Valon stood behind a big bush and observed the village in front of him. With his M.A.D. and helmet on standby, he carefully examined the area for any indication of his main objective. Using the enhanced vision feature in his helmet, he zoomed in to search for any potential clues, but he had not found anything yet. He had been scanning the village for six minutes and was starting to feel frustrated due to the lack of results.

Six minutes wasn't really long but if one was in a place of great uncertain risk, those six minutes would've already been a death sentence. Perhaps a 'death sentence' was a bit of an exaggeration but it felt like that to Valon, especially if that place was somewhere he absolutely did not want to visit again.

It was bad enough that he had to avoid the patrolling elves from outside the village's perimeter but he had to constantly move to a different spot just to scan the place to avoid the possibility of getting caught. The radar and motion sensors that his helmet provided did prove convenient for him and made this task more bearable. At least he could assess how far the village's inhabitants were and make a move when necessary.

It was interesting to think that maybe the ambiance coming from the village may or may not have a direct effect on the technician's state of mind if it wasn't already broken enough from his previous experiences. And unlike any of the other places he recently revisited, this was the only place where Valon had to hide himself from the inhabitants.

For the past few hours since he left Luka and Alice, Valon came to realize how dumb he was in forgetting the option to talk to other people. He acknowledged that he wouldn't really engage in conversations with other people due to his goal of lessening his involvement in this world. But after considering how paradoxical his decisions were, he figured that it wouldn't hurt to just ask other people or NPCs from the game about his brother.

He was still having conflicting feelings about all of this and after parting ways with the hero and the lamia, he was in a state of complete disarray. He didn't know what to do next or how to make a proper plan if he ever got separated from the main characters, which greatly affected his mental state.

But through desperation, Valon was eventually able to regain some of his bearings and finally conceptualized a plan. At least with the absence of the hero and the lamia, Valon could actually focus on his primary mission. Although he was unsure about what the future held, he was certain that Luka would be able to handle things on his own.

"Please... Valon, d-don't leave me..."

Valon vigorously shook his head when he felt a painful sensation in his mind. The technician could still feel the devastating words of the sorrowful hero crushing his sanity as if it were haunting him. But he couldn't let it hold him down now, he had more important matters he needed to take care of.

So far, though, his plan was going nowhere. After leaving Luka and Alice, he decided to go back to the places he had already visited in the Ilias Continent. His first stop was Ilias Village, where he asked the locals if they had seen his brother. Valon initially didn't want to do this, but his desperation pushed him to talk to the villagers and even show them a picture of his brother. Luckily, he had a glossy paper with the photograph to let them know what his brother looked like.

After confirming that the locals were unaware of his brother's whereabouts, he continued his journey to other towns and villages. He remained vigilant during his trip to avoid any encounters with monsters. Upon arriving in Iliasburg, he began questioning the residents about his brother.

Some people in Iliasburg recognized Valon and greeted him, but he just humbly accepted their greetings, aware that he was not a hero. He spent the whole night talking to the locals, and fortunately, the innkeeper offered him a free stay at the Sutherland Inn. Valon initially thought it was too generous, but considering the potential danger of encountering monsters while sleeping, he eventually agreed to stay.

After leaving Iliasburg, Valon headed to Happiness Village to gather more information about his missing brother. He also visited Harpy Village, where he was treated as a hero by the harpies, but he chose to disregard their thoughts about him being a hero. Valon felt a sense of relief when he learned that the Queen Harpy was unavailable, not because they were on bad terms but because he didn't feel like meeting her at that moment.

Afterwards, Valon contemplated whether to visit the Irina Mountains or Enrika. Through deep analysis, he decided that he'd first go to Enrika as the Irina Mountains would take a longer time to search on. He would obviously visit Iliasport last as he didn't want to accidentally meet up with the hero right after he left him.

A soft but audible beeping noise caught his attention back to his radar. He could see a few red circles that were heading in his direction. He patiently waited to see if they would move closer but when he saw the red circles scatter back to the opposite direction, he remained in his current hiding spot. This was what he'd been doing ever since he got here in Enrika.

He didn't want to go back to this place but he had to be sure. It was tiresome to keep observing but he didn't exactly plan to talk to the inhabitants of this eerie village. He wasn't sure if it was wise to inquire straightforwardly, though it would probably be safer than sneaking through the settlement. And even if they told him that no one had seen his brother, would he trust them?

It wasn't like he thought that Enrika was filled with mysteriously suspicious people. Perhaps his frustration in regards to his fruitless search was just getting to his head. Or maybe it was the possibility of the inhabitants bringing him to Micaela since he was on a search mission. She would be the first person they'd contact in this situation after all. But the technician had absolutely no intentions of meeting her again for several reasons, though, if she had information about his brother...

Before Valon could think further, he noticed through his visor that there was a large figure approaching him. Unfortunately, he reacted too late and saw something quickly approaching from behind. In a reflex, he jumped away but tripped on something solid, causing him to roll on the ground.

Valon regained his composure and took a quick glance at the figure that had appeared in front of him. Although he couldn't see the figure clearly, he noticed the long burnt sienna hair and the clothing, which led him to assume it was a woman or something resembling one. Suddenly, Valon felt a presence behind him as his exoshield emitted a faint glow, indicating that it had made contact with something.

Before he knew what hit him, he was sent flying into the air a few seconds later. The impact from the ground was absorbed by his exoshield but he still felt it from inside the protective layering. He quickly got up, activating his gauntlets. He wanted to avoid a confrontation as much as possible but his instincts drove him to prepare for the worse.

"Wait... I don't want any trouble!" Valon implored, trying to alleviate the conflict. "I just want to—"

This time, Valon was able to react to his assailant's attack but it was still too fast. He instinctively raised his gauntlets to enhance his defense alongside his exoshield but he didn't have time to block or avoid another forceful attack as he once again found himself tumbling on the grass.

"I just want to talk!"

The technician was worried if the current scuffle he was in was making a lot of noise or if the commotion was attracting any attention from the locals. He was also worried about this mysterious lady who was attacking him. Valon didn't know if it was still wise to try and alleviate the situation by initiating a conversation or if it was worth the risk to incapacitate his assailant.

The woman appeared uninterested in conversation, and Valon was unsure if he could defeat her without alerting the village. While surrendering seemed tempting, he feared potential consequences that could impede his search for his brother. However, there was one concern that troubled him above all else amidst his current predicament.

Before he could analyze anything in his helmet, Valon felt a barrage of attacks on his exoshield. Somehow, he could see that the woman wasn't wielding any weapon and he could see her merely using physical attacks despite her incomprehensible movement speed.

Unfortunately for him, her attacks were too fast that they carried powerful amounts of force, enough to make him stagger inside his exoshield. What made the battle even more interesting was that despite the small area they were in, his assailant wasn't occupying a lot of space when attacking. He also wondered how the other inhabitants of Enrika hadn't heard or seen the commotion yet but he wasn't complaining.

Though, this led him to the conclusion that whoever this woman was, most likely knew what they were doing. She was too fast for him to see, her attacks were powerful enough that he could feel the impacts from inside his exoshield, and despite her fast and strong movements, they were calculated with precision to not make a lot of noise.

A hand swipe from his back knocked him to the ground again. Valon attempted to track her movement with his helmet but for some reason, he couldn't see anything in his radar or his motion sensors. He then surveyed his surroundings to find her but he could only spot traces of movements. He also didn't know how she was able to maintain this kind of speed.

He began to suspect that he was facing a formidable monster considering he was in Enrika, or perhaps she had been using strong magic to increase her speed and attacks. Just as he thought this, Valon felt something warm hit him and saw a burst of flames outside his protective forcefield. He quickly turned around and glimpsed the woman's fists, which were now engulfed in flames.

