Caelus glanced down at his own chest. "You'll have to ask Dan Heng about that."
Bronya looked puzzled. "Is he your leader? He seems so decisive in everything he does. Actually..."
As it turned out, insomniacs truly were drawn to one another.
This was no mere joke—
Caelus and Bronya fell into a long conversation.
From it, Bronya learned that Cocolia had withdrawn all Silvermane Guards from the Underworld to resist the Fragmentum's encroachment in the Overworld.
However, in Bronya's eyes, this decision was far from justified.
It had placed far too heavy a burden on the Underworld, and she wanted to change things—to stop it all from happening.
With that, Bronya and Caelus strolled together, hoping to clear their minds of their troubles.
Suddenly, Bronya halted in her tracks upon hearing voices nearby.
"How much longer can you last with the supplies you have on hand?"
"Hm?" Bronya immediately recognized the voice. "That's Seele."
Abandoning her leisurely pace, she broke into a run.
The scene then cut to Seele and Dr. Natasha.
"Got it. I'll head to Rivet Town and get your things back for you!"
Natasha's pupils constricted slightly. "Going alone is too risky. Have Oleg send someone with you."
"The old man and the others haven't slept in days either. They should rest first. If they push themselves now, they'll just slow me down. Besides, some of the miners are badly injured—time is of the essence."
"Seems like you've run into some trouble?" Caelus and Bronya emerged slowly from around the street corner.
Seele eyed them suspiciously, especially Bronya. "Weren't you two supposed to be resting? What are you doing out at this hour? Not plotting anything shady, are you?"
Bronya exhaled sharply. "We couldn't sleep, so we went for a walk. Please retract your baseless accusations."
"Tch. Then keep walking!"
Natasha quickly stepped in as mediator. "Seele, don't be like that. They might be able to help!"
The moment she said this, Caelus immediately struck a pose, hands on his hips, and declared with utmost seriousness:
"No problem! We'll help with anything!"
"Oh?" Natasha was momentarily at a loss for words at Caelus's dramatic display. "No wonder you give off such a 'protagonist' aura."
Then, Natasha sighed and briefly explained the situation.
Under the Fragmentum's influence, many towns had been severely affected, with vital supplies and equipment swallowed by the encroaching rift.
Both Seele and Natasha had relocated to Boulder Town from other settlements, and the entire Underworld was now in a precarious state.
As Natasha and Seele's conversation reached Bronya's ears, she bit her lip hard.
Soon after, she volunteered to accompany Seele on the supply retrieval mission—with Caelus, of course, also joining the party.
Natasha's final instructions were for them to head to Rivet Town's market square, where the orphanage's old research facility still held some supplies.
With that, Bronya, Seele, and Caelus set off together.
——
The video skipped the journey, cutting straight to the three arriving at Rivet Town, as indicated by the subtitles.
The camera shifted rapidly, and even the background music grew more intense.
Rivet Town wasn't much different from Boulder Town—except one was inhabited, and the other was, for now, devoid of life.
Caelus was well aware of their mission: to salvage those medical supplies,
to wring out the last bit of usefulness from them—
Wait, no.
To let them continue serving their purpose at the clinic!!!
Standing at the mining town's entrance, the trio surveyed their surroundings.
Seele pointed toward a well-lit building in the distance. "Over there that house on the uphill slope is Natasha's old orphanage. I spent most of my childhood there."
Caelus nodded approvingly. "Looks pretty impressive..."
Meanwhile, Bronya, who had been bickering with Seele earlier, was now at a loss for words.
She clutched her head, overcome by an inexplicable sense of familiarity with the place.
After this brief interlude, the three pressed onward.
The journey was uneventful just the usual skirmishes until they reached their first destination: the market square.
However, the crates that were supposed to contain medical supplies had already been looted.
Though "looted" might be too generous a term the perpetrator's methods were far too civilized for Fragmentum creatures...
After inspecting the scene, the trio unanimously concluded that this wasn't the work of monsters and that the culprit couldn't have gone far.
Following an exhaustive search, Seele spotted a familiar figure.
"Eric?" Seele's voice was laced with reproach as she stared at the young boy before her. "Hey, kid, what are you doing here alone? Do you have any idea how dangerous this place is?"
"S-Seele?" Eric flinched, flustered. "Wh-what's it to you? I-I can go wherever I want! None of your business!"
According to Seele, Eric was a young pickpocket,
and this time, he had taken the supplies to sell for money to treat his father's illness.
Under Seele's relentless scolding, Eric burst into tears.
Bronya, unable to bear it, chose to negotiate trading her precious Architect's Medal for the supplies.
In return for Bronya's kindness, Eric shared what he knew about the orphanage: something terrifying lurked there.
After Eric left, Seele's attitude noticeably softened. "That thing must've been really important to you, huh?"
"If this helps him turn over a new leaf, then it's a small price to pay."
"And if he doesn't change?"
"He still deserves the chance. Because no one else will give it to him, Seele."
Seele smirked. "You talk in such riddles. Let's just keep moving."
Their immediate goal, however, remained reaching the orphanage to continue searching for supplies.
After navigating Rivet Town's winding paths, the trio finally found the road leading to the orphanage.
Ascending the steps, they beheld the grand mansion perched atop the slope,
a silent witness to the town's ever-shifting fortunes.
The camera lingered on Seele's conflicted expression—
and, more perplexingly, on Bronya's similarly troubled gaze.
As they approached a stack of crates, Bronya was the first to voice her doubts.
"These crates have been here for years, haven't they? Are you sure there's still usable supplies inside?"
Seele sighed. "You think people in the Underworld care about expiration dates? We take what we can get!"
But the deeper they searched, the wider Seele's eyes grew.
"Nothing nothing! They're all empty?! Who the hell?!"
"ROAR!!!"
A guttural snarl erupted behind them.
It was the danger Eric had warned them about a monster known as "The Ice Out of Space."
Before anyone could react, the creature summoned a hail of ice shards from above, raining them down upon the group.
After a frantic dodge, Caelus tightened his grip on his bat.
"Sneak attacking from behind? You're not getting away with this!"