In fact, everyone here in the base knew about Varek's unfortunate assignment with Malakai. Plus, word had already spread that the Ninth Vein had been sent to the pit.
And everyone had expected his death.
"Wait… why does Blood Champion Varek look angry?" one of them suddenly said.
The whispers stopped at those words.
All eyes turned as Varek dismounted with gritted teeth, followed by the rest of his squad, who immediately bowed before the carriage.
The Blood Knights in the area froze. Then, the carriage door opened…
And a figure stepped out calmly.
The moment they saw who it was, every heart present skipped a beat.
Eyes widened. Mouths hung wide open. And they all felt a wave of disbelief.
The boy they had all assumed to be dead.
Regardless, despite their shock, Malakai paid them no attention. Without sparing a glance at anyone, he made his way across the compound toward the building at the side, with Nyx walking silently behind him.
Since he wasn't yet a Blood Knight, he wasn't permitted to stay in the main building of the base.
He stopped in front of the building located at one corner of the compound. It resembled a small mansion more than anything, and it had been built specifically to house non-Blood Knights of high status who visited the base.
He entered the building, climbed the stairs, and moved down the hallway until he reached a room at the far end.
Then he turned to Nyx.
"You can do whatever you want. I want to be alone. You don't have to bring me food or water. Don't disturb me until it's time to leave."
Nyx blinked once, but Malakai didn't wait for a response. He stepped inside and shut the door behind him with a soft click.
'Um… why are you so… mean to her? She seems like a nice woman.'
Valentine's voice rang gently in his head.
Malakai paused slightly, but he didn't answer.
But Valentine pressed on.
"I remember your meeting with her… when you came out from the pit. She waited for you for two days, right? That doesn't seem like someone who doesn't care."
He had made a blunder when he came out from the pit and had forgotten completely that Valentine could hear his thoughts. Now, the man wouldn't stop talking.
"I liked you better when you were silent," Malakai muttered. "Aren't you scared of me?"
His observational skills weren't just during battles, he could read people too.
And he knew exactly how Valentine felt about him. The chubby man had watched the trial. He'd seen everything, what Malakai did to his teammates and the others. Add that to the fact he was only fourteen, driven by revenge… it was obvious. Valentine was wary.
Valentine chuckled slightly.
"Ah, yes. Looks like you got me. But can you blame me? You're one scary kid. They didn't make them like you in my time."
Malakai didn't respond.
"But," Valentine continued, "I realized something. In the past, I wouldn't dare be this nosy, mostly because of the potential physical harm. But now? I'm dead, haha. You can't exactly hurt me, even if you wanted to. And since we're going to be stuck together for the rest of our lives, I think it's fair that I get a little nosy."
"…Did you rehearse that line?"
Valentine cleared his throat awkwardly.
"…Just a little bit."
Malakai exhaled. "Looks like you'll continue being annoying."
"Yes. Quietly," Valentine said.
Malakai didn't respond. He walked to the window at the far end of the room.
'Only one window. Good.'
He shut it, locked it, then pulled the curtains across. He moved through the room carefully, checking every possible opening.
Then the door… he tested the handle twice to be sure it was locked.
Finally, he moved to the bed and sat down.
Valentine had watched all of it silently. And just as he thought Malakai was ignoring his question again…
"She can't be trusted," Malakai said suddenly.
"Why? Isn't she your maid?"
"Wait… and you still let her be your maid? How do you even know?"
Malakai's eyes turned cold.
"All the maids serving me are spies. Sent by my uncles. My aunts too."
"Damn," Valentine muttered. "Feels like I'm watching a movie…"
"…A movie?" Malakai asked.
Valentine paused. "You do have TVs, right? Oh please tell me you do… You should. It's been more than three centuries…"
"Nooooo…" Valentine groaned, exasperated.
Malakai frowned. He was starting to get irritated by his reactions. Why was he being so dramatic?
He waited a bit, allowing Valentine to calm down before speaking again.
"I know what you're talking about. I read about it in some books. But most of humanity's past technologies aren't being used anymore. The Vita didn't just change humans and animals, it changed the world itself. The environment. The rules. The balance."
Valentine took a second to think.
"But… I saw you using mines and guns at the trial. Your weapons, your utility belt… those things weren't made with sticks and stones."
"There are technologies in the world," Malakai said. "But Vita became the main source of energy. Anything created now has to be built around it."
Valentine's eyes lit up. "Then—"
"But," Malakai cut in, "it doesn't change the fact that they're not widely used."
"Why?" Valentine asked, tone surprisingly sharp now. It was obvious he wanted a TV so badly.
"It sounds like they can be created… but aren't. You still use carriages for transport. I didn't see a single car. No cellphones either. Why?"
Malakai sighed. The questions were starting to pile up and he hated answering them. He shook his head once, deciding to just get it over with.
"Yes, we have the capabilities. But either it's made in small quantities and heavily monitored… or they just don't make it at all. And for good reason."
He paused before continuing.
"Despite what you might think, the Vita in the air isn't infinite. It's limited. It gets used up. The only reason it's still so abundant is because of the daily deaths inside the dome. Every time something dies, human, beast, anything, a darkness creature forms, and when they're killed, they release Vita back into the air."