivation ignited again, rearing. It must be because of different reasons, especially guilt, but what most standing out was his responsibility to protect the little girl, who he almost killed.

As someone who will be a father soon, Valdez can't stomach the idea of him killing such a little thing. And even it wasn't him who would kill the little girl, being an accomplice was no different.

It's nauseating.

"Little Miss, I will make sure to get you out of here alive. Please, believe in me."

The sudden announcement of Valdez, laced with nothing but pure determination, stopped Rusty and Alex's 'playtime', turning their heads and looking at Valdez with complicated emotions in their eyes. Vrylle, on the other hand, just calmly countering the determined eyes of Valdez.

[Another mission initiated.]

[Make the two Mercenaries' survival a certain thing, and led them out the Hunting Ground.]

[Mission failure is in exchange of Rusty's life.]

Vrylle retracted her eyes from Valdez's penetrating one to hide the sudden panic and madness after hearing that failing the mission means Rusty's death.

Missions gave by Phantom were so few Vrylle could count them in two hands. That to say, with those previous missions, she never encounters any form of punishment for a failed mission. Now, however, was different, also, was so sudden it caught her off guard.

Especially now, hearing any word equates to death was enough to set off fire within her. Merida's death was not long ago. Not even twenty-four hours have passed since. Merida's tragic death that's happened right in front of her eyes, caused by saving her, was still raw and vivid. Even just by closing her eyes for only few minutes was enough to give her an overview, exhausting her psychologically.

The psychological shadow was heavy enough, and now Phantom prompts her that another life was on the line? And it was in her hand to determine the life and death of that person?

'...Don't fucking joke with me.'

Trying her might to calm herself, Vrylle just hum a response with bowing head. Along with that seemingly tranquil and pure trust Vrylle responded, sadly a misunderstanding, Rusty and Alex completely stopped what they were doing and sat back down, minding their own business.

To the three men, what Vrylle just did, averting her eyes, bowing her head before answering into a hum, was acting shy. It was cute and pitiable at the same time.

"Hey, Mage. Start packing up."

"Shut your trap, Knight! Don't you see I'm already preparing?!"

"Heh!"

The party of four people stayed inside the cave until noon. They passed time eating and recuperating their mind and body. Their external injuries were healed by Alex, but the not-so-serious internal injuries that a quasi-Healer was unable to completely heal, same goes for the potions, were hopelessly left aside, letting time heals it.

When the time was right, they left the cave and vigilantly travels toward the Transfer Point. As they were threading their way, they inevitably encounter enemies, not just monsters, but also fellow Mercenaries of Valdez and Alex.

When a battle started, those Mercenaries accused the two of betrayal. They spouted curses and warned that another group of Mercenaries who answered their Distress Call was finally here, assisting them. That was why when Vrylle's group were soon spotted, they were done for.

Though the pressing orders for those new group of Mercenaries was to rescue those who were unable to fight and transfer them out of the Hunting Ground, that doesn't mean they wouldn't kill something or someone that hinder their task.

Vrylle and Rusty were unaffected by those threats. Valdez and Alex, on a contrary, were.

They were affected because some of those men they faced and had no choice but to kill were once their comrades. Comrades who looked after their backs and fought along with them since the Dungeon Break started. Those men survived up until the moment Valdez and Alex ended their lives because of their own capabilities.

It's just saddening that those men Valdez and Alex once protected, were ironically killed by them now.

Contrarily, Valdez and Alex does not feel any once of sympathy or pity to those they weren't familiar with, killing those 'rescuers' without any hesitation. They brandished their weapons toward those men and mercilessly attacked them. So as they were nearing their destination, more enemies showed up and making it hard to advance.

Monsters fighting off the Mercenaries.

Mercenaries fighting off the monsters.

Then, there's this Vrylle's group of four fighting off both the Mercenaries and the monsters.

Afternoon came, and just like how hot and humid the weather currently is, so was the battle. Weapons clashing, screams and curses rang around the large expanse to where the Transfer Point was located.

Mercenaries who were currently fighting on the battlefield were mostly the 'rescuers', since most of the previous Mercenaries were already sent out, only few in their batch were left. With that being said, it means that the capabilities of the current Mercenaries were full. The light was bleak for Vrylle and the three men if it weren't for the monsters who were also stirring trouble.

Though the saying 'the enemy of your enemy is your friend' might not be completely right to apply in their current situation, at least it was helping them to remedy their obvious disadvantage in number.

"Knight, behind you!"

Alex cried in panic and rushed to fend off the Mercenary's attack aiming to hack Rusty from behind. With successful body maneuver, Alex was able to insert himself in between the two and timely shoot out a gust of sharp wind, sending the Mercenary few meters away. Dead. Before he even landed on the ground.

"...I owe you this one, Mage."

"Heh! Good you know, Knight!"

Vrylle, upon witnessing such scene, felt her heart almost jump out of her throat. The Mercenary wielding a greatsword, crept from behind and almost gave Rusty a fatal injury on his back, was like a reminder that if she neglects the mission, there were many ways Phantom could do to remind her.

