When Layla had joined Erin to travel with her, she had not only brought her beast gear, but also some food pills and water. When checking to see what had been stolen, Layla grew upset as she found that everything had been taken. Her beast arrows, her bow, her one water bottle and bag of food pills.
Erin continued to hold a makeshift shadow roof over her head. It worked as a way for her to stay out of the sunlight, but she couldn't fight with it because, just like it had been with the case of her umbrella, her chest piece was broken, which covered her arms.
Since Erin didn't need the outer coat of Layla's uniform, she handed it back to her, but Layla simply took it off, wrapping it around her waist. As was uniform in their school outfit, there was a light blue undershirt.
"Just as I thought," Layla lamented, before rambling, one of her hands on the corner of her mouth, "They really did take everything— What are we going to do? I spent a lot of money on that bow, and I don't even have arrows— I can't buy a new one, and your sword—"
That was when Erin placed her hands on Layla's shoulders, suddenly grounding her in the moment.
"We steal it back," Erin confidently spoke.
"But how?" Layla asked, "We're just two people, and have none of our weapons. Without my bow, I'm… And what about you? How are you going to deal with the sun?"
"Did you forget the skill I used just before they attacked us?" Erin replied.
Layla paused, thinking about what Erin had just said. The gears turned in her head, and she was realizing what Erin was putting down.
"But what about tracking them? We don't know how long it's been, and where they're at now," Layla brought up.
Erin turned her head towards a particular direction, where the sun would soon set at. It wouldn't set for another few hours, but Erin could just barely make out the smell of humans.
"They're not too far," Erin declared, pointing in that direction.
—
With the news that Layla was missing, Quinn, Peter and Fex split up to look in the town for her, only to not find her at all. It really did seem like Layla joined Erin on the hunt. Of course, the group wasn't fully sure of it, other than a feeling that it felt like something she would do.
Once Quinn finished searching around the shelter, he was on his way to reunite with his roommates. That was when he suddenly got a notification from Erin's side.
[Your hunger grows]
[You will no longer heal]
[Your HP will continue to decrease by – 1 HP until human blood has been consumed]
[HP 1/19]
Quinn froze, not sure what to do. He was about to ask her a question, about where she was, what was happening, or even ask the system what was going on with Erin, when the next set of notifications had alarmed him.
[First human killed]
[You have killed a level 4 ability user]
[Reward: 180 Exp gained]
Quinn was staring at the system messages, wide eyed at what had happened. It was like he was sent on an emotional rollercoaster. At first fearing that Erin was near death again, then seeing that she killed someone.
{Quinn} Erin!? Whats going on!?
{Quinn} Were you attacked?!
{Quinn} I thought you were in danger, I saw your health go down, but—
{Quinn} Did you just KILL someone?
{Quinn} Erin, answer me!
He started picking up his pace, walking faster towards the spot he planned to meet up with Fex and Peter. There was a fear that Erin was still in danger somehow, and that was why she hadn't yet responded.
"Will you relax?" The system spoke to Quinn's mind, "Erin is fine because she drank the blood of the person attacking her."
'That's not exactly very soothing news, system!' Quinn thought back, but he did slow down his running, 'There's consequences to killing people! What if she gets punished? Or worse, sent to the dungeon!'
After Quinn thought that, he realized that she likely wouldn't have been sent to the dungeon. With Erin being known as a level 5 ability user, and the person who was killed being a level 4 ability user, it was likely that Erin wouldn't be punished.
"Well, you may be right about something worse happening," The system added, "She does need your help right now as she and Layla had their items stolen."
Quinn felt like Erin was going to give him a heart attack at this rate, or maybe the system was going to give him one first. There was always something going on ever since Erin had gotten the system.
'Do you know where they are?' Quinn asked.
"Of course, they're at the red zone, although I will say that they are leaving that area right now," The system replied.
Rubbing his temples, Quinn sighed, "I knew it…"
When he reunited with Peter and Fex, he told them that he heard from someone that there was a person who had heard Erin and Layla go to the red zone. He didn't want to tell them that he knew because a system AI voice told him, but thankfully they believed him, and the group gathered their traveling supplies before setting off.
—
Layla had followed Erin out of the mini valley, and out of the red zone. With the fight against Amy and Garret, as well as helping Erin fight against the wingedlizards, Layla was finding herself growing exhausted. Erin in comparison seemed unstoppable, continuing to trudge on despite everything.
"How are you still walking on?" Layla asked, wearily, "I thought vampires were weak to the sun?"
Erin's speed barely seemed like it slowed down to Layla, even though she actually wasn't walking at her full power. Despite Layla not realizing it, Erin was trying to be considerate of her.
"We're here," Erin said, holding up a hand to stop Layla.
Layla had paused, looking in front of her. She didn't know what exactly it was she was supposed to see. The only thing she saw was the vast desert in front of her, with bits of shrubbery here and there.
"I don't get it," Layla sighed, perhaps the heat had been getting to Erin much more than she thought.
Erin grabbed her head, and tilted it down, which made Layla see what Erin had already sensed prior.
Just about 15 ft from where they stood was a ravine in the rocky ground. As the two peeked their heads down into the ravine, they saw the group that had robbed them just an hour prior. Amy, Garret, Pierogi and their newest member Jerry, were all enjoying their spoils in a makeshift camp.