Chapter 29 : Malice

"What will the next phase be?" I asked, wiping the dirt from my face.

"You will see, Rammy." Zerav raised his index finger, tracing a swift pattern in the empty air. "I want you to absorb this rune."

I squinted. "What rune? There is nothing there."

He smirked, stepping to the side. "That is the challenge. Absorb it."

I walked over to the patch of grass where he had been standing. My eyes darted around, searching for a distortion or a glow, but I couldn't see a single trace of magical residue.

Let’s try to feel it, then.

I closed my eyes, forcing my physical senses to sharpen. I focused on the earthy smell of the grass, the cool friction of the wind against my skin, and the subtle rustle of the surrounding plains. Nothing. There was no shift in the atmospheric pressure.

Strange. I can't feel anything at all.

I opened my eyes and lowered my center of gravity, dropping into my usual stance and pivoting my balance perfectly to the center.

Let’s just try to absorb whatever is there.

I slowly thrust my open left palm forward. Taking a deep breath, I mimicked the Voidmeister absorption technique. Suddenly, a rush of unseen, heavy energy flowed directly into my empty core.

Heh. It worked!

But the exact moment I tried to compress it and channel it toward my right fist...

Spurt!

"AAARRRRGGGGGGGHHH!!!"

Every single vein inside my body violently ruptured at the exact same time.

Thud. Fuck! Fuck! What the hell was that?!

My body hit the dirt, trembling uncontrollably. My limbs went completely numb. Every ragged breath I took stabbed my lungs like shattered glass.

Blueerrggh! A thick mouthful of blood spewed from my lips, soaking the grass.

"Get up and do it again, Rammy!"

I forced my heavy head up. Zerav was sitting cross-legged in the grass a few yards away, completely unbothered.

"Come on. The clock is ticking," he snorted.

Fuck! I pushed my agonizing body off the ground, waiting for the domain's rapid healing to stitch my shredded veins back together. I tapped my chest, forcing my ragged breathing to calm down.

The center stance tried to process the energy and blew me up. Let’s try using Zerav’s stance.

I shifted my weight, pivoting entirely onto my front leg to set the anchor. Once my balance was locked, I mirrored the exact kinetic movements Zerav had used earlier.

Dug. I stomped my heavy boot into the grass.

Nothing happened. No spatial crack. No kinetic release. Just a boot hitting the dirt.

A booming, roaring laugh echoed across the empty grassland. "Keep trying, Rammy! That is hilarious."

I frowned, wiping the leftover blood from my chin. "Why isn't it working?"

He shot me a sharp, challenging glare. "Are you giving up?"

I clenched my jaw tight. I shifted my feet back into my center stance. Let’s try this again.

***

Kenny – Ballenor Mountain Range

The freezing wind howled through the cavern mouth as the first pale rays of morning sunlight finally crept into the dark.

I hadn't slept a wink. My bloodshot eyes were locked onto the far side of the cave. Specifically, I was staring at the massive, stripped bones of the giant lizard and the completely empty iron cooking pot.

My stomach violently churned. The horrifying memory of last night played on a loop in my brain: the way Mathilda had effortlessly butchered the beast, cooked the meat, and then ravenously devoured the entire monster like a starving predator.

I want to go home. Please, Goddess, I just want to go home. I hugged my knees tightly to my chest, pressing my back as deep into the cavern wall as physically possible.

"Morning, Kenny."

I violently flinched, my heart leaping into my throat. "M-morning, Matty."

I carefully peeked out from behind my knees. She was standing near the entrance of the cave, stretching her arms above her head. She was completely, entirely naked. Her flawless, pale skin and long white hair seemed to naturally glow under the morning sun.

Suddenly, she stopped stretching. Her glowing crimson eyes snapped over her shoulder, locking directly onto mine.

"Do you enjoy staring at my body?" she asked, a wicked smirk curling across her lips.

I instantly squeezed my eyes shut and snapped my head away, my face burning with a fiery blush. "I-I’m s-sorry, Matty! I swear I-I d-didn’t m-mean to look!"

A bright, melodic laugh echoed off the stone walls. "It’s perfectly alright, Kenny. It’s just an old elven custom to sleep without the restriction of heavy fabrics."

I kept my eyes shut. I heard the soft, silent padding of bare feet stepping closer. Then, I felt the terrifyingly soft tickle of her breath right against my ear.

"We are never ashamed of our natural bodies, unlike you prudish mortals," she whispered, giggling softly. "Besides... if anyone ever tried anything funny with my body..."

SHHRRRAK! A violent, high-frequency buzz tore through the air. A razor-sharp blade of swirling wind aura erupted into existence less than an inch from my nose.

