My hand rests on the cabin door.
Outside, several people shift through the leaves, surrounding the building from every direction.
I can hear metal scraping against leather as weapons are drawn.
Elara pushes herself off the bed.
"You can't fight them alone."
"I fought the last group alone."
"The men chasing me before were ordinary royal knights. These ones found a hidden cabin in the middle of the forest less than an hour after we arrived."
"That does sound more impressive."
"I'm serious."
"So am I."
The man outside strikes the door with the handle of his weapon.
"Open it!"
The old wood shakes.
"You have ten seconds before we burn the cabin down."
I look toward the broken section of the roof.
Smoke would reveal our position, but a burning building would be even more noticeable.
"How many?" I ask.
Elara closes her eyes.
A faint silver glow appears around her fingertips.
"Fourteen," she whispers after a moment. "Maybe fifteen."
"You can sense them?"
"Living mana."
"That sounds useful."
"It would be more useful if I weren't injured."
The man outside begins counting.
"Ten."
I summon my scythe.
Black smoke flows from my palm and gathers into the familiar weapon.
"Nine."
Elara moves toward me.
"What are you planning?"
"To open the door."
"That is not a plan."
"Eight."
I glance back at her.
"Stay away from the windows."
"Shin—"
"Seven."
I pull the door open.
The man outside freezes in the middle of counting.
He is wearing dark steel armor beneath a long gray cloak. Unlike the soldiers from before, there is no golden lion on his chest. Instead, a small black crown is carved into the metal near his shoulder.
A crossbow is aimed directly at my face.
Behind him, armed men surround the cabin.
Some carry swords and shields. Others hold bows with arrows already drawn.
They are better organized than the previous soldiers.
The man lowers his crossbow slightly.
"You came out willingly."
"You were counting too slowly."
His eyes move toward the scythe in my hand.
The men behind him become uneasy.
A faint coldness enters my chest.
Dread received: 2
Dread received: 1
Dread received: 1
The man raises the crossbow again.
"Drop the weapon."
"No."
"You are surrounded."
"I noticed."
"Then you understand your situation."
"I understand yours."
His expression hardens.
"You attacked royal soldiers and abducted Princess Elara. By order of Prince Caelan, you are to surrender immediately."
"Abducted?"
I look back into the cabin.
"Elara, did I abduct you?"
She appears beside the bed, one hand pressed against her injured side.
"No."
The man's face changes slightly when he sees her.
"Your Highness, step away from him."
Elara doesn't move.
"He saved my life."
"He murdered the knights assigned to protect you."
"I didn't murder any of them," I say.
The man ignores me.
"Princess, you are confused. The criminal may have placed you under some form of mental magic."
Elara's eyes narrow.
"I am not under his control."
The binding seal on her neck glows.
She winces and grips the edge of the bed.
The man notices.
For a brief moment, satisfaction appears on his face.
That tells me everything I need to know.
"You know about the seal," I say.
His attention returns to me.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"You looked pleased when it hurt her."
The men surrounding the cabin glance at one another.
Their leader remains calm.
"Final warning. Drop your weapon and move away from the princess."
"Who are you?"
"That does not concern you."
"It does if you expect me to surrender."
He studies me for a moment before answering.
"Captain Varek of the Black Crown."
Elara's expression becomes pale.
I look toward her.
"You know them?"
"The Black Crown answers directly to Prince Caelan," she says. "They carry out missions that cannot appear in royal records."
Varek's jaw tightens.
"You should be careful what you say, Princess."
The seal around her neck shines brighter.
Elara gasps and falls to one knee.
I turn back toward Varek.
"Did you do that?"
"The seal responds when she attempts to speak about restricted matters."
"That wasn't my question."
He says nothing.
I step out of the cabin.
Several bows follow my movement.
Varek's finger rests against the crossbow trigger.
"Stop."
I continue walking.
"I said stop."
The cold presence inside me grows stronger.
Death energy begins flowing through my arms.
The men can see the black mist gathering around my body.
Dread received: 4
Dread received: 3
Dread received: 2
Dread received: 5
Varek fires.
The bolt travels faster than I expected.
I turn my head, but not quickly enough.
It cuts across my cheek and buries itself in the cabin wall behind me.
Warm blood runs down the side of my face.
The clearing becomes silent.
Varek slowly lowers the crossbow.
"That bolt was poisoned," he says. "You will lose control of your body within moments."
I touch the cut.
There is a faint burning sensation beneath my skin.
"Dusk venom?" I ask.
His confidence slips.
"How do you know that?"
I pull death energy toward the wound.
A small stream of purple mist rises from my cheek and gathers above my fingers.
Several soldiers step back.
I crush the poison between my fingertips.
