The travel to the place where they would camp for the night didn't take them thirty minutes to track. However, they would have traversed the path if not for the additional baggage they split up.
With one dead in their group, their luggage needed to be divided in four for each of them to carry the weight of a dead man. They have decided to carry it with them rather than leave them in the wild. Leaving necessary equipment was absurd when their survival was on the line.
With each of them having their own task assigned by their leader, Liam, they went and finished their work. It was easy for them to accept for Liam to lead the party as it was only natural that the strongest led the weak. At the same time, it was also easy to give up the right to take some rest for the night. Even with the fatigue ingrained in their bodies, the people don't seem to want to sleep.
Sleeping was one of the times when humans were vulnerable and unguarded. However, Night knew that he needed to convince his party to get some rest and let him take the night watch. Sleeping while thoughts were peeving that person would not be called resting at all, but Night knew how to take advantage of such situations. The slums were the perfect place to learn how to take advantage of such pessimistic situations.
"Chaos Dance."
Night uttered under his breath, but it was enough for his party members to hear with the eerie silence, which covered the place along with darkness. They have decided not to light a fire because it would only serve as a bait to attract Chaos creatures.
The others had different reactions just by hearing Night's mutterings. Liam's face hardened, the officer shivered, and the head officer covered his face with his hands. Each were having a mental battle, and it was fear and anxiety that they were fighting with. Night couldn't care less about what state their mentality was right now. He was not a hero and didn't even dream to become one. However, being a villain in this world didn't suit his taste well, too.
'I don't want thousands of people aiming for my neck.'
Less enemies meant that he had a larger chance to survive.
'I simply need to grow stronger than anyone else.'
Night firmed his resolve once again. Pain and suffering were all that he experienced in the slums, and he learned to hate it as he lived years after years. He was not willing to feel any pain, and he wasn't willing to suffer by anyone. Night didn't care even if he had to fight against the strongest Legions and Chaos creatures or even the Awakened Association just to justify his thoughts. Whatever they might do, Night wouldn't trust humans, and he had carved it in his soul.
He let his party members to overthink about what was to come and exhaust themselves, and with the exhaustion from the previous battle along with the state of their mentality, the other started to drift slowly into sleep.
"I'll keep watch for now. We can take turns later."
Night announced in a low voice because he didn't want to wake the minds of his drifting members. Liam was the only one to stay awake with heavy eyelids.
"Are you sure? I can watch first if you want."
Liam offered, but unfortunately for him, Night had something more important to do than sleep.
'I need to check that message.'
Night thought to himself as he nodded his head towards Liam. Liam had a worried frown in his face, and Night couldn't help but hate the man. He hated baseless pity.
"I'll wake you up when something happens."
Night assured and pushed himself back until he felt the cold, hard rock on his back. He pulled up his knees and slumped with his elbows, each resting on them.
Liam stared at him for a moment, Night couldn't have seen it in the darkness because he wasn't circulating his mana, but Liam had a calculating gaze before his eyes became filled with amusement.
It wasn't long before Liam fell into his own slumber, but to be sure Night waited for another hour to make their sleep deeper enough, they wouldn't wake up once he leaves.
'I should get going.'
Night stood up with scrupulous care of not making too much noise. Climbing up the big rocks to prevent the crunching noise of dead leaves under his feet. Night successfully managed to leave the camp without anyone noticing.
Walking a considerable distance away from the camp Night summomed the message. He didn't have to try hard because it was as if he already knew how to open it.
[Awakened Night, Rafael has chosen to be your system. Rafael is offering to guide you on becoming the strongest Legion. Upon accepting Rafael, the system will be imbued to your soul and thus will not be lost upon the death of your incarnation.
Will you accept? Yes/No]
Night stood still after reading the message more than he could count his fingers. He had no idea if what was being reflected in his retina was true.
