July 21 — Tuesday
Deaths: 38
Second day since awakening the Hunter’s Mark.
The shadows came in waves.
Wolves with blurry outlines, beetles the size of dogs with shells that absorbed light instead of reflecting it, humanoid silhouettes moving with unnatural fluidity, tiny gargoyles gliding between the leafless trees.
All of them were made from the same dark substance, all equally aggressive, all appearing with a frequency that left no room to rest.
Noah lost count of how many he had killed.
“Behind you!” Belle shouted at one point, intercepting a shadow wolf that was lunging directly toward the back of his neck.
“Thanks!” Noah gasped, not even turning around, completely focused on the beetle in front of him.
“When they attack in groups,” she told him, dodging gracefully while continuing to protect him, “always look for a position where your back is covered. Even if it’s just a rock, a tree, anything.”
“Got it,” he replied, driving his dagger into the creature’s cracked shell.
The hours dissolved into a constant cycle of strikes, dodges, retreats, and ragged breathing. The only source of light came from the lightning stones Belle threw from time to time, illuminating small circles of clarity in the middle of that devouring darkness.
When the final enemy finally fell, dissolving into the same black wisps as always, Noah remained standing, staggering slightly, his arms hanging at his sides and his chest rising and falling violently.
[Level increased: 15.]
“I… I did it,” he gasped, almost unable to breathe, an exhausted smile spreading across his face. “I did it!”
Belle applauded softly, a genuine and warm gesture that contrasted with the brutality of the battle that had just ended.
“Good job.”
A new window appeared in front of Noah, different from the previous ones.
[System passive skill unlocked.]
‘Huh? A passive skill? Like [Return]?’
He was about to open it when Belle placed a hand on his shoulder and extended her other hand toward him, palm open.
“High five.”
Noah, still breathing heavily, couldn’t help but laugh. He slapped his palm against hers.
“Yayyy!” Belle celebrated with an almost childish enthusiasm that made Noah smile again. “Let’s set up camp. Let’s move a little farther from the entrance to avoid other Hunters.”
“Is the curse over already?”
“No. The siren always sounds, no matter where you are inside the castle. We’ll know when the time comes. We’ll have to spend the night here.”
◇◆◇
The improvised camp consisted of little more than a small fire surrounded by black trees, the flames casting dancing shadows against the twisted bark.
Belle was already lying on her side, watching the flames with a relaxed expression Noah had rarely seen from her.
“Won’t the fire attract attention?” he asked, lying down as well near the warmth.
“It always can,” she replied, barely opening her eyes. “That’s why you have to be careful when you come alone.”
They remained silent for a moment, the crackling flames being the only sound in that complete darkness.
“I learned so much today,” Noah said after a while. “You’re an incredible teacher.”
Belle smiled, accepting the praise warmly.
“Whenever you have any questions, don’t hesitate to message me.”
Noah thought, with a warm feeling spreading through his chest, that this meant something: he had finally unlocked enough trust to talk about the castle with her without it bothering her.
His eyelids began to grow heavy.
“I’d love to keep talking,” he murmured, his voice already being dragged down by sleep, “but I can barely stay awake.”
“Rest,” Belle said in a soft tone, almost maternal. “You worked incredibly hard today. I’ll look after you. Sleep peacefully.”
“I appreciate everything you did today,” Noah managed to murmur, already on the edge of sleep. “Someday, I’ll repay you for everything.”
And with that, he fell asleep beside the fire.
Belle, from the other side of the campfire, watched him silently for a long moment.
“If you really want to repay me for everything,” she whispered so quietly that even the crackling flames could barely carry her words, “stay alive. Don’t die. I don’t want you to leave too.”
◇◆◇
Noah woke up with an unusual sense of calm, stretching slowly before fully opening his eyes.
The fire was still burning in front of him, though lower and more consumed.
He suddenly sat up.
“How long did I sleep?!”
Belle, sitting cross-legged in front of him and calmly checking her phone, answered without immediately looking away from it.
“About seven hours.”
“Is the curse over already?”
“Yes. About five hours ago.”
Noah got down on his knees, genuinely distressed.
“Why didn’t you wake me up?! I feel terrible for making you wait that long!”
Belle raised her palm in a reassuring gesture.
“I didn’t want to wake you. You looked too tired, and you gained many levels at once. I didn’t want to interrupt that.”
‘She’s an angel!’ Noah thought, looking at her with gratitude he could barely contain. ‘A true goddess!’
