[You have touched a taboo—Darkness Altar]
Kaiser's eyes shrunk as he felt something cold and unsettling coil around his feet. When he looked down, he could no longer see his lower body as it was being consumed by flames of darkness.
His body was immobilized, preventing any means of escape. He frowned, feeling as he lost the sensation of his lower body.
'Good grief… what in the Nirad is happening?'
He could only watch as his body was slowly consumed by darkness, until it swallowed him whole.
*Gasp*
As soon as the darkness swallowed all of him, he gasped and fell to his knees, feeling a bone-chilling cold assault him.
[You have been consumed by Darkness]
[You have received the Primordial Darkness's acknowledgement]
Kaiser remained on his knees, brows furrowed.
'Consumed by darkness? Primordial Darkness?'
He had never heard of those terms before, despite the clan's vast knowledge of the Nirad Realm.
He rose to his feet, then reassessed himself. Although it seemed like nothing had changed, he felt like his shadow was darker.
'Perhaps it's just my imagination…'
Giving the altar a guarded look, he stepped back and examined the cave. It was utterly plain, except for the strange darkness that lingered. Shaking off his unease, he walked around until he found an exit.
The sky outside was bright, illuminated by a crescent sun. Lowering his eyes, he scanned his surroundings. Towering black trees rose from the earth, densely populating the forest. A smoky scent lingered in the air, as if to tell that the blackness of the trees wasn't normal.
"Burnt?"
Kaiser crouched, packing a handful of ash. His blue eyes shifted, scanning the forest with an observative gaze. Soon, he spotted a camp in the distance. It seemed to have been set up by a few people.
Curious but cautious, he approached the camp.
The sun had just risen, and so were the adventurers in the tent. The five of them were gathered around a small campfire, waiting for the skewered meat to be grilled.
When they noticed Kaiser, a hint of surprise flashed through their eyes.
"A young adventurer?"
One of them, a young lady with black hair tied in a ponytail said. She had a soft countenance, like that of a precious older sister, making Kaiser squint. Unlike him, they were much older, over twenty years of age. All eyes turned to him as he approached.
Sensing no malice from him, the young lady with black hair stood up and smiled at him.
"You're alone, right? Want to join our party?"
Kaiser didn't see a reason to lie and nodded. Surprisingly, they weren't suspicious of his appearance and even accepted him. After some introductions, Kaiser learned their names and profession.
The black-haired lady was Kara, a swordsmaster. Her companions were Elias; an archer, Lugh; a spear user, Sera; a mage, and Miel; a tank.
"So, what are you doing here, Kaiser?"
Kara asked curiously, her golden eyes fixed on him.
"Nothing in particular. It's not like I remember much…"
Kaiser shrugged, polishing his dagger with a sturdy stone. There was no need to inform them that they weren't real and he was from Earth.
"Eh? You don't remember?"
Opposite him, Sera perked her ears, interested. Kaiser nodded, his expression neutral like he didn't care. The group exchanged glances, then Elias spoke.
"Kara, you sure about taking this guy in? We can't trust anyone."
His body was tense as he spoke, yet, Kaiser never glanced in his direction.
Kara's eyes widened in anger, and she instantly glared at him.
"You can't say such harsh words, Elias! He's young, probably a victim of the Colonial War."
Elias's gaze softened, and he shrunk back. Indeed, that was a bit impulsive of him, suspecting someone younger and weaker than him.
Kara huffed, then turned to the blue-haired boy who was still sharpening his dagger.
"Do you know where we are?"
"No idea."
"Uh…" Kara was speechless, then sighed. "It seems you're really traumatized that your brain sealed all your past memories."
She settled beside him, then began to explain a few things. According to her, they were on the Rogue Continent, a safe haven for survivors and people who escaped from their respective nations. Well, it wasn't that much of a safe haven since it was incredibly dangerous, especially this particular Black Forest. She immediately informed him that while the Black Forest was dangerous, the outer edges where they camped was a lot safer.
'So this is another world, unexplored. Interesting…'
Kaiser's eyes glinted, then he asked.
"What is the name of this world?"
While Kara was stunned speechless by his question, Sera took the opportunity to answer. After the introduction, she had come to like Kaiser's voice and was happy to see him speak.
"Our world? It's called Kaeon. Although we aren't that strong compared to others in the galaxy, we aren't too weak either."
"Is that so…?"
Kaiser nodded, his expression still neutral. Inwardly though, he was a bit amazed by the new information.
'So they could relate with each other…?'
According to his understanding of the Nirad Realm, it was a jumbled mess of several lost civilizations or worlds that had existed eons ago. Although this proved that several civilizations and different worlds existed, it didn't prove that those worlds could connect each other.
However, Sera's words now confirmed this speculation.
"Alright guys, the food is ready."
Miel, the group's reliable cook said, produced six plates, then shared the meat for each one of them. Of course, he also gave Kaiser a plate. The group ate in silence, until their respective plates were empty.
"Okay, Kaiser. We're about to head out to hunt. Wanna join us?"
Kara smiled, then summoned her armor and weapon. The others were all ready, each with their own respective equipments.
Kaiser nodded, then stood up. He was still clothed in the Asura Vest, so there was no need for additional preparation.
Together, the group moved through the forest with cautious steps. From their essence signatures alone, Kaiser could tell that they were Awakened, though their ranks remained vague.
This made him curious about their prowess as he wanted to compare them with those in his clan.
As if summoned, a creature reminiscent of a large tiger appeared before them, its eyes filled with hostility. Kaiser's lips curled subtly.
'Perfect timing.'