Calen opened his eyes. He stared at the familiar and unfamiliar wooden ceiling and yawned. Caleb could hear the tweeting of birds outside and the rustling of leaves, and he didn't know if it was his illusion. He could also make out the sound of a rooster's crow.
'What the hell? When did we have chicken?' Caleb's eyes widened in astonishment. However, when he focused on the sound. He couldn't hear any rooster at all. 'It may be my imagination.'
'Crap! I forgot to greet the hunting party yesterday evening with the other four! Damnation!' With a series of inward curses, Caleb couldn't help but facepalm. 'Damn! Goddamn! Damn it all!'
What would the hunting party think of him now? After all, every time the hunting party returns, the five women responsible for cleaning, the four damned old people, and Andre with the four of them, always greet the hunting party when they return from their hunt. It became a tradition for them to do so.
Caleb sighed wistfully.
'I hope they're not that petty. Well, let's observe them later. Who do they think they are? As long as I passed their test, I would become one of them sooner.'
He straightened his back. Passing the test? No matter what test it was, he was determined to pass it! If he, who has the strength of two adults fails, who dares to say that they will pass?
With another yawn, Caleb strode towards the mirror and looked at his appearance. His short dark hair messily covered his forehead this time. He almost thought that he just came out underwater his hair looked like a damned seaweed. He stared at his black pupils and studied his face one more time. 'Really... Not bad. Not bad at all.'
He doesn't know if it's due to his grade 1 taboo energy. He could feel subtly that his jaw was developing day by day and the muscle in his body was becoming more vigorous. Thinking of this prompted Caleb to check his attributes. 'Status.'
***
Name: Caleb
Race: Human
Age: ???
While cursing the two, Caleb pushed the door open. He was greeted by the familiar sight of the four women cleaning and organizing the house. One of them was wiping the plates, wooden spoons, and cups into the dirty kitchen. Another one was sweeping the floor using a brown cloth, and she had a bucket of water beside her. Then the other two were busily serving a pair of man and woman on the table.
Caleb curiously looked around. He saw the two old men and two old women, were unusually quiet this time as if they didn't even dare to breathe. 'What's up with them?
He took in the sight of the wooden walls and ceiling, the rough patches of other types on the ceiling caught his attention. He wondered if those patches were used to cover holes.
Another thing is, the one and only table that all of them share. It's also the reason why they need to take turns when eating.
Once again, Caleb looked at the two unusual pairs eating on the table. Even though they were some distance from him, he could feel the strong confidence in the way they moved. And they exude intangible pressure in their body that affects those weak-willed. It was the aura of a warrior.
Caleb wasn't unfamiliar with such an aura. It was the same aura his biological father exuded. The difference was, his father's aura was a tad colder and more chilling if he had to describe it. After all, his father wasn't a warrior, but a damned hitman.
A sigh came out of his mouth as he thought of his old man. Caleb always feels that his father is hiding a lot of things from him. The only reason he knew that his father was a killer in the first place was because of a certain incident. Which also led to his father teaching him the essence of combat.
"Hey, kid. What are you doing there? Come here and eat."
Suddenly, Caleb heard a voice directed at him. He blinked for a moment and saw the pair of woman and man at the table gesturing at him. He looked behind him to make sure that there was no other person. Then he looked back at the two and pointed at him as if saying, "Me?"
The woman chuckled while the man smiled. Then the man patted the brown chair next to him.
"Come here, kid. Don't be shy about eating breakfast with us. You dared to not greet us yesterday. Dare you to refuse to eat breakfast with us?"
'Who knew that members of the hunting party are quite inviting?' Caleb saw the two women serving the pair look at him with a "Go eat with them" expression. With a shrug, he made his way towards the two and apologetically said:
"Sorry, I overslept yesterday, so..."