To progress and become better, it was often necessary to do things you didn't want to do. Ethan knew this well, and now he had to go through it again.
"I can't believe it!" Ethan complained as he made his way through the bushes. "Why the hell did I drag you to my house if we have to go back to the Rotten Forest?! This place is disgusting!"
"Sorry, but I can't control my abilities. If the Blind Voyager pointed us here, then this is where we have to go."
"Agh... By the way, do you want to tell me who those people were and how the hell you survived? You know, I stabbed you right in the heart. Normal people don't survive that!"
Menir touched her chin. "I'm not a normal person, I'm a Carrier just like you."
"A Broken Carrier! And we have to fix it!"
"Sure. That's what we both want."
Menir nodded, following Ethan. Soon they would reach the site of Ethan and the Crooked Growon's battle.
"I survived because my Circle isn't as damaged as yours, and unlike you, I've been a Carrier for almost a year. The Blind Voyager has two Patterns open, while your Catalyst only has one at the moment, right?"
Ethan stopped as he raised an eyebrow in disbelief.
"I can understand that your ability has a protective function, but what does it mean that you've been a Carrier for a year? How old are you?!"
She couldn't be more than 18, because otherwise her Broken Circle wouldn't have been able to change. Ethan knew that.
"A little over 17. Judging by your face, you're older than me."
"WHAT?! You became a Carrier at 16? Where did you even get the money for the crystal?" Ethan exclaimed, shaking the forest.
Menir looked away.
"Don't be jealous. My mother left me a jewelry box. When she died, I had to sell it to buy the crystal. Thus, I became a Broken Carrier at the ceremony. There's not much to say. My hopes were shattered, like so many others."
Everything that was happening now was, to some extent, because Menir had become a Broken Carrier. Although for Ethan, it was nothing but good luck.
Sure, he could have absorbed her Circle even if she were a True Carrier, but it would be much more difficult. She would be a First Rank Carrier and his enemy, not his ally.
Ethan scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"I see. So... What about the people?"
"Black Horn," Menir replied coldly. "They were Black Horn's people. He hired me when he found out about my ability. The offer was too good to turn down, especially considering the trouble I would run into if I refused. For the first few weeks, that's what I did, working as a seeker. But... He wanted to find something special — the Essence."
Ethan's eyes widened in shock.
The Essences were dense clusters of energy, compressed as tightly as possible into physical form. The value of the Essences was obvious — evolution, not only within a single Rank, but the ability to reach the next one through the creation of the Second Circle.
Well, someone could use an Essence in battle as a powerful charge, but those were desperate measures far from pragmatic use.
However, it was very difficult to find the Essences. They appeared rarely, in unknown places, and could remain unnoticed for years or even decades. That is why the Carriers tried to use every means at their disposal to find the Essences. For many, it could be the necessary push to move up to the next Rank.
Unfortunately, for the Broken Carriers, the Essences were not so useful. A large amount of energy would not restore their Circles, but... due to the density of the energy, there was a high chance that an Essence contained a Pattern suitable for Ethan or Menir.
"Hah, it would be bad if he found it, wouldn't it?" Ethan grinned.
Step. Step. Step.
Step by step, they returned to the field where it all began.
The mercenaries were gone, leaving only bloody traces behind. The Crooked Growon's carcass still lay on the sharp spikes. The flesh began to rot, and the bones were visible as the beasts ripped off a large part of it.
Ethan and Menir stopped abruptly.
Next to the carcass were two men in black clothes. They were mercenaries like the ones who brought Menir to the Rotten Forest, but they were not ordinary people.
'Broken Carriers?' Ethan whispered. 'Maybe we should just wait until they leave? What do you think?'
Menir shook her head. 'We have to keep moving, out of the field, but we have to get rid of them. We can't feel safe with them wandering around.'
'Tsk. I'll have to do the fighting. You like giving orders, right?'
With a calm expression, Menir nodded. 'I'll help you. Besides, don't you need the money? I'm sure those two have something valuable.'
That was true, but it didn't make the situation any easier.
'You're a dangerous woman.' Ethan shook his head as he left the forest glade.
Menir wanted to shout that she was far from being a woman! But she had to remain silent.
As soon as Ethan's figure appeared, the two men turned around. They became alert when they saw Ethan and his hand resting on the hilt of a dagger that was clearly an Artifact.
"Hey, how's it going, guys?" Ethan smiled and waved his hand, maintaining a threatening presence.
The men narrowed their eyes, frowning.
'Who the hell is that?'
'A hunter? No, he's too young... Fuck, is it another mercenary? This forest is getting more dangerous every day!'
"Keep quiet? Come on, I'm sure we have something to talk about."
Unlike the mercenary, Ethan knew there would be no peaceful outcome. He was going to kill them to move on. They were Black Horn men, a threat to Menir and therefore a threat to him in this situation.
In this scenario, he had no mercy for them, nor could he have any.
"Stay where you are." The tall man stepped forward, pulling a long sword from his belt. "We are here on a mission from Black Horn. If you have questions for him, go back to the city and don't get in our way, or else...!"
Suddenly, a multitude of crimson hands emerged from the ground, carrying bloody chains. The second mercenary managed to avoid capture, but the other was not so quick.
Click.
The sound of gears turned as Ethan stepped forward, a stream of darkness running along his arm.
Without hesitation, his fist slammed into the man's face, blowing his head to pieces and causing the flesh of his neck to rot.
The corpse collapsed at Ethan's feet as he stared at the tall man.
"I'm sorry, but given the circumstances, Black Horn and I are enemies."
The man's eyes darted from side to side. He tried to find where Ethan's ally was hiding, but it was useless. Menir's small frame was invisible among the trees.
"Wait! If you and Black Horn have a conflict, you can forget about me! I just took the order like the other Broken Carriers! You have to understand me!"
It didn't matter that Ethan didn't have much combat experience: it was a 2 vs. 1 fight. The mercenary knew that there was almost no chance of winning.
Ethan shook his head. "This isn't..."
Whoooooosh.
Cutting through the wind, a huge arrow the size of a spear struck the man, piercing his chest and sinking halfway into the ground.
All the mercenary saw before he died was pieces of flesh lying on the ground.