'Can't help but not believe the person next to me is a killer.' Zane thought as he nibbled on the end of a strand of grass. 'Not yet. There was a turning point somewhere.' 

When Zane was around twenty-five, that was when the rumors about Rhian began. That would be two years from now. Back then he was working as a soldier, so he had not all, but little information. His old general had told him that 'someone' had begun a massacre. 

It was amusing back then, when he heard of it. But the rumors had spread like wildfire. Some had amplified the fear… some worsened the situation… some hailed him…

Zane gazed at the sunset, his gaze hardening. He paused, and glanced to his right, after a few minutes of walking through dense woods, there were grassy prairies that stretched till the start of the next forest. 

It would be more convenient, walk-wise. But they'd be more vulnerable to danger, and being caught by one of the disciples on night hunts also posed a problem. Adding to that, Zane sighed, 'It was a long way.'

"C-can you stop? You monster?" Rhian's voice grouched. Zane continued walking, moving branches of bushes aside. Without looking back, he asked, "What? You can't keep up?"

Rhian grunted painfully before he followed Zane. They had walked around two miles most likely, but it was a long way till they'd reach 'there''. Zane really should get himself registered into the System. He couldn't remember the directions of all places. 

As they crossed the prairies, the moonlight of the two moons leading their way, he reached the start of the forest, the footing now going downhill with trees jutting out of here and there. It would be a pain. 'I should reach there an hour after dawn… hopefully,' he thought. 

Zane pushed and broke branches with his bare hands, creating scratches and small cuts while he made way. After reaching the three-and-a-half-mile mark, a moment of silence echoed through the forest, only Rhian's heavy breathing prominent. 

Zane sighed, however, his relaxation was short-lasted as a pang in his head made him stagger.

〈 "Killer."

"Did you hear about that? Wasn't Amren in Ellesmere?"

"But the killer had been killed using the same method. No one goes down that path."〉

"―ey."

Zane resisted a flinch and moved forward, ignoring Rhian, and silently grimaced at the weird feeling under his bare feet—or rather he was feeling them be numb. He forgot he was barefoot and glanced at his feet. Maybe the way his current self was treated made his body forget about small injuries. Because… Cuts and scratches had covered his feet. 'Truly. Shitty idea.' 

They would've reached Hua Clan's Recesses quicker if they had taken the route through the village, which opened into the clan's town. But, attention would easily be grabbed by them. Hua Clan was a rich clan. Sure, low classes existed, but no one was ever discarded from society―that is, other than outsiders. Outsiders were treated like poison, which they had to take out before it seeped in.

The citizens each had shelter, food, and neat clothes to wear. Jobs were given to everyone, and the clan prospered mostly because of their rich culture. People dressed elegantly, and everyone was clean. Right now, they looked like shit.

Clean was the last thing they were.

If this place was one from Rhian's memories, then surely they'd find some sort of refuge somewhere. They had to, it was highly inconvenient they were here in the night. 

'At least I see an advantage in this.' Zane kept walking. 'But I don't have any plans.'

"Wait." A voice behind him hoarsed, and Zane finally turned to look back at Rhian. 

Rhian's eyes were fluttering slowly and his body was leaning against a tree branch for support. The man opened his mouth, but no words came. 'Shit' Zane thought as he rushed to the other man, managing to catch Rhian just as he dropped on the ground, with his breath hitching.

Zane crouched beside Rhian and immediately sat him up. He pressed his hand against Rhian's forehead, pushing aside the uncombed strands of sweaty hair. Warm… warmer than normal. 

His eyes darkened. 

'I'm an idiot.'

—

Zane felt stupid―appalled. 'Why did I let him walk with infected wounds?' The injuries looked fine, but he only later realized that <Celestium> had a more sterile environment, and most of the injuries were present for a long time given that time was halted for the body's aging. 

He trudged upslope whilst carrying Rhian on his back. After a series of confused shaking and Rhian's almost zero response, Zane ended up picking this guy up. He didn't know much about this place, didn't know anything other than the fact that Rhian had chosen it—hell, now with Rhian unconscious, he wasn't all that confident about the destination he was heading in.

His bare feet already had multiple cuts which now started to sting, but it seemed futile to sit down or do anything. If he did take a break, it would only prove to slow him down as his brain would register the pain and would scream at him to rest. Only luck had it.

Maybe… if he could find someone living here like he had last time.

The last time was when he was around twenty-five, Zane and one of his colleagues had found an injured man and brought him for recovery to a shack. But that would be three years from now. 'Something.' A part of him didn't mind ditching Rhian here and fending for himself. But… Zane gritted his teeth. 'If' he could.