The mist disappears.
Varek stares at me.
Dread received: 8
Dread received: 6
Dread received: 7
"You should have brought a different poison," I say.
"Fire!"
Arrows fly from every direction.
I swing my scythe in front of me.
The blade knocks several arrows aside, but there are too many to block.
One strikes my shoulder.
Another cuts into my leg.
A third pierces the side of my coat but fails to reach my skin.
I release death energy around my body.
Black mist bursts outward.
The remaining arrows enter the cloud and begin decaying before they reach me. Wooden shafts crumble into dust while metal tips fall harmlessly to the ground.
The soldiers hesitate.
That is enough time.
I move toward the closest archer.
He attempts to draw another arrow.
The handle of my scythe strikes his chest before he can raise the bow.
His armor bends inward.
He flies backward and crashes into another soldier.
A swordsman attacks from my right.
I turn and catch his blade against the curved edge of my scythe.
He pushes forward with both hands.
Blue energy surrounds his weapon.
The ground beneath my feet cracks.
He is stronger than the knights I fought before.
I twist my scythe and pull his sword to the side.
My elbow strikes his helmet.
The metal caves in.
He falls unconscious.
Two more soldiers approach together.
One carries a large shield while the other remains behind him with a spear.
The shield bearer charges.
I place my free hand against the center of his shield.
Death energy spreads across the metal.
The shield turns black and collapses into pieces.
The soldier stares at the remains in disbelief.
The blade of my scythe stops against his throat.
"Run."
He doesn't move.
I push the blade slightly closer.
A thin line of blood appears beneath his chin.
"I won't repeat myself."
He drops his sword and runs into the trees.
Varek watches him flee.
"Coward!" he shouts.
The soldier doesn't stop.
Dread received: 10
Dread received through rumor: 2
The second notification surprises me.
The man is already afraid enough to imagine what he will tell others.
Fear can become a rumor before the story is even spoken.
Useful.
The spearman attacks while I'm distracted.
His weapon cuts across my back.
Pain shoots through my body.
I turn and grab the shaft before he can pull it away.
The soldier's eyes widen.
I drag him toward me.
My forehead slams into his face.
Blood sprays from his nose as he falls.
I break the spear across my knee and throw the pieces aside.
Varek reloads his crossbow.
"Magic unit!" he calls.
Three people standing near the edge of the clearing raise wooden staffs.
Red symbols appear in the air around them.
The temperature changes immediately.
Elara looks through the open cabin door.
"Shin, move!"
A wave of fire rushes toward me.
It fills the clearing from one side to the other, burning through grass, leaves, and low branches.
There is nowhere to avoid it.
I cross my arms in front of my face.
The flames strike.
Heat consumes everything around me.
For several seconds, I can't see or hear anything.
My coat protects most of my body, but my hands and face burn.
The fire pushes me backward until I hit the cabin wall.
The old wood begins to ignite.
Elara raises both hands.
Silver light spreads across the inside of the cabin, forming a barrier between her and the flames.
The attack finally ends.
Smoke covers the clearing.
My skin feels as though it has been torn apart.
I lower my arms.
The burns are already beginning to repair themselves, but much more slowly than they did in the Reaper's realm.
The spiritual body I used during training is now connected to a physical one.
Damage matters here.
Varek walks through the smoke.
"That was easier than expected."
I remain against the wall.
He raises his crossbow.
"Prince Caelan wanted you alive for questioning, but I doubt he will complain."
I move before he fires.
My scythe cuts through the crossbow, splitting it in half.
Varek jumps backward and draws his sword.
Dark blue energy covers the blade.
I swing toward his chest.
He blocks.
The impact sends a wave of force across the clearing.
Varek slides backward but remains standing.
He is much stronger than the others.
"Kill the princess!" he shouts.
I turn toward the cabin.
Two soldiers rush through the open door.
Elara raises her hand.
A silver blade forms in the air and flies toward the first man.
It pierces his shoulder and pins him against the wall.
The second strikes her with the back of his hand.
She falls beside the bed.
Something inside me becomes cold.
Not the calm coldness of death energy.
This is anger.
The soldier grabs Elara by her hair and raises his sword.
I lift my hand toward him.
Death energy leaves my palm.
The black sphere passes through the cabin doorway and strikes his back.
He freezes.
Dark lines spread over his armor and into his skin.
The sword falls from his hand.
The soldier turns toward me, his face filled with terror.
"Help me."
His body begins crumbling.
First his armor.
Then his skin.
Then the bones beneath it.
He collapses into a pile of black ash.
The man pinned against the wall begins screaming.
The soldiers outside stare through the doorway.
No one moves.
