Chapter 21: The Forest Hunt 2

As we were talking among ourselves, Liana walked over, holding a tray of food.

The moment she appeared, those three idiots gave me smug smiles, winking and whistling as they quickly got up and walked away.

"Tch... Bastards," I muttered, shaking my head. "Always filling my head with weird things."

I exhaled, pushing the nonsense out of my mind, and sat down beside Liana.

We started eating in silence for a while.

Then she looked at me. "What were you guys talking about?" she asked. "The aura around you all seemed serious. And they looked a bit... restless when I arrived."

I paused, lowering my spoon slightly.

So she noticed.

I glanced at the direction those three had disappeared in. "They're just idiots," I said. "They thought they hurt my feelings when they brought up my family."

Her eyes lingered on me for a second, but she didn't speak.

So I continued.

"John said I looked pretty," I said flatly.

That made her blink.

"And then they joked about me being handsome now. Somehow it led to a mention of my family… and the mood got weird after that."

Liana stayed quiet, her eyes lowering for a moment. She nodded, slowly.

I didn't explain further. I didn't need to.

They were good people. They weren't trying to hurt me. In fact, I think they were worried they already had. That's why they acted so awkward just now.

Liana didn't say anything for a long time.

We ate our food in calm silence, the kind that didn't feel awkward… just still.

Usually, she'd get up and leave right after the meal.

But today… she didn't.

She stayed seated beside me, her gaze distant.

I didn't say anything either. I simply lay down on the soft grass beside her.

The wind danced across the ground, whispering through the swaying branches of the tree above us. Leaves rustled gently, casting shifting shadows over our faces.

It was peaceful.

For a while, at least.

Then she spoke.

"Kael," she said softly.

"Are you really okay?"

I turned my head toward her. "What?"

She hesitated.

"I don't know if I should ask this," she said, her voice barely above a whisper, "but I can't stop thinking about it."

She looked down, fingers tightening around the hem of her sleeve.

"Your family… Kael, did you ever hate them? After everything they did to you?"

She didn't look at me as she spoke.

"After you awakened… they started ignoring you like you didn't even exist. Your siblings—your sister—they hated you. Beat you."

She swallowed.

"And after that incident… they exiled you here. For three years. Without even listening to your side of the story."

Silence.

"I know I shouldn't ask. But I want to know. I want to hear your thoughts… What do you really think about your family?"

I sat up slowly, brushing a few stray leaves off my cloak, and looked straight at her.

"What do you think about my family?" I asked, my voice quiet but firm.

Liana didn't hesitate.

"I hate them," she said.

Her tone was steady, but her hands clenched slightly in her lap.

"I hate them for what they did to you. For sending you here. For treating you like… like you were nothing."

I blinked once, then gave a faint smile.

"And what do you think about me?" I asked. "About the incident… with the maid. Do you really think I did it?"

She turned to me sharply, eyes narrowed—not in anger, but in disbelief.

"No," she said firmly. "You didn't do it. I know you better than anyone here. You'd never hurt someone like that."

She paused.

"Especially not Elira. She was your friend. And I know… I know what kind of feelings you had for her."

I raised an eyebrow slightly, surprised.

Then, I laughed—just a little. A soft, tired laugh that faded as quickly as it came.

She looked confused.

I looked ahead, toward the darkening forest, then back at her.

"To answer your question…"

My voice dropped, calm and distant.

"I don't hate my family."

"I remember what they did. I remember everything. How they ignored me after the Awakening. How my siblings turned their backs on me. How they never even listened to me when I was accused."

I paused, the weight of those memories pressing against my ribs like cold iron.

"But still... they were once my family. I used to love them. And at some point… they loved me too."

I glanced down at my hands.

"No matter what I do… I can't bring myself to hate them."

I looked back up at her, eyes steady.

"But now… I don't care about them either."

"I don't love them. I don't hate them. They're just… the family I was born into. Nothing more."

I turned toward her again, my voice softening.

"I only care what you think of me. Because when no one else believed me…"

I held her gaze.

"You did. And that means more than you'll ever know."

She smiled at me—genuinely, softly.

