Kaelan was given a comfortable room. It came with a bed, clean clothes, a wooden chair that looked cozy, and a window that looked directly out over the city and the great wall protecting it.
He felt exhausted by the rapid succession of events that had occurred since he dug his way out of his grave. Kaelan decided to sleep for a while.
He woke up about three hours later. Kaelan decided to return to the hall and order some food.
Looking at the menu, Kaelan found something quite unsettling. The written language seemed familiar, yet also foreign to him. It was almost as if it resembled something he might have known once.
"Decide quickly. I don't have time to keep waiting." The canteen cashier, a bald man in his early 40s, looked cold and annoyed. His attitude was clearly not the friendliest.
Kaelan decided to choose food and drink at random through the available pictures. Apparently, besides text, images were provided for those who were illiterate.
"Eight bronze," the cashier said apathetically.
Kaelan realized he had no money. He began to flounder until someone approached him.
"His bill is on me," Reynold said, smiling widely. "I'll have my usual drink too!"
Kaelan smiled back, "Sorry, thank you for that."
"It's nothing. We're comrades now, so there's no need to be shy. You can pay me back next time."
Once the food and drink arrived, Kaelan intended to satisfy his hunger. However, he flinched when he saw his meal.
A lump of brownish meat smothered in a brownish sauce. The aroma was slightly charred, but the horrific part was the meat itself.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
The meat was still twitching, as if it were part of a creature that was still alive.
Is he playing a prank on me? Giving me a living creature to eat?!
He felt disgusted looking at it. Instantly, all his hunger seemed to vanish.
Reynold noticed and laughed, as if Kaelan's reaction was amusing.
"Did you forget about food too?" Reynold mocked. "That's Earthworm meat. A worm monster with incredible resilience, even though its body is as soft as fat."
Earthworms were known to have great endurance and were still able to move even after being killed. In this case, parts of the Earthworm's body could still move slightly even after being processed.
Reynold said it was popular, but to Kaelan, it was hardly fit for consumption. It even looked ridiculous.
Kaelan swallowed his saliva; he was reluctant to eat it, but there was no choice. He was already too hungry and had no other options.
The first piece entered his mouth. The meat was soft and moved slightly as he chewed. The taste was fishy and bitter, but with the sauce acting as seasoning, the flavor was slightly more bearable.
Still, it was nauseating. In the end, Kaelan didn't even finish it. It seemed it would be difficult for him to adapt to food like that.
"May I ask a few things?" Kaelan asked.
"Since you're now a member of the Radiant Covenant, there's no need to hide anything anymore." Reynold smiled cheerfully. "Ask anything."
Kaelan nodded. There was a lot of information he needed to know because he knew nothing.
"I want to know about us—the Radiant Covenant."
Without the freedom to choose, Kaelan had become a member of the Radiant Covenant—an organization that Lunaria and her comrades seemed to follow.
"In short, the Radiant Covenant is one of the three major groups in this world. Ah, it would be four if you include the Outcasts."
The four groups existing in this world each possessed great power and their own goals.
The Radiant Covenant stood as a form of human hope, desiring the return of the sun. This organization was established thousands of years ago when humanity lost the light.
"As the name suggests, we take a vow to surrender everything for the light. To restore the life we deserve."
Not only did they work to regain the light, but the Radiant Covenant also kept the Devourers bound by rules. They also protected the cities and fulfilled their needs.
Basically, the Radiant Covenant also functioned as a state. They guarded, governed, and acted as the life support for the cities.
"What are the other groups?" Kaelan asked, feeling the need to know who were friends and who were foes.
"There's a bunch of crazy fanatics standing as a faith: the Church of Redemption. An organization that considers the curse a blessing and pursues madness: Eternal Darkness. Finally, as you know—a collection of outcasts who are free and have no purpose: the Outcasts."
Reynold explained that the four major groups did not get along with one another. They had clearly different visions and goals.
For example, the Church of Redemption and the Radiant Covenant were at odds. One side accepted that the cursed world was a form of atonement for ancestral sins. The other side rejected the curse and aspired to reach a world without it.
Eternal Darkness was no different. This group was actually the most hated. They consisted of people chasing power and were extremely extreme.
Meanwhile, the Outcasts simply lived freely without rules.
"But why are you so hostile toward the Outcasts?" Kaelan asked, remembering the first time they met. "From your explanation, the Outcasts don't seem hostile."
Reynold exhaled; he looked sad and bitter at the same time.
"A few years ago, an incident occurred involving the Outcasts. It was a tragedy no one wants to remember."
Reynold didn't explain much. In short, an Outcast had once caused massive chaos in the city. There were so many casualties, and Rebecca had lost her family in that incident.
"I hope you can understand. Everyone has wounds that cannot be healed." Reynold found it heavy to convey. "We live in a cursed world that demands tragedy and sacrifice."
Kaelan somehow felt he understood what he meant. This world was horrific. It was hard for him to believe that he truly lived in a world like this.
He was like a stranger pulled into another world without proper knowledge. If he hadn't met Reynold and the others, who knew what his fate would be.
"What is our main goal—the Radiant Covenant?" Kaelan changed the subject. He felt reluctant to dwell on the heavy atmosphere.
"Oh, about that," Reynold pointed to someone approaching from behind him. "The Captain will probably explain it along with your oath-taking."
Lunaria came up to them; she lightly tapped Reynold's head and showed her gentle smile.
"I'm sure you're still confused about many things. However, we need to carry out priority procedures. Slowly, we will help you adapt, Kaelan," Lunaria said. "As Reynold said, now you need to take the oath. We will help you."
"Taking the oath?" Kaelan asked.
"Simply put, it's a requirement for you to join formally. Afterward, I will share the appropriate information within the limits of what you're allowed to know."
The requirements for becoming a member of the Radiant Covenant. One of them was the recitation of an oath to dedicate themselves to pursuing the light. The seekers of light in a cursed world.
Kaelan didn't mind. In fact, this might be the best opportunity for him to survive and discover his own identity.