“Who was in charge?” William asked, convincing himself to be interested in this topic because it was starting to get dark.

  “High Pillar, Tamara. You wouldn't know her. Her Class is unknown, but the Savager is her infamous nickname.”

  “Rank 8?”

  “What else? It is never worth going any lower than that at this time. When we talk about Florida, and the tanker is a priority, it makes sense. We reached the mines in less than a day. They were, as expected, long obscured by Darks, but such are places for Walkers. They are great, like big sort of Dungeons. Some of us call them Biomes. Mining can still be done because Corruption doesn't highly covet minerals and similar resources, but it is true that they do undergo changes and transformations because of the energies within the soil. Coal and basic iron are abundant and plentiful, and Walkers help with what we can achieve, and a lot of ordinary people come because it can't be helped.”

  “I see... I don't find it surprising that credits and rewards are worth such a risk. How many Walkers were there?”

  “Walkers? Hm. About a hundred. Most were of Rank 4. Ranks 7 and 6 were vanguards and great protectors across many perimeters, whether far or very close. Rank 5s help fill in the gaps between these positions and provide helpful needs and stability. If I am being honest with you, Rank 5 is quite a dangerous and awkward Rank in such cases. You feel powerful compared to Rank 4, but at the end of the day, you still feel weak as fuck.” Luke sighed, and Mi-Yung agreed with him. The moment she stepped into Rank 6, she tasted the difference and felt immense strength in her transformation.

  William read about this sort of problem in numerous books, diaries, and stories on the upper floors. The history stated it well, yet the people? Walkers? This was personal, not just words on paper and thoughts of old fools.

  “Unfortunately for everyone, everything cracked when we approached the eighth day, and the earth changed when Worms came. Then the water... well, it was a shitty surprise to be honest.”

  “Worms?! That... That is bad news, isn't it?” William clutched his fists and felt immersed in his storytelling, which felt better than usual.

  “Yep. When was the last time Worms got out?” Luke asked a difficult question that William wasn't sure how to answer.

  Mi-Yung was sure of it. “They are active in some parts of the world. No here. Florida hasn't seen them in over a decade, so this is interesting, or not that surprising, if Tamara was involved.”

  “Yep. Their arrival halted our expansion, but thanks to the upper Walkers, the worst didn't happen. We lost about 10% of the people, though. Walkers hadn't died much, but that is part of the expedition. The toll is increased... and destruction can get vast at the upper Ranks. People die. It is expected. They know it. So do we. My team minded the usual business, close to Rank 7 Walkers, and everything seemed fine. We even managed to kill and solve most ambushes that dared to call the mines their home. It was quite a sight. Nothing unusual. Like any Lair, we knew what to expect and how things could get worse in advance. For minutes! I didn't even know what happened after Worms came. I recall, and have heard, that Pillar successfully completed the mission and dragged it out into a stalemate. I was out of my mind back then and nearly dead.”

  “Is that... simple as that?!” William didn't believe it for a moment.

  “I don't know. Been there, didn't listen or look too much. You should be satisfied with this brief summary.”

  “Then the scarring...”

  “A little souvenir. A new point of revenge, perhaps? I don't know. Upper Pillar ordered the full-scale retreat before I even had a chance to recover my spirit. I guess that tells the end of my story.”

  William nodded. “I am glad that you are alive.”

  “Likewise. There are places like that all over the place. The situation can shift. Death can come out of nowhere, and nobody can expect it. I am sure a lot of it will be known sooner or later. Every expedition is like that. We learn from mistakes, and rumors will spread, and proper reports will shake and become history or lessons for future expeditions.”

  “Assembly will make a thorough investigation as well,” Mi-Yung added.

  “If that's even possible. That is what Walkers had to mind and figure out, William. Do you think you have what it takes to go there and not lose it?” Luke gazed at him with his single eye and pointed to William's face.

  “It's not like I can't refuse it outright. I am fine with learning and getting things right, and this is beyond me. But no. I am not afraid,” William said back, not afraid of Luke's words or appearance.

  “True. Let's hope you won't find yourself in an unfortunate situation. It isn't rare by any means to see or meet Darks that are outside of your own power.”

  “You can still run or flee for safety,” Mi-Yung argued, aware it was not always possible. Some solutions were not easy. Sacrifices were often the best way to survive, whether as a team or a society.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  “Yeah. It is like that.” Luke nodded and patted her head.

  “Thank you for telling me about it, and good night.” William got up and knew that leaving right now was the right thing to do. He fled the scene and went to his room, unwilling to admit he was shaking in ways he couldn't explain.

  Hopefully, the dreams would snatch him tonight.

  ***

  In the kitchen, the hug had yet to pass, nor were their emotions. “I don't want to lose you.” A sweet Mi-Yung told under Luke's head. He accepted these terms, a hug, and her words. It wasn't bad by any means. Shit happens; he paid the price and got good merits out of it, and saying it out loud to that boy was unwise.

  Wounds and many other things were not worth it. Her love might be the same, like a thorn or a curse looming over his head. But it was sincere, and getting lost in it was better than being dead or turned into nothing.

