[Cold morning breeze]
[Soft chirping of birds in the distance]
[A faint rustling passing between the rocks]
Arjun opened his eyes in the morning.
There was no new world waiting before him—only the same world he had known before, but somehow, it seemed a little less terrifying.
The red rain that had continued throughout the night had finally stopped.
The sky was clear.
The sunlight was weak, but there was a strange warmth in it, as if someone had finally shown mercy to this desolate land after a very long time.
Arjun first glanced toward his temporary cave-like shelter.
Then he checked his bag.
The water flask.
The black iron spike.
The rusty dagger.
And the sapphire-like gemstone wrapped in cloth.
Everything was still in its place.
He gave his body a slight shake and stood up.
The power that had awakened inside him yesterday was still with him.
There was a new steadiness in his body.
His steps were more balanced than before.
His breathing was deeper.
And the biggest change of all?
The fear inside him was no longer the same.
He now knew that he was not weak.
At least…
Not completely.
[Sound of clothes rustling]
The moment Arjun stepped out of his cave-like shelter, he looked into the distance.
There, under the dim morning light, Virbhadra’s group was already moving forward.
Going with them…
That was his next step.
Arjun turned around once and looked back at the ruined city.
The place where he had spent so many nights in fear was now being left behind.
It felt strange.
As if the door of a locked cage had finally opened— but the air outside was not completely safe either.
Still…
He started walking.
[Footsteps]
As soon as he joined the group, Arjun noticed the difference in their behavior.
They were not particularly close to one another, but there was discipline in the way they moved.
Everyone had their own position.
Their own pace.
Their own bag.
And their own hunger.
Arjun remained silent.
He never spoke unnecessarily in a new place.
First, he observed.
Then, he understood.
That habit was what had kept him alive until now.
After some time, the group settled into a steady traveling pace.
They were moving farther away from the ruined city.
The scent of the ancient curse still lingered in the air, but slowly, hard earth, dry grass, and open fields began to appear.
Here and there stood withered trees.
Broken stones.
And hills that looked impossibly ancient.
Around noon, Arjun noticed that the group kept stopping at certain places along the way.
They inspected broken structures, half-collapsed ruins, and the remains of buildings that must once have been secure homes.
Arjun understood.
They were searching for something.
[Sound of a hand striking wood]
At one such place, the group stopped.
The Cruel Vṛṣabha threw the bag from his shoulder onto the ground.
His leg was still injured from the blow Arjun had dealt him, but he continued to endure the pain.
His eyes remained the same— bitter, filled with hatred, and burning with anger.
Again and again, he looked at Arjun as if he were waiting for the right moment to crush him.
Arjun noticed his gaze.
But he showed no reaction.
That was his habit.
Read the enemy.
Assess his strength.
And remain silent until action became necessary.
On the other side stood their leader, Virbhadra.
He did not speak much.
But when he did, there was weight in his voice.
One look at him was enough to tell Arjun that this man was no ordinary bandit.
He had experience.
He had discipline.
And above all…
He had control.
Arjun was thinking about him when Virbhadra suddenly turned and looked back.
“Boy,” he said, “are you still with us?”
Arjun nodded but said nothing.
Virbhadra watched him for a moment.
Then he turned forward again.
The group continued traveling throughout the day.
As evening approached, Arjun noticed that they were no longer moving toward the deeper parts of the ruined region.
Instead, they turned toward the remains of an old settlement.
Once they arrived, the group began setting up camp.
[Sound of cloth being spread]
[Sound of ropes being tightened]
[Sound of stakes being driven into the ground]
Six simple tents were erected.
They were not real tents, but thick sheets of tarpaulin stretched over bamboo poles with ropes.
Two swordsmen shared one tent.
Everyone else was given a separate place.
A short while later, one of the men took out a white powder and drew a boundary around the entire camp.
Another lit incense.
A thin, fragrant trail of smoke began spreading around the camp.
Arjun watched everything carefully.
They had created a defensive line.
It seemed that in this world…
even a scent could become a form of protection.
Darkness slowly descended.
From inside the distant city came those strange sounds again— long screams, animal-like growls, and, from time to time, the laughter of something that sounded almost like a ghost.
Arjun noticed that as soon as the darkness became thicker, everyone returned to their respective tents.
Only Virbhadra remained outside.
He looked at Arjun.
Then he pulled a sleeping bag from his pack and threw it toward him.
[Sound of cloth being thrown]
Arjun caught it.
“The incense and powder will work,” Virbhadra said.
“Demons and monstrous beasts won’t come near us tonight.
You’ll be safe.
And Cruel Vṛṣabha won’t do anything foolish.”
Arjun looked into his eyes.
“Why?”
It was the first time he had spoken in a low voice.
Virbhadra paused for a moment.
Then he shrugged.
“You did your job today,” he said.
“And I don’t waste energy on useless things.”
With that, he walked toward his tent.
Arjun remained standing there for a few moments.
To him, this was not kindness.
But it did not feel like selfishness either.
It was a kind of behavior based on some rule of his own.
Arjun looked at the sleeping bag.
Then at himself.
Slowly, he opened the bag and slipped inside.
But he did not completely relax.
He left the zipper half-open.
A small gap remained through which he could keep an eye on the other tents.
[Night wind]
Soft sounds continued to come from inside the camp.
Someone was arranging food sacks.
Someone was laughing.
Someone was taking off his boots.
Then…
everything gradually became quiet.
Arjun remained lying there.
But his eyes were not closed.
He was thinking.
Cruel Vṛṣabha.
Virbhadra.
