chapter 34: Fokay [2]

Chapter 34 – Fokay [2]

Kaden found himself back in that same mysterious darkness—consciousness dazed, confused, shaken.

"How did I die?" he asked aloud, still trying to piece things together.

"Don't tell me I was killed by his snort? Ain't no way, right?"

He genuinely couldn't believe it. How the fuck could his whole body explode just because some beast—no, some dragon—snorted?

Pause.

"Dragon…?"

"Fuck! That beast was a fucking dragon!" Kaden shouted in shock, the realization slamming into him like a freight train.

"This is insane. First time stepping into Fokay, and I meet a fucking dragon?!"

What were the odds? And worse?

If it wasn't for his system, he'd be gone for real—right here, right now.

At that thought, Kaden's expression shifted. He went quiet. Serious.

Because no matter how miraculous the system was, it wouldn't mean shit if he ran out of Death Coins. They weren't infinite. Every revival had a cost—and once those coins ran dry…

He'd be truly dead.

He clicked his tongue, low and sharp.

DING!

[You have died.]

[At what point in time do you wish to return?]

Kaden paused, thinking it through.

The best option was to return to just before he entered Fokay—hoping, praying, begging that this time, he'd spawn somewhere else. Somewhere without a slumbering fucking dragon.

So—

"I wish to return to just before I entered Fokay. How much will that cost me?"

[500 points.]

Kaden blinked. "What? Half my coins? How come? I didn't even go that far back in time!"

[The strength of the being who killed you also affects cost. The greater the gap between your power and theirs, the more Death Coins required.]

Kaden cursed under his breath again.

Things were already starting to get irritating.

But he didn't argue further.

"Fine. Do it."

Because it's not like he had much of a choice.

[DING! Confirmed.]

And then, finally, the reward prompt appeared—what he had been waiting for.

[You have been killed by Morvul The Unmoving. You have obtained a technique fragment.]

[You have obtained the technique: Slothful Steps (Unique Rank).]

Kaden blinked—then smiled.

His first technique fragment. And considering how few techniques he actually possessed, this was a huge win.

"Give me the description."

[Slothful Steps (Unique Rank): Your steps appear slow, lazy, careless—but the slower you walk, the faster you become. Movement and unpredictability blend as one.]

Kaden blinked again. And then smiled, softer this time.

"I like this one."

"Death… revive me."

The black clock reappeared.

Tik—!

The void wrapped around his senses—and darkness took him again.

…

"Be careful, my dear," Sarena said as she looked at Kaden one last time with love and affection. 

Kaden smiled, then turned to his father.

This time, he asked the question that had been burning inside him since the moment he died.

"Father, what are the chances someone spawns in a forbidden zone? Or somewhere… completely lethal to an awakened being?"

Garros tilted his head, thinking.

"Hmm… it's really, really rare. In all my years, I've only heard of it happening a few times. So I'd say maybe… one in a million would be unlucky enough to end up like that."

Then he grinned brightly.

"But don't worry! We're Warborn—we've always been blessed with good luck."

He chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.

Kaden's lips twitched, but he said nothing.

He simply turned his gaze forward.

Then, without wasting another second, he willed himself into Fokay again.

But not before turning to his sister—his expression smug, his voice teasing.

"Be ready, sister. Next time we meet, I'm the one knocking you out."

And with that—

He vanished.

…

{Kaden Warborn, Child of Blood. Welcome to Fokay.}

It all happened again. The sensation. The interface. The shifting space.

{Your spawning point has been determined.}

A pause. 

{Spawning point: The Shattered Church of the Whimpering Saintess.}

Moments later, Kaden appeared—this time not in a cave, not in open ground—but inside what looked like a shattered, crumbling church. Everything here felt old. Ancient. On the verge of collapse. The walls were cracked, the ceiling half-caved, the altar broken and leaning.

It looked like one strong breeze and the whole place could fall apart.

But Kaden didn't even think about testing it.

Not because he feared the structure falling.

But because something else had already stolen his attention.

Someone stood in front of him.

No—something.

'What… is this?' Kaden thought, narrowing his eyes.

At first glance, it looked human. Almost too human.

Not ugly. Not deformed. Not some grotesque creature stitched together from beasts.

No.

She was beautiful.

So beautiful it hurt to look at her.

But that wasn't the problem.

The problem… was the tears.

Red and black tears ran endlessly down her face, shimmering like blood mixed with void, trailing over perfect skin, and yet—something inside them felt wrong.

Then she smiled as she looked at Kaden. 

And the moment she did, Kaden's entire body shuddered with fear—pure, instinctive, primal fear.

He didn't even realize he had taken a step back.

And that—

That was a mistake.

"Are… are you abandoning me too?" the woman asked, voice trembling, tears spilling faster now.

"Don't… don't go," she pleaded, stepping forward.

Kaden stepped back again.

He couldn't help it.

Something deep inside him—gut, soul, blood, everything—revolted.

Every part of him screamed that he shouldn't be here. That he shouldn't look at her.

That he shouldn't listen.

"Why… why… WHY?" she wailed—and her beautiful face tore open, black tendrils ripping out where her features had been, twisting and writhing like they were alive.

Disgusting. Alien. Alive.

"Fucking hell! What the fuck is this??" Kaden yelled as panic surged through him. He turned, sprinting for the church doors.

But he didn't make it two steps.

The tentacles on her face moved with terrifying speed and wrapped tightly around his legs.

BAAAM!

Kaden's face hit the ground. Hard.

He gritted his teeth, his fingers tightening as Reditha instantly appeared in his hand—and with one swift movement, he sliced the tentacles off without hesitation.

The scream that followed—

SCREEEEE—!

A beastly, otherworldly shriek tore through the air as a wave of black tentacles slammed into Kaden's body from above.

His skull cracked.

His vision spun.

His body died.

[You are dead.]

…

"…One in a million, huh? Fucking bullshit," Kaden muttered, standing once again in the dark space.

He couldn't believe it.

He had died again. Just to enter fucking Fokay.

This was madness.

And it only got worse—

[It will cost you 500 points to revive.]

Yep. Just like last time.

This was it—his last chance.

He had only one more shot before he was truly dead. The next one had to work.

Either he landed somewhere he could survive—or he wouldn't come back.

Kaden exhaled slowly.

His heart was racing. Tension buzzing under his skin.

But he kept his face still.

Panicking won't change anything.

"Ahh…" he sighed, then nodded.

"Go on."

[You have been killed by the Whimpering Saintess. You have obtained a trait fragment.]

[Trait – Silent Tears: You cannot cry easily. But once you do… you will not stop until you have either killed or resolved the source of your grief. And once you do, you will have their most cherished things.]

Kaden blinked. Then smiled crookedly.

"I seem to get great stuff from dying lately…"

[The stronger your killer, the greater the reward.]

Makes sense.

He had already suspected as much.

"Revive me, Death."

The black clock appeared once again.

Tik—!

—End of Chapter 34—