Hours later, the caravan was finally nearing the settlement with no dangers so far.
However, the other captives were already visibly exhausted and hungry; even Oliver was starting to hear his stomach grumble, and his legs were getting wobbly and weak.
His eyes had grown weaker, especially with all the damage he had taken so far left unattended, making him seem like a corpse already.
They had been walking for hours without food and water; it was only natural they became this weak.
Despite having evolved their Blessings, none of them were far from human and were still limited to such capacity, unlike others who had ranked up, in short, fully completed their awakening.
Oliver was starting to slow down, his eyes growing dull and his body becoming sluggish.
He slowly looked at the two slavers ahead with a grimace.
They did not seem to have been affected by the fatigue at all, which explained why they did not care to let the others rest.
'Fucking bastards… Why do I have to become Oliver of this damned world? At this rate… wait… they should have food with them, right? Teresa and Kaden were the first to discover the Flesh Fruit trees, but that was after they got into the settlement. The Settlement always knew about the trees, and so did everyone who had successfully escaped the Garden of Death… Oh. I see what's going on here. Smart.'
The young man was quick to assess the situation, and he was very much aware that the lack of rest and food was not a matter of negligence, but a deliberate choice that aligned well with what he already knew about the methods of the Settlement.
There was no doubt they had provisions with them, whether Flesh Fruits or water, and even if they had not carried enough from the beginning, they would not have moved with such certainty without knowing where to obtain them along the way, yet none of it was being used, not to feed themselves and certainly not for the captives.
The remaining distance was still several hours at the very least, five or six if judged properly, and no one, regardless of rank, especially considering the fact that the two slavers were at most Rookies, could maintain such a pace without eventually feeling the strain.
Not even the Demonic Jaguar that continued forward without pause, which made it clear that efficiency was not their priority, nor was the survival of every captive.
What mattered was the condition in which they arrived, as those who endured the journey in such a state would no longer think in terms of resistance or escape, but in terms of relief, their bodies pushed to the point where even the smallest act of care would feel significant.
Hunger, thirst, and exhaustion would strip away any remaining defiance, and by the time they reached the Settlement, those who remained would accept whatever was given without question, as individuals who had been spared from something worse.
Food, water, and shelter would not be perceived as necessities that had been withheld, and that distinction alone was enough to shape perception, especially when the sources of those necessities were deliberately concealed.
It was a calculated method, one that ensured dependence without the need for constant force, as those who recovered under such conditions would naturally come to rely on the Settlement for survival, willingly offering their labor in exchange for continued access to what they believed could not be obtained elsewhere.
The Flesh Fruit trees were part of that concealment, known to the Settlement and to those who had escaped the Garden of Death, but hidden from those within, ensuring that no one would question the arrangement unless they uncovered the truth themselves.
Teresa and Kaden had done exactly that, and that single discovery had been enough to turn them against the place that had taken them in, marking the beginning of an enmity that had never been resolved within the story.
He let out a low chuckle under his breath.
'Wow. I really wish I could give them an applause. This is genuinely strategic. The Settlement be damned.'
While Oliver was lost in his thoughts, one of the captives glanced back at him with a feral look, as if ready to devour him.
"Hey, do you mind not slowing us down? Everyone here is dying from one thing or another. If you can't move anymore, then save us the effort and just die. Huh," he said with spite.
Oliver groaned and looked down at the person addressing him.
He was about 4'11 tall, while Oliver stood at 5'11, making him visibly taller.
"Care to kill me, then? I would be happy to die at the hands of a miniature human."
A surge of rage erupted within the absurdly short man, who seemed to have taken the insult far too deeply to heart.
"You good-for-nothing privileged boy, I should kill you. And I will. You will die by my hands!"
Oliver ignored his incessant outburst, and so did the others. Even the slavers made no move to intervene.
The short man halted and attempted to turn around to attack Oliver after being ignored by practically everyone; however, an iron baton struck the back of his head, crushing it and sending blood splattering across Oliver's clothes and the captive ahead of him.
Oliver's eyes widened in shock.
'...What the fuck?'
As the lifeless body of the short captive collapsed onto the ground, he saw the cloaked woman standing at the rear with a smile on her face, the bloodied baton resting on her shoulder.
Flatly, she said:
"Nuisances are to be eliminated. I suppose you understand that, right, everyone? That should make the walk easier."
Fear spread instantly through the remaining captives.
They all stared at the lifeless body with trembling expressions. The woman at the front dropped to the ground, tears slowly trailing down her face, terrified she might soon meet the same fate.
Oliver scoffed.
'That was ruthless…'
***
After slaying a total of four String Puppets, Teresa found herself in a rather precarious situation.
The darkness in the sky had completely taken dominance over the light, making it weaker and rendering further movement a risky venture without any clear destination at the moment.
Not to mention, she was extremely hungry.
A small, four-winged beast with dark fur rested on her shoulder while she stayed near a tree, observing as multiple String Puppets began to wander around the area in front of her, leaving her with no choice but to remain hidden.
The most prevalent Puppets in the Outer Ring were the String Puppets, and now she seemed to be in their den.
In fact, she was unable to count their numbers.
Teresa sighed and glanced at the beast on her shoulder.
"So what do I do with you, my cute Effie? Well, once we get to safety, I'm going to evolve you into your Initial Form, and strangely, I also have to find the green-haired boy of House Rothyl."
She gripped her sword even tighter after being reminded of him.
There was a strange feeling in her mind that seemed to connect her to him, something she could not quite explain, but she knew it was not love.
That much was certain, yet she still wanted to meet him, get closer, and figure out everything about him.
Teresa believed the both of them had something to do together, and ever since she saw him, he had remained in her thoughts.
At first, she had thought it was love at first sight, but as time passed, the young girl came to understand her feelings more clearly.
It was not that.
She held her chest tightly.
'Just who are you? I'm going to find you, and—'
Her train of thought came to a halt.
Glancing upwards, she saw a flicker of light, like fire in the distance, dancing around and illuminating a certain spot.
There, she saw a gigantic hand, and the fire was far brighter than any she had ever seen, perched right atop that open palm.
Teresa was instantly perplexed.
'Huh? Who would start a fire in such an open spot? That's bound to attract the Puppets in the area…'
Just as she had expected, the String Puppets' attention was drawn to the fire, and soon they all began to rush toward it in dozens.
Surely, whoever was there was about to meet a certain death.
However, seconds later, the fire began to die down slowly, not in a way that suggested someone was trying to extinguish it, but as if it was losing its power to remain lit…
'Could it be him…? But he didn't seem foolish at all. I… okay, then.'
***
If you're enjoying the story so far, please support with power stones and golden tickets for more chapters. Add it to your library, too!