Dread received: 26
Dread received: 19
Dread received: 21
Dread received: 17
Dread received: 24
Fear pours into the Mark.
The sensation is stronger than before.
My burned skin begins healing faster.
The cut on my back closes.
Death energy gathers around my scythe without me calling for it.
Varek looks from the ashes to me.
"What are you?"
I turn toward him.
"I'm getting tired of that question."
He raises his sword again, but his hands are trembling.
The magic users begin forming another spell.
I point my scythe toward them.
Black energy flows along its blade.
The three mages release their fire at the same time.
I swing.
A curved wave of death energy travels through the clearing.
It collides with the flames.
The fire turns dark.
For a moment, black flames hang in the air.
Then the entire spell collapses into ash.
The wave continues forward and strikes the ground in front of the mages.
The earth splits open.
All three fall backward.
I stare at the damage.
I didn't know I could do that.
A message appears.
Death Energy has reached Level 3.
New technique acquired: Death Arc.
That explains it.
Varek looks toward his remaining men.
"Surround him!"
No one listens.
Some stare at the cracked earth.
Others look at the ash inside the cabin.
Their fear is stronger than their loyalty.
I walk toward Varek.
He takes one step back.
"You serve Prince Caelan directly?" I ask.
His grip tightens around his sword.
"I will not tell you anything."
"I only asked one question."
"You won't take me alive."
"I don't need you alive for long."
He shouts and charges.
His sword releases a dark blue wave.
I move beneath it.
The energy cuts through the cabin wall behind me.
Varek swings again.
I catch his wrist.
He attempts to pull away, but I tighten my grip.
The bones in his arm begin to crack.
He drops the sword.
I lift him from the ground and throw him into a tree.
The trunk shakes.
Varek falls to his knees.
Blood runs from his mouth.
I place the blade of my scythe against his shoulder.
"Why does Caelan need Elara?"
He smiles through the blood.
"The seal will kill her before she tells you."
"Then I'll remove it."
His smile disappears.
"You can't."
"You were also certain your poison would work."
Varek looks toward the cabin.
Elara has managed to stand.
The injured soldier remains pinned to the wall beside her.
She watches us without speaking.
Varek lowers his voice.
"You have no idea what she is."
Elara's expression changes.
The seal around her neck glows.
She reaches toward it.
"Do not listen to him."
Varek begins laughing.
"She didn't tell you?"
"Tell me what?"
The golden mark tightens.
Elara falls against the wall.
She presses both hands to her neck, struggling to breathe.
I pull the scythe away from Varek and move toward her.
He grabs his fallen sword.
I hear the blade before it reaches me.
I turn.
The sword pierces my side.
Varek pushes it deeper.
Pain tears through my body.
His face is inches from mine.
"You are powerful," he whispers, "but you are still human."
I look down at the blade.
Blood darkens my coat.
He is right.
I can be injured.
I can die.
But he made one mistake.
He came close enough for me to touch him.
I place my palm against his chest.
Varek's eyes widen.
"No."
Death energy enters his armor.
The metal begins decaying.
He tries to pull away, but I grab the front of his cloak.
"You threatened her life."
His skin turns gray.
"I was following orders."
"You poisoned me."
Black veins spread across his neck.
"Wait."
"And you stabbed me."
His fear flows into the Mark faster than anything I have felt before.
Dread received: 42
I stop the energy before it reaches his heart.
Varek collapses at my feet, coughing.
Half of his armor has turned to dust. The skin beneath it is covered in black marks.
He is alive.
Barely.
The remaining soldiers continue watching.
I remove the sword from my side.
Blood pours from the wound.
I place one hand over it and direct death energy toward the remaining poison.
Purple mist rises from my body.
The wound begins closing.
Slowly.
Painfully.
But visibly.
The soldiers' fear rises again.
Dread received: 18
Dread received: 14
Dread received: 20
Dread received: 16
I look around the clearing.
Nine soldiers remain capable of standing.
None of them raise their weapons.
"Take your captain," I say.
No one moves.
"Now."
Two soldiers hurry toward Varek.
They lift him by his arms.
He can barely keep his eyes open.
I step closer.
The soldiers carrying him freeze.
"You are going to return to Prince Caelan," I say. "You will tell him exactly what happened here."
Varek looks up at me.
"You think he will fear you?"
"Not yet."
I rest the scythe against my shoulder.
"But he will."
Varek spits blood onto the ground.
"He will send the entire royal army."
"Good."
The surrounding soldiers exchange nervous looks.
Elara appears in the doorway behind me.
She holds one hand against the binding seal.
I continue speaking.
"Tell your prince that Elara is no longer his prisoner."
Varek's face twists with anger.
"You cannot protect her from a kingdom."
