Johnquis smiled slighly as they moved through the thick underbrush, branches scraping against his suit. Ahead, the rusted silhouette of the old amusement park loomed by the seaside. The air was heavy with salt, and the cold wind off the waves.
Faded banners flapped weakly in the wind. Tilted rides stood frozen in time. Twisted ferris wheel cages, a roller coaster track sagged and the half-collapsed remains of a carousel, its painted horses chipped and lifeless. Nature had claimed the place.
"Hard to believe this place was once joy… Now it's just another corpse in the world's graveyard."
They walked beneath the ferris wheel. He stopped and looked up.
"This was my favorite spot. Up there… you'll know why."
The wheel creaked in the wind.
"Come on. Let's climb."
He fired his hook and shot upward, cape snapping behind him. The Runner followed right after, leaping with ease.
"Those long legs really help you out, huh."
He climbed fast, almost excited. Looking down, he saw the Runner keeping up, and it made him smile.
It felt like showing off a secret place like a kid bringing a new friend to his old hideout.
"Almost there! You'll see why I loved it up here."
They reached the top, landing on the highest platform just beneath the rusted crown of the ferris wheel. The wind was stronger up here, pushing at them with cold fingers. From this height, they could see everything—the broken coastline, the towering buldings, and far beyond, the thick green wilderness swallowing what was left of the city.
The view held their breath for a moment.
"Do you get it now? This view's amazing. You can see everything from up here. When I was a kid, I used to wonder what the world looked like outside the walls. And now… seeing all this... I still think it's worth saving."
Johnquis sat down slowly, legs hanging off the edge.
"Whenever I climbed up here, it felt like time stopped. I always wished I could freeze every moment."
The two sat quietly. The sea below sparkling in the moonlight. Stars glowing across the sky.
After a while, Johnquis spoke again.
"I met Lex's brother today. At the Bloodpost."
The Runner turned its head slightly, listening.
"You remember Lex, right? The one you ripped open, tore through her abdomen and clamped your jaws around her throat?"
He let out a dry chuckle.
"Freaky monster…"
He glanced across the park.
"I wasn't even supposed to be on that quest last night. I just took it without checking… Turned out I was a fill-in. For their squad. Because Rex, Lex's brother bailed."
Johnquis's voice dropped.
"I could feel it. He's strong. Dangerous. If he wanted to, Rex could climb the ranks in no time. But he stayed… for his sister."
The Runner remained still. Johnquis looked down at his gloved hands.
"The sister you killed. You killed them all. But it's her, Lex… She's the one he cared about most."
He turned toward the Runner.
"And now… you're bound to me. He doesn't know what really happened. Not yet. But when he finds out… he'll realize you're still alive. And that I'm the one keeping you as a slave."
Johnquis paused. His next words came out with worry.
"He'll lose it. He'll blame me. And maybe he should. I wasn't strong enough. If Rex had gone instead of me, maybe… maybe they'd still be alive."
The wind howled.
"I don't even know what you are anymore. You killed them… but now you follow my commands. You're quiet. Controlled. Tamed…maybe."
He looked up at the stars overhead, face pale in the moonlight.
"But when Rex sees you…"
He swallowed hard.
"He will want revenge. He will kill you."
Johnquis's voice cracked.
"I-I don't know what to do, killing you would be justice… but…"
Silence.
The wind swept through the ferris wheel, rattling its rusted frame. Below, the waves crashed against the shore.
Somewhere deep in the ruins of the abandoned city, Rex stood before his squad.
"All right, listen up. We're sweeping fast and tight tonight. The quicker we move, the more quests we can finish before sunrise."
A girl whispered, just loud enough for her partner to hear,
"Our new captain's all business. Kinda hot, though."
Another chimed in, "Yeah, and our feed count shot up just last night. Guy knows what he's doing."
A third added, chuckling, "And just last night, we learned everything about his little sister, Lex. Guy loves talking about her.
The three chuckled, but quieted as Rex's voice cut in again, louder this time.
"If you spot a Level 2, call it out. Stay close. We only take it down as a unit. Understood?"
"Yes, Captain!"
"And if you see a Runner, what do you do?"
"Don't engage!"
"Exactly. You run. Survive. That thing might be the Nemesis. A stray Eater, no nest, no pattern. It hunts for sport. If it finds you first, you're already dead. We don't need to defeat it. Not yet. Our goal is simple. Complete the quest, boost your feed count, unlock your skills. Then… we'll talk about fighting monsters like that."
The squad stood straighter. Voices rose together in sharp unison.
"YES, CAPTAIN!"
They moved out, sweeping the high street. The same area Johnquis's squad had cleared the night before. But unlike that mission, Eaters were everywhere.
Rex lifting his Eater Blade onto his shoulder, a long serrated weapon jagged like a row of shark's teeth. A saw blade.
"Eaters all over the place. That means no Level 2s and good news… the Runner's not here either."
They pressed on until the ruined road opened before the skyscraper, the same one Johnquis's team had entered.
Eaters poured out from the shadows, snarling and hissing from every crack and alley.
Rex scanned the scene. Smashed cars, broken-down vehicles, fresh craters in the pavement and nearby, several Eater corpses.
"The damage… and these bodies it's recent. Someone took this quest last night."
He looked up at the building.
"The Queen must've spawned again. New Eaters… but why? Why wasn't the quest marked complete? Why leave the Queen's nest intact and not finish the job?"
A chorus of snarls ripped through the silence.
"Grrrr… Grahhh… KRAAAAH!"
The squad sprang into action. In minutes, they tore through the oncoming swarm, blades flashing, Eater corpses piling up in the street.
One Eater Blade called.
"All clear here, Captain!"
Another added, "Same on my end!"
Rex replied, "Then we head for the queen's nest. Rooftop."
A sudden scream rang out,
"CAPTAIN!"
"What is it?"
The girl's voice shook.
"A—A corpse! Over here!"