Chapter 62

Chapter 62:Echoes of Misfortune

It was no surprise that the others were staring at the giant as though he had completely lost his mind.

After all, after spending just two days in this hellhole, every single one of them was desperately wishing to be far, far away.

Hearing that someone had walked into this nightmare voluntarily was almost impossible to process.

Still, this wasn't the first time Gil had heard a story like this.

Glancing subtly toward Greg, Gil recalled their earlier conversation. If he remembered correctly, Greg had admitted to something similar. But no—Greg’s situation was different. According to him, when the organization's recruiters cornered him, he had been so utterly terrified and intimidated that he surrendered without putting up a fight.

While sounding a bit cowardly, Greg's reaction was at least human and understandable.

The giant’s case, on the other hand, was far harder to swallow.

Given Hugo's sheer physical size, monstrous durability, and the terrifying regenerative capabilities he had displayed earlier that day against the healer, it was mind-boggling to think he had just surrendered without throwing a single punch.

Had the language barrier been that catastrophic?

Or had he completely misread the organization's intentions when they approached him?

For a long moment, Gil was genuinely at a loss for words—and looking at the stunned expressions around the circle, he certainly wasn't the only one.

Even Orphée, who could actually speak Hugo's language, looked thoroughly shocked. He couldn't stop himself from sending a frantic thought through the network:No way, Big Guy... tell me you're joking right now.

At that reaction, Gil immediately turned his mental gaze toward Orphée.

Wait, you didn't know either? You're the only one among us who could actually talk to him.

Orphée shook his head rapidly, projecting a defensive wave of thoughts:No! I just assumed he got jumped by the recruiters like the rest of us. I'm not the type to stick my nose into people's private business if they don't bring it up first! So we talked about random stuff—mostly what kind of music he liked, though it was mostly me talking, now that I think about it...

Gil was completely speechless.

The rest of them had a valid excuse—they couldn't understand a single word Hugo muttered until Gil activated this telepathic link. But Orphée? Orphée understood him the entire time and hadn't bothered to ask a single useful question or gather critical tactical intelligence.

We could have easily missed this entire piece of information, Gil gritted his teeth mentally, his annoyance rippling clearly across the spectral link.

Feeling the sharp sting of Gil's disapproval radiating through the connection, Orphée at least had the decency to look slightly ashamed.

Though, in classic Orphée fashion, he quickly turned his head away and began softly whistling out loud to pretend nothing had happened.

Deciding to set Orphée's incompetence aside for the moment, Gil focused his attention back on the giant.

Alright, fine, Gil projected, his tone softening slightly. Why did you let yourself get captured? If you don't mind me asking.

Hugo remained quiet for a long moment, his massive shoulders slumping under the weight of past memories.

I...i was at my limit, the giant finally confessed, his gravelly voice echoing softly in their minds.

I honestly don't even remember the last time I had eaten a decent meal back then. I was completely exhausted, completely drained, and frankly, I had no idea where the hell I was.

At his words, a thick, uncomfortable silence settled over the room. Everyone in the link could feel the sheer weight of his misery—Gil and Greg even more so than the other two. Days of agonizing starvation and aimless wandering were horrors both of them knew all too well.

And even though Kuro and Orphée had never experienced that level of desperation, the telepathic connection allowed them to feel a fraction of the crushing loneliness and fatigue buried behind the giant's words.

Hugo continued, his mental voice quiet. After wandering for so long, I had no clue where I ended up when those recruiters found me. They started talking in a language I couldn't make heads or tails of, and obviously, they couldn't understand me either. But one of them—probably intimidated by my size—decided that picking a fight wasn't the smartest move. So, they handed me some food and used gestures to show that if I came with them, I'd get even more.

An awkward chuckle rippled through the link.

Haha... it's pretty embarrassing, but honestly, that was all it took. I told myself that even if they were up to something shady, as long as I got a full stomach out of it, I could always slip away whenever I wanted. Well... looks like I severely miscalculated on that front. But hey! We all make mistakes, right?

