Surrounding the rejuvenating hearth, the team finally begins their first step in completing this bloody test. Selica and the rest of the kids have been pouring out their experiences ever since the test began while Shellon and some of his crew listened intently.

“So this here’s our ticket to success, huh.” Deringer looks at the back of the cave. Even while everyone is discussing, Gregor’s golems continue to inch through the cave with as much effort as possible. “How far do you think we’ll need to dig to get through here?” ”Umm,” Gregor stammers, this is one of the rare moments where anyone has asked about his opinion. “If it’s just me, I’ll probably take me an hour or more.” ”Hmm, we don’t have that enough time.” Deringer scratches his fraying white hair. “We’ll need to at least find more people to help the boy dig.” ”Yes, and we’ll also need to find more people to defend by the mouth of the cave as well.” Mirna adds. “...If there are still any people left in the first place.”

“There are still people out there, trust us.” Shellon answers while cleaning off his gun. It’s been damp by the rain outside and Selica can feel that whatever magical properties it may have, it's being suppressed by the rain’s effects. “They’re just in survival mode, if we can convince them to join us we might have enough people to do everything.” ”But what about those “nests.”?” Selica asks the group, “We can’t really move with them looking down on us with perfect vantage point.” ”You’d be surprised kid, but this is actually the first nest we’ve seen intact.” The woman named Revo replies to Selica’s query. She has her brown hair tied up on a ponytail while she covers most of herself with a thick rag. “Most of the nests we’ve seen were...scorched for the lack of a better term. Someone, or some group, has been targeting them directly for some time now, and it’s actually been keeping the Silencers on their toes.”

“Then we need to contact them as well.” Ashlin asks, “If we start now maybe-!” ”That’s another thing we need to discuss: who’s going to leave and stay?” Deringer interrupts Ashlin. “Truth be told, I wouldn’t wanna risk you kids out there and just let my group handle the recruitment process. However...” Deringer individually inspects the kids, trying to see through their capabilities with his old, hardened eyes. “But I can’t deny that some of you may be better off out there recruitin’ than us.” He specifically stares at Gallian, Mariane, and Hog as he gave his opinion.

“We’ll you’re in luck because I do know a group of people out there just hiding out.” Gallian smiles, appreciating the confidence Deringer gave to her. “If they are hiding out as you’ve just said, then they’ll probably still be alive, with two soldiers along with them after all.”

“Soldiers?” Buck comments, the burly man stares at Gallian with incredulous eyes. “Which ones?” ”Umm, not sure about their names, but they have metal masks over them. They were probably elves.” Gallian tries to recall the details about the previous group she encountered. Shellon and his crew whisper to one another, “It’s probably Mallasc and Jonsir.” Shellon recalls, “Were they accompanying an orc girl?” ”Umm, unsure about that but there was a hooded person along with a boy if that helps.” Gallian answers promptly.

“Yup, that’s Tatsu.” Shellon gives a sigh of relief. “I don’t know who that boy is, but it seems circumstances have bundled them together, just like us.” Shellon stands up, grabs one of the previous Silencer cloaks Gallian was wearing and wraps it around his gun tightly. “Okay, so here’s the plan: I, Gallian and probably Buck could go and look for this group, while Revo, Hog, and Mariane tries to find the group that’s burning the nests. Hide from the Silencers, and lead any group you may find in between back to the cave.” Shellon looks back at the captain. “Sounds good, cap?” Deringer snickers. “That’s why you’re the lieutenant kid.” The old man slowly stands up. Selica can hear his bones creaking while doing so. “The rest of us here we’ll guard point. Bolt! Cartrid! Help the poor boy in digging. Despi, stay here with Ashlin and Mirna and guard the front. If you see any mage running towards the hole, make sure to guide them, and anyone else you shoot them on sight, got it?” Even at such a frail age, Deringer’s commanding force is felt throughout the cave.

