Hellbents
Chapter 10: Like a Girl Sister

After passing through the forest and the border gate, Ava finally slowed down a step. Utilizing the gap created when the mysterious person had appeared, Ava hurriedly escaped. Ezra seems to have no intention of letting go for a long time. The veiled interrogation that the man had conducted would only remind him of the bad memories, weighing him down. After all, Ava would not want to deal with the business that Ezra proposed, whatever it was must be complex and troublesome. Ava just wants to focus on returning to her original dimension.

The room of the inn he rented was more expensive than yesterday, probably because of its location in the capital, but the food served was definitely better. But before Ava vertical run out of apple juice, the conversation from one corner of the restaurant visitors attracted his attention.

“Eh, I heard there was a monster tamer coming into this city?”

“Oh, I heard it too! He said he liked to show off one of his pets, an iron wolf!”

“Such ferocious monsters roaming the middle of the city is it harmless?”

“Really! The guards should just throw the tamer away! In case we offend them, we can be made into his pet food!”

Why do you want to offend someone for no reason at all?

By the way, that tamer who has the iron wolf monster? Ava was sure those people were talking about River. The man did not go home yet.

Actually Ava understood their concerns a little when a creature as big as a horse that had the ability to bite broke their head roamed freely, but from what Ava saw yesterday, Lig was completely tame. In addition, River has a high tolerance for people who are annoying, for example Ava. The man is also not quick to anger, tends to be forgiving instead.

River was a good person, at least to Ava.

But what happened next was beyond the girl's expectations.

The door of the restaurant slammed open, River with a shabby and chaotic appearance looked at his surroundings with panicked and worried eyes. And when his gaze met Ava, the man ran. Even before Ava could react, the girl was already struck with a hug that was more like hitting her. They both fell. Then he heard a whisper close to his ear.

“Don't disappear like that again!”

Huh huh? Why why anyway?

***

The dominant monster came from the outbreak, a gate that failed to be conquered would spew out the monsters stored within it. The emergence of the gate itself threatens the security of residents around, therefore every village is obliged to evacuate if there is a gate that appears at a radius of two kilometers from their residence.

River was just 19 when a gate was discovered on the forest border of their village. Each gate has its own characteristics, but the most common rule found is the maximum limit of one's level to enter the gate, the higher the maximum limit of the level that is believed to be the stronger the monsters in it. If there is an outbreak on the gate with a high level, the consequences can be great. And unfortunately, the gate in the village of the young man is level 45. Although an emergency notification had been sent, its location away from the capital took several days to arrive, not to mention processing. So that there were no official reinforcements, the conquest gate experiment was finally carried out by some local hunters or mercenaries who were on average only level 35, one of them was River's father.

The displaced people prayed for several nights for the safety of their family members. Unfortunately, the conquest failed.

Outbreaks also occur.

Large meat-eating worms ravage the surrounding forests and villages, even some to the extent of their displacement. Mass panic ensued. Everyone runs away to save themselves, because when the precarious state of things man shows his true form. Selfish.

River clenched tightly onto his little sister's trembling body, Ella. His heart was beating so hard that he could feel it in his throbbing head. They were both riding Lig which was still a medium-bodied with a dozen levels, not enough to fight, so River chose to run away.

Behind them a worm monster did not far chase. River clutching Lig's feather, his body strained with adrenaline. “Quick!” he screamed, desperate. In the corner of his mind River knew that carrying two teenage weights was not an easy job for Lig at the time, but he hoped, because that was the only thing he could hold. Or they'll die.

Suddenly Lig stopped, Ella was thrown down. In front of them was another worm that revealed half of its body from the bushes. Ella who slammed also attracted the attention of the monster.

“Ella run!”

But the girl was terrified. His terror-stricken body could not be moved. He sculpted, becoming a tempting temptation for the worms.

River desperately shouted, trying to attract the attention of the monsters to turn to him. Yet futile.

Hundreds of rows of teeth of flesh-eating worms that prefer to devour his sister.

“Do not!”

 Lig takes River on a run before he even jumps down, a recklessness that will only end up being free. He knows. But he still howled at Lig to come back, cursing him, to claw at the wolf's back.

Still, monsters just follow instinct. Survive.

 Along their way, River roared, drenched in tears. Heartache and loss.

***

That's why, when the riots broke out yesterday River insisted on finding Ava who suddenly disappeared rather than running away with the others. An incident at the entrance gate relives painful memories of the past. His actions are based on guilt, guilt because he was once weak and could not protect his sweet little sister. River's unnatural protective nature to Ava is caused by the retaliation he can only take at this time, protecting the girl who is like his sister from any danger that threatens.

Ava for a moment fell silent after hearing River's story. The man's face was still wet, his eyes were red. Ava actually did not want to disturb River who was currently in a state of range, but there were some things that he had to straighten out.

“I thank you for protecting me, but River, I'm not your sister,” said Ava as gently as possible, careful with the mental state of the man beside her who was unstable. The girl could see how shocked River was when his post-traumatic stress disorder struck.

“We are in the capital, the state of emergency was faster to respond. I'm pretty familiar with fighting anyway, so low-level monsters I can handle. Even if there are monsters with a higher level like yesterday, I can run anytime.” The observation skills he gained could also help determine the level of monsters he faced, in contrast to the way the natives of this dimension who saw physical appearance to calculate the range of levels.

“But you never know, danger can come from anywhere.”

Oh, Ava knew very well that danger could come from anywhere, which is why she planned to make sleeping powder and some other ingredients that she could quite make herself from the recipe in the journal Eve gave.

“But still, my safety is not your responsibility,” Ava smiled, her eyes weighing.