There was hardly any resemblance to the little kitten Xavier had seen emerge from the Unknown Egg after Xavier integrated more Soul Essences into Umbra. His little companion underwent several growth spurts. The little ball of fluff now had sharper teeth, stronger bones, and his purple eyes shone even more brightly. Earlier, he was just a cute little black kitten, but now he had grown considerably, reaching the height of an average Shih Tzu. Coupled with the increase in height and weight, Umbra also grew more adventurous and daring.
Once he adapted to the increase in his Foundation, Umbra revealed his power as a natural predator. Umbra jumped through shadows and coated its claws in darkness to slit through his enemies’ necks before they could respond. Lurking in the shadows and stealthily moving ahead without making a sound to pounce on his prey was becoming his specialty.
Xavier had been a little bit reluctant about going out to hunt with Umbra, but the Nightshade Panther was too excited. He didn’t accept a no as he nagged Xavier about going out.
Xavier paid attention to his Soulbonds as they hunted Kobolds near the settlement. He was ready to jump into action if his help was needed. However, instead of being forced to act, Xavier had it easy. He watched Umbra jump happily through the shades in the forest like he was born in the shadows. Umbra’s eyes would turn into slits, and he would hide in the shadows, letting the unsuspecting enemy come close and then jump gracefully with his claws extended, slicing through the Kobolds like sharp, pointy blades.
Glut wanted to emit a massive fireball and take them all out in one go, but Xavier insisted that he let Umbra hunt a little. It was interesting to see Umbra sharpen his hunting skills while Xavier leaned on a tree trunk, watching the surroundings for any surprise attack. Umbra would make a low rumbling sound, not quite like a purr but more like a growl of satisfaction after each of his kills would fall to the ground to never get up again. Cats were natural predators, so Umbra relied on his instincts to nab his enemies. However, Xavier suddenly wondered if Umbra was getting too high on bloodlust.
He did not want to take away his companion's joy, but Umbra seemed too happy and excited to kill. As much as Xavier wanted Umbra to learn to take down enemies, he did not want him to become a killing machine.
Umbra’s Foundation increased rapidly, and it was not long before Xavier began to wonder if Umbra was strong enough to defeat some of the Combat Card Holders in the settlement. Xavier was certain that the little kitten could kill enemies with a Foundation several times higher than his as long as he had the element of surprise.
After all the Kobolds were killed, Xavier signaled Glut and Umbra to return. Glut flapped his wings and perched himself on Xavier’s shoulder while Umbra still peered at the bushes, waiting for some Kobold to show up so he could kill him.
“You finished them all, now it is time to go home.” Xavier reminded a disgruntled Umbra, who let out a meow of disapproval but began following them nonetheless.
When the trio reached the settlement, Xavier instantly sensed that something was off. People seemed to be talking to each other and whispering worriedly. He made his way through the crowd and saw the grim faces of his family and the others. Zora gave him a small smile when she saw Umbra return with him, traces of blood and bits of flesh sticking to his fur.
Umbra began playing with Zora’s Sparrows, chasing them but not trying to pounce on them after Xavier reminded him sternly not to hurt them. Glut let out a disapproving chirp but settled on Xavier’s shoulder, giving Umbra a smug look. Umbra was blissfully unaware of Glut’s disapproval as he jumped up and down, chasing the Sparrows that circled him.
Xavier focused on the meeting after ensuring Umbra would not hurt the Sparrows.
It had almost been a week since the attack of the Behemoth. The cryptic message left everybody stunned, and the leaders sent the best scout to the settlement to track down Behemoth’s settlement. The footprints had been misleading, and it seemed at first that the Behemoth was going in circles. It was only then that they realized that it was a trick to fool them from finding the monster’s hideout.
Following that, another group of scouts who relied on scents and dug deeper into the forest to find clues got a lead after three days of meticulous searching. Their search ended roughly fifteen kilometers from Haven, where they found a vast outer wall constructed around a few houses.
“So, you mean, they were hiding a huge Behemoth in that settlement all this time, and we never noticed it?” Mark Vador asked the reporting scout.
