Killed Me? Now I Have Your Power Chapter 421: Rudolph
Previously on Killed Me? Now I Have Your Power...
Kaden and Rea positioned themselves next to each other, their gazes sweeping across the surroundings with hawk-like intensity, absorbing a view that caught them both off guard.
Kaden had imagined tumbling into a frigid lair filled with tormented spirits, most of them whirling and wailing around him like shrieking phantoms.
Nothing like that awaited them.
A dwelling they were in, yes. Yet it resembled an ordinary abode, if anything, far plainer than the lavish settings Kaden and Rea knew well.
After all, nobility defined their lives.
Jagged stones formed the floor beneath their feet, the walls crafted from identical rough material. Furniture appeared sparse, leaving the area feeling stark and empty, hardly befitting a proper home.
That emptiness struck more than just the eyes. A foul, herbal odor hung in the atmosphere, enveloping them like a heavy shroud.
Rea’s pale eyebrows knitted together, her expression contorting into a fierce grimace as she whipped her head toward Kaden, fixing him with a sharp glare.
“Damn Kaden!” She snarled, teetering on the edge of more than mere words, “What sort of place have you dragged us into this time?”
Drowsiness clouded Rea’s mind, her senses muddled from the very moment she materialized here.
Only seconds earlier, she had been on the brink of uncovering the root of terror haunting the bridge.
Success in that would have seen them cross the Frosted Bridge without a hitch, pressing onward in their extended quest for the dungeon.
Naturally, her charming betrothed had to stir trouble once more.
Fear no longer lingered nearby.
A dense, impenetrable veil seemed to conceal it all, so robust that even she—Rea Thornspire, God-Touched of the Woeful One—found it impossible to penetrate and seize those hidden terrors.
She despised the sensation. It irked her even more when paired with Kaden’s serene, faintly entertained expression.
“Well, you see, Rea, it’s not me who triggered all this, you know.” Kaden remarked, his gaze roaming over the interior.
His crimson, star-flecked eyes lingered on a pair of doorways resembling chambers, spaced about ten feet apart, with an extinguished torch mounted between them.
An urge to inspect them tugged at Kaden.
“If not you, then who?” Rea shot back. Kaden tore his attention from the doors, turning to observe her.
“It’s one of my traits that activated by itself. Without my consent. You can’t hold it against me, right?” He explained, his voice carrying a casual, shrug-like lilt.
“I think you’re treating this too casually for a dungeon at Epithet or even Elderling rank.” Rea stated, her eyes narrowing, “First, Sorrow take my soul, what is Elderling? Second, Kaden, are you so sure of your own power?”
“Enough to realize I won’t perish without a fight.”
“That doesn’t reassure me.”
Kaden chuckled, “Let’s concentrate, alright? Remember what The Will shared with us.”
He halted, running his tongue over his lips, his stare fixed on the dwelling.
“We’ve entered a dungeon, Rea. Which means this house embodies the dungeon itself. Or perhaps just a section, if escape proves possible. But can we escape at all?”
“No doors exist besides those two,” Rea observed, her steps dragging across the floor, “and I doubt either leads beyond this house.”
Kaden trailed after her.
“The odd part is the absence of guidance. Dungeons typically offer clear paths to completion from The Will.”
“That’s exactly why I suspect we’re overlooking something.” Rea responded, coming to a stop before the door.
Kaden positioned himself to her right.
Black stone composed the door, adorned with crimson etchings in an unfamiliar script.
Neither runes nor any tongue familiar to Rea or Kaden, the markings resembled childish scribbles to their eyes.
Their gazes met briefly.
Rea extended her arm, clutching the handle firmly, then turned it—!
“What are you doing?”
A gentle voice cut through, startling Kaden and Rea with an eerie shiver from the sudden intrusion.
They snapped their heads toward the source with such speed that their necks groaned in resistance.
Their sights settled on the source.