And I found myself smiling back.

Then I tilted my head slightly, curious.

"My feelings for Elira," I said, voice calm. "You said you knew about them. But how?"

"I never told anyone," I added. "And I thought I did a good job hiding it."

Liana didn't hesitate.

She straightened a little, looking proud, almost smug.

"Yeah," she said, "you did try to hide it. You didn't say a word to anyone. Not even me."

"But I was always there, Kael. Watching."

She looked off into the trees for a moment before continuing.

"I saw the way you looked at her—how your eyes softened when she laughed. How you always seemed a little lighter around her. How you looked forward to every time she came by."

Her voice was gentle, not accusing. Just... observant.

"I used to like her too," she added, "because she was the only one who stayed by your side back then. Your only friend."

She paused.

Then her eyes met mine again—this time, deeper. Not just seeing me, but searching for something beneath the silence.

"Kael," she asked quietly, "do you still like her?"

I didn't answer right away.

Because the truth wasn't simple.

I knew I didn't like Elira. She was never even my favorite character in the story. But this body… it wasn't mine alone. The original Kael had loved her—deeply. And I could still feel it. That hollow ache. That need for her forgiveness. That longing to see her smile at me again and say, "I believe you."

Even if I didn't want it... my heart still reached for her.

But I wasn't him.

I clenched my hands against the grass, grounding myself.

I wouldn't follow the same path. I'd carve a new one. My own.

"I don't know," I finally said, my voice light—too light, like I was forcing it out before my body could betray me. "Maybe."

Liana didn't push.

She just smiled. A small, sad smile that barely reached her eyes.

"I spent too long here today," she murmured, standing up. "I should go back."

And just like that, she turned and walked away.

I watched her silhouette disappear into the swaying trees, the wind brushing through her hair.

And I remained there, unmoving, eyes fixed on the place she'd left behind—wondering why her silence felt heavier than any goodbye.

Night fell again, and I returned to the forest—armor strapped tight, steps silent on the damp earth.

The darkness greeted me like an old friend.

I moved swiftly this time, running through the undergrowth. My destination was the same place I'd fought the mad rabbit last night. I remembered the blood. The screams. The adrenaline.

But when I arrived—nothing.

No bodies. No fur. Only the dried stains of blood splattered across the ground and leaves. The signs of a massacre were everywhere… but something had cleared the corpses.

Something else hunted here.

But I wasn't here for scraps tonight.

I was here for their boss.

Their leader.

Deeper I went.

The trees grew thicker, branches tangled like grasping hands. The air was colder here, wetter. Leaves stuck to my boots as I pushed forward, brushing aside the dense bushes with the flat of my blade.

Then—movement.

A flash from the right. Fast.

I didn't hesitate. My blade swung up in a clean arc—shhkk—cutting straight through the neck of a charging rabbit before I even looked.

One.

Then they came.

Left. Right. Behind.

I moved.

A step to the left—slash.

A pivot—stab.

A hop back—counter.

Blood sprayed across my armor, sticky and hot. They screamed, scratched, lunged, but I knew their rhythm now. Their speed. Their angles.

They were no longer monsters.

They were prey.

Five minutes. That's all it took.

Fifty bodies lay around me—torn, bleeding, twitching.

Panting, I adjusted my grip. More came from the front. I braced myself.

Then pain exploded through my side.

I staggered forward, barely catching myself as something massive slammed into my back.

I spun around — eyes wide.

A monster.

A rabbit, but far larger. At least three times the size of the others. A jagged, black horn jutted from its forehead, still stained with blood. It had pierced my armor — partially. If it had gone deeper...

"Shit."

Before I could catch my breath, it was already charging again. I leapt aside, crashing into a tree. My body ached, ribs screaming. Still, I stood.

BOOM.

The horn embedded itself into the trunk where I'd just been. The beast thrashed violently, stuck for a moment.

It was stronger than me. Two minor ranks above — E+.

But like the others… it was mad.

Driven not by instinct or hunger, but rage. A blind fury, likely fueled by the slaughter of its tribe.

It ripped itself free with a roar and lunged.

