Half a day later...
Levi and Arthur were seen sitting in front of the motel's room, awaiting the return of Shia's squad and any sort of movement from Ash'Kral.
Unfortunately, he hadn't reached out since the last time Levi spoke to him.
While Levi seemed at peace with how the situation was developing, Arthur was getting antsy by the minute.
"Levi, you should have at least listened to the formula for Blee'der's perfect evolution." Arthur bit his nails nervously, "It's been half a day already, maybe he has already lost interest. Nightcrawlers are extremely unpredictable."
"Loosen up, don't get yourself early wrinkles." Levi smiled peacefully, "He will come around eventually...If not, well, it's not so bad to work as Daywalker's staff."
"Can you stop joking around?" Arthur glared at his brother.
Arthur always respected his brother's decisions and plans, believing that he had it covered every time. But this situation was simply too extreme as Levi was putting his life in the hands of a nightcrawler.
Arthur could never trust a nightcrawler, especially, when their parents were slaughtered under their hands.
Too bad, all he could do was wait patiently; a virtue, he always lacked.
"Is it sunset already?" Levi asked after Astra Ai informed him of the time.
"I guess so, The Holy Pillars are about to emerge," Arthur replied as he turned around and watched the sun slowly set over the horizon.
As this was happening, the entire outpost came to a brief halt.
Every Daywalker and citizen stopped whatever they were doing and lifted their heads, gazing at the breathtaking sunset.
Some seemed to appreciate the view while the majority had looks of abandonment, wishing that the sun would never set.
Sadly, the sun disappeared on the horizon and took away its precious protective light. But soon, everyone's gloomy expressions were replaced with looks of relief as a wave of gentle luminous golden light started sparkling around them.
It was like the entire outpost was illuminated by a gentle flashlight from the heavens, putting their hearts and minds at ease.
"Have no fear, the Solar Deities will never forsake us...Auryn."
One Daywalker fell to his knees and bowed his head towards the heart of the Holy Heliodor Region.
He was holding tightly to a necklace with an illuminating sun symbol. His face reflected nothing but utter devotion and reverence.
Some Daywalkers reacted in the same manner, and some merely nodded in appreciation towards the sky. Then, they continued with their duties or preparation for exploring the Harrowing Forest.
Their reaction was understandable when the sole reason humanity hadn't gone extinct a hundred years ago was due to those Holy Light Pillars.
After the first contact with the Shadow Dimension, nightcrawlers had invaded Earth from every patch of darkness through Stygian Gates.
In the first twelve hours, more than three billion people were either devoured or forced to become Sleepwalkers for the sake of survival.
Just when hope seemed lost and humanity's extinction was merely a few days away, one thousand Holy Light Pillars fell from the sky on major cities worldwide.
The chosen cities had the most surviving population from the first invasion. Each pillar covered three hundred kilometers in diameter, illuminating entire cities and the nearest regions to them.
The moment the pillars descended, all nightcrawlers were scorched to death instantly in those cities and their underground, giving the survivors a safe haven at last.
At the moment, there were no longer any countries after the old system fell apart; only Holy Regions in infested continents.
"How warm..."
Meanwhile, Levi seemed to enjoy the divine light as he gently moved his palm across the illuminating sparkles.
While he couldn't see them, he had a peculiar feeling of comfort, like he was being hugged by his mother.
He had already asked his brother about it, and he told him that he had never felt the same sensation, and so as the others.
This made Levi assume that maybe the Solar deities were gentle with blind people, making him appreciate the warm sensation each night.
"Enjoying your sunbath under the holy light?"
Suddenly, Shia's irritated voice resounded from behind Arthur and Levi.
When Arthur turned around, he noticed that neither her expression nor her partners' was good.
"You seem distressed...Were there any issues with the recruitment?" Levi inquired calmly.
"How did you know?" Shia knitted her eyebrows in wonder.
"You took quite a while to return, which shouldn't be possible when the payment is quite generous on your part." Levi smiled serenely. "I assume that most reliable rogue Daywalkers were already signed to other agencies' squads?"
