A bedroom that also served as an office. Lunaria sat at her desk, and with a feathered pen she began writing in her diary.
It was a completely blank book. She had never written anything in it before. Only today did she begin.
"I'm writing this based on intuition. I don't know if it will be useful later or not."
Lunaria believed her intuition was strong. And because of that, she began keeping a diary. There was a powerful feeling that she needed to do this. That feeling appeared right after she met Kaelan Veradis.
"When we were about to hunt and gather supplies, Reynold and Rebecca found someone. This person doesn't remember anything—he didn't even seem to recognize the world. His name is Kaelan Veradis."
Lunaria wrote about their first meeting, about how she searched for Kaelan's identity in the city but found nothing. She also wrote about the incident at the trial up until now.
"Surprisingly, he's a Devourer. I can confidently say he truly didn't know, but somehow he seems very familiar with the Devour Art."
Lunaria had her suspicions about Kaelan, but there was something else that made him more intriguing. It was the way he genuinely knew nothing. His memory loss felt strange.
"I have my suspicions, but I'll reveal them when I discover something more."
Closing her book, she looked at the document beside her. It was an application regarding the request to add a new member to a certain group.
It was the submission from Reynold, requesting that Kaelan be added to his squad. Lunaria also remembered the strong reasoning Reynold presented—leaving her with no grounds to refuse.
"Whether you are a disaster or a sliver of light… you'll have to prove yourself, Kaelan."
One week had passed since Kaelan joined the Radiant Covenant.
Kaelan had begun getting used to various things, including the food. The suspicion toward him had lessened, though they were still cautious.
During that time, Kaelan trained in using his powers. He began to understand and get accustomed to utilizing the Devour Art.
Essentially, he only needed to imagine a clear and detailed shape. He had to focus to maintain it, especially when controlling blood. It felt like having a new limb.
Since he was fairly adept, Kaelan would be taking on his first mission. With Reynold leading, the other members he recognized were Rebecca. There was also an additional boy and his pet—a rat with red eyes.
Gathered in the hall, Reynold crossed his arms while his lips curled into a smile.
"We'll be taking a mission to hunt Wolfhorns. But before that, I'll introduce our new member—Kaelan Veradis!"
Kaelan gave an awkward smile. "Nice to meet you." He bowed, but everyone only stared at him blankly.
Especially Rebecca, who only glanced at him for a moment before looking away. Meanwhile the boy, who looked about fifteen, simply stared without saying anything.
"As you know, this ice-like woman is Rebecca. Same as me, she's Os Medulla—bone and marrow mutation. Rebecca is at stage one. She looks apathetic, but she's actually very caring. You can trust her!" Reynold said, ignoring the heavy atmosphere as he introduced his team.
"This kid is Drake Grego, Mantis Organa. Stage one brain and organ mutation. Even though he's young, he's extremely capable. Drake can utilize small monsters for support. He can also recite Cursed Prayers."
The boy had brown hair and skin, black eyes, and a thin body. He nodded, and after Reynold nudged him, he spoke.
"Sorry for being rude earlier. You can call me Drake."
Kaelan nodded and smiled. "Just call me Kaelan."
Kaelan was curious about Cursed Prayers. But before he could ask, Reynold resumed speaking.
"I'll explain the mission. We're going to hunt Wolfhorns."
Wolfhorns were wolves with large horns on their heads. These monsters roamed the outskirts of the city and lived in packs.
They often disturbed people entering or leaving the city. When that happened, extermination missions would be issued. Additionally, Wolfhorns were edible creatures.
"Our formation is simple. Rebecca and I will take the front line. Drake will provide support. And Kaelan, you'll protect Drake and observe the situation. You can also assist in combat."
Kaelan's presence filled the missing spot and made their team complete.
Reynold and Rebecca were essentially the main attackers, and Drake could only offer support. But in doing so, Drake would be unprotected.
Because of that, Kaelan's presence filled the gap perfectly. Not only could he protect Drake, but he could also attack and monitor the surroundings.
"Sangu Carna is an extremely helpful mutation because it has high flexibility. For example—our captain can practically do everything alone."
Reynold then explained how to fight Wolfhorns.
First were their horns. They needed to cut off the horn to weaken the monster. Wolfhorns acted based on the signal emitted by their horns.
Once the horn was cut, they would lose the ability to sense the location of their enemies. That was the best time to kill them.
"We only have ten seconds before the horn grows back. So we have to stay coordinated."
Even weak monsters were deadly. Kaelan began to understand more deeply the saying: negligence leads to greater calamity.
They left the city and moved south. Kaelan observed the environment once more. He walked in the middle with Drake, while Reynold led in front and Rebecca guarded the rear.
"Can I ask something? I'm curious about Cursed Prayers." Kaelan started a conversation.
Drake glanced at him before looking at Reynold, who didn't object.
"Cursed Prayer is a method to manipulate curses in the surroundings. It's like reciting a series of words to stir the world."
Besides the Devour Art, there was something called Cursed Prayer: a set of ancient words which, when spoken, could influence curses.
Essentially, it used language to create phenomena in nature. The phenomena weren't limited to natural elements—they could manifest terrifying things.
"You need a talisman or some kind of sacrifice for a Cursed Prayer to work. Talismans are usually the best medium to activate curses."
Not everyone could use Cursed Prayers. One major reason was that using them meant interacting directly with curses.
"If you're reckless, you could turn into a monster or die without even realizing it. That's why very few people can use Cursed Prayers," Reynold added.
Drake nodded and smiled. "I have resistance toward curses. That's why I can use them without worrying."
Humans were adaptive creatures. Even in cursed lands, humans would find a way to survive. Humans were like a stain that refused to disappear easily.