Kaelan was taken to a place that looked like a temple. There were no chairs, only a vast hall with a red carpet. In front stood a fountain emerging from the statue of a crow with its beak wide open.
Kaelan stared at the bird statue in silence. He did not realize that he had been staring at the crow for quite a long time.
"Do you feel something?" Lunaria asked. She suspected Kaelan was remembering something.
Kaelan shook his head. "...No. I still don't remember anything."
Nevertheless, there was something bothering him about the bird. There was a feeling of deep longing in his heart. He then touched his necklace, which was also shaped like a crow.
Did he have a connection to the crow? It was possible. Kaelan felt a certain bond that was difficult to explain. However, he didn't want to overthink it if it would yield no results.
"What do I have to do?" Kaelan asked, looking at Lunaria and Reynold. He demanded an explanation.
Lunaria did not answer; she stepped forward and faced Kaelan directly in front of the crow statue. Reynold also approached with a golden cup and scooped up the water coming out of the crow's mouth.
"You only need to recite the oath following my words. Then, mix your blood into this cup of water. Finally, you must make this symbol."
Lunaria demonstrated the symbol. It involved using the thumb to form a circle in front of her chest.
"This is our gesture, the Radiant Covenant. Its purpose is to always remind us that we dedicate ourselves to seeking the sun."
It came with a deeper purpose. No matter the lives or the sacrifices, as long as it was the path toward the light, then the price was worth it.
Lunaria began to recite the oath that needed to be spoken. Kaelan was able to remember it well, and the ceremony began.
"In this cursed world, we still search for hope. In the midst of despair, we still believe. That the light will be born."
Lunaria handed a dagger adorned with pink crystal beads to Kaelan.
Kaelan accepted it and looked directly into Lunaria's eyes.
"Will you seek salvation even at the cost of your life?"
"Yes," Kaelan replied. "I offer myself to the light."
"Will you accept the curse for the sake of eliminating the curse?"
"Yes, I will swallow the disgrace for the light!"
Kaelan sliced his hand, letting his blood merge with the water in the chalice. Reynold then handed it over and let Kaelan drink half of it.
There was hesitation in drinking his own blood, but Kaelan set aside his nausea and drank.
Once the cup was half-empty, he poured the remaining water back into the fountain pool. The ritual of joining the Radiant Covenant was complete.
They headed to Lunaria's room. Kaelan would receive an explanation of what he would be doing next.
Lunaria's office seemed to be a single suite with her bedroom. She was the hardworking type who didn't want to waste time leaving the room.
"Now that you are qualified, I will explain about the Devourers," Lunaria explained as soon as she sat in her chair. "In this world, there is a method to become strong by devouring. That method is known as the Devour Art."
Devour Art was a method to devour curses and turn them into a part of human strength. This required consuming a curse and making the human body capable of containing and controlling it.
"However, you cannot consume a curse directly. We need a medium to be able to absorb the curse."
They would use media derived from monsters. These media were specific body parts that held a certain concentration of curse energy.
By utilizing the medium and using the Devour Art, a person would slowly gain the ability to control the curse.
Using a curse to ward off a curse... Kaelan could feel how ironic this was. They hated the curse and wanted to eradicate it, yet they also needed power from the curse.
"I know what you're thinking," Lunaria smiled wryly. "But this is the state of humanity."
Kaelan said nothing. He felt it was inappropriate to respond at this time.
"Furthermore, after you perform a Devour... when the curse flows through your body, an inevitable mutation will occur."
A mutation that was bound to happen and certainly did not end well. It was a change that would occur when someone finally chose to contain it rather than release it without rule.
"There are three types of mutations that can occur. First: Sangu Carna, Os Medulla, and Mantis Organa. Each mutation has four levels."
Sangu Carna was a mutation that occurred in the blood and flesh. This was like what happened to Kaelan and Lunaria. They were able to grow new flesh and also control blood at will.
Then there was also Os Medulla. This was a mutation related to the bones and marrow. Basically, this mutation provided more strength and powerful bones. They also had the ability to grow new bone.
This was the same mutation as Reynold's and Rebecca's. Kaelan understood why they were so strong.
And finally, Mantis Organa. This was a mutation of the brain and internal organs. This mutation could grant abilities such as reading every change in expression and even predicting the future. This was exactly like the Elder in the court.
There were four levels, starting from one to the highest, four.
"We cannot determine what mutation we will get. However, it also depends heavily on the first medium you use."
Kaelan clearly didn't know what he had used, but his mutation was clearly Sangu Carna. He himself didn't know how far the changes in his body went.
"For me, it would be safer for you to start from the beginning. You need to remember the feeling of cursing yourself. This is necessary so that you do not turn into a monster."
The reason Devour Art was not shared publicly was because this technique carried the risk of turning people into monsters. Although this technique helped someone adapt to the curse, it was not worth the risk.
"Once you become a Devourer, until the end of your life, you will be haunted by the fear of becoming a monster." Lunaria gave a serious warning.
Kaelan swallowed his saliva and slightly eased his tension. Kaelan was a Devourer without even knowing it. From the beginning, he had no choice at all.
His only choice now was to follow the flow he had already entered. Kaelan needed to become a true Devourer.
"Becoming a Devourer means you must curse your own life. Dedicating your soul to facing tragedy and misfortune."
Lunaria appeared bitter as she said it. Kaelan could see that her lips seemed to tremble. Perhaps she had bitter and horrific experiences.
Kaelan could not imagine it. He could feel the difficulty of living in this world. Indeed, it wasn't strange if they each had their own stories.
"You have officially become a member of the Radiant Covenant. Now you must learn some basic knowledge before proceeding with missions," Lunaria said. "Since only the two of us are Sangu Carna, I will teach you how to utilize it."
From monster information, organizations, regulations, to ways to utilize being a Devourer. Kaelan needed to start everything from the basics.