"Your guess is half right." Shia sat down next to them and disclosed with an irked look, "It's Mantis, the f*cker from Sunstrike Agency. It turns out, they have already capitalized on their agency's main squad success at clearing the Shadow Castle."
"The bastard has signed 99% of the current Daywalkers in the outpost." Sergio cursed.
"We were even approached by them." Jamal sighed helplessly.
"What's your next move?" Levi inquired as he rested his arms on his white cane, "Are you planning to wait until your agency's members arrive?"
"No, we will move now." Shia uttered sternly, "My agency associates will take days to arrive, as most of them are carrying their missions. With Sunstrike's current numbers, they will most definitely lockdown the entire forest once they make their move."
"Are you mad?" Arthur narrowed his eyes, "It was already dangerous for us with extra members involved. How can you guarantee my brother's safety with just you three?"
"Don't worry, Arthy." Levi answered him, "She can't afford to lose me just yet."
"Aren't you a bit too sensible for your age?" Shia leaned closer to Levi. Then, she whispered, "I am growing quite fond of you...Please don't disappoint me."
Levi merely smiled in response, not bothering to turn his head.
...
A few minutes later, Shia, Levi, Arthur, and the other two were seen walking towards the outpost's exit.
To no one's surprise, the exit was extremely populated with contracted nightcrawlers, awaiting Sunstrike Agency's orders to move out into the forest.
With such a gathering, it was difficult for Levi to tune out all the noises.
'The hell? What's a blind kid doing here?'
'Boy, have you lost your way?'
'Shishishi, it's best to go back, lest your ankle monitor gets you in trouble.'
Levi walked unaffected amidst the mockery. By now, he was immune to their ridicule, as he had heard practically everything.
However, his unique situation attracted their partners' attention, making almost everyone turn their heads and gaze at them.
"Oh, is that Shia Morningstar? Was she also recruited for this mission?"
"Huh? Don't be delusional, her family's fortune is enough to buy all of us."
"What is she doing with a blind kid? Is he even allowed to leave the borders?"
As Shia's squad walked across the crowded exit, murmurs were heard here and there. Although there were close to a hundred Daywalkers, Shia kept her hands inside her buggy jacket, walking with a straight back and a popsicle in her mouth.
The crowd opened a path for them without her needing to say anything.
"Damn, is she really that famous?" Arthur muttered under his breath as he kept looking at the Daywalkers' expressions. Most of them were either envious or star-struck, like they were gazing at an actual celebrity.
Levi heard his brother's murmurs through the noise and answered him casually, "She is quite famous, but their reactions are for her father."
"Her father?"
"Yes." Levi shared, "She is the youngest daughter of Idriss Morningstar, the current head of the Morningstar Lineage Family and the Blood Hunters Agency."
"Blood Hunters Agency?" Arthur scratched his head in confusion, "It can't be, there is only one Blood Hunters Agency in our holy region; It's a tier 5 agen...Huh?"
Arthur suddenly felt a chill course down his spine after realizing that his big brother wasn't screwing around with just any Daywalker, but the precious daughter of one of the strongest Daywalkers and the leader of the second-ranked agency in Heliodor's region!!
With a petrified expression, Arthur looked below him at his brother and saw that he still had the same serene, harmless smile.
"When did you find out..."
"Once I knew her name."
Levi answered while tapping his hearing device, letting him know that he used the Astra AI to search for her name on the network.
"You still committed..." Arthur sighed helplessly, "Brother, couldn't you have picked any other Daywalker?"
Arthur's worry was rational as he heard many negative rumors related to the Blood Hunters' Agency.
The most well-known one...They were absolutely bat sh*t crazy!
"Have no fear, your big bro is here." Levi joked.
"F*ck off."
Arthur massaged his temples, feeling like he was losing years of his life trying to keep up with his brother.
"Welcome back Shia. Have you given my proposal a second thought?"