Lyun walked around Dathweet's house, peeking into every corner without hesitation. Then, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, she strolled into the bedroom and lay claim to his bed.
Dathweet:
"That's my bed. You can take the sofa."
Lyun:
"Who lets a girl sleep on the sofa, huh?"
Dathweet:
"You're only allowed to stay for one night."
Grumbling, Dathweet resigned himself to sleeping on the couch.
Ken (in his mind):
(This is fate, I'm telling you. Try loving again… or are you still hung up on the past?)
Dathweet:
"I'm done with love. One stab to the heart is enough to scare me off."
After chatting with Ken for a while, he eventually drifted off to sleep.
When he woke up, he walked out from the couch and saw Lyun laying out food.
Lyun:
"You're up. Come eat."
Dathweet:
"Not bad—for someone freeloading, at least you know how to cook."
He sat down at the table and took a bite of the food. His expression immediately soured.
Dathweet:
"It's so bland! It doesn't taste like anything."
Lyun:
"What do you mean 'nothing'? I tasted it myself, it's fine. Even if it's bland, it still has some flavor, doesn't it?"
Dathweet (in thought):
(Ken, do you think I lost my sense of taste?)
Ken:
(I'm not sure. But it might be because of that dark tree blade that stabbed you. It could've numbed your sense of taste. Just a guess.)
Dathweet:
"Then I probably have lost my sense of taste."
Lyun:
"Yeah, that must be it. So stop blaming my cooking."
They continued eating together, chatting lightly. Dathweet tried to eat, though he couldn't taste anything.
Lyun:
"So, do you plan to do anything?"
Dathweet:
"I don't know yet. Got anything in mind?"
Lyun:
"How about learning swordsmanship?"
Dathweet:
"Swordsmanship? I don't think it suits me."
Lyun:
"I mean a sword school that's more about healing. It's like meditative sword practice—not much actual fighting."
Dathweet:
"That sounds weird."
Lyun:
"It's not well-known since it's not for combat, but it helps cleanse negative energy."
Dathweet:
"But how do you know I need healing?"
Lyun:
"I can see it in you. I'm sure of it."
After the meal, Dathweet and Lyun walked through the streets, passing by a busy trading district.
They came across a sword shop, and Dathweet stepped inside. Swords lined both sides of the store—some elegant, some massive, others strange-looking.
Shopkeeper:
"Welcome, dear customer! What kind of sword are you looking for today?"
Lyun:
"How much money do you have?"
Dathweet:
"Around 50,000 Kim—Fion currency—but I only brought 10,000. Is that enough for a sword?"
Lyun:
"Definitely. That's a lot. The average salary here is only about 15,000 to 20,000 Kim. The highest-quality swords are around 5,000 at most."
Dathweet (to the shopkeeper):
"What's the best-quality sword you've got here?"
The shopkeeper smiled and led him to a separate room at the back. The room was decorated in red and black, looking luxurious yet intimidating. On each side, swords were neatly displayed in glass cases.
Shopkeeper:
"On the left, we have the Maze series. It's forged from 20% Stone Star, which helps release your inner power. 10% Dark Tree, to increase lethality. And 70% of Maze's special steel. Price: 3,000 Kim."
"On the right is the Wood series. It's made from 10% Stone Star, 5% Poncam—which allows better mana transmission—10% Vladium, which restores your strength with every kill, and 75% of Wood's custom steel. Also 3,000 Kim."
Dathweet:
"I'll take the one from the Wood line."
He paid the 3,000 Kim and exited the shop with Lyun. As they left, the shopkeeper muttered under his breath:
Shopkeeper:
"That guy's… strange. Seeing him with my own eyes was something else."
As they walked on, Dathweet looked over the sword again.
Dathweet:
"There are a lot of sword brands here, huh?"
Lyun:
"Of course. Holid is the most famous place in the world for swordsmanship. It's flooded with sword makers. Just walk around, and you'll see shops everywhere."
After walking for a while, they arrived at a waterfall on the outskirts of town.
Lyun:
"We're here. I'll head off now."
Before he could ask where exactly this place was, she had already disappeared. Left to search on his own, Dathweet wandered around aimlessly until he reached the waterfall again, where several people were gathered.
As he was scanning the area, a man approached him.
Onbe:
"Hello there. Can I help you?"
The man had two horns growing from each side of his head, sandy brown hair and beard, and wore a robe with wide sleeves layered under a beige outer cloak, tied with a belt. He looked to be around forty years old.
Dathweet:
"I want to study swordsmanship here."
Onbe:
"You do know that Koju School doesn't focus on combat, right?"
Dathweet:
"I know. I came here to heal."
