"What do you mean, 'they're gone'?!"

"I mean, they're gone. Disappeared. As in, 'not there where they are supposed to be'. Come on sis, you're nowhere near old enough to be senile yet, especially with Grandfather's genes in your veins."

"Blue, I swear to god, if you don't explain yourself right now, I'm going to carve the skin off your face and make you wear it as a hat."

"Fine, fine. I went to their house, bringing them their meds as you asked — which, by the way, was an absolute chore in this rain — and when I opened their room, the bed was empty."

"Are you sure? They weren't in the building at all, or maybe somewhere else in Pallet?"

"Well, Delilah is frantically searching the house and calling up the usual places right now, but given that the storm has closed most of the bars in town and the fact it's these two idiots we are talking about, I think we can safely assume they have left the settlement."

"God fucking dammit, I'm going to put those two morons on the cross when they get back! What the hell were they thinking?!"

"That's assuming they get back alive at all. Considering the last mess those two somehow found themselves in the middle of, I'm not betting on their chances… Ow! Daisy, I was joking! Relax!"

"Relax?! After that last fiasco that those two pulled?! And considering Red's unstable condition? This isn't a laughing matter!"

"I assure you I'm treating the situation as seriously as it deserves… Which isn't much, considering it concerns our resident immortal cancer patient and the eldritch pet he found in the proverbial dumpster of reality…"

"Where could they have even gone in this weather? That idiot boy would know better than to frolic in those cursed storms… We have to find them now, before they get involved in another national incident."

"It's only been a few hours, Sis. Seriously, how much trouble could those two cause in that time?"

"..."

"... Yeah, I know. You don't have to give me that look. I'll go call Grandfather, then…"


Chapter 2: The Alluring Siren of Danger

Her words made me freeze. My mind briefly pondered on the implications of what I'd just heard. Alone and wounded. One of those traits would have been dangerous for anyone to have in these forests. Two would be a death sentence. The inhabitants would soon smell his weakness and devour him alive. I asked her which direction he was in.

"North."

I didn't bother asking her how far. Her sensory range was a little over two miles, and I knew she would have notified me the first moment she had sensed this man's presence. Likewise, she didn't bother asking me if I would help him, as she knew I would go regardless of the possible dangers. I began running.

It took twenty minutes before I found the man. My psychic potency was nowhere near my companion's, and the forest terrain made moving quickly difficult. She had to mentally nudge me in the right direction a few times when I had begun to veer off course, all while warding off any dangerous predators that got too curious about my loud movements. It was only after I came within two hundred meters of his location that I was able to psychically sense his fading presence, along with several other inhuman ones that were creeping toward him.

"He is badly wounded. I shall drive the scavengers away. Focus on saving him."

I emerged into a small clearing. The air smelled heavily of blood and antiseptics. The man sat on the forest floor leaning against the base of a large and twisted tree, with sprawling roots arching high above the soil. His body was badly mangled, with multiple lacerations on his bare chest and a swollen leg. A bloodied and torn olive uniform lay next to him, along with a backpack that had several of its contents spilling out. I eyed a used first aid kit among the mess, noting the military design and League insignia.

Blood poured from his chest as he struggled futilely to stem the bleeding with hastily applied bandages and Med gel. His breathing was slow, and getting weaker by the second. The man's face was unnaturally pale, his eyes glazed and unfocused — the look of a dying man.

I did not know the individual, but looking at his attire, I knew what he represented. If the reinforced uniform or the distinctive curved knife gripped tightly in his right hand didn't give him away, the red beret hooked to his belt instantly did— a Ranger Sergeant.

"He is fading. Act quickly."

Distantly, the sounds of combat reached me as some of the beasts got too close. Angry snarls and agitated chitters filled the air, before being abruptly replaced by cries of alarm, followed by complete silence. I trusted my companion to handle them and tended to the man.

His breathing picked up when he heard my footsteps, and the grip on his knife tightened as he tried to sit up. Half-blinded by a gush on his forehead, he could barely see me at all. The look in his eyes was wild and unfocused, and I couldn't help but be curious as to what had left a hardened ranger so badly wounded and afraid. Keeping an eye on the blade, I placed a hand on his shoulder and gently pushed him back down, telling him to relax. He did when he realised that I was a fellow human and not a beast, letting out a sigh of relief.

I took a quick glance at his wounds and knew that if I did not address them soon, he would be lost. His wounds desperately required to be cleaned again, and the bandages needed to be redressed. Otherwise, the infection would likely kill him even if the blood loss did not. I told him not to move or talk, and quickly ran through his belongings, taking inventory of what he had on hand that I could use.

My companion kept me updated on my surroundings as I worked. All the nearby beasts were dealt with, either driven away or into the ground. She had tried searching the surrounding area, but sensed nothing unusual and was unable to detect any other human presence. Rangers always worked in at least groups of three when patrolling, so the fact that she couldn't sense any other humans within a two-mile radius was concerning.

