After hours of traversing the forest and marveling at the natural beauty of this world, Millus arrived at the outskirts of the Bear Wolf Tribe's village. He perched himself atop a massive ancient tree, its wide branches casting shadows over the primitive settlement below. From his vantage point, he could observe everything without being seen.
He leaned back against the thick bark, his glowing crimson eyes scanning the activities of the tribe below him.
"...Primitive," he muttered, as he watched them move about, he added. "They're far more primitive than I had thought. This is basically the Stone Age not the bronze age."
His gaze shifted to the center of the village, where a crude stone statue resembling a bear stood surrounded by offerings.
"They're worshipping that thing? A carved rock? Then I suppose it's their deity or something," he muttered while folding his arms, then he settled into a comfortable position as he continued to observe them. "Now… where's that girl at? they're probably here by now"
Closing his eyes, Millus focused his senses, he began stretching his awareness to feel the energies within and around the village.
"Hm?" His brows furrowed. "Everyone here seems to be a fighter. They're rich in mana… and quite a few of them seem to possess an aura. Can you explain them to me, Veda?."
Veda's calm voice echoed in his mind, then she explained to him. "The Aura System focuses on developing the body and mind, empowering combatants to enhance their physical strength, speed, and endurance. Aura, the vital force within all living beings, can be manipulated externally to create powerful enhancements in combat."
She continued. "Mana, on the other hand, is the fundamental force that powers magical abilities. It originates from the environment and flows through living beings. Stored in the heart, mana is both the source of life and the center of magic. Mastery of mana unlocks greater potential."
Millus nodded, as he easily digested her words. "I see. So that's why everyone here feels strong. Makes sense why Kaela was holding back during our fight. That woman… She has a soft side."
Then a commotion at the entrance of the village drew Millus's attention. He focused his glowing eyes and saw Gabo leading a group of hunters back into the village, he was dragging Lina behind him. Her hands were tightly tied, her posture looked weak and slumped.
Millus squinted, channeling more mana into his eyes. His vision sharpened even more as he inspected her condition.
"Her hands are bruised… both of her feet are inflamed. And…" He narrowed his eyes further. "There's an injury on her back, likely from being shoved with the butt of a stone spear."
The intensity of his gaze deepened, and his eyes began to glow brighter, taking on the form of a more focused ability, the Eye of Judgment. It allowed him to see beyond the physical, peering directly into the essence of a soul discerning the truth.
"…Her soul," he whispered, his eyes widening in shock. "It's untainted. She's completely pure. How is that possible? I'm not like that."
Veda's voice returned from silence, even sounding intrigued. "Millus, there's an anomaly in her soul. It seems she is… fated."
"Fated? What does that mean?" he asked.
"Her fate is intertwined with someone's. A unique being spawned her and rewrote destiny itself to place her here. However, doing so comes at a hefty price and requires erasing another's destiny entirely, specifically the caster herself. Because of this, her life is preserved, she will not die easily."
Millus frowned while processing her words. "So, you're saying even if I don't save her, she'll survive on her own somehow?"
"No," Veda replied cryptically. "You will understand in time."
Millus groaned in frustration. "Why are you always so cryptic? Veda, come on! Talk to me, you're hiding something from me!"
But his thoughts were interrupted by the noise from below.
As Gabo and the hunters paraded Lina through the village, the crowd began to jeer.
"You cursed child!" one man shouted. "You've summoned the bad omen that fell from the skies!"
"How could you steal the ancestral relic?" another yelled.
The anger of the crowd intensified. They threw stones, fruits, and even clumps of mud were thrown at her. A small stone struck her brow, causing it to swell and bruise, while a rotten fruit smashed against her face, its juices dripping down her chin.
"Die, you monster!" someone screamed. "The deity shall cleanse you of your evil!"
Water was thrown over her, soaking her dirtied clothes, and even children joined in, throwing filth at her.
From his perched position, Millus felt an ache in his chest, a foreign, inexplicable pain. He gritted his teeth, his crimson eyes narrowing. Veins pulsed along his temples and hands, his fists clenching tightly.
'What is this feeling?' he thought, trying to suppress the growing rage within him. 'Why do I feel… connected to her?'
He exhaled slowly, forcing himself to stay calm. 'I've never killed anyone in my life before… but maybe, in this world… I might just have to.'