Onbe:
"Alright, come with me and we'll get your registration done."
He led Dathweet into a large open hall carved inside a cave. It was spacious and cool.
Onbe pulled out a few forms.
Onbe:
"May I see your identification card? Just to verify. It's okay if you don't want to hand it over—I just need to take a quick look."
Dathweet:
"Sure."
He took out the ID Ras had given him. His hand trembled slightly as he handed it over, nervous it might be discovered as fake. Onbe examined it, then gave it back without comment.
Onbe:
"Twenty-two and already seeking healing? What kind of life have you lived, Dathweet?"
Dathweet:
"Nothing too painful. I just came to learn and gain new experiences."
Onbe handed him a registration form. After Dathweet filled it out, Onbe added:
Onbe:
"By the way, tuition is now 1,000 Kim per month. Let me know if you want to reconsider."
Dathweet:
"No, sir. It's fine."
Onbe:
"Alright. Once you're finished, you can head home. See you tomorrow."
After Dathweet left, another man walked up to Onbe. He was short—about 1.4 meters—with a long beard and four small horns on his head, two on each side.
Kogu:
"That boy who just came in—his inner self is… complex. Do you think I can handle someone like that?"
Onbe:
"I believe you can."
Kogu:
"You'd better be careful. If you don't guide him right, that kid could go insane."
Dathweet wandered the town for almost the entire day before returning home. As he opened the door, he saw that Lyun was still there.
Dathweet:
"You said you were only staying for one night."
Lyun:
"But I still don't have a place to stay. Can I stay here for a little longer?"
Dathweet:
"No. I like living alone."
He tried to kick her out, but she just stood in front of the door for hours. Eventually, seeing her still there, he couldn't bring himself to shut her out completely. He sighed and opened the door again.
Dathweet:
"Alright, you can stay… but only until you find your own place."
Lyun:
"Thanks, big bro! I'm really grateful!"
Dathweet:
"But you're sleeping on the sofa. I'm the one who owns this place, so I get the bed."
With that, he headed upstairs to his bedroom.
Ken (in his head):
(You just got over your last heartbreak and now someone new is already moving in. Fate, huh?)
Dathweet:
"She looked pitiful. What was I supposed to do, ignore her?"
Ken:
(Who knows? Maybe you two will end up together.)
Dathweet:
"Don't start."
As soon as he lay down, everything changed.
He opened his eyes to find himself in the middle of a ruined city. Buildings were crumbling, fires raged everywhere, smoke choked the air. His hands were soaked in blood, and corpses surrounded him.
Dathweet:
"What the hell is this? Ken, do you know what's going on?!"
Ken:
(You passed out. I took over your body to defend us.)
Dathweet:
"And this place? What is it?!"
Ken:
(I don't know. All I know is—these things attacked, so I fought back.)
Just then, six masked figures appeared and advanced on him.
Dathweet didn't hesitate. He charged forward and landed a devastating punch, the sheer force of it shattering the ground around them.
But the enemies weren't fazed. They lunged forward and restrained him.
Dathweet twisted free, leapt into the air, and charged energy into his fists. He slammed down with a blast of Nifow, creating a shockwave that cracked the ground in a 30-meter radius.
Still, they kept coming.
They leapt at him, dragged him down, and began pummeling him with blows that matched his own strength. All six circled him, cutting off any route of escape.
The more they fought, the more frenzied they became—reminding him of the Tore group he once faced. But this time, they weren't fighting with strategy—just pure, brutal instinct.
As the battle wore on, Dathweet grew more savage, matching their ferocity.
After a flurry of strikes, he finally managed to punch clean through one of them, breaking the formation. He dashed toward something he had noticed earlier—a sword lying on the ground.
The moment he grabbed it, a red light flared.
The blade was coarse, its crimson glow resembling dried blood.
Without thinking, he raised it and charged.
The tide turned instantly.
The sword, made from Vladium, granted him regeneration with every enemy struck. With each slash, his wounds closed, his strength renewed.
Within minutes, five of them were down.
Only one remained—crawling on the ground, both legs severed, dragging himself away in desperation.
The last enemy was trying to crawl away, dragging his body across the blood-soaked rubble.
Just as he thought he was escaping…
Dathweet suddenly appeared in front of him and knelt down, his voice low and cold:
Dathweet:
"What's your purpose? What the hell are you people trying to do?"
But before the man could speak, a sharp twang cut through the air—
An arrow pierced straight through his skull.
Blood splattered across the ground. Dathweet looked up sharply and saw a figure standing on a nearby rooftop, bow in hand.
He immediately leapt toward the figure, but the archer didn't engage. Instead, the stranger turned and vanished into the shadows with frightening speed.
