Chapter 61

Chapter 61: Chapter 61

As if he had heard her words, Lysander’s fingers moved weakly against hers. Ingrid froze, staring at their joined hands, and felt his grip tighten ever so slightly before his fingers relaxed again.

It happened so quickly that she almost wondered if she had imagined it, but she knew she hadn’t. He was still hearing her, even in his unconscious state, and that tiny response almost made her smile.

"Lysander, you heard me, didn’t you?" she whispered, bending closer to him. "Then you have to keep fighting, all right? You can’t just squeeze my hand and leave me here to deal with these troublesome people by myself."

Her attempt at a joke came out trembling, and she quickly swallowed the rest of her words as two hunters hurried toward them carrying a stretcher. Both were Level Two Hunters, judging by the badges attached to their uniforms. One of them knelt beside Lysander while the other unfolded the stretcher, and Ingrid reluctantly loosened her hold on him when they asked her to move aside.

"Be careful with him!" she warned, struggling to get back on her feet. "His wounds are still open, and he’s lost a lot of blood. Please, don’t move him too roughly."

"We know what we’re doing," one of the hunters assured her as they carefully lifted Lysander onto the stretcher. "We’ll get him to the base as quickly as possible, so just give us some room."

Hunter G stepped closer to Ingrid while the two Level Two Hunters secured Lysander. His expression had become more serious than before, and although he spoke gently, she could tell he wanted her to understand the importance of what he was about to say.

"We’ll have to take him back to our base before we begin treating him properly," he explained. "I know you might want us to use the Star Glow Herb immediately, but we can’t simply apply it to his wounds without examining him first. We need to check for infections, damaged tissue, and any internal injuries he might have sustained during your escape. The herb may help his wounds heal without leaving scars, but if we ignore an infection or overlook an injury inside his body, the consequences could be serious, and we don’t want to create another problem while trying to save his life."

Ingrid’s fingers curled anxiously against her palms as she watched the hunters lift the stretcher. She wanted to argue that every second mattered, but Hunter G’s explanation made sense, and she couldn’t afford to let her fear interfere with Lysander’s treatment. If there were complications that the herb couldn’t solve on its own, then getting him examined properly was the best thing they could do.

"All right," she agreed, forcing herself to remain calm. "Just please make sure he receives treatment as soon as we arrive."

"You have my word," Hunter G replied. He then reached into the medical bag carried by one of the nearby hunters and brought out a small, sturdy box with a secure lid. "As for the Star Glow Herb, you can put it in here. It’ll protect the contents during transportation, and we’ll keep it somewhere safe until we’re ready to use it."

Ingrid accepted the box with both hands, immediately pulling it close to her chest. It wasn’t particularly heavy, but she held it as though it contained something far more precious than a container for keeping herbs. After everything she had gone through to keep her secret, the thought of handing over something that could expose her abilities made her uncomfortable, but Lysander’s condition left her with little room to hesitate.

She watched as the hunters carried him toward a huge bus parked beyond the trees. It was unlike any ordinary passenger bus she had seen before, with reinforced windows, thick metal plating along its sides, and enough space inside to accommodate several injured people. The vehicle appeared to have been modified for the hunters’ operations, and she could see additional equipment secured behind its windows.

"Lysander," she called out, taking a few unsteady steps after the stretcher. "I’ll be right behind you, so don’t worry. Just hold on until we get there."

The hunters continued moving, and within moments, they had carried him through the bus’s open doors. Ingrid stopped outside, still clutching the empty box against her chest, and stared at the entrance until she could no longer see him. She had barely managed to catch her breath when Freya’s voice rang out beside her.

"Wait a minute! Where’s the Star Glow Herb? I don’t see any bag with you where you could have kept the herb."

Ingrid’s heart skipped. She turned toward Freya, who was looking at her with open curiosity, her scarred lips stretching into their usual unsettling smile. Jowe had also shifted his attention toward her, and even Hunter G appeared to be waiting for an answer. Ingrid knew she couldn’t keep pretending to possess the herb without actually producing it, but she had no intention of revealing the existence of her system to a group of strangers.

Before she could come up with an excuse, a tremendous explosion shook the ground.

The sound came from somewhere beyond the trees, so loud that several birds scattered from the branches overhead. Everyone turned toward the noise at once, and a few hunters immediately raised their weapons while others shouted questions about the source of the explosion. Even Hunter G’s expression changed as he looked toward the village, clearly trying to determine whether another Evolved One had appeared or if it was the blow up as planned.

Ingrid didn’t waste the opportunity. She quickly turned toward the silver-tailed fox and crouched beside the bag resting near its paws. Moving as naturally as she could, she slipped one hand inside the bag as though she were searching through its contents, while her other hand remained hidden from the hunters’ view. Inside her spatial storage, five stalks of Star Glow Herb lay safely preserved, their pale, luminous leaves looking exactly as they had when she had first collected them.

She brought them out in one smooth movement, keeping them concealed against the opening of the bag until she was certain no one was watching. Then she straightened, pretending she had finally found what she was looking for, and carefully placed all five stalks inside the box.