"...I would just chop them into little pieces."

"I-I’m sorry, Matty!! I swear I won't! I-I’m really sorry!" I practically screamed, pressing myself into the stone until my back bruised.

Her laughter erupted again, bright and cheerful. "Chill out, Kenny. I’m just joking." I heard the aura blade dissipate and her footsteps retreat toward her pile of gear. "Oh, and from now on, call me Veyna. 'Matty' sounds lame."

I slowly opened my eyes, carefully peering through my fingers. She was calmly buckling her leather armor and strapping her gear across her chest.

"Veyna?" I squeaked.

"Yes." She didn't look back as she tightened a strap. "You took care of me when I was sick. You are my savior, Kenny. You have earned the right to know my true name."

She finally turned around to face me, placing her hands on her hips. "Besides, you are going to be my loyal companion now while I search for Ramond. Right?"

"Y-yes." I swallowed hard.

Her cheerful, polite expression instantly vanished. The air in the cave grew suffocatingly heavy. Her glowing red eyes bore directly into my soul with a cold, terrifying, murderous glare.

" You really want to help me find him... right?"

I nodded frantically, my teeth loudly chattering together. "Y-YES!!! I WILL HELP YOU!!!"

The crushing, terrifying pressure in the air vanished instantly. Her murderous glare melted back into a bright, stunningly beautiful smile.

"Perfect! Now, let’s pack up and move out, Kenny!"

After packing our meager supplies, I followed Veyna. We trekked north, navigating a treacherous mountain path that seemed to lead nowhere but higher into the clouds.

Suddenly, Veyna stopped. She knelt, narrowing her eyes as she rubbed the dirt between her fingers.

"How long were you carrying me from the cave, Kenny?" she asked, her voice dangerously quiet.

"I-I t-think—"

"Speak clearly!" she snapped. Her voice echoed sharply off the jagged peaks.

"Three days! It was three days, Veyna!" I gripped my spear until my knuckles turned white.

She let out a heavy breath, rubbing her temples. "You’re a magic user, right? How can you be so oblivious to an illusion trap?"

My eyes widened. "An illusion?"

She stood and flicked a clump of wet dirt into my face. "What do you think?"

I wiped my cheek. The soil was cold, damp, and smelled of stagnant rot. "It... it smells like a swamp."

"Exactly," Veyna said, her red eyes scanning the 'sky.' "It was already strange—a Giant Lizard living in a cavern at this altitude. We never left the cave, Kenny."

"What? No way! I carried you out myself!"

She shook her head. "I believe you did, but you simply stepped into another chamber without realizing it." She pointed directly upward at the blue sky. "Cast your magic. Aim your spear at the sun."

"Upward?"

"Do it!" Veyna’s hands ignited with a swirling wind aura. "I’ll guard you."

I took a deep breath, planted my feet, and leveled my spear at the clouds.

Magus.

My core flared. Mana surged through my veins like liquid fire. In a split second, the spear’s tip was encased in a sapphire vortex. I pivoted, my muscles bulging as I launched the spear.

Fwoosh! BAAAM!

The sky didn't just darken; it shattered. Great slabs of stone began raining down from the 'clouds.'

Zap!

Before the debris could crush me, Veyna grabbed my collar and blinked us back. We stood in the shadows as the illusion collapsed. We weren't on a mountain; we were inside a gargantuan, damp cavern. Glowing blue minerals hummed in the darkness, providing the only light.

"Told you," she said, releasing me and pointing into the gloom ahead. "Now, throw it again. As far as you can."

“Okay.” I straighten my posture.

Cometh. The spear flying back to my hand from the debris.

As I prepared to throw, Veyna tapped my wrist. "Can you just throw the energy this time? Keep the spear."

I nodded.

Magus.

The sapphire light erupted again. I pivoted hard on my lead leg and threw the bolt of pure kinetic energy into the abyss. It streaked through the dark until—clack!—a massive, reptilian claw swatted the energy bolt aside as if it were a fly.

Veyna giggled. "Great!"

She hooked an arm around my shoulder.

ZAP.

We blinked forward, appearing directly in front of the creature. Under the dim blue light of the minerals, the beast loomed like a mansion. It had a jagged, snake-like head, massive clawed arms with leathery wings, and a tail lined with bone-shards. Its golden eyes burned with ancient hunger.

"A wyvern—a lesser cousin to the dragons," Veyna chuckled, looking at the monster as if it were a prime cut of steak. "Have you ever tasted wyvern meat, Kenny?"

My heart completely stopped. I stared up at the towering, leathery beast, my eyes wide with absolute terror. I slowly turned my head to look at her. "Are you serious!?"