Valley

Walking through the rift, the other side was a valley. Once Cain stepped through, he turned to see the crack in space disappear, like it was never there.

"Well, am I still the 7 Provinces? Am I even in the Landfill, I would rather not of left until I got my answers...."

Cain looked around, the valley was at the edge of a mountain range, within the valley were many plants and flowers, as well as a few streams.

"A perfect place to settle down, nature supplies everything..."

Exploring the valley, Cain walked leisurely, but that was until he came to the edge of the valley, there was a camp, and the camp held within it the screams of victims.

"Damn mixed blood slaves! Work harder! Do your jobs and you eat!"

A pureblood whipped a man with bronze skin as he cried and worked the field outside the camp. Inside, the screams of women echoed outwards, causing the men great mental pain. Many were crying, others couldn't overcome their rage and tried to attack the purebloods only to die.

'It seems this was a village of mixed bloods, but some purebloods came and turned it into a production camp as well as a place of pleasure....'

Cain frowned, none of this was his problem but he still had a delivery to make, looking down at the compass it pointed right to the camp.

"This is just great....at least I know I'm in the 7 provinces."

Cain stood up and got ready to get to work. The camp only had mortals, there was nothing much in exterminating the purebloods.

Walking out of the valley, the workers in the field noticed Cain, he was wearing a partially destroyed robe.

"Hey, you! A damn mixed blood dares come here?"

Cain had long stopped using the thousand-faced spider to change his face, he looked like a mixed blood through and through. He stared at the field while he continued to walk forward.

The pure-bloods didn't know him, and neither did the villagers who were now no more than slaves.

Drawing his sword, one pureblood ran at Cain seeing the stranger didn't stop his advances. Before he could attack he fell over, he tried to stand up but found he couldn't.

Looking down at his legs, the pureblood noticed his feet were severed by a thin string. The pain set in and he screamed, causing the entire camp to grow alert. With his use done, Cain moved his finger and the pure blood died, his head rolling into the field.

At the gate, tens of purebloods came out with their weapons drawn. The onlooking mixed bloods in the fields started to feel something in their hearts. That feeling grew a thousandfold once Cain moved his finger and the order of the world seemed to shift.

For the first time since any of the slaves could remember, the Pure Bloods who ruled with absolute power had their heads flying before one of their own. How was it possible?

Tears swelled when reality sunk in. They weren't dreaming.

It didn't take long for Cain to kill everyone in the camp, they were mortals after all.

He came back and freed the men in chains. Each of them looked at him, their tears drying. Each one had looks of admiration and deep gratitude, as they were freed they were silent, bowing and heading into the camp to help the women.

'Heh, I haven't seen gazes like this since Netherane. It's a good feeling.'

When Cain came to the last man, once freed the man didn't head into the camp but spoke abruptly to Cain.

"I only came to this village recently, I am a traveler. Lord, may I know your name?"

Cain thought for a moment before taking out the compass, the mixed blood became fearful seeing the skull. Cain noticed the compass pointing to the man and crushed it, its use was done.

He then took out the scroll he had been carrying for so long and handed it to the mixed blood, saying, "This is for you."

"For me?"

Cain made up a half-truth, "Call it fate, I haven't opened it because it is not meant for me."

The man became serious and nodded, people became like this when Destiny was called upon, it was a natural reaction. The man knew Cain wasn't lying, he had already proved so by killing all the purebloods. 

He opened the scroll and his eyes widened for a moment before becoming resolute as if he had seen something incredibly important. He then took something from within the scroll and handed it to Cain.

It was a small jade.

"Benefactor, the scroll says this is for you. Fate is strange indeed." He gave a wide smile.

Cain took the jade from the man and immediately realized what it was.

'Heavenly Jade! And so much heavenly energy is in it! This is enough for a long while, perhaps even to the Fusion Stage!'

The man then spoke again, "Benefactor, the scrolls also say you need a place to settle down for a while. Is this true?"

Cain's face was hard to read, "That is true."

"Then can you stay here? The scroll says to make a settlement in this valley, I can do all the work but can you stay as a deterrence?"

Cain felt something click in his head. He nodded, "Sure."

"Excellent! Please, follow me, I will explain to the others."

Cain followed the man and entered the camp. In its center, a group of women and men burned down the houses. In some, you could hear the cries of babies. The men cursed while the women wept, they all have been through much.

The man Cain freed spoke to the people and by the end, they nodded silently. He then turned back to Cain.

"I almost forgot Benefactor, I am Francis, once a traveler, but now someone with a purpose." His expression was of bliss, of innocence Cain knew all too well. He has met many people as such, and they all had terrible ends.

...

Time passed, and Cain watched the valley slowly grow. More and more people joined and the valley became even more lively.

Everyone treated Cain as the valley master, even though he spent most of his time in seclusion.

During this time, he grew a beard and his hair became long and unruly, he looked like a vagrant once more, but no one minded his uncleanliness and treated him with great respect.

Cain had connected the strings but still didn't assume anything.

The only strange thing about the valley was what people did at night every month. During this time, the mixed bloods would hunt demons, at first they were weak demons but soon they hunted stronger prey.

After the hunts, they would do strange rituals and some of the members of the hunt would gain the characteristics of the demons hunted. Since the valley was surrounded by a mountain range, there were many mystical creatures, demons included.

A knock at the door resounded in Cain's abode and he went to open it, on the other side was Francis and someone Cain didn't know, but they seemed familiar.

"Valley Lord, I wanted you to meet my friend, I have known him since he was a kid. His name is Fletcher."

The man named Fletcher bowed, "I have heard of you from Francis. The pleasure is mine! I'll work hard!"

Cain amicably smiled, "That's good, I hope you do well."