Both of them decided that the jagged rock formations were the safest place right now. Auren was certain that beyond their shelter, several Cursed Creatures prowled the darkness. Meredith had explained how she managed to tiptoe past a slumbering Major Tainted. Unlike the Hollow Deepers, this creature ensnared itself midair with ghostly white sticky threads that hung like forgotten nightmares.
So in a nutshell, they could neither go forward nor backward; their only option was to wait for daylight.
However, it seemed the time it took for daylight to announce its presence in this world stretched endlessly, like a river with no mouth.
Auren and Meredith settled between two jagged rocks that had enough space to resemble a cave. It wasn't truly enclosed, though—they could still see the wicked, pitch-black canvas of the sky looming above them.
Using two solid rocks and persistent effort, Auren eventually coaxed a fire to life. They easily found sticks nearby and used them to skewer their meat over the dancing flames.
Meredith stared blankly into the fire, its cantaloupe radiance casting an ominous glow across her face, illuminating the hollows of her cheeks and the quietness swimming in her eyes.
Auren sat cross-legged, gazing into space. Meredith wasn't sure what occupied his thoughts, his expression as unreadable as ancient script.
Name: [Auren Veyne]
Soul Name: [Not Attained]
Curse: [Requiem of a Failed Hero]
Tier: [Divine]
Soul Rank: [Nascent]
Soul Heart: [Minor]
Absorbed Curses: [36/10,000]
Curse Abilities: [Devourer...]
'I've absorbed 36 curses... that doesn't quite add up, considering I haven't killed up to thirty-six Cursed Creatures. After killing only the Major Blighted, I had ten absorbed curses. There must be a numerical system to how curses are registered as absorbed.'
Auren's brow furrowed as he delved deeper into his calculations, mentally tallying the Cursed Creatures he had slain.
He was certain he killed seven Cursed Creatures during the recent clash, and had killed three before then...
'Or was it four?'
When he did the math, it left either eight or six unaccounted for, which meant the Major Tainted was worth either six curses or eight.
He reasoned.
'Eight is too close to that of a Major Blighted. I suspect it will be six.'
Auren stared at the panel, his face growing pale as blood drained from his features.
'Ten thousand curses, what kind of wickedness is this...'
Auren lifted his hand to rake fingers through his hair, the gesture betraying his inner turmoil.
It was indeed an act of wickedness by his cruel and Cursed fate, but still, Auren felt a spark of curiosity about what might happen if he reached that impossible threshold.
No matter how gruesome it seemed, at least this challenge remained within his control.
'All I have to do is kill more Cursed Creatures.'
He needed to slaughter as many as possible and escape this damned trial to properly glimpse the mortal world after his death before madness claimed him entirely.
That was the only thing within his grasp, hence the only thing he should concern himself with. No matter how long it took, he had to hit that ten thousand, exterminate countless curses and ascend to become a Devout too.
'I doubt I'll be able to absorb ten thousand curses before I become a Devout though. But that's fine. There's something else that can compensate for that... there's something else I need to do.'
Auren's crimson eyes glowered malevolently as the thought crystallized in his mind, dark purpose shimmering behind his gaze like blood-red embers.
Meredith shifted and narrowed her eyes, studying his expression.
"You look like you want to murder someone. Do not commit any reckless crimes."
Auren turned toward her.
"Are you advising me or telling me?"
She paused and regarded him for a few weighty seconds, measuring her words.
"I'm advising you. The Highrise kingdom is a very dangerous place. I have never seen a place like it. And their Blesseds here, they are extraordinarily powerful. Although they are called Holy Knights."
"Thanks for the heads up, but I don't really care."
The young lady adjusted her position and redirected her attention to the meat sizzling over the flames. Its sumptuous aroma saturated the air, making her throat grow dry with longing, her stomach quietly protesting its emptiness.
Auren observed her and removed the stick from the fire. The heat bothered him, but he endured without throwing the stick away or blowing on his hand.
Besides, the point that would have seared his skin transformed slightly, taking on a metallic sheen.
He carefully shredded the charred parts of the meat, and when satisfied it was clean, extended it toward her.
"You can eat now."
Meredith's eyes sparked with life for an instant, their dullness giving way to hunger. She accepted the offering like a starving puppy, immediately bringing it to her mouth and softly shredding the meat with her clean, white, perfectly aligned teeth
Auren was hungry too, probably even more hungry than she was, but that meat was the first to be properly skewered. He had to wait his turn.
He sighed and stared downward, feeling his stomach protest with quiet, persistent grumbles.
"Can you tell me more about the rest of the people with you? Do you know them?"
Meredith looked at him, dutifully chewing the meat in her mouth. She swallowed deliberately.
"I'm not too conversant with people in the Hope Province, so I don't know them by names. But there's a particular girl and boy that stood out."
Auren studied her face, searching for clues.
"Describe them."
She was already munching on her meat barely a second after her last words had escaped. She took her time with the next mouthful before swallowing and meeting his gaze.
"The girl had brunette hair, packed to both sides with ponytails. She had brown eyes that seemed quite tender, yet reckless. She at least appears confident in her ability to survive."
"Tender and reckless? That's how you describe someone's eyes?"
She narrowed her gaze, a flicker of defensiveness crossing her features.
"When you look into people's eyes enough, you can to an extent read their capabilities. That is the description of a person."
Auren shook his head slightly, his lips curving into a faint smile.
"What a weird one you are..."
His smile widened into a grin, curiosity dancing across his face.
"So, what do you see in my eyes? How would you describe me?"
She fell silent for several heartbeats, staring into his crimson eyes as if peering into an abyss. Then she shifted away from him and glanced down at her meat, her expression emptying like water from a broken vessel.
When she raised her head back up, a slight confused frown creased her brow.
"Are you even alive?"