Chapter 114: Spreading Blood on Sand (5)
Chapter 114: Spreading Blood on Sand (5)
Black Stones covered the walls and ceiling of the cave. They were the rare stones that everyone would venture into Dainhar for. Ronan’s eyes widened at the scale he had never seen before.
‘I could buy any fortress or territory with this much.’
There were enough for him to do it a thousand times and still have plenty to spare. Even taking just one chunk would set him up for life.
But that wasn’t the most important thing right now. Out of nowhere, a burly young man emerged among the indigenous people.
“Cough, outsider. Why have you come all the way here?”
He was a head taller than Ronan and had a face that somewhat resembled Thunder, whether intentionally or not.
The unique tattoos of the Dainhar indigenous people were engraved on his muscular upper body. In one of his sturdy hands, he held a dagger. Ronan realized that he was the criminal who kidnapped Thunder.
“Didn’t you hear Thunder? I came to help.”
“You’re quite the liar. You can say that after witnessing that hell… Cough, but I know your true intentions are the Black Stones.”
“You’ve been deceived, haven’t you? Well, it’s not entirely untrue…”
Ronan trailed off. Cough! The coughing man growled softly.
“I know you rescued Thunder. As a token of gratitude, you may leave with as many stones as you want. Just don’t come back.”
“That’s typical of the Dainhar monkeys. So arbitrary.”
“If you don’t listen…”
Suddenly, the man grasped the handle of his dagger. Clunk! With the sound of metal clinking, the length of the dagger tripled. He pointed the extended tip of his sword at Ronan and spoke.
“I’ll kill you.”
“Quit the theatrics. Even if I just run away, you’ll be the first to die.”
“…What?”
“You’re wounded. I noticed it when I was chasing you.”
Ronan said calmly. He had realized that the man’s condition was far from normal during their pursuit.
“Kuggh… How dare you…”
The man was caught off guard and gritted his teeth. In fact, Ronan had seen two fist-sized metal objects embedded in his back. Shimmering mana indicated that these wounds likely came from a clash with Nebula Clazier.
The foul odor emanating from his wounds signified the severity of his injuries. As Ronan looked around, he chuckled as if he was amazed.
“You saved these people with that body? Impressive.”
“Cough… shut up…!”
Most of the people gathered in the cave were women, children, or the injured. Given the circumstances, it seemed like the man saved not only Thunder but also the rest. Ronan continued.
“If you leave that alone, you’ll die. I’ll help you, so just be patient.”
“Keugh… Don’t meddle in our business. Just leave!”
“Big Brother! Don’t do this!”
The man raised his arms. Thunder, who was watching, screamed. Swoosh! At that moment, a shadow slid down the slope Ronan had descended.
“Who are you?”
The man turned his head frantically. The tense indigenous people who had been watching reflexively let go of their protest. Clang! Sparks flew into the air as dozens of crossbows were dropped to the ground.
“Here they come again!”
Panic-filled screams erupted. The shadow that struck down five arrows at once rushed towards the man.
“That speed…”
He was momentarily stunned. Panicking, the man swung his sword. It was not a bad attack, but the shadow easily dodged it and lunged forward. For a moment, their figures overlapped. Ronan murmured as if sighing.
“Don’t kill him.”
At that moment, the shadow froze in place. The man, with beads of sweat on his forehead, slowly lowered his gaze. A bluish blade was pointed at his neck. Shullifen, without taking a breath, asked,
“Ronan, what’s going on?”
“Ugh, I tried to resolve it peacefully, but…”
Ronan spat on the ground. The indigenous people seemed very pitiful, so Ronan tried to resolve it through conversation if possible, but it seemed like that had already failed. The indigenous people, defeated by Shullifen’s vitality, were frozen, unable to even think of resisting.
He appeared composed yet unyielding. Given the circumstances, it seemed best to proceed as usual. Ronan sighed again.
“Alright, just calm down. Where’s Cita?”
“Bheew!”
As soon as he spoke, Cita swooped down and perched on Ronan’s shoulder. Ronan turned to the man, surveying the indigenous people.
“Alright, everyone, stay still. The moment you guys start messing around, this young man’s head will go flying.”
“Wh-what are you planning… Aaargh!”
A terrible scream erupted from the man’s lips. Ronan held the iron chunks that Nebula Clazier had impaled into his back. Blood and pus that had been festering for three days dripped down.
“Ugh, disgusting.”
“Grrraah!”
Saying that, Ronan pulled out the remaining metal chunks. Shullifen held the man in check, preventing him from causing a commotion. Confirming that there were no more metal chunks left in him, Ronan stroked Cita and spoke.
