Chapter 388

A peaceful village, surrounded by wooden palisades to protect against monsters and wild beasts, appeared tranquil and serene.

A villager standing guard at the entrance smiled warmly at Lavier as he approached.

“Are you a traveler?”

“Yes, I’m passing through and need a place to rest.”

“I see. May your journey be a safe one.”

To the untrained eye, the villagers seemed welcoming to travelers.

However, despite the bloodstains on Lavier’s tattered robe, none of the villagers seemed alarmed or even curious about his identity. They didn’t ask questions that might typically be expected.

As Lavier walked through, other villagers greeted him cheerfully, as though he were a long-expected guest.

“Oh my, it’s been ages since we’ve had a visitor in our village!”

“Welcome! How delightful to meet a traveler!”

“You simply must try our cheese—it’s the pride of our village.”

Lavier, despite his typically cold demeanor, smiled back with a kind expression and nodded respectfully to the villagers.

The atmosphere was peaceful but oddly unsettling.

Watching from afar, Dark felt an eerie chill run down his spine.

― What the hell is this? Why are they all acting like this? Do they all know each other or something?

If this village was a hidden outpost of the Salvation Order, it made sense that they might share camaraderie. But judging by Lavier’s cautious demeanor, it didn’t seem like he knew them personally.

As Lavier reached the center of the village, an elderly man with a long, white beard approached him.

“Who might you be?”

Lavier stopped and regarded the old man.

“Are you in charge here?”

“I asked who you are.”

The elder’s wary eyes betrayed his suspicions. Outsiders couldn’t typically enter this village so freely.

In response, Lavier raised his palm.

A shadowy image of a black sun materialized in his hand, accompanied by strange glyphs that even Dark couldn’t decipher.

Recognizing the symbol immediately, the elder bowed deeply and spoke in a reverent tone.

“An honored guest has graced us with their presence.”

“I’ll need to rest at the sanctuary for a while.”

The elder glanced around uneasily before responding.

“This is not a place for honored guests to visit without prior notice.”

“I understand. But circumstances left me no choice.”

The elder sighed but eventually nodded.

“Very well, but you cannot stay long. The grand plan is nearing completion, and this place must not be discovered.”

“Don’t worry. I’ve shaken off all pursuit.”

Despite Lavier’s assurances, the elder’s concern was evident. Lavier’s disheveled appearance suggested he’d been through a lot, meaning his enemies were formidable.

“Come quickly. We don’t want anyone to see you.”

“Understood.”

Lavier followed the elder with a scowl but refrained from complaining. After all, he had broken a strict rule by coming here unannounced.

The Hidden Underground

The elder led Lavier to his home. Pulling back a carpet, he pressed a hidden mechanism.

Rumble.

The floor opened to reveal a staircase descending into the earth.

The elder entered first, followed by Lavier.

Beneath the house lay a vast underground chamber. The space was dimly lit, with strange devices scattered throughout.

The floor bore an enormous, blood-red magic circle, surrounded by cryptic symbols and bizarre geometric patterns.

A nauseating stench filled the air, prompting Lavier to pinch his nose and grimace.

The elder noticed his reaction and spoke.

“I’ll bring you enough provisions for a few days, but you cannot stay more than a week.”n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

“That’s fine. A few days is all I need.”

Bowing, the elder departed, leaving Lavier alone in the cavernous room. He sat down and began focusing on healing his injuries.

“Once I’m fully recovered, I’ll head to the Duke’s faction to report what I’ve learned.”

The Salvation Order’s exposure was a critical issue, but the fact that the Count of Fenris knew his name and title was even more alarming.

Ghislain’s heart began to race. This was an opportunity he hadn’t anticipated.

As a mercenary, he had wandered the continent, battling countless monsters. Because of this, he knew the locations of most of the Rifts that had appeared across the land.

Of course, he couldn’t stop all of them. He was already trapped within the kingdom, unable to leave due to the ongoing conflict with the Duke’s faction.

But if he could leverage the current situation, he might be able to significantly reduce the number of Rifts. Even a small reduction would lead to a far better outcome for humanity than in his previous life.

Among all the information Ghislain had carried back from his past life, the knowledge of Rift locations was, without question, the most valuable.

Ghislain was prepared to fight not just the Duke’s faction but also the Rifts themselves.

“Ride harder! We must reach that village as soon as possible!”

His goal wasn’t simply to capture Lavier. A man like that could be dealt with at any time.

He needed to see what lay in that village with his own eyes.

Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud!

Fortunately, the location where Lavier was hiding was within the territory of a royalist noble. The roads were well-maintained, allowing for swift travel.

“Out of the way! Count Fenris is coming!”

Ghislain’s shouted command and the sight of Fenris’s banner ensured that no one attempted to impede them.

Having spent so much time rushing around the capital, Ghislain’s name and banner had become well-known. Any guard seeing Fenris’s insignia immediately opened the gates without hesitation.

No questions were asked—Ghislain had risen to such prominence that he was now a revered figure among the royalist faction.

Thud-thud-thud-thud!

By the time they passed the northern region and neared the capital, Ghislain’s forces had grown to nearly a thousand men.

This was because Ghislain had requisitioned part of the royal army stationed near the capital.

The royal army’s commander, having been ordered to cooperate fully with Fenris, didn’t even question Ghislain’s urgent request for troops.

These men would serve as witnesses. Ghislain had deliberately brought them along to ensure that the events in the village would be known throughout the entire kingdom.

Thud-thud-thud-thud!

After several days of relentless marching, Ghislain’s group finally arrived at the village where Lavier had taken refuge.

“Surround the village immediately!”

At Ghislain’s command, the soldiers quickly spread out to encircle the area. Ghislain and his knights stormed straight into the village.

The villagers, having likely been warned of their arrival by the sentries, were already gathered in one place.

They stood in eerie silence, their faces devoid of expression, staring blankly at the intruders.

Clang!

Ghislain dismounted and pointed his sword at them.

“Bring out the one in charge here.”

“......”

No one spoke. They showed no signs of fear, nor did they make any attempt to resist. Their faces were so lifeless, so mannequin-like, that the knights following Ghislain felt a chill crawl up their spines.

Recognizing what was happening, Ghislain’s lips curled into a cold smile.

“They all need to die.”

The moment those words left his mouth, the villagers’ bodies began to twist unnaturally.

Crack! Snap! Crack!

The sound of bones breaking filled the air as their limbs bent and contorted in grotesque ways. Their writhing movements continued unabated.

The knights of Fenris, horrified by the scene, muttered among themselves.

“What... what is this? Are they even human?”

“What in the world is happening?”

Crack! Snap! Crack!

As the villagers twisted and writhed, something even more grotesque began to occur.

Rip. Tear. Rip.

Starting from the crown of their heads, their skulls split open like cracked shells, peeling away to reveal something entirely inhuman within.

Emerging from the remnants of human skin were creatures that defied understanding.

They resembled grotesque amalgamations of human brains, with thick, writhing tendrils protruding from their forms. These tendrils glistened with metallic sheen, as if embedded with ore-like structures.

Even their "heads," if they could be called that, were adorned with red, gem-like protrusions that glowed ominously, resembling eyes.

These were beings of unknown origin, unlike anything seen even in the accursed Beast Forests.

The knights could only gape in stunned silence, their mouths moving but no sound escaping.

It was Ghislain who finally broke the paralysis, stepping forward with measured calm.

“They’ve already been consumed by the Rift’s influence.”

These were Mutants, individuals wholly overtaken by the malevolent energy of the Rifts.