It had occurred to him, if he was able to monitor Rhian's behavior from the past, could that possibly change what would happen in the future? And considering Rhian's skillset, if he got to the good side of this man, he'd be able to have a formidable companion.

He ran through the woods, gripping tighter onto Rhian's legs and bending his back. The air had started getting a bit thicker. 'Damn his height.'

He jumped over a ledge, making it over somehow. His head throbbed, and his body felt light. Zane's vision blurred and he took another step, when his foot sensed nothing under it, his brain felt like it rebooted. "Ugh!" He quickly caught Rhian in midair and buckled his back for impact. He held the other's head in a protective stance as he closed his eyes.

—Scrrrrrr

Pain burst through the back of his head, his body trembling as he gripped onto Rhian, and pushed himself to sit up. This guy had open wounds and was still able to stay alive for so long. 'I should easily be able to do such a thing.'

He rasped, and looked around as if his ears were playing tricks on him… A whisper made him pause.

"Did you say something?" Zane asked, eying Rhian whose eyes had opened wearily.

"Get down, you bastard," Rhian murmured.

Zane pursed his lips and crouched down, his head throbbing. A different language echoed in his ears, but he could make out the words. In his past life, he'd learned some of this language. 

"I don't see the point of this."

"Is the Sect Leader forcing us to go on some night hunt again?"

"Shush! If someone hears―"

"I'm being honest. We're only disciples, that too, second rank without a master with us."

Zane adjusted Rhian on his back and slowly began walking towards the voices, keeping himself hidden in the bushes and thicket of trees. The ache in his head did not subside, but he couldn't prioritize that right now. As he continued walking ahead, the light of a fire caught his eyes. He dropped to his knees immediately, receiving a wince from Rhian.

"Who's there?" A voice asked.

Another laughed.

"You're getting exhausted, sleep for a while, we'll keep guard."

"N-no. I swear I―"

"Shut up and enjoy the privilege of being able to sleep."

Rhian pushed away from Zane's grasp with effort, and slowly crept up beside him, covering his mouth while taking deep breaths. Zane inwardly groaned, and kept a cool gaze on the four people sitting around a small fire and an embroidered blanket.

Each of them wore elegant lavender and white robes, with their long hair loose with a traditional bun, or a loose ponytail. As Zane scanned them to see if they had anything remotely useful, his eyes caught the sight of a lavender pouch. The people of the Hua Clan had amazing mana-controlling abilities, so each of them only kept a small pouch, in which they could store a multitude of necessities depending on their mana control. The pouch could hold clothes, medical supplies, and occasionally(but rarely kept) food.

A sharp pang ran through his head again, making him fall back into the grass, but not make a sound.

〈"What was that?" the general asked, as if finding whatever the tavern owner had spewed was a lie. 

"Sleep."

"He makes people sleep?! Hah?! It's unlike him!"

"It's true, he makes them fall asleep while he slaughters!" the tavern owner replied irritably. Zane knew she wasn't lying, not with the expression of pure dread on her face.

"Does he not kill them?" Zane had asked.

The tavern owner looked at him with some difficulty before she opened her mouth, "Mentally? No. Physically? Yes."〉

It was one of the gossips in Silver Moon, with the Emperor letting the citizens run wild. He once again knew the truth, but with strike commands, was kept under a selective mutism spell. "Do you have some skill that induces sleep or something?" Zane whispered, talking perfectly when the disciples laughed at something. Rather than fighting them, it would be convenient to jut have them fall asleep.

Rhian locked weary eyes with him. He slowly shook his head. 'It's still early then.'

"We'll―I'll go with the take-run method," Zane muttered quietly. "You need to keep an eye on them." 

Zane carefully laid on his stomach and used his hands to push himself through the opening created by the bushes. The cloth bag was kept behind the back of one of the disciples; to his convenience, if he acted quickly, he'd be able to grab it and find medical supplies and a change of clothes. Maybe then they could walk into the village. 

'If it doesn't work… act stupid?'

He shook his head. He only had to grab the bag. Nothing else. Zane licked his lower lip and balanced on one knee, pushing himself ahead. 'Almost―'

Something kicked him from behind, causing him to fall on his face and tumble out of the bushes. When he landed in an awkward sitting position, the three disciples stood up immediately, taking their swords out of their belts, and pointed it at him. 

'...well...fuck."

Chapter 5: Hua Clan (1) > Fin.