Thump.
One by one, the corpses were dumped into the pit. Kain dragged one or two light bodies behind him, while the man carried four stout males on his shoulders at once.
"One more!" Kain threw the body off the edge in a sudden motion.
The man glanced at him. "You are different from other Wanderers I have met. Most young men fear death, battle, and blood, especially those from your world."
"Well..." Kain scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "A few minutes before I was here, two people died right before my eyes, maybe even more that I didn't see. I had to... come here to survive."
"Agh, I see. You were in the heat of battle? That would explain a lot of things. That must be why you woke up earlier than you should have, the adrenaline from the life-or-death situation didn't let you sleep for long."
At first, Kain was startled that the man knew of his true identity. He didn't know if that was a good or bad thing, but if he found out someone was from another world, he would be wary.
But things went much smoother than he expected. It wasn't a mystery to all the residents at the Astral Dimension.
'Then, he didn't look at me as an outsider or an invader. It was different, as if I, he, and all the other inhabitants of both worlds were in a similar situation.'
Thump.
The man threw the last two bodies down the slope as he clapped his hands, knocking the dust off.
"So..." Kain hesitated, staring at the seemingly endless expanse in the distance. "What happens next?"
"I'll take you to the designated point. You can stay here if you want, but I don't recommend it, it's a bad place. Then, I will leave, and in time the trial will begin. There is a twelve-hour break going on now."
They got into the cart as the man pulled the reins.
"A break?" Kain asked.
The man nodded. "During that time, people like me cleaned up the place. Basically, we remove the corpses, you've seen it all with your own eyes. During this time, at the Shadow Horizon the Awakened arrive, everyone who wants a chance to improve their Core. Some are young, some are old, and some are like you."
"But, I was called here by force. The Arcane Scripture left me no other choice!" Kain complained.
The man turned to him. "Is that so? There's always a choice, just the alternative didn't suit you."
He was right.
Kain didn't know what would happen after the first call, he didn't want to return to the Astral Dimension so early at all, but if he didn't do it, the phantom would kill him.
"How do I get out of here?" Kain narrowed his eyes, but he couldn't see the borders of the Shadow Horizon.
"It will happen when someone summons the old bridge. Then, all participants will be expelled from the Shadow Horizon. Only the dead will remain inside."
That didn't sound too good, but it didn't sound too bad either. At least there was no one here to chase after Kain.
"This place is restricted, kind of like an arena, right?" Kain asked hopefully.
"Hmm..." the man hummed. "There are no safe places in this world, young man. If someone powerful is after you, you can't hide anywhere. However, entering the Shadow Horizon uninvited is indeed difficult."
Kain let out a sigh of relief. He knew Valkyra was strong, but even she would have a hard time getting him here.
"So I have to create this bridge to get out?"
The man shrugged, slowing the horses, they almost arrived.
"You don't have to. The Arcane Scripture gave you a chance, how you take it is your decision. You can hide and wait for someone to do all the work, you can go out to find the runes, or you can summon the old bridge yourself to get something special."
The cart stopped as the man pushed Kain in the shoulder.
Kain collapsed to the ground, caught off guard.
"Hey! What the fuck?!"
"My work is done here. Before I go, any questions?" the man pulled on the reins.
Kain's eyes ran sideways as he found the questions he was interested in rather quickly.
"Who are you? And... Do you work for the Arcane Scripture?"
The man chuckled, the first time he showed any emotion.
"No one works for the Arcane Scripture, it's not a living being or a god. I simply perform favors for a deity that long ago killed another to get hold of the Shadow Horizon. If you want to summon the old bridge, you'll probably find out more about it."
"But... Isn't this place part of something related to the Arcane Scripture?"
The man smiled bitterly.
"Everything is related to the Arcane Scripture. Think of this place as an area with a great concentration of runes, that's why it's a good opportunity for you to not only become stronger but also find something valuable."
Then, the horses stomped on the ground as the cart slowly came into motion.
"Farewell, young man. And, for the last." He glanced at Kain over his shoulder. "If we ever meet again, you may address me as coachman. That's who I am in this perishing place."
"I hope I don't have to throw you into the pit. I've enjoyed our conversation, it's rare to get an opportunity like this."
Kain blinked as the coachman faded among the shadows like a ghost.
"Shit... He's not a guy who likes to answer questions. A deity? An old bridge? Coachman? What the fuck was I supposed to make of that?"
The coachman left him in a field of low black grass and a great tree at the edge of the slope, its bark dry and hard, its roots growing through the surface, and its bare, branches pointing upward with their sharp tips. Opposite, the hill was buried in debris that was long overgrown with moss.
There was no telling how much time had passed since Kain's awakening.
When was the break supposed to end?
"Alright, from the looks of it, I am far from both the Hollow Patch and the Sunder Pillar lands. I'm in a different region, but my bad luck will haunt me even here."
Kain leaned against the tree, peering out over the seemingly lifeless expanse of the Shadow Horizon.
After a few minutes of dead silence, electrical discharges erupted in the black sky. Seven flashes shot out from the rotating ring - blasting out in different directions.
Then, more than a hundred pillars of light rose towards the sky, indistinguishable from each other.
"What...?" Kain looked at his hands - he was standing on one of the pillars.
The trial had begun.
But Kain did not know that his curse had already done its work.
One pillar was right behind him, which he had no way of knowing.