“Okay, that’s enough. Cita, use your power one more time.”
“Byaah!”
Cita responded and flew up. Its four wings spread wide, enveloping the man and the indigenous people in a reddish glow.
“Wh-what is this?”
“The wounds are healing…!”
People who noticed the change couldn’t contain their amazement. The part covered by the glowing light was indeed healing. New skin began to grow over not only bruises and abrasions, but also festering and rotting wounds. It was a miraculous and almost surreal sight. The man who witnessed the miraculous scene stammered.
“You, what the hell are you…””
“I told you. We came to help.”
Ronan patted the man on the back. He felt no pain at all. The places where he’d had the wounds were now covered with fresh skin.
Suddenly, tears welled up in the man’s eyes. He looked around at the healed members of his tribe and spoke.
“…They are our saviors. Lower your weapons.”
***
“Bwaeeeh…”
“Great job. You’re better than any human.”
After completing the treatment, Cita landed on Ronan’s shoulder. It seemed quite exhausted, likely from tending to so many people at once. Ronan dropped two drops of a potion into Cita’s mouth, who was gasping for breath.
“It’s a special brew by Varen. Have some and regain your strength.”
“Byaaawh!”
Cita instantly revitalized and took flight again. The effects of the potion were nothing short of amazing. Ronan looked around at the now healed indigenous people and sighed.
“Everyone is healed now. No more pain.”
“Look at this, Roaring Storm, my legs can move!”
“Don’t push it, you’ll get hurt again.”
The indigenous people who had recovered were celebrating. It was a mix of relief and bittersweet joy. The man who had approached Ronan earlier returned to him.
“I’ve confirmed that everyone is healed. I promise to repay this debt.”
“It’s okay. What’s your name?”
“I’m Dreaming Thunder’s elder brother, Roaring Storm. Thank you so much for saving my little brother.”
“You do look quite similar, so you were brothers. I’m Ronan.”
Ronan extended a hand, and Roaring Storm shook it. As they exchanged handshakes and pleasantries, Ronan let out a dry chuckle.
‘As I live, I’m even witnessing a day like this.’
He never imagined the day he would be called a savior by the people of Dainhar. He pulled out his pipe and lit it.
“Is this all the survivors?”
“As far as I know, yes. They scattered, so there might be more, but probably not.”
Roaring Strom twisted his lips. After being silent for a moment, he pointed at the metal chunks that had come out of his body.
“That man in the strange clothes was controlling monsters that could shoot those things. He and the monsters killed them all. The other man didn’t do anything.”
“Monsters?”
“Yeah. The more Black Stones they swallowed, the stronger they became.”
Roaring Storm began to describe the events that happened three days ago. As Thunder had said, two followers of Nebula Clazier pushed into Dainhar, however only one of them committed the massacre.
He was followed by three strange monsters that were shooting the metal chunks in all directions. With a defense barrier blocking all attacks from the Dainhar’s warriors, they stood no chance.
‘That shield is probably the Protection of The Stars… and the monsters. Do I have to deal with monsters again?’
The situation was more serious than expected. The identity of the monsters was unknown, but using the Protection of The Stars meant that it was at least a person at the level of a branch leader.
Ronan was also concerned about the man who had done nothing. He exhaled a plume of smoke.
“Thanks for letting me know. So, do you know where those bastards went?”
“Why do you ask? Are you really planning to go after them?”
“Yeah. That’s why I came here in the first place.”
“Absolutely not!”
Suddenly, Roaring Storm shouted. It took everyone by surprise. Startled, Dreaming Thunder interrupted him.
“Calm down, brother.”
“It’s dangerous. They are unbeatable opponents. We can’t let our saviors risk their lives.”
“No, brother. They’re all very strong. They’re warriors almost at the same level as the Chief.”
“Dreaming Thunder…!”
“No, they’re even stronger. That guy with blue hair can summon a storm just by swinging his sword. And Ronan said he was twice as strong as him.”
Thunder was urgently trying to persuade his brother. It was amusing to see people who were all on death’s door worrying about the survival of others. Ronan said, scratching his head.
“I’m sorry, but no matter what you say, I’m going to go find them.”
“…You.”
“I don’t want to waste my energy for nothing, just tell me quickly. Does anyone know where they went?”
Ronan said, looking around at the indigenous people. There was a dense silence in the air, lasting for about a minute. Just as the stillness was becoming oppressive, Roaring Strom broke the silence.
“I know.”
“Oh.”
Everyone simultaneously turned their heads. Even Thunder opened his eyes wide, gazing at him. Ronan raised an eyebrow and asked.
