The pulsations in Soren's chest grew more violent.
Grim moved closer, trying to comfort him—but it was useless. The only thing he could do was settle beside him and gently rest his head against Soren's hand.
As the first light of dawn began to slip through the cracks in the stable walls, a sharp screech echoed throughout the space.
At that exact moment, Soren's shirt tore open across his chest.
A thick black substance surged out of his skin.
It wasn't blood.
It was a dark biomass, emerging from within his chest—forcing its way out from an invisible prison.
The screech continued.
High-pitched.
Desperate.
Like a dying beast… cursing the world before vanishing.
The sound felt as if it were meant to linger… even beyond death.
Grim took a step back, his tail stiff.
The black mass twisted one last time.
Then it began to melt slowly over Soren's chest.
When it finally dissipated, it left something behind.
A tattoo.
An eight-legged black spider, deeply etched into his skin.
And for a brief moment…
The mark seemed to pulse.
There was no life in it…
only the lingering echo of a final heartbeat.
At that moment, Soren opened his eyes.
He took a deep breath, as if life had suddenly rushed back into his body.
Grim immediately approached.
He stared at him for a few seconds…
then lightly bumped his head against Soren's arm, as if checking that everything was still working.
Soren raised his hand and patted him before slowly sitting up.
At first, with effort.
But the moment his feet touched the ground, he noticed something strange.
Just seconds ago, he had been in agonizing pain… and now, his physical condition felt better than before.
The pain was completely gone.
He felt strong.
Stronger than ever in this body.
Soren frowned, thoughtful.
"So… every time I assimilate a singularity, my physical ability increases."
He looked at his hands.
"After enduring that much pain… this is the reward."
He quickly checked his chest.
The spider tattoo did indeed have eight legs. It was black and positioned slightly to the side—almost over where his heart was.
In a way, it looked… aesthetic.
Rugged.
In his past life, he hadn't been a fan of tattoos—but having one like this wasn't so bad.
He clenched his hand.
His fingers tightened more firmly than usual… as if his body were still adjusting to its new strength.
Then he tied a knot at the torn part of his shirt and began tidying up the place where he had spent the night.
He folded the sheet and pillow the innkeeper had lent him. He did his best to organize the stable and cleaned a bit around his space.
It was important to leave a good impression.
Besides, the sun had only just risen.
When he finished, Grim stood up from the hay and followed behind him with calm, small steps, his tail swaying gently.
Soren made his way down the same passage he had used before and descended into the tavern below.
The innkeeper—the woman with the eyepatch—was already washing dishes behind the counter.
When she saw him, she raised an eyebrow.
"Leaving already?" she asked.
"That's right. I've got a lot to do today… and as they say, the early bird gets the worm," Soren replied with a hint of humor.
The woman smiled and nodded.
"You're not wrong, kid. A few rooms are opening up today. If you need a place to stay, I can hold one for you—but you'll have to pay in advance."
Soren nodded.
"How about I leave you twenty hot potatoes as a deposit? You save the spot for me, and when I come back tonight, we can negotiate the room price."
He paused briefly before adding:
"If possible, one with a bath would be great. I'll be registering as an official Seeker today… so payment won't be an issue."
At that moment, Grim peeked out from behind Soren and looked at the innkeeper curiously.
The woman let out a small laugh.
"Your friend seems well-mannered."
Grim wagged his tail, as if he understood the compliment.
"Deal," she said.
Soren smiled faintly.
She's reasonable, he thought. And I like that she knows how to negotiate.
Quickly, Soren summoned the Hot Potato Nest.
He counted out twenty and placed them on the counter, one after another.
Then he kept four more.
Two for himself.
Two for Grim.
For the road.
Grim stared at the potatoes with clear interest.
His eyes gleamed.
And for a moment… Soren had the impression he was counting how many belonged to him.
They left the Drunken Boar.
The twin suns in the sky were beginning to illuminate the streets. The town was just starting to stir; many shops were still closed, their wooden shutters still down.
