Now was the time to face the clones, whose mere description sent shivers down their spines.  
"Let’s do this," said Rungo, his face serious.
The people who had fled from Zone Z to Zone C now bore the weight of slavery, knowing full well they hadn’t chosen this leader to follow — yet they were forced to march alongside him, despite his lacking behavior.  
A streak tore across the sky, followed by a sound like a signal for what was about to happen ahead.  
Everyone looked up and saw the clouds had turned black, the scent of rain stronger than ever— a truth soon to reveal itself.  
"Are the anti-storm ships ready?" Rungo asked Eseron.  
"Yes," Eseron replied apprehensively, but Rungo noticed.  
"What’s wrong? Aren’t you sure?"  
"Honestly, I’m uneasy because one of the main anti-storm ships isn’t exactly flight-ready after we used it to get here. It was damaged during the attack by this Zone’s king."  
"And why didn’t you mention this sooner?" Rungo asked, his face neutral.  
Silence from Eseron replaced the answer that should have come.  
"Easy. Call operator Joaquim Boane," said the Queen.  
Rungo grabbed Eseron by the collar, threatening to throw him down into the landscape the king once admired. Everyone watched, accustomed to Rungo solving problems with brute strength.  
"It won’t happen again, my king," Eseron said, terrified.  
Rage etched itself across Rungo’s face, veins pulsing as they had when he defeated Zone Z’s king. He barely heard Eseron’s words, his right hand closing around the man’s throat, ready to squeeze the life out of him.  
…  
When they reached Zone Z after escaping the hunters’ academy alive, Rungo, the Queen, Eseron, Alphen, Trovan, and Lessa finally breathed freely — unaware they were about to face the worst phase of their lives.  
"Finally, the war is over," Rungo said, looking at the newly rescued sprawled on the ground, now free.  
The Zone was deserted, yet everything seemed intact — strange, given the war against the Unimpires had just ended. The others stirred, seeing Rungo watching them, exhausted yet smiling. He was happy to have saved them, the idea of alliance sprouting in his mind.  
"Who are you?" Michigar asked.  
"I’m the hunter of hunters," he replied, stepping closer to help her up.  
"No need," she refused.  
"I insist," Rungo said, lifting her.  
"Where are we?" Eseron asked.  
"Zone Z. Our paradise," Rungo answered.  
"Calling this a paradise mid-war is weird," Lessa said.  
"Good news. The war’s over," Rungo declared.  
"Seriously?" Trovan asked, skeptical.  
It was hard to believe after so long. Rungo alone seemed certain.  
"Dead serious," Rungo laughed, relief and joy mixing.  
"And you brought us here?" Michigar asked, a tear rolling down her left eye.  
Rungo nodded. They all hugged him in thanks —except Alphen, the last to rise. His eyes widened at the intact surroundings, his mind struggling to reconcile it.  
"So the war didn’t affect all of Moamba’s Zones?" Alphen asked, shaking Rungo’s hand. "Thank you, hunter."  
The words rang like a grand title in Rungo’s ears, making him feel like Ashlem himself. He loved that, he felt that, he believed that with all his will. Maybe the madness had hugged him.
"I did what any hunter would." The silence followed and the sound came back.
The air was pure, the sky clear — a different world. Birds flew freely, animals roamed: Zone Z amazed with its reality.  
The rescued group lived well for two weeks — until a drastic change came. They discovered the truth: Zone Z was ruled by El-Negro, the greatest Kronkila ever seen in Moamba. He had led the Zone long before the war ended and knew of the once-secret PHOBYLONG Project.  
El-Negro was the brother of Vidal, the old hunter who worked with Ashlem.
Involved in PHOBYLONG, El-Negro worked with the government. Opposing him was futile — better to have him as an ally, though betrayal was always an option.  
Rungo and his group were captured, enslaved by El-Negro. For months, they labored endlessly to improve the Zone — the only one left intact post-war. Its technology surpassed all 26 Zones of Moamba, cutting-edge even by African standards.  
During those grueling months, love bloomed between Rungo and Michigar. But El-Negro, who also desired Michigar, forced her to marry him, enraging Rungo.  
El-Negro knew of their romance but never imagined he was planting a bomb inside Rungo — one that would soon explode in his face.  
With his group’s help, Rungo planned a rebellion— not for freedom, but for love.  
Love that grew in a rapid speed and hid something that could be revealed by the end of a mission that was really important.
The danger was settled and many of relevant individuals were about to be eliminated by the great hunger — Jack Rungo.
…