When Tavian said there was a traitor among us, the camp fell silent. The others seemed confused, like they couldn’t fully process what he was implying.

I couldn’t blame them. A traitor? Here? It felt too unreal. I thought about it for a second—if there was a traitor, wouldn’t it make more sense for Tavian to keep it quiet, to investigate it without making a scene? But then again, I didn’t know the first thing about dealing with a traitor. Maybe Tavian had his reasons.

Tavian wasted no time, though. He began dividing us into small groups to search the area, but he made it clear: “Don’t go too far. Stay within sight of the camp.”

I was paired with Bram and two others I didn’t know well. We searched nearby, poking around the forest and checking the spots where he might’ve gone. But it was pointless. We didn’t find anything suspicious. Just trees, rocks, and some small animal tracks—nothing out of the ordinary.

Tavian’s group, on the other hand, seemed to have more luck. I saw them gathered near the edge of the camp, crouched low to the ground. They weren’t talking much, but Tavian’s body language told me they’d found something.

I made my way over.

“Footprints,” Tavian said quietly, pointing to the ground.

“There’s something else.”

He pointed to a broken branch, lying twisted on the ground.

“That wasn’t here yesterday.”

One of the others knelt beside it, inspecting the break. “Could be an animal,” they suggested, standing up.

Tavian didn’t agree. He moved a little farther, scanning the ground.

“And this?” He pointed at something I hadn’t noticed—a faint, reddish trail leading into the underbrush.

I stepped closer. “Is that blood?”

He didn’t answer at first, but the look on his face said everything. He knew it was.

“We need to keep this quiet,” Tavian said, standing up and scanning the group. “We don’t want panic to spread. Let’s not make any assumptions, but I know what I’m seeing here. This wasn’t a runaway. It wasn’t an accident. This was murder.”

If Tavian was right, that meant we had a killer among us.

I couldn’t shake the feeling that I’d somehow missed something. That there was a piece of the puzzle I wasn’t seeing.

We spent hours searching for the body, but there was nothing.

No blood, no sign of a struggle.

After a while, the others gave up and decided the first person must have just run off—taken the horse and fled. But Tavian… he didn’t buy it. He still had that distant, almost sad look on his face. I could tell it was eating at him.

We continued the travel, moving forward with the cargo. No one wanted to fall behind, but I could feel the tension rising.

Something wasn’t right, and we all knew it.

The next morning, another person was missing. No signs of a fight, no clues, just gone. That’s when the truth hit me like a punch in the gut. This wasn’t a coincidence. Someone was picking us off, one by one, and it was planned.

Tavian called me over when we stopped for the night. I froze for a second. Did he suspect me?

“Alistair,” Tavian said quietly, his eyes searching mine. “I need you to think. The first person who went missing—he was good at sensing threats, wasn’t he? Always aware of who was around him. The traitor knew that. They knew he was valuable to us.”

He paused for a moment, like he was piecing something together in his head.

“The second one? Strong in defense. A solid shield, always watching our backs. And now, he’s gone too.” Tavian’s eyes met mine again, hard and sharp. “The traitor’s methodical. They’re breaking us down, targeting the most important members of the group. And you know what the worst part is?”

I didn’t want to know, but I couldn’t look away.

“They’re doing it on purpose. Setting us into panic. We’re being played.”

I stood there, silent. The weight of his words settled deep in my chest. It was like I could feel the shadows closing in. Someone in this group was working against us. But the question was—who?

And why?

I told Bram everything Tavian had said to me. I trusted him—he’d become one of the few people I could rely on in this mess.

“I’ll keep an eye out,” Bram said, voice low. “We’ll figure this out.”

And that’s when it hit me. I was being an idiot. I had the perfect tool for this. I had the system.

I started with Bram.

[He thinks you are determined and fun]

I moved on, checking in with others. One after another, I saw positive thoughts—some saw me as friendly, some as funny, others as a loner. All things I could live with.

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

Then, I got to Tavian.

[He thinks you are trustworthy.]

That made me feel a little better. Tavian was someone I respected, someone I wanted to trust. I’d just have to prove him right.

But then…

I felt it. The sharp contrast, the coldness. One thought stood out among the others.

[He thinks you are a pest]

Obrak. He was the one who stood out for all the wrong reasons. He never seemed to fit in, always had that edge to him.

That was the first real sign. The first clue that told me I needed to watch him closely.

Tavian called another meeting around the campfire that night. His voice carried a weight of urgency, his usual calm edged with tension.

“From now on,” he said, scanning each of us, “we stick together. No more wandering off, no splitting up, not even for a moment. We’ll push hard and reach the destination as fast as possible.”

There were murmurs of agreement from the group. Even Bram, who usually had something to joke about, just nodded silently.

But as Tavian continued, I noticed something. Obrak. He stood near the edge of the firelight, arms crossed, his face shadowed. Then, just for a second, I caught it—a smirk. Subtle, but it was there.

Was he enjoying this?

Then I noticed the axe strapped to his back. It wasn’t the same dull red it had been when I last saw it in Vermillion. Now, it gleamed darker, richer—like fresh blood.

As I watched him, he shifted, his eyes suddenly locking onto mine.

Thump.

I quickly turned away, pretending to focus on Tavian’s words again, but I couldn't shake the feeling that he was still watching me—measuring me.

Bing!

[New Quest]

Objective: Find the traitor and eliminate him before you reach your destination.

Reward: +13 to all stats.

Punishment if failed: Aura decreased, death.

It had been a while since the system gave me a quest. Usually, it was just rewards—stat boosts, maybe some new skills.