  “I won't lose. Although not the best, I think I will reach your Rank before I kick the bucket. That will be my achievement. My life.” Luke said with determination, patting her head in love and worry, for that had been his long, arduous journey.

  The scars on his hands were worse than William could guess or see, and Luke was barely able to lift his arms or walk. If it weren't for his Arcana, he wouldn't do anything.

  Frankly, Luke couldn't even muster the courage to see the extent of his full injuries. The only hope he had was a token of hope in Lady Dia, who could reverse this as a Rank 8 Walker of the Academy and the best alleged Healer in the world.

  “Will you contact Lady Dia?” he asked after a long stretch of silence and touching.

  “I said leave that to me. I will... and do more if that's even possible. Maybe... I don't know. Considering the past two months, it may be problematic to receive her blessing. You know, with William and everything. I fear Gales will irritate my pains. Be hopeful, Luke. I swear I will help you.” Mi-Yung's last words of the night couldn't put more warmth in Luke's heart. He would even cuddle and embrace her if he could.

  Alas, he couldn't, and time shouldn't be able to heal all injuries. If that were the case, then humanity would be safe.

  This time, the untouchable had been reopened, and worries in a never-ending struggle linked to survival dwelt in the South and the North.

  Outside was vast. Too vast, almost. Not every Walker, let alone the Assembly, knew what was everywhere, at any time, or depth, or which sort of things could happen in Dark Societies or their Lairs.

  Outside was a place divided by countless monsters, hierarchies, gaps, and strangled lines of danger. Ranks were there for a nuanced reason, but the dividing of territories and zones was another story.

  No one could see their constant struggle, pain, suffering, and uncertainty. Darks had their problems, yet their patterned strife and insanity were extremely abundant. Could they even desire a change? Something to quench their eternal unrest, chaos, fate, or their whole beings?

  Perhaps they needed a challenge, or die enough for the flip to happen.

  The Dark Age, as described by old people, settlements, and lost cultures, wasn't kind to anyone. It wasn't some systematic force of nature but a thorough advent of force and madness that forever, and always, moved.

  To Darks. To people. To animals. Perhaps the space itself trembled in the wake of this period.

  Then Walkers arrived, knocked on this age, changed it a little, but more like smashing a bat against a mountain, because time and reality were relentless, and physical factors and time were honest. For most, it was apocalyptic, seen as the complete eradication of the status quo that humans possessed—millions of years of evolution compressed into literal moments, crashing into the rigidity of natural selection.

  Luke was a poor example of this, though one thing gave William a lot more fright than others. For things to be so unexpected and savage, what was the feeling of not knowing things yet going out there and continuing living? Wasn't it too much pressure? One had to have a strong spirit, if not something unconventional, or one had to be a total lunatic to do it for decades and not lose their fucking mind and life alongside it. Well, losing just one thing was fine; not everything ought to break apart. One thing had to remain.

  Maybe the destruction was the answer.

  For reasons William didn't want to answer, a lot of thinking had done bad to his brain and mind since he approached the upper floor and Mi-Yung alike. Thinking about it solved nothing. It wasn't a cool mindset that made him ready.

  Though untold, William imagined the casualties Luke did mention. Ten percent? Was that it? It seemed small, if not shocking, if more than one Worm arrived. So much could happen in the blink of an eye when those monstrous snakes and eaters of cities moved. All because something forced Rank 8 into it, right? Wasn't that the flaw? If Rank 8 had been involved, Worms might not have been the main problem, and something else might have been there that Luke wasn't telling.

  William didn't blame him.

  Worms grew to the extent of Rank 7, but they shouldn't bash or endanger Rank 8 Walkers even in large numbers. William wondered what Luke feared to imagine.

  Curling up in his bed, William imagined the worst-case scenarios, possibilities, and himself in the picture, and felt his fear, all the while he was in his own cocoon —a cave made by his pillow and sheets, while the redness carried its aura inside and out.

  It wasn't that rare for him to do this. He didn't like pretending to be in the past or imagining that it was worth the effort. He was motionless, imagining the words of wonders, surrounded by red hues, lacking noises, but the beats of his heart and the movements of his muscles made ambient noise. The crimson was soothing, and his Emblem was so close, moving like a lullaby made of endless seas and unknown patterns, that he lost sight of it.

  It talked to him.

  Was he talking to it?

  Should he worry about it, or was the language hidden inside, or was it even English? Was it worth spending human lives trying to get resources for another tanker, or for people? William expected expeditions to be rough, yet it still surprised him how they happened almost every month. The total number of casualties in a year must be heavier than one would expect, so how could they keep doing it and expect people to accept it?

  The Federation was in a tight spot, pushing forward to give humanity a proper chance. Outside gave up a long time ago, hadn't it?

  William was losing his train of thought, though no voice of pain or grief came next. Maybe he will dream about it, or this fear will quench it from within him, or go even deeper.

  [Good night....] a soft voice said as William fell asleep.

  He had no clue and didn't even want to know what he should feel. After all, there might be a time when he will have to face it. He will hunt. He will kill and drown. Considering everything, he should be glad for such an outlet, but he didn't know it. It could take years before he would see whether it was worth years of worries, or if high expectations ever killed a cat.

  He knew it was distant, but did his Emblem realize it as well?