The campfire's warmth brought Kayn a comforting sense of peace. That area got especially cold at night—maybe it was the sea breeze, or the dense forest nearby. Probably both, blending together to create that chill in the air.
But inside that cave, with the fire heating up every inch of his body, Kayn felt content. He lay down and drifted into a deep sleep.
The next morning, though, Kayn woke up in an unexpected way. He heard noises from outside, and by the time he realized what was happening, people were already around him.
They had a rugged look. Their clothes were made from animal hides, and most of them had scars across their strong, muscular bodies.
Kayn was startled. But the people standing in front of him didn't seem hostile—at least, not at first glance. They had their weapons drawn—spears, swords, and bows—but none of them attacked him.
One of them, the man standing at the front, asked, "Who are you? We've never seen you in this region. What village are you from?"
Kayn couldn't help but feel relieved! One of his biggest fears was that he wouldn't be able to communicate with the people here, but apparently, they spoke the same language.
Since it was the same region he had lived in before, the language remained unchanged—and it would likely be the same across much of the surrounding territory.
The only difference was the accent. It was a little different, sure, but nothing that got in the way of their understanding.
"I'm not from any village," Kayn said. "I'm lost and don't know where to go..."
He tried to look as pitiful as possible in front of them—and it seemed to work. Even though they were clearly suspicious of him, they still chose to help.
The men began talking among themselves.
"We could at least give him some clothes," one of them said. "And maybe he could be useful. You know, with the recent attacks..."
"True," another agreed. "He doesn't look all that strong, but he seems healthy. We can train him and make good use of him."
They were all willing to help Kayn because he could be a potential warrior. That was exactly what they were looking for.
Kayn stood there, quietly listening to everything they were saying. One thing he noticed—something curious—was that his Void Slime had disappeared. Well, not entirely. It had hidden itself, turning into a necklace that now rested around his neck.
After a while of discussing, the men finally decided what they were going to do. And, luckily for Kayn, they were willing to let him come with them to their village.
"If you try anything, we'll kill you," the leader of the warriors said with a cold, threatening tone. "We're not joking."
Kayn could tell the man meant it.
"I won't do anything, sir," he replied.
"Good. Come with us."
The warriors walked ahead, leading the way. Kayn noticed how alert they were at all times, ready to strike him down if necessary.
It was obvious they didn't fully trust him. Who would? Kayn had shown up out of nowhere near their village, sleeping inside a cave. That was definitely suspicious.
Still, they walked along the sandy beach, heading toward the village.
"How did you find me?" Kayn asked.
The leader of the warriors answered, "One of our men saw the bats flying out of the cave last night, and that usually only happens when some other creature enters it. We were expecting to find a beast or something like that—but we found you."
Kayn wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad one.
They kept walking until they reached the village, and when the other villagers saw Kayn, they were surprised.
His clothing was different. His face and body were also quite unlike what they were used to.
The leader of the warriors took Kayn to the village's main house. It was made of the same materials as the others, but the only difference was its size—it was much larger.
Inside, they met an older man. He had long white hair and a thick white beard.
Despite his age, Kayn could still see the traces of a warrior in him.
"Who is this?" the old man asked.
The warriors saluted him before explaining the situation.
"Village chief, we found this man inside one of the caves—the one where the bats always nest. We decided to help him since he doesn't seem to belong to any of the tribes in the region."
The chief looked Kayn up and down, analyzing him. Kayn felt a bit uncomfortable under that gaze but tried to act as if he was fine with it. He didn't want to look weak.
"Good, very good. Another soldier for the village could be important in these difficult times. Explain our situation to him, find him a place to sleep, and start his training as soon as possible," the chief ordered.
The leader of the warriors bowed his head. "Your wish is my command."
After that, they left the chief's house. The other warriors went back to their duties. Some had to train young recruits, others had to hunt or fish, and some served as guards, making sure no threats got near the village.
The leader of the warriors, however, took Kayn through the village, showing him around.
"There are few of us here, but we all take care of each other. Our main focus is farming and fishing. We're not the best warriors in the region, and that's been causing us some… problems."
Kayn wasn't an idiot. He had already figured out what was going on.
"Another tribe nearby is trying to take over your village? That's what's happening, isn't it?"
It was an obvious conclusion, but the warrior was still impressed by how quickly Kayn had pieced everything together. Maybe they weren't the smartest people due to their more primitive way of life.
"Yes, exactly! You're pretty sharp, kid. I think you're going to become a great warrior. Tell me, do you know how to use any kind of weapon?" the leader asked.
"I know how to use daggers," Kayn said.
That type of weapon wasn't common among the warriors of the village, but the leader seemed excited by the revelation.
"So, you're some kind of assassin or something? We could really use someone to scout the area and keep an eye on the neighboring tribes. Are you good at that?"
Kayn wasn't exactly skilled in that field, but his survival knowledge definitely gave him an edge. And the idea of becoming the village's assassin was… interesting.
"You could say that."
"Perfect! Show me what you can do."