There were numerous possibilities, but I shut them out of my mind for now. My priority was to ensure the survival of this man. Details could be questioned later, once he was stabilized. I trusted my companion to protect us as I focused entirely on mending the man in front of me. The hastily wrapped bandages were removed, and his wounds were cleaned with a cloth and water from his canteen. Once that was done, a generous amount of the ranger's standard-issue Med-spray gel was applied—a combination of disinfectant, anaesthetic, and clotting agents. Once the spray settled in, the bandages were re-applied.

Poorly made as his original dressing was, it likely saved his life. Combined with the gel, it had helped stem the blood loss long enough for me to still arrive in time. The bleeding was just but one of his injuries, however, albeit the most pressing one. I noted several more severe bruises and cuts across his body and dealt with those the best I could to prevent infection and ease the pain.

Other than the large laceration on his chest, the other major noticeable wound was his badly mangled right leg. After spending some time looking for a suitable stick, I managed to make a passable splint for him. Hopefully, it would save his leg, but I highly doubted it. Unless he received some intensive treatment, the man's running days were likely over.

Once it was all done, I took his canteen and carefully poured him a drink. He sighed in relief as the water trickled into his mouth. "Thanks, kid. You're a godsend. Wasn't sure if my emergency signal managed to get anyone. The transponder was hit pretty hard a while back. Thought I was done for."

I glanced at the transponder at his side. The thing looked intact, but the screen was dead. Among other essential functions, the multipurpose device also acted as a trainer's lifeline, designed to send out a distress signal when needed. It was unlikely to be transmitting the beacon it was supposed to. I would have to check it later to know for sure.

Still, it was a reasonable assumption for the ranger to make that it was still functional. After all, I had found him, and the most logical way anyone could have done that was by picking up the emergency signal. All things considered, it was best not to tell him the truth, considering the mountain of issues that would emerge. Such as explaining my psychic abilities, my unrestricted and very dangerous illegal psychic companion, and the extremely damning fact that I was currently not in possession of any device capable of picking up a distress signal, something that should be impossible for anyone qualified to be out in these woods. Instead, I asked what had happened to him.

"It was supposed to be just a routine patrol," he told me. "We had reports of more activity than usual, so we came here to check things out. The rangers from before had already scouted this area dozens of times in the past. We knew which places to avoid, and where the more dangerous beasts like to stay. We didn't expect any trouble."

A flash of fear briefly came over his eyes. "Damned monster caught us off-guard. Ambushed us. We never stood a chance," he spat out angrily.

I asked what attacked him, and when he told me, I could not keep the disbelief off my face. I told him that it should be impossible. This close to winter, such a beast like that would have begun hibernating at least a month ago.

"You're not wrong," he agreed with me. "But I swear it's the truth. The beast wasn't a trained one, either. It fought like a feral, and we didn't see anyone giving orders. The only reason I survived was because I was thrown from the battle when that thing's claws brushed against my jacket in the fight."

I looked at the torn ranger jacket at his side. The reinforced armour saved him from what should have been a fatal blow, but didn't do much to curb the force of the attack. In a way, he was lucky to be thrown away from only a glancing slash. There was a haunted look on his face as he continued. "Broke my leg in the fall, along with more than a few ribs. It didn't bother looking for me afterwards, just carried the rest of my team away. Couldn't chase it even if I wanted to. Most likely, it will bring them back to its lair for feeding."

"Once I realised the beast wasn't coming for me, I turned on my transponder and did my best to patch myself up. That was about an hour ago, though. Didn't have much hope help was going to make it. Hells, I didn't even know if my transponder was still working," he hacked out a bloody cough. "But you're here now. Guess I got a little luckier than the rest."

I pondered over what he said. I was still a little sceptical over his story, but the circumstances point to the truth in his words. Firstly, he was a ranger. His status as an individual trained to deal with dangerous situations naturally gives him additional credibility over a random civilian. Secondly, the wound on his chest and the damage inflicted on his reinforced jacket match the description of the beast that he would have fought. Thirdly, my wanderings had pointed out signs of a strange disturbance in the forest, which made it more plausible for such an unlikely event to occur, as whatever this disruption was could have also awoken the slumbering beast.

In any case, my opinion of him had raised a notch. Surviving such an encounter was no small feat, even if luck had played a large part in it. I asked him where the beast's lair was. Rangers regularly marked out the locations of dangerous areas during their patrols. The den of such a beast would be no exception. Given that this was a regularly surveyed area, the rangers would have likely found and marked out its possible location by now.

"Northeast", he said, as he shakily pulled out a map from his jacket. "Right here, you see it? We marked the hovel a few months back after it moved in." He pointed to a location marked out with a red circle among several others. A few miles away, up some distance on a nearby mountain. For a beast like that, it would be an easy climb even when carrying two bodies.

For me, it would take far too long, especially with night falling and doubly so in my current condition. Once the sun goes down, it would be impossible to traverse those cliffs. The injured ranger must know by now that even if help arrived, his companions were likely beyond saving. They would not survive the night in the beast's cave.

