Hello again

"All the kobolds are dead."

"Are you sure of it?"

"Well, some might still be inside this cave."

"Then we should immediately check that out."

"What a stench!"

Kaden quickly backed away into a dark corner, hiding himself behind a half-collapsed stalagmite. He pressed his back against the damp rock, fighting the urge to cough at the overpowering stink of decay. 

The footsteps drew nearer, accompanied by the low scrape of weapons against metal.

"What the hell? Why is this place stinking so much?" One of them gagged softly, presumably overwhelmed by the stench of rotting corpses.

Kaden clenched his fist as he immediately recognized this voice. The familiar voice which he had heard day in and day out. The 'savior' was here.

In his first life, that smug self-proclaimed "savior" had lured him into a survivor camp, promising safety and rapid progression—only to break him down into an obedient follower. 

Kaden remembered the humiliation all too well: the punishing beatings whenever he refused an order, the ruthless exploitation of any progress Kaden tried to make on his own. 

This was the man who had hoarded the apocalypse's early secrets, building a power base and crushing anyone who threatened his lead. Now here he was, striding deeper into the cavern like it was all part of some grand plan.

Kaden's fists clenched around the shattered spear, knuckles turning white. Just hearing that voice again brought up a hot rush of anger.

What the hell was he doing here? Wait, was this how he got his hands on the elixir and managed to fine tune his affinity?

Slowly everything started to make sense and he was putting pieces of the puzzle together.

"Stop complaining and go and check inside." Another voice shouted.

Kaden blinked, nearly dropping the broken spear. Someone else ordering the "savior" around? That was a twist he hadn't expected. The familiar sneer from that arrogant druid was etched in Kaden's mind, and he couldn't imagine him willingly playing second fiddle to anyone.

Pressing himself deeper into the shadows, Kaden adjusted his stance to listen more carefully. The footsteps were just around the bend now, and the flicker of torchlight danced on the dank cave walls.

"Stop whining and move," that commanding voice rang out again, echoing off the stones.

"Yeah, yeah," came the grudging reply, unmistakably the "savior" Kaden so loathed.

A second hush of shuffling footsteps trailed behind. So there were at least three of them, maybe more.

Kaden swallowed, trying to process the magnitude of this change. In his previous life, the savior had soared to power quickly, amassing devoted followers and overshadowing anyone who questioned him. 

This time, on day one, he was evidently subordinate to someone else. Something must've shifted, Kaden realized, and he might be looking at the cause. His gaze once again fell on the egg sac hanging from the ceiling. Just what is this thing?

Snapping him out of his thoughts, the loud footsteps halted and three men squeezed through the small entrance one after the other. 

All of them reacted in the same way he did, absolute shock and horror written on their faces. The savior stared at the mound of corpses unable to blink away the reality.

"What? What is there inside?" The commanding voice shouted from the outside.

"Bodies… dead." One of the three men mumbled, words barely coming out of him.

"What the hell are you saying? Are there kobolds?"

The three of them silently shook their head. "Useless." A loud sigh came next as the last two men entered through the hole.

Kaden's eyes widened as he recognized the two. They were the two men standing beside the silver-haired priestess, Garrus and the thin dude.

And it looked like savior was their hench man?

All of them were staring at the egg sac just like he had. As if right on cue, another bead of liquid trickled down the egg sac. The liquid hissed as it hit the corpses below.

Everyone silently watched the whole process. "That… stuff," Garrus said at last, voice echoing in the silent chamber. "It's dissolving the flesh."

"This smell is too nasty. Let's get out. There is nothing here, except for this weird thing." Savior gagged in disgust.

The other two men also agreed and everyone wanted to go out. But no one moved. It was as if they were waiting for orders and Kaden could now see who the true leader of the group was.

The thin man opened his mouth slowly. "Hey Garrus… tell me… doesn't that thing look like an egg embryo to you. A really big one. I wonder what is there inside. It could be something powerful."

Kaden couldn't help but be surprised. He came to this conclusion because of his past life experience but the person in front of him also came to the same conclusion with just a single day knowledge of the apocalypse. He was very intelligent.

"Garrus, try killing it. You might get some surprise." The thin man spoke again.