Cain and Kayden walked across the empty dark caves, "Are you doing this each day?" Cain asked, looking at Kayden walking beside him.
"Me? Not every day. They only show once or twice a week." Kayden replied, "They are like monsters. I feel like they are popping out of thin air."
"They must be some gangs trying to move in after you kill the ones here," Cain replied, "The same happened after I killed Jack. Your gang tried to move into Furberg."
"My gang?" Kayden stared at Arad, "Now that you mentioned it, you're right." Kayden smiled, "Talking about that? Is that puppy okay?"
"Puppy?"
"Don't mind. I don't think you would remember it." Kayden said.
~He's probably talking about Lexi's little sister~ Morena whispered in Cain's head.
"Yeah, I remember her. She's doing well." Cain replied.
"Is she? That's great." Kayden said, stopping in his track. "What is it?" Cain looked at him.
"I smell a bitch," Kayden replied, pulling his sword when a woman walked out of the shadows.
"Come on," The woman sighed, "How did you spot me?" She stared at Kayden.
"Cain, be careful. That bitch is barking a lot. She might have dog madness." Kayden glared at the woman, "It would be bad if you got bitten."
[Cain,] Kali whispered in Cain's head, [I did try to mitigate Kayden's madness, but it's progressing as fast as his strength growth. Even with my blessing, he still sees anyone weaker than him, and that harbors ill intention as a dog.]
~I expect that he sees good people as humans~
[No, I only managed to wire a few important people. Can you find a way to help him?]
~I will try. I can't let someone with Kayden's strength go on a rampage.~
Cain replied with a smile, watching as Kayden glared at the woman, "Drop your weapons,"
The woman glared at Cain, "I won't. You're entering our territory. If you push further, I will have to kill you here." She replied.
Cain smiled, a giggle escaping his lips, "Believe me, even the gods will turn around when we walk in. You better surrender before he cuts you up." He pointed at Kayden with his thumb.
"He?" The woman smiled, leaping at Kayden and swinging her short sword.
Kayden, who stood there, only saw a dog leaping at him. He sheathed his sword and moved to the side, dodging the bite(The woman's shortsword attack.)
The moment the woman saw him dodge her attack effortlessly, she knew it was her end. Kayden glared at her with six red-glowing eyes and a body coated in a dark aura.
But as the woman thought her life was about to end. Kayden grabbed her by the legs. CRACK! He threw her on the ground, grabbing the back of her neck and pinning her to the ground. "She can't bite like this," Kayden said.
The woman gasped, feeling her neck almost snapping. Kayden's hands felt like cold stone, pressing down as his eyes glared at her.
"Leave her alive. She would guide us to their lair," Cain said, squatting before the woman, smiling.
"This is your only chance at life. Make good use of it." Cain whispered.
The woman nodded, barely moving her head.
"She looks tamed. Let her go." Cain looked at Kayden with a smile.
Kayden looked at the woman and reached into his pocket, "But she will wear this. You can't trust a wild beast." He pulled a leash and muzzle.
The leash nicely fit her neck, while the muzzle barely stayed in place. The woman looked at Cain, confused, and he shook his arms. She has to play with it if she wants to live.
The woman guided them across the caves until they reached an underground lake, "Be careful. Monsters live here," she warned them.
Just after taking a few steps, the water started to shake, and a massive crocodile leaped out. CLANG! Kayden pulled the leash, dragging the woman away from the monster's jaw.
The woman fell to the ground and stared at the giant monster, "Run!" She cried. That thing could swallow her in one bite.
Geh! The monster stopped, looking at Kayden. SPLASH! He didn't take any chances, turning away and running as fast as he could. The beast could sense it in his bones. Kayden wasn't something he should face.
Cain, on the other hand, stayed in the back, smiling. He knew the woman guided them here on purpose. She wanted the monster to attack them so she could get a chance to escape. He had already found the thug's lair with magic.
