Nelson stepped forward, holding out a pouch filled with the shadow stones of the slain six-legged wolves. "These belong to you," he said firmly.
Kweku Ananse glanced at the stones and shook his head. "I don't need them."
Joshua frowned. "Why not?"
Ananse smirked. "Shadow stones of this grade are useless to me. And you… you're not strong enough to use them yet."
Joshua clenched his fists, feeling a mix of frustration and curiosity, but before he could press further, Nelson insisted, "Then at least take two." He gestured to one of his warriors to bring forward another offering. "And take these as well."
Three large corpses of the six-legged wolves were laid at their feet.
Joshua raised an eyebrow. "What for?"
Nelson chuckled. "I heard the meat of these creatures is both delicious and valuable."
One of the warriors grinned. "Yeah, a single corpse sells for a million to two million cowries."
Another added, "And the stones? Double the price."
Joshua's eyes widened slightly at the revelation, but Ananse only chuckled. "Interesting."
Nelson smiled. "Consider it a gift. You saved our lives."
Nelson dusted off his hands after securing the last of the shadow stones, then turned to Joshua and Kweku Ananse. "You two should come with us to Kaslank City."
Joshua's eyes lit up with curiosity. "A city?" He turned to Kweku Ananse, seeking clarification.
Ananse smirked. "Yes, boy. The Unknown World isn't just endless wastelands and deadly creatures. There are places where people live and thrive."
Joshua nodded, absorbing the information. But before he could ask more, a scoff cut through the conversation.
"Tch." Henry Marfo folded his arms, his expression twisted in irritation. "You really don't know anything, do you?" His voice dripped with disdain. "How can someone survive in this world and not even know about the cities?" "And you're seriously inviting people we just met and know nothing about to travel with us to the city?"
Joshua frowned at Henry's tone but held back a response.
Nelson, ignoring Henry's attitude, continued, "Kaslank City is one of the twelve large cities of the Unknown World."
Joshua's curiosity only grew. "So, there are more?"
Kweku Ananse nodded. "Many more. Beyond the darkest regions, there are other cities, towns, and settlements. But Kaslank is the closest."
Joshua's excitement was obvious. "I'd love to see a city."
Ananse chuckled. "Well, then, this journey will be a good experience for you. Consider it training."
Nelson smiled. "Then it's settled. We'll set up camp here for the night and leave at first light."
His warriors moved swiftly, preparing for the night while the scent of roasting meat filled the air. The tension of battle was gone, but the lingering hostility in Henry's eyes remained.
As the fire crackled and the scent of roasting six-legged wolf meat filled the air, the warriors settled into camp. Some tended to their wounds, others sharpened their weapons, and a few sat in small groups, speaking in hushed tones. The atmosphere was heavy—both with exhaustion and the weight of what had transpired.
Nelson, seated near the fire, turned his gaze toward Joshua and Kweku Ananse. "Now that we have a moment… why are you in the Darkest Regions?"
Joshua exhaled, his fingers idly tracing the fabric of his tattered clothes. He glanced at Kweku Ananse, who simply smirked and leaned back, making it clear he wouldn't be the one answering.
Joshua looked back at Nelson. "I wasn't supposed to be here," he said, his voice steady but laced with something deeper. "I was meant to be in the Ancestral Realm… but I was betrayed."
A hush fell over the camp. Even those busy with other tasks paused, their attention shifting to him.
"Betrayed?" Nelson's brow furrowed.
Joshua nodded, his hands clenching into fists. "Someone I trusted—someone I saw as a brother—pushed me into the gates of the Unknown World and took my place in the Ancestral Realm." His jaw tightened. "That's how I ended up here."
Henry Marfo let out a sharp exhale, shaking his head slightly, but he didn't speak. His expression, however, made it clear—he wasn't impressed with Joshua's cluelessness and he didn't believe a word he just said.
Joshua ignored him and continued. "I woke up alone, lost, with no idea where I was… and then I ran into something." He paused, his grip tightening around his knee. "The first thing I met wasn't a person. It was a creature—an Akugbe."