“By the way,” Belle added, putting her phone away, “Lily is fine. Jeanne made her breakfast and went to tell the academy she wouldn’t be attending, but they sent all her assignments to the house. You don’t have to worry. With my influence, Jeanne said the teacher understood very well.”
Noah placed both hands on his head.
“Wait, you also sent Jeanne to my house? It’s really far from—”
“Your house?” Belle tilted her head, confused. “Lily spent the night at my mansion.”
Noah froze for a moment.
“It was my responsibility,” Belle added simply. “I wasn’t going to let her spend the night alone.”
‘She’s literally a goddess!’ Noah thought again.
After gathering their belongings, they left Floor 3 and returned to the main lobby.
There were dozens of Hunters moving between entrances and exits, and whispers began almost immediately, discreetly following them as they walked together.
‘We’re definitely drawing a lot of attention,’ Noah thought, noticing the sideways glances. ‘But it doesn’t matter. Talking and joking with Belle is a gift in itself.’
Noah discreetly moved closer to Belle and asked her in a low voice:
“Doesn’t it bother you that I’m ruining your reputation as a solo Hunter?”
Belle glanced at him. Then she thought about it for a moment.
“Hmm,” she murmured.
She didn’t answer. Instead, she said:
“Let’s go back to my house.”
◇◆◇
Once they arrived at the mansion, Noah reunited with Lily, deeply thanking both Belle and Jeanne for taking care of her during the night. He also asked Lily to thank them as well, and she did.
“I returned you alive, just like I promised,” Belle said with a smile.
“Thank you for taking care of us, Miss Belle.”
She nodded, accepting the gratitude. Then she glanced at Jeanne and spoke in a soft, polite voice:
“Jeanne, please go ahead and help Lily get into the limousine.”
“Of course.”
Jeanne approached and separated the two of them, moving ahead while Noah and Belle remained alone for a moment at the entrance.
She inhaled and exhaled calmly without letting Noah notice. Then, in a gentle tone, she began speaking.
“I had a lot of fun today. Not only because I spent my time with you, but also because you reminded me of my years as a beginner.”
“I hope I didn’t cause you too much trouble,” Noah replied with an awkward smile.
“If that were the case, I wouldn’t be telling you that I had fun, silly.”
“Okay, sorry, sorry.”
Although they both remained looking at each other, silence covered them for a few moments.
Noah decided to take the initiative and said:
“Just like I promised, I’ll use all the money I got with your help to improve our quality of life.”
“Use it wisely. Be smart. And buy better equipment,” she said, pushing him lightly with her index finger. “No more using that easily breakable dagger.”
“I will, I will. I’ll follow the recommendations of a professional.”
Belle laughed, covering her mouth slightly, and replied:
“Yes, do what I tell you.”
“I will.”
A new silence surrounded them. Their gazes remained locked. Noah cleared his throat and took a step back.
“Well, I… should go now. You have a very busy schedule.”
Noah walked three steps away before Belle said, calmly crossing her arms:
“Become stronger. Very strong. I want you to catch up to me quickly on the five-hundredth floor. Hurry up and level up.”
Noah looked at her, surprised.
“I had so much fun exploring with you today,” she continued. “I want us to be partners on the higher floors. I’ll be waiting for you there. So become stronger. I… don’t mind helping you if something becomes too difficult, but if you want to be my exploration partner, I can’t live with the fear of having to protect you up there. I need to know that the person at my back will be someone I can rely on. So… overcome your challenges, gain combat experience, and climb floor by floor until you reach where I am. Catch up to me…”
A small breeze passed between them, moving their hair and clothes.
To Noah, those words felt like something much greater than what Belle had probably intended: a clear, tangible goal, something to strive toward every day he spent inside that endless castle.
‘Is this really happening? Did Belle really just say that to me?’
He analyzed Belle’s expression, searching for a hint of a joke. Maybe she was just playing with him and would laugh afterward, but she looked at him seriously, her chin raised.
His heart raced.
His eyes looked at her with even greater admiration. He had been captivated by every word Belle had spoken.
Perhaps as a way of trying to sound like someone impressive, a fake mask to live up to those words, Noah played the role of someone different and replied:
“I’ll reach you on the five-hundredth floor.”
Belle’s crimson eyes lit up. Her expression didn’t change in front of Noah, but internally, those words affected her much more than she expected. Though she would never admit it.
Belle simply turned around and returned inside her mansion. Noah watched her back disappear with admiration. He still didn’t know for certain what feelings he had for her, but he would not ignore the request she had made.
‘The famous Belle Snow, known as a solo Hunter who achieved everything on her own. I’ll definitely stand at her level. Someone worthy of standing beside her.’