Kaelan looked at the city's inhabitants and was shocked, as several of them appeared different.
He saw a child with bat-like ears and a single reddish eye. Another child whose left hand was the size of a ladle, and a woman with acne on her face that oozed pus.
There was a man whose half-body had turned black and emitted a foul stench, and elderly people whose forms no longer looked human.
The horrific sight left him stunned and saddened. His heart ached seeing children still cheerful even though their conditions were gruesome.
Lunaria, walking slightly ahead of him, noticed Kaelan's shock.
"Because the world lost its sun, curses have enveloped the earth. The result is that animals, plants, and even monsters contain corruption."
Kaelan remained vigilant while feeling sorrow for what he witnessed.
"What exactly are corruption and curses?"
Kaelan could more or less understand what a curse was.
A curse was an energy much like the air around them. That energy could be absorbed by anything, whether living or not. Consequently, everything they ate contained a curse.
"In this world, everything certainly contains a curse. That includes humans like us," Lunaria explained.
"Is there no way to remove it?" Kaelan asked without much hope.
Lunaria gave a bitter smile. "If the sun shone, the curse would surely vanish."
Ultimately, the curse would never disappear from this world as long as the sun did not appear. The actions of the Nadir Sovereign had brought about an apocalypse for humanity.
"We have methods to remove curses from food and water... but the curse cannot be completely eliminated. There will always be residual traces left behind. Those residues are what we call corruption."
Corruption was a milder form of a curse. If someone consumed a curse directly, it would cause them to go mad and turn into a monster.
However, corruption would not cause them to change instantly. It would only accumulate and transform specific parts of the body into a monster.
But in the end, corruption would still turn a person into that monster. It was just that its spread was much slower than direct exposure to a curse.
Kaelan was speechless. He once again felt that this world was completely foreign to him. It was almost as if he had never lived in it.
He then felt a wave of sadness. He wasn't sure why. Perhaps because he was the only one who didn't feel like a part of this world, or perhaps it was a feeling born of pure empathy.
"We've arrived."
Kaelan stared at the building in front of him. It was a massive structure, almost like a small castle. Upon entering, there was a courtyard serving as an arena for practicing swordsmanship, hand-to-hand combat, and even archery.
Led by Lunaria, Kaelan entered while ignoring the various gazes fixed upon him. Along the way, people greeted Lunaria cheerfully before staring intensely at Kaelan.
They arrived in front of a combined mess hall and bar. Lunaria called out, making herself the focus of everyone's attention.
"Friends, please listen," Lunaria said. "From now on, he will be our new family member."
Everyone was shocked. They had heard the situation from Reynold regarding what had happened.
It was natural to be surprised, considering Kaelan was a mysterious and suspicious figure.
"This is my decision as the leader. If you have any concerns, bring them to me. I don't want to hear of any ostracism whatsoever."
Lunaria was firm in her message. Just because Kaelan was different was no reason for him to be excluded. Just because he seemed suspicious, it was not right for him to receive worse treatment.
Everyone seemed reluctant, but no one argued. Even Rebecca appeared angry and disagreed with Lunaria's decision.
"Yo! Welcome to the explorer team, Kaelan!" Reynold stepped forward cheerfully and put an arm around him.
With his massive frame, Reynold's embrace felt heavy and a bit forceful. However, he understood that the man did not mean to hurt him.
"You've got bad luck ending up with the explorer team, ahaha!" Reynold laughed lightly.
"Why?" Kaelan asked.
Reynold leaned in close, almost like someone telling a horror story to a small child.
"Among the existing teams and divisions in the Radiant Covenant, the explorer team is the worst. Know why?" Reynold asked. "Because our team is always closest to the curse. In other words, we wander along the brink of death!"
As the name suggested, the explorer team specialized in exploring areas outside the city—places where the curse was thick and monsters were incredibly dangerous.
It seemed there were other teams within the organization named the Radiant Covenant. It could be said that they were not an organization to be underestimated.
"You're exaggerating," Lunaria gave a gentle punch to Reynold's back. "Kaelan, for now, you can rest. I will call for you later. Enjoy your time first."
Lunaria also smiled, appearing sympathetic. "I also apologize for the treatment you received earlier."
Kaelan said nothing except to nod. Although he still felt some anger, it wasn't enough to make him act out.
He understood his condition. Without memories or proper knowledge, Kaelan would be killed if he made enemies.
Kaelan's decision was to use this time to learn many things.
And the first thing that most piqued his interest was the Devour Art. A technique that granted power to its user.