After the conversation, Brandon and Sallie went back to join the other soldiers.
Kevin sat on a rock and watched the caravan slowly recover from the chaos. Soldiers moved with practiced heaviness—grief weighing their steps—but still they worked, steady and disciplined.
Captain Brandon went back to Kevin.
"You'll drop that thing if you keep tucking it into your pants," Brandon said, tossing Kevin a leather belt. "Here. A proper holster. For your daggers."
Kevin caught it with one hand, surprised but pleased. "Thanks."
While he fastened the belt, he quietly observed the soldiers. Some gathered the corpses of fallen comrades, lifting them with both care and sorrow. Others moved to the wolves' bodies, extracting soul crystals, small, luminous chunks glowing with eerie white-blue light.
Their faces remained stoic, but their hands trembled faintly. Whether from exhaustion, grief, or fear… Kevin couldn't tell.
Nearby, Sallie knelt beside the wounded soldier whose arm had been torn earlier. Her gentle voice murmured spells beneath her breath, green light seeping from her palms and knitting torn flesh together.
They were a broken team, but still a team.
Kevin felt a pang of respect.
He'd never had anything like that.
He inhaled slowly and glanced toward the wagon where Celize had been earlier. And sure enough, there she was, peeking through a narrow gap in the window.
The moment her eyes met his, she jerked back and slammed the window shut.
Kevin snorted.Looks like she really is into me now. With a little bit of sweet nothing, I'm sure she'll fall for me.
A few minutes later, when all bodies had been gathered in a solemn pile, Brandon stepped forward with a torch. The flames crackled loudly in the quiet afternoon as he lowered the torch into the heap.
Fire roared upward.
Every remaining soldier knelt and struck the ground with their weapon in unison—shields, spears, swords, all pounding once with a deep, resonant thud.
Kevin watched the ritual with an unexpected tightness in his chest.
"So this is how you honor the dead…" he whispered. "Not bad."
Flames remained crackling when the soldiers mounted the wagons—still more than a dozen left, bruised but determined to continue the journey.
Brandon called out, "Kevin! Ride with me."
Kevin climbed into the front of the leading wagon, settling beside him as the horses snorted and the wheels creaked back into motion.
They rode in relative silence for a while. Brandon controlled the reins with casual skill, guiding the wagon along a dirt road that dipped and rose between trees.
Then he glanced sideways at Kevin.
"You don't feel the heat?"
Kevin blinked, confused. Only then did he notice the sun dipping low but still blisteringly hot. Sweat built on Brandon's brow—and even the horses seemed to struggle with the warmth.
Kevin touched his own skin.
Cool.
"Huh. Didn't notice," he admitted.
Brandon barked a laugh. "Lucky brat. Here—put this on, exhibitionist."
He tossed Kevin a wool shirt.
Kevin sighed dramatically but pulled it on. "Thanks."
"No problem."
After a moment, Brandon asked, "So, what were you doing in the middle of nowhere? Shirtless. No gear. Covered in blood."
Kevin didn't hesitate. "I'm a moon child."
Brandon's hands jerked on the reins.
"What?!" His mouth fell open. "A moon child? Seriously?"
Kevin nodded.
Brandon whistled low. "Well, that explains the strength. I've only heard stories. You're the first moon child I've actually met. Supposedly, moon children are as strong as adventurers."
Kevin tilted his head. "What's an adventurer?"
Brandon looked genuinely shocked.
"You don't know?" Then he sighed. "Of course you don't. Adventurers are powerful individuals who take commissions to deal with soulbornes. They travel between towns, responding to dangers. If it weren't for our town's adventurer guild, my entire family would've died when a portal opened beside our village."
Kevin leaned forward, interested. "Where can I find an adventurer guild?"
"The Town of Que'tol," Brandon said. "We're going there anyway. I'll accompany you. Maybe even give you a recommendation… Just don't get involved with Lady Celize. Her fiancé is the son of the wealthiest family there."
Kevin scoffed loudly. "I don't care even if he's the king of the world."
Brandon burst out laughing. "You've got quite the spirit. Here—open your hand."
Kevin frowned but complied, lifting his palm upward.
Brandon hovered his own hand over Kevin's…then made a twisting motion.
A small bag materialized from thin air with a soft pop, dropping neatly into Kevin's palm.
Kevin flinched. "What the—HOW?"
Brandon held up his ring. "Storage ring. It let you store objects and summon them when needed."
"That's… insanely cool. Where do I get one?"
"In Que'tol. Merchant shops usually carry them…if you've got the money."
Kevin nodded, then opened the bag.
His eyes widened.
"Soul crystals… a lot of them. Don't you need it? "
Brandon shrugged. "You killed the wolves. You deserve their crystals. Not me."
Kevin hesitated, but eventually nodded and tucked the bag into his shirt.
I'll feed it to Black Rabbit later, he thought.
The travel went smooth until the dusk came. The caravan reached an open plain at the foot of the mountains before the sky became dark. They guided the wagons into a circle—defensive formation—and built a large fire in the center.
The smell of stew drifted through the cooling air. Soldiers ate quietly, exhausted. Three guards took positions around the perimeter.
Kevin didn't join the circle.
Instead, he sat against one of the wagon wheels and subtly pulled the bag behind him. The shadow beneath him expanded, and the black rabbit emerged soundlessly—its red eyes gleaming with hunger.
"Munch quietly," Kevin whispered.
The rabbit began devouring the crystals one by one.The system's notifications whispered into Kevin's mind.
"Congratulations. Your shadow obtained a Soul Fragment."
Then another,
and another.
Soon the System's voice echoed.
"Congratulations. Your shadow obtained a Core Soul."
"Congratulations. You obtained a Soul Fragment."
Kevin checked his shadow's status.
Name: Black Rabbit
Age:?
Mark: Dark Knight
Core Soul:2 / 10 (Primal)
Soul Fragment: 2/100
Soul Origin: Empower
Kevin glanced at the small shadow behind him and smiled.
Keep getting stronger little buddy, I need you to protect me.
Then closed his eyes for just a moment—
"Mr. Kevin?"
His eyes almost flew open.
Lady Celize stood in front of him, holding two plates of steaming stew. Her hair glowed with firelight, casting warm shades of gold and amber. Her voice was soft—almost hesitant.
"Is it… alright if I join you?"
Kevin sat up so fast he almost headbutted her. "Y—yes! Of course! Yes!"
Celize giggled softly and handed him a plate before taking a seat beside him. She arranged her skirt neatly around her legs and exhaled a small sigh, as though finally able to relax.
Kevin smiled at her, "Thank you, Lady Celize"
Celize shook her head and smiled gently. "I should be the one thanking you. You saved me… and everyone I care about."
Kevin shrugged awkwardly. "I just saw someone who needed help. So I helped."
Then he added, with a grin he didn't try to hide, "Risking my life for a beauty like you is worth it."
Celize's cheeks flushed, but she shook her head. "No… no life is worth that. What I really hope is that nobody dies because of me."
She stared into the fire for a moment.
All of a sudden, Kevin spoke, "Lady Celize, congratulation for you incoming wedding. I heard from Captain Brandon, the reason you're going to Que'tol is to get married."
Kevin felt something shift in that silence.
Something soft. Something uncertain.
Celize swallowed, gathering courage.
"Kevin… I—"
Before she could finish, a soldier sprinted toward the fire, panic etched across his face.
"CAPTAIN! ATTACK!"
The campsite erupted into chaos.