The Damned Demon

Isola sighed softly and said, "After learning about this Bounty Hunt system when we arrived at the safe zone, I was taken aback by the number of groups gathering around it. But we needn't worry about being constantly pursued. There are stringent rules to this bounty system."

She paused, gathering her thoughts before continuing, "Firstly, placing a bounty requires a minimum of 35% of the total shards required to complete the current mini-dungeon. This, in itself, will discourage many from attempting to place a bounty."

At this, Asher let out a subtle scoff, "So, whoever placed a bounty on me, decided to add an additional 5% for good measure. It seems the one who placed it is a powerful group confident of replenishing their shards."

Isola nodded in agreement and continued, "Must be....And once a group has placed a bounty on someone, they are forbidden from placing another bounty on the same person or group they belong to for the rest of the quest. Similarly, other groups are also restricted from placing a bounty on the same person or any member of his group within the current dungeon."

Asher's eyes narrowed in contemplation, "This means that we could possibly have bounties placed on our heads five more times by some other groups."

Isola gently nodded, her sapphire eyes meeting Asher's, "That is a possibility," she admitted. "But we now stand a greater chance of survival. Not only are we together, but I have also procured some items that could aid us during a Bounty Hunt, most of which were available in Safe Zones. After knowing you and Ceti were in trouble, we decided to make sure we won't be left unprepared again."

Asher's brows furrowed in confusion, "What kind of items are you referring to?"

"Well," Isola began, her voice steady and resolute, "First, we got a Shelter Matrix. I realized it could prove beneficial in a situation such as a Bounty Hunt. If we are in a Shelter that we've constructed using the Matrix, our exact location won't be revealed regardless of how close our enemies are. Instead, they will only receive a general location based on the quality of the Shelter Matrix. The one I have now is barely bigger than a house. But I think that a higher grade Shelter Matrix would probably provide even more benefits and be bigger as well. "

Asher, who had previously thought the Shelter Matrix wasn't of much importance, began to reconsider. It appeared that its significance could potentially grow over time.

Isola continued, "Other than that, we also purchased some Perk Scrolls. These could be lifesavers during a Bounty Hunt. Some of these perks can distort the location of our group for a brief period, while others can grant us temporary protection or teleport us to a random place. But they are extremely costly to buy and can only be used once during a Bounty Hunt. I spent almost all the Deviar Shards I collected on it."

A sense of relief washed over Asher, "That's good," he conceded, his tone hinting at the weight lifted off his shoulders, "At least now we won't be sitting ducks while others attempt to gang up on us."

Isola then shifted her gaze from Asher to Ceti and back again, her eyes clouded with worry and curiosity, "How did the two of you manage to survive on your own?" She asked, her voice low but clear, "I remember you saying it was a close call. Did someone else help?" Isola knew Asher and Ceti were capable enough to have some chance of surviving on their own.

But a Bounty Hunt...Isola couldn't think of a possibility where they could hold off so many Hunters and Demons for that long without any items to aid them.

Asher nodded, his eyes flickering with recollections of the past days, "In a way...yes. We were indeed in a very tough spot, and honestly, luck played a factor in us surviving so long," He then began to recount their tale, of the chase, the attacks, the near misses, and ultimately the strange salvation that had come their way.

As he narrated their adventure, Isola's eyes widened with every detail. The peril they had faced was beyond her expectations, and it filled her with a mix of relief and dread that they were now safe.

"But the thing I'm most curious about is who saved us," Asher said, his eyes filled with a deep sense of wonder, "And why?"

Isola looked at him thoughtfully before giving him a gentle smile, "I guess it does tickle the curiosity," she agreed, "But does it really matter? After all, the most important thing is that you and Ceti are safe and sound, aren't you?"

"Koo! Koo!" Callisa let out short mewls as she snapped her pincers together upon hearing Isola's words.

"See, even Callisa agrees," Isola said with a warm smile.

Asher nodded, a subtle smile dancing on his lips, "Yeah…you are right."

Not too far away, the 5 Umbralfiends, especially the 3 women, were engaged in an intense conversation,

"Look Mirena, you've got to understand," Lyra was saying, her voice stern as she pointed a finger at the youngest among them, "that we are in no position to offend the Bloodburn Consort."

"But why should we bow down to the man who caused us to lose the war and even helped his queen kill our Mother Guardian?" Mirena huffed, puffing out her cheeks in defiance as she turned to look at Elysia, "And, Big sis, did you already forget how our father was killed by their people?"

Elysia sighed, her heart aching for the younger one. She gently reached out, running her hand through Mirena's hair as her eyes flashed with pain, "Yes, they did," she admitted softly, "But that's the price of war, Mirena. We lost the war, and now we have to deal with the consequences. It's a harsh reality, but it is what it is. That is why it's important we try to not destroy whatever we have now."

