Kroooar—The Void Awaits
As soon as they reached the pass, the scorching desert heat that had built up vanished without a trace, replaced by a bone-chilling cold that cut straight to the marrow.
“Hoo……”
Adel pushed aside the memories that had briefly surfaced and wrapped the clothes Nazan had given him tighter around his body.
“Even after decades, this cold is still vicious. You never really get used to it.”
He muttered under his breath. Clack-clack— Rolling a few heat stones in his palm, he started walking again. They weren't lit, but they still gave off a comforting warmth.
Once I enter the cave inside the pass, it'll get even colder…… Better save them for now.
It wasn't deadly cold yet. But inside Kalderet's temple? That was a different story—a cold that could kill. The place was void incarnate, a space where even temperature seemed to cease existing.
“But first……”
Adel crouched low.
[Grrraaawwl……]
A low vibration rumbled through the ground, like the earth itself was trembling.
“Gotta take this one down.”
In his line of sight, coiled up and sleeping at the pass entrance, loomed a massive centipede—the Kurukwi.
Creaaak— Adel slowly drew back the bowstring.
One shot.
Thwaaang—!!!!!
A sharp whistle sliced through the air. Just as he'd expected, the arrow from the shortbow flew at an astonishing speed. But the recoil from the string was weaker than anticipated.
As I thought.
Adel nodded in satisfaction. The shortbow's frame, a gift from Hien to Nazan in his childhood, bent with the flexibility of a swallow in flight. Fittingly named Yo-yeon—Waist Swallow—it was far from ordinary. Unknown runes were etched into the limbs.
Crack—!!!
[Kyaaaaak……!!!]
The arrow shattered the Kurukwi's shell. He'd aimed for the joint, but Yo-yeon's shot ridiculously punched straight through the monster's chitinous armor in one blow.
“Even better than I expected.”
Adel couldn't help but smirk at the bow's power. Sure, the bows he'd used in his previous life were leagues beyond this, but acquiring a weapon like this at this stage was a massive stroke of luck.
Nazan probably thinks I have no idea about the blessing hidden in this bow……
Adel gripped the frame tightly. The runes etched on Yo-yeon belonged to Kindel, the low god of the hunt, and invoking his power was child's play for Adel.
[Kak! Kak!! Kyakak!!!]
One arrow, and the Kurukwi let out an agonized screech. As it thrashed wildly, the other centipedes coiled nearby awoke, kicking up a chaotic racket.
“Perfect.”
Adel rose slowly. Having confirmed the bow's power, he was confident he could clear the inner pass faster and safer than in his previous life.
“Great Hunter Ron said the most important thing in a hunt is never taking your eyes off the prey.”
Around a dozen Kurukwi were in view.
“And Brhilga of the Moonadan said to never show mercy in the moment of the kill.”
Creaaaak— Adel drew the bowstring again.
“But from my experience, none of that's what really matters.”
There was only one universal truth in any hunt.
Thwaang……!!!!
The arrow tore through the air like a blade.
“It's just being stronger than your prey.”
[Kyaaaaak!!!!!!]
Father said he took down ten Kurukwi here during his own childhood rite.
Adel's eyes gleamed as he listened to the screech. He wondered what face Hien would make seeing his record broken. The Baekgwi—Hundred Ghosts—mark that no one had ever reached. It was about to be rewritten.
* * *
Thwip—!!!
Adel's arrow struck the last Kurukwi dead between the eyes.
[Keeek!!!]
With a piercing scream, its head exploded.
“Whew…… These things wear you out.”
Even the light shortbow felt heavy now. Adel exhaled wearily as the patterns on the frame flickered faintly and faded. Only then did he slump to the ground.
“Using a low god's power takes it out of you like this. Makes you appreciate how insane Kalderet is.”
God's blessings could infuse a mage's spells, a priest's prayers, or a warrior's blade. Jensha, god of elements, amplified attributes; Balgaron, god of magic, boosted mana. Priests varied by their faith, their divine power shaped by their chosen deity. Warriors were the same—gods like Yogon of blades, Kindel of the hunt, Shalek of fury directly aided combat, but even gods of speed or endurance could empower them.
