The story really picks up when the government is aware of the "second gate" and are in pursuit of someday infiltrating it with S class hunters. At this point Evie is desolate and spends most of her time sleeping to escape reality. She suddenly receives a message from a hunter who has activated some kind of lifeline ability from somewhere inside the dungeon. This person has narrowly escaped Gillen's clutches but is severely wounded and on deaths door. We are introduced to Marie Thaddeus, a mature A rank hunter who was presumably on her last mission before retirement. She tells Evie this assuming it is her final moments but Evie runs out to find the potent healing potion and gives it to Marie, effectively saving her life. Marie is grateful and forms a pact (some red string tied to her wrist) with Evie promising to escape with her. She tells Evie how she's saved enough money to retire and open a shop and that she will buy her drinks once they're outside. Marie also asks about Evie, curious how a small and fragile young woman survived in such a place. She also senses that Evie is a 'non-awakened' even though she claims to be an E rank hunter. Evie, lost in her thoughts can't remember the last time she spoke to another human and this gives her renewed hope of finally escaping the dungeon. The two teleport to the rooftop where the gate is located while Gillen is preoccupied with massacring her remaining party. Just as they are about to exit the gate something happens and Marie gets attacked by Gillen who is shocked to see Evie trying to escape after promising to never do that again. He is about to end Marie's life when Evie latches onto his arm, begging him to spare her life. Gillen reluctantly agrees and Evie removes the red string which flings Marie to the exit. She collapses on the floor in tears.

Marie is in some kind of hospital recovering when she is approached and interrogated by some agent. They ask about the super effective healing pot and tell her that there is no way a mere E rank hunter would survive an A rank dungeon and that Evie was probably a monster (since monsters can take on the form of their victims to lure humans) but Marie assures them that with years of experience she can guarantee that Evie is 100% human. This piques their interest.

Back on the rooftop at the lab, Gillen is livid that Evie tried to escape. He doesn't want to physically harm her so he suggests they have a baby to keep her by his side. This scares the living daylights out of Evie as she never contemplated the idea of conceiving with a monster but Gillen was once human so the probability is high and and because Gillen let Marie live she isn't in a position to refuse. So anyway, they end up snusnu'ing A LOT and she eventually falls pregnant. It time skips after this and shows him taking very good care of her and their unborn child. I assume they bonded somehow because she ends up showing Gillen a lot of affection.

The novel ends with Gillen soothing his precious Evie to sleep while the humans infiltrate the lab. He releases the lump of flesh on them and strokes her swollen belly as he muffles the piercing cries of humans screaming in agony.