A New Direction (2/3)

??? POV:

I gazed at the black ink that dripped from the nib of the feather quill. It left blotches of darkness that soaked into the brown paper, spreading out in a manner that was unable to hold its insatiable desire to devour everything.

I pursed my lips and blew on it. I watched it leave a wet, dark brownish trail behind as it scurried across the page. It rolled onwards until eventually coming to a stop; no longer a puddle of darkness—just a shell of its former self was all that remained. There was still a quarter of the page left, but it could no longer complete its journey.

How sad.

I shifted the piece of paper to the side and turned my attention toward a letter that required my signature. The contents weren't important. It was only a trivial request from a lesser man than myself.

I signed it and called in my maid, Christina. She was an unmatched beauty within my estate, and her body was something directly out of a man's fantasy. My gaze swept over her spotless skin, long eyelashes, curvy body and that fantastic bum she kept hidden so well. The only letdown was her breasts—they weren't up to a satisfactory level.

'Hmm.'

Christina's only role here was to be my maid and act as a maid would. I suppose some would consider her very fortunate compared to many women of a similar age. She was a purchase I was proud of. However, she couldn't please me. Instead, I used her as my initiator; to get myself geared on if you will.

Saliva wet my lips as my tongue ran across the thin fatty folds of flesh. I needed to see her; I couldn't contain myself much longer. I got out of my seat and darted down to the dungeon below. Each step I took drew me closer to that euphoric feeling I could only experience with her.

My heartbeat raced while I kicked open the dungeon door, well below the estate, and looked at my treasure. I couldn't stop the saliva from dripping down the sides of my mouth as my pupils dilated. The appearance of such beauty was so sublime a shiver ran down my spine.

Chains locked her arms and ankles in place as she hung in the air. Her clothes were mostly torn, revealing the scars scattered across her pale skin. Luscious dark green hair reached all the way down to her knees, hiding parts of her body in an alluring way.

The sound of my thumping heart echoed throughout the chamber as I drew near to my sleeping beauty. I caressed her wounded cheek before forcibly lifting her head up. I watched her eyes squint open while I struggled to contain this feeling of pleasure.

"...Please... Stop..."

I gripped her neck and slammed her back against the stone wall. The contortion of her facial muscles, the breath that was forced out of her lungs, followed by the sweet sound of pain. Oh, how I revelled in the sweet woes of such bliss!

"...Keuk!"

Her cute eyes that squinted while she panted. The way she looked at me with such coldness.

'Yes...Yes... YES!!'

I pulled out the wooden whip from a nearby cabinet and attacked her in a flurry. Her screams were drowned out by the sound of my own screams of delight. By the time I came to my senses, her blood had drenched the whip a dark shade of red. It trickled down her legs, creating a small puddle below.

This puddle would indeed dry, but the stain would remain. The stain would be a reminder that this insatiable desire can be satisfied once more.

"Ugh... Please..."

My eyes curved upwards as I grabbed her bloodied cheek and pressed my lips against hers. She had no energy to struggle, no energy to refuse my advances. I stuck my tongue inside her mouth and grabbed hers with it. I bit down hard as tears sprouted from her eyes like a budding chrysanthemum.

Blood filled her mouth while I moved away licking my lips. Watching her cough and splutter as blood decorated the ground below sent further chills down my spine. My arms wrapped around my body as I twisted it like a spring, celebrating this feast with sublime pleasure.

"Magnificent!"

I yelled as I spun around in front of her. My feet came to a stop and the smile on my face reduced in size—it was time. The urge had been temporarily fulfilled. The itch had been temporarily relieved. Her eyes looked at me helplessly, begging for my mercy.

"Be grateful I bought you all those years ago. That pervert wanted to groom you and make you his wife, but I saved you. Yes, I was that knight in shining armour riding on a horse. I was the hero who heard your cry. Am I not merciful? Am I not kind? You kept your pride as a woman. Wouldn't your dead parents be happy? Thank me. Thank me for saving you!!"

Her bloodied body shook with what I could only describe as admiration and elation. After hearing such a speech, how could anyone not feel moved? She even bit her trembling lip in a way to seduce me further; I could tell. I was sure of it. But I had my fill for today—if I went too hard, she'd break. Who could replace her? Christina? Not a chance.

"...Thank... you..."

Tears of joy rolled down her cheeks as her head slumped forward. I told you she was grateful. I knew her better than anyone else. She had lived down here alone for many, many years now.

The corners of my lips rose, and I turned around. I felt so liberated, so free; it was wonderful. I closed the door to the chamber and locked it securely. My hand stroked the door lightly as I struggled to part ways from my love.

"I'll be back soon, my dear."

I walked away with a bounce in my step. Tomorrow was going to be a great day.

***

Brunaulf POV:

I rested my back against the tree while carefully examining the surrounding. The scenery was already unfamiliar to me—there wasn't this much greenery in the South of Outer Astril.

'...'

I used this time to catch my breath while planning out what my next move should be.

Outer Astril was surrounded by a large body of water only connected to Inner Astril via a long, wide bridge. As a result, crossing over the border wasn't easy, whether it was through smuggling, by air or by water; the Border Patrol would always be waiting on the other side as an obstacle. It was why people say it's easier to get into Outer Astril rather than get out of it.

