[02:50:58]
Cashel was already exiting the field the moment the smoke and dust settled and the spectators began arguing amongst themselves. He tossed the guns, bombs and everything extra on him to the ground carelessly, as his way of returning what he had borrowed.
He did not wait for any formal announcements, or for them to decide who he was choosing since it was clear, and since they were not planning to make him and the woman fight another pair, he needed to move fast.
His eyes found Andeen who was already moving from the higher seats, staff tapping against the stone steps. The system timer in the corner of his vision continued dripping.
He crossed the distance between them in a few strides and swept her up into his arms without warning, making her gasp softly, and started climbing the stairs two at a time.
"Cashel?!" She half-yelled. "What are you doing?"
"We need to leave," he said before she could finish. "I feel strange."
Andeen’s brow curved upwards as she raised her head and reached up to his face. She ran her hands along his face, waiting for a hint of discomfort, but his face was as blank as stone.
"What’s wrong with you... wait, put me down for a minute."
"No time." He adjusted his hold, keeping her pressed against his chest, secure enough that any squirming would not loosen his grip.
He reached the upper exit just as two figures stepped into their path. General Rain, in the black main military uniform with her weapon slung around her shoulder, had her arms crossed and an amused look on her face. Beside her stood a huge bodyguard.
[02:08:58]
Cashel flinched when he glanced at the timer.
"Move," he said coldly, his tone dropping to a menacing sound that surprised even Andeen.
Rain narrowed her eyes. She glanced at Andeen, who did not spare her a glance and just clung to Cashel quietly.
She chuckled softly. Andeen’s behaviour was expected considering what had happened. She looked up at Cashel and smiled. "Why are you in a hurry? We only want to talk."
"I don’t have time to talk." He shifted Andeen slightly in his arms. "I’m leaving."
Rain did not step aside. She just tilted her head and narrowed her eyes. "You should listen carefully before you do something you cannot take back."
Cashel scoffed internally. If there was anything he wanted to take back or regret, it was the fact that he could not find a way to bring back his friend. But that was a story for another day. Andeen and his safety were his priority now.
He exhaled and leaned closer to Andeen and whispered,
"Hold on tightly. Be ready to fly if I tell you."
[01:10:58]
Before Rain could react, he pushed off the ground with everything the fading enhancements still gave him. Andeen’s own flight ability activated once they were in the air.
Cashel carefully released her, holding onto her hand while she let them float steadily in the air.
"Okay! Drop us!" he yelled over the wind moving past them like a bullet. Andeen did not hesitate to deactivate the ability.
Cashel dropped from feet in the air and landed on the ground with a loud crash, leaving a deep crater in the ground. He could have sworn he felt his knees pop, but he did not have the time to nurse anything.
He held out his arms and moved right under where Andeen was dropping, and she landed safely in his outstretched arms, causing him to groan softly.
He exhaled and set Andeen on her feet. Then he pulled her into a run towards the gate in the distance.
The gate had moved. It now stood much farther away than when they entered, which was not an unusual phenomenon. That was precisely why it took days for hunters to come out from a dungeon after clearing it.
Shouts rose behind them at that moment, and when Cashel glanced behind them he saw that they were being chased.
[00:40:58]
"Andeen," Cashel panted, "Wall... or anything, something." He said hastily, summoning his system screen to search for something to help. When he saw nothing, he dismissed it with a disappointed grunt.
Andeen did not ask questions. She simply turned around and stretched forth her hands. Cashel swept her off her feet again, wrapping her legs around his torso while she focused on what she was doing.
She took a deep breath and released a huge wave of energy through a wide range, far enough to reach the forests and where the hunters were fighting off beasts.
Almost immediately, loud roars and high-pitched screeches echoed through the entire dungeon and system screens flared to life in front of every hunter inside.
[Alert!]
[Monster Wave Detected]
[Dungeon Reactivation in Progress]
Cashel smiled and picked up the pace.
They crossed the threshold of the gate just as the barriers began to close and the last of the cold air from the dungeon shifted to the warmth of the world outside it.
Cashel did not stop running until he reached the stretched empty road where he had parked their car among other cars.
Only then did Cashel slow down. He pulled the door open and placed Andeen carefully in the passenger seat before crouching to catch his breath.
"Oh my god!" He groaned. "This awakener stuff is so hard." He complained outloud, making Andeen’s eyes widen at his sudden change of attitude.
He was actually relieved from the fact that the timer had stopped once he checked.
"You joined them," Andeen suddenly said with a low calm voice after a moment, and it was not a question.
Cashel looked up at her as he wiped sweat from his brow. She had a strange expression on her face. One that he had never seen on her face before, even after three years.
It was not like she was disappointed, or worried. She seemed sad.
He smiled and placed a hand on her thigh, squeezing gently. "I don’t intend to join full time," he began. "I’ll join the mercenaries and military as support for a certain period. A part-time arrangement."
"I don’t care what they call it," she said sharply, her anger slowly slipping through. "I do not want you anywhere near the government, or anything that has to do with the gates. Do you understand me? I didn’t get married to you to see you drag yourself into what I’m doing. I know what I go through every day. I can’t bear to watch you do that...." She paused, her voice cracking. "I don’t want anything to happen to you, not after all the work I’ve put in to keep you away from them."
Cashel looked at her for a long moment. ’She’s so cute when she like this."
The usual calm expression on his face was replaced with a smirk.
"I know and I completely understand." He tilted his head to get a better look at her face. "But this gives us options the military never would. They don’t pay you well, but if they want me they’d pay millions to make sure I joined them, and the mercenaries get paid big too. And I have the freedom to support and watch you."
He raised his hand and lifted her head up. "Listen, I’d prefer to watch you fight and support you within the dungeon, especially now, so...."
Andeen averted her gaze. She could not help but agree with him. She had always secretly wanted Cashel to watch her fight and even carry her around like this.
Her cheeks suddenly became hot and turned pink.
Cashel chuckled softly. Then he leaned close, kissed her gently and straightened up. He slammed the door to her side of the car shut and hurried to the driver’s seat.
Far behind them, near the now-sealed gate, two figures watched the car disappear down the road.
The masked woman removed her mask and tucked it under one arm. Beside her stood an older man in a long black coat, the BMM Director.
"He’s exactly as you predicted," she said with a smile.
The Director kept his eyes on the fading dust of the car. "Good. Keep the contract clean, fair and give him whatever amount he asks for."
She nodded, "Understood."