Decision

Zane waited for some time after greeting the book and kept staring at it. But no matter how intensely he stared, no words appeared after the last sentence. His face went red. "Stupid book, can't even return the greeting." He quickly turned the page.

[So you do want to live! Good! Then read carefully from now on, as I will be telling you how you can survive. If you want to survive, become a seeker!]

[One can become a seeker by consuming a heart core. There are two different ways one can gain a core. The popular one being following a god and receiving gifts from them. Although it is not as easy now as before when it was practically raining cores. The people who control the churches of the gods now determine those worthy of getting the cores now. This method is the "orthodox" method of seeking. It also comes with less risks and the abilities one gain are determined by the gods they follow.]

[The second method is, consuming a heart core of a mutant beast! One can become a seeker using this method, but there are many risks! As the type of abilities one can gain by seeking depends upon various factors like personality, experiences and affinity of the seeker, if the element of the beast core doesn't match the consumer, they can explode from within and die instantly! Hahaha!]

Zane's face contorted, "Why the fuck is he laughing after saying that...."

[Ahem! Another risk of using this method is that, it is actually banned by the churches. They justify this by saying seeking without being under an authority of a God is going against them. Well, these are only minor risks hahahha no need to fret about them!]

"Minor risks!?? Exploding and dying is a minor risk to you?" Zane screamed at the book. *Cough Cough Cough* He coughed a mouthful of blood once again.

[Hahaha! Well the reason I suggest you become a seeker is simple. When one initiates seeking, they go through a transformation. Going through the first stage, Heart Core Transformation, your body will transform and the wounds should heal, thus, saving your life.]

"It 'should' heal? So this is only theoretical?" Zane raised his eyebrow.

[Haha.... Gifts! For the new owner of the book, I have prepared a few gifts. One is in the drawer of this table, you can take it out right now.]

Zane opened the drawer and peeked inside. There was nothing in the drawer except a round rock. He picked up the rock and looked at it carefully. "A gift? This is just a normal rock! What a scammer!" He threw the rock on the ground in his anger.

"HELLO" Suddenly, someone greeted Zane with a very deep voice. Zane quickly turned his head and looked towards the entrance. But there was no one there. Then he slowly looked at the rock he threw on the ground. The rock had grown a mouth. He picked up the rock and looked at the diary.

[Isn't it wonderful!? This is one of my best creations! I call it the "Greeting Rock". It can talk when you throw it on a surface! It can only say hello though....Hahahaha I hope you find it useful!]

"One of his best creation...." Zane looked at the rock once more. He was growing more skeptic about the title of the best researcher and genius. He put the rock on the table and continued reading.

[Now, for the second gift, I've prepared a beast for you.... If you tilt the torch, a secret passage will open up. The passage leads near a cave where a Shadowbane Beast resides. A Shadowbane Beast is nearly immortal and it barely leaves it's lair. So, if it is still there, you can kill it and consume its core! That brings me to the third and final gift.]

[The final gift is this research lab! Yes! You can claim this grand research lab for your own! Hahaha! I've even prepared a few "recipes" for relics you can make from the parts of the Shadowbane Beast. Now go and kill that beast! I'll be waiting~]

Zane closed the book after reading the last sentence. "Shadowbane Beast... I wonder what kind of beast it is.." He walked towards the torch burning with a blue flame and pulled on it. *Thud* A passage started opening on the middle of the wall. "Wow.. A passage really did open..." Zane stared at the passage for some time.

"Haah... Why should I risk my life and go kill some beast based on a theory. I'll just return to the town and get treated by Mrs. Callie. She used to be a nurse in the city after all!" Making his decision, he walked towards the entrance of the room he came from. He stopped suddenly, "How should I go up the hole..."

---

A bloody hand suddenly appeared on a destroyed black wooden floor. "Haah" Zane forcefully pulled his body upwards and lay on the ground. *Cough Cough* 'Damn it...That was harder than I expected...' Zane had climbed the hole using the rocks and his hunting knife as support. By the time he reached the surface, It was already noon. He picked himself up forcefully and looked around the house. He walked towards a pillar and tied the rope he had on it tightly, then he threw the rope inside the hole. "Done... Now I can go down safely..." He then walked out of the charred house. He immediately put his hands in front of his eyes due to the sudden sunlight.

"Finally, I can return to the town and meet Val..." A thin smile crept up his face after thinking about his sister. He walked towards the forest and stopped after reaching the point where the leader died. Walking towards where he had dropped the twin daggers, he found them and picked them up. After tucking both the daggers in his bloodied trousers, Zane finally headed towards his town.

---

Zane was dragging himself through the town with a panicked expression, he noticed that almost all of the town's buildings had collapsed. After going on like this for a while, he noticed blood all over the ground. His face fell, "No.... Everyone..." Walking a bit further, he saw something reflecting the violet moonlight on top of the last blood patch. His eyes widened and he fell down on his knees. "No...." He picked up the shiny object from the blood patch. It was the hairpin that Zane's parents had gifted Valentina on her first birthday. "No... Val.... No.. this can't be right... why was she in the town... how...." Tears started rolling down from Zane's cheeks. "VAL!!!", he clenched the hairpin and screamed.

Zane wiped his tears with his arms. "Val...", he uttered his sister's name, his mouth drooping down. Standing up suddenly, his expression was full of rage, but his black eyes reflected determination. "God of Mayhem..." Zane clenched his fist and turned back to the forest he came from.