Fire magic... great...

The woman moved at great speeds as she continuously bombarded the technician with her fiery attacks. Valon kept his gauntlets raised throughout the onslaught. Even if the exoshield protected him from being burned, he could still feel the heat from the scorching flames.

The salvo of attacks suddenly stopped. The technician slightly lowered his gauntlets as he looked for any signs of the woman who was recently just tormenting him but he couldn't see her anywhere.

Suddenly, he noticed a purple mist enveloping him, which he believed was created by his assailant using magic. However, he was unsure of the mist's purpose and didn't experience any changes upon exposure. He deduced that his exoshield had likely protected him from any harmful effects the mist might have had.

Or maybe it's a distraction?

Valon's instincts heightened briefly, allowing him to swiftly block a fiery punch from the woman. By positioning his gauntlets correctly, he managed to withstand the force of the attack without stumbling. However, the woman vanished before him and promptly struck him from behind with another flame-powered attack, causing Valon to collapse once again.

"Please! I don't want to fight!" Valon called out desperately.

Valon noticed slight movements to his right through his visor. Despite his growing fatigue, he managed to quickly sidestep to dodge a fast punch and used his momentum to stand up straight. Valon then raised his gauntlets above his head and successfully blocked the attacks, as if he had anticipated the opponent's moves.

But the rest of her attacks were just as devastating as before as he still failed to block most of them. If it wasn't for his exoshield, he'd probably be crushed to a burnt pulp right now. As his exhaustion started to wear him down, he desperately reached for his belt, grabbing a foambomb. He wanted to at least reason with her but if she wouldn't listen to him, he'd have no choice but to run away.

"Look, I'm just trying to find my—"

But before Valon could finish his statement or even throw the bomb in his hand, he saw the woman in front of him burst towards him like a lightning bolt. Her movements were deathly silent as if there were shadowy afterimages behind her. Through this brief moment, though, he saw more of the woman's appearance. She had deep blue eyes and her burnt sienna hair was pulled back in a ponytail. Her most notable facial feature was the pale red scar that ran across her left eye.

Valon didn't have the time to register what had happened when he felt a literal electric shock coursing through him. The technician felt all of his energy leave him as he slowly collapsed to the ground.


"Ughh..."

Valon uttered a soft groan as he slowly woke up from the strange daze he was experiencing. His head wasn't in complete agony but the constant ringing noises that surrounded his senses irritated him. Eventually, his eyes managed to fully awaken, silently processing his environment.

At first, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Then his mind went haywire once he finally figured out what was wrong. He quickly acknowledged that he was presently wearing his collapsible helmet as it didn't take him long to see the standard user interface in his peripherals.

But the helmet wasn't what alarmed him but rather the fact that he couldn't move his arms. He reflexively looked below him and noticed that his legs were bound by some kind of rope. He didn't need to look behind him to know that his arms were also bound by the same coiling material. Acting on instinct, the technician tried to struggle out of his binds but the ropes refused to budge.

The technician realized that someone captured him and he surmised that whoever his captor was, they were smart enough to tie his hands behind the chair, fully restricting his hands from slipping free. His legs were also positioned near the legs of the chair where his feet were not touching the ground. Feeling the knot of the ropes from his limbs, they felt tight but not too restrictive that they were being crushed.

After failing to move his arms and legs, he quickly looked around for a way to escape. He definitely had no memory of being in the room he was in, but being tied to a chair gave him a clue about what had happened before he woke up. He started to remember the events leading up to his current situation, including his decision to explore the village and his encounter with a dangerously powerful woman.

Valon continued to look around him for anything that could help him in his current situation. He assumed that his captor wasn't as paranoid in keeping him somewhere more hidden like a basement because of the presence of windows around him. Unless those windows were also works of magic like some sort of illusion.

He looked around and saw ordinary objects like desks, shelves, vases, books, tables, and chairs. He also noticed tools like grass shears, a fishing rod, a hatchet, and a trowel hanging on the wall next to a big shelf. Valon then noticed a red barrel with a hazard symbol in the corner of his vision and wondered what was inside. However, he quickly became distracted when he realized his backpack was missing as he couldn't feel it from behind his back. Despite searching the room, he couldn't find it.

Ughhh... she most likely took it. Damn it! If she gets her hands on my stuff... I'm gonna be so dead...

"So you're finally awake."

Valon's senses instantly went on alert the moment he heard a voice. He stopped his frantic search for his missing backpack as he finally came face to face with his captor, immediately recognizing her. Alongside her familiar face was her attire composed of a maroon sleeveless crop top, a brown skirt, a pair of sandals, and black leather bracers on both of her arms.

She also looked physically fit and possessed a rather voluptuous figure. Despite her alluring appearance, though, her current demeanor was nowhere near charismatic. Her face held a stoic and serious gaze, similar to Micaela's, but the scar that ran across her eyes made her look more intimidating.

Valon recognized the woman confronting him as the same person who had severely harmed him when he was scouting the village. She was evidently a skilled fighter, possessing remarkable speed and proficiency in magic. Aware of her intimidating presence, Valon pondered on how to speak appropriately given the circumstances.

"You've got some nerve trespassing in our village, stranger."

Valon failed to say something when the woman initiated the conversation with a hostile remark. It wasn't a complete yell but the tone of her voice felt antagonistic and the technician suddenly felt all of his courage wash away.

"W-wait... I-I can explain! It's—"

Valon originally wanted to talk in a controlled and accommodating manner but the woman's tone made him genuinely terrified. Though she appeared mad, her face remained the same stoic expression, almost as if she was more disappointed than angry.

"I don't want to hear your excuses."

"P-please just hear me out—hhrghhh!"

The technician felt a strong pressure on his shoulders from the woman's hands, causing him to become rigid. Her silent but deadly expression made him feel as though all logic and reason had disappeared, realizing that she had the power to easily overpower him and was now dangerously close.

"Do you know what we do to people who enter our village without permission?"

It only came out like a whisper but even with his helmet on, he could feel enormous levels of animosity from her tone, as if death itself was physically whispering to him. The technician shivered intensely, his throat suddenly felt dry and hoarse. He wanted to continue pleading that he had no intentions of causing harm or trouble in the village but no words came out of his mouth.

Right now, he was thinking of numerous ways to break free but nothing came to mind. He was tied to a chair with a powerful individual keeping him in place. He couldn't access his M.A.D., his exoshield, his mini-bombs, or anything he could get his hands on because his arms and legs were restricted by the ropes that bound him. And even if he could break free and grab his weapons, what was he gonna do?

He was aware of her incredible speed and expertise in both physical combat and magic. While he could delay her with his mini-bombs, he was uncertain about how long they would keep her occupied. Valon didn't know if the woman had informed the village about his presence, leaving him unsure if numerous people were waiting for him outside. If one of the inhabitants was already as skilled in combat as this woman, how in the hell would he even stand up against an entire village of them?

"Did you hear what I said? I asked if you want to know what we do to people like you who trespass in our village."

Acting on fear, Valon lightly shook his head in response, to not provoke the woman any further.

"Simple, we kill them. Stab them, slice them up, or skin them alive. And if they happen to be men..."

Valon's fear and discomfort reached dangerous levels when the woman suddenly straddled his lap.

"Let's just say... those giant scissors over there aren't just for cutting grass."

The technician found her calm but cold whispery voice highly unsettling. It felt more disturbing that her facial expression never changed at all. There wasn't even an evil smirk, just an impassive expression.

A part of him found it unfair, that he wasn't even able to find any clues or pieces of evidence as to where his brother was and now his mission was most likely coming to an end. But a part of him also acknowledged that this was his fault. If only he was less paranoid with the villagers, he wouldn't be in this situation. Even if he hadn't thoroughly searched this place for his brother, he would probably still be alive.