I met it head-on this time. Katana clashed with horn, sparks dancing between us. Its claws slashed out — I raised my other arm. Clink. Armor held, barely.

It jumped back, then forward again. Over and over.

For ten minutes, we fought. Neither of us gaining ground.

His strikes were faster, heavier. Mine were precise — but tiring. My body screamed in protest with every movement.

I wouldn't last much longer.

I had to end this.

Think, Kael. Think.

Then… it clicked.

A pattern. A memory. An opening.

I began retreating slowly, step by step, still fending off his blows.

My back hit something.

A tree.

Perfect.

I parried twice more. Then he lunged.

This time, I didn't dodge away — I moved to the side.

CRACK.

His horn stabbed straight into the trunk — deeply embedded. He howled and thrashed, trying to free himself.

I didn't wait.

I surged forward. One slash across the throat. Another across his side. A third at the neck.

Then — I plunged my blade into his chest, where I hoped his heart lay.

He roared. Twitched. Flailed.

And then fell still.

Silence returned to the forest.

I dropped to the ground beside his body, chest heaving, limbs trembling. My armor was dented. My stamina spent.

But I'd won.

I killed him.

The boss. A monster stronger than me.

Weaker than his rank, sure — but still deadly. Still real.

And I…

I was alive

After resting for a few minutes, I forced myself to stand up again. My limbs were still shaking from exhaustion, but I couldn't leave the body here—not like this.

The mad rabbit's horn was deeply lodged in the tree trunk. I gritted my teeth and began tugging at the corpse, each pull scraping bark and drawing curses from my mouth. Finally, with one last heave, the body came loose and collapsed onto the ground with a dull thud.

I knelt beside it, gripping my katana tightly.

Cutting through a monster's body with a katana was far from ideal—it was a weapon meant for precision, not butchery. What I needed was a dagger. But I didn't have one.

So I made do.

I had never done this before. Never dissected a body. The first slice into its chest made my stomach churn. The smell, the heat of the blood, the resistance of muscle and bone—it all felt wrong. But I swallowed the nausea and kept going, hands trembling.

Finally, after prying open the chest cavity, I saw it—a small, white marble-like object faintly glowing under the moonlight.

A mana core.

An E– rank core. Not bad.

It would sell for a decent price... but it was a shame I couldn't use it.

you may think that you can absorb monster cores to grow stronger. That's a lie.

Monster cores are full of impurities. Consuming one directly without proper preparation leads to corruption—twisted bodies, madness, and death. Some awakeners tried it. Most either lost their minds or became something far worse.

Corrupted. Mindless. Monsters.

The only safe time to absorb a core is during a major breakthrough—when your body naturally purges some of its internal impurities. It's why most people wait until advancing to a new rank.

I had done the same when I broke through to E–, but… the amount I expelled was negligible. Beacuse of my low rank

The higher you climb, the more impurities your body will expel during advancement.

That's the key.

When someone breaks through to a higher rank, their body naturally releases a portion of the built-up impurities both physical and magical. And if you choose to absorb a monster core during that advancement… your body can expel the impurities from both the breakthrough and the core itself.

That's the only reason it works.

It's not the core making you stronger—at least not directly. It's the timing. Use it too early, and you'll just poison yourself. But use it while advancing, and the impurities get purged along with everything else.

That's why only one or two cores can be absorbed safely per major breakthrough. Any more, and you risk corruption—even then.

I'd have to hide this. Store it safely until I reached D– rank.

Or sell it—if the opportunity came.

I carefully picked up the core and stood up again, glancing once more at the corpse. I wanted to take the body back, but I had no way to carry it. Besides… I wasn't sure how mad rabbit meat tasted.

Maybe next time.

I made my way back through the forest. Silent. Drained. Every step burned, every muscle screamed, but the fortress walls came into view at last.

By the time I reached my room, I was half-dead.

I closed the door behind me, dropped onto the bed without removing my armor, and let the darkness take me. My eyes shut the moment my head hit the pillow.

I had only one thought before sleep claimed me:

I need to wake up before Liana comes and hide the evidence.

But Kael Thorne didn't know—

This would be the greatest mistake he ever made.