“You should have told me sooner. Just tell me the location.”
“I can’t do that. You must accompany me. Outsiders can’t reach there on their own.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“They went towards where the heart is”
For a moment, Thunder’s face stiffened. The indigenous people started to get agitated. A trembling voice came from Thunder’s lips, trying to calm the commotion.
“…Big Brother. Is that true?”
“I wouldn’t deceive our saviors. I saw it clearly.”
“That can’t be possible. Why there…”
The reaction was unsettling. Ronan raised an eyebrow.
“What’s so significant about this ‘heart’?”
“…It’s a sacred place, a place we’ve sworn to protect from generation to generation. It’s the reason for our existence.”
“A sacred place?”
“Yes, and all Black Stones come from there.”
Ronan’s eyes widened. This was a story he had never heard even in his previous life. Roaring Strom, who had been pondering, picked up a dagger lying on the ground.
“Let’s go. I’ll guide you myself.”
***
“Be careful. If you fall, it’ll mean the end.”
“Why would there be a path like this inside a rocky mountain…”
Ronan looked around, his head swiveling. The reason why Roaring Strom outside vehemently insisted that outsiders couldn’t go on their own became apparent. This terrain would not even be considered a path if they weren’t being guided.
He moved forward step by step, clinging to the wall like a frog. Beside the narrow path where only one foot could fit, there was a dark precipice. It took a few minutes for the pebble that fell from under his feet to make a clattering sound.
“This is the path to the heart. You can go anywhere, but not everyone can.”
Roaring Storm spoke, navigating the narrow path with the same posture as the other two.
Ronan and Shullifen were following Roaring Storm towards the place called the ‘heart.’ They entrusted the task of guarding the indigenous people to Cita. Similarly, Shullifen, who maintained a frog-like posture, muttered softly.
“…Shameful.”
“We’re almost there. Just hold on a little longer.”
To be clear, that was a lie. They soon encountered an even more difficult terrain than the narrow path. A liquid gathered under the stepping stones, and Ronan cursed under his breath when he saw it bubbling.
“Fuck, is that lava?”
“No, it’s red water. It’s hot, so be careful.”
“It is lava, damn it.”
Only after about two hours did a path where they could walk comfortably appeared. The spacious corridor was wide enough for thirty horses to race without any issues. Roaring Storm, who had been silently guiding them, finally opened his mouth.
“…Thank you.”
“What?”
“Thanks to you helping and protecting our people, I was able to reach the heart. I used to think all outsiders were inherently bad, but that might not be the case.”
“Enough with that, dude. When we get to this ‘heart’ place, don’t look back and just run. Remember the promise?”
“Got it. I’ll keep my promise.”
Roaring Storm grumbled. Ronan’s request was clear: do not interfere, as they would take care of Nebula Clazier. Roaring Storm, who seemed like he was going to do something crazy, was tied up with a rope.
Before long, the corridor came to an end, and they entered a vast open space. Ronan and Shullifen were taken aback. A landscape they had never seen before unfolded before their eyes.
“We’ve arrived. This is the heart.”
It was an area almost comparable to the Gran Cappadocia. Although it lacked the beautiful ecosystem, other elements overwhelmed the viewers.
Unidentifiable lights illuminated the entire space. The walls, floor, and ceiling were all covered in gleaming white metal.
It was a form of architecture they had never seen before, but the outer wall and texture of the strange building they had seen during the mid-term evaluation seemed somewhat similar.
“Pillars…?”
As Ronan looked around, his gaze landed on a massive colonnade. Dozens of hexagonal pillars were evenly spaced throughout the space, extending all the way to the end. The circumference of the pillars that reached the ceiling was as thick as the spire of a Phileon.
“I’ve never seen anything like this, not even in my dreams…”
Ronan muttered as if he was dazed. It was an utterly surreal scene that didn’t feel like reality. At the center of this unreality was the Black Crystal known as the Mother of All Dainhar Stones.
Mana, far beyond what any ordinary village would possess, radiated from it in all directions. A man stood in front of it, with his back turned to them. Ronan hastily raised one of his arms.
“Stop.”
The group came to a halt. Ronan stared at the man in silence. A mana that blazed like fire rose from his stooped shoulders. He was undeniably one of the Nebula Clazier who had intruded.
‘Why is there only one of them? What kind of power…’
Ronan twisted his lips. The strength he felt was greater than any believer he had ever seen. It was far superior to even the old man who was riding the Brigiana Wyvern.
Ronan was about to place his hand on the hilt of his blade. However, the man turned his head without looking back and spoke.
“Welcome. It’s my first time meeting you in person.”