While Dan's group made their way toward the colony, Joffrey's muffled grumbling about their retreat filled the air. Dan ignored him. His mind was a battlefield of calculations.
The second demon used a signal, Dan thought. He's calling Falric, just like last time. He needed to eliminate one before the other arrived, but how? His eyes fell on Cyril, who was trembling with every step. A reckless idea took root in Dan's mind.
The smell of smoke hit them again, just like before. Roen and Liam sprinted ahead toward the burning colony. This time, Dan didn't follow. He stayed back with Cyril, while Cain and Joffrey were occupied with the wounded.
"Are you alright?" Dan asked Cyril, his voice low.
"I... yeah, I'm fine," Cyril stammered, his fear palpable.
Dan went silent for a moment, then whispered, "This fire... it's a bad omen."
"You're right," Cyril replied, trying to mask his terror.
"At this rate, we're all going to die," Dan said, his sharp gaze locking onto Cyril's eyes. Cyril flinched. "Don't forget the Crow... it's just as strong as the demons, if not stronger."
Cyril didn't dare respond; he simply moved away. Dan felt a pang of guilt, but he knew this psychological pressure was necessary for his plan.
They reached the ruins. The sight was identical to the previous loop: the charred remains of Zalin and the others.
"The residual mana... it belongs to a demon," Roen muttered, closing his eyes.
"Is it the same one that attacked you?" Liam asked Joffrey.
"No... I never saw that one use fire," Joffrey replied, shaking his head.
The group stood in a tense, confused silence. Dan broke it with a decisive tone. "We have to face him. If we fight both demons together, we don't stand a chance."
They agreed, though hesitantly. But then Dan added the twist: "I... I'm staying here. The wounded need someone to look after them."
Cain's eyes filled with disappointment. "I thought you were one of us..." he muttered coldly.
Joffrey didn't care for Dan's motives. "Cyril, you're coming with us," he barked.
"Cyril is terrified," Dan intervened firmly. "He'll be a liability in a fight."
Joffrey prepared to argue, but Roen placed a hand on his shoulder. "Dan is right. There's no point in forcing someone to fight when they've already broken."
As they prepared to leave, Liam shot Dan a look of pure disdain. "Pathetic," he spat.
Dan felt the weight of their disappointment, but he didn't flinch. Their respect meant nothing if they were dead.
Once they were out of earshot, Dan turned to Cyril and the other boy. "Can you watch the wounded? I need a word with Cyril."
He led Cyril away. "Do you want to get out of this Gate alive?"
Cyril nodded frantically.
"I have a plan. It's insane, but it's our only shot," Dan said. "I'm taking the risk. You'll be the safest one here."
"What's the plan?" Cyril asked, his voice shaking.
"Simple. You go to the Gate's entrance and wait for it to open. The moment it does, tell the High-Rank Hunters about the demons. They'll come in and save us."
"But how will the Gate open? The Boss is still alive!"
"That's my job," Dan said, his voice dropping to a chilling calm. "I'm going to the cave to kill the bear."
Cyril's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "Are you mad? The demon is there! Even if you sneak past him, you don't know if that bear is the real Boss!"
"I'll handle it," Dan said. "I'll kill the bear before the demon even notices I'm there."
"And if he finds you? What then?"
"Then I die," Dan said simply.
The words were so cold, so devoid of emotion, that Cyril's heart skipped a beat. He looked at Dan as if he were staring at a madman. No sane person talked about their own death as if it were a minor inconvenience.
"Are you insane?"
Dan offered a small, haunting smile. "Even if I am, it's the best plan we've got. Now, choose. We're out of time."
Cyril looked at Dan, the memories of his slaughtered friends flashing through his mind. If Dan succeeded, Cyril would be the first one out. "Fine... I'm in."
"Good. Move."
As Cain and the others moved toward the Fire Demon, the atmosphere was grim. "I'm disappointed," Cain admitted.
"I don't blame him," Roen replied softly. "It's our lives on the line."
"I get that," Cain said. "But he didn't seem like the type to run."
"Is that what it looks like to you?" Joffrey interjected, his voice uncharacteristically cold. "All I know is that he's a bastard who uses people like pawns."
Before Cain could respond, Roen pointed ahead. "We're here. The demon is just ahead."
Meanwhile, Dan sprinted toward the cave. I must have looked like a lunatic to Cyril, he thought. He doesn't know I can just reset. But it's still risky. If I die, I'll just find another way.
He reached the cave with surgical caution, scanning for Falric. The coast was clear. He found the bear—the creature was breathing shallowly, still suffering from Roen's previous lightning strike.
Dan raised his sword and plunged it deep into the beast's heart. The bear unleashed a deafening, cave-shaking roar before falling silent forever.
"Now... I just have to hide and wait for help," Dan whispered, his heart hammering.
"What do we have here...?" a sharp, menacing voice hissed from the shadows.
Dan froze. Every hair on his neck stood up. He turned slowly.
Falric was there. His smile wasn't just angry; it was mocking. The smile of someone who had all the time in the world to torture a worm before crushing it.
"Little insect... did you have to come here while I was busy tending to one of those ugly creatures?"
Dan drew his sword, determined not to go down without a fight. He lunged, his blade a blur, but every strike was parried by a casual spark of lightning from Falric's hand.
"Slower than I expected," Falric teased.
Dan gritted his teeth and attacked again, aiming for the legs before snapping his blade toward the demon's throat. Falric fired a bolt of lightning into the cave wall near Dan's face, blinding him with sparks.
Dan recoiled, gasping. His arm was numb, his limbs trembling, and the faint scent of scorched flesh filled his nostrils. Yet, he pushed on, leaping to the side for one final, desperate thrust.
Before he could connect, a massive electrical discharge slammed into his chest, throwing him against the jagged rocks. He coughed up blood, his vision blurring.
Falric stepped closer, sparks dancing between his fingers. "You wanted to fight... but you can barely stand."
Dan raised his sword one last time with a shaking hand. Falric didn't hesitate; his lightning-clad claws tore through Dan's chest.
Dan slumped to the ground, his eyes wide, a faint, weary smile on his lips. Expected... Next time... I'll be faster... I'll kill it and leave before he arrives... Dan thought as the darkness claimed him.
________
"Little insect... did you have to come here while I was busy tending to one of those ugly creatures?"
Dan's heart stopped.
He hadn't returned to his teammates. He had returned to the exact moment he encountered Falric in the cave.
The shock was a physical blow. His nerves screamed. His mind fractured as the realization hit him like a tidal wave.
The checkpoint had changed. Death was no longer a way out.