Chapter 346: Death Evaders

We leave the station and step fully into Low-Beach Mangrove Forest.

The part near the rails still works as a small commercial center. Wooden stalls fill both sides of the main passage, protected by improvised roofs of broad leaves and dried fibers. Merchants shout product names, advertising potions, ammunition, updated maps, Beast parts, travel food, and quick equipment repairs. Some stands have claws and fangs hung up as advertising. Others display used weapons, still marked by recent cuts.

The place is loud.

The people passing through it, less so.

Divers cross the streets with their heads down, eyes alert, gear close to their bodies. Almost no one stops to watch another person longer than necessary. I saw dozens board the trains when the Academy plates marked safer regions, but no one besides us got on when Low-Beach came up.

Now I understand the profile of who really moves through here.

Rank C and up.

People used to going out to hunt and coming back covered in blood.

Some carry emblems of guilds I recognize. Others show no symbol at all, which could mean independence or simply that they don’t want to be recognized.

I slow my pace a little to keep the three of them close.

"Stay near me."

Rhayne looks around.

"Is it dangerous in here too?"

"Depends on what you call dangerous. These forward towns have their own rules. A long stare, a wrong question, or bumping into the wrong person can earn you trouble with an entire guild."

Freya studies a few Divers leaning near a dried-meat stall.

"Sounds pleasant."

"If you mind your own business, they usually let you mind it. It’s still better than Red Squid."

That seems to reassure her less than I hoped.

We keep going.

Rhayne is still looking at everything with curiosity, and that’s exactly the problem.

She lets her eyes rest too long on a man leaning against a wooden column. Maybe she’s looking at his weapon, maybe some scar on his face. It doesn’t matter.

The Diver notices.

He’s tall, wearing an open jacket over dark leather protection and a short blade fixed at his side. His expression changes when it meets Rhayne’s eyes.

"What are you looking at, sweetheart? Want to have some fun?"

Rhayne opens her mouth.

I slip my arm around her waist before she can answer and keep walking.

"Just play along," I murmur near her ear. "Don’t answer back."

It takes her a moment to understand.

Then she opens her hand over mine and holds my fingers against her waist, helping sell the image.

Her face goes red.

I don’t look back.

The man lets out a low laugh, but he doesn’t follow us.

Only when we turn the corner do I let go of Rhayne.

She lets go of my hand a second later and fixes her clothes quickly, still flushed.

Freya is watching me from the side.

"Still a long way to go?"

The tone says more than the question.

"No."

She keeps staring at me.

"What?"

Freya turns her face forward.

"Nothing."

We walk a few more minutes.

The commercial part starts to shrink, and the forest takes space between the buildings again. Vegetation grows near the walls, roots cross the paths, and some buildings were raised directly over large rocks to avoid the water pooling in the soil.

That’s when the base appears.

A low stone wall surrounds a larger structure hidden among trees. Reinforced wood completes the parts where the terrain doesn’t allow stone, and small towers were raised over thick trunks. Sandbags, elevated platforms, and two defensive weapons cover the main entrance.

Four Divers stand guard.

All Rank C.

None tries to hide a weapon or armor.

A large sign has been fixed above the gate.

[DEATH EVADERS]

Freya reads it.

"Death Evaders."

She keeps watching the guards.

"I hope they evade death by killing everything before it becomes a problem."

"It’s a functional philosophy."

Freya looks at me.

"Then you must be terrible at it."

"Why?"

"Because you’re a problem that walks and wears pants."

Rhayne tries to hide a laugh.

I keep walking.

"I’m glad your newfound freedom is being put to good use."

The guards track our approach with their eyes.

None of them stops us.

They probably saw the Academy symbols, my gear, and Freya’s. Entering isn’t forbidden. Doing something stupid inside would probably be another story.

We cross the gate.

The base is bigger on the inside.

There’s a central courtyard with training areas, tables covered in maps, and a side structure used for weapon maintenance. Divers move between buildings carrying supplies, Beast parts, and crates marked with hunting routes. Everything looks organized to function as a forward position, not a comfortable headquarters.

The main building sits at the back.

We go in.

The hall is wide, held up by thick wooden beams. Some groups talk near tables, others take weapons apart or check gear. An enormous map of the region covers a whole wall, marked with ink and small pins indicating trails, hunting zones, and dangerous areas.

Everyone expects some kind of formality.

I take a deep breath.

"WHERE’S MY LITTLE PEANUT PUFF?"

The conversation dies.

Rhayne stares at me.

Freya closes her eyes for a moment.

Zhang Xi only tilts her head slightly, as if she’s accepted that this is the correct way to enter an advanced guild.

A man stands up near the center of the hall.

He’s big, broad-shouldered, with a short beard and a scar running down the side of his neck. The light armor looks like it’s been worn for years, and his arms have the kind of muscle that belongs to someone who settles arguments without involving much philosophy.

Two others come behind him.

The first is a short, chubby kid, young enough to almost look out of place there. Round face, dark hair a little messy, and simple gear compared to the rest of the guild.

The second has a much more ordinary look. Middle-aged man, thin build, hair beginning to lose its color, and a tired expression that fits someone in charge of the accounts better than a hunting guild.

The big one comes first.

He stops in front of me.

"You coveting death, boy?"

I smile.

And walk right past him.

The man’s expression turns so confused that, for a second, he doesn’t even try to stop me.

I go straight to the chubby kid.

He watches me approach and starts to frown.

I crouch a little to get closer to his height.

"Long time, Peanut. Didn’t expect to run into you so soon."

His face changes.

I finish.

"Leader of the Death Evaders guild."

The whole hall seems to hold its breath.

The big man behind me stops looking irritated.

The middle-aged man goes completely still.

Several Divers around us exchange glances.

Peanut goes white.

"H-how..."

He swallows hard.

"How did you know?"