As they stepped into the room Gaige had emerged from, a chill ran down their spines. The scene was a grotesque tableau of blood and death, a gruesome reminder of the horrors they now faced. Bodies lay strewn across the floor, bearing signs of unimaginable torment. The teenager clung tightly to Gaige, her heart aching for the child who had endured such horrors. She couldn't help but shed tears, her arms wrapped protectively around him. Gaige, however, remained oddly detached, his eyes focused on the carnage before him. He pointed at the lifeless forms and spoke in fragmented sentences, trying to convey something to his newfound companions. "Family," he gestured towards the nearby bodies, then pointed at the others, saying, "Strangers." His message was clear: his family had perished here, while the rest were unimportant strangers. The teenager's eyes welled up with empathy as she held Gaige even closer. "We'll take care of your family. You don't have to worry," she reassured him, cast

Gina couldn't help but question Gaige's actions. "W-why did you have to do that?" she asked, her voice trembling with a mix of confusion and concern. She reached out to wipe the child's face, which was adorned with an innocent smile. She felt a pang of guilt for not noticing what had been happening behind her while she was engrossed in helping the two men battle the purger. Gaige looked at Gina with a hint of mischief in his eyes. "That too!" he declared, gesturing toward the other purger who lay motionless on the ground. He wondered how much more money he could accumulate by deceiving the remaining purger, but Gina walked away from the scene, leaving him looking slightly disappointed. "Gina, let's go before another purger shows up," urged Blink, the middle-aged man. He gently scooped Gaige into his arms, taking charge of carrying the child while the three of them continued their search for a safe haven. After finding new temporary shelter, Zeno, the hooded man, noticed Blink studyi

For the first time in what felt like an eternity, they found themselves living through an entire day without the horrifying sight of bloodshed and violence. Nestled within the sanctuary of the forest, they basked in the rare sensation of safety. However, despite this newfound respite, they remained vigilant, their movements measured and their voices hushed, as the threat of the spirits dragging them back to the hunt area are still hunting them. A full day had come and gone, and Gina, the first to awaken, lay resting in the protective embrace of Zeno's arms. With the passage of time, she had seized the opportunity to replenish her depleted mana, ensuring her readiness to continue monitoring events unfolding across a distant continent. Gina had masterfully employed her teleportation magic, traversing vast distances to assess the situation. Her dedication was unwavering, and she was determined to confirm that the purgers and spirits that had relentlessly pursued them were no longer a th

Gaige's eyes remained fixed on the screen in front of him as he contemplated his dire financial situation—negative two million EC and a staggering debt of -1500 EXP. The mission displayed on the screen offered the highest reward yet, but it still fell short of what he needed to secure a flight back to Adermordna, the place where the purging had occurred. Nevertheless, he had no choice but to accept it and work tirelessly to earn what was required. [Mission: Purge the Spirit Criminal] [Target: Rosina] [Target’s description and background information are locked.] [Requires 5 EXP to unlock] [Reward: 1000 EXP and 100,000 EC] [The mission must be completed in twenty-four hours.] [Do you accept? Yes or No] With a wicked grin, Gaige confirmed his acceptance of the mission, but his excitement waned when he noticed the timer. [Mission accepted; the timer starts now!] "There’s a timer?" he muttered, his eyes scanning the mission details. Amidst his exhilaration, he had overlooked this

"Hey, Adal," Gaige called out. [Yes, Purger Gaige.] Gaige couldn't help but feel a twinge of annoyance every time he was addressed as a "Purger." It was a label he couldn't embrace, as he held a deep aversion to it. His ultimate goal was to avenge the returnees who had suffered and perished during the hunt, and he longed to return to the peaceful life they had once known. The injustice of their plight, forced into multiple lives of suffering, was something he could never comprehend. His resentment momentarily sidetracked him, his thoughts lingering on the Earth system's injustices and the purger designation before he redirected his attention to his conversation with Adal. "Adal, why does my rank remain at 548? Many purgers have perished, and others have risen and fallen in the hunt. Shouldn’t my rank have moved at least a little?" Gaige queried, curious. [Rank updates in real-time, but due to the system error, ranks remain unchanged.] "So, when will my rank be updated?" Gaige inq