Ken looked at Daion in confusion, then suddenly burst out laughing. Daion froze, bewildered by the sound of his laughter. Ken stood as a few more Invoked arrived with barrels, gesturing for them to carry them to the back. Then he put a hand on Daion's shoulder, and the two walked together through the ruins.
"You're right about one thing—I'm an idiot. My cruelty knows no bounds. But I'm no hypocrite," Ken said, as if that excused anything. "I have no responsibility toward these humans. Nothing to feel guilty about. I'm only responsible for myself, right?"
Daion studied him as they walked through the ruined streets.
"Isn't that a selfish way to live?" he asked bluntly.
"Yes, it is. But think about it. This isn't our world—we were dragged into a responsibility that never belonged to us." Ken spoke with conviction. "Why drive yourself insane over problems that aren't yours?"
Daion fell silent for a few moments. He's not wrong… I was forced into this when I had nothing to do with it.
"Even so, there's a difference between not caring and using people like resources," Daion countered.
Ken smirked and motioned for him to climb onto a house. With effort, they reached the roof, where Ken pointed at the view.
From up there, Daion could see the entire village—and what Ken wanted him to see. The demi-humans were being pushed aside by the rest of the townsfolk, something he recognized all too well: the ingrained prejudice against demi-humans.
He also spotted the soldiers who had come with them. They were breaking into houses and looting what they pleased. At first, he gave it little thought—they might have been looking for useful supplies. But then he remembered Loryn had done the same.
His gaze stopped on the soldier Ken had nearly killed earlier. He was facing off against a villager—a woman crying, clutching something tightly in her arms as she begged. Daion couldn't hear what they were saying, but he saw what she held: an urn.
The soldier yanked it away, throwing her to the ground. And then the worst happened. As she screamed, he tried to silence her, tossing the urn aside before forcing himself on her. His hand clamped over her mouth as he began to rip her clothes, pawing at her body while she struggled.
Ken glanced at Daion, who leapt down without hesitation. The Invoked watched him with condescending amusement as he descended the slope.
Daion's reaction was pure instinct. By the time the soldier's hand slid over the woman's chest, Daion was already there. He kicked him hard in the side, sending the man sprawling across the dirt clutching his ribs.
Daion looked down. The woman curled into herself, trying to cover her torn clothing, sobbing. When her eyes met his, she seemed to believe he would finish what the soldier had started. She bolted upright and ran, disappearing into the shadows.
The soldier staggered to his feet just as Daion closed in. He grabbed the man by the straps of his armor, hauling him close.
"And to think I actually felt bad when they almost killed you," Daion said coldly.
The soldier flinched but held his glare, seizing Daion's wrist.
""Shut up, you don't own me—your people treat us like dogs, so I'll take what I want""
"Does that make it right? Just because others abuse you, does that mean you have to become an abuser too?" Daion shot back, fury building in his voice.
His grip tightened on the straps, the soldier's body straining against him until Daion finally shoved him away. The man stumbled back, retreating with a mix of anger and fear.
"Stop acting like you matter, you bastard! Leave us alone!" he shouted, disappearing among the rubble.
Daion pressed forward, each step heavy with the weight of what he was seeing. Reality struck harder than any Corrupted—soldiers ripping valuables straight from the villagers' hands, their indifference colder than steel. The villagers did nothing but watch, powerless, their eyes brimming with frustration and despair.
An old man collapsed, his cane rolling away, and a soldier unsheathed his blade with a chilling rasp.
"You can't do this! You're supposed to protect us!" the elder shouted, his body trembling.
The soldier smiled, cruel and composed.
"This is what happens to those who don't stay loyal to the Border Guard." He lowered the tip of his sword toward the man's throat.
Daion reacted instantly, seizing the soldier's arm before the blade could strike. With a swift pull, he slammed him to the ground. The tension around them was thick enough to choke on.
Nearby, Yair sat frozen, eyes wide, watching the soldiers plunder without restraint. Not far from him, the lazy soldier grinned while hauling away random loot, his smugness revolting.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Aleric's roar cut through the chaos as he stormed forward, fury radiating off him. There were only four soldiers, but his presence shook the air. "You have no right to take our things!"
"Yeah? Tell them that," one soldier sneered, pointing at the Invoked carrying barrels of liquor as if nothing were wrong.
Ken averted his gaze, indifferent. But Daion kept his eyes steady—cold, unyielding.
"We only take what's necessary for humanity to survive," Ken replied, as if justice and cruelty were the same thing.
"Besides," said the soldier, drawing his blade and pointing it toward the sky above Aleric, "you can't order us around."
Aleric trembled slightly, tempted to strike back—but one glance from Daion told him it was a terrible idea.
"I am the son of the noble house Aleric, I—" he began, but the soldier slashed him across the cheek. Aleric's eyes widened in shock.
"Wake up already, little noble. You have no territory, no house, no family. You're nothing now—just the same useless trash as the rest of these villagers," the soldier sneered.
Daion clenched his teeth. What could he do? If Aleric attacked, Ken would no doubt side with the soldier.
At that moment, Daion understood the harshest lesson of all. Until now, he had felt humanity's hatred toward the Invoked, but he had never seen humans themselves be just as cruel. They always focused their rage and frustration on whoever was weaker—or on those above them who had fallen low enough to strike.
He saw the villagers casting scornful looks at the demi-humans, venting the frustrations no one else would carry. Rage, greed, and fear weren't the privilege of Invoked—they were human, universal, merciless.
He remembered the enslaved Invoked, beaten and broken, simply because the villagers feared to challenge the free ones and could only lash out at the weak.
Even so, it wasn't enough to quiet the storm inside him. How could I accept Ken's cruelty when I've seen people capable of kindness? The innkeeper flashed in his memory—the one whose first reaction was to try to kill him.
