On the morning, two days later, Kaden was preparing to leave. He had cultivated the time and was able to verify his modifactions were indeed acceptable. There was always room for improvement, but for the time being it was going to be fine.

Kaden stood up and walked out of the cellar. He noticed some hunters observing the doorway outside. This made sense, no one would be allowed to go in and they would see when he left.

There was no reason to interact with the villagers any longer and Kaden left the village behind. He still did not go at full speed and moved carefully. The search should be over, but he did not wish to be noticed again. To hide next time, would take some more effort.

The problem about getting back to Saint Empire was that he would have to pass through the front lines somehow. Even if no one was searching for him, he would have to go through area where there were lots of soldiers and everyone was paying attention to their surroundings.

Kaden still had his phone. If he got close enough, it might have some coverage to saints side and he could get something arranged. Perhaps be pointed to a less defended area? Kaden did not want to run into some army with Condensation stage leaders or worse True Magi.

If such a thing happened, he would be doomed.

Therefore he would need information. Otherwise he would have to observe and take a risk. If he could not get contact, this would be his only choice.

“I’ll worry about that when the time comes”, Kaden decided.

There was still several days travel left at his speed. Over that time, Kaden started to indeed run into more Sacronan’s soldiers. None of them appeared to be looking for him, but moving towards the front lines. He had half a mind to sabotage some supplies, but decided there was no need to risk anything. He was perfectly fine with Sacronan and saints killing each other some more. Instead he made sure to avoid these well traveled roads.

As some more time passed, Kaden actually noticed some familiar land marks such as mountains he knew. Kaden was not sure just how aware choice it had been to go through his old home, Dashire. He wanted to see what was left of it. Probably ruins. Perhaps someone of the old and too young that had not been taken had returned later? That is, if they survived, which was unlikely.

He wanted to see it. Perhaps as some form of closure? Not that he had place in there any longer, even if someone had been able to return. There were people he had to kill.

Also, just like the villagers of Tavil, the people from Dashire were weaklings. He would not be able to do much for them, even if he tried. No, even if there was someone he knew living still there, he would do nothing. It would be impossible to do anything for them.

All of that was a very big “if” to begin with. Kaden was well aware, it would be basically a miracle, if someone had survived.

Kaden deviated his path towards these landmarks. If he didn’t check it now, another chance might not come any time soon. He wouldn’t casually stroll around in Sacronan’s side.

Eventually Kaden finally found places he recognized. Paths people of Dashire had used, but had mostly disapeared as forest grew over from disuse. He slowed down to normal walk speed as he approached his old home.

In the few years, the actual village was still open. A lot of all sorts of plants had already grown, but trees or bushes would take longer time to grow there. The houses had not been destroyed when everyone was forced to leave. Roofs had collapsed, but they generally still stood. It seemed some beasts had passed through at some point and broken down some houses, but since there was no prey, they had not destroyed any more than their curiosity demanded.

It was somehow completely silent. Not even common birds or insects making noise. Kaden stood still at Dashire’s center where all sorts of village events had been held. This was also the place where the remains of the arena still stood.

Kaden sighed and left. There was nothing there except broken chairs where people had watched the so called fights. The arena had weeds growing in it. Nothing to see.

The next destination was a place Kaden really wanted to see. Home.

Just like most houses, it too was partially collapsed, but otherwise intact. Kaden opened the dilapidated door. It creaked open and Kaden was pretty sure, it would break if he used any more force on it. He stepped inside. While Kaden did not require it, some light from the broken roof came inside and he could see everything.

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Not that there was much to see. Anything worth had been taken along for whatever purpose Sacronan’s army decided. Only things left were personal things that had no use, but things everyone had.

Ann had collection of some small wooden statuettes and other such things. They still were arranged on a cupboard. Apparently Aden had made them for her at some point.

Kaden pulled out the old boots lined with wolf fur that he still had. They had some wear, but he had stored them away before they truly broke. Ann had given them to him on the day everything went wrong. He too had things he kept for sentimental reasons.

Doorway at the back led to his old room. Its roof had collapsed and rain had ruined most of the it, but its not like there was much left to break. Kaden had all the things he wanted. The frames of a bed and some cupboards had nothing of worth in them. Only some remains of clothes that he could not take along.

