Kai returned to his location on the tree, but this time he had his dagger ready, as well as a few other throwing weapons, which he had had extensive practice with.
'System, calculate the possibility that anyone within the village is a knight.'
*Beep*
[Establishing task]
[Time until completion: 0s]
[Task complete]
[0.05% considering it is a village within the territory of the Bluestone Sect and based on the individuals encountered until now]
'Then it should be fine. When I enter combat, in case my life is in any danger, make sure you use up your stored mana and come up with the best outcome.'
*Beep*
[Establishing task]
[Time until completion: 0s]
[Task complete]
[Routine Task already exists. Do you wish to replace it?]
'…No. Leave them as is.'
Kai sighed as he recalled the time 2 years ago. It still felt like yesterday to him when he had to run away for his life, relying almost completely on the system's instructions to keep himself alive.
With time, he had gotten used to fighting multiple enemies even without the system's help, and Pops and Aaron; the heir to the Drake County had further improved his battle style. Pops trained his body and reflexes in the middle of battle, while Aaron not only gave him tips on Magic but also battle tactics for both Magi and knights.
Compared to back then, if Kai were to face the soldiers again… He would need to rely on guerrilla tactics still. However, he would not need another enemy to his enemies like last time; which had been played by Pops and his knights. Now, he would be able to pick them off one at a time on his own as long as he was given enough time and an advantageous home-field benefit with the last of hiding places and obstacles.
Kai noticed that the gates were closed, and approached. However, he did not make a single sound, and thankfully the pouring rain masked his footsteps.
He did not make any other moves and simply waited, and waited until finally something happened. The stone tied to a rope was thrown over the gate, and Kai readied his weapons.
Soon, the person he was after could be seen falling from above him, and Kai immediately slashed with all his speed. He did not aim for the vital spots, but rather Victoria's dominant arm was responsible for pulling on the bow she used.
A clean cut.
However, no blood came from the wound. Nor was it the blue glow that came from the odd immortal creatures. No. It was green goo that slowly flowed out of the wound.
'Keehaaak!'
Victoria's face contorted in pain as she leapt at Kai like an animal. Kai's serious face revealed an innocent smile as he closed his eyes and moved both his hands, one using the dagger to deflect the sharpened claws of what was once Victoria, and the other using his spare dagger to stab her right through the skull.
But this was not the end, and Kai knew it, so he pulled down the dagger lodged in her skull to cleanly cut her body in half.
Kai revelled in this emotion after having truly killed another person after almost 2 years! It was true, the last time he had killed someone… well something… was before they had reached Aaron's mansion.
He did not waste any more time and immediately climbed the robe to enter the village, and entered the very first door he found as silently as he could. Inside, an old lady and an old man were sleeping.
He did not hesitate and immediately placed on sword on each of their necks and pressed softly, but nothing but green goo came out. Along with that, the two opened their eyes simultaneously, ready to kill the intruder.
However, it was too late. Kai dispatched them in no time, and moved onto the next house. With each family he killed, his cold heard grew increasingly colder. He already had enough reason to kill everyone in the village, but he was trying to find something.
An excuse? To not be able to kill everyone? No, he deeply wanted to kill everyone and everything around him.
A solution to what had happened to them? No, he knew that everyone in the village was already too far gone to be saved, even if the procedure had not been conducted on them as of yet.
Then what was he searching for? Why was he not just going on an indiscriminate killing spree? Why? Why?
Then, Kai found it. What he had been looking for. A man who was bleeding green goo from his left temple, while the woman in the house was cowering in a corner, red blood flowing from a fist sized hole in her stomach, as crystalline tears flowed from her eyes, her body still trying to protect her child.
He had found what he had been looking for until now. It was not an excuse, not a treatment, and definitely not him being afraid of all the villagers ganging up on him.
No.
It was hope.
He was searching for hope that humanity still existed in this village. He was searching for hope that humanity… still existed within him. That he could still feel emotions like love, that he could still feel empathy and sympathy towards others, and towards himself, that he could still cry for things other than pain and suffering, that he was not a cruel killing machine. Hope that he was not just an efficient robot set to accomplish a particular task, make use of everything and everyone around him without caring for them or their feelings and emotions. Hope that he was not… hopeless…
Kai moved swiftly despite the turmoil of emotions in his mind as he took care of the father in the house, and turned his attention towards the mother.
However, he could not move from his location, rooted to the same spot.