"Oh no! The lady escaped!" the purgers exclaimed with feigned surprise. Despite their loud voices, their lack of concern was evident. They also showed reluctance to immediately pursue Lisa. "Do you think she can evade us?" the purger with the red bow scoffed. He then directed his henchmen to go after Lisa, leaving him to face Patal. "I don't think they can catch her," Patal said confidently. He was sure that Lisa was not in any imminent danger, as she was adept at escaping. As the last ones to become purgeable beings, they had accrued significant experience dealing with situations like this. The returnees and aliens had trained them well. Among their instructions were to avoid engaging in conversation with purgers, not to try comprehending what the purgers said, and instead, to focus solely on escape or elimination. Without hesitation, Patal discarded his empty pistol and withdrew the two concealed weapons he had stashed under his vest. "Oh, not much of a talker, are you?" the pur
Patal managed to escape thanks to Ainspenser's assistance. He headed straight for the roof in search of Lisa but found something else instead. "The real thing is more terrifying," Patal remarked. Survivors among the aliens and returnees who had experienced the hunt a decade ago always recounted their ordeals as if they had been characters in a horror movie. To those who were unaware of the true events, it often seemed like exaggeration. However, as Patal observed the scene before him, he realized that the aliens and returnees had described their experiences with complete accuracy. From his vantage point, Patal witnessed the surge of purgers that the others had mentioned. The purgers emerged from their hiding places in a manner reminiscent of a swarm of ants emerging from a disturbed nest. As the moon bore witness to more bloodshed, the night grew even darker. For everyone involved, it felt as though the real hunt had finally begun. The frightened screams of their prey and explos
After centuries of enduring punishment and exile to Earth as a purger, Andy could barely recall the exact transgression that had led to his punishment. His memories were a jumble, and he wasn't even sure if they had become entangled with fabricated recollections. All he knew was that he had been accused, and the people of Heaven had been too indifferent to verify his innocence. Even though his memories were unclear, Andy could sense the depths of Heaven's disdain for him. After a few centuries of pleading to return to Heaven, he had given up. However, the punishment he endured, though seemingly straightforward, was stifling and tested his patience as the centuries passed. It was the monotony of the same routine day after day that wore on him, making life increasingly dull and tedious. While routine could be beneficial, Andy found that repeating the same tasks day after day, extending over centuries, became excruciatingly monotonous. Andy, a purger assigned to the same purging task f
Andy outstretched his arms and, with a mischievous tone, proclaimed, "Please give me attention." The others present scowled, their expressions souring. One of the administrators retorted, "Attention? You've been seeking that for centuries." Andy snorted, his demeanor casual and smile intact, but his eyes smoldered with anger. "I didn't initially seek it; you people made me this way," he retorted. His words were delivered nonchalantly, but beneath the surface, his fury burned. None of them dignified his statement with a response; the administrator merely gave him a dismissive look. Andy was accustomed to this treatment and was one of the few unafraid to act openly in front of the administrators. Most of those summoned typically fell to their knees immediately. The administrators held a rank close to the highest order. They enforced the laws and meted out penalties for infractions, but without proper evidence, they were powerless to take action. Hence, they couldn't immediately har
Still within Andy's grasp, Patal and Lisa were thrown to the ground when Andy declared his delusional friendship with Gaige. They had not expected to survive, and yet, they were not entirely shocked when they were spared. Relief washed over them at being alive, but it was tinged with anxiety about the reason for their reprieve. They feared that Andy might use them as leverage against Gaige. Escape seemed impossible as they were confined to an unfamiliar, doorless room with no ventilation. The atmosphere inside grew increasingly oppressive as their anxiety mounted. "How can we get out of here?" Lisa asked, her fear palpable. The already eerie and dark room took on an even more ominous aura due to their trepidation. "What a psycho," Patal muttered. He tapped Lisa's thighs in astonishment, pondering how Andy had cleanly severed their legs without causing any pain or bloodshed. "Do you think this is an illusion too?" Patal inquired. Lisa responded by tapping his amputated legs as w
In an empty café, one man sat alone, sipping coffee he had prepared himself, while the rest of the city reverberated with screams and frantic commotion. After taking a sip of his coffee, he remarked aloud, "It's already the second day." He took a bite of the cake he had also appropriated from the café, savoring it with delight. "Hmm, so tasty," he commented. "What a life. The day is passing by so fast." Gaige was unwinding with his gun, Andy's absence leaving him with little to do. Gun's muzzle was aimed at the trembling prey outside the café as it remarked, "It may be fast for you, but for them, time is crawling." Gaige looked at Gun with surprise and quipped, "Hmm? Since when did you learn empathy?" Gun responded, "Since I became your weapon." Gaige snorted. He understood what Gun was getting at. He had also experienced the Hunt as prey, and those days were some of the most wretched. Time moved agonizingly slowly when you were being hunted; a minute felt like a second, and a d
Gaige squinted his eyes, attempting to discern the identity of the woman with vibrant red hair. A wave of unease washed over him as he recognized her as Ellise. "Why the heck is she here?" he mused. But his surprise deepened when he saw who Ellise was confronting. His eyes widened, and his body shot into the air. Mid-flight, Adal issued a chilling warning. [Alert! Your bond with Purger Ainspenser is weakening.] [Warning! Purger Ainspenser is on the verge of expiring!] [Warning! Your own existence is tied to the life of Purger Ainspenser. If she perishes, you will too.] "Adal, analyze Ainspenser! How badly is she injured?" Gaige commanded. Since Ainspenser bore no visible injuries, Gaige was uncertain how to assist her. He timed his leap perfectly, snatching his wife away from Ellise. He landed on a rooftop three buildings away, placing Ainspenser down. Adal swiftly provided him with an analysis of Ainspenser's condition, equipping him with the knowledge he needed to attend to he
"You invited me to come see you six years ago, but you never came," Apoles explained. "Six years ago?" Gaige fixed his posture and wondered what Apoles was talking about. He then remembered inviting Apoles to his home in Ademordna but being unable to see him due to his death. He quickly motioned his head to apologize, but then he stopped. "Wait, did you come to my house while I was away?" he asked. "Yes, I met Ellise there." "Woah, so it's my fault you met this strange b*tch." Gaige shakes his head at the strange connection Apoles made in his absence. He admired Apoles as he always did, but he found it odd that Apoles was siding with Ellise. "But why are you protecting her?" "She's my friend." Gaige squinted his eyes as he felt Apoles' words did not match Apoles' dazed gaze on Ellise. He crossed his arms while he directly asked Ellise, "Is he the one who helped you out?" but Ellise was not in the right mind to answer. It was Apoles who answered for her. He said, "I simply let