But no, he acted in desperation. Interrogating Micaela about his brother, even if it meant a full-scale interaction or interference would be way better than this. But now he was left at the mercy of this emotionless but ruthless woman with no hope of ever escaping.

"Pftt... hahahaha!"

Valon was almost considering accepting his inevitable fate when a loud laugh caught him off guard. He noticed that the woman was no longer straddling him and was now laughing stridently in front of him.

"Oh man... you should've seen the look on your face!"

Valon's fears instantly transformed into utter confusion as he tried to process what the hell was happening. Why was the woman suddenly laughing?

"That scared face that you made was priceless! Ohhh, that was so good!" the woman's laughter slowly died down as she wiped a tear out of her eyes, probably from laughing too much.

When the woman noticed that the man's confusion was still apparent, she rolled her eyes in amusement.

"What? You really thought I did all that stuff? Well, not as much as before but I definitely never skinned anyone alive. I'm not that brutal."

The woman's serious gaze was gone and was instead replaced by a carefree haughty expression.

"But if you're into kinky shit like that, hey, I'm not against cutting your penis off. Though I imagine you'd be in miserable pain for the rest of your life..."

"What?" Valon was so utterly perplexed that he couldn't hold off his bafflement.

"I'm kidding, relax. What? Can't take a joke?" the woman smirked. "I swear, people these days are just so sensitive. Joke about some lunatic gutting people with an axe and they all get hurt and offended."

It took a moment for Valon to realize that he practically screamed. He was thankful that the woman hadn't done anything bad to him yet but even if he was still in a state of confusion, he couldn't let his guard down. The woman may have relaxed her demeanor a little but he still didn't trust her, not to mention, that her intentions weren't clearly explained yet.

The woman let out a quiet sigh before she went to get a chair for herself. She positioned the chair a few feet away from the man who was tied up and sat down, facing towards him. After an uncomfortable silence, she eventually spoke.

"What's your name?"

He was not surprised by the interrogation, but he couldn't help but be surprised by her sudden change in behavior. She had been cold and emotionless just moments ago, and now she seemed arrogant and mischievous. His fear had lessened, but his discomfort remained because apart from her haughty smirk, her eyes were gazing at him almost seductively.

"Valon."

He knew it was stupid but even with her behavioral change, the best thing to do at that moment was to comply. He knew very well what this woman was capable of. Even if her intimidation earlier was merely a jest, the last thing he wanted was to upset her. So if it meant he'd give away some of his personal information to her then he'd oblige.

"Valon, huh? Hmm... weird but it sounds nice, unique even. Valonnnn... cool name," the woman commented before continuing her statement. "So, Valon what business do you have here in Enrika?"

At least she's straight to the point...

"I don't know if you notice, but we don't just let anyone enter this village. We have... regulations for who and what are allowed to visit. I know it's strict but we're just following the chief's orders," the woman stated before gazing at Valon with a creepy grin. "But I thought you'd know that by now, considering you've already been here before."

It didn't take him a second to realize what the woman was talking about.

"Yes, I recognized you even with that odd headpiece you're wearing. You came here yesterday along with two other people and I'm pretty sure the chief didn't allow you and your friends to enter, otherwise, you wouldn't have left shortly."

This time, Valon was able to hide his fear. He did feel slightly annoyed that he didn't think of the possibility of being watched by one of the locals though.

"Perhaps you weren't listening that time? Or perhaps you were too busy looking at her chest."

What in the actual fuc—

"Heh, I can see how you'd find her attractive. Though, I'm not bad myself, wouldn't you agree?" the woman gazed at Valon salaciously, lifting her breasts to prove her point.

I am in Monster Girl Quest... this is normal in this world. But for crying out loud, I have no time for this.

"I-I... I'm just looking for my brother. I have no intention of causing any trouble to you or your village or to anyone living here," Valon finally had the courage to talk. "I know you probably don't believe me but it's the truth. I really am just looking for my brother. I've been traveling from different settlements here in the Ilias Continent to find him."

"So you're looking for your missing sibling. Look, even if he was here, I don't know what he looks like. We've never had anyone stumble across our village for a few weeks now except for the occasional merchants that travel here, and of course you three yesterday," the woman pointed out. "And where are your friends anyway? I couldn't see them anywhere around the area after I dealt with you."

"Oh... we went separate ways..."

"Uh-huh... likely story..." the woman's eyes became slightly narrowed which made Valon's fear return.

"It's true... we did separate because—"

"From what I can see, you were probably sent here by your buddies to spy on our village after our chief prohibited you, hmm?"

"What? N-no, that's not—"

"If you've been searching for your 'brother,' assuming he wasn't just missing yesterday, you could've just asked the chief when she approached you. Why'd you have to come back? What, you forgot to ask when you first got here? How can you forget to ask about your brother, if you're practically so worried about him?"

Valon was about to say something when he was cut off again.

"Because it looks like you're just giving an excuse. Sneaking to our village and just watching us from behind the bushes, thinking you're well-hidden, and then trying to talk your way out because you got caught. And now that you're trapped here, you're begging me to let you go with your made-up excuse about your missing sibling that you happen to forget to ask our chief about."

"I-it's not made up, I'm telling the truth! H-here, I can show you a photo of—"

Valon tried to grab a photo of his brother from his pocket but he realized that he couldn't move his arms because his hands were still bound.

"Tch. As if that would convince me."

"Wait, you have to believe me! I can show you," Valon implored. "It's here in my right pocket. Just take a look, please, I'm not making this up..."

"Even if it is real, that still doesn't explain why you're acting suspiciously like a spy, hiding behind those bushes. And you weren't just hiding, you were changing hiding places conveniently when some of the villagers were getting close to your position. Heh, you think you were the only one silently observing?"

Valon unconsciously flinched from the woman's remark, which didn't go unnoticed.

"I can tell from your expression that I hit that nail on the head pretty hard. Our greeting committee may not be the most welcoming people, but you could've asked them for help when you got back here. They're not that unreasonable... well... most of them at least. But you could've at least made an effort to ask. Why didn't you?"

"Because I was desperate. I've been looking for him for a long time but I'm not close to finding him. I've been asking a lot of people from the different towns and villages here in the Ilias Continent if they've seen him, even showing a photo of him, but nothing. I know that only merchants are allowed but I just... I didn't know what to do anymore. And yes, I'm terrified of the people here ever since my first encounter with the patrolling elves yesterday. If I meet them again, I'm not sure how to approach them, or anyone in this village for that matter."

"But I'm more scared for my brother, scared that something might have already happened to him the longer my search takes. Even if the people here don't know if they've seen him, I... I just have to make sure. I knew I couldn't enter if I asked for permission just so that I could confirm if my brother wasn't really here or not, so I sneaked in. I know it's wrong... and it's not that I don't trust anyone here whether or not they've seen him... but..."

The technician trailed off, not having the courage to finish his statement. He felt foolish for once again giving in to his emotions which led him to blurt out too much information but he didn't have the strength to beat himself up mentally. He kept his crestfallen gaze on the floor, not even looking at his captor.

"Ughhh... why did you have to ruin it with your gloomy expression? It was getting really good too with the way you were shivering in your seat. Way to make the atmosphere so depressing," the woman rolled her eyes in annoyance. "I thought I could have some fun company, hell, you looked like you were going to wet yourself a while ago because you were so scared. Now you're just... miserable."

Valon failed to process what the woman said. Now he REALLY didn't know what she was going to do to him. And did she just insult him for being depressed?