Lyra nodded in agreement, her gaze serious as she looked at Mirena, "Our current situation is...humiliating and painful, but we're still breathing because the Bloodburn Consort had the grace to persuade his queen to show us mercy. Without that, we wouldn't even be here. He also made sure his people wouldn't try to cause us any trouble despite everything."

As the conversation grew more solemn, Sylus decided it was time to chime in.

A slight smile danced on his lips as he turned his gaze to Mirena, "Forget everything else for a moment, Mirena. Look at our princess and the Bloodburn Consort."

With a huff, Mirena turned her head, glancing at the two figures standing a little distance away. They were engaged in quiet conversation, their smiles gentle and understanding.

"Do you see that?" Sylus continued, his voice soft but resolute, "Despite our feelings towards the Bloodburn Kingdom, our princess respects the Bloodburn Consort, and he returns that respect. They share a bond, an understanding, especially with caring for our young guardian together."

He paused for a moment, allowing his words to sink in, "We should respect that, Mirena. For the sake of our princess, at least be nice to the Bloodburn Consort. Otherwise, you're only causing trouble for not only us but her. Disappointing her and insulting her efforts."

Orin, who had remained quiet throughout the conversation, finally nodded his agreement, "We would be the worst of the worst if any of us caused trouble for the princess after everything she did for our people," he stated firmly in a gruff voice.

The severity of their words hit Mirena hard. Her pouty defiance dissolved into a look of genuine regret. She shook her head, her eyes brimming with tears, "I... I didn't mean to cause trouble for the princess," she admitted, her voice trembling. "I…I will not do that again."

"Aw, it's fine. I am glad you understand now. We all love our princess, but we know how much more you are fond of her," Elysia hugged her with a soft smile as she wiped Mirena's tears.

After spending some time with her distressed mother, Ceti finally managed to console her, her soft words echoing in the chamber, "Mother, we're together now. There's nothing more to worry about."

A look of gratitude warmed Merina's features, "Thank you, my child," she began, her voice choked with emotions, "For protecting our royal consort. For staying by his side."

Ceti glanced away, a faint blush creeping onto her cheeks, "I promised the queen...," she said, her voice soft, "I...I had to protect him, at least for her sake. This was the first time she was sending me away from her and that made me understand how important it was for her."

A moment of silence followed before Ceti turned back to her mother, her voice barely above a whisper, "But…I understand now why you respect him so much."

Merina's eyebrows shot up in surprise, her eyes blinking with disbelief, wondering if she heard her right.

Ceti nodded slowly, her gaze becoming intense and glazed, "We... we looked out for each other out there. I wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for him, and I learned some things about him which I had previously misjudged. I realized how much I was in the wrong."

Tears welled up in Merina's eyes as she processed her daughter's words. She never expected she would hear these words escape her daughter's lips.

She cupped Ceti's hands, her voice shaky with overwhelming emotions, "I know…As I once said, he is a man we cannot comprehend easily. It takes time to truly know and understand him and I am glad you understand now. I also didn't like him after he first woke up, but after knowing what he had gone through and understanding him more I…"

"Gone through? What do you mean, mother?" Ceti asked with furrowed brows.

Merina's gaze regained clarity as she realized she had almost slipped up about something she shouldn't.

So she shook her head with a smile and said, "He had his own struggles to reach where he is now, my child. But now I feel more than indebted to him. He saved my daughter's life."

"Mother..." Ceti mumbled, her face a mix of complicated emotions.

*Clap!*

A sudden clap from Asher brought everyone's attention back to the task at hand, "Everyone, it's finally time for us to advance to the next dungeon," he said, his tone light yet firm.

He turned his gaze to the five Umbralfiends, his eyes questioning, "Do you still plan on sticking together once we reach the next dungeon?" He already knew these 5 had collected 100,00 Deviar Shards.

The five Umbralfiends shared a quick glance before Sylus stepped forward. There was a determined set to his jaw, his voice resolute, "We are willing to follow wherever the Midnight Maiden goes until she doesn't want us to."

Isola's eyes softened as she looked at them and said, "You all can stay with us as long as you want."

Asher's smirk grew wider at their interaction. He pointed at a spatial bag, a glint in his eye, "In that case, go ahead and take whatever weapons, potions, and armor you need from this. Stock up for our journey ahead."

The group nodded, gathering around the spatial bag, their eyes wide at the plethora of items contained within.

From his spatial bag, Asher produced a semi-transparent orange crystal, turning it over in his hands. Isola's eyes widened at the sight, "Did you also find an Echo Crystal?" Isola knew these were quite rare, even more than Resonance Crystals.

Asher nodded, rolling the crystal between his fingers, "Yeah, I found it while looting," he revealed, his tone contemplative, "I can think of some situations where a crystal that can store voices or any sound and replay them loudly would be useful. But we only have very few of them, so we have to think twice before using them."