Nearly an hour had passed since the wagon departed from the city wall. Wein sat quietly at the back, observing the scenery as the wagon traveled along the road.
To him, the sight of these unfamiliar places was fascinating. He had never traveled this far from his village before. Fields stretched across the land, occasionally broken by small clusters of trees and distant farmhouses.
From the front of the wagon, Wein suddenly heard Bernard speak.
"We're heading to the City of Hope," the old man said. "It's nearly 250 kilometers from here."
The voice wasn't particularly loud, but with Wein's enhanced senses, he could hear it clearly.
City of Hope? Wein thought. I've never heard of it before.
He planned to ask Bernard about the city when the opportunity arose later.
The wagon continued moving forward at a moderate speed. As they traveled farther from the city, the road gradually became narrower. Villages and small towns that once appeared along the roadside became increasingly rare.
By the time Wein noticed the sun sinking toward the horizon, several hours had already passed. The sky began to darken as evening approached.
When the wagon moved to the side of the road and stopped, Wein wasn't surprised. He knew that a wagon pulled by horses couldn't easily travel in the dark. Doing so would be risky, especially on an unfamiliar road. Besides, the horses needed rest as well.
Wein stepped down from the wagon and immediately began analyzing his surroundings.
The wagon was parked beside the road. On both sides stretched dense trees and tall grass that formed a small forest. The night air was cool and quiet.
Wein focused his senses.
He could detect a few animals nearby—rabbits, a squirrel, and an owl perched somewhere deeper in the trees. Nothing unusual. No dangerous beasts. No humans.
Satisfied, Wein relaxed slightly.
Bernard climbed down from the front of the wagon and walked toward the back. He opened the rear door, lifted a wooden crate, and set it down beside the wagon with a dull thud.
"Help me gather some firewood," he said.
Wein simply nodded and headed toward the forest.
Not long after, Wein returned with enough wood for a fire. He piled the branches together and ignited them using his Bloodline power. A small flame sparked to life, quickly spreading across the dry wood.
The fire crackled softly as it grew.
Bernard watched him and chuckled.
"That's a pretty convenient Bloodline you've got."
Wein smiled faintly.
"Yeah. It's very useful."
Meanwhile, Bernard had already taken some meat from the crate and began grilling it over the fire.
Soon, the pleasant aroma of roasted meat spread through the cool night air.
After a while, Bernard handed Wein a generous portion.
"I'm not hungry," Wein said.
"Doesn't matter. Eat."
Bernard then handed him a bottle of water as well.
Wein had no intention of accepting it. He was experienced enough to know better than to accept food from someone he had just met.
"Thank you, but I'm really fine," Wein said.
The fire crackled between them while the distant sounds of small creatures echoed from the forest.
After a moment, Bernard spoke.
"I see. You're a cautious kid, which isn't a bad thing at all. I can respect that."
Bernard began eating. After a while, he spoke again.
"So… why don't you tell me about yourself?" he said casually.
"What's your story, Wein?"
Wein suddenly froze.
For a moment, only the sound of burning firewood filled the silence.
About myself?
My story?
Throughout his life, no one had ever cared to know the story of a child who looked like a devil. No one wanted to ask. No one wanted to know.
How long had it been since someone last asked him that question?
Wein vaguely remembered his parents—the only two people who had ever cared about him despite how he looked.
"Hey… why'd you go quiet?" Bernard asked.
"It's nothing," Wein said. "I just remembered something…."
He took a breath before continuing.
"Right… about me."
"I grew up in a village far to the north. If you walk from the city walls to my village, it would take several days."
"My mother was very beautiful… and my father was a very responsible man."
Wein paused briefly before continuing.
"But I lost them to a disease when I was ten."
"After that, I survived by hunting on my own. Mostly wild boar. My father taught me how to hunt."
"About a week ago, I awakened my Bloodline. After that, I decided to head south and look for opportunities."
Wein shrugged lightly.
"Well… that's pretty much my story so far."
Bernard listened quietly.
Then he nodded.
"Your parents would be proud of you."
Wein's smile grew a little brighter.
"I hope so."
The fire continued to burn quietly between them as the night deepened.
Just as Wein was about to ask something, Bernard spoke first.
"I've been a merchant for nearly thirty years," the old man said. "I have a family… but my relationship with them isn't very good."
He stared quietly at the fire for a moment before continuing.
"How should I put it… my family feels more like strangers to me the older I get."
"My wife… my children… they've all grown distant."
Bernard sighed softly.
"I know it might sound like I'm an irresponsible husband and father. But… I can't help it. My family has changed too much."
He poked the burning wood with a stick, watching the sparks rise into the night.
"I still love them, of course. It's just that these days I spend less and less time with them… and I'm sure they feel the same about me."
"They see me as someone who can't keep up with the times… someone who can't support what they believe is the greater good of the family."
Wein listened quietly.
He wasn't entirely sure what Bernard meant by not being able to keep up with the times.
And as for Bernard being an irresponsible husband and father… Wein didn't think so.
