The pale night was about to end, yet Yug had gained nothing. Even though he had almost lost his life in this world, he didn't care about the reward. What upset him was that he had lost to someone he had considered to be on his side.
He had planned to control Lavanya, using her as a meat shield against Kruti to protect himself. But Lavanya's awakening had completely changed everything. He had misjudged the relationship between them. And now, Kruti was the one protecting him.
Yet she still frightened him.
Yug looked down at his own body. After everything that had happened, his senses were screaming at him. The arrival of this newcomer complicated things, making it dangerously difficult for him and Kruti to get away. He needed to be prepared for any situation where he might find himself in danger. His hand fell to his chest to check the wound, but he found nothing. The fatal injuries had vanished. His skin was still covered in dried blood, and his clothes remained tightly wrapped around the area, but beneath the fabric, there wasn't even a trace of a scar.
Stunned, Yug raised an eyebrow, pressing his hand flat against his chest to check again.
Hm. What happened? How did I heal? He pondered the events of the last few hours for a brief moment, then pushed the thought away.
A satisfied smile curled onto his lips. Anyway, it's in my favor. He shifted his focus toward the purple-eyed young man. There's something intriguing about this guy. I want to find out what he's hiding.
Yug was already planning to assess him, and the only way he could think of doing so was through physical combat. That meant Yug had to approach Vivek himself, unless Vivek suddenly decided to strike at either him or Kruti. However, since Yug could hear what Vivek was saying, he didn't think the man would attack first. As for Kruti, she stood protectively in front of Yug, glaring at Vivek with an expressionless face. Yet, her features were slightly twisted, betraying her displeasure. She didn't like him.
His attitude irritated her.
Yet she didn't show it. At the same time, she hadn't killed him despite hearing his bullshit. The only reason he was still alive was because she could sense that Yug had not fully recovered from his injuries. She had also noticed the bloodstains on his clothes. He had lost too much blood.
"You should think about your taste in men a little more carefully. I'm a kind and gentle person, so I'll respect your choice of a mortal human and won't ask any further questions." Vivek smiled. "But if you continue staying quiet and hide the location of the Pursuer you were following, then things will become much worse for you and your…"
He didn't finish the sentence. His grin widened as he looked between Yug and Kruti. He didn't need to. The bloodlust coming from Kruti was already enough to make his meaning clear.
Kruti felt a gentle touch on her shoulder. Her stance had remained protective of Yug, so the sudden contact made her flinch. She immediately recognized it and slowly looked over her shoulder. Yug was standing behind her, but barely. His head was lowered toward the ground, and one hand rested on her shoulder. Without her support, he would have fallen to the floor. Kruti immediately raised her hand, grabbed his body, and helped him stand properly on both legs.
She looked at him. A drop of blood was dripping from his nose. A sudden pang of guilt struck her.
Is it because of my bloodlust?
Kruti cared about Yug, and the sight of his blood made her expression soften. She took out her handkerchief and gently wiped the blood from his nose.
"Why are you bleeding?" Kruti asked. She acted as though she had no idea what was causing it, her gaze filled with genuine curiosity.
Yug, on the other hand, could only make eye contact with Vivek despite his eyes remaining closed. He sensed the man standing ahead of him.
Fuck. I tried to speak and almost broke my own body. He had realized it almost immediately. Good thing I noticed it in time. Otherwise, it could have become dangerous for Kruti… I might even have shattered my body and interfered with forces I don't yet understand.
That was why he couldn't speak to anyone. Even if he tried to explain what had happened, he might already be dead by the time he finished a single sentence with Kruti.
Yug straightened his posture, gently moving Kruti behind him as he stepped forward and stood before Vivek. Kruti couldn't understand what he was doing. She jerked her head back, then followed Yug's movement. As he was about to take another step, she grabbed his wrist.
"What are you doing?" she questioned.
Yug's senses were screaming at him to test Vivek. He wanted to do it badly, yet he couldn't even speak because of his new Reward and Curse. He felt helpless. More than anything, he wanted to get away from Kruti. Yug turned toward her and raised his index finger to his lips, gesturing for her to keep quiet. Then, he raised two fingers toward his closed eyes.
Just watch. That was all he could tell her. Just like that, he turned back toward Vivek.
"Yo, bro, you're getting the wrong idea about us. We're not what you think we are. I'm only here to get some intel from her, nothing more and nothing less. I'll stay away from her as long as she can lead me to the location, so don't get angry at me."
Vivek raised both hands to chest level and shook his head as though he were clearing up a misunderstanding. He slowly stepped toward Yug and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Besides, I don't bully handicapped people. Hehe!"
Vivek glanced at Yug's closed eyes, guessing that he might be blind.
His words were a provocation, an indirect threat aimed at Kruti as much as Yug. Still, he was slightly surprised by Kruti's taste in men. He glanced at her again, though her beauty remained hidden behind her mask, preventing him from appreciating her appearance fully. Yet something within him urged him to win her favor. His instincts were already pushing him to get on her good side and make her his own.
SWISSS! SWISSS! SWISSS!
Yug didn't bother arguing with him. He immediately threw a series of rapid punches without hesitation. He wasn't here to listen to Vivek's blabbering.
Vivek easily dodged every strike, his eyes never leaving Kruti. Although Yug's fists were getting faster with each attack, Vivek still couldn't sense any threat from him. In Vivek's eyes, Yug was nothing more than a child trying to protect his toy.
But Kruti's glare made him shudder. Her bright red pupils remained fixed on him, while bloodlust filled the surrounding air, as though she were ready to devour him at any moment. That was when it became clear to Vivek.
He would lose. That realization completely altered his approach. Vivek had always prioritized his own life above everyone else's, even if it meant going against his own Master, Diya.
"Why are you mad at me? I haven't done anything to you. You can talk to me, man to man. I won't judge you, trust me. We can talk."
Vivek had realized that he wouldn't be able to defeat Kruti, and harming Yug might turn out to be his worst mistake. He wanted to understand the reason behind Yug's sudden attacks. More importantly, Yug's speed hadn't slowed down. It was only increasing with every movement. For the first time, Vivek felt as though he were fighting a real Cultivator rather than a mere mortal. Drops of sweat began to trickle down Vivek's forehead as he sensed both Kruti's bloodlust and Yug's relentless persistence.
No sound.
Yug didn't reply. He continued attacking without uttering a single word. Vivek flinched, staring at him with suspicion.
"Are you deaf?" he asked curiously. Vivek continued muttering, but Yug never replied.
In a sense, Yug was deaf, blind, and now mute because of his Existential abilities. If he even tried to force a word out, his voice would tear physical cracks into the atmosphere. The backlash would rupture his own insides before a single sound ever reached Vivek.
Yug clenched his teeth and tightened his forearms, the heat building in his body with every word Vivek uttered. Vivek's mockery was getting on his nerves, driving him to give it his all. He couldn't help thinking that if he were able to speak, he wouldn't have had to put in so much effort and could have tested Vivek much more easily.
However, he couldn't let his frustration over his inability to speak consume him. His eyes flickered as he struggled to open them, yet he wasn't about to let Vivek off so easily.
I'm going to kill you. His muscles coiled tight. I'll tear your lips and skin right off your skull.
Yug had had enough.