Someone in the crowd finally couldn't hold back anymore, his voice slightly trembling but curiosity overcoming fear, "Sir Roderic… what are you planning to do?" he asked, his eyes fixed on the most loyal man of their leader, while the others silently waited for the answer as well
Roderic remained silent for a few seconds, his gaze heavy as if weighing the words he was about to say, then he took a deep breath and spoke directly
"We're going to raid the Cannibal Tribe," he said, his voice flat and resolute, without the slightest hesitation, "they destroyed our resources… in return, we'll take theirs,"
His words dropped over the camp like a stone
For a moment, absolute silence followed
Then uneasy murmurs began to rise from the crowd.
"Sir…" said the same man again, his voice more tense now, "but we're only thirty-three people," he swallowed, "and they… even if they're a small tribe, they're at least four hundred,"
Kaelthar stood at the back of the crowd, his eyes narrowing slightly as he made a quick calculation in his mind, a faint curve formed on his lips as he muttered quietly, almost to himself,
"Actually… thirty,"
The man next to him frowned, "What?" he asked, looking at him
Kaelthar shrugged slightly, his expression innocent, "Nothing," he said calmly, "I must've miscounted,"
But deep within his eyes, there was a hint of amusement.
Because the reason those three were missing… was something only he knew.
Roderic listened to the complaints patiently, his face carrying a tired yet resolute expression, a few more people seemed ready to speak but he raised his hand and silenced them, then took a deep breath and spoke in a heavier tone
"I understand your complaints," he said, his voice firm yet honest, "I know what all of you are thinking… but the truth is, it's impossible to gather that much resources in such a short time," his gaze moved across the crowd, making eye contact with each of them
"And the Cannibals…" he continued, his tone hardening slightly, "they are located in the Rotten Canyon, north of the Tainted Land we are currently in," he paused briefly, "they are the closest… and the weakest group,"
Some in the crowd frowned, but no one interrupted him
"The other groups?" Roderic shook his head, "they're not groups anymore… they're small cities," he said bluntly, "attacking them would be suicide,"
He stepped forward, his voice lowering but carrying a more dangerous certainty
"And let me make this clear," he said, "my goal is not to fight,"
This caused slight surprise among the crowd
"We'll sneak in and take the supplies," he continued, "quiet, fast and clean," his eyes sharpened, "that's why I'm not planning to bring a large force,"
He paused for a moment, then spoke directly
"Six people with me will be enough,"
Silence fell once again
This time not from fear… but calculation
Who would go?
Who would die?
Kaelthar stood silently within the crowd, his eyes gleaming faintly, a thin smile forming on his lips.
"Six people…" he murmured inwardly
This… was an opportunity
Kaelthar stood silently among the crowd, his mind working rapidly, this wasn't just about survival, it was about making a name in this land, becoming something feared and recognized… the earlier he started, the greater the impact would be, and the Blacklight flowing within him kept reminding him of one truth, if he wanted to grow stronger, he had to consume, as much as possible, as quickly as possible, because in this world, the fate of the weak was already decided
Roderic scanned the crowd, there was clear expectation in his eyes but also hidden disappointment, he was waiting for someone to step forward, a volunteer… but no one moved, people looked at each other, avoided eye contact, because everyone knew the truth, this mission smelled like death, most people here only had the courage to bully those weaker than themselves
At that moment, Kaelthar raised his hand.
The movement was calm, yet firm
The crowd instantly turned toward him
His new appearance stood out, his sharp features, unnaturally balanced looks and calm posture set him apart from the others, some frowned, others looked at him with slight disdain, they were sure someone like him hadn't been here before, in fact, most were seeing him for the first time
Roderic's gaze sharpened, instantly becoming cautious, his hand slowly moved toward his weapon
"Who are you, boy," he said in a low but threatening tone, "I'm quite sure someone like you isn't part of this tribe,"
Kaelthar stepped forward, his eyes locking onto Roderic without hesitation, his lips parted slightly as he spoke in a calm voice
"The wolf is hungry… the wolf wants to play,"
The words echoed in the air
The atmosphere shifted instantly
This wasn't an ordinary phrase, it was a sworn code known only to true members of the Wolf Ambushers, sealed with dark magic, in these lands no one trusted anyone, so such phrases were protected with curses to prevent betrayal, an outsider couldn't possibly know it, and if they somehow learned it… they would lose their mind
But Kaelthar was different
The memories of the three Tarnished he had consumed gave him this knowledge, everything they knew was now his, but the curse… did not affect him, because this knowledge wasn't "learned," it was "consumed"
Roderic stared at him for a few seconds, the suspicion in his eyes slowly faded, replaced by a firm acceptance, his hand moved away from his weapon.
"I see…" he said quietly
Then he turned to the crowd, a hint of disdain appearing on his face
"Be ashamed," he said, his voice now louder and harsher, "you don't even have the courage of a young boy,"
Kaelthar stood silently
But in his eyes… the hunt had already begun.
Even someone like me, a clean-faced young man, stepping forward as a volunteer made an impact, and after hearing Roderic's harsh words, a few others finally gathered their courage, one stepped forward, then another… and eventually, though hesitantly, six people were formed, no one was truly willing, but no one wanted to appear completely cowardly either, especially after being humiliated in front of everyone
Roderic scanned the group briefly, evaluating each of them, then gave a slight nod, "Enough," he said shortly, then turned and gave orders to a few others, "Prepare a wagon for transporting supplies, keep it quiet, I don't want unnecessary weight,"
The orders were quickly carried out, a small wave of movement spread through the camp, people rushed around, equipment was prepared, ropes, sacks and weapons were checked, meanwhile Roderic turned back to Kaelthar and the others.
"We move in a few hours," he said firmly, "be ready… you won't get a second chance,"
In a normal world, for a raid like this, you would wait for night
But this wasn't a normal world
In the Tainted Land, there was neither true day nor night, the sky was constantly covered in gray fog, the sun never appeared, light never fully emerged, even time itself seemed meaningless here, only a dirty, suffocating and unchanging atmosphere remained
Kaelthar stood silently, his eyes drifting toward the dim, clouded sky, a strange smile forming on his lips
Just a day ago…
He was nothing more than an ordinary university student.
And now…
He was impatient to butcher and consume people
He paused for a moment
Then muttered inwardly,
"This is definitely that damn virus' fault,"
Yet the faint smile on his face did not disappear.