"Fuck, I got my hopes up and everything. Whatever..." the woman sighed. "Look, I'm sorry, alright? Honestly, I was just trying to frighten you for fun. I thought I'd enjoy... you know, torturing strangers by scaring them until they cry for mercy or something. Now I look like a complete jerk for insulting your sadness about your... sibling issue."

That's what she was trying to do? Scare me until I... cry?

"I'm fucking bored out of my mind, okay? We don't get a lot of visitors so talking to the people here can be... very monotonous. No one here gets scared easily anymore so it's not fun. And it's either that or I rape you, but, heh, looking at you, you'd probably die before you even climax," the woman smirked before quickly changing to a serious expression. "But anyway, I assume this is who you're looking for?"

The woman pulled a square-shaped paper from her pocket, revealing a glossy photo of a young man. Valon was shocked to see the picture of his younger brother in the woman's possession.

"Before you ask, this flew out of your pocket during our scuffle. I picked it up and thought that perhaps, you were looking for the man in this photo. So after I tied you up to a chair while waiting for you to wake up so I could interrogate you, I considered asking everyone here in the village if they knew something about this person or if they've seen him, yes, including the chief."

"You... already knew I was looking for him?"

"At first, no. I still held my suspicions on you when you sneaked past the patrolling elves in the village and when you started observing the place. But I guess you can call it a gut feeling that perhaps there was an actual reason you came back here," the woman remarked, suddenly making an odd expression that made Valon uncomfortable. "That and let's just say... I have my ways to 'determine' someone's intentions."

"Oh uhh... okay... wait, then you asked the people about—"

"Don't worry I didn't mention anyone about you. If it makes you feel any better, I play a rather... important role here where I supervise all the citizens in the village and conduct surveys about their daily activities and what goes in and out of this place. I know everyone in this village like the back of my hand, so if there's a merchant or a visitor or even an object that suddenly finds its way here, I'll be the first to know. Unfortunately, no one has seen or knows anything about your brother."

Valon wasn't surprised.

"You probably don't trust me but I assure you that no one here has seen him. Even if he's hiding well, that didn't stop me from finding you, huh? But if you really want to ask everyone here yourself, that won't go well for you. You're lucky I quickly dealt with you back there, and I know it doesn't look like it, but I'm way nicer than most of the locals here."

"But if you're stubborn, then I won't stop you. I already gave you a warning so anything that will happen from this point forward involving your 'search,' won't be on me. Heh, my job is to just supervise anyway. Even if you managed to get out of those binds, I won't stop you from fleeing. Chief might probably reprimand me, though, but... she always gets mad at me so I don't really give a fuck. So now that I gave you my answer, what will you do?"

Valon had nothing to say. There was a small part of him that didn't trust her answer but there was nothing he could do about it. He was already caught by one of the townsfolk and he was extremely lucky that his captor was somewhat nice, as she claimed to be, and not someone who planned to eat or violate him. Though, he wasn't really sure of that because he was in Monster Girl Quest.

If this woman told him that his brother wasn't there, then he had no choice but to take her word for it. And if he was being honest, he felt slightly relaxed that someone had already done the searching for him in Enrika.

"Well, if he's not really here then I'll just go," Valon tiredly sighed as he gazed at his captor. "That is if you do plan to set me free now that I'll leave this village."

"And if I don't?"

"Then... I don't know. It's not like I can really do anything," Valon responded in a defeated tone.

"Ughhh... now I can't even mess with you? Fuck my life. Whatever, here."

The woman approached Valon from behind. She pulled a knife from her belt and cut the ropes that bound the man's arms and legs. Valon stood up, feeling slightly surprised that his captor actually set him free.

"Oh, cheer up, will ya? I already set you free. Here, I think you want this back," the woman stated as she gave Valon the photo of his brother. "For someone who wields that level of magic, I'm surprised you haven't broken out yet."

"Magic?"

"Yes, you did conjure that protective spell or whatever the fuck it was that surrounded your entire body, yeah?" the woman asked with a gaze of suspicion. "It's surprisingly durable."

Oh... that's what she meant... umm...

"Oh that, yeah, that's from a relic I found," Valon said as he showed his M.A.D. "But it's disabled for now because I can't activate it yet. Whatever you did, it broke it bad."

"Hmm... I suppose I managed to eventually break it."

With his fear slowly fading away, Valon went back to contemplating the right words as he noticed how the woman gazed at his armband device. It seemed that his explanation was enough for her to believe him.

"You'll be leaving now, huh? Alright, I'll even be nice and carefully escort you out of here so that no one will see you."

"Wait, really?"

"Yes, now follow me."

The woman motioned Valon to leave the room. They went to what seemed to be a dining table but she stopped him in his tracks as she went to get something. She then went back to him with his backpack in her grasp.

"Here, this is yours, right?" the woman asked as she returned his backpack. "Don't worry, I didn't check what's inside. You have my word."

"Oh, uhh... thanks..."

"Now do exactly as I say but if you get caught, you're on your own, got that?" the woman stated as she approached a door on the far left.

"Yes... uhh... thank you, ma'am."

"It's... Brigid."

"Huh? What?"

"My name, Brigid," the woman announced, her haughty expression disappearing momentarily after introducing herself.

"Oh, well... thank you for your help, Brigid."

"Don't mention it, seriously don't," Brigid stated as she guided the man out of her house.


I didn't realize how many caves there were in here.

Valon walked swiftly but carefully on a rocky surface. It had been a few hours ever since he left Enrika, eventually making his way to the Irina Mountains. He hadn't thoroughly searched this place the last time he was here so he figured that he'd start by checking the cave openings. The mountains were distant from each other so his M.A.D. might have missed picking up a signal somewhere.

The night vision module that his helmet provided helped him see in the dark cave and he also had his gauntlets already prepared. As he continued to walk, his thoughts wandered to his encounter with the strange woman from Enrika. Brigid, as she called herself, apparently played a huge role in the secret village—a supervisor of some sort. But he had no idea who she even was because she was definitely not in any of the MGQ games unless there was something he missed.

Or perhaps it's just another NPC that only this world and not the games themselves, showed him. He had already talked to other people before like the ones from Iliasburg and considering that he acknowledged that he was most likely in an actual world, and not just in a video game environment, he shouldn't be surprised to meet characters that weren't from the original game.

But the woman gave him a strange impression. Apart from the fact that she was from Enrika, she had shown to be a very powerful combatant. She also displayed a rather strange behavior where she seemed to enjoy frightening strangers for her entertainment, but was somewhat helpful to him, even though he had just trespassed in the village. And even if she took his backpack away from him, it didn't look like she touched anything in it.

And at least she didn't touch the rifle... that would've been bad...

Though he was thankful that she didn't pry any further about his background and his electronic devices, specifically when she addressed his exoshield as a work of 'magic,' there was something that bothered him. What was she anyway? She was definitely not an elf because Valon noticed that her ears weren't pointy, assuming that was how elves generally were. If she was a monster or a youma, it made sense that she'd conceal her true identity from him.

The technician knew that Enrika was a secret village that was populated by monsters so with her affinity for magic and her incomprehensible speed and strength, it's logical to assume she was one. He also considered that she was probably a human that possessed supernatural abilities, though Valon didn't really see any logical arguments for that.

But what bothered him more than her true identity was how she was able to surprise him while he was hiding. Even with her speed, her movements should've created a strong signal for his helmet to detect, and Valon was completely focused on observing not just his surroundings but his radar as well during that time. And even if she teleported behind him in an instant, blocking her signal from being detected...

It didn't make sense that there were no signals at all while he was fighting her.

