Chapter 6: Killer Voice

Chapter 6: Killer Voice The moon barely peeked through the clouds as a shadow glided through the mansion’s corridors. Kael moved with precision, avoiding the stares of the servants rushing by. Now that he had the strength of a well-trained adult, he moved more easily. Besides, after weeks of observation, he knew that this was the easiest route to escape from the mansion, especially now, with the chaos caused by the imminent arrival of the patriarch. He then crossed the south garden and jumped over the wall. On the other side, he came upon a cobblestone street, where several peasants could be seen pulling their donkeys. "Grandfather, can you tell me again the beginning of the story of <<The First Human>>?" A child asked his grandfather, excitedly, as he smoked with his pipe. "Of course. When this land was young, and was ruled by the beasts and variant races, the first human..." Kael only listened for a bit before continuing on his way; he had no time to waste and mingled with the commoners who were chatting merrily. The Medici territory, as one of the great duchies of the Aragon kingdom, was quite prosperous. The streets were clean, without garbage, and the commoners and peasants did not wear shabby clothes. Now that night had fallen, there were several stalls with their multi-colored tents and families shopping. "Roast duck meat with red grape juice! Just a piece of mana stone away!" "Black apple candy! Red pear with honey!" Kael passed quickly; he did not run because he would attract attention, but neither did he stop because he might be recognized. Little by little, he became more and more separated from the bustling city, until he reached the great walls that protected the place. These were full of guards inspecting the peasants returning from their work. Kael gave the guards at the entrance a glance, then diverted his course and left the city on the other side. Once outside, he came upon a thick forest. He looked around, getting his bearings. I have one day to find and claim that inheritance. Kael began to run west at full speed, remembering a fragment of what had been said about the whereabouts of the inheritance left by the Demon Wolf. The clouds that covered the sky moved slowly, revealing a silver moon that bathed the Kiran mountain with its light. A gentle night breeze rustled the branches of trees and bushes, creating a chilling sound. In the distance, the murmur of a river and the buzzing of nocturnal insects added life to the forest. In the middle of that spot, a human figure moved swiftly through the undergrowth. As he passed by a bush, a swarm of blood fireflies fluttered up, splashing the air with reddish flashes. Several nocturnal birds, moon hummingbirds and pink swallows, took flight, disturbed by his passing. Kael kept his breathing controlled, but his eyes moved quickly, scanning the surroundings to dodge the creatures lurking in the darkness. His footprints were marked in the damp ground as he moved forward, and little by little, the moonlight grew brighter, free of the obstruction of the trees. After a few minutes, he emerged from the forest and stopped in front of a large waterfall. With bated breath, he scanned the surroundings with caution and precision, letting nothing escape his sight. "It seems that there are no dangers. But where is this inheritance? According to the biography told by that commoner, he said it was around this place," Kael muttered to himself, having perceived no threat. However, he did not let his guard down; his senses remained on high alert. Based on his previous experiences, he headed towards the waterfall. With quick steps, he reached the ledge where the water was falling steeply. He scanned the surroundings until he found a narrow path hidden among the vegetation. He advanced along it, feeling the water soaking him completely. After passing the short distance, he came upon a natural cave whose darkness seemed to devour the little light outside. Inside, the humidity was suffocating. Kael, wet, wrung some of the water out of his clothes before inspecting the place. The minutes passed slowly. The moon, which once crowned the sky, had once again been hidden by clouds. No trace of the inheritance... Could it all be a lie? The doubt crossed his mind for an instant, but he dismissed it firmly. My father would not have given the Medici surname to a mere commoner by coincidence. The heritage of the Demon Wolf was found by a simple commoner who had come to fish for rainbow fish the next year. The commoner who found the inheritance received the Medici surname, joining the ranks of the clan. He went from having nothing to having everything, making a name for himself in the Northern Frontier, recognized as the "Bloody Wolf," and becoming a Zu Master. In his biography,y he talked about the inheritance, which Kael is seeking right now. Kael remained calm, even though he had not seen any progress; he had been prepared for such an outcome from the beginning. If it were so easy for him to find the inheritance, he would not have been in such a hurry from the beginning. He had not yet searched thoroughly; so far, he had only skimmed over it. "Well, I’ll start again with the search. I still have a whole day to continue searching," Kael shook off the water again and began to inspect the cave again, now much more carefully. Time continued to pass, and the night grew darker and darker. The clouds moved slowly, while a strange quietness settled outside the cave. Inside, there was only the loud sound of the waterfall. In addition, due to the high humidity, drops were constantly falling from the ceiling, and a young man with short black hair, dressed in a black Taoist robe, could be seen. It had been at least a couple of hours since Kael started his search, without any result. His expression showed no emotion. He paused for a moment to stretch his body. The clothes, soaked before, now clung dry to his skin. I’ve been searching for a while now, and still no trace of the inheritance. Could it be that it is not in this cave? Kael thought about that possibility and decided to leave the cave to change his search approach. As he got out again, the swift currents pressed against Kael’s body. At the same time, the cold water soaked him from head to toe again. He struggled against the water pressure, moving forward in rapid strides. His ears were filled with the roar of the water; the top of his head was a white sheet, and in the depths of the rock stretched a black darkness. As he walked out of the cave back along the small path, he noticed a change: an unnatural part that he had not noticed before, and from that place came an insect the size of a fingernail. Looking closely, Kael distinguished that the unusually narrow entrance looked like a doorway. To confirm it, he closed his fingers into a fist and threw a punch with force. Bang! The small gap that was there was crumbling with this blow, revealing a narrow path where only a grown man could enter sideways. But Kael, who is only a young boy of fourteen, what problem would it be for him? This path had not formed naturally, but seemed to have been made by a human! Kael was slightly excited; he had not expected this to happen to him, even though his fist was bleeding. He stepped unhesitatingly into the narrow passage, not caring about the dirt. As he went on, the path got bigger and bigger. Until he came upon a room that was illuminated by a faint blue moonlight, but he couldn’t tell where it was coming from. The stone walls were damp and mossy, but the air there was very dry. On the walls were also some withered vines. In it was a skeleton that looked like it belonged to a person, but it had six arms. He recognized it immediately: it was the corpse of the Demon Wolf. Kael did not make unnecessary movements, since there could be possible traps, and after so much effort, he did not want to die this way. With careful and precise steps, he approached the corpse of the Demon Wolf and saw several items and an extremely exquisite Zu. "So this is where you wanted to come, young master," A murderous voice suddenly echoed behind Kael.