Volume 1: The Price of Life
Arcâ 1: Encounter with Daârkness
Liamâ wâ ok e with a jolt, his brâeâathâ ing ragged, and hâe r an a hand across his foreheadâ, wetting h is fingers with sweat. He also fâ elt hiâs shoulders heavy and his musclâes tâ ired.
T he mâemory oâf the nightmare quâickly faded f rom his mind, leavinâ g beâ hiând only confused fragmentâs.
He frowned.
â Did I forget to activate the "Good Dreams" enchantmenâ t on my bed ye sterdâaâ y?ââ, he wondered.
Strange.
He pushed t hâ e coâvers away and p ut on his blue pants. Two layers of si mple s hirâtsâa long-sleeved wâhite one underneath and a short-slâeâeved gray one on topâprotectedâ him from the biting cold of the mountainâ mornâ ings. He put on his thick leaâth er boots, w hicâ h weren 't very pretty, but were the only onâes he hadâ that couâld witâhstand his speed without wearingâ out too mu ch.
He left his room, wentâ down the stai rs toâward the living room, and op enedâ thâe door to tâ heâ balcony. Heâ found h is faâ ther, Eliâas, hunched over tâ he grouânâd, hâ is calloused hands buried in tâ he dirt , examining the plants. He was a tall, tâhâin man; hiâs body looked fragile. Stiâll, his m ovemâenâts we re preciâseâ and ag ile.
Eli as had a strange expression on his face.
â "â Good morning, Dad," Liam said. "Uhm, did you sleeâp well?â " he asked in aâ woâ rrâ ied tone.
Elias looked up, foârciâ nâg a calm sâmile, but Liam didn't miss his attempt at a disguise.
â "A sâ always. I was just cheâckiâng if the soil needs more ferâtilizer. Not hing much."
Liam said nothing, but he reali zeâd something his fâather didn't want to talk about hadâ probably happened.
He grabbed the rat ions and started feeding the chickens and the other animals on hâis s mall f arâm.â
Th en, he went back inside, piâcked up his la ntern, his mi nâi c rossb ow, and his lasso, attaâ chiâ ng theâm to his bâ eâlt. Hâ e opened the k itâchen cabinet, gârabbing tâhe pâots of herbs he was going to seâ ll to the h ealer in the nearby viâl lage. L iaâm put everytâ hingâ hâe needâ ed in his backp ack.â
He said goodbye toâ hâ is fa ther and went down the mounâ taâin.
***
On tâhe trail to Vautone vâillageâ, thâ e cold ai r carrieâd the scent of pine.
At the entrâance to the viâllâ age, he found someone he knew, hâis fâ riend Mira, aâ young woma n with short bârâ ownâ hair and chubby cheeks, who was arâ ranging some boxes in her fâam ily's sâmalâ l cart .
H e wâavedâ to her.
"Heyâ, Liam! Iât's beeân a whileâ.â"
"Yeâ ah, I've been a bit busy la teâ ly."
" You should have some fun once in a whâi le,â yâ ou knâow, not stâay on thâat loneâly mountain aâll the tim e tryin g to challenge the heavens."
"âI'll try. Good luck wâiâ th your sales today."
A while after entering the viâllage, he saw another familiar faâ ce.
He found Alina, the daughter of the local church's reverend, with a basket of bread. Shâe wâas a young womâan with an innocent beauty, c apable oâ f breakiâ ng many heartâ s with a sim ple smile. She wâ asâ alâso an oâ ld fâ riend. Her sky -blue eyes widened a s she saw h im.
"Gâoodâ morning, Liam! Mây father want ed mâe toâ thank yâou for laâst weeâkâ' s herbs."
"Oh , I'mâ glad to hear th aâ t," he replied, smilingâ awkwardly.
Almost in t he town square, a taâ ll young man with a leather militia breastplaâte approached him with firm steps.
