The Testament
Chapter 4
Kale had killed the Knight.
Just like that, a powerful creature of the Cursed Horde had lost its life.
When the sword was buried in the knight's skull, blood sprayed upward, painting both the blade and Kale in red.
"Ahh! Blood on my face again... Will it mix with mine and give me a disease?"
He had slain the creature he feared the most, yet there was no satisfaction. The fight hadn't been fair. Kale felt like a snake, sneaking in and striking while his enemy was down.
'Is that what I am? A snake? Maybe... maybe.'
Then a soft voice whispered in his ear. It sounded like a fair maiden, almost like a lullaby.
(You have killed a Ghoul of the 13th Domain: Knight of Ariel)
(You have received an Echo Memory)
"Huh?" Kale blinked. "Who's there!?"
No one replied. Only the wind and the rustling of leaves answered him.
'Wait... was that The Testament speaking?'
He sat down beside the log he had floated in on and closed his eyes, trying to recall what he knew about the Testament.
'The Testament was a magical system created by the gods. Every person had it imprinted in their mind. It existed to preserve the world's knowledge and history, to help humans grow stronger and wiser. Or at least that's what I've been told.'
'It could identify monsters one had defeated, record your strength and journey, and store Echo Memories. It also showed which Domain a person belonged to, and their Virtue.'
'Echo Memories were fragments of the past. They could be emotions, memories, weapons, armor, even fighting techniques.'
'So I've received one... an Echo Memory. But I can't access the Testament while I'm still trapped in the Crucible.'
He sighed and leaned back.
'Who is Ariel? Was that the name of the knight's master before corruption?'
Then the full meaning of the message hit him.
'A Ghoul. Not even Guardians have an easy time against those. And I'm just a Branded. I might be the first to ever kill one.'
He tried to recall what else he had learned.
'Humans could rise in rank by killing monsters of the Cursed Horde. Most people became Guardians. There were hundreds of thousands of those. With enough strength, one could be promoted to Knight. There were only a few hundred. Beyond that came Priests, and every city only had one. And there weren't many cities left.'
'So this thing was as strong as a Knight?'
'Among cursed creatures, their ranks went Hollow, Fiend, Ghoul, Reaver, Tyrant, Sovereign, and finally Emperor or Empress. Based on that order, I should only be able to take down a Hollow, not something two levels above me.'
Kale just sat there, stunned. Minutes passed. Maybe more.
'Can I do this? Can I really leave this cursed place?'
He stared ahead, his vision unfocused.
'I'm so tired.'
His eyelids felt heavy. His body finally gave in.
'I need to sleep.'
He was back at the black tree again.
This time he didn't walk into the water. He just stood there, staring at the figure beneath the tree's roots.
'Same dream again. I can't even rest when I sleep...'
When he woke up, the pain was still there. His body ached all over. The exhaustion from the river, the fall, and the fight still lingered, but it wasn't as overwhelming as before.
'What should I do with the Ghoul?'
Kale looked at the corpse. The Knight of Ariel.
The armor was damaged and rusted, but it was still strong.
'Should I take it?'
'The Knight's dead. It's not stealing.'
After a short internal debate, Kale stripped the Knight of his armor and equipped it. It was lighter than it looked, though it barely fit his slim frame. The helmet was gone, and the left vambrace had been crushed, but the rest of it could still be used.
'If I were a bit taller, it'd probably fit perfectly. It's only a little loose.'
Thirsty, he went to the river and drank a few handfuls of water. Then he caught sight of his reflection.
A thin teenager stared back. His brown hair was messy and short. His face was sharp and narrow. His eyes were blue, but they held the cold gaze of a killer. There were dark bags under his eyes. Still, despite everything, there was something handsome about him.
'Damn. Have I always looked so... unique?'
He stood up, straightened his back, and looked toward the forest.
Somewhere out there, other challengers were still alive.
And Kale was done running.