To Wein, Bernard seemed like a good person. After all, the old man hadn't even shown the slightest discomfort toward Wein's appearance—an appearance that many people compared to a devil.
Bernard suddenly glanced at Wein and lightly waved his hand.
"Anyway… enough about my problems," he said. "Let me give you a piece of advice."
"I'd like that," Wein replied.
Bernard smiled slightly.
"This is a very important piece of advice for someone newly awakened like you."
His expression turned more serious.
"Never—ever—travel alone without a partner or a comrade."
Wein frowned slightly, curiosity appearing on his face.
"And why is that?" he asked.
Bernard looked at him.
"Do you know how an awakened becomes stronger?"
Wein shook his head.
"Training?" he guessed.
Bernard chuckled and shook his head.
"No. Most awakened don't need training. The moment their Bloodline awakens, many of them already become natural killing machines."
"Of course," he added, "there are some exceptions, depending on the Bloodline."
Wein leaned forward slightly.
"Then… how do they become stronger?" he asked, curiosity clearly visible on his face.
Bernard's expression suddenly turned serious. The smile on his face disappeared.
"By killing another awakened," he said calmly.
When Wein heard those words, his heart seemed to stop for a moment.
Wein wasn't stupid. He immediately understood the problem he would face in the future.
In his mind, he could already imagine it—awakened hunters searching for others like him.
He also realized something else. Revealing his awakened powers near the city gate earlier had been a terrible mistake.
After realizing the mistake he had made, Wein composed himself and asked, "So that's why you advised me not to travel alone?"
Bernard nodded.
"Yes. It's important to have fellow awakened as allies."
"When you travel in a group, the chances of being targeted become much lower."
Bernard added, "However, it's also important to choose your group carefully. If you pick the wrong people, they might pretend to be your allies… and then stab you in the back the moment you lower your guard."
Wein tried to digest everything he had just heard.
I never expected being an awakened could be so dangerous, he thought.
"I still don't fully understand," Wein said after a moment. "How does killing another awakened make someone stronger?"
Bernard hesitated for a moment before speaking again.
"Actually… there's an easier way to explain this."
"Check your status."
Wein had opened it in public before, and no one had noticed. Because of that, he wasn't worried that Bernard might see it.
Wein nodded and opened his status interface.
Name: Wein
Status: Healthy
Bloodline:
Hunter Bloodline — Awakened
Fire Bloodline — Awakened
Spiritual Essence Quality: Primordial
Spiritual Essence Status: Maximum
"As you can see," Bernard continued, "every awakened has a Bloodline essence and a Spiritual Essence—just like you."
"However, Bloodlines and Spiritual Essence are not permanently fused with the body. When an awakened dies, the Bloodline and Spiritual Essence they possessed will search for a new host nearby."
"Once they find one, they merge with the host's existing Bloodline and Spiritual Essence, making them stronger."
"In order to evolve an awakened Bloodline to the Ascended stage, a person may need to absorb dozens—or even hundreds—of other Bloodlines."
"As for Spiritual Essence quality, it can only evolve after absorbing a higher-quality Spiritual Essence."
Wein listened carefully, doing his best to engrave this knowledge into his mind. He knew this information could be extremely important for his survival.
However, Wein was a cautious person by nature. He didn't fully believe everything Bernard said—not until he could confirm it himself.
Bernard stared at the fire for a moment.
"You're probably wondering how I know all this."
Bernard paused for a moment and then he said, "I'm also an awakened." He then then looked up at Wein and smiled faintly.
Wein looked back at Bernard. On the surface, his expression remained calm, but inside he had already become incredibly wary of the old merchant.
Never lower your guard, he reminded himself.
To Wein, Bernard seemed like a decent person. After all, the old man had treated him kindly so far.
But Wein also knew that the world was a cruel place.
You could spend decades with someone and still never truly know them.
So it was only natural for Wein to remain cautious around Bernard.
Wein then asked, "Why don't you try to kill me and absorb my Bloodline?"
It sounded rude, but Wein was genuinely curious to hear the reason—even though he had no way of knowing whether the answer would be the truth or a lie.
He then added, "And why are you telling me all of this? Are you just being kind?"
Or do you have some ulterior motive? Wein finished the question in his mind.
Bernard looked at Wein and chuckled.
"I can't blame you. From your perspective, I do look suspicious."
"If you're wary of me, you can cancel our deal. I'll give you five silver for guarding my wagon for half a day, and we can go our separate ways," Bernard said calmly.
Wein listened carefully, analyzing Bernard. With his enhanced senses, he tried his best to detect any clue about Bernard's true motive.
But he couldn't find anything.
To be exact, he simply wasn't sure.
Wein then weighed his current situation. Should he cancel the deal just to be safe and separate from Bernard?
But Wein needed the money.
Seventy silver for seven days.
After thinking for a while, Wein finally made a decision.
"I'm willing to bet you're a good person, Mister Bernard," Wein said with a convincing expression.
This decision carried a risk. But deep in his heart, he truly wanted the money. This was not the first time in his life he had taken such risks for money.
It was just that this time, the stakes were slightly higher—because he was dealing with a fellow awakened.