Indeed, Xenos's destination was close to this stratum's prison.
Since he wasn't sure where exactly he was once at, he wanted to center himself to a known location, one closer to the game's events, and a certain hidden... valley he wanted to explore.
This 'known location' was Acheron, one of Runethera's five bodies of water.
Acheron was a river, one that ended in House Hades' land. Of course, he wasn't going there, though he liked to court death for fun; he wasn't keen on unavoidable death, because yes, this action would be no different than suicide.
No, he needed this river because it'd help to lead him to that valley he was after.
Only with it could he find the valley, as it was something ingrained in him from the game.
Because yes, the game had no player map; a player had to buy one to navigate the realm.
Though annoying, it was one of the main reasons why he liked the game so much; there was barely any hand-holding involved... even if it sometimes went too far with it, making him nearly rage quit ten times over, particularly in a few cursed sessions where he was too stubborn to do anything else, metaphorically and literally banging his head against the wall until he could finally succeed.
Insanity was doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
Xenos, and many that tried to be like him, were just that: insane.
'Though... it always worked out in the end.'
Chuckling at that, he heard a voice, and no, it was real:
'What's so funny?'
He, reminded that his Soul held a passenger, deflected:
'Nothing... you think my plan worked?'
Understanding that, she played along:
'I'm sure. Your belongings are registered under Xenos, while your prison sentence is written under Theodore Veynar. If your family were notified, I doubt they'd be sending you to prison still, even if they have abandoned you as you claimed...'
Her voice turned quiet at the end.
'I've seen many go insane after their Ascension, stress tearing through their pitiful minds. To those two, I'm certain you won't seem any different. You've played the role of insanity quite well.'
Xenos raised a brow.
'Role? What role?'
She laughed, thinking it was a joke, and he didn't correct her.
Sure, he was honestly playing the part, but that was still him, only exaggerated.
Eris would soon know that... he was sure.
Now, the prison wagon he was thrown in was a rickety old thing, creaking every time the wheels rolled over a pebble, smelling of vomit, piss, shit, and something burnt.
A perfect first-class seat.
Xenos sat with his back straight against the wood, his arms resting on his knees.
Around him were men with built bodies, some nearly his height, only a few inches shorter, scarred up, with missing teeth and eyes.
These were the sort that would scare a farmer's crops into growing faster.
And yet, every single one of them avoided even glancing in his direction.
Again, Xenos, thin as he was, had height, even by this realm's standards. So seeing him dressed in black, with an entirely relaxed posture, chuckling aimlessly every other minute?
He was bad news.
A Noble's brat gone rough, maybe?
But, yeah, no, they weren't going to guess.
They were smart enough to know better than to poke the strange one.
Xenos, without them realizing, gave them an approving nod.
'Good boys.'
One man scratched at his beard as if it suddenly itched, though Xenos didn't see that, as his eyes were on the Hierophant steering this wagon.
For the past many hours, and now, in the morning, noise came from only him, his cheeks red, though not because of Xenos's slap; yeah, that was too weak to even make him flinch, but because of his anger.
Hierophants were no weaker than Shepards, the Ninth Class, after all.
"You worm! You pest! I'll see you scourged, drowned, burned—"
Xenos covered both his ears, having had enough of his drivel.
"Blah blah blah, you've been saying the same two insults for the past hour. Change the record a little, yeah? Switch it up; maybe tell me about your life. Do you have a mistress or something?"
The Hierophant's face turned purple, barely stopping himself from accidentally killing what was before him, the two horses pulling the wagon along.
"MISTRESS?! I SERVE THE DIVINE!"
"Oh, so your wife's ugly?"
The other prisoners hid their laughs by coughing into their fists.
Still hearing them, the Hierophant's grip nearly cut the leather held in his fist.
"QUIET BOY."
Xenos yawned, leaning back fully, and muttered:
"Maaaaaan... when's Calamity going to hit? I'm bored out of my mind!"
The Hierophant puffed up again, ready for another rant.
He opened his mouth—
"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"
Only to scream.
Calamity seemed to finally respond to Xenos's call.
