He had failed the quest.
For god’s sake, after coming so close to completing it, only to fail at the very last step, nothing could have been more frustrating.
Using Overlord from the get-go held one meaning and that was to finish the quest as soon as he could. However, what did it amount to when he was interrupted at the very last moment?
The remaining PSC officers finished off the Ghoul, but it didn’t matter. The moment the red screen appeared, informing him that the quest had failed, all of Kyle’s motivation vanished.
He took a step back and glanced at Maya.
The girl looked a little worried. Then again, she had probably become concerned after they were caught dealing with a rift.
Shaking his head, Kyle decided to leave.
He was far too frustrated to talk right now.
"Wait there."
His wish to leave was ignored.
Timothy walked over, his expression stern.
"Mind telling me why I heard about a rift from a local officer when an intern was already at the scene?" He narrowed his eyes at Kyle.
Kyle let out a quiet sigh. "Things happened too quickly. At first, it was just Majins, so I thought..."
"You thought you could handle it on your own, and that led to the Ghoul’s emergence." Timothy’s voice turned colder. "Do you realize what could have happened if that thing had breached the walls and reached one of the busiest streets in Montclair?"
Kyle remained silent.
Timothy was right. Kyle was the one at fault.
Just because a girl’s words triggered his pride, and his greed to complete the quest had clouded his judgment, he had forgotten his duty as a Nightwalker.
"Kyle, if you were a licensed Nightwalker, this could have gotten you suspended. I understand you’re new to this, but you need to stay level-headed." Timothy added, his voice calmer a little.
Kyle kept his head lowered. "I understand."
Timothy let out a weary sigh. "Go sit down so the medical team can check you over."
Kyle nodded before looking toward the monster and the rift one last time.
Both were gone.
The rift was sealed within seconds, likely because the Ghoul had already been forced out and severely weakened by Kyle.
Without lingering, Kyle turned toward the medical team waiting nearby.
He gestured for them to head to the stands.
They nodded, and Kyle walked past Timothy before making his way there as well.
Just then, a familiar voice spoke beside him.
"You handled the situation pretty well."
Kyle glanced at her. "How are you? Did they hurt you?"
Maya shook her head. "Just a few bruises. Nothing serious." She studied his face for a moment before asking, "But are you okay? You looked really worked up when they arrived. It almost seemed like you were about to attack them."
Kyle blinked in surprise. "Was I?" He rubbed the back of his head.
What was wrong with him?
Sure, failing the quest and losing the chance to obtain that artifact was frustrating, but... his reaction had gone too far.
He didn’t want people getting the wrong idea.
I really need to work on my facial expressions.
"It was nothing," he said. "I just wanted to finish that big guy with my own hands. I forgot this wasn’t a personal battle."
Maya smiled faintly. "It’s not a bad thing. Every warrior wants to be the one to finish a battle they’ve poured everything into."
Kyle chuckled. "Thanks for saying that."
The two sat side by side as the medics began examining them.
They asked the usual questions, whether they felt short of breath, unusually heavy, or dizzy.
Overusing Genesis could allow Absence to seep into a Nightwalker’s core, leaving them poisoned if they pushed themselves too far.
Fortunately, neither of them looked anywhere near that state.
As one of the medics wrapped bandages around Kyle’s scraped knuckles, he muttered, "You were remarkably calm back there. I’ve never seen someone handle a battle with that much composure before... except for one person."
Veronica, to be precise. The way she fought that Special Grade had been just as incredible.
"Is that so..."
For a brief moment, Kyle thought her eyes narrowed in suspicion. Then her usual indifferent expression returned.
"I was trained under extreme conditions," she said. "So I know exactly what not to do in a battle."
Kyle smiled faintly.
"I came here to train you, but it feels like I ended up learning something from you instead."
While he had fought with aggression and haste, she had remained as calm as still water, never letting recklessness cloud her judgment.
His greatest strengths had always been his distance and precision. Above all else, he was an archer, and the weapon he wielded was a heavenly tool designed to hunt creatures like the one they had just faced.
But well, things didn’t always go according to plan. He ended up rushing things and the rest would be a painful history to remember.
"Maya!"
A voice suddenly boomed from the left.
Not only Kyle and Maya, but even the medics and the PSC officers turned toward the source.
A man came charging toward Maya, crying and panicking without a shred of dignity.
Kyle rolled his eyes.
"Here he comes..."
Maya slowly rose to her feet and raised a hand, not to hug him, but to stop him from hugging her.
"Maya... sniff... are you okay? Did they hurt you?" Adam asked, wiping away his tears as he frantically looked her over from head to toe.
"I’m perfectly fine." She glanced at Kyle before adding, "Senior protected me."
Only then did Adam notice Kyle standing beside her.
"Kyle... my man. You have all my thank..."
"Stop. He’s injured."
One of the medics stepped in, stopping Adam from throwing himself at Kyle.
Adam let out a frustrated groan before another question reached him.
"Where were you, dude? We waited almost thirty minutes for you before the rift appeared."
Adam clicked his tongue. "Curse that security guard. He kept the gate shut and kept asking for a permit. Even after I told him I was with the guest inside, he wouldn’t let me through. I tried calling Maya too..."
"I forgot to bring my phone."
As if she had expected the question, Maya answered without hesitation.
Kyle sighed. "You could’ve called me."
Adam shook his head. "Couldn’t reach your phone. Amanda’s phone was off too."
Kyle frowned before it hit him.
Right. She was in the middle of a raid.
"Anyway, dude." Adam raised his hand.
Kyle returned the gesture as he met his hand with a light nod.
"I owe you one. Thanks for staying with her."
Kyle shook his head. "I didn’t do much. She’s pretty strong."
Adam grinned. "I know, right? Anyway, are you okay? Want me to take you back to the hospital?"
Kyle stared at him with an expression that clearly said, Say that again and you’re dead.
Adam answered with a sheepish smile.
Just then, one of the medics spoke up.
"Your injuries aren’t serious. Get a full-body scan, take some painkillers, and you can head home."
Kyle let out a quiet sigh.
Yes.
Home was exactly where he wanted to be.