Mia huddled in a narrow crevice between the rocks, still shaken by the terrifying scene she had just survived.
That bastard Hector only ever gave her missions that were all but certain to get her killed.
The awakened monster had been a hundred times more terrifying than he had described.
She had escaped through sheer luck.
That group of strangers had made a bigger target, drawing all the monster's attention. Only then had she managed to save her own skin.
The wound on her leg was still bleeding, burning with pain.
Mia calculated the time she had left. The Alchemical Potion she had taken before the mission would remain effective for another three days.
After three days, that soul-deep agony would return.
The mere thought of Hector's cold face made Mia's body tremble even harder, beyond her control.
But she had no choice. Only Hector could keep her alive.
She spent the last of her strength carefully sealing the opening with a heap of moss and fungi.
Finally, she blended her presence into the dark corner around her.
As a "Defective," this was her only racial talent worth praising.
Pain and exhaustion washed over her nerves in relentless waves.
Mia's consciousness sank beneath the pain and weariness, slipping into a haze between sleep and waking.
Just a short nap... recover my strength...
Then... hurry... report back... the next potion...
Just as she was about to sink into darkness, a Danger-Sensing Magic spell linked to her consciousness suddenly blared!
Danger!
Terror seized Mia. The shock instantly swept away every trace of drowsiness, and every hair on her body stood on end!
What was happening? How was this possible?
Before she could finish the thought, a dark figure silently peeled away from the shadows to her right.
No sound, no presence-not even