It was a sense of unease that seemed to permeate through the air. The once bustling town of Helmfirth, under the governance of Earl Galthir Allannia , now seemed eerily quiet and abandoned. The streets were empty, the shops were closed, and the usually vibrant colors of the buildings had faded. This wasn't like when she came alone; now Hilas was wondering if what she saw were illusions cast to depict a lively town, concealing something much darker beneath the surface. The feeling of dread only intensified as they cautiously made their way through the deserted streets, her heart pounding with each step she took.
As they rode deeper into the town, they noticed that even the animals were nowhere to be seen. It was as if the entire town had been frozen in time, with no signs of life. Hilas couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine as he looked around, trying to make sense of what was happening. Had there been a plague that swept through the town and forced everyone to evacuate? But then he noticed that there were no signs of disease or illness anywhere.
It was as if the people had just vanished into thin air. As they continued on, they came across a group of travelers who were heading in the opposite direction. The travelers seemed just as confused and concerned as Hilas and his companions. They too had noticed the strange stillness that had befallen Earl Galthir. One of the travelers, an elderly man, approached Hilas and his group, asking if they had any idea what could have happened to the town.
But before anyone could respond, a loud noise echoed through the streets, causing everyone to jump in alarm. It sounded like a mix of a scream and a roar, and it seemed to be coming from the center of the town. Hilas and his companions exchanged worried glances before cautiously making their way towards the source of the noise. As they got closer, they saw a figure standing in the middle of the town square. It was a massive creature, with dark, matted fur and glowing red eyes. It seemed to radiate an aura of pure malevolence.
This was a mutated undead minotaur, miasma was pouring out of its torn flesh, and it was reaking with negative corrosive energy. The townspeople had no choice but to remain inside their houses in terror for days , as this beast suddenly came out from nowhere in the dead of night and remained at the town square unchallenged. Hilas knew they had to act quickly before it caused more destruction. With weapons drawn, they prepared to face the undead minotaur head-on, knowing that their lives and the town's safety depended on their success.
Hilas and his group were frozen as they watched the creature let out another deafening roar. The energy it was emitting was making them feel like their very souls were being drained. They knew they had to muster all their courage and strength to defeat this undead. Hilas and the others were sure they came early but a dark cloud was looming over the town, signaling that it was about to rain. It was a peculiar feeling, but Hilas was getting impatient. impatience , dealing with an undead was annoying because these creatures were very resilient to magic attacks. attacks the oly way to defeat an undead was by smashing its brain.
Sadly, this undead minotaur was no ordinary creature; it looked like it was a sentient beast when I was still alive. It was wearing body armor and carrying two large battle axes, making it a formidable opponent. They were still a few meters away from the undead , but Hilas could already feel the chill of its presence. The thought of having to face such a powerful adversary made her impatience grow even more. The lack of manpower at her side was frustrating her, she lost composure and made a fetal error on her part, knowing that she was entering an unfamiliar domain she underestimated and never planned a head to anticipate any possible scenario that might come her way,
She was now upset, wondering what Ramiel would think of her now. She knew she had to quickly regain her focus and strategize a way to outsmart the undead before it was too late. As she took a deep breath, Hilas reminded herself that she was capable and resourceful and that she had faced challenges before with success, and with the help of her knight by her side, their chance would be better.
Suddenly, the undead minotaur lunged towards them, its massive axe ready to strike. In a panic, Hilas and his companions drew their weapons and prepared to defend themselves. It swung its axe in a circular motion. In this motion Hilas cast a barrier to lessen the impact, as five of the knights with her held up their shields and braces for impact.
The sound of metal clashing against metal echoed through the town of Helmfirth, as the undead minotaur continued its relentless attack. Hilas and his team were skilled fighters, but they were no match for the sheer strength and ferocity of the undead creature. They dodged and weaved, trying to find an opening to strike, but the minotaur seemed invincible.
As the battle raged on, the streets houses were reduced to rubble, and the townspeople who were hiding under their hoses huddle together in fear as their homes shook and got torn apart, leaving behind their once peaceful home in ruins. Despite their best efforts, Hilas and his team were slowly being pushed back, their hope dwindling with each passing moment. around them began to transform. The trees within the town slowly started to twist and contort, taking on a dark, eerie appearance. The ground beneath their feet shook and cracked, releasing a foul stench that made Hilas' stomach churn. It was clear that the minotaur was not the only supernatural force at work here.
Hilas knew that they needed to end this fight quickly before things became even more dangerous. With a determined look in his eyes, he signaled for his team to regroup and come up with a plan. They huddled together, their weapons at the ready, as they discussed their next move. Suddenly, the minotaur let out a deafening roar and charged towards them once again. This time, it seemed to have grown even stronger, its eyes glowing with an otherworldly energy. The knights braced themselves, ready to defend against the powerful blow.
But just as the minotaur was about to reach them, Hilas shouted out a command, and they all scattered, each taking a different direction. The minotaur let out a frustrated growl as it realized its prey had escaped. It turned towards Hilas, its eyes narrowing in anger. But Hilas was already on the move, using her agility and speed to his advantage. He darted in and out, striking at the minotaur with precise and calculated moves. Her team followed suit, each attacking from a different angle, making it difficult for the minotaur to focus on just one target.