It wasn't just a simple coincidence. Nor it was a normal occurence because they were currently in a battlefield.

With Rusty's keen senses and presence detection, it was impossible for him not to detect that Mercenary. It was obvious that with an invisible force, like Phantom, made that possible, so the presence of that Mercenary became undetected. If it weren't for Alex, Rusty must have...

"Move forward! We must reach the Transfer Point and leave this place! Rusty, this is an order! We must not need to fight them head on! Just defend while moving!"

Rusty, along with Alex and Valdez, gave a positive response and starts running toward the Transfer Point with Vrylle on the lead. While they run, they defended their selves to both humans and monsters' attacks. If necessary, they would attack the enemies first, but as Vrylle ordered, mostly, they only defend.

"Were almost there! Keep running!"

In able to cross the Transfer Point, one must need a Pass with the same wavelength as the Transfer Point. That wavelength were converted into a Magic Circle that inscribed on a paper. A paper that looked exactly like a talisman. So, with that Pass, the wavelength surrounded the Transfer Point won't reject them and instead, let them through.

As a leader, Valdez naturally handles his brothers' Passes. It became a natural behavior for those brothers of his to entrust things that were important they might lose in a moment of carelessness.

Valdez distributes some of those Passes with Vrylle, Rusty, and Alex, before they leave the cave. Each of them now possessed a Pass that could let them get through.

That leaves were for them to make it happen.

But not everything goes as what was planned. It was always like that. As the four were busy running their way faster toward the Transfer Point, and it was only about a twenty or thirty meters away, mishap happens.

Alex, who runs from Vrylle's left, was shot by an arrow in his left thigh. That makes him stumble and fall. While Valdez, running from behind her, was sent flying horizontally from the Transfer Point after a roundhouse kick made contact on his right side. The attackers were none other than their fellow Mercenaries.

"Don't even think of getting out of here alive, traitors!"

The Mercenary who attacked Valdez, roared. Blue veins were popping out from his forehead and neck. That Mercenary held no weapon. It was evident in what kind of fighting style that person most excelled at.

"...Traitors must die a painful death."

From up the tree, where only few leaves decorated a certain branch, a man positioned atop from it. In his hand was a crossbow, and on his back hang a quiver pack with sharp arrows. The crossbow with an arrow loaded was pointed directly to Alex, who just snapped the arrow, leaving only a few inches of its handle. The arrowhead was still lunged deeply in his thigh.

The head of the arrow that person used has quite a few curves. It was a bad move to just pull it out.

"This... no..."

At that very moment, an alarm rang inside Vrylle's head, screaming that if she lets Alex and Valdez to die in the hands of those men, Rusty would follow suit.

Her own safety was then thrown out the window, and Vrylle just instinctively run towards Alex to protect him.

Swooosh- Swoosh- Swooosh-

With arrows consecutively released, Vrylle took a sword inside her spatial ring and deflects them with her smooth body and hand maneuver. And to distract the Archer from releasing another round of arrows, Vrylle powerfully throws the sword in his hand towards the man before enhancing her Strength, grabbing Alex by his left arm, and flung him directly to the Transfer Point.

Alex was unable to react. Before he knew it, he was suddenly out of the Hunting Ground.

Vrylle did not care what Alex would feel after that, all her focus was to follow her instinct. So to say, Vrylle then targeted the man who Valdez is facing off. They were busy throwing punches and kicks with each other. The man's only focus was to make sure Valdez died a painful death, like the Archer said.

Every throws the two men did was no joke. A direct contact with those attacks was enough to break some bones, if it hits a stomach, it might cause a varying degree of internal injury, depending on how powerful the blow was.

Vrylle, herself, has some knowledge about a hand-to-hand combat. Still, she knew she was no match to any of them. With body and muscle built alone, Vrylle knew she lost the fight. That was why she has to improvise to make up of those flaws. She wouldn't care of exposing herself anymore. What comes first is to save Valdez, which also means saving Rusty.

"...Ghost, let's do this!"

Gurururukk-

Ghost seeps slowly out of Vrylle's shadow on the ground. Its shadowy-like smoke appearance was coiling all over Vrylle's body, acting as a shield. Taking another weapon out of her spatial ring, dagger in both hands, she rushes from behind the man with a plan of stabbing his back.

Unfortunately, the man senses her approach, so before she was able to stab him, he sidestepped, and just like what he did to Valdez earlier, a powerful roundhouse kick on Vrylle's side sent her flying. Her back collides on a rough tree trunk before she falls on the ground.

The man did not even restraint himself at all.

Vrylle shakily pulls herself up. Even with Ghost's protection, which most of the impact was absorbed by her familiar, the shock and power within that kick's residue still damages her small body, lungs barely open up for some air. It also means that the full force and strength of that kick, without Ghost's help, was enough to mangle her.

Now her side is aching like hell. And her flesh trembles. However, despite that, Vrylle was thankful to call Ghost and assist her. It saves her life.