25 24. Where parallel lines meet

"What do you mean someone entered into the town, didn't you get the order to close it off?" Sven screamed at the guards who stood at the entrance to the Fledplains. "Truly incompetent."

"Calm down, Sven," Halo reassured, her two dogs running into the Fledplains. "Who exactly did you let in? Did you see their ranks?"

"One of them was a diamond, one was gold and the other's were silver." The guard responded, his head down. "I take full responsibility for everything, I put my hope in them. My wife... My wife is in the town,"

"Do you know what any of them look like?" Halo asked.

"One had a mask, it was like a demon mask of some kind." Immediately the guard spoke, Hiakam turned to him, knowing that it was the guy from the guild earlier.

"After we're done, quit your jobs. Fucking Idiots." Sven grunted, pushing the guard away as they walked into the town.

"Still an Unknown, it took five members of the faction to kill one of them and the faction should be above the rankings of the guild. Do you really think we stand a chance?"

"Let's hope it targeted the others, best case scenario we can use them as bait while we strike from behind." Halo suggested, gesturing as they walked.

"You've never been one for valor, have you?" Hiakam muttered.

"Discretion is the better part of valor." Halo quoted, a smug look on her face.

"Aristotle?"

"Shakespeare!" She corrected.

"Can you two shut up?" Sven demanded, trying to think.

"Sure, Sure. Third leader." Hiakam mocked and Sven turned back, pressing him.

"You're well aware I'm the one most suited for the task, Micah is an undependable weakling. Only the guild leader knows why he keeps selecting him."

"That or maybe he's just better than you." Hiakam pointed out.

"I don't care if we're teammates, Hiakam." Sven gripped his sword's sheath. "You might have a manifest but trust me, I'll kill you before you even open it."

"Wanna test that theory out?" Hiakam cracked his fingers.

"Enough, both of you," Halo instructed, hand to her ear. "The dogs discovered something, the Unknown is in a battle, at the ice rink!"

They swiftly dashed towards the Ice Rink, but before covering half the distance, they witnessed a massive wolf being hurled into a nearby mountain to their left. Though the culprit remained unseen, two barriers appeared, accompanied by a blinding flash of light and the entire ground shaking.

The snow and wind were forced in their direction, as something exploded near the location they had seen the giant wolf thrown toward, while they had it in the back of their minds, they tried disproving it.

The ground shook, earthquakes calling out to the core of their world and slowly they thought: Was that the Unknown? was that possible? there was no way that was possible. Until they saw the notification.

[System Wide Notification, Broadcasted to all players.]

[Hajun has killed The Unknown- Silver Fang.]

[Time: 2,49.]

"No way right? THE Hajun? As in HAJUN the Condemned?" Halo pondered as the ground slowly stopped shaking.

"He has to be the masked man," A smirk appeared on Hiakam's face. "Do you know what that means?"

"Hajun has joined the Faction," Sven reported, rushing towards the crater where the explosion unfolded.

"Surely, you don't believe that," Halo questioned before whistling, summoning two dogs beside her instantly.

"No one can take down an Unknown by themselves, not even Hajun. Besides, if he wasn't with the faction, he'd have fled. I know you're a fan, Halo, but let it go," Sven sighed as they reached the crater.

"It's empty," Hiakam observed.

"No shit, Sherlock." Halo rolled her eyes before sniffing the air. "I can feel the Unknown's lingering mana, it was definitely killed here."

"That's how I'll become the second leader, how I'll overcome Micah and finally be looked at by Loki." Sven blurted out and they both turned to him confused. "Guys, we're going on a hunt."

"For what?" Halo inquired, observing Sven as he walked away.

"The Greatest player of all time."

Erra kindled a fire in the midst of Winterglaides' chilly weather, attempting to bring warmth to their surroundings. Harvey remained unconscious, displaying a level of fatigue and injury she had never seen before.

As the night unfolded, a snowstorm enveloped the area, causing the small shack they sought refuge in to shudder. Erra observed the structure's trembling, the fire she had lit almost dying and with swift action, she channeled her mana into the fire, transforming it into an undying blaze.

Gently cradling Harvey's head in her lap, Erra tenderly stroked his white hair. Looking at him, she decided to unveil his face, attempting to remove his mask. Harvey stirred slightly, prompting Erra to proceed with caution and reveal only his lips. She studied him intently, leaning in until her lips nearly touched his.

Ever since Harvey had taken her in, Erra harbored feelings for him. Though she wished to confess, she hesitated, not wanting to complicate their relationship, especially considering his quest for vengeance against those responsible for his past lover's death.

Although he briefly mentioned his deceased lover, Harvey never fully delved into the details of their relationship. Despite her feelings, Erra questioned her actions, pulling away and shaking her head. "What am I doing?" She sighed.

