CHAPTER 154: CHAPTER 154: STRANGE LINES

Chapter 154 – Strange lines

"So damn persistent!!" Kaden muttered, irritation lacing his voice as he ran with Asael on his back.

As expected, his Flame of Blood skill wasn’t enough to kill the Master-ranked undead. Only the Intermediate-ranked ones died — and even then, with how many there were, it might as well have looked like Kaden hadn’t killed any at all.

There was no difference.

Right now, he was running for his dear life, Asael slung on his back and laughing like a lunatic.

"Are we friends now?" Asael asked just as Kaden leapt over a fallen grey tree, then — without warning — threw Asael into the air, slid under something that looked like a barrier of bony flesh, and caught Asael on the other side before continuing his sprint.

"Shut up!" Kaden barked, activating Flame of Blood behind him, turning the ground into a roaring sea of crimson fire.

The corrupted undead instinctively halted, fear flickering in their hollow eyes at this strange flame that burned both their blood and the tattered remnants of their souls.

Kaden didn’t stop there. He pulled at the black blood scattered around them, spreading it under his feet while forming a thick barrier of the same liquid behind him.

The moment the undead pushed past the fire and reached the barrier, he detonated both it and the blood beneath him.

A searing pain exploded through his legs, but Kaden gritted his teeth, using the blast to hurl himself forward at a blinding speed, leaving behind undead whose bodies melted like liquid steel, roaring murderously as he vanished into the distance.

...

Thud.

Kaden dropped Asael unceremoniously onto the ground and sat down, his breathing ragged. Both of them were in rough shape.

But looking at them, a weird sight was unfolding.

Kaden’s feet were slowly knitting back together, semi-transparent threads and blood weaving the flesh into place. Asael’s wounds were closing too, the damage fading as if time itself was being reversed.

Clearly, killing either of them was a task the undead were far from ready to accomplish.

But Kaden didn’t care about that right now. Since entering this cursed forest, he hadn’t rested even a single day. Constant running, constant fighting — he was sick of it.

Still, now wasn’t the time to let anger and irritation cloud his judgment. The only real option was to find a way out.

He turned toward Asael to discuss it and paused at the absurd sight.

Asael was lying on the ground, fast asleep, a smile on his face, clutching his white necklace like a child hugging a toy.

Kaden stared at him for a while before turning away with a sigh as he observed where they were.

They were hidden behind a waterfall, inside a dimly lit cave with a shallow pool of black water that would reach his ankles if he stood. The walls and ceiling were strangely smooth, the kind of surface that didn’t feel natural at all.

After all, where would you find a cave like this—

Kaden’s thoughts halted as he noticed something with his incredible perception.

In the deepest part of the cave, far beyond the light’s reach, something was carved into the wall.

He rose slowly, moving cautiously toward it, ready for traps.

When he reached it, he found... lines.

He tilted his head, eyes narrowing as his mind worked to decipher them.

There was no context, but one thought came immediately:

’Looks like someone was counting the days...’

He slowly raised his right hand and touched the marks.

The marks were old. Instinct told him that much. And they had been made with a finger or something along the line as faint traces of dried blood still clung to them.

He was intrigued.

For a moment, Kaden thought Asael might have done this, but judging from Asael’s earlier reaction to the cave, that wasn’t the case.

After studying the marks for a while, he went back to sit beside the sleeping Asael.

’I don’t know enough. Better to wait until Asael wakes up.’

Two minds were better than one, especially if the other had more knowledge about this place.

With his decision made, Kaden sighed and lowered his head. His reflection stared back at him from the black water.

It was... strange.

His features were slightly different. More handsome, yes, but there was something else — his striking red eyes now held faint dark spots deep in the irises. They were barely noticeable unless you looked closely.

’What the? What is this?’

[Your alignment with death has been raised exponentially. You do not have an Origin related to death, so you cannot wield it properly. All you possess is an understanding of death, resulting in the budding Intent that can be used to enhance your skills.]

Kaden stayed silent.

’...Death-type Origin, huh...’

A cold smirk curved his lips.

’My name will no longer be Kaden Warborn if I leave this damn dungeon without one.’

But first—

’Let’s rest.’

He closed his eyes, joining Asael in the dream world.

...

Fokay – Church of Sorrow

Inside a lifeless grey room, Rea sat across from Mother Esmere. A simple table separated them with steaming cups of tea resting on top.

Behind Mother Esmere stood her desk, stacked with parchments and ink. Beside it was a statue of a beautiful woman with tears streaming down her cheeks, her expression twisted in sorrow, pain, and fear, her hands clasped pitifully against her chest.

The Goddess of Sorrow.

The deity this church worshipped. The place Rea longed to evolve and reach high position. And now, she finally had the chance to take her first step.

Months had passed since she began working toward this moment. Just as she had promised, she got close to Mother Esmere. It hadn’t been easy — despite her popularity, Rea was still a penitent, the lowest rank in the church’s hierarchy.

She studied Mother Esmere carefully, learning her habits, her likes, her dislikes.

And she’d discovered something important.

Something...unexpected to be honest.

Mother Esmere liked to be praised.

Rea had realized it by accident — one casual compliment had brought a shift in Esmere’s demeanor, softening her.

Since then, Rea knew exactly how to play her.

But she didn’t flood her with flattery. That would breed suspicion. Instead, she offered praise subtly, for things no one else mentioned, speaking as if it were an idle observation with no ulterior motive.

It worked.

Slowly, Esmere’s walls crumbled. She began to see Rea as the only one who truly recognized her worth and she began to favor her openly.

Naturally, this stirred resentment among others in the church. But Rea didn’t care, she had what she wanted.

And now, Mother Esmere had summoned her.

"I have an opportunity for you, my dear child," Mother Esmere said, her sorrowful smile fixed on her aged face, half-lidded eyes glimmering.

Rea bowed respectfully. "It would be an honor, Mother."

"Might I know what this opportunity is?" She asked, her heart beating slightly fast in her chest.

This was, after all, the day she had been waiting for so long.

Mother Esmere lifted her teacup, taking a slow sip before answering.

"The opportunity to go from a simple penitent of the church to a Weeping Acolyte."

Instantly, Rea’s heart leapt with glee and excitement.

’Finally.’

—End of Chapter 154—