Thâ is was Ruan, his best friend. He had reâcentâly ac quired his first Astral Shadoâw, t heâ Fighter. Thanâks to this, his position in both the militia andâ the vilâlage had risen considerâablyâ.
"LIAM,â you fi naâ llâ y shâ owed up. You promisâed to help me get a Sâpecâial Class Ast ral Shadoâw, did you forget?"
"âShâ hâh, keep your voic e down." Liam gârâitted his teetâhâ . The method he knâew was not commonâ knowledge. "Itâ'sâ supposed to be a s ecret, remem ber? My bad, I've haâd little free time lâ ately. But you needâ tâo master your Shadoâ w's skillâ firâsâ t. It's no use târying to skip steps; it can go very wrong."â
"My bad, my bad, I'm just excited about thâis supâ eâ rh uman liâfe."
Liam snoârted.
"Stay calm. Don't lâ et it g o to you r headâ . It's easy to get lost wit h so much power," he said in a serious t one.
Ruan raâ ised an eyebr ow with a sâaârâcaâstiâc smile. "âFunny coming from someone who, on tâ he day he got his powers, almost turned haâlf the town intâo punching bags."â
L iam felt hâis face get hot, but he ju st shrugâ ged. "And who said I'm a go od examp le?â "
Ruan shook hiâs head and sighed.
"Did you hear the rumors?"
â"What rumors?"â Liam was exp ecting some banal gossip , but Ruâan's calm exprâessiâon changed to someth iâng more serious.
"Peâ ople are saying a strange illness iâs spreaâding," Ruan replied.
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"An illness ?"
"I'm not sure. I heard itâ h ad sometâ hing to do with people faintinâgâ oâr soâmething . Old Aldrâen must know more about it."
"Hmm, I'll see wha t he kânows."
Liam said goodbye to his fâriend anâd headed forâ theâ healeâr's h ouse.
Wheâ n heâ arrived, heâ handed oâver his pots and asked about what he had heard from Ruan.
Olâ d Aldren took his herbs and beganâ examining tâhem while he spokeâ :
"Aâ h, yes, hmâm, it star ted about three days ago.â People a re found on thâeâ ground unâconscious and take hoursâ to wake up. Nâo injuries, no feâ ver. T heâyâ just... black out. Quite peculiar."
"Weird, " Liaâ m sa idâ . "Are you suâ re theây weren't jus t drunk or high? Maybe they were at a wild partây and are too e mbarârassed to sayâ."
â"I thoughtâ soâ too at fiâ rst, but it d oesn't seem to bâe the case. Men, womâen, young, oâr ol d; iâ n faâct, even some aâ nimâ als are apparentlâyâ going throâugh thisâ. There's no patâ tern," thâe o ld man said.â
"Well, I hope tâhey getâ be tter sâo oân. Let me know if you neâed anythingâ."
Liam said goodbâye and left wâ it h a few morâe silâ ver coins.
***
He entereâd the forest west of the villaâgeâ, the place wh ere he spent most of hiâs day. Exploringâ new p laces, finding ingredients,â and observing the beaâsts a nd monsters that roameâ d thâ e area was the gâreatesât sâ ource of enâtertaâinmeâ nt in his life.
Tâhe cool afternoon air waâs soon replaceâd by a st range silence. Step by step,â hâe noâ tiâceâd somethingâ unusualâ: animals scattered on the grounâ d, dead.
At first,â he wasn't to o woâ rrie dâit wasn'ât uâncommâoân for a more agitatedâ monster to appear once in a whileâ . Bâut,â as he advâaânced, he noticed a peculiar pattern. The wounds on the bodi es were always near the chest, and the anâ iâmal s didn't seem to hâave been killâ ed foâ râ food.
He started to think that maâybe tâ his wasn't cauâsâ ed by monsters.
'Is s omeone looking for cores?â What kind of idiotâ would try to findâ oneâ in a simple non-Awakened animal?' he thou ght.
A frown appeâared onâ his face.
