Chapter 262: I’m fucked.

And Lucian—

He had it worse.

He was together with a witch, the worst possible partner in a place like this.

And the even more terrifying part?

Isolde wasn’t even the weakest member of his team. He also had a normal human with no powers at all. She was practically dead weight.

How was he facing Varek in that situation?

"Yes."

Sabine nodded at the question.

"And the others?"

"They are fighting him."

"What about you? Why are you here?"

That question made Sabine pause for a slight moment.

What was she supposed to say?

She ran?

"I came to get help."

She gave a different answer.

Dorian, however, instantly saw through that and snorted.

"You ran."

"What?"

Sabine raised an eyebrow.

"You ran like a coward."

Dorian spoke much more clearly.

Sabine stared at him but...

She didn’t say anything.

She had seen the boy’s interaction with Lucian. Obviously, their relationship wasn’t the best, and clearly, he did not like her because she was with him.

Sabine also understood that Lucian was not with her, and she alone was nowhere near strong enough to take on this group.

She needed to end this as peacefully as possible, and she needed to leave.

Dorian grinned at her. She remained silent. Her focus was mostly on Alaric.

"How long has it been since you left your group?"

He asked.

Sabine thought about it for a moment.

"Less than an hour, I think."

Those words made the situation much clearer.

Less than an hour.

That was more than enough time for Varek to be done with what he did.

’Unless...’

Alaric’s face changed as he remembered the form Lucian used that day.

’If he uses that...

Then he can run away.’

He thought inwardly.

Dorian, on the other hand, kept grinning.

The more he heard, the better it became. In the end, he couldn’t even control himself and laughed out loud.

"It looks like arrogance finally caught up with him."

Alaric looked at him. Dorian did not care. He let all his frustration out with a hearty laugh.

"He wanted to walk around acting like he was above everyone, but as they say, one isn’t stronger than fate. At the end of the day, you reap what you sow."

Sabine stared at him. The others were the same. For a moment, no one said anything. Alaric’s face, however, became noticeably colder.

"Dorian."

He called out.

"What?"

"Enough."

He ordered.

Dorian stared at his eldest brother, then clicked his tongue and looked away.

Sabine remained silent.

Even a fool could tell it was better to remain silent considering how things were.

But...

Her silence didn’t exactly help her.

Because after they heard about Lucian, after some were secretly relieved and others were visibly displeased—

Everyone’s focus fell on something that was actually important.

Sabine noticed the change as well. The Hunters were no longer looking at her face. They were looking down, at her arms, at the three silver marks.

’...fuck.’

She cursed in her head. Outwardly, she smiled innocently, hoping to get out of this situation.

It didn’t work.

"Give them to us."

Alaric spoke after staring at the Waymarks for a few seconds.

"...Excuse me?"

Sabine blinked.

"Your Waymarks."

Alaric replied.

"Give them to us."

Sabine stared at him for a moment, then let out an awkward laugh.

"Commander, I feel like our relationship has developed far too quickly."

Alaric did not even react to that sentence. The look on his face did not change, nor did his request.

Sabine looked at him, then at the other Hunters around him. All of them were holding their weapons, and the intent behind their eyes was... very clear.

Sabine couldn’t help but find it odd.

These people didn’t seem nearly as threatening when she was with Lucian.

But right now—

She no longer had Lucian.

Or Isolde.

Or Naomi.

She was alone.

And she needed to play it carefully.

"How about this?"

She smiled as she spread her arms.

"I join you."

"No."

Alaric instantly shook his head.

"You are of no use to us."

Sabine’s eyebrow twitched.

"That was unnecessarily hurtful."

"It was not meant as an insult.

Our group just does not require your skill set."

Alaric’s expression did not change.

"I have information."

Sabine tried to offer what she had, but again—

"So do we."

Alaric did not care.

"I know quite a bit about artifacts and relics."

"What you know about are stolen relics. You have no official education. We have specialists who, I assure you, know more than you."

"...I am extremely charming?"

This one Sabine wasn’t very sure of.

And Dorian’s scoff made it even worse.

Finally, Alaric lost his patience.

"You are a thief, woman.

The only reason you even came this far was because you were travelling with Lucian’s group. Now that you have abandoned that group and are alone, it is only a matter of time before you are either killed by a Trial Monster or another group of candidates.

You won’t reach the end, and even if you do, you definitely won’t be chosen by Aevrienne.

So let me make this very clear for you.

Give me your Waymarks, and we will let you go. If you do not, you will leave us with no choice but to take what we want by force."

He spoke directly.

Then, he looked at Sabine’s state again and—

"In the state you are currently in, I would suggest the former."

"Heh."

Dorian actually laughed at that.

"Not like she would have put up much of a fight even if she were healthy. I would have still suggested the former."

Sabine stared at him.

The worst thing about this was that Dorian was actually correct.

So in the end—

"Fine."

She sighed.

Then, she extended her arm.

The first Waymark glowed. A silver light separated from her skin and moved towards one of the Hunters.

The same happened with the other two.

And Sabine—

She only watched it happen.

Three Waymarks.

She was... so close.

For once, she had actually thought—

Maybe.

Maybe she could reach Aevrienne.

Maybe this ridiculous gamble would somehow work.

But...

It was over.

She was finished.

Without Naomi, it was absolutely impossible to find three more Waymarks.

"Yeah."

Sabine sighed.

"I’m fucked."