A youthful man of striking appearance stood there, his short white hair framing golden eyes shadowed by fatigue and concern.
He held himself straight, supported by a cane on either side. Only one leg remained—his left—and even that seemed more like a frail rod than a true limb.
Devoid of muscle or vitality, the limb’s appearance quietly disturbed.
Yet Kaden’s primary worry centered elsewhere. The man’s features mirrored Soulless, that deceitful wretch, in perfect likeness.
Kaden quelled a scowl, striving to betray no emotion.
Rea mirrored his composure, her gaze blank and impassive toward the stranger. Kaden felt no shock; she revealed genuine feelings mainly when he irritated her.
Otherwise, she resembled an emotionless sheet.
“You still haven’t answered my question.” The young man pressed, his tone so soothing and inviting it could lull anyone to rest, “or are you the healers dispatched by The Bridgehunters?”
“Heal you?” Kaden repeated, tilting his head.
The young man’s voice brightened instantly, “Yes,” he exclaimed, struggling mightily to hobble closer, “Yes, to mend my leg! Word reached me of a renowned Alchemist in Milieu, the Second Coming of The Witch! They say he can restore me completely!”
His stare locked onto Kaden, eyes alight with desperate optimism,
“Are you that famous Alchemist? You appear so young! But that’s fitting for a Prominent Alchemist!”
The bizarre shift left Kaden and Rea utterly stunned.
Yet before they could dwell on it, The Will at last activated.
[Dungeon: Dwelling of Souls]
[Difficulty: Epithet ~ Elderling]
[Description: Rudolph was born with the incapacity of walking. Later, one of his legs was cut due to the illness advancing a stage, and the other one about to suffer the same fate. And once that happens, his life will end. But Rudolph has only one wish. And that is to walk. Nothing else, nothing more.]
[However, one could wish something that would cause its own downfall, and the downfall of many other people.]
[Dungeon Quest: Teach Rudolph to make peace with his fate, let the agonized Souls dwelling inside of him return to TheTree, and kill The Alchemist.]
[Rewards: Soul Cores, Research Book of The Alchemist, Bloodline of The Devourer of Souls.]
Kaden and Rea scanned the quest details, their expressions straining to conceal shock, each receiving rewards customized precisely for their needs.
Still, excitement eluded them entirely.
Rea’s reluctance stemmed from her status as a mere Master facing a potential Epithet or Elderling-level foe.
Kaden’s unease arose from the dawning recognition of the Alchemist’s identity. Connecting the evident hints required no brilliance.
‘The Forbidden Alchemist,’ Kaden pondered with an odd unease, ‘Am I at last encountering him? The creator of...’
His thoughts trailed off as he regarded the young man, Rudolph.
Eagerness filled the youth’s face as he pleaded like a child for Kaden’s healing touch.
Kaden observed the laborious shuffle on those canes, the golden eyes dulled like tarnished metal, drained and weary.
Yet the man beamed at them warmly, his gaze sparkling with hope so intense it bordered on nausea.
Then it struck Kaden, his gut twisting as if iced over, that he faced the figure destined to become...
The Devourer of Souls.
The epiphany rocked him.
How could this seemingly pure youth evolve into such a monstrous entity?
Kaden lacked answers, but he sensed the Forbidden Alchemist’s involvement loomed large.
Regardless, the quest’s demands shone harshly, bordering on brutality.
They had to inform this near-joyful soul that remaining as he was—crippled—served him better.
Bound to crutches for mobility, soon to lose both legs, then fade away powerless.
As comprehension washed over them like daylight flooding the land, Kaden and Rea exchanged glances.
“Will you help me?” Rudolph urged once more, shattering the silent exchange between Rea and Kaden.
Rea opened her mouth to respond. But Kaden interjected swiftly, aware of her potential for blunt cruelty.
“Of course,” Kaden assured, forcing conviction into his words. “We will help you.”
He forced a smile.
“We absolutely will.”
—End of Chapter 421—