The journey back to their base was no less humiliating than the trip out.
Miss Leana, as merciless as ever, had once again secured Damon, Daveon, and Anaya in her enchanted rope and was dragging them across the rugged landscape of the First Layer of Hell. At this point, none of them even bothered protesting.
They were sore. Exhausted. And, most of all, hungry.
"At least we got the core," Damon muttered, staring at the glowing Grade Four crystal in his hand as he bounced along the rough terrain.
"Yeah, and a free ride back," Anaya added dryly.
Daveon, lying flat on his back with his arms crossed over his chest, stared up at the crimson sky. "You know… next time, I'm going to land the hit."
Damon snorted. "Oh? Is that so?"
Daveon turned his head slightly. "Yep. And I'm not going for her face. That's what got you nearly killed."
"Nearly killed*?" Damon scoffed. "She didn't kill me. She just—"
"Nearly broke every bone in your body," Anaya finished for him.
Damon huffed. "Details."
Daveon smirked. "But me? I'm aiming for her abdomen. Right in the gut. She won't see it coming."
Miss Leana, walking ahead, made a slight sound. "Hmm..."
Daveon instantly paled. "Wait, did she just—"
Damon chuckled. "Oh, you're dead next time."
Anaya shook her head. "You're all idiots."
The dragging continued for another hour before the Regulator finally came into view.
It continued to serve as their home—a base where they could rest, recover, and eat before venturing out again.
Miss Leana pulled them through the entrance, finally releasing the rope as they slid to a stop on the cold, stone floor.
Damon groaned, rubbing his arms. "I swear, one day I'm going to burn that rope."
Miss Leana ignored him, already moving toward the kitchen.
The trio slowly picked themselves up, stretching their sore limbs as they shuffled toward the main hall.
"So," Anaya started, "we need to rethink our strategy."
Damon flopped onto one of the reinforced chairs, resting his head against the back. "You mean a strategy to hit Miss Leana?"
Daveon, despite still feeling like his entire body was made of pain, sat up with determination. "Next time, we coordinate better. If I go for her abdomen, one of you has to create an opening."
Damon scoffed. "You think you'll get a chance to go for her abdomen. She's going to remember what you said."
Daveon hesitated, then paled slightly. "... I was joking?"
Anaya shook her head. "No, you weren't."
Damon chuckled. "You weren't."
Daveon groaned, slumping back into his seat. "I hate both of you."
Miss Leana, from the kitchen, called out. "If you have the energy to talk, you have the energy to prepare the table."
The three of them sighed but didn't argue.
For all her ruthlessness in battle, Miss Leana was an excellent cook.
Within minutes, the aroma of freshly prepared food filled the Regulator, cutting through the lingering scent of blood and sweat.
Damon, Daveon, and Anaya gathered at the table as Miss Leana set down plates of hot food before them.
It was simple—roasted meat from a lesser demon, seasoned with rare herbs scavenged from the safer parts of her Void key, along with a side of cooked root vegetables.
To them, it was a feast.
The moment the first bites reached their mouths, all three of them visibly relaxed.
Despite the harsh training, the constant danger, and the never-ending exhaustion, moments like these made it worth it.
Damon leaned back, sighing in satisfaction. "I take back what I said about the rope. As long as you keep feeding us , I won't complain about the dragging."
Miss Leana arched an eyebrow. "You never had a choice to begin with."
Damon grinned. "Fair point."
Daveon wiped his mouth, setting his utensils down. "So, when's our next mission?"
Miss Leana leaned back in her chair, eyeing them thoughtfully. "Once you've recovered. Tomorrow. You can barely lift your arms right now."
Anaya smirked. "You mean after you finish beating us up again?"
Miss Leana smirked back. "Obviously."
Damon groaned, but despite his complaints, he knew the truth—this was the life they had chosen. They would fight, they would train, and they would get stronger.
And if that meant dealing with Miss Leana's harsh training, her enchanted rope, and her brutal sparring sessions…
Well, at least they had good meals to look forward to.
After dinner, the group remained seated, exhaustion settling into their bones. The table, once filled with steaming plates of food, was now nearly empty—only a few scraps remaining.
Damon ran a hand through his hair. "Alright, seriously though, how do we actually land a hit next time?"
Daveon leaned forward. "I say we bait her into attacking, then counter."
Anaya scoffed. "And how do you plan to bait Miss Leana into making a mistake? She doesn't make mistakes."
Daveon waved a hand dismissively. "Every fighter has a pattern. If we push her a certain way, she'll have to react. We just need to find the right moment."
Damon hummed. "Might work… if we survive long enough to test it."
Anaya crossed her arms. "I say we just focus on not getting destroyed before thinking about landing a hit."
Miss Leana, still seated across from them, listened to their strategizing with mild amusement.
"You're all assuming I'll fight the same way next time," she said suddenly.
Daveon blinked. "Wait—what?"
Miss Leana's smirk was barely visible, but it was there. "Do you really think I'm going to let you use a strategy that I've already heard you discuss?"
A heavy silence fell over the table.
Damon groaned, letting his head drop onto the wood. "We're doomed."
Anaya sighed. "Why do we even try?"
Daveon muttered under his breath. "I knew I shouldn't have said anything out loud…"
Miss Leana stood, gathering the remaining dishes. "Eat well, sleep well. You'll need it for tomorrow."
She walked off, leaving the three of them in stunned silence.
Damon sighed. "We should really learn to keep our mouths shut."
Daveon exhaled. "Yeah. But where's the fun in that?"
Anaya just shook her head. "Idiots."
Despite everything, the three of them couldn't help but laugh.
Tomorrow would bring another brutal day of training, another impossible challenge.
"Good night." Damon said to the others.