Dathweet:
"What the hell is going on here?!"
Then it hit him.
Lyun.
He had completely forgotten about her.
Panic surged through him as he sprinted back into the ruined parts of town. After searching frantically for a while, he found her sitting among the debris, blood running down her arm.
Dathweet:
"Are you okay?"
Lyun:
"What do you think? Does it look like I'm fine, bleeding like this?"
Dathweet:
"I'm asking because I care. Or would you prefer I left you here alone?"
Lyun:
"Ugh… no. Just stay with me, okay? I'm scared."
Dathweet:
"Do you know what the hell's going on?"
Lyun:
"I have no idea. All I know is that some freaks are attacking everyone—like it's fun for them. Like it's some game."
She swallowed hard, then continued.
Lyun:
"Some of them… they're slicing people up, like animals. Others are doing things even worse."
Dathweet:
"Worse?"
Lyun:
"They're using the bodies like props—like decorations. Laughing while doing it. It's sick."
She clutched her arm.
Lyun:
"There's a safe zone. Most people ran there. Can you help me get to it?"
Dathweet:
"No wonder I haven't seen anyone…"
He helped her up, supporting her weight as they moved cautiously through the ruined town. But then—he paused.
At the heart of the town square, he saw… them.
A group of attackers.
What they were doing couldn't even be called "acts of war."
One was crouched over a corpse, gnawing at its arm like it was a roasted leg. Another had draped human skin across his body like a robe, and was twirling like a dancer, laughing madly. A third was using blood and entrails to paint symbols on the cobblestone.
It looked less like an attack and more like…
A celebration.
A twisted, grotesque feast.
Dathweet ducked into cover, shielding Lyun. His face twisted in horror.
Dathweet (whispering):
"My eyes… what the hell did I just see?"
Lyun:
"What do we do? How do we even get out of here?"
But even their whispering was too loud.
One of the attackers turned his head, his face twitching with joy.
???:
"Over there! I heard something!"
A dozen of them turned at once and started charging, howling like beasts.
Dathweet:
"Run! I'll hold them off!"
But just when he was bracing for the worst—
A voice, cold and sharp, thundered across the plaza.
???:
"Who the hell told you scum to enter the town before I gave the order?!"
The crowd froze.
From the shadows emerged a man. Tall. Broad shoulders. A massive battle axe slung over his back.
His face bore a scar running from one side of his eyes down to both cheeks, curving toward his jaw like a twisted grin.
Coss.
Coss:
"Get the hell out. Now. If the swordmasters get here, you'll all be dead meat."
Some of the attackers hesitated.
Coss didn't wait.
He stepped forward—and in one smooth motion, swung his axe and cleaved a man's head clean off.
Thud.
The head bounced once on the stone before rolling to a stop.
No one argued after that.
The group dispersed instantly, vanishing like rats into the ruins.
Coss glanced over at Dathweet with cold, unreadable eyes.
Then turned and walked away.
After being left standing there in confusion, Dathweet helped Lyun toward the safe zone where other survivors had gathered.
It was a small makeshift area reinforced with stone and guarded by volunteers. Despite being relatively secure, the air was heavy—filled with exhaustion and fear.
Dathweet sat down, his eyes unfocused, as if still trapped in the nightmare.
Lyun:
"Are you alright?"
Dathweet:
"How could I be? That… that was disgusting. I feel like I'm going to throw up. Don't you feel anything?"
Lyun:
"Of course I do… a little. But it's over now. The authorities will arrive soon and clean this up."
Dathweet:
"Let's hope so. So we'll be spending the night here?"
He leaned his head against her shoulder and slowly drifted into sleep.
Meanwhile — deep within a secret base…
Dim torches lined the walls of a damp stone cavern. The flickering light barely illuminated the room where the monsters had come from.
Coss's boots echoed as he stormed down the hallway, furious.
Coss:
"Gilic! Get your ass out here!"
A man emerged with an eerie grin, face streaked with dried blood, lips cracked from laughing too much.
Gilic:
"Yeah?"
Coss walked up to him, grabbed his face—and ripped a chunk of skin right off his cheek.
Gilic screamed in pain… but even as he screamed, he laughed.
A few others in the shadows crept closer. Like vultures sensing a dying animal, they reached out to tear off more of his flesh, eager to join in.
Coss slapped them back and glared at the entire group.
Coss:
"I know all of you just want to satisfy your urges. But you need to wait. Wait until it's the right time."
He turned away, breathing heavily.
He was their leader.
But not their master.
Not anymore.
Even he knew—he couldn't fully control them.
They were no longer men.
They were beasts in human skin
— End of chapter —