“Seems like it. However, I don’t know the answer to how they did it. But there were no thriving human settlements this close to us before.” The scout, a young man in his 20s, answered.
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“What is left to discuss? I say that we just kill them all.” Xavier’s grandmother muttered, looking angry.
A general murmur of agreement resonated within the other survivors, but the Butcher pointed out.
“We are not sure if all of them are bad people. What if they took in weak humans to do their bidding? We need more information before making a decision.”
He then asked the scout, “Do you have a rough estimate of how many people live in that settlement?”
The scout scratched his head. “We could not get any closer because a lot was happening near the settlement's outskirts.”
Xavier noticed the scout’s voice change when he said that line.
“What was happening exactly?”
The young man let out a sigh.
“To say that it was a human settlement is completely wrong. It was as if humans there had lost their last shred of humanity and had become barbarians. I saw a few humans, weak and sickly, that had chains around their hands and legs. They were scavenging for wood and dead animals in the wild, forcing decaying meat down their throat because they were too hungry. Then…I saw a few stronger men forcing themselves on others, men and women alike, just because they could. It was harrowing.”
His last two lines left the listeners stunned.
Mark walked forward, gently squeezed his shoulder, and said, “You have nothing to worry about. We all are civilized here. Nobody would ever stay alive if anybody here tried to get any ideas.”
His gaze roamed through the crowd, most of whom were afraid to meet his gaze.
Silvia offered the scout a glass of water, which he finished hastily before continuing.
“It is as if the humans in that settlement think of themselves as God. I saw a buff man torture another man because he stole a stale piece of bread. He had a giant, spiked whip with which he attacked until his back looked like minced meat. The stronger man kept whipping for some silly reason until his victim passed out. He then kicked the body and moved on to find someone else to torture. It was a cold-blooded murder carried out in broad daylight.”
He finished and was met with stunned silence again.
Xavier had a grim look on his face as he recalled the night when he found the intruders trying to molest women. It seemed like their entire leadership was filled with power-hungry and depraved humans. Only due to a lucky coincidence did he find them before they could harm his people. But luck would not favor him all the time.
After hearing his report, Zora Vador repeated, “As I said, we must take them out before they come at us. There is no other option.”
The crowd began whispering again as someone asked. “But what if they have stronger Cards and more monsters like the Behemoth? We would be slaughtered even before we make a move.”
Zora thought about it for a while.
“I am not saying we attack them right away. But we have to try finding out more about their strengths and weaknesses, numbers, and possible Cards they have. I also suggest that those on patrol duty take turns trying to gather more information now that we know about their location. But ensure you stay hidden and leave no traces leading back to Haven. Meanwhile, Card Holders and our front line of attackers should start preparing for battle.”
Zora summarized, though a few were still hesitant after the Behemoth bulldozed its way through most of them.
And it was good not to be overconfident and take the opponent lightly.
After some back-and-forth, they reached a consensus that Zora’s suggestion was the only logical one.
Initially, a few were hesitant to attack fellow humans, but they came around after hearing just how cruel those humans could be to their loved ones.
The new world changed much more than the food chain. It affected everyone's mind as well. However, it didn't change that humans would fight each other. That has always been the case...and it always will. Greed and desire were not emotions that everyone could control after all. However, those who could control themselves perfectly....they were even more dangerous. ...
**
Following Zora’s advice, more and more people decided to take a look at this barbaric human settlement for themselves. They would take turns climbing up high on the trees and taking cover of the dense thicket to observe the scene from an elevated spot. And what they saw with their own eyes was even more ghastly than the scout’s retelling.
It looked like the stronger humans found joy in torturing the weak and innocent. Anybody who tried to raise a voice was silenced immediately and killed in the most gruesome way possible. Their bodies were left to rot in the open that attracted insects and birds.
The slaves had hollow eyes and were almost reduced to skin and bones as they worked throughout the day while the strong ones spent their time bossing around and obliterating anyone who they didn’t like.
It was time to pluck the root of the problem.