Kayen wiped the sweat dripping from his forehead, trying to calm his increasingly chaotic thoughts caused by dizziness and nausea. He knew his body was nearing its limit, but his determination still burned brightly. He couldn't stop now, not when his goal was still unmet.
With great effort, Kayen rose from the ground, looking again at the map in his left hand, focusing on finding the next water source to poison.
'At least one more.'
Despite the nausea and dizziness enveloping his body, Kayen took slow steps toward the next water source. He took every chance to rest briefly if needed but did not allow himself to stop for too long, fearing wasting too much time.
After walking for quite a while, Kayen found another medium-sized body of water. Without hesitation, he summoned his sword and dipped it into the water.
The same thing happened: black liquid flowed from the blade and soon mixed with the water. This time, no creatures were drinking from the water, so there was nothing to observe.
Kayen felt increasing dizziness and nausea, although not as intense as before. He quickly dropped his sword and lay down on the ground to sleep. It felt as if a battlefield was relentlessly raging inside his head.
Kayen closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm raging in his mind. The spinning dizziness and stabbing nausea weakened his body.
"I need to rest."
With closed eyes, he let himself lie on the ground, feeling the coolness of the leaves and soil as a temporary balm for his suffering. Kayen's thoughts were disturbed by waves of pain tearing through his head and stomach, but he tried to focus on one thing: rising again and completing his mission.
Time seemed to move slowly, but after a while, his body began to feel lighter. The dizziness and nausea slowly subsided, giving Kayen some breathing room.
Feeling his condition was improving, Kayen then stood up. He still felt a little dizzy and nauseous but it was tolerable.
Kayen then walked toward the next destination. Whatever pushed him to force himself like this was unclear.
Even though he had been in very bad condition before, he still forced himself; he was like someone whose life was at stake.
Kayen walked slowly. As he stepped toward the next body of water, he couldn't ignore the thoughts that haunted him. Was all this suffering worth it? Would he really become the person he dreamed of? Those questions haunted him, but the answers could only be found by moving forward.
'One more.'
Kayen kept repeating the phrase to himself like a mantra to strengthen his spirit. Despite his body rejecting and his mind filled with doubt, his determination remained firm. He knew that if he could get through this one more time, he would be closer to the dreams he had been pursuing all along.
Kayen's dream was simple: to live freely and do whatever he wanted.
A simple yet difficult dream to achieve—free from debt, responsibilities, laws, and everything else. Kayen wanted to live like that; he wanted to be the rule himself.
That dream had been deeply rooted in his heart since the death of both his parents, who left him with a massive debt that caused his five-year-old little sister to be taken away from him.
Kayen had once sued the debt collectors who were extorting him, only to discover that the court jury was friends with one of the collectors, which ultimately caused him to lose.
Remembering all that made Kayen's spirit burn even stronger. He was fighting not only for power but also for the freedom that had been forcibly taken from him.
Upon reaching the next water source, he wasted no time. His sword was carefully dipped again. The black liquid flowed out, merging with the water, instantly turning clean and safe water into a pool of poison.
Although Kayen still experienced side effects from using the parasite sword, his burning spirit kept him from resting; he immediately went to the next destination.
Kayen ignored the pain in his body and mind, refusing to give up despite being tormented by nausea and dizziness. With faltering steps, he continued his journey toward the next water source, his determination burning stronger than the fatigue that gnawed at him.
Upon arrival at the location, a tranquil small lake, Kayen quickly drew his sword again. With hands beginning to tremble, he dipped the parasite blade into the water, releasing the hidden black liquid. The clear water turned poisonous, slowly spreading across the lake's surface.
Although the dizziness and nausea from the side effects now were less severe than before, Kayen felt this was stronger than before.
Still, Kayen refused to stop. He knew this was not just about power, but also the freedom he had long fought for. The heaviness in his head could not extinguish the burning spirit inside his heart.