Valon occasionally glanced at his motion radar through his helmet so that he'd be able to know where she would attack him. Even fast-moving objects with a relative speed more than the speed of sound should be traced, as long as it's not a form of energy. But throughout his fight against Brigid, his motion radar couldn't pick up a signal from her at all. It almost felt like he was fighting a ghost.

His first theory was that his equipment bugged out during their scuffle. He already knew that his exoshield experienced a short circuit from her lightning-based attack, electrifying him completely before he fell unconscious. He also hypothesized that it was probably the work of that odd purple mist that might have affected his devices.

But his motion radar not being able to pick up a signal from her happened before any of those events occurred. And what was worse was that his motion radar was actually picking up different signals around him, but none of them were pinpointing at her specifically.

Valon barely had time to think before the cave started shaking. The ground beneath him was unstable and the rocks and stalactites were falling all around him. By that point, the technician started to head for the cave entrance but it was too late.

The technician screamed as he fell through a hole in the ground. He kept falling from the large pit that formed instantly as the rocks continued collapsing around him. Quickly thinking of a way to break his fall, he threw a foambomb below him just a few feet before he reached the ground. The foam from the explosive orb quickly expanded, cushioning his fall.

He gazed above the pit from where he once was. Though the pit that he fell through wasn't deep, it would take a lot of effort to get back up. The rocky walls around him were too steep and with his grappling hook still broken, it was nearly impossible to climb. The technician knew that what he got himself into was indeed troublesome, but his mind was focused on something else.

From his M.A.D., his eyes widened in surprise when he saw a blinking red dot at the near edge of the radar. It was quite far but Valon knew that the signal was suddenly visible when he fell through the ground, which meant that the cave system he was in was larger than he first thought.

It was self-explanatory how dangerous it was to explore, especially without his exoshield. But another glance of the signal on his M.A.D. convinced him that his search mission was his priority. With reckless abandon, he followed the source of the signal through a wide opening from the far end of the pit he fell onto. He remained vigilant as he ventured deeper into the cave, relying on his helmet to see his surroundings.

Eventually, he reached another wide opening, and outside of it was another large cave. This time, though, the sight of the cave surprised him. There were large rocky pillars with metal plates engraved on them. There were also large trees with strangely long leaves that grew from the large rock formations.

He also noticed a river-like body of water stretching from the farthest reaches of the cave. Perhaps the strangest thing he saw was the glowing plant-like objects that were all over the cave, providing a satisfactory amount of light in the darkness. They looked like giant glowing flowers, though he wasn't sure what color they were because of his night vision.

What the hell is this place? It's like an entirely new cave within a cave! And how are there trees growing in here? I don't remember this place being mentioned in the game?! Am I even in Monster Girl Quest still?

Valon set aside his growing curiosity when he remembered why he was there. He'd have to save all of his questions about this place for later as he had more important things to do. He also wasn't sure if the cave he was in was safe or not and he wanted to finish checking on the signal as fast as he could before he encountered anything dangerous.

Ahead of him was a wooden bridge that stretched across a chasm. Valon tested if it was sturdy enough to walk on and after a few minutes, he finally decided to cross the bridge. He glanced at the chasm and saw that there appeared to be a green fog that was preventing him from seeing what was below. He had no time to ponder what could be down there so he just continued walking.

After Valon crossed the bridge, he ventured deeper and found himself walking through a series of pillars. He noticed that there were strange symbols or something similar to runes engraved on them. Seeing them just made him even more curious as he noticed more things that weren't from the original game; the very cave he was in was just the tip of the iceberg.

Unfortunately, now wasn't the time to contemplate and satisfy his curiosity as he noticed that he was getting closer to the signal. What he didn't expect were unintelligible noises that were getting louder. Valon hurriedly went to a nearby wall, trying to decide his next move. The signal was just ahead, through a narrow passage, but he was unsure whether it was a good idea to go for it immediately or wait for the noise to subside.

He had no idea what he could be dealing with and he knew nothing of the place he was in. He only had his gauntlets and his mini-bombs to fight back and he had no reliable source of protection. He considered waiting for the noise to go away that was until he heard a feminine scream. Valon didn't know if there was a person here with him but even if there was, he remained from his position.

Valon felt more conflicted as time went by until finally, he decided to check what was going on. He remained cautious, though, as he walked silently towards the narrow opening. He took a peek from behind the rock and was flabbergasted by what he saw.

There were three monster girls from what he could see. Observing them clearly, Valon noticed that a monster girl was carrying another monster girl on her back who was running away from what appeared to be a lamia. The monster that was being carried was a gold-haired monster girl who was wearing black robes while the rest of her body was exposed. The one carrying her was a monster girl with lizard-like scales around her body and a tail. It didn't take that long for Valon to realize who they were.

Those... those are the... four bandits!

However, Valon wasn't sure where the goblin girl was and he was confused as to why the lamia was attacking her fellow bandits. With another closer look at the scuffle between them, he noticed that the lamia wasn't like how she appeared in the game. She still possessed her small body like the young monster she was but her appearance was unsightly.

Her eyes had slit-shaped irises. Her jaw was more exposed, revealing incredibly sharp teeth. Her claws were sharp as needles, her tail had glowing green blobs, spines that protruded from her back, and w-shaped horns that were attached to her forehead. It was only when she roared with fury and displayed the attributes of a bloodthirsty beast did Valon realized how disturbingly similar she was to the savage harpy he encountered three days ago.

He didn't have time to process more information when he heard another pained yell from the dragon girl. Valon inwardly flinched from the sight of the lamia pouncing on both the dragon pup and the vampire girl, making them all tumble on the ground. The lamia was about to charge on the vampire but the dragon pup managed to knock her off-balance. He continued to watch the dragon and the vampire flee from their vicious friend but it always managed to catch up to them.

He also noticed that there were a plethora of claw marks and lacerations on the two monster girls' bodies but looking at the vampire, she must have suffered more injuries than the dragon did. Her eyes were closed, either she was just unconscious or already dead.

Valon was unsure what to do next. If there were more of these 'creatures' in this cave, it would be very risky to stay any longer. Judging by the appearance and behavior of the lamia and assuming it had the same affliction as the harpy he previously encountered, it would be unwise to engage in direct combat.

He knew what they were capable of and if it wasn't for the harpy suddenly bursting out of oblivion, he would have been dead then. If that was the case, Valon surmised that waiting for something similar to happen on the lamia was the wisest choice. But he didn't know how long it would take for that to happen or if it would even occur.

Valon was horrified by the brutality that the lamia displayed. There was blood splattered everywhere from where they were and it looked like the dragon was getting exhausted from carrying the vampire while fending off the attacker at the same time. Valon gritted his teeth, conflicted over the situation. He didn't know if he could afford to continue watching the carnage or not.

He was unsure if it was wise to intervene. Sure, he wasn't directly getting involved with Luka anymore since he was nowhere near him but what would he even do? Even if the lamia was way smaller than the harpy he fought before, she displayed the same amount of ferocity. He could be jumping towards his death and everything he worked hard for to search for his brother would be for nothing.

What if this was a trap? What if a powerful monster was just trying to lure some traveler to get close only to be feasted upon for his foolishness? Such an occurrence was entirely possible, especially in Monster Girl Quest. The sight before him could just be the work of a powerful magic or an illusion spell trying to play tricks with his fragile mind.

"Please... d-don't leave..."

Valon clutched his head, trying to shake his mind off of those ghastly thoughts. He didn't know why he kept hearing those words nor did he know why he was faintly hallucinating images of Luka's devastated expression and sometimes, Luka's face would be replaced by his brother's instead.

"Anyone... please... help me..."

GODDAMNIT!

Valon rushed towards the vicious lamia. Before she was able to catch up to the dragon who was slowing down, Valon performed a forceful punch on the lamia's face, knocking her back at a good distance. The dragon pup was surprised to see another person in the cave but before she could say anything back to him, the lamia was already charging towards them.

