CHAPTER 63: HOMONCULUS

Hearing Nalira’s question, the courier began to explain. The factions were created by the leaders of the Twilight Sanctum to maintain comfort and security within its borders. It had several factions, and one of them was the Crimson Moon Faction. This particular faction was led by an alchemist known simply as The Creator. The crimson Moon faction’s role was to assist daemonists or specific groups in locating rare artifacts or delivering important (often secret messages about something. What truly set this faction apart from other factions was that every single one of its members was a Homunculus.

"Ho-Homunculus?" Chelsie furrowed her brows. "What is that? I’ve never even heard the word before."

"Homunculus/homonculi are artificial beings, created through alchemical experiments for a specific purpose," said Nalira, explaining.

"Oh my God... so that means, Mr.Courier..."

The courier nodded at Chelsie’s words. "What this blonde woman said is true. I’m not human—at least not the way you believed I was."

’No wonder... when I first met him, the way he spoke felt strange.’

"Wait, but if you’re not human, then why do you look exactly like us?"

"Good question, Shaan." The courier nodded. "My creator deliberately made me look like a human so that I could carry out my duties properly without arousing suspicion from anyone," he explained. "My creator also gave me additional features, such as the ability to show human facial expressions, so that I could interact more easily with humans in the dark realm."

’Goodness, a Homunculus sounds pretty terrifying.’ Shaan shook his head. ’This creature... this creature is just as terrifying as Doppleshade itself.’

"Uhm... but if that’s the case, why do you still need food and rest like us?"

"Internal alchemical stabilization. This is to maintain the balance of energy, bodily structure, and magical functions within me so they don’t break down, explode, or lose their form while performing assigned tasks," said the courier. "However, the food I eat isn’t ordinary human food. It contains a mixture of mana that nourishes the magical tissues that allow my body to move."

’Oh... so homunculi use mana just like Daemonists.’ Shaan stroked his chin. ’Such a fascinating creature.’ "Mr. Courier, you haven’t answered my other question yet," Nalira said, crossing her arms. What exactly are you doing here? Why were you inside that cave in the first place?"

"After I completed my task of delivering important information to my client, suddenly a group of people tried to capture me. However, I managed to escape from them and decided to enter the Silence Forest. People believe that this forest is home to dark creatures that move in complete silence, which makes it the perfect place to hide for a while. But I never expected a giant plant to trap me here... until you all showed up and saved me."

"Oh... I see," said Shaan. "So that’s why you didn’t want to reveal your identity at first, because you thought we might be part of the group that was after you?"

"Exactly," said the courier. "Now it’s time to eat and rest because tomorrow will be a tiring day."

"Alright, Mr. Courier," they all said in unison.

With great enthusiasm, Shaan opened one of the canned meals. A strong scent of milk filled the air as soon as he popped the lid. The aroma hit his nose so powerfully that his stomach growled on the spot, and without any hesitation, he began devouring the food.

’Wow, what is this?’

The moment Shaan took his first bite, the taste filled his mouth, creamy and savory, with a hint of sweetness. It surprised him. He had expected the soup to carry a faint metallic tang, as it came from a can, but instead it turned out far more pleasant than anything his imagination had prepared.

"What do you think?" the courier asked, scooping another bite of his meal with enthusiasm. "This cream soup’s good, isn’t it?"

"Yes, I like this soup." Chelsie kept chewing the soup. "I couldn’t stop eating it."

".... Yes, and I can also feel something flowing through my body," Nalira said, looking at her palm. "It feels like my body is more energetic than before."

"That’s good," the courier replied quickly between spoonfuls. "It means your body has started responding to the mana energy in the soup. Now let’s finish it up while it’s still warm.

A few minutes later, they emptied their bowls without leaving a drop. The hunger that had clawed at Shaan’s mind all day finally faded, replaced by a calm sense of relief. He quietly extinguished the fire in front of him, then slipped into his tent to rest.

***

"There should be a boat near the Tansel dark swamp," the courier said with excitement. "It’s usually used to carry travelers across the dark swamp. Come on, let’s hurry over and check it out."

But as they followed the courier along the path, an eerie sound echoed through the forest around them. Instantly, Shaan and the others gripped their weapons, bracing for an attack from the dark creatures that could appear at any moment.

"Wh-What is that?" Chelsie gripped her staff tightly, her face pale. "The sound came from behind us."

"Stay sharp," Nalira warned. "That could be one of the dark creatures. We need to move now before—"

But before they could leave the Silence Forest, two dark creatures emerged from the trees surrounding Shaan. They looked like monstrous wolves, their eyes glowing faintly in the dim light. Shaan froze as he spotted fresh blood dripping slowly from their razor-sharp fangs. Damn. These... these are the terrifying creatures they saw before entering the forest? But how is that possible? Could these creatures have followed them into the forest?

"Th-this is bad," the courier said, his eyes wide as the creatures stepped closer. "If we can’t get past them, we’ll lose our only chance to reach the boat that crosses the Dark Tansel swamp."

"Chelsie, Nalira, take the courier out of here," Shaan urged. "Robin Hood and I will distract these two creatures while you leave the forest."

"Shaan, but we can’t leave you here—"

"Hurry up, before we lose the chance to get that ship." Shaan immediately dashed off, trying to hold back the two wild wolves. "Go! Now!"