Lidien woke up, still having a headache from his previous experiment.
He crawled out of the bed and noticed that the caravan had stopped when he couldn't hear the squeaking sound of the wheel moving.
Going out of the carriage, Lidien saw numerous tents and used campfires still letting out smoke without a flame.
He looked up and stared at the cotton-like clouds, freely floating in a bright blue sky.
As he felt the heat of the sun touch his face, he smiled.
'I didn't know there would be a peaceful day since I woke up in this body...'
The past Lidien's joyful memories were buried in his pain and struggles, including the present Lidien's former life in the slum, which made him forget how it felt to live without worries.
Yet, if Lidien wanted to live... he couldn't afford to relax... as long as his body, and everything in it, wasn't solely his... He wouldn't dare say he was truly living.
Peace was a luxury Lidien couldn't afford as the memory of the Seraph's gaze haunted him.
Sighing, he called one of the soldiers to bring him food and tell Mad Dog that he needed another batch of beasts, either dead or alive, before going back inside the carriage.
After having his meal, Lidien checked the beasts Mad Dog brought... some were dead, others had lost their limbs but were still breathing, and only two were completely alive.
"Mad Dog... I clearly told you to bring me beasts... why did you bring these two people here? Were my commands not clear?"
Lidien stared at Mad Dog, who stared back at him. But when Lidien smiled, he looked away and knelt.
"They're beastfolk, my Prince... and are considered beasts, as you ordered..."
Lidien's eyes slightly squinted; even the old Lidien's fragmented memories showed no knowledge regarding this race.
Lidien then giggled and lifted the face of Mad Dog before tapping his cheek.
"Who are you to correct me? Tsk... If not for you being useful, I'd gladly tear your neck and let your blood be drunk by those two Beastfolk you brought me..."
Lidien stood and stared at the two; if not for their wolf-like ears, he would have believed they were regular people.
"Mad Dog, go do your thing... just leave me one soldier who is proficient in butchering meat."
Lidien stared daggers at him, making Mad Dog break out in a cold sweat.
"This is the last and final warning that I will give you... Never, ever... talk back to me... I'm a Prince, and you are not."
Mad Dog could only bow and grip his hands tightly.
"Yes... My Pri--"
Mad Dog's blood trickled down his face when a small wound cut through his skin.
"You really live up to your name... Are you mad at me?"
Lidien licked his claws, still wet with Mad Dog's blood, making the people present flinch uncontrollably.
As Mad Dog's hands relaxed, he bowed deeper, making Lidien smile to his ears.
"No... my Prince, if you would excuse me..."
Mad Dog walked away slowly but never relaxed, alert for any strike Lidien might make at his back.
But Lidien just smiled and stared eye to eye with the Beastfolk while grinning like a maniac.
"So, shall we start?"
A soft and wet sound was the only thing that could be heard as the butcher carefully dissected the dead beasts.
Lidien watched the act while activating his Incite of Blood, carefully analyzing every move that the butcher made, while asking for the reason behind actions that Lidien couldn't understand.
The butcher stiffened at first but slowly relaxed when he noticed that Lidien was willing to learn about butchering, while maintaining a respectful attitude toward him.
As the Echoes of the Flesh continued to feed Lidien's mind with information, he could feel his Sparkline heating up.
'Damn this ability... I need to find a way to activate this ability on my own... or find something that could eliminate this weakness.'
As he watches the butcher work, Lidien realized that he couldn't let his Echoes of the Flesh activate every time he ripped someone's limbs, feeding him information that was insignificant. This would only distract him from the fight and drain his seemingly unending verve, making his Sparkline overused again.
'I didn't expect it would continuously be activated after I saw Kanaz's face.'
As Lidien realized his existence was different from the norm, the knowledge existing in the fragmented memories may conflict with his new and unprecedented power.
'In the end, everything needs Trial and Error...'
Now, the only way he could understand and correlate his power to a Corrupted Blessed was to immediately learn the Relic's hidden prayer... and revive Lily with it.
Though unsure if he could unlock the knowledge using the Echoes of the Flesh, Lidien didn't have much of a choice but to trust his instinct.
Since the remaining time till he could go back home was two to three days worth of travel, everything needed to be planned, and hopefully, Mother wasn't someone who is unreasonable.
As the muffled sound broke the focus of Lidien, he stared at the two beastfolk, squinting his eyes.
"Quiet... or do you want me to conduct my experiment on the both of you?"
The two beastfolk could only bow down and silently cry, hoping that Lidien wouldn't butcher them for the sake of his experimentation.
Lidien took the knife, mimicking the butcher's moves... skinning, cutting tendons, removing organs... but with each slice, his frustration grew as the Echoes of the Flesh offered nothing new.
'This experiment is not going anywhere!'
Lidien held and stared at the heart of the beast, as his curiosity piqued.
He bit it, chewing it thoroughly, as its blood cascaded from his mouth.
Monster, the only word that the beastfolk and the butcher could think when they watched him eat a heart, cold and raw.
Lidien wiped his mouth with his backhand, but it only spread the blood further. Smiling, he stared at the beastfolk still trembling from his act.
"So it was like that..."