Man of Hollows

Zeke's order hung in the air, drawing all the oxygen out and making it hard to breathe. Hill's heart pounded as he struggled with how to respond.

The man seemed serious, and Hill could tell he was in no mood for games. But then again, what consequence could there really be for not knowing his blessing? In such a strange and unpredictable situation, shouldn't patient understanding be the key to solving problems?

He hoped so.

And so he tried.

"Sir, I don't recall the latter half of my soul trial. As you can see—" He pointed to the gaping hole in his shirt, his unblemished skin visible through the opening. "I received what should have been a fatal wound, though it would be more accurate to call it near-fatal since... I ended up here."

Zeke didn't respond, continuing to stare as if expecting him to continue. Hill swallowed nervously.

"My point is that after receiving that wound, I don't remember anything that happened afterward."

He stared at Zeke, whose face finally showed some change of expression. The blond man turned to Krugen before letting out an exasperated sigh.

"This is ridiculous. Truly." He spat, fixing Hill with an icy glare. "Summon your runes. If you're somehow incapable of that as well, then I'll explain it preemptively. Simply focus your mind on bringing forth those strange runic symbols you should have seen within your soul trial."

Hill closed his eyes, focusing deep within himself as he recalled the trial's events. Indeed, he had seen those strange runes appear, telling him to 'prepare himself.'

Now that he had identified that concept, he began focusing on drawing it out from memory. It felt strange, trying to summon something he barely understood, but he persisted.

However, after two or three minutes of concentration, he couldn't summon the runes. He opened his eyes with an exhausted sigh, his shoulders drooping.

"I take it you can't even do that," Zeke muttered. "Brilliant. Just brilliant."

"I'm sorry, sir," Hill apologized. "I just—"

"Enough. Your words won't remedy your inability."

Krugen moved to Zeke's side, his eyes scanning Hill as confusion crossed his face. "So we've encountered our first... anomaly. Am I right, Zeke?"

"It appears so," Zeke replied. "But to fully confirm that we have an anomaly on our hands, I would like to know what you think about this boy's statements, Eliana."

Eliana, the girl who had been standing behind Zeke's leg, stepped into view. Her blue eyes sparkled in the relative darkness of the tent.

Krugen tried to get her attention with a friendly wave, but the girl showed no interest in the overly-friendly old man. She was instead staring intently at Hill, who felt himself overwhelmed by her gaze alone, which carried a strange weight.

"He never lied," she finally said, her voice quiet as a whisper.

"So it's true." Zeke scoffed. "All right, come with me, Hillel Tehom. I will assign you to the company that best suits someone of your... status."

Soon, Hill found himself walking through the camp with Zeke, Eliana, and Hurian.

While his initial walkthrough had been brief, he had thought he'd seen most of the camp. How wrong he was—the camp seemed to stretch out in all directions.

Based on his conversation with Krugen, Hill knew the camp housed just under five hundred people and was growing fast. It was cramped and bustling, with many groups standing together on the walkways, engaged in casual conversation.

It was also a melting pot of ethnicities, something Hill wasn't used to at all. In Agshaka, the capital of Gargath, the Gargathian ethnic group dominated the city completely. But here, there was no clear majority. It was as if different peoples from all around the Earth had congregated in this one location, in another world entirely.

Thankfully, everyone seemed to speak Peridian, so language barriers weren't an issue.

Perhaps it was a good thing that the Peridian Empire had been able to dominate the world...

It was an amusing thought, but its truth was increasingly apparent now.

"Hey Red Eyes~!"

Hill flinched, recognizing the sing-song voice instantly. Hurian skipped up beside the group, her floral dress seeming to sparkle even in the dim cavern light. She beamed at Hill, completely ignoring Zeke and Eliana.

"Don't look so glum, Red Eyes! You're not on trial anymore." She fell into step with them. "So, where are you taking our newest stray, Zeke? Foraging? Building?"

"That is what I am currently determining," Zeke stated without breaking stride. "I am explaining our structure." He glanced at Hurian. "You may as well make yourself useful. Explain your company."

"With pleasure!" Hurian chirped. "I'm the commander of the Second Company! We're the lovely folks who make sure everyone's bellies are full and the camp's perimeter is secure. It's not easy, you know! Most things in this forest either want to kill you or poison you."

She gestured up at the distant, glowing ceiling. "See those pretty lights? We call them glowfruits. Totally edible, taste like sweet melon. But Krugen has forbidden anyone from harvesting them. He's worried they won't grow back, and plunging five hundred people into eternal darkness is generally considered a bad survival strategy."

"As a result," she continued, her tone growing more serious, "my company mostly forages for two things: 'ironwood nuts' that fall from these purple trees, and a strange weed we've nicknamed 'broccus' because it looks like asparagus but tastes like broccoli. It's bland, but it keeps us alive."

"A more structured explanation is required," Zeke cut in, his voice sharp. "The camp is divided into four companies, Hillel Tehom. Each with a clear and vital purpose."

He held up a single finger. "The First Company are the guardians—our primary combat force. They conduct offensive raids into the surrounding cave systems and fend off the creatures that emerge. Currently, they are at war with a formidable insectoid species."

"He means the lava ants," Hurian whispered to Hill with a dramatic shiver.

Zeke shot her an annoyed look before continuing. "They are as large as a grown man and exceptionally dangerous. The designation 'Lava Ant' is a misnomer based on their molten appearance. Their blood is, in fact, cryogenic. A single splash can induce severe frostbite within seconds. Only those with combat-oriented blessings are assigned to the First."

He held up a second finger, then a third. "The Second Company, which Hurian commands, handles foraging and camp defense. The Third Company is our logistical core—the builders, cooks, crafters, and cleaners. The very tents we live in were constructed by them. They scaled the highest reaches of these trees, beyond the fog layer, to harvest the massive, leathery leaves we use as canvas."

Zeke came to a halt and the group stopped with him. His gaze turned hard, and when he spoke again, his voice carried a nasty edge.

"And then there is the Fourth Company."

He paused, letting the silence hang. "The Fourth Company is responsible for absolutely nothing. It exists for a singular purpose: to isolate individuals who drain our resources—those we cannot get rid of but who offer no benefit. It is a holding cell. An anomaly we are forced to tolerate."

Zeke's cold, blue eyes locked onto Hill's. "Until you can demonstrate a tangible skill or blessing, you are, by definition, an unknown variable. And unknown variables are inefficient. You will be assigned to the Fourth Company. If you prove you have some use, you may be promoted to the Third. If not..." He left the threat unspoken.

Without another word, Zeke led them away from the bustling area that was the heart of the camp toward a single tent that was set apart from all the others. It looked lonely and neglected, on purpose.

Zeke stopped before the sealed flap, making no move to announce their presence. He simply gave Hill a slight push forward. "This is your billet. Your company is inside."

Steeling himself, Hill pushed aside the heavy leaf-canvas. The tent's interior was barren, containing only two bedrolls and a small stack of twigs. Sitting on one of the bedrolls, looking up at him with an expression of annoyance was a girl who appeared to be about his age.

She had sky-blue hair that fell in messy strands around her face and deep amethyst eyes framed by pronounced bags. It was evident that she hadn't slept well lately.

She looked from Zeke to Hurian and then to Hill, her beautiful features twisting into a scowl.

"Really?" she muttered, her voice sounding awfully raspy. "You brought me another one?"