Chapter 6: Magic

Thump, thump, thump...

The rain of fists finally stopped after two long minutes. The cold stone floor was now covered in a disgusting mixture of crushed bone and mangled flesh—what was once the "hound" wearing a smiling mask. The hunt had ended swiftly, but it left behind a monster even more dangerous than its victim.

– GAOOOOOOOOOO!!!

The aberration roared in satisfaction after tearing apart the one who had wounded it.

"The hound is dead, and the monster is severely injured. Is this an opportunity to eliminate it?"

Kaega narrowed his eyes, assessing the deep wounds on the monster's body. Its blood, a thick black liquid, showed no signs of clotting.

"Thunder Powder is effective, but only enough to enrage it. If I reveal our position, the situation will be even worse than facing the hound." His gaze flickered to the smiling mask lying forlornly in the pile of gore. Both he and Lyne knew they stood no chance in a direct confrontation with this monster.

"It's the most dangerous thing here, but there's no need to risk our lives. There's no benefit in fighting it. On the contrary, if I let it live..." A cold smile touched Kaega's lips. "It will become an unwitting guardian, a mad dog ready to tear apart anyone who wanders in here. A perfect living trap."

Kaega dismissed the thought of attacking and signaled for Lyne to remain absolutely silent. Ten minutes passed like an eternity. The monster, no longer sensing a threat, turned and quickly disappeared into the darkness of the corridor.

– Haaa... it's gone. – Lyne breathed a sigh of relief.

– I thought you were going to kill it.

– There was no reason to do so.

Now, although the immediate danger had passed, they still had to move carefully to avoid provoking the monster's return.

– What's your next move?

Kaega didn't answer, simply tossing her a bag.

– What's this?

He held up a stale loaf of bread.

– Bread. Eat and then rest.

Lyne took it without hesitation and began to eat immediately.

– Aren't you afraid I poisoned it?

– You're not that foolish.

– True...

They sat down, gnawing on the hard, dry bread in silence.

– I didn't expect a variable like an aberration in these ruins. – Kaega said, breaking the silence.

– If you hadn't said anything, I would've thought it was part of your plan.

– No, I only intended to use the existing traps. As for that monster, only heaven knows it was here.

– Are you planning to leave or continue?

– Let me ask you this. Do they know what happened here?

– Other than whether we're alive or dead, they know nothing.

– Good. Then we'll rest here until tomorrow night. That monster is dangerous, but as long as we don't provoke it, we'll be safe. In fact, it's a perfect protector.

– Alright then.

After speaking, Lyne immediately found a corner and sat down to rest. Her hand still held her dagger, though her grip seemed to have loosened slightly. Kaega, however, was not resting. This was not the time for him to relax.

He walked over to the pile of gore that was once the hound, using his dagger to poke through it, searching for anything useful. After a while, he sighed in disappointment.

"What can I expect from a corpse... Still, it has at least one useful thing."

With that, Kaega pulled out a small handsaw.

"Perhaps this was meant to saw our heads off..."

He glanced one last time at the smiling mask, then walked over to the dry skeleton.

"Thunder Powder alone won't be enough to survive..."

...

When Lyne awoke, she didn't know how much time had passed. She opened her eyes to see Kaega sitting by the skeleton, the saw in his hand visibly worn down.

– Hey, are you okay...?

This time, there was genuine concern in Lyne's voice. Kaega's eyes were sunken with dark circles, his face gaunt with exhaustion, but he still turned to her, his voice weary and frayed.

– I'm... fine...

– Why don't you get some rest?

– I don't... have time...

– If you suddenly pass out while we're on the run, it'll be very difficult for me not to betray you.

His eyes were glazed over, losing focus. Lyne suddenly recalled an old saying. Her expression was a mixture of annoyance and a hint of softness. She stood up and slowly approached Kaega.

"Kaega, you truly are a frightening person... You've tried to plan for everything... including how to deal with variables."

Standing before Kaega, she looked directly into his tired eyes.

"Honestly, from the very first night, I knew I made the right decision not to leave and become your enemy in the future..."

– Get some rest. I won't harm you in your sleep.

– Hah... from the beginning... you never needed... to wait for me to sleep to kill me... ha...

With that, Kaega could hold on no longer, slumping down and falling into a deep sleep.

"Kill her...!"

"Kill it!"

"It will only betray you in the end!"

Lyne clutched her head again, her eyes wide with terror. Her left hand tightened around her dagger, aiming for Kaega's exposed throat.

"That's right, one stab to its neck!"

"No..."

"And you will never be betrayed."

Lyne struggled in her mind, her right hand gripping her left wrist, preventing herself from acting.

"Damn it!"

"Do it... kill it."

"Get out!"

"Just do it."

"NO!"

...

In a hazy dream, Kaega saw a girl with purple hair offering him a piece of bread. He could no longer see her face clearly, or rather... he had deliberately forgotten it.

He woke up with a splitting headache. He looked around and saw Lyne sleeping right next to him.

"Why is she asleep?"

He tried to get closer, reaching out to touch her shoulder.

– Lyne, wake u–

WHOOSH!

The dagger in Lyne's hand flew past Kaega's temple, stopping just centimeters from his face. Despite the sharp blade being so close, his expression remained unchanged.

– Ha... ha... Kaega?

– What is it, same as yesterday?

– I'm not sure...

– How do you feel?

– I only remember telling you to rest and then... – She trailed off.

– You don't remember?

– No...

– Alright.

Kaega acted nonchalant, but a familiar, unsettling feeling crept into his heart.