Soren looked around curiously.
He didn't know exactly where the guild was—but he wasn't worried.
After all, he was in the center of town.
He just had to ask.
They walked a couple of blocks north. Soren was focused on the path when he heard a voice.
"Hey! You there, kid!"
Soren stopped and turned toward the voice without responding.
To the side of the road stood a cargo carriage. It was attached to a creature that, for a moment, Soren thought might be a horse-shaped singularity… but upon closer inspection, it was just a normal horse.
The carriage leaned to one side.
Grim stepped slightly in front of Soren, watching the man carefully.
Soren approached.
"Good morning, sir. How can I help?"
The man chuckled.
"Kid, you're polite. Not everyone would stop to help."
Soren examined the carriage more closely.
At the back were several purple crates with golden patterns. Each was roughly twenty centimeters long and ten wide.
It looked like valuable cargo.
The man had a classic mustache and was well dressed. His clothes were elegant, but practical—clearly meant for travel.
"My wheel broke," the man explained. "Split clean in half. I was on my way to the Seeker's Guild to deliver this cargo, and well… this happened."
He sighed.
"If you help me, we can lift the carriage together. The horse can push a bit, and I'll move it off the road."
Then he added:
"I'll give you two bronze coins."
Soren crouched and inspected the wheel.
It was a solid wooden plate with a central hole for the axle.
The crack was obvious.
But the wheel wasn't the important part.
This was an opportunity.
Soren stood and smiled slightly.
"Two bronze coins sounds fair," he said. "But I have a proposal."
The merchant raised an eyebrow.
"If I help you get the carriage all the way to the Seeker's Guild… could you increase the reward?"
The man hesitated, then said:
"If you get me there, I'll give you two silver coins… no, three. But kid—the guild is about fifty blocks from here. Neither of us has the strength for that. And if the horse drags it like this, it'll damage both the cargo and the carriage."
"Say no more," Soren said.
He approached the broken wheel and summoned the Green Light singularity.
Energy immediately took form.
A wheel appeared before him.
It was identical to the original—with one difference: it glowed with a faint green luminescence. At its center was the same axle hole.
The merchant stared in clear surprise.
"Could you lift that side of the carriage?" Soren asked. "I'll fit the wheel onto the axle."
The man nodded and lifted it with effort.
Soren positioned the conjured wheel and secured it with a firm twist, locking it into place.
The merchant watched the repair in silence.
It had been quick.
And clever.
"That singularity is incredible," he finally said.
Soren nodded.
"Looks like we're good to go."
The merchant, Soren, and Grim climbed onto the carriage. The man took the reins and gave them a light shake.
The horse began to move.
The wheel turned.
"It works! It works!" the merchant exclaimed, clearly delighted.
Then he laughed.
"Kid, you saved me. At this rate, I'll make my delivery on time. Thank you."
"No need to thank me," Soren replied. "I was heading that way anyway."
After a few blocks, the merchant glanced more carefully at Soren's torn clothing.
"That outfit…" he said. "Are you an apprentice Seeker from the Red Fox?"
Soren's eyes sharpened slightly.
"Yes. I'm heading to the guild to register as an official Seeker."
"Oh… interesting," the merchant said. "I think the captain of that group… that Rusett, right?"
At that moment, Grim—sitting beside Soren—slightly raised his head.
The horse snorted softly as it continued forward.
Soren nodded.
"Is he that famous?"
The merchant chuckled.
"You could say that."
He adjusted the reins between his fingers.
"You'll never see him walking alone."
He paused.
"There are always two Collector-rank Seekers behind him… like shadows."
Grim slowly wagged his tail, watching the road.
The merchant looked ahead again.
"And if a man needs two Collectors to escort him…"
His lips curled into a half-smile.
"…just imagine what kind of monster he must be."
Soren didn't respond immediately.
His gaze drifted briefly down the road.
"Rusett…" he murmured.
And for the first time…
he felt a genuine interest in meeting him.
The carriage continued toward the guild, that name lingering in the air.