He was about to speak, to shout something to break the tension, when Marui appeared from the undergrowth, eyes wide with both curiosity and horror. Ken sighed, a blend of disappointment and resignation.
The tension eased slightly. Daion glanced around, alert. Ken stepped forward.
"What did you see?" the leader asked with contempt. Marui stayed silent. "Of course. Idiot that I am—I sent a mute on a scouting mission."
He rummaged in his pockets and pulled out a notebook and pen, handing them to the mute Invoked, who began to scribble and sketch what he had seen. Daion leaned closer, making sure no one tried anything suspicious.
He studied the notes. Though written in strange characters, he recognized enough to follow the meaning. Ever since arriving, he had been able to read the script of this world with ease—and even the language sounded native on his tongue. It's not possible… it must be another effect of the glove.
According to Marui's report, the alpha creatures had retreated into a hidden stronghold deep in one of the nearby canyons. There, they were breeding—and taking the kidnapped villagers.
"Were there any signs of a rift?" Ken asked. Marui shook his head, gesturing with his hands.
"How strange," Ken muttered. "If they even twisted humans into guardians, there must be something interesting there."
"Or something deadly," Amelie corrected, sighing as she let the liquor spill onto the ground.
"Well," Ken stretched, "we'll have to investigate anyway. How far is this rift?"
Marui raised two fingers.
"Two hundred meters?" Ken asked, Marui shook his head. "Two kilometers? Seriously?"
They argued for a moment. Daion was still shaken by what had just happened, but the idea sank in quickly.
"We leave in one hour. Gather what you need—we move out," Ken declared. The soldiers exchanged uneasy glances; the Invoked had no intention of leaving loose ends. "Yes, that means you too."
Aleric ground his teeth before turning back to the sight of his disfigured fiancée. The soldiers abandoned their looting and began preparing, a few sharp glares falling on Daion. He clenched his fists.
He moved toward the demi-humans still sitting on the ground beside their wounded companion. Some villagers passed without sparing them a glance. Daion thought about asking for help, but the idea only fed his fear of what they might do instead.
A thousand thoughts tore through his mind. No real solution came. The boy would most likely die. Brut approached slowly from behind, catching Daion's eye.
"You should leave him here," Brut said, with something that almost resembled empathy. "The leg is infected. Without medicine, he'll bleed out. Doesn't matter how tight you make that tourniquet."
In part, Brut was right. The boy was growing weaker, his blood still pooling on the ground.
"There has to be a way," Daion insisted, tightening the bandage. The demi-human groaned, Aelith watching with anguish. "Can't you give him one of those spheres that taste like crap?"
"Even if we did," Brut replied harshly, "without an amputation it wouldn't—"
"But he could survive!" Aelith shouted suddenly, startling everyone. Brut let out a long, weary sigh.
"I understand what you're trying to do—save these people, make a difference," Brut began, crouching down in front of the demi-humans. "I was the same way once. But after a certain point… you realize it doesn't matter in the end."
"Why is everyone so obsessed with what I want to do?" Daion asked, clenching his fists.
"Because we've all been there. We came from hard worlds… but not from worlds doomed to destruction like this one." Daion narrowed his eyes, tired of hearing the same old speeches. "At some point, all of us had to choose between holding onto our values or surviving."
Daion sighed and rubbed his face with both hands. He thought for a moment. Is it really just two options? No, the world isn't that simple, he told himself as he stood and looked first at the demi-human, then at Aelith.
"Carry him."
She looked at him, confused.
"We can't leave him with the humans. The most reasonable thing is to take him with us. Can you do it?" She hesitated for a few seconds, staring at the boy who was still writhing in pain. "If you want him to survive, that's what you need to do." She nodded.
Daion rummaged through his things without success, then turned to Brut, who was watching him warily. Daion held his gaze and extended his hand. The invoked stared for a few seconds before pulling a sphere from his pocket and handing it over.
"You'll regret it," Brut said flatly, turning away to leave with the other invoked.
"Probably…"
Daion held the sphere to the boy, who swallowed it with difficulty. Within seconds, his body began to relax. The young man quickly grabbed what was left of the tourniquet cloth and looked at Aelith. She clenched her fists but bent down so Daion could tie the bandage around her torso.
They set the boy onto Aelith's back. She stiffened slightly, glaring up at the sky in annoyance.
Ken glanced at him with a hint of prejudice. The villagers began to gather their belongings with heavy hearts, preparing to leave. Aleric shook his head, leaving behind the body of his fiancée, and moved toward the villagers. They watched him with suspicion, but once he started walking, they followed.
Aleric reached Daion and gave him a calm look.
"You're doing the right thing," he said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Survive… and I'll buy you a drink later."
Daion smiled. He really was a good man. He felt a bit of pity for everything he had endured. He gave him a pat on the back.
"You nobles better have good liquor," he replied. Aleric nodded before casting a wary look at the soldiers and the invoked.
Then he continued on, instinctively followed by the villagers. Children glanced back, not understanding what was happening, while the adults looked on with sorrow at their ruined homes.
Aelith bit her lip, a thin trickle of blood running down her jaw. Daion ruffled his hair before rejoining the soldiers and invoked, unaware that the demi-humans had chosen him as their guide too, falling in step behind him.
Yair watched him for a few moments before lowering his gaze and walking on.
"If he slows us down…" Ken began, but Daion raised his hand.
"Let me guess—you'll abandon him or kill him. I'm sick of hearing the same crap over and over. Just let me do what I want," he snapped.
Ken nodded and turned away.
The group followed Marui, heading deeper down the path. Daion looked at the wounded boy. He knew he'd made the right choice… but why didn't it feel like it?
He was certain everything would change within hours. What the god had said, these creatures, the rift… everything was about to transform.
End of Chapter.