But now? It has punishments.

We kept moving the next day. The tension from last night was still hanging in the air, but there was a quiet hope that we were getting close. Tavian kept telling us, “The kingdom’s just beyond this forest.” His voice was calm, even though I could tell he was feeling the weight of everything too.

Then I heard Bram and Jonathan talking to each other.

"Hey Bram, with that sword so long, you compensating for something? Or are you just trying to make sure no one can ever sneak up on you from five miles away hahaha?"

"Nah, it’s just so I can split your ego in half if it gets any bigger."

I can see jonathan getting angry.

"You fucking brat, your mother hasn't teach you any manne--." out of nowhere—thwack!

Jonathan, who’d been joking with Bram while riding ahead, slumped forward. An arrow stuck out of his head. His lifeless body tumbled off his horse, hitting the dirt with a sickening thud.

“Ambush!” Tavian’s shout rang through the trees as he leapt from his horse.

Bram jumped off his horse, hitting the ground next to Jonathan with a thud. I followed, scrambling out of the caravan just as more arrows zipped through the air. Three more dropped. No screams. Just gone.

Wishhh.

Panic spread fast. People dove behind trees, rocks, anything they could find. A few tried to run. They didn’t make it far.

This wasn’t the first time I’d felt like this. Back when I was Elian, I experience being helpless. But now? Now I had gift, and I had to use it.

I scanned the area, trying to get a read on the attackers.

Tavian was already moving, his bow raised as he shouted orders. “Stay low! Don’t run! We hold here!”

I crouched behind a fallen tree, barely peeking out before another arrow took down one of our own. Damn it. We were losing people too fast. Then it hit me—Obrak. Where the hell was he?

“Tavian!” I shouted over the noise. “Obrak’s gone!"

Tavian didn’t flinch, didn’t even glance around. He just notched an arrow and fired into the trees, right where the enemy’s shots had come from. A second later, a low groan echoed through the forest. He’d hit something.

No, someone.

The enemy fire stopped, and for a moment, all we could hear was our ragged breathing. Then, slowly, they stepped out from the trees. Twenty of them, swords drawn, moving like predators closing in on their prey.

We were down to eight.

“Get ready.”

I drew my sword. We were outnumbered.

I rushed forward, my sword in hand, eyes darting from one opponent to the next. Tavian was taking down five of them, moving like he was born to fight. Bram wasn’t far behind, fighting with his usual wild energy. I wasn’t going to waste time.

I slid between two attackers, the first one swinging down at me. I was already gone, moving like lightning. My blade sliced through the air.

Swiiishh!

His head hit the ground before he even knew what happened. I barely slowed down. Another guy came at me from the side, but I could see it coming.

I dodged his swing, then sliced his neck. His head hit the dirt before he even had time to process it.

One down. Two down.

The Wrath of Fenrir made it almost too easy. But facing a group? That was a different story. They were starting to work together now, closing in, trying to surround me.

[Your stats have increased]

I didn’t waste a second.

One of them lunged at me, but I sidestepped, bringing my sword down in a clean arc. The man fell, dead before he even hit the ground.

We’d cut their numbers down to nine, but we were only five left.

We had to finish this.

Tavian’s voice rang out. “Keep moving! Don’t give them a chance to regroup!”

I nodded, narrowing my eyes at the remaining enemies. It wasn’t over yet, but we were winning. We were going to win.

We were finally gaining hope—but then a man showed up.

Obrak.

He came out of nowhere, swinging his red-glowing axe. Two of our group didn’t even have time to react. One slash, and they were down.

Obrak laughed, low and mocking, as he wiped blood off his blade.

“Tavian,” he sneered, “some leader you are. You dragged these idiots straight to their deaths. You’re all fools.”

I caught a glimpse of his weapon—the axe. It wasn’t ordinary. It was stained the color of blood, and there was a dark, deadly energy radiating from it.

But Tavian didn’t hesitate. He charged Obrak, leaving his bow on the ground, he then grab a sword ready.

Swing!

Swishhh!

“Bram!” I shouted, snapping back to focus. “We take the others!”

Slash. Swoosh. Swish.

I dodged one attack and countered, my sword finding its mark. Another enemy down. But even while fighting, my eyes kept darting to Obrak’s axe.

It was alive.

It was different. I’d seen Tavian struggling. I could see him breathing harder, sweat pouring down his face.

This wasn’t going to be easy.

But then one move of the axe.

Tavian’s arm—gone. Blood sprayed the ground. He staggered back, clutching at the stump, but he didn’t scream. He just gritted his teeth, eyes locked on Obrak.

"Wahahaha, you're a total idiot, Tavian," Obrak laughed, spitting in Tavian's face.

[The opponent is using a relic.]

I knew it. It wasn’t ordinary weapon. In just a glance it seems like it can kill you.

Bram and I finished off the last of the pawns. We turned to Obrak just in time to see his axe shift again. It stretched, liquid crimson, forming a web-like net in the air.

Thud.

Tavian fell to his knees. He looked at us, his face pale but calm.

And then—he smiled.

No words. Just a quiet, resigned smile.

“No!” I shouted, starting forward.

But it was too late.

The web shot forward, wrapping around Tavian. For a second, he was still. Then—

Slice.

The web tightened, cutting through him in an instant. Piece by piece, Tavian fell, his body hitting the ground in silence.

Bram froze, his sword trembling in his hands. “Tavian…” he whispered.

Obrak lowered his axe, eyes cold. “Your leader’s gone. You’re next.”