Chapter 20: Secluded Village Of The Hollow. (Part 2)

At Rek's declaration, a palpable tension permeated the air. Until now, they had been forced to engage in dangerous events that tested their physical skills. But his latest command was vague. What did he mean by 'survive'? What could possibly be lurking within the village?

"The first five arrivals were rewarded with a hint for their survival. They were given the choice to keep this hint to themselves or share it with the rest of you. The majority chose to share it, so I will now provide you with the same hint I gave them."

'A hint... So that's the reward. To choose to share it instead of keeping it to themselves... such considerate fellows...' Dawn mused to himself.

"Hide and don't get caught. This task is designed to train your stealth skills." 

'Well, that's rather vague...' Dawn thought, furrowing his brow.

"You are still not allowed to use your abilities. That is all. Proceed," Rek instructed, moving away from the bridge along with the guards. 

With the path to the bridge no longer obstructed, they were permitted to cross. However, nobody stepped forward. 

The gathered awakened were visibly hesitant and uneasy. Who would volunteer to be the first one to enter an unknown perilous situation? Moreover, the bridge itself didn't appear particularly sturdy—it seemed as if it might collapse at any second. 

'Hm, I thought Mason and Blaise would confront this situation head-on, but they seem to have calmed down. They must have been through a lot during the Death Run,' Dawn observed when he glanced their way.

The duo stood there anxiously, occasionally looking towards their injuries. 

'Their courage was raising everyone's morale, but now if they're like this—'

Dawn's thoughts were interrupted when, suddenly, someone stepped forth from the crowd, walking straight onto the bridge without hesitation.

It was Aella. Her silver hair fluttered in the air, revealing her stunning crimson and purple jewel-like eyes. She walked with confidence, showing no trace of fear as she crossed the bridge.

Dawn's gaze then shifted from her to the air above the village, where a small flame was gradually taking form and flickering to life.

Once Aella reached the other side, she scanned the surroundings before venturing deeper into the village alone. Nothing adverse seemed to happen, at least until they lost sight of her.

"What are you waiting for?" Rek challenged, shooting a glare at the remaining awakened.

Prompted by his reproach, Ayleth went next and one by one, more of them started to cross the bridge. They walked cautiously, fearful of falling into the stream below.

Dawn, of course, took his turn once about half of them had gone. He moved leisurely across the bridge. Despite their worries, it was safe to cross—it merely appeared old.

As he crossed the bridge, Dawn felt several eyes on him. Their gazes were coming from both ahead and behind him. 

Ahead, Ayleth, Freya, and surprisingly, Mason were observing him. From behind, Kiana, Karol, Penelope, and a few other awakened were also sneaking glances. 

Dawn couldn't help but feel a little uncomfortable under their scrutiny. 

'Did I overdo it during the Death Run...? Well, given my behavior, I can't blame them.' 

The gazes weren't hostile or angry but were filled with curiosity, as if they were trying to understand something puzzling. But their attention didn't last long, for the village was a much more pressing concern. 

Dawn kept glancing at the flame above the village, watching as it gradually enlarged. 

However, the moment he set foot into the village, his eyes widened, and his gaze immediately dropped to the center of the village. 

He could sense it—the unnerving sensation of a scythe being held at his throat, the all-too-familiar feeling of death looming over him. 

Dawn couldn't help but force a nerve-wracked smile as a notification screen materialized before him. 

[New Quest Unlocked]

[Quest Title: The Secluded Village Of The Hollow.]

[Objective: Survive for 30 minutes undetected in the secluded village, evading the 'hollow.']

'Hollow…?'

Dawn studied the screen before stealing a glance back at the bridge, where the awakened were still crossing. 

Whatever lurked in the village hadn't moved yet despite the flame growing larger. 

Upon observing this, Dawn came to a realization. 

'Ah… I see. Those who entered the village earlier have the advantage… whatever they need to 'survive' against, won't make its move until everyone is inside... giving those who arrived earlier more time to hide.'

Dawn's thoughts drifted back to Aella's actions—she had been the first to step into the village. Could it be she knew all along that being the first one in would give her the most time to find a hiding place?