"I don't need to protect her from the kingdom."
Black mist spreads across the ground around my feet.
The soldiers step back.
"The kingdom will need protection from me."
Dread enters my chest.
Dread received: 31
Dread received: 23
Dread received: 28
Varek stares at me.
"What name should I give the prince?"
I consider saying Shin Sasaki.
But my name means nothing in this world.
Not yet.
The title the Reaper gave me carries more weight.
It describes exactly what I have come here to become.
"Tell him the World Raider has taken his princess."
Elara looks at me.
The soldiers remain silent.
Varek repeats the words quietly.
"The World Raider."
"Yes."
He smiles weakly.
"A foolish title."
"Then you shouldn't have any trouble remembering it."
I step away.
"Leave."
The soldiers carry Varek into the forest.
The wounded follow them.
Even the man pinned inside the cabin is pulled free and taken away.
They abandon several weapons and most of their supplies.
None of them look back.
Notifications begin appearing before their footsteps fade.
Dread received through rumor: 4
Dread received through rumor: 3
Dread received through rumor: 5
The story is already beginning.
Not because they have spoken.
Because they are imagining what will happen when they do.
I open my status.
World Raider
Name: Shin Sasaki
Race: Human
Rank: Unawakened
Dread: 487/1,000
Worlds Raided: 1
Soul Weapon: Unnamed Scythe
Abilities:
Death Energy — Level 3
Soul Weapon Summoning — Level 2
World Translation — Level 1
Dread Collection — Level 1
Techniques:
Death Arc — Level 1
Nearly half the Dread I need.
The fight was worth the risk.
I close the status and look toward the cabin.
Part of the roof is burning.
Smoke rises through the trees.
"We can't stay here," Elara says.
She is leaning against the doorway again, but her voice sounds stronger.
"No."
"You let Varek live."
"He'll spread more fear alive."
"He will also bring more soldiers."
"That's the idea."
Elara studies me.
"You called yourself the World Raider."
"It's what the Reaper called me."
"What does it mean?"
"I travel between worlds."
"I understood that part."
I dismiss my scythe.
Black smoke disappears into my palm.
"The rest is fairly obvious."
"You intend to raid this world?"
"I intend to change it."
"That isn't comforting."
"It wasn't supposed to be."
The cabin wall collapses behind her.
I catch Elara by the arm and pull her away before the burning wood hits the ground.
She looks at the flames.
"That cabin belonged to my mother."
I glance at her.
"You didn't mention that."
"It was one of the few places she could escape the royal court. She brought me here when I was young."
For the first time since meeting her, she looks less like a princess and more like someone who has lost everything familiar.
The fire spreads across the roof.
"I'm sorry," I say.
Elara looks surprised.
"You can apologize?"
"I'm capable of it."
"I wasn't sure."
I search through the supplies abandoned by the soldiers.
There are bags of food, water, bandages, two cloaks, and several small bottles filled with colored liquid.
I hold up one of the bottles.
"Do you know what this is?"
"A minor healing potion."
"That would have been useful earlier."
"I didn't have one earlier."
I hand it to her.
She removes the cap and drinks.
Silver light spreads through the wound beneath her bandage.
Her breathing becomes easier.
Within a minute, she can stand without leaning against anything.
"Better?" I ask.
"Much."
"Can you walk now?"
"Yes."
"You said that before."
"This time, I mean it."
I gather the remaining supplies.
A small leather pouch contains silver and copper coins.
I take it.
Elara notices.
"That belongs to the Crown."
"The Crown tried to kill me."
"That doesn't make it yours."
"It does where I'm from."
She decides not to argue.
We begin moving east toward the nearest town.
Behind us, the hunting cabin continues burning.
The smoke will attract attention.
More soldiers will come.
By the time they arrive, Varek's unit will already be spreading the story of a man who survived poisoned arrows, destroyed magic, reduced a soldier to ash, and threatened the royal family.
The details will change as the rumor travels.
They will exaggerate my strength.
They will make me sound less human.
That works in my favor.
A notification appears as we enter the trees.
Dread received through rumor: 6
The title "World Raider" has begun to spread.
I smile.
Elara notices.
"What happened?"
"Nothing important."
"That smile suggests otherwise."
"Your brother is about to hear my name."
She looks toward the dark forest ahead.
"And what happens when he does?"
"He'll send someone stronger."
"You sound pleased."
"I am."
Elara shakes her head.
"You truly are insane."
"Possibly."
We continue toward the town as the cabin disappears behind us.
Somewhere beyond the forest, Captain Varek is carrying my message to Prince Caelan.
The prince wanted his sister returned quietly.
Instead, he is getting a warning.
The World Raider has arrived.
END OF CHAPTER 5