"Still," Erra brushed away Harvey's white hair, shifting the mask downward, covering his jaw. Shee had caught glimpses of his face before, and each time left her flustered. "One day, maybe he and I..."

Bark.

Bark.

Erra quickly peered through the openings in the shack's walls, utilizing her keen sight to spot two dogs outside. Dogs in this frigid weather? Their thick coats seemed suitable, but it raised questions. "Perhaps there's a nearby village," She pondered, yet an oddity caught her attention.

Her ears perked up, alert above her head. Hastily, Erra extinguished the fire, submerging the shack in total darkness that blended seamlessly with the cold night.

Footsteps and synchronized breathing reached her ears, prompting her to carefully place Harvey's head on the ground. She closed the shack's door behind her as she exited, while there was no definite indication that the nearby individuals were after her, the earlier howls of the dogs hinted at a connection with the Azure.

She blended into the night, burrowing under the snow as she watched the footsteps approach, her eyes slowly inverted, getting used to the night and adapting. "They should be close by."

"Sure your dogs didn't find a dead mouse?" Hiakam spoke, his clothing familiar. She had seen him somewhere before.

"Even so, tracking down Hajun feels surreal. I remember facing him in a tournament, he wiped out my entire squad using basic-level equipment," Halo shared.

"I remember that, it that made the front page of an article," Hiakam chuckled, clutching his stomach. "Top five female player gets squad wiped by a solo player."

"Go ahead, have your laugh, loser."

"Quiet," Sven interjected, crouching down and observing two sets of footprints.

"Hunting my master?" Erra growled softly, her fangs protruding through her mouth. Slowly, she unsheathed her Marsh dagger. They might've been members of Scorpion Talon but she'd kill of them if it came down to it.

"There's a shack over there," Halo pointed out. "It smells smoky."

"Bingo." Sven stood up, unsheathing his weapon as he walked toward the shack.

Erra's father was a magic connoisseur, and her mother dabbled in the craft as well. Though she hadn't spent a lot of time with them, she knew the spells they owned. If she could use them, it meant they were no longer. She exhaled.

Sven placed his hands on the doorknob of the shack. Before prying it open, the sky lit up with a fireball being sent toward them. Quickly, Sven threw his sword at the fireball, his blade dispelling its mana immediately upon contact. "Hajun?" Halo inquired as she grabbed a stiletto from her waist.

"The fireball was weak. It couldn't have come from someone who killed an Unknown," Hiakam pointed out, adjusting his gauntlets.

Quickly, Hiakam dashed toward the location the fireball had come from. But as soon as he arrived, the snow rose, triggering an earth spell. Stone pillars swiftly emerged, crashing into each other with him in the middle.

"Frost Magic: Ice Breaker." A tear fell down her cheek as she cast the spell, it was her mother's.

A large chunk of snow froze, forming a giant iceberg that was swiftly hurled toward Halo, whom Erra had noticed to be the weakest out of the group. "Defend," Halo muttered, and two dogs rushed in front of her, clawing at the iceberg and breaking through it.

"Stop playing these games!" Sven dashed toward Erra, finally grabbing her and tossing her away, unknowingly toward the shack. "A silver tag?"

"From Roosevelt?"

"What's a guild member doing attacking another guild member?" Sven inquired, his sword materializing in his hand.

"Why are you hunting Hajun?" Erra screamed out, standing up.

"That's none of your business, Silver," Hiakam retorted, walking toward her, rocks falling off his hair. "What are you doing here?"

"I won't let you harm him!" Erra spread her arms out, blocking the shack.

"I'm assuming Hajun's in there," Halo remarked.

"Oh, I remember you, you're the slave that was next to him in the guild. He's in there, right?" Hiakam dashed toward the shack, a large smile on his face. "I told him his luck would run out eventually!"

Hiakam barged through, charging toward Erra with intent to destroy the entire shack in one hit. While they needed the core Harvey gained from killing the Unknown, they could always pry it from his corpse.

As Hiakam made contact with Erra, before his arm could properly touch her skin, a hand grabbed his, and he looked upward, gazing at the masked man from the guild. However, something felt off, he wasn't as strong as he was in their earlier encounter.

"I have... no business with you all," Harvey muttered, sweating. He still couldn't use his mana or innate technique with his stamina dropping each second he stood, the repercussion of using his manifest. "Please, leave."

"Oh, but we have business with you!" Hiakam declared, overpowering Harvey.

Harvey materialized his Volt daggers into his hands, slouching as he did. "This doesn't need to get any worse than it already is."

"But it must!" Hiakam exclaimed, his voice echoing. "I've been waiting for this moment for so long!"

Halo and Sven quickly dashed out of harm's way, exchanging sighs. Something felt off, an abrupt surge of mana emanated from Hiakam, catching him off guard. Harvey turned to see Hiakam extending his hand and in the next instant...

"Manifest: Moon Veiled Sanctuary!"