"Forty years ago... I was here."

Standing before the mine, Mei Yige gazed at the rust-eaten sign reading "Brownrock Mine," a wave of nostalgia washing over her.

Fourteen years. That’s how long it took—from her adventure’s start to the Demon King’s defeat.

She’d first arrived in an uninhabited mountain range, enduring six harsh months alone before reaching a town. There, she joined the militia to fight the Demon King’s southern forces.

Five brutal years followed—a near-solitary war.

She wasn’t friendless. She craved companionship. But death came too often. For Mei Yige, raised in peacetime with only workplace stress as hardship, watching lives vanish before her eyes was unbearable.

At first, she’d suppressed her true self, clinging to the noble cause of slaying the Demon King.

*"It was right here I said those words..."*

Mei Yige gently shook her head. Thankfully, that immature notion—to exterminate every Demonic Being—never became her creed. Or she wouldn’t be herself today.

*Knowledge shapes destiny. Labor creates value.*

A third-generation worker’s daughter, Mei Yige refused to forget her roots. After joining a seemingly kind Hero’s party, she’d sought self-cultivation. Yet five years of war had blurred her view of humanity—and she’d paid the price.

But that was all in the past.

"Wonder if any traces remain... Hah. Forty years have passed. The town’s already unrecognizable. Probably nothing’s left..."

She held little hope.

Truthfully, she couldn’t even recall what a mine should look like.

Remembering something—anything—followed the same rhythm: outline first, then color, sound, the whole picture.

Forgetting reversed that order.

The mine’s full image had faded, but its sounds lingered.

Mines weren’t meant to be silent. They thrived on clamor—the rhythmic clang of picks on stone, not explosions.

Yet the moment she stepped inside, a deafening explosion and a pillar of fire shattered her reverie. Workers snapped their heads toward the blast. The foreman snatched his pickaxe and charged into the smoke-choked tunnel.

"Who’s this permit for?"

"The foreman."

"I see..."

Guessing the situation, Mei Yige frowned. Her wand materialized in her hand, spinning like a pen.

Wind coiled into a tight vortex, sweeping away the murky dust. Through the clearing haze, she saw panicked figures scrambling.

"All humans. No monsters."

Confirming no threats existed, she stilled her wand.

This would be easy.

She relaxed her stance slightly.

As figures drew near, Mei Yige halted. She planted her feet firmly.

"Pardon me—what’s the situation inside?"

Through the settling dust, the workers and adventurers saw her: a violet-haired, golden-eyed girl smiling calmly.

Nothing soothed fear like that sight.

"You are...?"

The foreman, recognizing her attire, steadied himself first.

*Guild personnel.*

"A Magic Consultant, here per request. Do you require magical aid?" Mei Yige’s voice remained serene. She always wore the right mask for those needing help. These people needed calm.

"Dust explosion. Adventurers buried inside. Some of our miners too—"

His words were cut off by three more blasts. The ground trembled.

Workers dropped to their knees, hands over heads. Surviving adventurers stared, shaken, at the mushroom-cloud plumes rising from the danger zone.

No further explanation needed.

"So this is a body recovery mission now?" Mei Yige’s tone stayed icy calm. Her wand began spinning again.

"Bring them back. Alive or dead." The foreman nearly knelt, but an invisible gust of wind caught him.

"That’s why I’m here. The Guild bears responsibility for sending inexperienced adventurers after deep-mine monsters..." Her gaze shifted to the adventurers. "Do any of them have comrades trapped inside?"

She ignored the foreman’s grief. Mei Yige had seen too many faces. A glance revealed truths no mind-reading could.

Strange. No worry for companions. No relief at survival. Only fear and guilt shadowed their eyes.

*Was this normal? What did they truly face?*

Curiosity flared within her.

"We met... devils... No. Ghosts."

A female adventurer finally spoke.

Mei Yige knew instantly: this wasn’t the whole truth.

*[Not ghosts. Guilty consciences. Heh...]*

"Understood. Leave it to me." She spotted the tracking spells marked on them but offered no cleansing. Only a smile. "But you’ll accompany me. I can’t carry that many bodies alone."

"This..." The adventurers exchanged uneasy glances.

"Aren’t you comrades?" Mei Yige’s smile deepened.

Returning here stirred old memories.

No wonder they looked familiar...

These adventurers carried the Hero’s shadow.

"I’ll go ahead. Just a humble Magic Consultant—I’ll clear the path, cast a few minor spells. That’s my limit." She turned toward the smoking tunnel. "If their bodies lie unclaimed, vengeful spirits might form. And they’d lash out at anyone nearby."

Her words spurred three hesitant adventurers to follow.

---

**One hour earlier.**

**Brownrock Mine Entrance.**

A fourteen-member adventurer squad assembled. Guild security commissions were reliable income for wanderers, and teamwork meant efficiency and safety.

"Miss Sami, you know the mine tunnels best. We’ll rely on your magic against those monsters."

"Naturally."

The leader, a red-haired youth named East, stood barely 1.7 meters tall. A longsword strapped to his back, he brimmed with excitement for his first command.

The golden-haired girl he consulted—Miss Sami—was a professional Guild adventurer. A reliable, gentle mage who’d seamlessly become the team’s guide.

Everyone believed this would be an easy job.

Sami did too.

Ever diligent, she kept meticulous notes. On her page, sweet but illegible script conveyed simple truths:

*East Hall*

*Occupation: Adventurer (Rank B)*

*Race: Human*

*Meat quality: Well-exercised, decent texture*

*Troubles caused: None*

*Hunting reason: I’m craving human flesh.*

Yes. Another one of Shiren’s disguises.

Gentle as ever, she treated everyone equally.