– I don't know what time it is, but let's eat and recover our strength.

– What about tonight?

– Let the monster handle it. I don't believe they'll be quiet enough to get in here.

– Anything else?

– There's one more thing I need to ask you...

...

A few hours later, a loud noise erupted from the next passage of the ruins.

CRASH! CRASH! CRASH!

Immediately after, the monster's enormous body shot out, smashing through the wall where the door once stood and heading outside the ruins...

– It seems today's hunt has arrived, but it's not our problem. – Kaega said calmly.

– So we go deeper?

– Yes, let them slaughter each other.

They proceeded deeper inside. This time, there were fewer traps, replaced by inscriptions in an ancient script. Kaega couldn't read them, only glancing at them before moving on. Eventually, a staircase led up to a room blocked by a magical barrier.

– Looks like a dead end.

Kaega scanned the area and saw a mechanism with mana crystals floating and glowing brightly.

"They're the power source for the barrier... but why is one a different color?"

Watching the flow of mana, he noticed that when it passed through the red crystal, the barrier flickered and dimmed slightly.

– No, I think we can still get through. Go stand on that stone pedestal over there.

Kaega moved to the opposite side.

– Lyne, what's on the pedestal over there?

– Four buttons, one for each cardinal direction.

His pedestal was the same, but with an inscription he could read:

"To the right is an enemy, to the left a mortal foe. Below is the abyss... where is the escape?"

Kaega read the question, already knowing the answer, but then he realized something.

– Lyne, are there any words on your side?

– No.

– Then press the top button.

Lyne did as he said. The inscription on his side vanished. Lyne looked at the new question, her face darkening. Seeing this, he shouted:

– The right!

One crystal turned red. A question appeared for Kaega:

"The one you're betting your life on, which hand will they use to kill you?"

Kaega quickly understood and shouted:

– Lyne, your dominant hand!

Lyne pressed the right button. The inscription vanished again. She read the next question, her face now completely emotionless.

– Left...

Kaega pressed left. Another crystal changed color.

"To the left, you see one tree twice in a forest. To the right, you see a path you have chosen. Above, you see a path you never took. Below is the small, peaceful path you will arrive at."

Kaega thought for a moment, then chuckled to himself.

– The right!

Lyne pressed the button. Her shoulders trembled slightly.

– Below...

The barrier was almost gone. Only one crystal left.

"On the long, winding road. Choice is pain. Turning back is release. I will choose to leave…"

"That's your choice, not mine…"

Kaega pondered. He wasn't focused on his own question, but on Lyne. Her shoulders had been trembling since the previous question.

– Right!

Lyne looked at her question. She no longer reacted, just stared at it. Looking into her eyes, Kaega didn't need to hear the answer. He pressed the right button.

The final mana crystal turned red, and the barrier disappeared.

– I didn't say it, so how did you choose? – Lyne asked, her voice filled with confusion.

– Your face at that moment made the answer easy to read.

– Are you so sure?

– I've seen that face many times before.

They entered the room, a library filled with countless books on magic. Kaega noticed a book on resurrection.

"Life is composed of 4 things: the body, the soul, the consciousness, and the memory... Upon death, the soul will exist for 3 days before dissipating... A strong enough consciousness will cling to the object or being it was most attached to... Memory will cling to a blood relative..."

Kaega had to close the book because Lyne had just found something unexpected. Before them was an enchantment scroll.

"This thing is worth at least 3000 gold, enough for me to live a life of luxury, but..." Kaega looked at the Dorgan dagger at Lyne's hip. "If the enchantment is successful, our chances of survival will increase dramatically."

– Lyne, do you have mana?

– I'm not sure, but my mother was a witch...

– Alright, we'll enchant that dagger.

– So who's going to do it?

Just then, the mysterious voice echoed in Kaega's head again.

– "I... can help... you."

"You again? What a coincidence."

– "Follow... my words... it will help you..."

Kaega remembered how his mind had been clear during the illusion. It seemed this voice had genuinely helped him.

"Alright, there's a way after all."

– I'll enchant it.

With that, Kaega took out some mana stones, the scroll, and then held his hand out to Lyne.

– Give me the dagger.

Lyne was surprised by his confidence but handed it over without hesitation. He placed the dagger on the magic dais.

– "Place the mana stones... on the 6 circles... 3 stones in each corner."

Kaega followed the instructions. A magic circle lit up beneath his feet.

– "Next... is blood... a lot of blood... on the scroll."

"Blood...?" Kaega calculated silently.

– "Your blood... the one who began this..."

"What the hell? Why didn't you say so from the start?"

Kaega grimaced.

– Damn it, you're clearly messing with me.

He didn't answer Lyne, just picked up a knife and, gritting his teeth, cut open his old, unhealed wound.

– AGHHH!!

– Hey, what's wrong? Do you really know how to do this, Kaega???

Lyne was horrified. Blood poured onto the scroll, soaking it red. The magic runes lit up, flying towards the dagger. Kaega couldn't take it anymore and collapsed, passing out. Before he lost consciousness, he heard the voice that had tricked him.

– "Thank you... you, the one... I have always been searching for."

"What the f..."

The ritual continued. Lyne immediately jumped down to bandage Kaega's arm.

– You madman!

She dragged him out of the magic circle. The dagger was still floating, enveloped in magic runes and Kaega's blood. Finally, everything converged, carving itself onto the blade, transforming it. The blade now shone with a deep, crimson luster, and a line of magic runes ran along its spine.

– It actually... succeeded?

Lyne looked at Kaega with an expression of utter terror at the madness of this man...