"Mabi, I like you, and I haven't known how to tell you for a while. I've been stuck in my head all this time. I was carried away, and I'm sorry about that," Calus said as he and Mabi stood in the room.

Finally, he had found her after searching for a while.

Mabi felt… too stunned to even speak. What could she say?

"So… without much talk…"

Calus took a deep breath as he moved closer to her.

"I love you, and I always have. Spending time with you, the playful fights, the lessons together… all were good memories. And the way you always tried to cheer for me, I really, really appreciate that. I never took it for granted. So…"

Calus moved back as he bowed, his right hand outstretched.

"Will you take this humble, idiotic friend as your lover and potential husband?" Calus asked, one of his eyes closed as he looked at the ground.

Hearing this, Mabi couldn't help but burst into laughter as she took his hand.

"Definitely yes," Mabi said as Calus lifted her up excitedly.

And so, the two officially confirmed their relationship.

---

Soon, days passed as they set off and began their journey to the Western Continent.

Unlike the familiar Eastern Continent, which looked

barren but refreshing, or the resource-rich Central Continent, the Western Continent stood between them with vast blue skies.

Bright sunlight shone over clear plains that seemed to stretch endlessly.

The forests were not too dense, and even though the trees were gigantic, one could still see the clear sky through the gaps between them.

"Can we consider this our honeymoon?" Calus said with a cheeky smile as they landed.

Mabi hit his forehead.

"Fool, we aren't even married yet," Mabi said as Calus shrugged.

"Then should I marry you now?" Calus asked as Mabi's face burned red.

"Idiot… fool. Just shut up," Mabi said as she rolled her eyes.

Of course, this little exchange caught everyone's attention, but hey, who told them to be single?

Some people whistled while others looked away.

"So where to now?" After leaving the station, Calus asked.

Mabi frowned slightly.

"Orrn Village. The king said it was the recently massacred village. I've been there before, so follow me," Mabi said.

"For real?" Calus asked. After all, this was his first time on the Western Continent.

"Yep. I told you, I travel around," Mabi smirked as she suddenly disappeared.

"Oh wow."

Calus instantly followed as the two created sonic booms in the sky. Their king-level aura briefly leaked out, causing the crowd at the station to tremble.

Even the huge beasts nearby cowered in fear.

Who knew those so-called lovebirds were actually terrifying King-level experts?

Basically the limit of this world.

They were invincible… right?

---

The journey took far less time than they anticipated, but their expressions were now filled with anger.

Intense anger.

They never even reached Orrn Village.

On their way, they actually witnessed the act live.

"How dare they?!" Mabi's anger overflowed as she moved forward, but Calus yanked her back.

"Observe," Calus whispered, placing a finger over his lips.

Mabi forced herself to calm down as she breathed heavily.

Yes, killing these beasts would be easy. But finding their headquarters and destroying it....that...that was the real goal. Otherwise, another group would appear soon enough.

Both Mabi and Calus hid behind a giant rock.

In front of them were a dozen humans wearing black hoodies with a twisted red horse-like emblem.

Each of them held a jagged knife, all covered in blood from the residents of this village.

Around them was a large, sticky pool of blood. The soil itself had turned red, soaked and drenched.

The corpses all had their throats slit so the blood could be drained from them.

Mabi could also see wounds and torn flesh.

They probably hadn't killed them immediately.

They had likely tortured them first.

Maybe even for days.

It was too horrible.

Her body trembled, but what could she do?

On the sand, Calus frowned.

He didn't know it had become this serious.

Worse still, in his last life, they didn't do things like this. So what went wrong?

Calus' fingers clenched into fists as his knuckles turned white.

This was too inhuman.

And worse still, these killers weren't fighters like them.

They were just normal mortals.

Yet these people could do this to them.

"Come on. Bring them out."

A loud voice entered their ears, and both of them widened their eyes in shock.

For Mabi, she saw five children being brought forward, and her anger reached its limit.

The children looked hollow, their bodies thin like twigs. Their bones almost protruded through their skin.

They must have been starved for a long time.

Their wounds were barely healed.

It was too gruesome.

Were they beaten?

As for Calus… it was even worse.

The man who spoke had no hood.

And his face was familiar.

Fre.

"No… you wouldn't," Calus shook his head.

He refused to believe it.

Maybe he was dreaming.

Maybe all of this was a nightmare.

But no matter how much Calus tried to deny it, the scene before him continued.

"Now lay them down on the ground. Stretch their necks and let them struggle a bit. I want to hear their screams," Fre said calmly as he licked his lips and collected a knife from one of his followers.

"Yes, oh great one," the cult members replied as they bowed.

"Fre… you wouldn't…" Calus muttered.

Mabi gritted her teeth and looked at him.

"Calus, shouldn't we do something? Those are kids," Mabi whispered.

But Calus seemed lost in his own thoughts.

Rrip.

Splurt.

"Aagh!"

The child coughed out blood as intense pain overwhelmed him.

Around him, the other children stood frozen in shock, their eyes wide open as they couldn't move.

Maybe the trauma was too much.

Or maybe, after all their suffering, death seemed like an escape.

Tears rolled down their faces.

Fre seemed to enjoy it as he slowly moved the knife forward, cutting through the child's neck.

"Ahhh—ghrk!"

The child tried to scream, but only a wet gurgling sound came out.

Thud.

After a few seconds, something dropped onto the ground as silence filled the area.

Only a head full of fear remained.

"Fre… I will kill you!" Calus screamed in rage.

******

Earlier…

Watching Fre slowly behead the child made something snap inside Calus. In that moment, he realized that Fre had changed and had become something else entirely.

Calus stood up and slowly walked out.

"Fre… you keep mentioning him. Is he your friend? That one? Or someone you know?" Mabi asked, her eyes widened. She too was overwhelmed by rage.

How could someone behead a child like that… and so slowly, as if he enjoyed watching the child suffer for as long as possible before death?

"Doesn't matter…"

"He is a dead man."

********

Chapter four and am done.