"What is babe?" Naisha frowned, confused by his sudden outburst.
"You can call me that too. It means we're already close," a grin lifted his face.
"No. We're not close." Naisha reacted, doubting his answer. "Anyway, let's head back to the village."
She brushed off his hand from her shoulder and shifted the conversation.
"Don't I get a reward?" Draven teased, flashing a playful smirk.
"Don't worry. Once we're back, I'll give you a proper reward for saving us."
"Damm, come on let's go! What are we waiting for?"
As Naisha walked, she spotted scattered clothes nearby. Quickly, she changed inside the blanket that was covering her at that moment.
"Wow, you have a real talent there." Draven teased her as he saw the way she changed her clothes.
"Stop looking, you perv," Naisha glared at him.
"Okay, okay. Relax," Draven chuckled as he raised both his arms.
The villagers gathered together, picking up whatever they could salvage.
Weapons.
Supplies.
Anything useful.
Then they began their trek back to the village with Naisha and Draven.
As they walked, Draven glanced over at Naisha. "So, are there other clans like them?"
"The Slave Hunters are made up of ten major clans," Naisha explained. "One of them is the Mad Clan, the one you just defeated. Gorvex's clan ranks sixth among the strongest."
She continued, "The Slave Hunters are a legal organization in the kingdom of Zarathon. Verdants, like us, are seen as being without God's favor. People think we're cursed and that we bring bad luck. Because of that, they treat us horribly."
Draven replied, "So, literally, they were treated like beyond slaves?"
"Exactly," Naisha replied, bitterness in her voice. "They don't see us as humans. Verdants are sold at auctions, forced into labor, starved, and treated worse than animals. Some are bought for nobles' entertainment for lust, made to fight to the death in the arena, used for experiments, or... abused in other ways."
"That's why we hide in the forest," Naisha added, her face hardened. "It's dangerous with all the monsters or any beast out here. But it's still better to die instantly than face what waits for us in the towns."
"Don't worry, I'm gonna beat their asses now," Draven said with a confident smile while flexing his muscle.
Naisha chuckled softly and she replied, "Okay. As you say so."
Draven glanced around, taking in the towering trees. "This forest is massive. I don't see any flat terrain anywhere."
"This is Grimwood Forest," Naisha explained. "It's the largest forest in the world. It's even greater than the other kingdoms. If you don't know the forest you could get lost and never find your way out. People have grown old and died here trying. And when the fog rolls in, it's even worse. You might stumble into a monster's territory without realizing it."
Draven smirked. "Sounds like my kind of place. So, what's the plan now?"
"We'll move far away and build a new village," Naisha said, her voice steady. "It's too dangerous to stay where we were. The hideout's been exposed."
After several hours of trekking, they finally reached the village.
The remaining villagers rushed to greet them. Tears of relief and joy were in their eyes.
Families embraced. Their fear dissolved as they reunited with their loved ones.
Naisha quickly ran to Mother Venice, wrapping her arms around her in a tight hug.
"I'm so glad you're okay!" she said.
Mother Venice smiled weakly. "The Chosen One saved us. Thanks to him, I'm still breathing."
Naisha's relief quickly shifted to worry as she glanced around, scanning the faces in the crowd.
"Sorry, Mother Venice, but I need to find Ran," she said, pulling away to search for her brother.
Naisha hurried over to Auntie, asking where they had been separated.
Auntie pointed toward the area of the forest, indicating the spot where they'd lost each other.
Without a second thought, Naisha bolted in that direction.
Draven watched her go, ready to follow.
But just as he moved, Mother Venice spoke up while holding a cup of water.
"She's gone to find her brother, Ran," she explained.
Then she turned to a young man nearby.
"Ronnie," she called, "take someone with you and help her search for Ran."
Nodding in obedience, Ronnie follows instantly.
Then Mother Venice offered a drink for Draven which he accepted.
"Thanks." After sipping, Draven offered, "I can help too."
"Don't worry, some will help her. You need to rest for now." Mother Venice said.
But Draven insisted, as soon as he took another step, his vision suddenly blurred.
He staggered, drenched in sweat, and then dropped to one knee.
