“I have picked up their scent, Master! I will accept your praise now!”

  “Great job, Naga, but tell me where to go!”

  After having run towards the cave’s exit, the snake companion kept her promise and tracked the party members.

  “What kind of praise is that, master?! Should I not tell you about the Nightmare Creatures near our prey?! Hiss!”

  “What?! You should’ve mentioned that sooner! I’ll praise you all you want later, just point me in the right direction!” Somnu, mouth half-agape, realized a moment later. “And don’t call them prey! They are our friends!”

  “Hmph, fine, master. I will await that time with high expectations. Head south.” Naga turned in the direction she was implying.

  “Thank you!”

  “Caaw! I see something in the distance!”

  While Fala kept an eye out from the air, recalling her clones, the scarecrow carrying Naga cut through the dense and humid fog covering the grotesque swamp around. At the speed he was going, he almost tripped on massive serpentine roots sticking out of the ground, and came close to stepping into some damp footings that likely were natural quicksand traps.

  “!”

  Then finally, Somnu glimpsed a few figures in the distance as he ran towards them.

  A green-skinned, scaly lizardman was jumping around, constantly reaching into the leather wrappings around his arms and instantly reloading his trusty slingshot. He made good use of whatever ammo he had just obtained from his hidden storage. His arms moved with unnatural speed, likely due to his [Quickdraw Combat] skill.

  His yellow and red eyes were glowing, darting around, searching for the next prey to shoot down. Thankfully, his padded leather vest and the rest of his outfit were supported by metal buckles and straps, holding everything in place as he moved. Only his dark gray hood flapped in the wind along with his heavy-looking tail.

  From one massive serpentine root, to a thick branch, to the ground… Mathros was jumping using his [Terrain Adaption] to keep up with his enemies. Usually, he wouldn’t have much trouble, but using his [Wind Blessing] he was keeping a small swirling tornado in the middle of the battlefield, housing another two blurry figures.

  “Mathros! I’m here!” Finally getting within ear shot, Somnu summoned his ranked-up double-edged sickles, Eclipsed Requiem, and got ready to join the battle too. He could feel the strong wind current pulling everything in.

  “Somnu?! Stay back!”

  “?!”

  Just as the lizardman, and the captain of the party, called out, Somnu had already stepped into the battlegrounds, a wide space between three massive trees blocking the sky and its emerald moonlight. The only thing around were the giant serpentine roots, and on them, countless Nightmare Creatures were hanging upside down by their long, sinuous double tails.

  Scruffy, teal-colored fur covered their bodies from their feet, to their four arms and the two heads sticking out of their shoulders. The familiar crimson eyes were glowing above the fanged maws, dripping with saliva and hot steam.

  “Oo-oo-aah-ahh!!”

  Monkeys?! Somnu questioned his eyes, at first at what he was witnessing, but then…

  “What the-”

  ““Master?!””

  Somnu’s vision suddenly blurred, the ground itself distorting and beginning to float around him. The entire world as he knew it was being flipped upside down, as if he was invited into a different, inverted reality.

  Even both Fala and Naga got completely disjointed the moment they got into range.

  Dammit… A new active fear is being enhanced…! Somnu squinted his eyes, ignoring the rising headache behind them. The usual symptoms began to appear; heavy breaths, unstoppable sweating, the piercing tightness in his stomach… He pushed them all down. Where is the enemy…? I need to at least kill one quickly!

  “Shit! Don’t move, I’ll be right there-!”

  “Ugh!”

  CRASHHH!!

  “Graa-uh-uh!! Graa-uh-uhhh!!”

  Somnu slammed face first into the nearest tree trunk, with the same width of a building. The throbbing in his back overwhelmed anything he was feeling on the front side.

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  They’re too fast! They come out of nowhere while my vision is completely messed up! Somnu readjusted himself and activated his skills. Even if I can’t see them, what matters is that they can see me!

  [You have unequipped your Dream Catcher {Grudgekeeper}]

  [Hollow Gaze!] [Feral Instinct!]

  “Graa?!”

  “Krr?!”

  “What…?”

  Mathros stood in complete bewilderment, watching all the monsters suddenly scatter into the grotesque swamp, riding the closest root they could hop on.

  A moment later, Somnu’s vision returned to normal as he clothed himself again.

  Going naked every time to strengthen my personal skills is quickly becoming a habit… He pinched the inner corners of his eyes, then rubbed them slightly before opening them again. Thankfully, using [Hollow Gaze] with both [Fated Terror] and [Naked Prince] seems to be enough to scare off low level specters at my current rank…

  “Somnu, was that you? Why did they-?”