Nelson's eyes widened. "You mean to tell me you met a higher shade creature and lived?"
Joshua scoffed bitterly. "Barely. It almost killed me… swallowed me whole."
The warriors murmured among themselves. Henry clicked his tongue, looking away.
Joshua stared into the flames. "Everything faded. There was nothing but darkness… and in that moment, I remembered." His voice dropped slightly. "My life flashed before my eyes" I remembered my wife. My children. My parents… and the friend that betrayed me. His fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white. "I felt angry—angrier than I've ever been in my life."
"Then, I felt energy surging within me." It exploded . I burst straight out of the Akugbe's stomach, but it didn't die.
He took a slow breath. "I fought against it, struggling to escape. But just when I was gathering my strength to face it again, it left. It just… left. But before it did, it marked me."
Nelson's brows knitted together. "Marked you?"
Joshua nodded. "I passed out from exhaustion after that."
Kweku Ananse chuckled. "That was when I found him." His voice was as smug as ever, but there was an odd glint in his eyes. "Half-dead, confused, and lucky to be alive."
Don't worry, I removed the mark.
Henry scoffed under his breath, crossing his arms. Joshua could practically feel his irritation. It was obvious—he didn't think much of him.
Nelson studied Joshua for a long moment, his face unreadable in the flickering firelight. "You've been through a lot," he finally said. "But surviving a higher shade creature… that's no small feat."
A few warriors murmured, exchanging wary glances. But then came a scoff—sharp, cutting.
"Survived by luck," Henry muttered. "Not skill."
Joshua glanced at him but held his tongue. No use arguing with someone who had already made up their mind.
Nelson's eyes flicked to Henry, his expression firm, before turning back to Joshua. "And after that, Kweku Ananse found you?"
The moment he said the name, Rose Nsiah's breath hitched. Her fingers twitched toward her weapon as something clicked in her mind.
Ananse smirked. "More like picked up what was left of him."
Joshua frowned. "I wasn't that bad."
Ananse arched a brow. "You already passed out before I showed up." so how would you know.
A few warriors chuckled, breaking some of the tension. But Rose's stare sharpened like a blade.
"Wait…" Her voice was slow, deliberate. "Kweku Ananse?"
Ananse grinned. "Yeah, the one and only."
Rose's grip tightened on her hilt. "As in… Kweku Ananse, the Trickster Spider? The super shade creature that can erase entire cities in an instant?"
Silence.
The shift in the air was immediate. Some warriors stiffened, hands twitching toward their weapons. Others exchanged uneasy glances, their bodies inching back.
And then Henry stepped forward, his voice dripping with pure disdain.
"This is exactly why we shouldn't trust them." His glare burned into Nelson. "He's a monster. And the other one? "Who claims he's supposed to be in the Ancestral Realm?" "Which makes him think he's better than us."
Joshua's expression darkened. "I never said I was better than anyone—"
Henry's voice cracked like a whip. "You don't belong here!" He jabbed a finger at Joshua before shifting his fury to Ananse. "And this thing? He's a walking disaster. A liar. A super shade creature known for trickery and destruction. Have you lost your mind, Nelson? You want to bring them to Kaslank City?"
Ananse chuckled—low, dangerous. His sharp eyes gleamed. "If I wanted you dead, I would've let those wolves tear you apart. Or better yet—done it myself."
Tension snapped through the air like lightning. Hands flew to weapons. The fire crackled louder, as if feeding off the rising hostility.
"Enough." Nelson's voice was like steel, cutting through the chaos.
The warriors froze.
"They saved us," Nelson said, his tone final. "That's all that matters right now."
Henry's jaw clenched, his fury barely restrained. "You're making a mistake."
With a sharp pivot, he turned and stormed off into the darkness.
Nelson exhaled, then turned to one of the warriors. "Mary. Follow him. Make sure he doesn't do anything stupid."
Mary nodded and slipped into the shadows after Henry.
The fire crackled on. the tension hung thick in the silence, and refused to fade."