His curiosity regarding her deepened even further.

Regardless, Dawn separated from the group, quickly moving through the village while avoiding the center to get a handle on the layout. 

As he anticipated, the sense of impending danger remained static. Occasionally, he cast a glance towards the bridge where the last few awakened were about to finish crossing. 

'Looks like we're doing good on time…'

Eventually, he found a spot just outside an old, secluded, traditional house.

'This place should be good... If I manage to hide my presence here, I should avoid being detected...' Dawn thought to himself. 'Now, to handle the person who's been tailing me…'

"I think it would be wise to use this opportunity to find a good hiding spot rather than follow me." Dawn suggested, offering a nervous smile as he looked to his right.

"You're right, I apologize if I'm bothering you," a female voice responded as she stepped into view.

The figure that emerged from beside the building was Ayleth, with Freya and Penelope in tow.

"That's fine, how can I help?" Dawn asked, once again turning his gaze towards the bridge. 

Based on his estimations, they had about a minute before everything would commence.

"For starters, we wanted to thank you for your advice back in the passageway earlier. It helped a lot of us survive..."

Dawn felt a twinge of guilt as he accepted their gratitude. After all, his initial intention hadn't been to assist them. He had merely offered advice because he would've felt guilty remaining silent. His own survival had always been his primary concern.

"There's no need for thanks. If that's everything—"

"We were hoping you could watch over Penelope," Ayleth continued, cutting him off. "She's the only one among the awakened with a healing ability. If anything were to happen to her, it would significantly decrease our survival rate."

Dawn turned his gaze towards the bridge and then shifted it to Penelope, who was nursing several injuries.

'Inspect.'

[Name: Penelope.] 

[Core Rank: Awakened.] 

[HP: 78%] 

[Energy: 84%] 

[Ability: ???]

He had never seen her ability in action, so Inspect, as usual, showed ??? for her ability. But based on what had happened with Mason, he was confident she had the ability to heal.

There were still many naturally awakened whose abilities he hadn't seen, but if what Ayleth said was true about Penelope being the only one with a healing ability, then keeping her safe would undoubtedly be beneficial in the long run.

'That's why she stayed behind at the Death Run, she was secretly watching over Penelope.'

However, Dawn didn't want to take on the role of a guardian—he had his hands full worrying about his own safety.

"Why have you chosen me? I'm sure there are better options, including yourselves, to ensure she is safe," Dawn queried.

"I have a feeling that you are the most suited for this task," Ayleth responded.

"...And if I refuse?"

"Then the three of us will stick with you throughout this test. Of course, that might increase the likelihood of us all ending up dead."

"A threat, huh…" Dawn muttered, looking up at the flame in the air, which had grown from a candle's size to that of a small basketball.

"Of course, I'm not asking you to do this for nothing. If you grant my request, I will grant any request you have."

Dawn glanced once more at the bridge. Approximately twenty seconds remained. He looked back at Ayleth, who had a determined expression on her face.

"Alright, I'll do it. Now hurry and find a place to hide. You won't be able to grant my request if you're dead."

Upon hearing his acceptance, Freya, who had been listening with her arms crossed, let out a sigh of relief, while Ayleth gave a quick bow and thanked him with a relieved smile.

"Thank you."

Dawn nodded before gesturing for them to leave. Penelope watched them depart nervously, a look of worry etched on her face.

"They'll be fine. Come here, or I won't be able to protect you." Dawn said bluntly, smiling while keeping his eyes on the bridge.

Penelope nodded in response and ran over to Dawn, who was sitting cross-legged on the ground. Much to his surprise, she sat on his lap and stared in the direction he was looking which was toward the bridge.

"They told Penelope to be quiet, so Penelope won't make any noise. Don't worry!" she muttered as she looked up at him.

Dawn glanced at her and smiled before refocusing his gaze on the bridge.

'If it's only her, I should be able to keep her safe... It looks like the last person has just finished crossing the bridge–'

Just then, his thoughts were interrupted by the clear sound of a loud church bell ringing out in the air above them.

'So it's started…'