LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 11: Altera became a companion!
If I had to pick two things I liked about this cursed power of blood, one would be that wounds heal very quickly.
Even though my skin was torn off and my skeleton was twisted, not a single scratch remained on my body. However, that doesn’t mean there was no pain.
When the skin is torn off, it feels like burning, and when the skeleton is twisted, the pain is enough to make you lose your mind. And above all, the sensation of the horns twisting is indescribable.
The other one? Power. The driving force that allowed me, as a child, to survive in the wild. The power to manipulate the earth was first manifested at the age of 15, on that day I want to forget, so I didn’t like it regardless of its usefulness.
Do you know the dissonance, the unpleasant freshness, of a body that is completely fine even though the mind is exhausted? I’ve seen people who know the opposite, but no one would know this.
It’s like wanting to sleep but not being able to. At least in my knowledge, this was similar to that unpleasant freshness. In fact, this body didn’t need to sleep often.
Once, I decided to see how long I could last without sleep, and I lasted a full week. I really thought I had become a god back then.
Staggering, I barely made it back to my dwelling, constantly thinking of random things to avoid thinking about ‘it’.
As soon as I returned, I threw off my cloak and collapsed onto the pile of leather I used as a bed in the corner. Something smaller than a grain of millet moved and tickled my skin, but I didn’t care.
At least when I regained enough composure to consider the current situation, I looked around the inside of the cave.
Some properly hung meat, stones piled up because I didn’t return them to the earth when I needed them, and some shiny things and clothes. That was all that was inside this cave.
I tried to estimate how long it took to build up to this point. Roughly… yes. I’ve been building this up all my life in the wild.
I dug out a scratch on the wall with my hands, and as soon as it was big enough to barely lay this body down, I fell asleep exhausted, the memory vividly coming back.
Conversely, if there had been even one person to help me, I wouldn’t have lived like a wild child. I wouldn’t have to sleep on a pile of leather crawling with lice, nor eat meat that I couldn’t tell if it was spoiled or just tasteless.
The words I spoke to Myungho when I first came to my senses were impulsive, but the more I thought about it, the more reasons to leave piled up.
Above all, the fact that I wouldn’t have to be harassed by humans trying to hunt me like today was a very tempting offer. To me, it sounded like I wouldn’t have to be dominated by the cursed blood.
Every time the Subjugation team came, I eventually lost my mind and was consumed by instinct. I’m used to it now, but what I did when I was first consumed by blood still remains vivid in my memory.
The blood covering my whole body, the fragmentary memories, someone’s head in my hand.
…Even now, when I think about it, I get chills all over my body.
I jumped up and grabbed a sack. And I filled it with useful things.
Things to be settled in the lower village were put into a separate sack for settlement. I settled once recently, but selling the collectibles would still make some decent money.
So, step by step, I prepared to leave this cave completely. I put jewelry and gold coins in a separate small pouch. I wrapped bandages around my hands, feet, and chest again.
Honestly, there’s not much point in the hands and feet. But I always wrapped them because it made me feel a little relieved. I used to think it might suppress the dragon’s power, but now it was just a habit.
As I was tidying up, it suddenly occurred to me that I didn’t know how to act after becoming their ‘companion’. At least I could tell they really wanted me.
I could tell from the fact that they subdued me and didn’t do anything. If they had other intentions, they would have done it by now.
Like cutting open my chest and taking my heart, or taking my horns. Or gouging out my eyes.
…I don’t even want to think about it, but tying me up and taking advantage of this body. So it was even more ambiguous how I should treat them. They were at least not that kind of greedy people.
Still, you never know. There might be some strange scheme left. So it would be better to keep some distance. Especially from that mage. I haven’t seen him much, but I could tell he wasn’t a normal person.
The person with the bow… I don’t know. I know she’s strong, but she didn’t seem to have much ambition. Myungho is someone I can trust relatively.