The rest of the group.
The city boundary.
The Cursed Land.
And the purple gemstone…
the one that now existed inside him.
Time slowly passed.
The night grew deeper.
[Distant wolf-like howls]
[Muted ghostly laughter]
Arjun knew that most of the others were probably asleep now.
But he remained completely alert.
His ears caught every sound.
Then…
he quietly slipped out of the sleeping bag.
So carefully that even his clothes made almost no sound.
He lowered himself to the ground and began crawling.
He had to reach Cruel Vṛṣabha’s tent.
His eyes were cold.
His face was calm.
And every movement reflected the same old habit— eliminate the danger first.
Arjun knew that a potential enemy could never be left unfinished.
He had seen this kind of life many times.
In the settlement.
In the ruins.
If someone intended to strike when given an opportunity…
they had to be stopped before that opportunity came.
That was why he had come here.
With the help of others.
With their trust.
And by taking advantage of Cruel Vṛṣabha’s greed.
He had deliberately traveled with him.
He had helped him find more loot.
Exhausted him.
Made him lower his guard.
And now…
when the man was finally exhausted, it was Arjun’s turn.
Arjun reached the tent.
He stopped for a moment and held his breath.
[Soft breathing]
A snoring sound came from inside.
The man was truly asleep.
Arjun pulled out the black iron spike.
He carefully cut a thin opening in the tent cloth.
[A faint tearing sound]
Then, without making a single word of sound, he slipped inside.
It was dark.
But through the thin fabric of the tent and the faint moonlight outside, he could make out the bed-like space.
Cruel Vṛṣabha was breathing heavily.
His body was exhausted.
The burden of the entire day, his injured leg, and his greed…
all of it had pushed him into a deep sleep.
Arjun looked down at him.
There was no emotion.
No hatred.
No excitement.
Only…
a decision.
He raised the black iron spike and placed it against Cruel Vṛṣabha’s throat.
Then, without hesitation, he pressed down with all his strength.
[Sharp sound of metal piercing flesh]
[Sudden gasp as he wakes]
Cruel Vṛṣabha’s eyes snapped open.
He looked at Arjun’s emotionless face above him.
For one second, disbelief appeared in his eyes.
Then terror.
Then pain.
He tried to scream.
But Arjun’s left hand immediately clamped over his mouth.
[Muffled choking sound]
The wind continued blowing outside the tent.
The distant ghosts continued laughing.
And inside…
a silent struggle continued.
Arjun did not loosen his grip.
He was only counting time.
One second.
Two seconds.
Then ten.
As his struggling weakened, Arjun finally removed his hand.
Cruel Vṛṣabha’s body went limp.
His breathing had stopped.
Arjun took a deep breath.
Then he pulled a poisonous snake’s head wrapped in cloth from his bag.
[Sound of cloth rustling open]
Very carefully, he used it on Vṛṣabha’s body.
Within a short time, there was no sign of life left.
Then Arjun restored the tent.
He moved some of Vṛṣabha’s belongings around, making it appear as though the man had left during the night.
He erased every trace.
Then he quietly slipped back outside.
The night wind touched his face.
It was cold.
Clean.
And it seemed to carry the memory of the murder somewhere far away.
Arjun silently looked up at the sky.
The stars were shining.
The moon was high above.
He took a long breath.
Then he returned to his sleeping bag.
Once inside, he lay down immediately.
There was no longer any tension on his face.
He closed his eyes.
The black iron spike was still in his hand.
Within moments…
he fell asleep.
The next morning, the first rays of sunlight woke him.
[Soft morning bird sounds]
Arjun looked outside.
Cruel Vṛṣabha’s tent was gone.
Arjun instantly became alert.
His eyes swept across the entire camp.
The others were coming out of their tents.
Some looked this way.
Others looked that way.
But no one seemed to understand what had happened.
They all assumed that Cruel Vṛṣabha had gone somewhere alone in search of more loot.
Arjun kept his expression normal.
But then…
Virbhadra looked at him.
His gaze was deep.
“Are you still coming with us?” he asked.
The sentence sounded ordinary.
But the meaning hidden behind it was heavy.
Arjun thought for a moment.
Then he looked toward the ruins.
Then at Virbhadra.
Then at the road they were about to take.
He stepped forward.
Then another step.
A faint, almost invisible smile appeared on Virbhadra’s face.
He turned and began walking.
The others followed him.
And so…
with one fewer member out of the original seven…
the caravan continued forward.
Arjun walked with them.
Along the way, they began talking among themselves.
“This was the test of the Broken God,” one of them said.
“It swallowed the entire city.”
“Another cursed region has appeared,” another said.
“Have you heard about the great city in the north?”
“They say the same thing happened there seven or eight years ago.”
Arjun remained silent.
He listened.
Every word.
Every name.
Every fear.
Then he realized that they were slowly moving beyond the boundary of the Cursed Land.
The air changed.
The cold weakened.
The sky seemed more open.
And for the first time…
Arjun understood how vast the world truly was.
[Gentle wind]
[Distant call of birds]
He was no longer merely a boy from the ruins.
He was on a journey.
A journey that would take him toward great cities, powerful organizations, greater dangers, and perhaps…
his true destiny.
And somewhere far ahead, at the end of that journey…
his name would no longer mean merely “survivor.”
What comes next?What will Arjun learn from Virbhadra’s group?
What will the others think about Cruel Vṛṣabha’s disappearance?
What kind of world awaits them beyond the Cursed Land?
And for Arjun, which challenge will prove to be the greatest— power, food, or trust?