"What's happening to me? I can't move."
Mother Venice turned to him, concern in her eyes. "Are you okay?"
But her words felt faint, distant like they were coming from far away.
Before Draven could make sense of what was happening, his eyes fluttered shut. The world went dark as he collapsed.
A few seconds passed.
'What is this? The atmosphere here's good,' Draven muttered as he kept his eyes closed.
But something felt off.
He slowly opened his eyes, only to be greeted by a face.
Mr. Goodness, smiled widely and leaned close to him.
"Shit!" Draven shouted, immediately jolting back. "What the hell is this? Why am I here again? Did I die?"
"No," Mr. Goodness said calmly. "I'm in your subconscious mind."
He gave a faint chuckle before continuing.
"Anyway, are you still refusing my offer? Or shall I send you back to your old world?"
"You cunning old man."
Goodness laughs as he takes it as a compliment.
"Really… After everything I experienced here, you gonna ask me that?"
Draven's decision to leave Earth wasn't difficult.
He had no parents. From the age of four, he lived and survived on the streets alone.
He didn't know his parents or what happened to them.
He has no family or any close person whom he would want to come back to.
Mr. Goodness smiled as he took it as a yes. Then he suddenly changed the topic.
"Lead the Verdants."
"Huh? You just said to protect them," Draven raised a brow. "Leading is not my forte! I fight alone!"
Because Draven had always lived alone, fought alone, and survived alone, he has not experienced being part of a team or group.
"Find all the Verdants and lead them," Mr. Goodness repeated but in a firmer tone.
"Nooo," Draven groaned. "It seems like every time we meet, we just can't agree on anything."
He sighed exaggeratedly before elaborating further.
"I can't trust them to fight. From the start, they ran off when the slave hunters attacked. In the end, there's a big chance they'll leave me hanging once they face stronger enemies."
He continued. "But I can't really blame them because they don't stand a chance against those with higher IDs."
In the past, Draven had already experienced being left behind by his companions in a similar situation.
"You're carrying some deep baggage in life, Draven."
"Huh?" Draven responded, getting into an attacking stance once again.
Instantly, Goodness raised four fingers with a sly grin on his face.
Draven stopped in his tracks, already knowing what would happen.
He remembered what happened last time. When Goodness used just two fingers, he couldn't do anything against the crushing gravity forced upon him.
A crooked smile spread across Draven's face. "This is nice. You're going to be my final boss!"
Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through his head. He clutched it, groaning.
"What's happening now?"
"You're about to wake up," Mr. Goodness explained.
Then, as if remembering something important, Mr. Goodness added, "Oh! By the way, I unlocked one of your abilities and skills in secret. It's a special skill I created long ago. Only you can wield it."
"I didn't know there are under the tables in the afterlife," Draven said with a faint chuckle as he massaged his head. "So what's this ability supposed to do?"
"You have eyes, don't you? Check your I.D.," Mr. Goodness replied bluntly.
"Oh, that thing? I don't even understand it yet. I've barely been in this world for a day," Draven muttered. "Maybe later."
"Be careful when using that ability," Mr. Goodness warned as he slyly smiled. "Your body must be in proper condition before you use it. And make sure you'll still be alive after a minute."
"Huh?"
The pain in Draven's head worsened, growing more intense with each passing moment.
"One more thing…"
"What? Why don't you say it all at once?!"
"I assure you that you can trust others now."
The pain in Draven's head peaked, forcing his eyes shut as he cried out.
Then everything went black.
When Draven's eyes snapped open again, daylight filtered through the trees above him.
But something was wrong.
His vision adjusted to reveal an unsettling sight.
Bodies of people, trees, and some tents were lying in twisted, unnatural positions.
In front of him stood Mother Venice, holding a sharp dagger in her hand, her expression unreadable.
He tried to move, but his body didn't budge.
That's when he noticed.
He was hanging upside down! Only his head and neck were free.
"What the hell is this?!"
Draven's eyes darted around in confusion.
Mother Venice simply stared. Her grip on the dagger tightened as she slowly stepped closer.
"Wow, they are really trustworthy, huh."