Kazuki leaned against the cold, jagged cave wall, his body trembling from exhaustion. He had just defeated the orc, but in the aftermath of the battle, another harsh reality sank in—he was trapped. The crushing weight of the situation hit him, knowing he had no way out, no food, and no allies to call for help.

As the hours passed, the silence of the cave became unbearable. Each minute felt like an eternity. Two days had gone by. His body was drained, weakened, and his mind raced with thoughts of desperation. The cave was cold, filled with the stench of rotting orc flesh. He held his stomach, the gnawing hunger growing unbearable.

"No one's coming," Kazuki whispered to himself, his voice hollow. "Why did I even expect someone would save me?"

He leaned over the orc's corpse, staring at its decaying flesh. The sight made him sick, but starvation clawed at his insides. He tried to resist, but the hunger pangs were too strong. He knelt down beside the putrid body, hesitating before tearing off a piece of its flesh. "This is what I've come to... eating the remains of my enemy."

With a shaking hand, he brought the foul meat to his mouth, but as soon as he took a bite, memories flooded back. He remembered the simpler days back on Earth, despite the pain his parents caused him. Even then, he could eat warm, proper meals, sleep in a bed. He remembered Sato—the nights they spent at inns, drinking and laughing, not knowing what their future held.

"Sato..." Kazuki whispered, tears welling up in his eyes. "If only I hadn't stayed... if only I hadn't met them..." His voice cracked as he blamed himself. "You'd still be alive."

He clenched his fists, slamming them down onto the orc's lifeless body. THUD! THUD! Over and over again, each punch harder than the last, his fists covered in blood—his own and the orc's.

THUD!

"Stop remembering! Sato is gone!" He screamed, hitting the corpse again and again, his knuckles bruised and battered.

But in his fury, something shifted. He stopped. His breath heavy, his body shaking, Kazuki realized something. There was no one left to trust, no one to save him. He couldn’t afford to rely on others any longer. From now on, it was just him. His anger and despair melted into cold determination. "If I want to survive... if I want revenge... I have to be stronger."

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Kazuki wiped his tears, his expression hardening. He tore into the orc’s flesh, forcing himself to eat despite the rotten taste. As he swallowed the raw meat, he felt something change within him. His small wounds began to close, his body slowly healing.

"Regeneration..." Kazuki muttered. "It’s not as strong as the orc’s, but it’s something." He gritted his teeth and forced himself to finish the meal, channeling what little lightning magic he had left to cook the rest of the meat. But it barely made a difference. The taste was still foul.

When he finally regained some energy, Kazuki stood up and began searching the cave again. His mind was sharper now, more focused. He knocked on the walls, hoping for some clue to an exit. THUD! THUD! The hollow sound echoed through the cave. One section of the wall sounded different. With a clenched fist, he struck the wall hard. CRACK! A hidden entrance appeared.

"Hmph," he smirked coldly, stepping through the passageway.

The air grew even colder as he walked deeper into the hidden part of the cave. His footsteps echoed through the stone corridor. After a few minutes, he found himself in a room filled with prison cells, the rusted bars barely holding together. Inside each cell, only skeletons remained—remnants of those who had long been forgotten.

In one cell, more heavily secured than the others, Kazuki found a skeleton clutching a diary. Curious, he picked it up and began reading. The words told the story of knights from the Kingdom of Malvora—peasants who had once formed an alliance to overthrow the corrupt monarchy. But they had been betrayed by one of their own, a member consumed by greed who had sold them out to the king. The knights were imprisoned here, tortured, and left to rot.

Kazuki clenched his fist as he finished the diary. "The king of Malvora... this entire kingdom is rotten to its core. Those knights, the demi-humans... they were betrayed. And that traitor..." His eyes darkened, a cold fury rising within him. "I’ll make sure their deaths aren't in vain."

As he searched the remaining cells, Kazuki stumbled upon a hidden button in one of them. It revealed yet another secret passage. Stepping through, he could feel something strange—an ominous energy lingering in the air. Suddenly, a voice echoed through the passage.

"Please... kill the monarchs!"

Kazuki turned sharply, his eyes widening as ghostly figures materialized before him—souls of the fallen knights, the peasants, and the demi-humans who had been trapped here. Their translucent faces were filled with anguish and fury.

Kazuki's cold eyes met theirs. "I promise," he whispered. "I’ll avenge you. I’ll make sure the king and his nobles pay."

The spirits faded away, leaving Kazuki alone in the darkness. He continued down the passage until he finally found the exit, stepping out into the cold night air. His next destination was clear—Nocturnia. He needed help controlling his dark magic, and from there, he would begin his path of vengeance.

As he walked away from the cave, Kazuki’s expression remained cold, his eyes set on his goal. "No one will stand in my way again. Not the orcs, not the nobles, and definitely not the monarchs."

End of Chapter