“And what will you do captain?” Despi answers back. The blonde woman pulls one a moderately-sized pistol from her pocket. It’s similar to Shellon in its bolt-action mechanism. ”Well, we gotta clean the nest, right?” Deringer looks at Selica. “Heard you can do that magic bubble thingy, right?” ”Um yes sir.” Selica nods.

“Great, come with me. I’m getting a bit tired so I can exert myself too much, see. I need your bubble to keep me nice and dry.” He starts covering himself with rags from head to toe. While he was layering himself, Selica notices a glint of silver nestled on his waist. “Come on, we don’t have all day.”

“Yes sir!” Selica scurries to stand as well and begins double casting the “Psy Shield” and “Umbrella” combo. After casting the same spells together so many times in relatively short succession, she has gotten used to it by now. Before leaving Selica gives one look at her friends, both of whom are also preparing for their own tasks, and smiles.

The two notice her, and smile back as well. “Good luck!” Gallian says to everyone, but mostly to Ashlin and Selica.

Selica feels uneasy accompanying Shellon’s captain as they both depart the cave towards the targeted Silencer’s nest. As they walk, Selica watches Deringer scuffles with his gait as if his knees give in every few steps he makes. She’s actually worried that the old man might accidentally slip as they walk forward. But, to Selica’s surprise, the old man is able to move deftly and silently even with his unnecessary movement.

After a few minutes of stealth walking, Deringer and Selica finally reached the alleyway Gallian, AShlin and Shellon met up earlier. The damp stony floor with the cobblestone-esque imitation wall made from the ground are the only flanks the two have against the perching Silencers inside their nest.

“Alright kid.” Deringer props himself up by the edge of the alley. “I know I might be asking a bit much, but you got some kind of mirror spell with ya?” ”Oh, of course here.” Selica placed her hand on top of Deringer's and whispered the spell “Mirror”. Slowly a small diamond reflective material appeared in Deringer’s hand.

“Oh that’s really handy.” Deringer grins with his crooked lips. “Thanks kid.” He cups the mirror on his hand and slowly slides by the edge of the alley to take a peek at the enemy.

“BANG” The moment the mirror peeked just an inch out of the alley’s edge, it immediately got shot. Deringer was able to let go of the mirror before getting hit by the bullet himself.

“Woowee, that was a close one.” Deringer’s lips grows to another grin while he is shaking his almost-shot off hand. “Damn folks are expecting us, eh. Fine. Let’s get to it.” He clasps both of his hands together and starts rubbing them.

And rubbing them.

And rubbing them.

After a minute or two, Selica notices that Deringer are still rubbing and shaking both of his hands together.

She looks above her to see if the bubble is still in effect. The lack of rain soaking their head is a good indication that the shield is still working.

Maybe he’s just performing a ritual, Selica thinks as she watches Deringer do his hand dances. But the closer she watches him, the more she notices that it’s not the case.

She can see Deringer’s hands shaking, and his lips chattering and shivering. His eyes are fixated on his hands and the rest of his body has gotten stiff. He’s still frozen. Selica slowly walked closer to him and faced him in front.

His eyes are shaking, and she can hear him saying. “Come on, come on.” under his breath. Selica looks at his hands and they are starting to get beaten red from all the rubbing.

“Sparks” Selica lit up a fire underneath Deringer’s hands. She doesn’t know what’s going on, but at the very least this small fire could warm him up a bit.

“Wa-!” The moment Selica's “Spark” ignited, Deringer’s daze was broken. “Oh, ah.” He looks at the fire and on his hands, then looks back up at Selica.

“Just something to warm you up, sir.” Selica responds, she didn’t want to comment on the utter shock and surprise written in Deringer’s face when she appeared in front of him. She knew enough, she didn’t need to ask more. She has seen the same look amongst the other retired adventurers, young and old, residing in Heroes’ Hill.

