Chapter 118: Fall of the Village

’Why are there traces of a demon here!?’

Regis shouted in his heart as he sensed the leftover demonic power that permeated from the cave.

"Pandora, it will be better if you stay here. Make sure to be alert, okay?"

Pandora initially wanted to protest, but seeing his serious expression, she nodded and replied, "Okay, Brother. I’ll immediately send a signal if I detect something..."

"Very good." Regis glanced at her and smiled before entering the cave.

Pz—

His finger sparked before a small sphere of light suddenly formed on it, providing a somewhat clear illumination to the area.

Although he hadn’t learned any sort of light magic, his awakening of light affinity enlightened him on the prospect.

This made it so that he could also produce pure light through mana without relying on other elements such as fire.

If Pandora saw this, then she would have been surprised.

"Anyways, I need to be quick."

Regis muttered to himself as he could sense the bad premonition forming in his heart.

He then carefully walked as he kept alert.

Fortunately, the cave’s passage didn’t have any forks and was only straight.

This made it easier for Regis since he wouldn’t have to try and spend time locating where the correct path was.

’Hmm, there doesn’t seem to be any bats...’

He thought as he noticed the lack of any lifeforms in the cave.

It also seemed damp as he could hear water drops, and yet there weren’t any molds on the cave’s interior.

As Regis walked, he could sense the pungent traces of demonic power.

It didn’t take long before he noticed some slight orange illumination, "Hmm? Are there torches there?"

Muttering softly, he walked further and found a door with torches mounted to the wall.

Regis walked right before the door and placed his hand on it before closing both of his eyes.

He used his mana and aura in order to detect if there was something on the other side.

After a few moments, he opened his eyes and reached out to the handle of the door with utmost carefulness.

Creak—

Pushing the door, Regis’s eyes widened as he saw the inside of the room.

It really didn’t have much, to be honest.

There was a bed, a chair, and a study table that had a book and some papers on it.

However, what really caught his attention was the skeleton that was peacefully laying on the bed.

"What’s this?" Regis frowned as he carefully inspected the skeleton.

What was stranger was the fact that the skeleton was wearing a black robe, even though it wasn’t alive.

He could clearly sense that the skeleton seemed to be the source of demonic power.

"Strange, it doesn’t seem like it’s alive..."

"Besides the lingering demonic power, it is just a normal skeleton..."

After finding nothing special on the skeleton, Regis looked around further.

He then noticed some wall-mounted chains on the side with some blood stains on it, as well as a table with various tools.

The dolls were all covered in blood, making him frown subconsciously, "Are these tools that are used for torture...?"

He picked some of the tools up, before setting them down a while later.

Regis then placed his attention towards the study table.

He then walked towards it before inspecting the various papers on top of the study table.

’Eh? Something seems to be written on it...’

Log 37:

The subject resisted the influx of demonic power in its body and imploded. Experiment failed.

Log 38:

The subject was able to last for a few minutes after the influx of demonic power, but still exploded. Experiment failed.

Regis then picked up the paper that was underneath and read the records on it.

Log 107:

I don’t know what the problem is. I can’t seem to replicate the works done in the book. I followed the exact steps, but... this is bad. I’m running out of time. My soul core might give in... I need something... someone...

"Strange..."

Regis shook his head, unable to tell what the writer of the notes was implying.

’He seemed to be doing an experiment, but kept failing?’

Placing his attention to the book, he picked it up and tried to read the smudged letters written on the cover.

However, before he could begin, his eyes suddenly widened in shock.

Regis then immediately looked in a certain direction of the door- precisely the direction where the village was.

’Shit! Why is there an eruption of demonic power there!?’

Knowing that he didn’t have time, he immediately picked up all the paper before putting it inside the book.

Regis then checked the room one last time before hurriedly running out the cave.

***

A few minutes earlier...

Pandora gripped her staff with a calm expression and her eyes closed.

Currently, she was trying to scan the perimeters by sensing the movement of mana in the air.

’I wonder what made Brother react that way... it’s strange.’

Although she didn’t speak earlier, she could feel that something was off in the way that Regis reacted.

At this moment, her eyes opened as she sensed his presence.

"You’re already done there, Brother? Is there nothing inside?" She asked with a curious expression as soon as Regis came out of the cave.

Regis looked at her and said urgently, "We don’t have time! We must get back!!"

"What?"

Pandora was speechless as she didn’t know why he was reacting like that.

Still, she had immeasurable trust towards him so she didn’t ask any questions and just followed behind silently.

***

At this moment, Killian was currently sitting beside the corpse...

He was eating some of the jerkies they brought with them in order to regain energy.

"Ugh, it would have been better if I didn’t have to eat beside a corpse..." Killian softly muttered to himself as he glanced at his side.

At this moment, he raised his head, "Ehhh? Why are they running?"

Through his senses that were enhanced by aura, he could hear the hurried footsteps of Regis and Pandora.

And he wasn’t wrong as the two of them soon appeared in front of him.

"Killian! Get up, we need to go right now!"

Regis urgently shouted as he carried the corpse of the monster on his back.

Killian initially wanted to complain in a joking manner, but decided not to do so when he saw how serious Regis was.

The three of them hurriedly picked up their belongings before running towards the direction of the village.

As he followed behind Regis, Killian glanced at Pandora and asked, "What happened? Did the two of you see anything?"

"We didn’t..." replied Pandora with a shake of her head, "...but Brother suddenly said that we should go back."

"Isn’t that kind of weird?" He whispered beneath his breath.

However, Pandora glared at him, "Don’t you dare call my brother weird. He isn’t like you!"

At this moment, Regis didn’t have the liberty to pay attention to the two of them as a grave expression appeared on his face.

’How could there be a demon in the village!? I didn’t sense anything when we were there, so how!?’

***

At the same time, in the Brunali Village...

Crackle— Crackle—

Blazing flames crackled as it ravaged through the homes of the villagers.

The village had fallen to ruin as the numerous corpses of the villagers could be seen littered on the streets.

However, if one looked closer, they could see that the corpses seemed to be dry.

It was as if their blood had all been sucked.

"S-Son? Is that s-still you?" Old Warod, who was covered in blood, asked with a trembling voice as he looked at the figure before him.

"No..." Harold let out a chuckle as he crouched in front of the kneeling old man and mockingly said, "Your son is no more."

His words made Old Warod’s eyes flash with unbridled anger, "Who the hell are you!?"

"Me? Hahaha! Me!?"

Harold kept laughing mockingly, "I’m just the one who presented your son with salvation."

"What nonsense are you talking about!?" Old Warod said through gritted teeth.

Despite his anger, Harold only stood up with a carefree expression, "Let’s see... a boy was terrorized by his father all his life because he didn’t want what his father wanted for him..."

"...then, forced to do something that he didn’t like, he met a great being who granted one of his wishes and then tada~ I’m here!"

Harold looked at his father with his crazed crimson eyes, "Now, does that story sound familiar?"

"S-Sorry..."

His words brought tears to Old Warod’s eyes as his body trembled.

Old Warod looked around him and saw that everything had fallen to ruin. His inn was on fire while the villagers laid lifelessly on the floor.

Seeing the figure of his son whose hands were filled with blood, he couldn’t help but break down.

"Hahahaha!" Harold let out a crazed laugh as he watched the crying old man before him.

Looking at the familiar boy that wasn’t his son anymore, Old Warod cried sorrowfully, "D-Do you really hate me this much, my son!?"

"To the point where you’ll join hands with a demon!?"

Staring at his son, Old Warod wept silently.

’I-If I could only go back... If I could only turn back the time...’