CHAPTER 65: FINDING CAVES.

"Are you sure we should have convinced them to join us? I mean, whatever that beast was... I’m pretty sure it’s way too strong—even for the senior Awakeneds," Stan said, nervously playing with his fingers as he followed behind Kieran.

Kieran sighed.

Stan was a good person.

Timid, weak—but still kind.

In a way, he reminded Kieran of who he used to be when he first entered the academy.

Naive, gullible, and stupidly kind.

He used to give up his night meals just because someone who helped him with notes earlier asked for it.

And then he’d spend the night hungry, only to hear that same person mock him behind his back for being so easy to manipulate.

It was emotional blackmail—subtle, calculated.

People did the bare minimum just to squeeze everything they could out of him.

And Kieran fell for it.

Not once, not twice—but so many times, he eventually lost count.

Until... he realized something.

These people didn’t care about him—not in the slightest.

What they cared about was their own selfish desires, their own gain.

And they would go to any length they felt necessary to get it.

That’s when he started to learn.

’No one helps for free. Whatever they do, there’s always something in it for them. If there has to be an exchange, then it should be an equivalent one—not one where I starve.’

It was short. Brutal. But simple.

A principle he picked up naturally through all the striving and suffering he endured in the academy.

He glanced at the timid boy beside him and couldn’t help but wonder how Stan had made it this far, still so naive, still so... soft.

Kieran came to a stop.

He turned to face Stan, his gaze intense.

Stan froze, visibly startled, and instinctively took a step back under the weight of that look.

"It’s simple," Kieran said coldly, his voice steady. "You can’t save someone who doesn’t want to be saved. We warned them. They chose the stick... and forgot the carrot."

With that, he turned back around and continued walking.

He was done.

Back in the academy, he used to prioritize helping others over himself. He gave everything—time, effort, meals.

And yet, the moment they got the chance, those same people turned on him.

Just because his talent needed a ’condition’ to awaken, they treated him like dead weight.

"If you want to stay back and help them, I’m fine with that," Kieran said indifferently as he kept walking.

"Huh?—" Stan blinked, startled. "No, no, no, I’m coming with you!" he blurted out, rushing to catch up.

But just as Kieran took another step forward—

He felt it.

A powerful surge of energy suddenly filled the air, sharp and overwhelming.

A chill ran down his spine, and the hairs on his arms stood on end.

’This feeling... I’ve felt it before... back when we got out of that hidden hole near the tree,’ Kieran thought, his mind racing back to the strange presence he sensed the moment he unlocked that new skill from the system.

It had flickered—just for a moment—but he was certain he’d sensed something.

Yet when he looked, there was nothing there.

Now, though, the energy had intensified. It wasn’t just present anymore—it was hazardous.

Spreading fast. Far and wide.

There was no doubt about it now: it was a powerful beast.

Not one that could rival Alexa... but not too far off either.

The sensation pulsing from it was unsettling—oppressive.

This wasn’t just any Alpha-ranked beast.

It was something more.

Something... unnatural.

The kind of beast that could give even iron-ranked awakened trouble. The kind they weren’t equipped to handle.

And yet, it didn’t feel like your typical high-tier Alpha.

There was something off. Twisted.

Something that made his skin crawl every time the pulse washed over him.

But he couldn’t quite place what it was.

Kieran paused, turning his head slightly to glance back in the direction they’d come from.

Stan noticed the sudden shift and asked, his voice tinged with worry, "What? Is something wrong?"

He turned, scanning their surroundings to see if he could spot anything.

But there was nothing.

Kieran narrowed his eyes, mind racing.

’What kind of beast is that? Should I go back and help...?’

He hesitated, torn for a brief second.

’No. I don’t have time.’

He clenched his jaw and turned his gaze forward again, the image of Steven’s arrogant expression flashing through his mind.

That decided it.

"We should keep moving—something dangerous is nearby," Kieran said calmly.

Stan shivered the moment he heard those words.

"Y-Yes, let’s keep going," he replied quickly, eyes darting around cautiously.

Kieran led the way.

He took several turns through the forest, moving with certainty. Finding his own starting point wasn’t an issue—he had marked it earlier by the large boulder sitting near the edge of the hill.

They were almost there when he suddenly paused, realization hitting him.

"Wait... we didn’t start from the same point," he said, glancing at Stan. "I have no idea where yours is. Did you mark it in any way?"

"Oh! That’s right!" Stan exclaimed, his eyes widening. "If I remember correctly, I started near a cave. Sorry for not mentioning it earlier..." he added, fidgeting with his fingers nervously.

Kieran didn’t seem upset. Instead, he nodded with a small, reassuring smile.

"Don’t worry about it. We’ll head to your side first."

As they resumed walking, Kieran couldn’t help but notice how much Stan reminded him of his younger self—timid, unsure, always second-guessing everything.

’Speaking of timid... Miss Anita is a vice-captain, yet she’s also strangely shy,’ Kieran thought, and his smile deepened a little.

But then something else struck him.

’A cave... on a hill this large? There could be more than one.’

His eyes scanned the landscape with his Ultra Sense, and just as he’d suspected, multiple cave openings came into view.

’One... two... three... six in total. That’s quite a few. Thankfully, they’re clustered in the same general direction,’ he observed with a sigh. ’Still, it means we’ll have to retrace our steps—and that means crossing paths with that beast again.’

Kieran’s expression darkened slightly.

’So a confrontation is unavoidable, huh? I guess I’ll be seeing it earlier than expected.’

Just then, Alexa’s voice echoed in his mind, her tone laced with worry.

"How do you plan to find the right cave? I can’t detect anything from here... And there’s still the risk of running into Castan."

Kieran didn’t respond right away.

He knew she was right.

It wouldn’t be long before a wave of beast elves—and their creatures—flooded the forest, hunting every recruit down.

And if that happened, their escape wouldn’t just be difficult—it’d be nearly impossible.

Kieran gave a wry smile.

"I think it’s in the same direction where we met him..." he said, using it as an excuse—though technically, he wasn’t wrong.

He just needed to get close enough for Alexa to sense the right cave.

"Alright then," Alexa replied. "I think I can still trace the path to where we encountered him."

She sounded confident, ready to lead the way.

’Yeah... I can see it too,’ Kieran thought, his eyes narrowing as he glanced in that direction.

"Let’s go," he said firmly.

With that, the three of them set off toward the caves.