It’s only relatively, I’ll still be wary since he’s human. But if I had to choose one trustworthy person among the three, I would choose Myungho without hesitation.
A relationship where we use each other. That would be ideal. With my mind made up, I was able to clean up my belongings in a somewhat relaxed state.
It seemed like there were many things in the cave, but when I organized them, most of them were useless or things I wouldn’t use. In fact, the only useful thing is this small sack here. Even that made me a little depressed because everything came from the lower village.
It proves that in all that time, the things I made were useless. I thought there would be at least one, even if I’m not very good with my hands.
Well, let’s think positively. Now I don’t have to make trash anymore pretending to make something.
I didn’t have high expectations for this world, but still, stepping into the unknown was exciting.
…Although I didn’t expect it to be so sudden. Well, it might be okay.
I came out of the cave and focused magic on my horns to collapse the cave I had dug.
This was my determination not to return until I achieved my goal.
Wandering around aimlessly like a weed without any goal isn’t bad, but it would be better to have a grand goal.
Yes, for example.
Beheading my father and offering it to my mother’s grave.
It will be a long journey, so I went to visit my mother’s grave after a long time. I rarely visited unless there was something special because it made me sad every time I went.
“…Mother. Please watch over me. Your child is going to see the world. And when I return, I will surely, surely bring the head of the enemy.”
I made a vow, embracing the grave mound. I will show him and shove his face into the ground.
“…I’m going. Farewell.”
After straightening the crooked tombstone, I headed to the lower world. It was still dark, but these eyes could find the way without difficulty even in such darkness.
I was going to ride a rock down as usual, but I didn’t. There’s no need to hurry like other days. Above all, I was rampaging just a few hours ago, so such delicate magic manipulation was impossible.
I can easily destroy, but maintaining it is difficult.
Considering all that, I decided to just walk down. The night path I walked after a long time felt different from when I was young.
Back then, I trembled at even the slightest vibration and was busy running away. Now, I could feel the mountain animals sensing my presence and avoiding me.
This is goodbye to this mountain today. It was a new feeling to leave. I’ve lived in this world for about 20 years, and this mountain was most of my living area.
When I arrived near the village, the eastern sky was already tinged with a faint light.
A bloody battle was fought in the mountains, but this village was having a peaceful morning unrelated to that.
“…Um, ah. Did I doze off? Haam… Damn night shift, I’m so tired. There’s no way that horned bitch will come, what’s with the increased security… Um. I must be so tired that I’m seeing things, I see a horned bitch over there…?”
Unlike the alert guards I used to meet, the drowsy guard’s droopy appearance further reminded me of that fact.
“…What the, fuck. It’s real! Captain, Captain! The dragon is here! No, I wasn’t seeing things, yes! I did doze off! But she’s really there! Yes! The horned bitch that Subjugation team provoked is here!!!”
That peace was shattered when I appeared. Suddenly, loud vibrations resounded from inside the walls.
Soon, like bees crawling out of a provoked hive, many more guards than usual blocked the entrance and aimed their spearheads ferociously as if to fight to the death.
I wish I knew a few words at times like this. I didn’t know how to express that I didn’t come to fight, so I just created a rock pillar heading towards the rampart.
The archers, trying to avoid the suddenly rising rock, rolled around looking pathetic, but the unharmed archers shot arrows at random.
And of course, such weapons couldn’t even scratch me. Knowing it was futile, I crushed the rocks under the ground and scattered dust in the air.
The archers, their vision blocked by the sudden cloud of dust, were quickly passed as I dashed straight into the city.
Then, I saw citizens who hadn’t yet evacuated here and there.
Passing by the trembling people, I lightly pushed away the guards who attacked me and headed straight for the guild.
It seems the hive wasn’t just on the rampart, as the front of the guild was also full of armed people. However, Myungho, upon seeing me, had a look of both a headache and joy.
Putting down the sack I was carrying on my shoulder, I spoke energetically.
“As promised, I’m here. Myungho. Accept me as your companion.”