Chapter 28: Critical Condition
The following week was the same for Zale. All preparation and unyielding anxiety. When he wasn't working at Elvash, he made plans with Shai and pooled over 'Mana' with a fine-tooth comb as he copied every word written.
It was during one such evening that Zale received a message. The chime spiked his anxiety through the roof as he instantly recognized the first tone. It was Meru. So he thought.
Meru: This is Leslie, Meru's teammate. Meru is in critical condition. You should come to the hospital ASAP.
Zale: OMW!!
Zale's breath left him, quickly replaced with the fire of adrenaline. With all the speed his body could afford, he was dressed and driving. Every second of delay had him stringing together the most colorful expletives he'd ever managed in his whole life. It was the only thing keeping him from fantasizing the worst.
He burst into the hospital prepared to demand where Meru was, but a small cluster of people he immediately recognized saved him the trouble. "What's going on?!" he cried out, panting and wobbling.
Leslie caught him by the arm to help him steady and explained, "Meru is being treated right now."
"I want to see her!" he demanded.
"Calm down, Zale," a man said, his massive, tree-trunk frame standing tall and imposing, "Let us explain the situation first."
Zale nearly blew the man and half the hospital lobby out with a blessing, but he caged his flash of anger and tried replacing it with a deep breath of understanding. "Make it quick then," he snapped, shooting a blazing glare at the man who flinched for just a moment.
"We were on a mission. It was a sub-tier gate, so they just sent our team in to clean up and close the thing. There were plenty of goblins, but that was it. We were just taking care of business when someone else showed up."
Zale had taken a seat now and raised an eyebrow, not expecting Meru to have been mauled by a high ranked goblin. "I know what you're thinking, but it wasn't a goblin. It was something I'd never seen before."
He shuddered, and Zale looked around at the group who were also reliving the moments. "It was a monster that didn't belong in a dungeon like that. Something sinister and vile. I don't know. We only got out because Nivarm The Cremator showed up."
Zale'd eyes widened.
"Exactly. We don't know what a world tier hunter was doing there either, but Meru…"
He paused, a lump catching in his throat. He swallowed and got out the words. "Nivarm started wiping out everything and claimed the dungeon was too dangerous. Meru tried going against him, and he didn't hesitate.
She didn't stand a chance. Before she could even move a muscle, His flames took her. We couldn't put them out. He forced us to take her and run. What could we say when she was like that. Pricilla tried healing her, but it was useless. We brought her here immediately and explained the situation, but so far, there's been no progress."
The man clenched his fists. Pricilla broke into tears. "The screams...She just kept screaming. Ben's right. I couldn't do anything, Zale; I'm so sorry."
"Why'd he have to burn her? There must have been-" Ben started, but Zale's grim look cut him short.
"That's just how those people are. Even if he WAS trying to save you, he didn't give a shit. It was the same in the past too. They are always like that…"
Zale's head was ready to burst, filled to the brim with old and new anger and despair. He let out a shaky breath. "How is she now," Zale asked, turning his eyes to Leslie.
"They are keeping her sedated. They can't heal the burns. They suspect it was some kind of cursed flame he used on her."
"What will they do to him?" Zale asked, the answer already apparent.
The team shuffled awkwardly. "He's a world tier hunter. What can they do? He's outside of the law. There's no chance. It's Meru's fault for not just stepping down and leaving," said Ben.
"Ben!" Leslie chided.
"It's just the truth!" he defended.
Zale wasn't surprised. Nothing had changed, and he knew it hadn't, but that did nothing to quell the swirling emotions.
Weekly Power Status
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Ranking 
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