The prisoners jolted, the wagon lurched, and the horses whinnied.
In seconds, they heard steel clash against something strong, many, many times.
This annoying Hierophant was their only guard, so it had to have come from him.
Whoever he was currently facing was as strong as a Shepherd, two entire classes above Xenos, a being too strong for him to survive even a mere second against.
"WE—WE'RE UNDER ATTACK!"
The Hierophant's panic was obvious, making the others start panicking too, shouting, stomping, and slamming their shoulders against the barred walls like that'd help.
Xenos, however?
He grinned widely.
"Father of Calamity~."
Standing up, he stretched his legs while his Rune and Soul Glyph pulsed in rhythm...
A cruel joke only he understood.
"Experience is about to be good."
Just as he said that, the wooden wall beside him was pierced by large claws, opening a doorway to the outside.
The question that was never asked was now finally answered.
If he was using the wagon sending him to prison as a free ride, how was he going to escape?
By using his Calamity!
Xenos raised his arms high over his head and let out a long groan, stretching his spine until the wood behind him creaked louder than the wagon itself.
The others didn't care about limbering up; oh no, they were already stampeding like cattle through the gaping hole in the side.
Elbows flew, curses flew louder, and boots stomped over each other's feet.
A fat man tripped in the chaos, somehow managing to find himself through, getting stuck in the hole for a moment, only to get pushed out, falling face-first out the opening.
Another rushed out right after him, climbing right over him.
Real brotherhood.
Xenos, meanwhile, didn't move an inch closer; instead, he squatted down and leaned on his knees, readying himself to watch an amateur circus play out in all its bloody glory.
Some, even during the chaos, glanced back at him, wondering just what he was doing, though he only waved them off, seemingly annoyed at their stalling.
"Yeah, yeah, go on, first come, first served. Enjoy being food."
And that, they did, as their panicked yells quickly turned into uglier ones, followed quickly by the sound of tearing, crunching, and wet splats that didn't belong in any kitchen.
"HEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLPPPPP—"
One guy in particular screamed long and hard before choking midway.
It was probably the fat one, their claws taking a moment longer to get through his chub.
'Huh... maybe I should dirty bulk.'
Perhaps being fat was a viable strategy.
'The more you know~.'
After that thought, a chuckle or two, and a few tremors, Xenos blinked slowly and tapped a finger against his cheek.
'Hm. Only he's left.'
He leaned forward, humming while closely listening to what could only be called a feast in the middle of the slaughter played out.
Eventually, though, his little choir of death got quieter, and the shaking stopped, leaving just the clash of steel, ringing again and again, the Hierophant roaring his lungs out with each swing.
"Oh, would you die already?"
Xenos rolled his eyes, commenting like your usual backseat gamer.
"And stop screaming so much; it doesn't make you swing harder."
The sounds dragged on for a good while, but when it ended, it ended fast, making the air go eerily still, leaving the stink of human, horse, and monster blood mixed with shit to waft in through the wagon's open wound.
Not minding the smell, Xenos pushed himself up with a grunt, dusted off his clothes, and cracked his neck.
He bounced a little on his toes, shaking out his arms for one last time, about to execute his first-ever performance.
"Alright, let's see..."
Xenos stepped out of the wagon, and his boots immediately squelched on something red and sticky, which somehow didn't even faze him.
As expected, what greeted him was not victory.
The Hierophant stood frozen in place, his sword dangling at his side, his chest split wide open by four long claws that held him up like a puppet on wires.
A large beast loomed behind him, its body mangy and muscular, its black fur matted with gore, its two heads snarling in different directions.
One pair of yellow eyes locked on Xenos instantly, while the other head was too busy chewing on the poor Hierophant's shoulder... a still shaking one.
Yes, the man had yet to die.
Blood dribbled out of his lips as he, too, looked at Xenos.
He tried to spit one last insult, but all he managed was a breath.
"...ha."
His chin dropped forward, hanging lifelessly.
"Damn."
Xenos stared at the sight for a moment, lips pressed together in thought.
"I was hoping you'd kill more of them..."
He rubbed the back of his neck and sighed.
"Maybe I'm the main act after all."