He then went to look at the forge. Things inside were obviously made from far more durable materials and thus was still entirely intact. Some water had got in and some small plants had taken root in the area, but otherwise it was fine.

Kaden found Aden’s hammer. He took it. It also would serve as memento. Kaden’s own tools were far greater quality so he had no other use for it. The forge itself probably wouldn’t even be enough to handle materials Kaden had. He would need at least basic mana forge or some other forge meant for magic smithing.

In the corner he noticed still intact altar for Fualu. Kaden frowned and quickly went to kick it apart. Then he burned whatever remained of it.

“Gods are a stain”, Kaden muttered to himself. “They all they do is to lie at people and offer some useless crumbs for people while their most devout followers are degenerates and they do nothing about it.”

Being reminded of gods, Kaden contemplated for a moment, if he should go burn down the temple too, but he finally decided not to. Smoke cloud would be seen far away. He felt it was fine enough that Fualu’s altar would no longer taint his home.

He walked out. Then he turned to look behind once more.

“I probably won’t come back again”, Kaden thought. “It was a good home, but I have things to do. People to kill. This is not where I can stay.”

Then he walked away and did not look back again. He had seen enough.

“Dashire is pretty close to border”, Kaden thought. “I wonder, if I can connect to saint’s side from here with my phone. It should be safe to use. Walden explained once that the signal is basically encrypted. Some might be able to tell there is a signal, but not where or who. Sacronan should have their own too.”

Kaden pulled out the phone and tried to see, if it connects to anyone. Nothing.

“Perhaps, if I go closer”, Kaden thought and put the phone away. He did not know where the frontline was at the moment. It had to be close. From what he knew the line, when there was war, which was almost always, the front lines moved only slightly back and forth. Neither side had truly got far.

There had been some times when one side had pushed through from some specific area, but whenever that happened, the other would quickly force it back.

Dashire was not that far from any of that. For common humans it might be non trivial distance, but for Kaden it was not. What had taken a while for him to cross back then, was at most a day or two trip depending on what was along the way.

Kaden left towards the supposed front lines. The area had become far more wild. Paths through the forest in that area had also grown shut just like in the area closer to Dashire. Kaden even sensed far more beasts than there should have been. There likely was no one left to hunt the beasts regularly. Soldiers were fighting humans, not the beasts.

In fact, only a few hours in, Kaden finally sensed something he had expected to sense. A high beast!

“It is probably the one that claimed the area those years ago”, Kaden thought. “I might as well go kill it while I’m here. As long as it isn’t advanced or at limit, I should be able to kill it.”

Getting back could wait for a bit. That beast had to die.

Not long after Kaden heard a screech. This beast did not seem to know actual language yet, but it was clearly a signal for Kaden to “fuck off!”

Kaden actually wondered for a moment how common it was for high beasts to actually know human language and send their commands along with it. He was pretty sure having actual language, even if no one else understood you, would increase precision of your commands.

The communication Kaden was now receiving was merely basically “go away”.

Kaden gathered some intent and released a screech himself too as a challenge. This intent carried similarly simple intent “Die!”. That was something Kaden expected the high beast to understand.

There were some more sounds from various beasts. There was no way they had not noticed and they would be fools to stand in between the ruler of the area and the challenger that had come to claim it. There was no place for them in the clash.

Kaden released his core fully and even activated his plume. Fully armored and prepared to fight, he increased his speed and charged towards the area where he sensed the high beast.

Eventually he reached an opening. It was not a natural one, but the trees had been pulled directly from the ground at some point and arranged at the center along with some rocks and dirt. There were also remains strewn around that must have been the high beast’s meals. Yet, what was mostly visible was large amounts of sand. Kaden was not sure where all the sand had come from, but it and rest of the materials and the corpses formed kind of a pile.

On top of it was a gray feathered bird. A Sandstorm Hawk. He had paid attention to birds while trying to find more information on phoenixes and he knew the hawk was not something that should appear near Dashire.

It seemed to be around initial to mid stage high beast. The hawk was all puffed up in a threatening posture. When it saw Kaden, it screeched again and some wind started to spin around it.

Kaden did similarly puff up and screeched back at it. It was time to fight.