The procession reached the Chieftain's house, where Gabo shoved Lina forward, causing her to fall onto the dirt. Then he stood tall, puffing out his chest as he addressed the gathering crowd.
"Father!" he shouted proudly. "I've captured the woman who ran away and even stole the ancestral relic!"
The crowd erupted in cheers, their voices were loud and cruel.
Lina sat on the ground, covered in dirt, she was bruised and battered all over. Her head hung low, strands of her disheveled hair covering her face.
Gabo glanced down at her, his lip curling in disdain. 'Tsk. What a waste. You could've just accepted me and be my wife, but now? You're more like an animal. I wouldn't even touch you in this state.' He clicked his tongue in disgust.
Millus watched everything from above, his hands were trembling. The connection he felt toward Lina burned stronger, it was almost like a tether pulling at his soul.
"...If I act now, they'll all know I'm here," he muttered to himself. His glowing crimson eyes landed on Gabo.
"Maybe it's time for someone in this world to finally experience fear," he said quietly, his voice cold.
As Gabo stood proudly before his tribesmen, but then he suddenly shuddered, a cold sensation crawling up his spine. 'What the…? Why does it feel so cold all of a sudden?' he thought, then he glanced around nervously. For the first time, his confidence wavered, though he quickly dismissed it as fatigue.
Unbeknownst to him, Millus watched from the shadows atop the branches of the ancient tree.
Within the chieftain's house, the heavy creak of wooden doors announced the arrival of Magbo, the tribal chief of the Bear wolf tribe. The crowd immediately quieted as his imposing figure emerged. Magbo's large frame was adorned with the enchanted tattoos of his ancestors, each mark glowing faintly with mana, a testament to his years as a seasoned warrior, hunter and the true mark of the tribe.
Millus's crimson eyes narrowed as he focused intently on Magbo, the chief's aura radiating a distinct strength that set him apart from the others in the village.
When Magbo stepped outside, he suddenly paused for a moment. His sharp gaze swept across the treetops, his instincts were alerting him to a presence. He stared directly at the branch where Millus was perched, scanning the shadows.
'...He sensed me?' Millus thought as his body tensed up. 'Good thing I activated my concealment skill earlier this guy's sharp… he's totally different from the others. If Kaela were to fight him, she'd have to go all out to take him down.'
Magbo's piercing gaze lingered for a moment longer before turning away. ' It must've been my imagination,' he thought, shaking his head.
Millus let out a silent breath of relief, but his expression remained serious. 'His energy is different… He's a truly seasoned hunter. If I'm not careful, he could be a problem.'
Magbo directly strode to the center of the gathering, his booming laughter breaking the tense silence. Then the crowd erupted into cheers, their excitement was palpable.
"As expected of you, Gabo my son!" Magbo said, his deep voice commanding respect. "You've done well in bringing back the ancestral relic and the thief."
"Of course, Father!" Gabo replied eagerly, stepping forward with a wide grin. He handed over the obsidian knife with both hands. "Here is the ancestral knife!"
Magbo took the knife, turning it over in his hands with reverence. The dark blade gleamed under the sunlight, its sharp edge a symbol of the tribe's legacy. His gaze then shifted to Lina, who lay crumpled on the ground, her dirtied and bruised form was a stark contrast to the proud cheers around her.
"We will prepare for the upcoming ritual!" Magbo declared, his voice can be heard across the village. "She will be sacrificed to the Forest Deity to cleanse this land of the bad omen!"
The crowd roared their approval, their cries were filled with fervor and bloodlust.
Millus's jaw tightened as he listened from above. His gaze flicked to Lina, her frail body trembling from the abuse she'd endured. 'Sacrificed…?' He clenched his fists.
Magbo then turned around and re-entered his house with the ancestral knife in hand. His departure was the unspoken signal for the rest of the tribe to move.
"Take her to the pit!" Gabo barked his orders, his voice was ringing with authority.
The guards quickly grabbed Lina, dragging her limp body across the dirt as she weakly struggled. She winced as the rough hands pulled at her, her already inflamed wrists and bruised ankles were already numbed from the pain.
"Get in there!" one of the guards sneered, shoving her hard.
