Chapter 57: 57:Vague Memories
Gunther stood outside the thatched hut, his gaze fixed at the sacrificial zone of the Shattered Canopy as the cold wind brushed past his coat. The entire place felt dead and heavy.
Broken root pillars surrounded the area, and dark stains covered the cracked ground like old scars that refused to fade away. Faint torches flickered around the sacrificial spot, their weak light only making the atmosphere feel even more unsettling.
His sharp eyes slowly swept across the ruined zone before he finally turned around and walked back inside the hut behind him.
The wooden door creaked softly as he entered.
Dust floated through the air while faint moonlight slipped through the large, obnoxious window near the corner. Gunther walked toward the old table and slowly reached into his coat before pulling out a worn diary.
The cover looked rough and damaged from constant use.
He opened it quietly.
Most of the contents inside were obscured, and several pages were stained or scratched beyond recognition. Still, the dates written across the pages remained visible enough for him to count.
As he flipped through the pages one by one, his expression slowly stiffened.
"Twenty-seven months."
A faint look of astonishment appeared in his tired eyes.
He had been here for twenty-seven months.
His fingers tightened slightly around the diary as silence filled the room once more.
During all that rough time, it was his spear that had supported him through everything—through the cold nights, the endless fighting, and the loneliness that slowly ate away at him.
But more than that...
Something suddenly slipped out from between the pages.
A small folded piece of paper fell onto the table.
Gunther paused for a second before crouching down and picking it up carefully. He unfolded it slowly, and his eyes landed on an old picture of a squad of four.
The original squad he had come here with.
Now he was the only one left.
The room became even quieter.
Gunther slowly lifted his gaze and looked outside through the obnoxious window. In the distance, near the sacrificial spot, an obscure figure could be seen silently walking around the area like a wandering shadow.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
Then he grabbed the diary firmly, and a flicker of dense emotion passed through his eyes.
_____
Reigns kept circling around the hole while staying alert. His eyes constantly scanned the dark surroundings as the summoned creatures guarded every direction.
Suddenly, one of the Splash Shooters reacted.
The small creature let out a sharp cry and instantly fired an orb forward.
BANG!
A loud explosion echoed through the area as the orb struck a spear flying through the darkness. The impact knocked the spear from its trajectory and sent it spinning across the ground.
Reigns shivered from the sudden noise and quickly turned toward the source of the attack. The moment he saw who it was, his expression suddenly turned sombre.
’Damn!’
’Gunther...’
Gunther stood there with his hollow eyes fixed on Reigns. That empty gaze sent goosebumps crawling across his skin, and Reigns almost took a step back instinctively.
’What the heck is up with that gaze?’
Without saying anything, Gunther suddenly ran around from the side.
Reigns immediately noticed his intention and shouted loudly,
"Shoot... Don’t let him grab the spear."
POPP! POPP! POPP!
Dozens of orbs shot out one after another and flew toward Gunther from different directions.
But instead of forcing his way through, Gunther cast one eerie glance toward them. Then he suddenly turned around and dashed back into the darkness, leaving Reigns bewildered for a moment.
But the next instant, Reigns realized something and immediately cursed.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Explosions erupted from different directions around them, and the entire area shook violently.
The explosion came from the Splash Shooter hitting the ground.
The series of blasts instantly threw the entire village into chaos.
Rustling sounds erupted everywhere as the explosions jolted everyone awake from their sleep.
Loud shouts began echoing from every direction, and lights started appearing one after another across the dark village.
Villagers rushed out of their homes in panic, grabbing weapons as they ran. Some carried spears while others held bows, axes, and hunting knives as they hurried toward the source of the commotion.
"What happened?!"
"The enemy is here!"
"Protect the village!"
The atmosphere instantly turned tense and chaotic.
"Who is it?"
At first, they looked normal as confusion spread among them. But soon, their voices slowly turned into strange murmurs.
Their eyes suddenly became dark and hollow, and all of them locked onto Reigns at the same time.
"Protect the Great Lord of the Shattered Canopy!"
"Protect the Great Lord of the Shattered Canopy."
The eerie voices echoed through the night together, sending chills crawling down Reigns’ spine.
Reigns stood near the hole, tightly clenching his fists. His summoned creatures surrounded him defensively, and the Dryad slowly raised its wooden arms as the villagers rapidly approached them from all sides.
The moment the villagers saw Reigns standing there with his summons, their expressions changed completely. Several warriors immediately pointed their weapons toward him and began surrounding the area.
Reigns froze, and his heart almost leapt into his throat.
He really didn’t want to fight them.
He had spent the last few days with them, and they all seemed like good people, at least as far as he knew. They had laughed, hunted, and even shared meals together.
But it seemed this was the end.
’Damned Gunther!’
Reigns gritted his teeth hard as frustration and anger surged inside him.
He knew Gunther was being controlled and had no hand in it, but that knowledge did little to calm him down.
More villagers continued gathering around them, glaring at Reigns with hostility and confusion. Some villagers trembled while tightly gripping their weapons, while others stared at him with those hollow eyes that no longer looked human.
Reigns slowly tightened his grip on his weapon as sweat trickled down the side of his face.
"Nyx, I hope you can finish the job quickly, or your darling’s gonna get beaten badly."
He took a deep breath and forcefully steadied himself.
The next moment, he braced himself and roared loudly.
"Attack!"
The battle erupted almost instantly.
The moment Reigns gave the command, the thirty Splash Shooters launched a full-scale assault. One orb after another shot through the air, lighting up the dark night with blue flashes.
POPP! POPP! POPP!
The villagers were not weak either.
Arrows immediately rained down from the other side as the village archers quickly took positions behind the warriors. Sharp whistles echoed through the battlefield as arrows flew toward the summoned creatures.
THUD! THUD!
Several arrows struck the ground, while others pierced into the wooden bodies of the Dryads.
Reigns gritted his teeth as he watched the chaotic battlefield unfold before him. His heart was beating wildly as screams and explosions mixed together around him.
"Aim for the archers and deflect them first. Then lock onto the others!"
His voice echoed loudly across the battlefield.
The Splash Shooters immediately changed targets and began firing toward the archers standing in the backlines.
POPP! POPP! POPP!
Orbs collided with arrows midair while several archers were forced to dodge backward in panic.
But this proved to be a fatal mistake.
By only focusing on the archers, they allowed the frontline warriors to close the distance rapidly.
Several villagers rushed forward with spears and axes in their hands, shouting fiercely. Their hollow eyes looked terrifying under the dim firelight across the village.
"They’re closing in!"
Reigns immediately realized the problem, and his expression changed.
"Move together and join forces to attack them!"
The summoned creatures quickly gathered together and concentrated their attacks on the incoming villagers.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Explosions erupted one after another as orbs smashed into the charging warriors.
Dirt and blood splashed into the air as painful cries echoed throughout the battlefield.
Reigns tightly gripped his weapon and joined the fight himself. Even though he was a Level 10, most of the villagers were around Level 11, 12, with some even 13. Clearly, their physical strength was greater than his, and every clash made his arms tremble slightly.
CLANG!
A spear struck against his weapon and forced him to step backward.
"Damn it!"
Sweat rolled down Reigns’ face as he struggled to keep up with the pressure.
Then suddenly, a familiar chime rang inside his mind.
Something he wished he hadn’t heard.
[You have slain Lv12 Human.]
[You have gained 1300 days of tradable lifespan.]
[Splash Shooter Lv8 >> Lv9.]
For a brief moment, Reigns froze.
His pupils trembled slightly as the notification lingered before his eyes.