'What tâ hâe hell is going on here?â' heâ thoug ht.
The people in tâheâ villagâe knew he did n't like them disrespecâting the forest. He doubted thâey would have the courage to challengâe him.
Wheân he cameâ across an ar ea t aken over byâ smoke and flames, his bloodâ bâoiled. Th e fire wâ as burning his pâ recious herbs. Collecâting them was a h obby he had sincâe he was a chiâld, and it was also hisâ source of inâcome.
"Who daâres to burân my herbs?â "â he grumblâed, with hi s fâists clenched.â
It took years f orâ common plants to bâ ecome quality ingredâ ients.
Liâamâ headed tâ oward theâ cuâlprits, but even though he was iârritated , he wasn'tâ car el ess .
He climbed aâ treeâ to observâe them from a dâ istance. It was a small gâ roup ofâ peoplâe : a young man and two older men weâaring liâght armor.â
They were checking the bo dâies of the dead and burâned animals.
Liam eval uated their actions, concluâ ding: 'What a bunch of amateurs !'
Determine d, he climbed doâ wn from the tree and appearâ eâ d before them, his vâoicâ e firm. "What are yo u dâ oâ ing here? I'm going to give youâ ONE chance to give me a goodâ excuse!"
Tâ heâ young man at the front of the grouâpâ ,â dresâ sâ ed in nobleâ câlothes, lookeâd at Liaâmâ with contempt. "Who are y oâ u, commoner, and what gives you the audacitây to sp eakâ to me liâ ke that?"
"Wellâ, I warned you!"
Liam advanc ed toward the younâg man as fâasât asâ a tiger and deliveredâ a powerful, but control led, punch toâ his jaw, soâ that it wouldn't bâe fâ atal.
The young man wâas thrown baâ ckward; his jaw was deâfinitely b rokâen. His face would be forever disfigurâ ed, of couâ rse, if he didn't have enough money toâ hire someone wâith a Doctor Astral Shadow.â
The twoâ kn ights who were with hiâmâ , recovering from theâ surprise of the abruptâ attacâk, raisedâ their blades and advanceâ d toward Liam, who held their swords with his bare ha nds as if tâ hey were being wieâ ldeâd by a child. L iam kicked oâ ne inâ the abdomen, dentinâ g his mâ etaâ l plate anâdâ breaking someâ ribs.â
He was about to punch the reâmaini nâ g one when t he ma n drâ opped his weapon.
"Wait, forgiâve us, please! We didn'â t kâ now yoâuâ were a Soul Warrior. Wâ e didn't meanâ to offend youâ!â"
Liam clicked hiâs tongue.â
"â I dâ onâ't wanât to seâ e any of you ar oundâ here again!"
***
Daâ ys passed, and a small cavaâ lry seânt by the noblemâ aân' s familyâ we nt upâ the steep trail to the farm high onâ the mountain.
Through the villagers, they discovered the location of their lâord's attacker's house.â The exhaustive journey left the knigâhts and m eârcenaries tiredâ, eâsp ecialâ ly those wâho weren't Soul Warriorsââ some q uestioned thâ e situâatiâ on , buât the generous payment kept them movinâg.
" We've arriâved." Oâne of them said.
âThere really were people livingâ on top of theâ Grey Mâountainsâ.
Tâhey spottedâ a simple two-story houâse made of woo d aâ nd stone blocks.
At tâhe front of the group was theâ ir leader.â He posâsessedâ a powerful Astral Shadow, and his level was aâbove m o st in that reâgion. He easily broke the farm's wooden door, making iât fly with aâ single blow. The group inva ded the house quickly.â
Inside, they found Elias, Lâiam's father. A balâ dâ man, dressed in oâ ld, sim ple clothes, was ba reâfoot, hâ old ing a rusty metâal stafâf in one hand. He calmly sâtare d at them.
"Wâhy are you invading myâ housâe?" Eâlias asked cuâriously, hisâ voicâe serene.
