Before Kaiser could react to the threat, something unexpected happened. His shadow, usually cold and dormant, moved. It took the shape of a burning black flame, then enveloped the purple figure.
Snap-!
In just a few seconds, the eerie figure was gone, and his shadow returned to normal, imitating his position.
'That…'
Kaiser felt his breath quicken, though a sense of relief washed over him. He couldn't imagine what would have happened to him if he had been touched by that purple figure.
[Your shadow has consumed a seed of Corruption]
The system notification made him blink, surprised.
'Seed of corruption?'
He tilted his head, brows furrowed. The name itself was already self-explanatory. It was meant to corrupt a person.
'Haa… that confirms it. The Voidborne is among these five.'
Underestimating him, they had tried to corrupt him as soon as possible, exposing the fact that they were within the group. While this helped Kaiser narrow down his suspects, he was also exposed. Since he wasn't corrupted, he would be marked as an anomaly.
'They'll be more careful next time…'
He closed his eyes, feeling lucky to have a strange shadow. Perhaps, the Darkness Altar had been made to help him fight off the seed.
'Reeks of fate…'
Kaiser felt disgusted that his movements were going according to someone else's plan. As a fanatic of freedom, he harbored resentment towards concepts like 'fate'. Well, it wasn't like he could do anything about it.
Closing his eyes, he drifted off to sleep, believing his strange shadow could protect him.
...…
The next day, after taking breakfast, the group set out to hunt. Very quickly, they came across their first target. Seeing that it was just an Awakened Beast, Kara turned to Kaiser.
"Wanna try killing it?"
Before Kaiser could even answer, Elias interjected.
"Kara, you can't be serious! He's not even an Awakened yet! Do you want to kill him?!"
His face was filled with anger and indignance as he pointed at her.
In defense, Kara folded her arms and scoffed.
"Of course, I'm not trying to kill him." She pouted, "But I believe he has experience in fighting monsters. Or how do you want to explain his survival at this continent?"
Elias fell silent. Indeed, there was no way Kaiser had simply survived by luck.
"Wha-? He's already facing it!"
Sera's startled gasp turned their attention towards Kaiser.
Currently, he had his sword unsheathed. Holding it horizontally, he crouched, placing fingers of his left hand on the ground.
The Awakened Beast, a three-headed serpent with red scales snarled at him, then sprang forward. At the same time, Kaiser moved. He darted to the side, avoiding the heads of the serpent. Midair, he twisted his body, then slashed at the left head.
Despite its ordinary appearance, the Unremarkable Sword was sharp, cutting deep into the beast.
Blood dripped from the wound as the beast retreated, surprising Elias and the others.
"So skilled! And he's not even an Awakened!"
Sera cried out in surprise, covering her mouth in shock. The others were equally surprised.
Unfazed by their reactions, Kaiser wiped the blood off his sword with his gauntlet, his eyes dead calm. Those two orbs of blue light locked onto the injured beast, and a cold gleam flashed within them.
He lunged at the serpent, his movements fluid with practiced ease. An attack came from the right head, forcing him to pivot to the side. Regaining his balance, he flipped over another head, then stabbed it with his blade.
The sword sank into its flesh easily. The beast tried to shake him off, but he wrapped his legs around its neck, holding it in place. The struggle continued for quarter a minute, then stopped.
The serpent went limp, then crashed to the ground.
[You have slain your first creature]
[You have slain an Awakened Beast—Tainted Serpent]
Kaiser ignored the text, dug his hands into the middle head, and procured the soul crystal. Turning to the stunned observers, he raised the crystal and tilted his head.
"Who wants it?"
Looking at his bloodied hands and innocent expression, the five Awakened felt a bit unnerved. The contrast was just too… absurd.
Sighing, Kara shook her head. "You should keep it. You'll need it when you become an Awakened."
Kaiser pondered for a moment, then nodded. He put the crystal in his pocket, then unsheathed his dagger.
"Let's start with the cutting…"
...…..
That night, Miel and Kaiser worked together, diligently cooking their dinner. Their interaction was minimal, though, there was a quiet understanding between them. It felt like two kindred spirits had reunited.
"Wow! It tastes even better!"
Elias beamed at the duo, his expression ecstatic. The meal they cooked was far better than what Miel could do alone.
"Kaiser helped."
Miel said curtly, his expression subtle. He wasn't a man of many words.
"Hey, Kai. You didn't tell me you could cook."
Sitting beside the blue-haired boy as usual, Kara teased playfully.
Kaiser gave her an odd look, then shrugged. "You didn't ask."
"Muu, how can you be so rude? Girls don't like rude guys, y'know." She pouted, though a smile lingered on her lips.
The others chuckled at the sight, already used to this. Even Kaiser was already getting used to it.
'How troublesome… they look so harmonious. I almost can't believe there is a Voidborne among them.'
According to history, Voidbornes were twisted creatures who spread corruption through other living beings. They were mostly in the legends, however, Kaiser believed that one was among the group, silently blending with the others.
But now, looking at their smiles, hearing their warm laughter, he felt like he was slowly losing it. Unconsciously, a smile appeared on his face as Kara shared a joke. He immediately erased it, though. He knew that even if these people were real, they had long since died, their world becoming a part of the Nirad Realm.
'This warmth… I can't be disillusioned by it.'
Closing his eyes, he felt like this quest might even be harder than when he did his first assassination back in the clan.
When they finished eating, everyone set up their tents and went to sleep. Of course, Kaiser stayed with Elias just like the day before. And just like he expected, at exactly midnight, the purple seed of corruption appeared. Once again, Kaiser watched as his shadow consumed the seed.