For the record, Kalin wasn't the one who killed the witch. The one responsible was Geron Cyrion's most trusted ally. Despite that, Kalin still received the rewards from the system.
It seemed that since the quest was simply about killing the witch, it didn't really matter who delivered the final blow. As long as the witch died, the quest was considered complete.
At that moment, Kalin realized something important. He needed a strong ally for future quests.
He clearly understood that he wasn't strong enough to survive on his own, especially when facing powerful monsters. On top of that, he was well aware that many dangers were waiting in the near future. He could not afford to repeat the same mistake again.
Yes, he had discovered that someone had been protecting him all this time. However, that kind of protection wouldn't apply in every situation. If something like this happened again, it might cost him his life.
Kalin had somehow recovered from the injuries he received from the witch, but not to the point where he could fight back if a wild monster suddenly attacked him.
There were two reasons why he went into the forest.
The first was to locate the witch. However, that objective had already been completed by the unknown man. The second reason was to obtain the Soul Earring.
After everything that happened, Kalin decided to set aside getting the Soul Earring for the time being.
He then decided to leave the cave. But before doing so, he gathered all the treasure inside and collected every book related to magic that he could find.
Even so, he couldn't take everything with him.
"I can come back here anytime."
That was true. Since he knew the exact location of the cave, he could return whenever he wanted.
Kalin glanced at the undead wolf lying on the ground. At first, he had planned to bring it back to the village, but the body was already rotten, as if it had been dead for several days.
It seemed that once the undead were killed, the decomposition of their bodies became much faster than normal.
Soon, he stepped out of the cave and discovered several dead monsters scattered around the area. It appeared that while he was inside the cave, the man who saved him had also eliminated the monsters that were approaching.
Kalin felt truly grateful. With his current strength, it would have been impossible for him to defeat even one of those monsters.
He glanced around his surroundings, trying to find any trace of the man, but there was nothing.
In the end, he didn't waste too much time in the area. The scent of blood spreading through the air could easily attract more monsters.
Kalin limped as he slowly made his way back to the village.
-
Kalin took longer than he expected.
Why?
During his journey back to the village, monsters were roaming the area. Because of that, he had to hide and wait for them to leave before he could continue moving. On top of that, he had to rest several times as the pain from his injuries kept bothering him.
If his estimation was correct, the journey took him about three hours.
It was already night.
Everyone in the village was worried about Kalin. In their minds, going into the forest at night was too dangerous. Monsters were far more aggressive after dark, and the villagers would be at a huge disadvantage.
Unlike monsters with sharp eyes and keen senses, humans could easily be spotted in the darkness.
Simon and Herin stood in front of the village gate, waiting for the young man to return safely.
Herin's face had turned pale. Her hands were sweaty, and her body kept making small, restless movements. If it were up to her, she would have already rushed into the forest to find him.
"Just trust the young master, Lady Herin. He will come back to us," Simon said awkwardly.
Even he wasn't fully convinced by his own words.
Herin didn't respond. She simply stared into the distance with worry in her eyes, hoping Kalin would appear.
Please come back safe, young master.
Many thoughts were circling in her mind. She knew better than anyone how clumsy and weak Kalin could be. She couldn't understand what he had been thinking when he decided to go into the forest to gather supplies. It was not something he had ever done before.
Thirty minutes passed.
The moon and the stars slowly lit up the surroundings, giving them just enough visibility.
Herin kept tapping her foot against the ground, growing more anxious with every passing second. In her mind, she had already made a decision.
If another thirty minutes passed, she would go into the forest no matter what.
"Wait..."
Simon suddenly spoke.
He noticed a human figure slowly approaching the village from the distance, but he couldn't clearly tell who it was. The figure was limping forward, moving stiffly like a zombie.
"That's the young master!" Herin shouted, her voice filled with certainty.
She immediately tried to rush forward, but Simon quickly stopped her.
"What are you doing, Simon? The young master is there. We should help him," Herin said urgently.
Simon shook his head.
"We have to wait, Lady Herin. What if that's an undead? You could put the whole village in danger."
He paused before continuing.
"I understand how you feel. Even the villagers are worried about Sir Kalin. But please... we need to be careful."
After hearing his words, Herin forced herself to calm down.
Simon was right. Even though Kalin was important, she couldn't risk the lives of the villagers if that figure turned out to be an undead trying to lure them into a trap.
She took a deep breath.
"I am sorry."
She stepped back and stayed in her place.
"Thank you for understanding, Lady Herin," Simon replied.
For several minutes, Herin kept watching the approaching figure.
Then the moonlight finally became bright enough to reveal the man's face.
Without hesitation, Herin rushed forward.
Simon didn't stop her this time. From the distance, he could now clearly see Kalin as well.
He let out a long breath of relief.
"She must have been really worried."
Bam!
Kalin fell to the ground as soon as he saw Herin rushing toward him. He didn't lose consciousness. His body had simply weakened after realizing that he had actually survived the whole ordeal.
"Young master!" Herin shouted as she hurried over and crouched in front of him. "Are you okay, young master?"
Blood had soaked through his clothes, and she quickly noticed the injuries covering his body.
"Yeah, I'm good. Just help me back to the village," Kalin replied in a weak voice.
Herin helped Kalin back onto his feet, and Simon soon arrived to assist them as well. He knew they couldn't remain outside the village for too long. Monsters or undead might attack at any moment.
Kalin, however, wasn't thinking about that.
The three of them managed to reach the village and brought him back to his room. A woman from the village who knew how to treat wounds with herbs came to help him, while the male villagers began guarding the village.
No one dared to ask Kalin what had happened in the forest because of his condition.
A woman in her mid-forties stood up after finishing cleaning Kalin's wounds.
"This is the best I can do, Lady Herin," she said before quietly leaving the room.
Herin bowed deeply to show her gratitude.
After that, she looked at the young man, who had already fallen asleep.
Based on her observation, Kalin had clearly faced something far beyond an ordinary encounter. The wounds on his body proved it. The items he had brought back with him only confirmed her suspicion. Even at a glance, she could tell those things were valuable.
"What exactly did you do, young master?" she murmured softly.
The next day, Kalin woke up in his room.
His body was still aching, and even standing up was a difficult task. On top of that, Herin kept glaring at him whenever he tried to leave the room and check on the village.
Kalin understood why she was angry. It was only natural after he had put himself in such a dangerous situation.
So for the entire day, he stayed in his room and focused on recovering.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
"May I come in, Sir Kalin?" an old man's voice sounded from behind the door.
"Come in."
It was Fan.
He had come to visit Kalin after hearing that he had regained consciousness. Kalin knew that Fan hadn't come only to check on him. He also wanted to know the real reason behind Kalin's trip to the forest.
Kalin decided not to hide anything. He explained everything in detail, including what had happened and what it meant for the village.
To be precise, he told Fan that since the witch had already been eliminated, the village no longer had to worry about the undead attacking them.
Although monsters could still pose a threat.
Fan didn't know what he should feel.
On one hand, he felt relieved knowing they no longer had to face the undead. On the other hand, guilt weighed heavily on his conscience. Kalin had been severely injured and nearly lost his life just to protect them.
"I don't know how we can ever repay you for this," Fan said as tears formed in the corners of his eyes.
Kalin simply smiled.
"You may leave for now. Let's talk later."
Fan nodded and quietly left the room.
Now Kalin was alone.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
He had been itching to try the new skill he had obtained.
"Now... let's try using Creation Magic."