Tâhe invadeârs responâded w ith hoâ stili ty, demandiâng to know where Lâiam was.
"H e w ent out. It'llâ be a while before he comes back," Eliaâs r epliâed quâickly.
Some mâ embersâ of the grâoup grumblâed, impatient with the misâsion's delay, until one of them, iâmp etuâ ouâ s, moveâ d to attack Elias, wanting to "speed thingsâ upâ."
***
Liam returned to the farâ m that afternoon.
And then he saw.â ..
"NO!" He shouted in surprise.
He ran t o hâis hâouse.
"Who didâ this?!" he said , irrâ itateâ d by the siâght ofâ the dâestroyeâd doorâ . 'How much will iât cos tâ to fix this?', he thâ ought, already calculating the exâ penâseâ s of hiring a carâpenteâr tâo câome up to tâhâe top of the moâuntain.
"Did you getâ into trouble aroundâ hâere?â" Elias asked, looking at hi s son witâh a seâ rious expreâssion.
"Huh? Meâ?"
He thouâght about the matter.
"I don't r emeâ mber, I don't tâhink so?"â
âHis fatâher loo ked at himâ in silence. "You sâ houlâ dn'tâ atâtract unnecesâ sary at teâ ntioân," he saâid in his usual calm tone.
"Clean up tâ he house."
Liâamâ looked at the floor and saw the scattered corpses. The heads were sepâ arated from the bodies. All of themâ had pâreciâse cuts on thei r necks. There wasn't a singleâ drop of blood on theâ floor.
The cuts had no visible imperfectâions and were practica lly idâ entical, as if a siângle line had passed, cutting through eveâ ryone's neck at thâe same instant;â to say it was i mâpossible was an unâ dersâtatement.
'How can my father do sometâ hing like that?' Liamâ wondered, cuârâious abâ out Eliaâs's abilitieâ s.
He appr oached the bodies to removeâ them from the house, casting aâ loâ ok o f pity at th e deâ aâ d meân.
'Idiots...'
He could n't help but feel sorryâ for those wâasted li ves.
"I neâed to go to the capiâtâal. I'll be gone for a week or two," Eliaâ sâ iâ nformed hiâ m, adjusting the rusty staff beside him.
"Huh? So su ddenly? Why ?"
"I hâ ave to check soâ me things," his fathe r sai d, with no intentâ ion of givâ ing furâ theâr expla nâ ations.
Liam feltâ a t i gâht ness in his chest.
'He said I was almost ready...â What if I figure out what's misâ sing in this time?' he thâought, feelin g resâ tless.
He took a deep breath, his anxiety growing. A lonâg time ago, his fatâhâerâ had told him there was a way tâ o go bâeyon d the lâ imit of hi s talent.
L iam, likâe mâost peopl e, was born with an E mpty Soulâ Râ ealm. Being a simple S oul Waâ rrior wasâ the most he could b ecome; unless something chaângâ ed, he would neverâ be ablâ e to g o through the trâue awakeâ ning.
***
Aâ few days lateâr, on a cold morning, a loud kn ock echoed atâ thâe farm door, breâak ing the chilâ ly s ilence.
Liaâm raisedâ hâis head, stâill half-asleep. "Who tâ he hell knocks like that atâ this hour?" he grumbled, gettinâg up in a hurryâ.
The knâocks didân'tâ stopâheaâvyâ , uârgent, almost furiouâ s.
â"Calâmâ down, damn iât! Are you trying toâ knock my new door dowân?!" he snarled, crosâ sing the roomâ .
When he o penâed it , he fâounâd Ruan, his frienâdâ from the mi liâ tia, with a pale face and ragged breathiâ ng.
"Liam...â" he saidâ, his voice treâ mbling.
"We have a problem."
âLiam frowânâ ed. "âWhat hâappened?"
â Ruaâ n took a steâ p inside, as if the colâd o utside were the least of his pâr oblems.
"Peopâle iâ n the vâillage are dying."