Valon had little time to react and was forced to be on the defensive, shielding the dragon pup from the incoming assault. Without his exoshield, he was much more vulnerable to attacks so he relied purely on his gauntlets to do the job. Unlike the savage harpy he fought before, Valon had the height advantage against the lamia so he was easily able to hold her head from trying to bite him.

"Go! Run as far away as you can!" Valon shouted, not bothering to look back at the dragon pup. "I'll try to hold her down. I'll catch up to you later, go!"

Valon could tell that the dragon had taken his advice when he heard the sound of quick footsteps moving away. He exerted all his strength to restrain the lamia, but the creature kept fighting back, attempting to harm him with its claws and jaws. The technician managed to keep the lamia at bay, but he started to feel exhaustion creeping in, unsure if it was due to his fatigue or the lamia growing stronger.

At one point, she jumped, knocking Valon off of her before pouncing at him. Their roles have switched and now Valon was the one struggling. He was fortunate that his helmet was protecting his face from her sharp teeth but the rest of his body wasn't so lucky from the lamia's claws. He gritted his teeth in pain, feeling the burning sensations of agony from the lamia's relentless barrage. The technician waited for the right time before delivering a series of punches directly to her face.

It took four punches before the lamia felt the forceful impact of the attack, flinging her at a distance. He didn't wait any longer as he activated a barrel launcher from his gauntlets, firing a shell projectile that exploded into a net, binding the lamia with it. He then threw two foambombs at the monster girl before throwing a flashbomb at her.

After the last mini-bomb exploded, Valon ran back to the opening only to find that the dragon and the vampire were lying on the ground. The dragon pup was the closest to him so he approached her first. He checked any of her vitals and observed that the dragon pup was still breathing but he noticed that she could barely open her eyes. He tried to talk to her but her only response was her slow-paced breathing. Valon assumed that she was simply growing unconscious due to extreme exhaustion.

Just as he saw earlier, all around her body were numerous claw marks and lacerations. Fresh blood dripped from some of them but he noticed that she wasn't losing a lot of blood as he thought she would. He quickly opened his backpack and grabbed one of the healing elixirs as he applied them to the more serious wounds. He decided that he'd treat her fully later as he needed to check the other monster girl.

When she checked the vampire girl, however, he felt his blood freeze.

Her body was cold, there was no breathing.

There were no signs of pulse and she was unresponsive to his voice. He checked her eyes and when he flashed a light from his helmet directly on them, their pupils were still and fully dilated. The signs were there and Valon didn't need to think any further about the girl's situation.

She was dead.

Valon's body became numb. He felt as if he experienced everything all at once but his body could only do nothing as a reaction. At that precise moment, all he could do was stare, stare at the cold limp body of a video game character that felt too real.

The man was startled out of his daze by a roar that was nearing. Acting on instinct, he carried the young dragon on his back. The lamia then emerged from a small opening and began to chase after them. The man looked back at the fallen vampire, feeling conflicted about leaving her behind but he knew it would be difficult to bring her along in his present condition.

But he wasn't prepared for what happened next. The lamia's attention diverted to the vampire girl's corpse, lifting it, screaming at it before her jaws engulfed the vampire's head then ripping it off of its neck. Valon was too shocked to witness the extreme act of violence but he couldn't fully process what had happened because the lamia was quickly going after him now.

The technician grabbed one of his kaboomerangs and threw it directly towards the lamia. The explosion did a decent amount of damage to her skin but it did nothing to knock her back. The lamia continued its charge towards Valon, tanking another explosive boomerang from him. When he noticed that his explosives weren't doing much of an effect, he launched another binding rope shell at her to slow her down.

Right now, the best course of action was to run away as far as he could so that he could tend to the dragon's wounds. Unfortunately, as he was running away, the lamia was significantly faster than him and she was able to catch up.

Noticing the growing red dot from his helmet's motion radar, Valon swiftly placed the dragon pup on the ground behind a rock before reflexively defending himself with his gauntlets from the lamia's claws. He felt the impact of the monster's attack as he felt his feet slide on the rocky surface. He then sidestepped to dodge another claw attack before delivering another punch to the lamia.

The technician and the tiny lamia continued to brawl, exchanging blows against each other. Valon would try to block, parry, and counterattack as best as he could while the lamia stuck to its mindless but relentless onslaught that consisted of sharp claws and teeth. The technician, however, was growing exhausted as he was also trying to keep the lamia away from the dragon.

A tail bash from behind caught Valon off guard as he was flung to a solid wall. His scream was cut off by a cough of blood from inside his helmet, the pain from his back suffering heavy damage. He clutched his back from pain, struggling to stand up. He suddenly found the strength to do so when he saw the lamia now going after the unconscious dragon.

She didn't get too close as an explosive projectile came in contact with her. One kaboomerang wasn't enough to stagger her but multiple explosive projectiles did hold her back. Valon threw his mini-bombs consecutively. He would throw a kaboomerang then a flashbomb then a foambomb and he would repeat the pattern in consistent intervals.

He kept throwing his mini-bombs at her as he maintained a good distance away. It seemed to have done the trick as the continuous bombardment of his arsenal was knocking her back. He was surprised that despite her small stature, whatever it was that afflicted her with mindless savagery, she was highly resistant to damage similar to the harpy from before.

When he tried to grab another mini-bomb from his belt, he realized that he had only one of each left. He panicked, deciding that it wasn't wise to use all of them as he needed to save a spare for producing more. He also wasn't sure if the ones he had left would be enough to incapacitate her. Though, from her appearance as he kept throwing explosives at her, it looked like her body was deteriorating, if that was even the right word.

Half of her face was already gone, no doubt from all the explosives he threw at her. But the bloodthirsty monster didn't seem to care about all the damage her body sustained as she was still persistent in lunging at him. What she was before was the same as she was now, as if everything Valon did was nothing to her.

Time was running out as after another monstrous roar, the lamia broke free from the foam that bound her as she was once again charging at the technician. Valon braced himself from the attack as he fought her with his gauntlets once more. Even with her damaged body, she kept the same ferocity she had before which put him at a great disadvantage.

He felt more of the monster's claws searing through his flesh as he struggled to defend himself. Eventually, the lamia was able to catch him off guard, pinning him down to the ground. The technician tried to push him off but his exhaustion was making it difficult. He kept punching her to get her off of him but later on, he was forced to fully go on the defensive.

He stood no chance the first time and even now that his opponent was smaller, it shared no difference from the first encounter. But Valon refused to give in. He surveyed his surroundings, looking for anything that could help him. He continued to look until his eyes landed on the unconscious form of the dragon pup he barely rescued.

He looked at her for a second, contemplating the gravity of the situation. He was running out of weapons and he couldn't defend himself forever with his gauntlets. His exoshield wasn't going to appear anytime soon, he was growing tired, and he didn't know if the lamia was going to blow up like it did with the harpy. With an audible sigh of frustration, Valon used every last ounce of strength he had with him, pushing the lamia off.

He backed away at a small distance, facing the lamia who was ready to pounce on him again.

*VZOOM!*

A bright beam of blue light permeated the air, disintegrating the lamia's head into oblivion. What remained of her was the severely damaged body, flopping on the ground. Valon watched how the monster's head blew up from the light projectile, a projectile that originated from the weapon he was currently holding.

He stared at the laser rifle in his hand, slowly putting it in its scabbard that came with his backpack. He knew that it still needed a few tweaks but he was running out of options. He took a moment to compose himself before finally walking. He first approached the headless form of the lamia. He saw her damaged body and some of her internal organs were lying on the floor bathing in crimson red liquid.