Hugo tried to brush off the heavy atmosphere he had created, giving a sheepish grin in the dark, but the lingering sadness behind his eyes betrayed just how deeply he regretted his simple mistake.

Seeing Hugo's discomfort, Greg immediately stepped in to lighten the mood.

Hey, don't sweat it, Hugo! I got dragged down here for an even dumber reason. At least you were literally starving. Me? I just let them take me because I was too terrified of getting hurt. Yeah... not very heroic, is it?

Greg flashed a self-deprecating smile, offering the giant a sympathetic nod.

Hugo blinked, his tense expression softening as he returned the nod in silent gratitude.

Orphée quickly jumped on the bandwagon.

Yeah, exactly! Don't worry about it, Big Guy. Look at me—I still have no idea what they even saw in a guy like me. They just scooped me up like the rest of you. And since I didn't want anyone ruining my beautiful face, I just tagged along! I figured, hey, I'm pretty good-looking, what's the worst that could happen? Well... now I know!

Listening to Orphée's lighthearted joke, Gil picked up on the faint thread of a lie beneath his words. Still, given the heavy mood, Gil decided not to press him on it.

Kuro, sensing the moment, opened her mouth to speak, but ultimately clamped her lips shut.

Through the telepathic link, however, her suppressed emotions flared with volatile intensity—a raw, burning mixture of anger, bitterness, and deep-seated hatred. Her knuckles turned stark white as she clenched her fists.

Whatever happened to her... it's serious, Gil noted silently.

Yet, as much as Hugo's story moved him and stirred genuine sympathy for the giant, Gil couldn't shake off a nagging sense of unease. Something in Hugo's story didn't quite add up.

It wasn't that the giant was lying to them. No—Gil could sense through the lingering resonance of the telepathic link that Hugo had been genuine, but he hadn't told the entire story.

Gil remembered the absolute worst moments of his own life, back when hunger was a hollow, clawing beast in his gut. The only things that had kept him from turning to outright theft and violence were his own stubbornness—refusing to owe anything to anyone—and an underlying, pragmatic fear.

He knew all too well that if he tried to steal and got caught, the consequences would be far worse than simply starving to death.

He had seen firsthand what law enforcement and local authorities did in some of the towns he had passed through. They showed no mercy to those caught stealing, even when it was blatantly obvious the poor souls were driven by pure, desperate starvation.

For someone of Hugo’s sheer size, muscle mass, and terrifying physical resilience, the calculus of survival should have been entirely different.

A man built like a fortress doesn't just passively starve to death without attempting to hunt, forage, or use his overwhelming presence to survive—unless something far more complex was holding him back.

Hugo had skipped over why he was in such a desperate, helpless state in the first place before the recruiters ever found him.

Gil kept these sharp observations to himself, burying them beneath his surface thoughts. There was a time and place for dissecting his allies' hidden pasts, but right now, survival took precedence.

Alright, Gil projected, his silent voice cutting through the lingering emotional heavy silence of the group. We'll leave the past in the past for now. Hugo... we've established our cover, and the link is stable. Tell us about this secret Way of yours.

Hugo took a deep, deliberate breath, his massive chest rising and falling in the gloom of the holding cell.

First off, I need to make one thing clear, Hugo’s heavy mental voice projected, cutting through their expectations. When it comes to the pure theoretical concept of Ways... I don't know enough to pretend I can teach everything about it to others from scratch.

A heavy wave of disappointment rippled through the mental link. Most of the group had somewhat expected as much, but Kuro took it particularly hard.

Through their link Gil could feel her frustration surging so fiercely that she was barely holding herself back from lashing out at the giant .

However, if it's a matter of basic theories and how to use them to take your very first steps onto the path...

He paused, fixing his eyes on each of them one by one.

A wide grin broke across his rugged face—the largest, most genuine smile any of them had seen him wear since his brutal fight against the healer.

...then you've come to the right person.