The night grew heavier.
The fire crackled softly in the center of the camp, but no one spoke for a while. The events of the ambush still lingered in everyone's mind.
It wasn't just the attack.
It was who had appeared.
A presence far beyond their level.
And now—
They all understood.
This mission wasn't simple.
⸻
Daren finally stood up.
"We need to know what we're carrying."
No one disagreed.
Sera nodded.
"Better now than when someone stronger comes again."
All eyes turned toward the caravan.
Three reinforced wagons stood quietly under the dim light.
At first glance, they looked ordinary.
But now—
That illusion was gone.
⸻
Daren walked to the central wagon.
"This one," he said.
"It's the most heavily sealed."
Kael followed silently.
As they approached, his Origin Sense reacted immediately.
A faint fluctuation.
Hidden.
But deep.
Not chaotic.
Not violent.
But… restrained.
Something is sealed inside.
Sera noticed his expression.
"You feel it too?"
Kael nodded.
"Yes."
Daren placed his hand on the wagon's surface.
Faint inscriptions lit up briefly.
A protective formation.
Strong.
But not impossible to open.
He hesitated.
"…Once we do this, there's no turning back."
Kael spoke calmly.
"There wasn't to begin with."
Daren let out a quiet breath.
"…Fair enough."
He activated the seal.
The inscriptions flickered.
Then slowly—
Faded.
With a low creak, the wagon door opened.
⸻
A cold wave of energy spilled out.
Everyone tensed.
Not because it was overwhelming—
But because it felt… ancient.
Different.
Inside the wagon—
A single object rested on a raised platform.
A black chest.
Simple in appearance.
But covered in faint, pulsing markings.
Chains of energy wrapped around it, binding it tightly.
Suppressing it.
Kael stepped closer.
His eyes narrowed.
The moment he approached—
The chest reacted.
The markings flickered.
Faintly.
As if responding to his presence.
Sera noticed it immediately.
"…Did you see that?"
Daren's expression darkened.
"This thing is definitely not normal."
Kael reached out slightly—
Then stopped.
His instincts told him something.
This is dangerous.
Not in a destructive way.
But in a deeper sense.
Like it carried something that didn't belong here.
⸻
One of the team members spoke nervously.
"…What is it?"
No one answered.
Because no one knew.
But Kael had a feeling.
A faint connection.
Not clear.
But present.
It felt…
Similar.
Not the same as his Origin Core—
But related.
On a deeper level.
⸻
Sera crossed her arms.
"So this is why we were attacked."
Daren nodded slowly.
"And why someone like that showed up."
He looked at Kael.
"…He wasn't here for us."
Kael shook his head.
"No."
His gaze remained on the chest.
"He was here for this."
Silence followed.
The weight of the situation settled in.
They weren't just transporting goods.
They were carrying something—
That powerful people were interested in.
Something worth sending a higher-realm cultivator for.
⸻
Suddenly—
The chest pulsed.
A faint ripple of energy spread outward.
Everyone tensed instantly.
Kael's eyes sharpened.
For a brief moment—
He saw something.
A flash.
A fragment.
Darkness.
Endless.
Devouring.
Then—
It was gone.
The chest returned to stillness.
As if nothing had happened.
Kael stepped back slightly.
"…That's not just an artifact."
Sera looked at him.
"Then what is it?"
Kael's voice was calm.
But firm.
"Something sealed."
Daren clenched his jaw.
"…And we're transporting it."
No one spoke after that.
Because the truth was clear now.
This mission—
Was never meant for people like them.
⸻
Kael turned away from the chest.
His expression unreadable.
But his mind—
Was certain.
Whatever was inside that chest—
Was connected to something much bigger.
Something dangerous.
And somehow—
He had been pulled into it.