Return Of The Talentless Bastard

Kage strode to Talia and seized the stick from her hand, then sniffed and immediately recoiled.

'This is it!'

The wood was certainly part of the Impure—the smell was too distinct to be wrong.

'What kind of Impure could it be?'

There were different types of elemental impurity, and as of now, only five had been confirmed, though theories suggested more existed.

Root type, Blade type, Shadow type, Mirror type, and Ash type.

Kage himself didn't know much about every single one of these elemental types, but he knew that people who'd survived encounters with Shadow, Mirror, and Ash types recounted stories drenched in horror. And there were precious few such survivors.

Root type Impures were the most common and possessed Impurity akin to the corruption of life itself—nature and growth twisted wrong.

The Rootgnarls, Murkstingers, even Barrowspikes and the Vulture were all Root types. And it seemed the one they were dealing with now was also a Root type.

Confirming that made Kage's confidence surge—he could survive this ordeal, and things would unfold exactly as he'd planned.

Kage turned toward them, raising the small twig so they could see.

"This is not ordinary wood. It's something from an Impure—could be an outgrowth of its hands or horns. It confirms my suspicion."

The group muttered among themselves, fear suddenly manifesting. Their faces contorted with horror. Kaito stared down with a frown, thinking.

Haru glanced at everyone in confusion, and Talia immediately spoke up.

"Listen—LISTEN! This is like tempering steel, yes? Heat, pressure, cooling—that's how we get stronger! I've seen it a thousand times in the forge. The metal that breaks is the metal that fights the process. We bend, we adapt, we help each other stay in formation—THREE people supporting one weak point, that's how you prevent structural failure! Come on, we can do this!"

Most of them looked at Talia; some weren't even listening and just continued nursing their fear.

"If we steady ourselves—yes, yes, like tempering steel—forge our minds in the heat of pressure—that's THREE elements: heat, pressure, and time—we'll see clearly!"

Kage shook his head in pity, thinking.

'This is sickening to watch.'

Talia was desperately trying to rally everyone. She meant well, but it was sickening to watch. First of all, why was she trying so hard to prevent the inevitable?

She didn't even know if her own safety was guaranteed, yet she was already encouraging others. Kage refused to associate with these kinds of people.

He certainly wouldn't be seeing Talia in the future. She was going to be a liability.

"Don't listen to her." His voice came out cold, snapping heads toward him. "If you listen to her, you'll be in trouble. You have two choices: turn back, or press forward."

He fixed his eyes particularly on Marcus, who bit down on his lip.

"If you decide to leave now, no one will hold it against you. The Academy will understand—this could be recorded as an accident. These things happen from time to time. Or you can decide to press forward, own your life, and make it your responsibility to survive—not let the accident be your excuse for running."

Kage turned forward.

"As for me, I'd rather win than run."

Lian Feng was silent, watching him. Then he laughed a little.

"How can you be so sure you won't die?"

Kage gave him a mildly irritated look.

"I just said it, didn't I? It's your responsibility to survive. I'm competent enough to keep myself alive."

Lian Feng scratched his neck and dropped his hand.

"Well, I guess I am too."

The others soon followed their lead, steeling themselves and declaring confidence in their ability to stay alive.

There were some still behind—two who still looked terrified and weren't sure where they stood, but were thinking: Brother Kage, Brother Lian will protect us.

These were, after all, the two forerunners of the cohort who embodied strength—one bright and charismatic, the other dark and cold.

Kaito stepped forward, leaning his hand on the sword tucked into his belt.

"Then what path are we taking? The Hanging Tree has perils of its own."

Kage glanced at him.

"He's right. The Impure's trails probably lead west and east, as if it's avoiding going forward."

Lian Feng looked at the markings on the tree with a slight grimace, bringing his attention back as Kage's face hardened with cold, practical resolve.

"We'll have to brave the horrors of the Hanging Tree."

Hearing Kage say it with such definite certainty made their hearts plunge into their stomachs.

They didn't know what horrors they'd be braving, but they knew it would've been wiser not to.

The whole of the Twisted Forest was warning them not to go further. Now heading toward a path they all knew they shouldn't take felt too foolish—it made them want to find a spot and empty their bowels, because their stomachs had started churning.

Kage glanced at all of them and strode forward. As he did, the rest followed. Talia whispered energetically with the two boys beside her, including the monk.

The moment they entered, the change in the forest's scenery was immediate—the trees were fatter, thicker, and the smell of stagnant water saturated the air.

Bei whimpered and pressed closer to Kage's leg. Even the North Star cub seemed to feel it—something in the air that pulled at vitality itself, quiet as a whisper, patient as a grave.

Their hands felt cold, skin prickling, as they trudged forward. Slowly, cold crept into their bones, but that wasn't the only thing.

Kage was the first to notice, as he began huffing barely ten minutes into what should've been a normal walk.

Lian Feng had noticed Kage's ragged breathing but didn't say anything—not until they'd walked for about thirty minutes. As Kage took another step, he nearly staggered, but Lian Feng hurriedly caught him.

He'd lost so much strength that Bei slipped through his hands. The North Star cub glanced around in fear, then fixed a worried expression on Kage, who leaned slightly on Lian Feng.

"Are you alright?"

Kage didn't respond. He wasn't sweating, but his body was drained of vigor—he felt utterly exhausted.

Even though his body was the worst of all, it shouldn't be this bad.

Talia quickly stepped forward.

"He has a defective body—it's like steel breaking apart from within."

Kage looked up at the ashen sky of the forest.

'It shouldn't be this bad.'

Lian Feng gave him a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry, friend. I'll carry you until you regain some strength."

Kage exhaled tiredly and pulled away from him, making others look at him strangely. His tired eyes scanned the looks on their faces.

He saw mild shock, surprise, pity—and he detested it all. But he wasn't delusional. This was his present reality.

"You don't need to carry me. You all should press forward. I'll rest here."

He tiredly walked toward the tree and slowly sat down. The others stared at him, confused.

Some were probably bewildered because they'd all thought Kage was the strongest among them. But now he couldn't even walk a kilometer. What kind of disgrace was this?

But it wasn't as if Kage had announced his strength—there was just something about him that commanded respect. Even seeing him in a position of weakness now, they all remained cautious.

Marcus thought for a moment, looking at Kage, then suggested:

"Perhaps we all could take this opportunity to rest. When Brother Kage's stamina is restored a little, we can move again."

Isolde quickly spoke against it.

"No! That's a dangerous suggestion. We can't afford to wait for anyone. I'm sure he understands this most of all—it's why he asked us to move on."

Marcus looked at Isolde with a mix of confusion and disbelief.

"But we're a group now. It's unsettling to just abandon one of us. And Brother Kage has been helpful—if not for him, we'd be walking straight into an Impure threat right now."

Isolde stood defiantly.

"That's just what he said. It's not like we confirmed it ourselves. For all we know, he could've just sabotaged our easy way out of this."

She clicked her tongue in irritation and looked away.

"If I'd known he was this much of a dead weight, I would've taken the lead myself or gone my own way. What do you mean, you're too tired to walk? Ha! This is laughable!"

Her tone was harsh and bitter. Anyone would be—someone who'd projected such strength turned out to be the weakest. Those intimidated by his presence would naturally lash out.

Talia turned, looking furious. But as she tried to speak, Kage's voice came out in ragged rasps.

"The longer you all stand around, the closer your deaths. Better start walking now, because if you don't, you won't be able to walk at all."