I had chosen to cross the border by travelling underwater, which was now an option thanks to my ability, but I vastly underestimated the strength of the Border Patrol. They weren't regular soldiers; they were trained. Many of them were at the upper Shin to Monzen stage and didn't think twice about cutting a person down. Dead bodies were kicked back into the water with no remorse for their loved ones.

"He should be nearby! I'm in charge of you trainees today, so don't let him reach the city!"

They had caught up to me faster than I expected. In order to reach this small forest, I had fought a few of them off while concealing my identity as best as I could. However, the longer I fought, the more backup they began to receive, so I fled once more.

Dozens of footsteps thundered by as I pulled the hood deeper over my forehead. I took out the card I had received from the informant and examined it closely.

"There is no separation between you and I,

A map of networks I help keep alive,

Some use me for courage, Some use me for strength,

They say people in unison are often on the same wavelength.

What am I?"

The card had come with a letter explaining that my sister was still alive, but I would have to meet them in person in order to get more details. They explained that the card would show me the way once I made it into Inner Astril.

'...An artifact.'

The informant hadn't sent me a map but a riddle instead. Therefore, it was only logical to assume that the card was some type of rare artifact that could provide directions to the meeting place. As for the riddle itself, the answer was simple.

"The heart."

The card glowed dimly, and certain words were bolded out from the rest. It looked something like this:

There is no *separation* between you and I,

A *map* of *networks* I help keep alive,

Some use me for *courage*, Some use me for *strength*,

They say people in *unison* are often on the same wavelength.

What am I?

This hadn't happened when I spoke out the answer in Outer Astril. I wasn't sure what to do next, so I touched each bolded word separately.

"P-Please... Have mercy! Have mer–"

"M-monsters...! Everybody run!!"

I heard the chilling screams of people dying around me as they tried to escape the forest in search of the nearest city. I wanted to help, but I couldn't risk putting my life in danger anymore. My life... wasn't just my own.

I knew what the people running away were thinking. If they could just make it to the city, the Border Patrol wouldn't be able to act as boldly. They were right to a certain degree.

Public opinion would most likely fall, however, the situation between the two sides of Astril still wouldn't improve. How could it when the man who wanted it to be this way was the king himself?

'!'

A transparent window containing a map within it flashed in front of my eyes. It wasn't overly detailed, but it provided simple directions from my current location to the place where I needed to be.

This artifact most likely cost a fortune, and that bothered me. What was the identity of the informant? Why did they reach out to me? Ultimately, it didn't matter. My sister's life was on the line, and it was my responsibility to fix what I had done wrong.

I darted through the forest, avoiding the Border Patrol guards as best as I could while following the directions shown on the small window-sized map. I manipulated the currents of wind, streamlining myself in order to gain more speed while I dashed across the vast plains that stood between me and a nearby city indicated on the map.

The more time I spent in Inner Astril, the more anxious I began to feel. I worried about the condition of my little sister, I worried about what our dead parents would think of me, and I worried whether this informant wanted to waste my time...

Foreign feelings slowly resurfaced inside of me, and it was scary.

'...Was this how I made other people feel?'

I clenched my teeth and sped up. It took around 25 minutes of running at my top speed to finally see the hallmarks of civilization break through the horizon line.

Truthfully, I would have reached this point a lot faster if I used my ability, but I had to take into account any unforeseen events. While my Ki reserves were on the larger side of the spectrum, that didn't translate directly into my ability.

Madness was a limited resource that needed time to replenish. In my case, I had a ridiculously large amount of it, but it was still much less than the quantity of Ki I held. I theorized that as I ascended the Ki Stages, the Madness would also see growth in terms of its resource. However, I was still new to this, so all I could do was wait and see.

I glanced at the blinking map as my position was constantly updated. It showed that there was a village nearby, and I contemplated whether I should gather some intel first.

'...'

I decided not to take any detours. It was risky, but I had no time to spare. Paths began to form and converge across the plains, creating roads that seemed to be regularly used.

'This isn't good.'

If these roads were for the purpose of trade, then it was likely that the city ahead would have soldiers on standby at the entrance. I wouldn't be able to go through normally; I was positive that they'd stop me to ask questions.

I examined the card again but couldn't find anything out of the ordinary. The informant must have expected this situation to happen, so I wondered if they had prepared any countermeasures. But then again, why would they?

I pondered over what I should do as my speed gradually slowed down. The city walls towered over the surrounding area, and I could barely make out a large gate in the middle.

I abruptly came to a halt as I ascended a nearby hill to get a better view of what was happening. Horses pulled carriages, while wagons of goods were covered and secured with ropes. Merchants conversed with each other, and other people seemed to be enjoying the scenery as the line that had built up moved slowly.

'!'

The map blinked three times after updating my position, and the riddle appeared again. The word 'map' had become greyed out while the other words were still in bold.

'I see. How advanced.'

I had a theory. If I didn't choose to stop and instead somehow navigated through the city gate without using force, I believe the map would have stayed active. In other words, the artifact was not only keeping track of my location but also assessing my actions in real time.

But then why didn't any of the other bolded words activate when I was hiding in the forest? I could make a strong case for courage, strength, unison or even separation being appropriate words for that situation.

I narrowed my eyes as I stood on top of the hill. The only other explanation was that this was the true starting point.

"The informant... They plan on testing me."

I sighed inwardly while I moved my finger over the bolded words once more. It looked like I'd have no choice but to play along.