The fires of the night attack still smoldered in the outskirts of Hallowford. Elder spent the morning repairing broken sections of the gate alongside weary villagers. Though his muscles ached, his body felt… different. Stronger, sharper, as if the Covenant's touch was burning into his very marrow.
The council promised to speak with him today. Yet as the sun reached its peak, Mara approached with grim news.
"Scouts spotted movement near the ridge," she said, resting a gauntleted hand on her sword. "Not beasts this time—men. Raiders."
Elder frowned. "Raiders? After last night?"
Mara's expression darkened. "Men are always worse than monsters. At least beasts kill for hunger. Raiders kill for sport."
The Covenant's cold voice slithered into Elder's mind.
[New Trial Issued: The Blood Oath. Defend against those who prey on the weak. Kill, or be killed.]
A shiver ran through him. The system demanded violence, and it would not let him refuse.
By dusk, the raiders came. A band of twenty, clad in patchwork armor and carrying jagged blades. Their leader, a towering man with a crimson cloak, rode at the front astride a black horse. His eyes glimmered with cruelty.
"Open your gates," he called mockingly, "and perhaps I'll only kill half of you!"
Fear rippled through the villagers. Some clutched pitchforks, others hid behind the walls. Elder stood with Mara at the gate, weapon in hand.
The raider leader sneered at him. "And who is this little whelp? A mercenary? Step aside, boy, before I gut you."
Elder felt the Covenant's surge. His heartbeat slowed, focus narrowing on the man. "If you want blood," Elder said, voice low but steady, "then you'll spill your own first."
The leader laughed. "Bold words. Kill them all!"
The raiders charged.
The clash was instant and brutal. Steel rang out as defenders fought desperately. Elder leapt into the fray, his Covenant Sense mapping every strike before it landed. A raider swung a rusted axe; Elder sidestepped and drove his spear into the man's chest.
[Enemy Defeated. Experience +80.]
The messages came one after another as bodies fell. Elder moved like a phantom, guided by something greater than instinct. Yet each kill left a weight pressing heavier on his heart. These were not beasts—they were men.
But the Covenant whispered coldly.
[Mercy has no place in survival.]
At the gate, Mara fought two raiders at once, her blade flashing with runic light. Elder rushed to her side, parrying a strike meant for her neck. Together, they cut down the attackers, but more poured in.
The leader dismounted, striding toward Elder with his massive greatsword. "You've got fire, boy. But fire burns out quick."
Their blades clashed, sparks flying. The leader was strong, each swing heavy enough to shatter bone. Elder barely kept pace, his arms trembling under the weight of the blows.
The Covenant's Seed burned hotter.
[Activate Skill? Covenant Surge – Yes/No.]
"Yes!" Elder roared. Power exploded through him. He sidestepped the leader's downward swing and drove his spear upward, piercing the man's shoulder.
The raider howled, backhanding Elder with brutal force. Pain shot through his ribs as he staggered back, blood in his mouth.
But Mara was there. She seized the moment, slashing her blade across the leader's chest. He fell to his knees, gasping.
Elder stood over him, spear poised. The man spat blood, glaring defiantly. "Do it. Kill me, coward."
For a heartbeat, Elder hesitated. The man was beaten. Did he truly have to kill?
The Covenant answered.
[Trial condition: Kill the leader. Failure = Penalty.]
Elder's grip tightened. With a final thrust, he drove the spear into the man's heart. The leader's eyes widened before going still.
[Trial Completed. Reward: Skill – Blood Oath (Passive).]
[Effect: Each enemy slain in battle strengthens your resilience temporarily.]
Elder's body trembled as the system confirmed his kill. Around him, the remaining raiders faltered, fear overtaking them. Those still alive fled into the night, leaving their dead behind.
Silence fell again.
Mara sheathed her sword, her gaze heavy. "You didn't flinch. You killed him like a soldier."
Elder looked down at his bloodstained hands. "I didn't want to. But I had no choice."
Mara studied him for a long moment, then finally nodded. "Choice or not, you saved this village again. That makes you one of us… whether you accept it or not."
The villagers emerged slowly, their faces mixed with gratitude and unease. Elder could see it in their eyes: respect, fear, and something else… expectation.
The Covenant's whisper curled through his thoughts one last time.
[Blood answers blood. With every oath sealed in death, your path grows darker.]
Elder stared into the night where the raiders had vanished. His journey was no longer about survival alone. The Covenant was molding him, forcing him to bear sins that were not his own.
And deep down, he feared what it was shaping him into.