“Hehe, thanks again little girl.” Deringer placed both his hands carefully on top of the fire to warm them up. “Hah, I’ve really been a liability to my kids this whole test. To be fair, we didn’t expect this shit to happen in the first place.” He sighs deeply. “You know the moment this damn thing started, we barely stopped Shellon running from us to look for you. He said, that he can’t forgive himself if Selica dies because he was too dumb to leave a child like that alone up here.” Selica blushes at the idea of not running all for her. She knows there’s a certain friendship between her and Shellon, but she is still taken aback on how much it meant for him. “I-I was actually worried about him as well. Actually I was worried that he wouldn’t really go to the test at all after what the guards told him.” ”Told him?” Deringer cocks his head, “What did those blue shirts tell my lieutenant?”

“Umm, well.” Suddenly Selica feels embarrassed in telling the harsh criticism Shellon received, but I guess it wouldn’t hurt to tell his boss about it. “They said that his magic is lacking. That knowing magic missile alone would not be enough to be accepted as a citizen here in Magecraft City.”

There’s a bit of silence after Selica’s confession. She’s afraid that Deringer might start to rant on how that’s stupid, which she of course agrees wholeheartedly, but instead the old man responds with a snickering laughter.

“Hehe, did they know?” Deringer closed his hands again. This time they are firm, strong and with intent. He slowly grabbed the silver piece of metal dangling on his waist.

It is a silver revolver. And a gigantic one at that. The grip is as big as Deringer’s already mighty hand and the nose of the revolver is longer than any of his fingers. The whole thing is a marvel to look at, it’s as if she’s staring at a magical relic weapon of the past.

“Reload.” Deringer’s command immediately made the revolver’s chambers spin. As they do, purple magical energies slowly fill each chamber and when all chambers are full, they all stop. Selica can feel the magical gravitas the gun now possesses.

Deringer then started to move near the edge, with his silver revolver ready to shoot. “Watch closely kid.” He said to Selica with a huge grin on his face. “We may only know magic missiles, but we know how to use them well.” Deringer steps out from the cover pointing his in the air.

“BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG”

It all happened in a flash. Selica could have barely seen what happened, but from what she can recall, she saw Deringer step out in the open and suddenly unload his revolver up towards the nest. 5 rounds in less than a second. Selica only heard gunshot from Deringer’s side and none from the Silencer’s nest. Did he shoot them all before they could even react?

“It’s safe to go out now.” Deringer motions Selica to come out. She just realized that the old man is getting soaked by the rain. When did he leave her bubble? She asks herself as she slowly moves out in the open. Once she stepped outside, Deringer pointed something from afar.

“See that kid.” Selica followed Deringer’s finger and saw a barely visible hut around a few blocks away Almost by the facade’s wall. Even when she squinted her eyes she could barely see anything from the distance. “That’s the nest.” ”What!?!” Selica couldn’t contain herself. How? How did Deringer even shoot the nest from that far and that fast? He was just using a magic missile right? Under this rain, a magic missile would barely travel 10 feet away from the caster. And he’s telling me he shot those people from this spot all the way over there?

“Hehe,” But Deringer just laughs at Selica’s reaction, and begins walking back. “Come on, girl. Let’s go back to the cave and get this mission started.”

Shellon grips his cloak-covered rifle anticipating any progress from Deringer and Selica’s group. For once in this entire journey, he’s not worried about Selica, but at Deringer. He’s known his captain had been going through some things in his mind which has left him incapable of drawing his gun.

He recalls the last mission, how difficult it was for the boss, and how the scars of the encounter still haunts Deringer even now. He doesn’t blame him, but his insistence in joining our journey after retirement is a ray of hope of him wanting to move on.

“BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG” 5 cavalcade shots echo through the torrential rain. Shellon stands still motionless, not out of fear, but happiness. He can feel a tear rushing down his eye when he hears the familiar howls of his captain’s infamous gun, Silverado. Shellon looks at Revo who’s also wearing the biggest smile on her face. She nods, and Shellon nods back as well.

“Okay everyone! Move out!” Shellon starts to run straight towards the rain. Whatever may happen in this test, it doesn’t matter to him much anymore.

Thank you Selica, he says to himself. Thank you for bringing my captain back to us.