Lina tumbled into a deep pit carved into the ground. The sides were smooth and steep, making escape impossible. Above her, thick wooden logs were placed over the opening, sealing her inside.
Upon being thrown, she landed with a pained gasp, she clutched her side as tears welled in her eyes. The bruises and cuts that covered her body throbbed numbly. The dark, damp space around her was cold and suffocating, almost claustrophobic.
Then above the pit, Gabo smirked. "Don't let your guard down," he told the men stationed there. "Keep an eye on her. If she tries anything funny, you know what to do."
The guards nodded, gripping their spears tightly as they took up their positions around the pit.
From his perch, Millus observed every detail, his crimson eyes glowing faintly in the shadows. His chest tightened as he watched Lina got thrown into the pit, her small frame was already battered and broken.
'...A sacrifice to the Forest Deity?' he thought bitterly, the words were echoing in his mind.
A familiar sound of notification rang in Millus's head.
Ping!~
It was accompanied by a translucent notification box visible only to him, it appeared in front of him.
§~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~§§~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~§
Quest notification!
Quest Name: Memory of Blood
Quest Requirement: None
Quest: Help the young girl uncover the truth about her past. She has endured abuse from those she once mingled with, yet she refrains from judging them, for they act out of ignorance, not malice.
Skill target: Lina
Quest Completion Rewards: ???
Quest Failure Penalty: ???
§~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~§§~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~§
Millus's crimson eyes lingered on the floating notification box before him. "…Veda, what is this?" he asked, his voice was calm but curious.
"The quest activated because you have encountered a being of significance to this world, someone whose existence will shape your future. Her fate appears to be entangled with your own," Veda explained to him.
Millus frowned, his gaze drifted back to the pit where Lina sat silently, bruised and battered. He exhaled deeply, forcing himself to remain composed. The longer he watched, the more her suffering gnawed at him.
"…'Memory of Blood,' huh?" he muttered, his tone thoughtful. "Does that mean blood itself carries a memory?"
"Yes," Veda replied to him. "By interacting with blood, you can get a glimpse of their past events and experiences."
Millus tensed slightly at her words. "…So, what? I need to drink it?" The idea clearly unsettled him, as he had never tasted blood before, nor does he want to try it, since back in his old world there were diseases that can be found in blood.
"Not necessarily," Veda reassured him. "You can manipulate the blood outside of the targets body on your hands to access its memory without consuming it. It is a skill unique to you."
He nodded in understanding, though the concept still felt foreign to him. "Alright, I should test it, then…" His eyes shifted to the outskirts of the village, a sharp glint of resolve flashed in his eyes.
"And I already have my first test subject," he said, a faint smile forming on his lips. His gaze locked onto a lone hunter patrolling the outskirts, oblivious to the predator now watching him.
Millus cast one last glance toward the pit where Lina was being held. Her fragile form slumped against the dirt walls, her quiet suffering igniting a storm of emotions within him.
"Hang in there, girl," he whispered softly, his voice carrying a promise. "I'll be right back."
With that, Millus disappeared from his perch, his form suddenly vanishing into the shadows as though he had never been there.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, the sky was painted in shades of orange and deep red. The shadows of the trees stretched long across the ground, darkness consumed the dense forest in twilight. It was during this haunting hour that Millus silently stalked his prey in the shadows, the oblivious lone hunter keenly patrolled the outskirts of the village.
The hunter was unaware of the danger that was lurking in the shadows, his movements were calm and precise. Millus concealed himself with his stealth skills, he observed his prey silently, his crimson eyes were gleaming faintly in the dim light.
'It's time to test this ability,' Millus thought, then a slight smirk formed on his lips.
As it was already getting late, the hunter began his journey back towards the village, then suddenly the wind shifted, the air carried an unnatural chill. His body froze momentarily in place, every strand of hair on his skin stood on end.
"Hm? What is this creepy feeling, the wind also changed…" he murmured to himself, he scanned the trees uneasily. The shadows around him seemed to stretch and move unnaturally on it's own, as if it was alive.
Then a cold, primal fear gripped him as he saw the being approaching him, his survival instincts kicked in. And without any hesitation, he didn't even spare a glance at Millus, he bolted away running towards the direction of the village, his legs pumping as fast as they could carry him.