The man's consciousness was waning, the blood loss and exhaustion finally taking their toll. I asked him if his companions were still alive when last he saw them. He was silent for a moment before he spoke, his voice grim and tired.

"They were badly wounded, and last I saw, both were unconscious when the beast took them. Not sure if they were knocked out or dead, though," he said despairingly. "If they are still alive, they would be at death's door."

He didn't ask me to save them, as I knew he wouldn't. I was alone, after all, and this was a task that would take at least a fully armed team of rangers. But there was a pleading glint in his eyes as he looked at me. I told him to sleep, and that I would take care of the rest. I saw a glint of hope return briefly before his exhaustion finally caught up to him and he passed out. I shifted him to a more comfortable position before standing up, looking towards the mountain where he had marked out the burrow.

"Whatever you are thinking, don't."

I couldn't help but scoff, mentally replying that I thought she knew me better by now than to waste her efforts at persuading me off from danger. There was still some time before sundown. Since we have the exact location, it would be a simple matter to warp up to the cave, grab the two injured but hopefully alive rangers, bring them back here, and then make it back home before our caretaker, Delilah, realises we were gone. My companion would have to stay here, of course, since leaving the injured ranger alone would be a death sentence. That meant I would have to rescue those two by myself.

"And the beast?"

A minor inconvenience.

"Yes, a monster capable of tearing you in two with a single swipe of its claw is a minor inconvenience. A beast that just took out an entire team of rangers."

I smiled in a mix of genuine humour and an emotion I couldn't describe. Because it was the truth. My companion was not wrong, per se. Such a beast was extremely dangerous. It took on three rangers, albeit by surprise, and yet still came out the victor. The rangers were armed with military training, experience, equipment, and even beasts of their own. And yet they were slaughtered like pigs and taken back to the monster's lair for eating. I had none of the things these rangers had.

And yet it wasn't the worst opponent that I had faced — Far from it. Indeed, even calling this beast a minor inconvenience was perhaps giving it too much credit. I can almost physically feel my companion's exasperated sigh as she prepared the Distortion tunnel. A few feet in front of me, the ground shivered. The air before me twisted into dark space, forming a perfect circle for me to step into. The surrounding forest immediately grew dimmer, the air colder, as both warmth and light were being sucked into the gaping blackness of the portal.

"It can still kill you if you are careless. So for the love of god, don't be careless. The last thing I want is to bring your worthless corpse back to the Professor again."

I mentally sent my thanks. Before I approached the portal, I took a flare gun along with a single round that I had found in the ranger's backpack. I told her I would signal her to get me when I was done.

I walked over to the swirling black hole in the ground. Despite taking the trip so many times, looking into the Void always sent a thrill down my spine. An unnatural emptiness of non-space; an abyss so deep that your instincts couldn't help but scream at you to stay away.

And yet, I always took the plunge. Because there were people to save. Because my pride cannot be denied. But above all else, it was because the darkness of the Void had been my prison for far too long, and I didn't have the luxury of being afraid of it any more.

I leapt, and for a moment, I knew no more.


Rangers

Rangers are the long-ranged scouts and wilderness experts who serve as the eyes and ears of the League. They patrol far from the safety of the Green Zones, often spending long periods out in the untamed wild lands, keeping watch on the activities of dangerous beasts and monster colonies.

They are often regarded as one of the largest branches of the League's military (if one those not count the civilian militia the League can conscript at a moment's notice), second in size only to the Indigo Navy. Their regiments are composed of trainers from all walks of life, but prospective frontline and combat recruits must be battlers with at least three badges under their name.

Their ranks are split between the rookie Green Berets, the seasoned Red Berets, and the veteran Black Beret Hunters. Though their skill sets and specialisations differ, a Black Beret is often treated as a force bearing equivalent power to an Elite Battler — a trainer who carries at least six badges.

Their primary role is to ensure the relative safety of the most commonly traversed Routes between Green Zones and Human settlements. However, experienced Ranger teams are also given the roles of exploring hidden valleys, digging through collapsed cave sections in mountains and underground tunnels, and even scaling new mountainsides in search of threats, possible new pathways, and resource-rich locations for the League to exploit. This scouting is vital, as information regarding the vast, untamed wilderness is essential for the governing Lords and Gym Leaders to strategise and make plans for developing their area of responsibilities.

If possible, Ranger teams will hunt down and dispose of lone monsters or ambush small packs of growing hordes to cull danger levels, but the more deadly creatures or larger swarm colonies are to be left well alone until a League Competitor or Gym Leader can deal with the issue safely.

Rangers often operate from secluded outposts and remote bases. Often isolated far from any human settlement or League reinforcements, their role is a dangerous one, but nonetheless vital to the many trainers and caravan traders that traverse the Routes they safeguard.


AN:

Apologies for the delay. Thanks for reading. The next Chapter will be next Friday.