  “It’s an intimidation skill, I expect they will be back soon.” Somnu walked up to Mathros, nodding his head slightly. A corner of his mouth rose up. “I’m glad I found you two before you wandered off further away. Are you safe?”

  “Glad to see you too, but I’ll leave the questions for later!” Mathros nodded back and quickly rushed towards the now disappearing tornado in the middle. “Lulu, are you okay?”

  “!”

  Just as the last wind current revealed the previous blurry scene inside, Somnu’s narrowed his eyes. Lulu had her eyes completely shut, her entire fur-covered body shivering in place. She had been holding onto the remains of her kinsman, Benji, as if refusing to let the monsters near him.

  Crow-Shit… She probably had an active fear being enhanced too… Somnu pushed his lips together then looked up at his circling companion in the air. Without saying anything, he simply gestured with two fingers to his eyes.

  “Caaw!”

  Fala, receiving the message, split into more clones and flew out of sight.

  “Hiss!”

  Turning to the side where he felt Naga’s line of sight on him, she similarly turned into countless clones of herself using the new skill [Serpent’s Slither] and scattered in all directions.

  Somnu needed to make sure no one would interrupt what was coming next.

  “Lulu, they are gone…”

  Mathros gently tapped the bunny girl’s shoulder, making her shudder in place with a “Pii!” sound escaping her lips.

  “...”

  Slowly, she raised her head, but kept her long ears tilted. Looking around, no more traces of the monsters could be seen anywhere.

  “!”

  Instead, Lulu noticed the one who went after Benji’s killer. He had returned with what looked like minor injuries, and for some reason…

  “What happened to you…?” She asked, stumbling to her feet.

  She wouldn’t stop shivering, despite the natural protective layer bunnies had on their bodies. Perhaps the black top accentuating her athletic frame and leaving her midriff bare to the breeze wasn’t helping. Not to mention the deep plum high shorts, reinforced only with a belt around her waist and black straps criss crossing over her muscular thighs. Her bunny feet were left bare, not that any normal shoes could fit them.

  The two pink braids behind her hung low behind her back. Her white and pink fur was stained with the blood of her kinsman, while her shaking eyes were red and swollen. Her previously torched arms from the Dreadbeast were now healed, but it looked like some scars would be permanent… The ones on the outside, as well as on the inside.

  What happened to me? It’s you I’m worried about… Wait, I’m fully clothed right?! Somnu raised an eyebrow then immediately looked down at himself. She can’t be talking about-

  “What happened, Somnu? You seem different.” Mathros stepped closer, taking Lulu’s side in front of their friend. Without realizing it, he reached for his neck and traced his scar, sitting just above the necklace of rocks and bones. “Did you find Almon?”

  “...” Somnu lowered his gaze, then closed his eyes for a second. I should’ve made a decision before reuniting with them. How am I supposed to explain everything that happened…? The rank up of my Hollow Core is somehow noticeable for one. They also believe Almon himself killed Benji, should I really complicate things here…? Wouldn’t telling them the truth force them to get involved with John Doe too…?

  The other two waited patiently for their friend to explain, but after a few silent moments passed, they exchanged a quick look, confusion in their eyes.

  “Somnu, whatever it is… Just say it.” The lizardman walked forward and reached out for his friend’s shoulder. “!”

  However, Somnu took a step away from them, his hands stretched out in front of him.

  “Wait, sorry…” He blurted out, his mind going in circles still. What are they going to think when they find out I killed Almon? That I’m a killer now too? They never asked me to kill him, they don’t know my history with John Doe or the grinning skull symbol… Will I lose the first real friends I made after such a long time…?

  “Screw this!”

  “?!”

  “Lulu, wait!”

  “Why are you hesitating, dammit?!” The bunny girl cried out, sauntering over and grabbing Somnu by Grudgekeeper’s toothy collar. Slamming him against the nearest root, she got in his face, her own face twisted into a frown. “Benji is dead! It’s clear that something happened, so spit it out! We deserve to know!”

  “...”

  Somnu turned his head to the side, narrowing his eyes for a second before closing them. Then, another moment later, he opened them again and looked directly into Lulu’s eyes.

  “!”

  “You’re right, whatever the consequences, I don’t want to lie to you guys.” He affirmed, his purple eyes shimmering slightly. “I’ll come clean.”

  I’ll share the truth. For you, for Benji…

  For myself.

  “I killed Almon.”

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