Low god Kindel values courage. Courage that can't be measured in numbers feeds on action to grant strength.
Not fleeing from prey. No hesitation in attack. Actions that all demanded courage.
Great Hunter Ron said never take your eyes off the prey because he contracted with Kindel and held his blessing dear.
Ron earned his title with just a low god's grace. But Adel was different. Countless gods ruled the continent, ranked by power, but none would deny Kalderet stood above them all.
The power of the void.
The power to reduce all to nothing. Even gods weren't exempt from Kalderet's dominion. That was the biggest reason Adel could hunt gods in his previous life.
In this life, with your power, I'll reach even greater heights.
He gave a wry smile. The terror those Kurukwi had instilled during his first visit for the childhood rite lingered even now. Back then, they were pure nightmare; now, mere fodder. Over ten corpses lay before him. Already, Adel Temir's future had changed.
“This should do it.”
With trembling excitement, he hurriedly harvested the Kurukwi nuclei. Skillfully dismantling the monsters, he extracted the clean cores—proof of his rite's success.
[Ker…… Ker……]
Mid-harvest, one Kurukwi rasped faintly. On the brink of death, yet it stared at Adel with trembling eyes, as if sensing its end.
“Ngh—”
Adel bound it with rope.
Kuuuuh……
Then hurled it down the pass with all his might.
* * *
Shiiiing—!!
Sliding down the near-vertical slope, Adel barely caught his footing and spotted the fallen Kurukwi.
[Ker…… Ker……]
He severed its neck cleanly.
[……Kak!!]
With a final death cry, the body went limp, twitching. Red blood splattered thickly onto the ground.
Hummmm……
As the corpse hit the earth, faint patterns glowed beneath Adel's feet.
The void is absence. And for Kalderet, the absence of life ranks highest. To open his temple's door, a life must be offered.
In his past life, falling here had nearly killed him. Bleeding out on death's door, his spilled blood had awakened the gate. Pure luck.
I didn't die. It wasn't a perfect sacrifice. Maybe the whim of an ancient god long imprisoned.
Conditions for divine contracts seemed impossibly harsh, yet simple once understood.
It opened.
As the glow faded, Adel spotted the entrance at the base.
Gulp— He swallowed dryly without realizing.
A god's whim. Unpredictable, beyond any contract's terms. Like saving him on the brink last time, it might swing either way now.
* * *
Step— Step— Step—
Adel entered the temple. It was utterly empty.
Coming back, it's still the same…… No wonder it's the god of the void. What a boring place.
“Hm?”
Pausing midway, Adel scanned around. In his past life, he'd crawled in half-dead, too focused on survival to notice details. Now, the temple felt…… off. Empty due to Kalderet's nature, sure. But……
Having hunted gods through his power, Adel knew their temples reflected their essence.
Something's wrong. Unless it was destroyed, even a god of non-desire wouldn't leave their temple barren……
Temples were a god's sole anchor to the continent. They needed at least a symbol—a statue, a treasure.
[Who dares enter my temple.]
As he reached the center, a low voice echoed from the darkness.
A sleek black wolf. Its glossy fur gleamed; crimson eyes glared hungrily at Adel.
“Finally.”
Adel stared toward the voice.
“Kalderet.”
[……Do you seek death?]
His old comrade and contractor reacted fiercely, no memory of their bond.
[A mere human dares utter my name.]
Adel's shoulders trembled faintly. Natural—facing a god. The continent's eldest ancient god, no less. The body didn't lie. Intellectually known, but instinct screamed danger, urging survival.
Shiiiing— The chilling killing intent vanished.
[Intriguing. Worth a conversation. No one's reached this place before. How did you find it?]
“I……”
Adel pondered his words.
[I see. You are the one once bound to me.]
But before he could speak, Kalderet continued as if already knowing.