He was too exhausted and he felt numb from all the painful claw marks he received from the lamia earlier so when he was sure that the vicious monster was dead, he limped over the unconscious dragon. He checked for her vitals once more and he felt slightly relaxed that she was still alive. He placed down his backpack and grabbed the healing elixir that he used a while ago. He also grabbed a clean piece of cloth and applied the elixir on it before tending to the dragon's wounds.

After applying the healing elixir on the dragon, he suddenly remembered the signal that was coming from his M.A.D. He sighed, upset at himself for almost forgetting why he came into this cave. He stared at the unconscious dragon for a little while and decided to carry her on his back. It was probably uncomfortable for the dragon, especially with his backpack on him as well, but he didn't have anything to carry her with.

Valon just ignored the discomfort of the numerous wounds in his body and the added weight he was carrying as he walked towards the direction of the signal. He remained vigilant despite his fatigue. Eventually, he found the source of the signal. What he saw was bad, but after what he just fought through, it wasn't a complete surprise.

There were two more dead bodies. One was the corpse of a Cosmoknight, which Valon assumed was the owner of the M.A.D. whose signal was being detected. His face was sliced open and his chest had a large hole in it, exposing the insides. The other one, however, was the corpse of a person Valon already assumed from the start.

It was the goblin girl.

The bottom half of her face was nowhere to be found and her eyes were wide open with their pupils fully dilated. Both of her arms were no longer attached to her main body and her stomach was exposed. What he also noticed about her was that her body had spiky tendrils protruding from her skin and her forehead had w-shaped horns similar to the vicious harpy and the lamia he fought.

Valon quickly analyzed what had happened but he didn't have time to react accordingly. He grabbed the M.A.D. from the dead Cosmoknight and scanned his uniform for any other useful items he might have had. When he was done checking, Valon left the area, walking back to the narrow opening of the cave system. When he reached the spot where the wooden bridge was, he stopped walking because his legs couldn't take it anymore.

He gently brought down the unconscious dragon near a large stalagmite before he sat beside her. He then placed her head on top of his lap as he slouched against the stalagmite, sighing exasperatedly. Valon deactivated his helmet, allowing him room to breathe and so that he could clean the bloodstain from the visor later. With his helmet's night vision gone, he can finally see the cave in its real grandeur.

It really was a fascinating cave and the glowing flower-like objects he saw a while ago were actually producing a faint yellow glow. He was fortunate that there was one above him, providing a good light source. He would've appreciated the beauty of his surroundings if it wasn't for everything that just happened. He stayed motionless for a while, recovering from the exhaustion as he closed his eyes.

He didn't plan on sleeping or taking a nap but rather a short rest to relax his body from the pain he felt. After a while, he decided to check the M.A.D. data that the Cosmoknight had and was surprised that there were files that could be accessed. However, the access of the specific files would be nearly impossible to decrypt because of the security protocols installed by the higher divisions, which annoyed him.

Luckily, he knew a way to decrypt the security system but it would take a while to do so with the current resources he had. Valon started the decryption process but he figured that he may as well treat his own wounds as he waited for his M.A.D. to work its thing. He carefully lifted the dragon girl that was sleeping on his lap and laid her down beside him.

He grabbed another bottle of healing elixir in his backpack and poured its contents on a clean piece of cloth before applying it to his wounds. While he was treating himself, he let his mind drift off to his thoughts, trying to make sense of his current situation as a way to distract himself.

He acknowledged that he was here in Monster Girl Quest, in a world that was both familiar and foreign to him, because his brother and his fellow members were transported here for some reason. He had been searching for him in this world for days but even with the first potential clue he received, he still had no valid information about his brother.

What was worse was that it took him this long to even find a single clue because he was distracted by the problems of interfering with the hero's journey. The very problem he was trying to avoid but also after a long time of discernment, led to the realization that the very concept of trying not to interfere was an act of interference in itself.

He was determined to lead the protagonists of the game, specifically Luka, to the events that happened in the storyline but ironically, this led him to get directly involved. And if he just left Luka alone, the hero probably wouldn't have made it far in his adventure which was something Valon obviously didn't want to happen.

But no, he was a foolish idiot who swore to never get involved whenever Luka fought a monster but then decided to get involved anyway when things started getting out of hand. He had to wait for Luka to get hurt or get nearly molested just to offer support, which also made him ambivalent and contradictory in his actions and choices. That was all he was good for, hurting Luka.

He gave in to his anger which led him to fight Granberia, not even considering Luka's condition when he threw a kaboomerang in his vicinity. Most of the fights Luka was in almost made him lose because Valon was too slow in deciding how to help him accordingly. His actions also altered the course of the story, resulting in the Queen Harpy becoming aggressive towards Luka and the sudden appearance of the Roper Girl. And who would forget the time he made the aspiring hero cry and beg for him to stay?

But then who was he to get involved in the hero's journey anyway? He didn't even belong in this world and he had no responsibilities here. Playing the hero part alongside Luka just because it was convenient for him due to his forbidden knowledge of this world? Because he could make a difference here when he didn't even have the guts to do that back from his world? Who was he to suddenly declare himself a hero like Luka? To suddenly involve himself in a story he shouldn't even be in?

"Valon! Valon! Valonnnn!"

"GAHH!"

Valon slammed his fists on the solid ground, slightly thankful that his gloves cushioned the impact. He gritted his teeth in anger, anger at everything and the situation he was in, but mostly towards himself. Bitter tears threatened to fall in his eyes as he finally let everything that had transpired sink in.

He had just shot the tiny lamia, one of the characters that played a role in the game and who was still very young, to death. He had also witnessed the dead and cold limp bodies of the other two bandits, the vampire girl and the goblin girl. He didn't know how long the vampire girl was dead for but he assumed that she was already dead when he saw her body getting carried by the dragon pup.

The goblin girl's dead body was a ghastly sight and he concluded that she had the same affliction that befell the harpy he saw before and the tiny lamia. The worst part of it all was that he didn't know what, why, or how it happened. But what did happen was that the four bandits were no more. Valon was no longer with Luka anymore and yet the effects of his interference had a lasting effect.

He had no idea what to do now that the four bandits were reduced to one. For young monsters who were left to wander the world for themselves, had all suffered a horrible fate. Three will never appear in the story again and one will be haunted by trauma for a really long time.

There was no resurrection concept that he knew of in the game except for the evaluation process. If there was powerful magic in the world that could do so, he didn't know what it was and where to find it. The healing elixir the Queen Harpy gave him can only heal wounds, not bring the dead back to life.

He was stuck in the vile world of Monster Girl Quest with limited resources and interfered in the hero's journey badly enough to the point that the storyline was being affected directly and indirectly. He had witnessed and came across the deaths of three of the four bandits, with one being heavily scarred. He had also deeply hurt Luka and abandoned him and he was even more doubtful about his younger brother's well-being. But most of all, he was increasingly getting more confused about what to do anymore.

He knew interference was inevitable but he also knew what it could cause, now that he had witnessed those effects. Was it wise to separate from Luka or was it the biggest mistake he made? And if he did get back to him, would it still be reasonable to not get involved or would he just embrace the uncertainty since he had already intervened too much anyway?

But what if something worse happens? What if his decision could lead to Luka's untimely demise? Or what if his indecision led to it instead?

I DON'T KNOW!

"I'll become stronger, I promise! I... I-I don't know how l-long it w-w-would take... but please..."

"Aghhh! Stop it!"

And he was confused about why he was seeing visions of Luka and his brother. He felt intense pain in his head and wondered if he was already insane. The guilt of his actions, including fighting Granberia, indirectly causing the deaths of three bandits and hurting Luka when he kept calling him to come back but Valon just ignored his pleas, all added to his distress.