Kayden turned toward Cain, "Hold this for a moment," He handed the leash to him, "I will go kill that thing," Kayden said.
"Why?" Cain asked with a smile.
Kayden looked at the woman, "She's been obedient for the trip. He tried to eat her." He replied.
"Fine, go," Cain took the leash.
Kayden walked toward the lake, and with each step, the veins on his body swoll. CLACK! He walked into the water as if it was nothing, slowly sinking in.
"He's?" The woman looked at Kayde's head fade under the water's surface, "Just walking there?"
"He's a bit strange," Cain replied.
The woman looked at Cain, quickly deducing he was weak from his outer build. 'I can kill him,' She made up her mind to use the leash chain to choke Cain and escape.
Thud! She turned around, leaping toward Cain. But her body bent down, walking on all four. "What a good girl," Cain patted her head, "What a good girl,"
"You...woof!" She tried to speak but barked instead.
Cain smiled, "You're really into acting,"
"Woof...woof! (What did you do to me)." The woman cried. She didn't know the man before she was a literal god.
"I will convince Kayden to set you free if you behave." Cain smiled, patting her back and whispering in her ear, "He can still sense this place. Try attacking me again, and you will be dead."
"Awo! (Who are you)" She whined.
Cain smiled, "Just a random wizard, don't mind me."
Even though his words seemed normal, the woman could feel it in her soul. What stood before her wasn't a mortal.
After a while, Kayden returned, dragging the monster from the tail. "It died in one strike." The beast had a gaping wound spanning from the shoulder to the hips.
When Kayden looked, the woman sat beside Cain. Silently, "She remained Calm. What a good girl." He smiled.
Cain approached Kayden, "Should I store the corpse?" He asked.
"You would do that? Thank you," Kayden nodded, and Cain snapped his fingers, vanishing the corpse.
The woman looked at them and then looked down. She won't be surprised. She messed with the wrong people.
"Come, let's go," Cain looked at the woman. "You can walk and speak normally." He whispered in her ears.
The woman stood, guiding them directly to the bandits' lair, which was a fair distance away since they had walked all the way to the trapped lake.
The three of them stopped looking at the fire burning in the distance.
"A cave inside a cave? What do you call it?" Cain asked, seeing that the bandits used a massive hole in the cavern as a base.
"We call it a cave," The woman replied, "The big rooms are caverns, and the long caves linking them are a cave system."
"I see. Who should go?" Cain then looked at Kayden, "You or me?"
Kayden looked at Cain and then at the cave, thinking momentarily "They are weak. We can walk in." He then scratched his chin, "No, it's best I go alone. I can kill them all in one swop."
Cain nodded, "Go ahead. We will wait here."
Kayden stood, putting his hand on his blade and stepping forward. The first bandit spotted him approaching and snorted.
"Hey boss, we have a live one here," He looked back.
Another bandit stared at him, "Don't bother the boss. He's been in a bad mood lately. Just kill the idiot."
The bandit stood, cracking his neck with a smile, "Bad luck my friend," He looked at Kayden, "At least tell me you have something valuable."
Kayden stopped, staring at the man, "Stray dogs," He growled, spotting a few bags in the back that he recognized. They were the same bags he bought food for the children in the day before yesterday.
"Dogs?" The bandit stooped, glaring at Kayden.
"Wolves hunt for food, stray dogs for sport. Leave them alone, and they will start attacking people." Kayden growled.
"What are you talking about?" The bandit looked at Kayden, confused.
CLING! Kayden pulled his sword. In a single step, his body moved behind the man, cutting him apart.
The other bandit gasped, standing up in a panic. "What?" He saw Kayden sheath his blade as his friend fell like minced meat.
Kayden turned toward the corpse, cutting his finger with the tip of his blade. Only a few drops of his blood and the flesh moved. Transforming into a humanoid demon bowing down.
"My lord," The demon said, his voice shaking.
"Don't let anyone escape alive," Kayden said, turning toward the cave.