Karl headed home immediately after the meeting ended and April didn't seem to be in the mood for any conversation either. When he arrived home Lisa hadn't returned. He headed straight for the shower and stood under the pouring water after turning it on. He had thought he would feel something after accepting the mission, maybe fear or nervousness but he felt none of that instead it was excitement at the idea of returning to the Other Side, the one place where he always felt at peace. After taking a long shower he texted his wife that he would be back late and changed into his Hunter gear before leaving the house.

At the entrance and exit check point after greeting the soldiers he was about to cross the forcefield when he heard a familiar voice.

"You came out too?" he turned around to see April in her Hunter gear. The hunter gear was a tight body fitted with synthesized material which covered the feet hands and neck. It was very resilient and could keep tiny mutated insects out. Each hunter could wear whatever they wanted on top of it and April had a long trench coat on her with only two buttons. However one could still clearly see her accentuated bosom through the open chest area of the coat.

Karl unlike April was fully clothed, he had military boots on and tucked his trousers into the socks and his hand was further covered by gloves. On his back was a bag pack with some necessities and a long sheath was hanging from his waist.

"It has been a while since I watched you cross this exit dressed like that" April had a reminiscent smile on her face as she took in his getup.

Karl also recalled the early days when he had just returned from the Other Side and April took interest in him. Every time he went out to hunt she would stand at the entrance watching him leave until he disappeared from her sight and when he returned he would learn that she had camped with the soldiers there waiting for him. Sometimes he took days on his hunting trips but April would without fail be at the entrance by the time he returned. At that time he was too eccentric for anyone to care about him and all the Associations cared about was the information he had and his experience. Although they cared for him by providing his meals, a luxurious place to stay, and other fancy things, none of them attended to him or showed him real care as April did. If it wasn't for his status as a first explorer the pressure she faced from her family to stop hanging out with him would have doubled.

As the Association milked his knowledge and made many advancements from it, his status began to rise, and soon April's family no longer pressured her against spending time with Karl. However they were grown ups and she also had her education and career to focus on so as time passed, she no longer waited for him at the entrance but would instead come to see him at his house the moment he returned and even make meals for him or wash his clothes. Many times when he returned injured she was also the one to clean his wounds.

Of course, April had also benefited plenty from her association with Karl. While the association had to invite him over when they needed to learn something occasionally, April could directly ask him specific questions. It helped her very much in her studies at the University and increased her ranks at the Association because second to Karl, she was the most knowledgeable person within the Survival Area. While Karl gave her the general direction to work on, she put in the effort to prove all of his theories and sometimes even had to go out of the Survival Area to confirm things. That was until she gained authority to post missions to the Hunters Association page.

"I keep wondering what she has that I don't" April muttered in a low tone as she recalled everything that had happened between her and Karl.

Karl didn't know what to say to April at this point. He didn't know what it was exactly that he loved in Lisa but he did know that he loved her. April on the other hand was difficult to place, it would be wrong to say he saw her as a sister because sometimes he would find himself lost in fantasies about her. But while he cared for her very much, he simply couldn't see himself with April, she was very much different from him. She was bubbly and energetic while he was more quiet and more observant. Their personalities were just too different that he didn't see any way they could work together. And after marrying Lisa, he completely stopped trying to find a way in which he and April could work because there was no point in it.

"Are you also going out?" He asked to change the subject.

"Oh yes, why don't we go together?" she offered to look into his eyes with a hopeful expression.

"You need to change" he shook his head.

"You are going beyond the explored area?" April asked glancing once again at his bag pack.

"There isn't anything interesting in the explored area. And I need to stock up as much as I can for Lisa before we leave" he explained.

"I'll help you then, I don't have anyone to stock food for" they turned around and approached the military checkpoint.

"Sir Karl" the soldier ok duty offered a military salute to Karl. He could also be considered part of the army since he had joined them on expeditions to attack some beast herds on hunting grounds.

Karl nodded at the soldier and pointed at April.

"Do you have a uniform that will fit her?" he asked.

"We prepared one for her a long time ago but she refused to join the army so we never gave it to her" the soldier smiled while April glared at him. She knew he was trying to get Karl to convince her to join the army. The soldier before them was not an ordinary soldier but the commander of the Defense Division, despite his high status he was always standing at the checkpoint with the other soldiers and leisurely chatting with them but once they received orders he would turn into a very ruthless and strict officer which made the soldiers call him a two-faced bastard behind his back.

"I'll have someone bring it" he radioed the camp for April's military uniform.