He always knew that it was oxymoronic to keep things in canon because the more he tried to follow the story, the more he would actually deviate from it. Because as long as he knew a lot about the situation, the more it was inevitable for him to change it.

But would this be a reasonable excuse to get involved in Luka's journey? To fully become a part of it? To make an impact on the people of this world that would change everything about it for better or for worse, knowing he wouldn't stick around for long anyway?

"Hrrghhh..."

Valon was brought out of his stupor when he heard the dragon pup mumble something. He approached her to see what was going on and noticed that she was mumbling incoherent words while asleep. He didn't know if the dragon pup was dreaming or most likely having a nightmare but whatever it was, she was clearly distressed about something that she was frantically restless.

"H-hey, calm down. It's okay, everything's fine, I'm here," Valon tried to reassure her as he tried to calm her down.

As if everything is fine, tch, why do I keep lying?

"Hey, hey, hey, shhh... it's okay, it's okay," Valon gently whispered as he carefully lifted her and placed her head on his lap. "I'm here, I'm here. Everything's alright."

He was reluctant to do it but he stroked her hair once. The gesture, though, had done the trick as it eventually calmed her down. She looked peaceful in her slumber and the wounds she had a while ago were slowly disappearing due to the effects of the healing elixir. Though it may be a potent source of healing, no amount of magic elixir could heal the mental and emotional wounds inflicted upon her by the trauma she experienced.

She witnessed the death of her friends and would soon know about how he practically killed her lamia friend. Valon could feel nothing but guilt and shame, even if the lamia became a mindless savage beast. She was merely a young dragon, from what he remembered from the game, and now her fellow bandits were gone.

"You know, I don't actually know why I calmed you down but I guess, I'm afraid of how you will react once you wake up."

Valon figured that he would at least try to talk to the sleeping dragon to get his mind off of things. He knew she wouldn't respond because she was asleep but it was more of just wanting to say something, not really to engage in a conversation.

"Of course, I also know that you need to rest and I doubt that you'd be able to hear anything I say, which would make it look like I'm an insane person talking to no one in particular but... I don't know, I just want to... speak what's on my mind, I guess?"

Valon wasn't expecting a response so he just continued.

"First of all, I just want to say I'm sorry. I know a sorry wouldn't cut it, not after everything I've done. But I want you to know, that you didn't deserve the things that happened to you. You're so young, still full of hopes and dreams and aspirations. And those guys, they were your friends. You grew up with them, you cherished them, they were your family."

"I don't want to act like I'm simply empathizing because I could conveniently relate to it to make you feel better but I do know what that's like, to lose a family, to lose your closest friends. I'm still looking for the only biological family I have left and I'm not close to finding him. Hell, I don't even know if he's still alive. But... I'm holding onto that hope that he is."

Valon didn't know what he was trying to say and why he was doing it but it proved effective to lighten his mind, even for a little bit.

"Would it be insane of me to claim that I know who you and your friends are? You were the Four Bandits who made some troublesome acts in Iliasburg which was why the locals called out to Luka to deal with you but turns out, the four of you were just misunderstood and you didn't know any better back then. Eventually, when Luka talked to the four of you and brought you to Iliasburg to make an apology, the townsfolk forgave you and let all of you live with them."

"It was his first act of coexistence with humans and monsters living together. It was a really pleasant sight. But in this world, I guess... that won't be happening anytime soon. What am I even saying? If you're awake right now, I'd probably just be giving you more trauma. I can't even provide comfort properly, damn, all I'm really good for is messing up, huh? I already made a lot of mistakes, mistakes that cost the lives of others. I know I cannot be forgiven for everything that I've done... but—"

Valon was surprised when the dragon girl was slowly embracing him. He tried to check if she was awake and he suddenly felt afraid if she was awake the whole time, secretly listening to everything he said. But after checking thoroughly, Valon was confident that the dragon pup was still asleep and probably just moved to hug what she thought was a pillow.

"Heh, I appreciate the hug, though," Valon smiled sadly.

The technician said nothing anymore as he was just contented in the silence he found himself in. He gazed at the beautiful cave he was in and was glad that nothing was disturbing him at that moment, though, he wasn't sure how long that peace would last. He would need to get out of this cave eventually as he finally got what he came here for.

He would also need to carry the dragon pup out of this cave and figure out what to do with her. Valon also needed to make more mini-bombs and possibly new equipment, especially a grappling hook because it would be impossible to climb the pit he fell into without it. Motivated to get out of the cave, Valon decided to work on repairing and fabricating.

He checked if the M.A.D. was done with the decryption process and when it was, he thought that he'd read it while he worked. The cave he was in was a good place as any to work with his gadgets so with that in mind, he gently lifted the dragon and placed her down before proceeding to work. He found a good spot that was far enough for him to work and not disturb the sleeping dragon while also providing a good view to keep an eye out for her.

He took off the neckband and activated it, revealing the collapsible helmet he always wore. He grabbed a cleaning wipe and used it to clean the bloodstain on his helmet's visor. Once he was finished, he deactivated the neckband, put it on, and activated it again before working on his other things.

His mind was still in a chaotic state even after resting. And with all the thought processing he did, the shame and guilt he had never left him. He still felt clueless about where to go and how to proceed with his search for his brother. He used this opportunity, though, to read the decrypted files so he immediately started to read what the M.A.D. files contained.

The other functions of the M.A.D. he obtained from that dead Cosmoknight were either damaged or missing, but there were still a few files that could be viewed. Though there weren't many, he was able to examine some things. One finding was that the Delta Cosmoknights sent here didn't all arrive in the same location and at the same time. Some landed in Hellgondo, some in Sentora, and some in the Ilias Continent.

He discovered that the leader of the Delta Division, a brigadier general named James Hamilton, was captured by an unknown group of people who wore the same uniforms as the Cosmoknights did. This shocked Valon as he found this specific information oddly intriguing. Though he couldn't read the file further because everything else was redacted, he was able to deduce that the other members of the Delta Cosmoknights were trying to unite with each other and find their leader.

The other file he discovered revealed the last log of the M.A.D. owner trying to reach the Sentora Continent because he heard from his other fellow members that most of the Cosmoknights were in Sentora but he wasn't sure why. There were no other pieces of information Valon could access unfortunately. Though, this was something. This was the first official clue he had ever gotten since he came in Monster Girl Quest but all it did was give him more questions.

Why and how were the Delta Cosmoknights scattered around this world? Why were they sent to Monster Girl Quest, of all places anyway? What was this unknown group of people that captured the Delta Division's leader? And if they weren't part of the Delta Division, how did the file describe them as 'having the same uniforms as the Cosmoknights?' This question was the most interesting and one that troubled Valon the most.

While he was reading the files as he worked on his devices, he noticed a peculiar ore deposit containing a black mineral from where he was standing. Intrigued, he examined the mineral closely and observed its crystal-like appearance and metallic structure. He speculated that it might be a type of metallic ore mentioned in Paradox, but he wasn't completely sure. Of course, he was still cautious so he used his M.A.D. to scan the mineral.

While he was waiting for the results of the mineral scan to show up, from the corner of his eye, he noticed an application program in his M.A.D. that he had recently used. He hesitantly clicked it and saw that there was a blinking dot with a distance of how far it was being displayed. And instead of it being in red, it was blue in color.

Valon stared at it for a while then after that, he stared back at the black mineral then at the sleeping dragon pup then back to the M.A.D.'s interface. He contemplated on the information he received about the Delta Division and with the biggest sigh he could muster, he acknowledged that what he was going to do next was another act of stupidity for the technician.

"Heh, what am I even doing anymore?"