"Huff, huff…" His breathing became ragged as he felt an unnatural weight that seemed to be pressing down on him, it felt like he was running through waist-high water. His movements also became sluggish which with every step he took the heavier they became than the last.
"What… is this?" he gasped, his voice was trembling from fear of the unknown. The forest around him had grown impossibly dark, and the familiar path disappeared and was now cloaked in darkness.
And then he finally saw from a distance, there were two glowing crimson eyes that pierced through the darkness and looked straight at him.
The hunter's heart skipped a beat as soon as he saw it, his breath was caught in his throat, as he tried to avoid any movement and make noise. The eyes he saw were unlike any predator he had ever seen, their vertical slits gleaming in the darkness like the gaze of an apex predator that had locked onto its prey.
"No… no!" his voice stammered and rose in panic as the figure loomed closer, the oppressive aura began to suffocate him.
"Help me! Someone, help!" he screamed out his lungs, but his cries only echoed through the forest and no response came. It's as if the village moved far away from him, and his voice fell into the void.
From the shadows emerged Millus, his flawless pale skin was almost luminescent in the dim light. He stood tall, he wore his regal 'Sovereign's Regalia' it was immaculate, exuding an aura of overwhelming dominance. Despite his lean frame and modest height of 5'4, his presence was colossal, an incomprehensible pressure that weighed on the hunter like a looming mountain.
The hunter's eyes widened as he took in the sight of Millus, his breath were hitching. The aura and presence emanating from this being has far surpassed anything he had felt before, for not even the tribal chieftain's power can be compared to it.
Fear overwhelmed his being, the hunter instinctively fell onto his knees, his body trembled uncontrollably. He pressed his forehead to the ground in submission, the impact caused a shallow cut to open. Blood trickled down his face and pooled on the ground below.
"I… I surrender myself to the deity before me!" the hunter cried, his voice quivering as he groveled at Millus's feet.
Millus paused, his crimson eyes narrowing as he regarded the man. "You shalt not speak of what you have seen or heard," he commanded, his voice cold and resonant, carrying an authority that left no room for defiance.
"Yes, great one! I swear it!" the hunter babbled, his forehead pressed so hard into the dirt that more blood seeped from his wound.
Millus's gaze fell to the blood that trickled from the hunter's forehead. His lips curved into a faint smile as he extended his hand, his fingertips glowing faintly with energy.
The blood, as if responding to his will, defied gravity. It rose from the dirt in delicate strands, coalescing into a small crystal-like droplet that hovered above his fingers.
"This is it," he thought, his eyes gleaming with curiosity. "The memory of blood."
He focused his mind, manipulating the blood with precision. The droplet shimmered and began to glow, an ethereal light pulsing within it as if the blood itself held life.
"Let's see what secrets you hold," he murmured, channeling his mana into the crystalized droplet.
As the energy flowed through the blood, fragmented images flooded Millus's mind. He saw flashes of the hunter's life, from his conception in his mother's womb, his childhood, his right of passage, the days spent patrolling the forest, his interactions with the villagers, and moments of joy he shared with his family.
But then darker images soon followed. He saw the hunter cruelly laughing as Lina was dragged into the village, he threw a stone at her which caused her to stumble a few times. He saw through the hunter's disdain for her, his whispers of hatred as he called her a curse, the bringer of the bad omen.
Millus's lips curled into a grimace. 'So, you're also one of them,' he thought, his gaze over him ever grew colder.
Unaware of the judgment passing over him, the hunter remained prostrated to the ground, trembling in fear. "Great one… have mercy on me…" he begged him.
Millus regarded him silently for a moment, his crimson eyes were glowing faintly. Finally, he waved his hand, releasing the blood from his control.
"You may live… for now," he said, his voice were devoid of any emotion. "Leave, and remember your vow. If you speak of this, you'll wish the forest had swallowed you whole."
The hunter scrambled to his feet, bowing profusely before fleeing away, his were steps uneven as he stumbled over roots and rocks in his haste.
Millus remained in the shadows, his gaze following the man until he disappeared.
"...The memory of blood," Millus muttered to himself, his fists clenching at his sides. "...to see such cruelty… and such ignorance."
He turned back towards the village, his resolve hardening. 'Just hold on a little longer. I'll be there soon.'
End of chapter