The Sage was the only known system after the cataclyst happened on earth. And no one had ever been invited by another Sage, much less a stronger one if Night considered what the shadow whispered during the fight with the imps.
'Rafael.'
Night called the name of the one who invited him in his mind, and to his surprise, another tab appeared in the air. He looked around to check if no one was watching him before proceeding to read the new message.
[Awakened Night, Rafael has heard your call! Private Engagement has been opened.]
Night's eyes widened after reading the last sentence. He had never seen any skill named Private Engagement, but he knew something quite similar to it.
A skill which was only acquired by the strongest of the Legions, and currently, there were only three people who could use that skill. Private Comprehension was a skill that could be used by the Legions rank Hero Grades one, two, and three, respectively. Those Legions were Claude Ranger, Liam Louise, and Lilith Irvine.
'That bastard, Liam, was one of the strongest Legions, and he couldn't even take care of a few imps and black hounds swiftly?'
Night insulted Liam in his head. Although he wasn't sure if his head would fly high if he ever said it in front of Liam, he had no plans in doing so.
[Awakened Night, the Whisper's lost child, I, Rafael, has picked you to be my vessel.]
Night flinched and snapped out of his own world after hearing a sudden ring in his head. A similar interface with the messages floated in front of him. However, unlike the others, this particular message was an advanced two-way communication.
'What? Whisper's lost child?'
Night thought full of sarcasm as he did thinking that he would be the only one to hear it. Unfortunately for him, he hadn't checked the skill description of the Private Engagement.
[Yes, you are the lost child of the Whisper.]
Night flinched and stared at the new message.
"Rafael, you said that you picked me to be your vessel. But what if I don't want to become one?"
Night's stoic face showed a different emotion this time. With a serious gaze towards the tab where the messages pop up, he inquired. But his real reason was to question and confirm his assumptions by being Rafael's vessel.
[Having rejected by the chosen vessel would result in me vanishing and crossing the path to the void. Do you really wish to give up the chance to acquire a stronger system than the one the Sage gives?]
Rafael explained, but Night could feel its desperation in its message. He might not be able to hear Rafael's voice, but messages were still written with emotions and not only verbal words that contain one.
"I will accept the offer, but I have a condition."
Night stated, his face remained serious, and the cold night breeze blowing brushing his skin created a tense atmosphere. Both were waiting in silence for different reasons. And a few seconds later, Night heard the familiar ring in his head. Reading the contents of the new message, Night couldn't help but smirk inside.
[I shall hear it.]
Rafael had allowed him to state his proposition. Night, who might have yet to win from this argument, could smell victory from a mile away.
"You will use me, and I will use you."
Night put his one hand in his chest and pointed at the floating tab with the other. As stoic as his face was, an evil laugh echoed in his mind.
Rafael stayed silent for a minute or two before responding. The victory traversed almost a mile and was now right under Night's nose.
[A sensible proposition. I, Rafael, accept your proposition. You shall use me and I shall use you.]
The floating tab glowed so bright it illuminated a small area of the abandoned park. Night flustered by the sudden light looked around, afraid to attract any Chaos creatures which could kill him before he could use Rafael.
The latter might have noticed Night's concern and immediately sent a message.
[Do not worry, the Whisper's Protectors would protect you, Lost child of the Whisper.]
Not a second has passed after Rafael tried to alleviate Night's worries when dozens of shadows appeared and formed a circle with Night at the center.
The shadows were all saying the same thing. A repetition of two words, but it meant so much to Night after conversing with Rafael.
The shadows moved languidly at first before their movement became faster than the black hounds speed. And for the second time today, Night saw not one but dozens of shadows becoming a formless black smoke and engulfing him this time.
However, unlike what had happened earlier, the black smoke didn't turn Night into nothingness, and instead, they coalesced and formed a huge orb that didn't allow any traces of light to pierce through them.
The area which Night stood at had turned darker than it was before. There were no any signs of light, which was blaring just earlier.