As they fought, Hilas couldn't help but think about how they had ended up in this situation. It had all started as a simple mission to retrieve the undead minotaur. It was starting to slow down from over exhausting its mana, its movements slowing down. But just as they thought they had the upper hand, the minotaur let out a bellow and slammed its fist into the ground, causing a shockwave that sent them all flying. Hilas quickly got back on her feet, her mind racing as she tried to come up with a new plan. They couldn't afford to lose this battle, not when they were so close to defeating the undead and uncovering the secret of Earl Galthir Allannia's territory. With a determined look on their faces, Hilas charged towards the minotaur once again, ready to give it everything she had. This was a fight they couldn't afford to lose, and Hilas was not about to back down now. She needs to find answers. The feeling of losing something within her was driving her to act like this.
She sensed that something was wrong with her, but she was unable to get any answers because medical knowledge and technology in this world are insufficient. Hilas knew she had to keep going despite the odds being against her and do whatever it took to defeat the undead minotaur.
When a voice entered her mind ,
It was a familiar voice, and the earrings Hilas was wearing were a gift from Ramiel, as all of the important people in his life have this on them: to ensure they were always connected and able to communicate in times of need. The female voice urged Hilas to trust her instincts and never face problems alone. She reminded her that she was never truly alone as long as she had the support of those who cared about her.
Do you wish for us to lead you somehelp? ?"
"My Liege will be upset if something happens to his beloved Dextral Queen,"
"Please give me an opening Beta,"
"Yes, off course.,"
"Cast Tier 2, thorn vine Bind,"
As soon as Beta mentioned this , the thick vines filled with thorns burst out of the ground and wrapped around the undead minotaur's feet, going up to its waist. Hilas smiled and commanded her knights to attack and cut the undead' s arms to disarm their weapons. The undead minotaur let out a guttural roar as it struggled against the vines, but Hilas remained composed and directed her knights with precision. With each strike, the undead creature grew weaker, until finally it fell to the ground as Hilas gave the undead beast its final blow with her own sword, ending its threat once and for all. The knights cheered in victory as Hilas wiped the blood from her blade. Soon, the dark, gloomy atmosphere covering the town was dissipating.
"Thank you Beta,"
" Just inform me if you need any further assistance,"
The townspeople began to emerge from their hiding places, grateful and relieved to see the undead minotaur defeated. Hila's and her knights were tired, but seeing the faces of the faces of the people was enough to renew their strength and sense of purpose. They knew that their duty was to protect the town from any future threats, no matter how daunting they might be. Hilas was approached by the town elder, who informed the Viscountess that this undead was not a random occurrence, but a sign of greater evil lurking nearby. The town elder requested Hilas and her knights to investigate further and reluctantly pointed toward Earl Galthir Allannia's ancestral castle.
She assured the elder this was her real objective all along. As they traveled, the townspeople lined the streets, cheering and thanking them for their bravery. It was a bittersweet moment for Hilas, as she knew the danger that lay ahead for her and her knights. However, she also felt a sense of pride and honor in being able to protect the innocent. As they approached the castle, the air grew thick with an eerie silence, and the once majestic walls were now crumbling and covered in dark energy.
With every step they took toward the castle, the sky above appeared to get darker, and the surrounding plants appeared to be withering. Hilas sensed something was wrong because, although she had only been there a few days before, she didn't think the location would change so quickly. This time, however, she wasn't going to enter the castle walls without taking extra safety precautions, so she took out a necklace that was she was wearing inside her shirt and also told the knight accompanying her to do the same. As they chanted the activation spell, a light energy covered their entire bodies, and the feeling of dread and hesitation disappeared.
the butler that greeted her before was no longer their, the flowers and vegetation surrounding the castle were are all dead, the pathway going toward the castle were filled with dirt and mud, even the small cottage she went before were already a pile of ash, as they proceed to enter the main castle they finally saw that happened to the castle staff and personnel,
All twenty two of them were lying on the foot of the staircase going up the main entrance door. Their bodies were mutilated, and many of their body parts were removed, especially all the female attendants and maids skins. Hilas has seen her fair share of gruesome death, especially on the battle field, but seeing something like this was shocking and horrifying in a completely different way. The sight of the mutilated bodies left her feeling sick to her stomach, wondering what kind of evil could have done such a thing.
Hilas reached the right conclusion by going back to get her answers. Seeing this vile sight, she was sure now that Earl Galthir Allannia had done something to her body. She clenched her teeth, unsheathed her sword with her right hand, and just cast a powerful spell on her left hand to blow up the main castle gate, determined to get to the bottom of this. As she made her way through the crumbling castle walls, she couldn't help but feel a sense of betrayal and anger towards Earl Allannia, whom she had no quarrels with. Despite her initial doubts, the evidence before her was undeniable. With each step closer to the truth, her resolve to confront Earl Allannia only grew stronger..
How could he have done this to her? Why she is feeling something is wrong , her gut feeling was driving her mad; all available physicians could not find anything wrong with her , even mages scanned her mind and cast anti-curse spells, no mutation or parasite was in her body,
The thought consumed her as she forced her way through the castle and the obstacles that stood in her way. Finally, she reached the heart of the castle, where she found Earl Allannia cowering in fear. She had never expected to see this,
He cowered and stuttered. As his mouth was bleeding heavily, Hilas saw that his tongue was ripped out. This shocked her while her knight soon followed. Something suddenly grabbed hold of Earl Galthir Allannia's body and was tossed toward the wall on the far end of the hall they were in. Like a rag doll, he flew without resistance, smashed toward the wall and instantly died. Then, within the shadows of the hall laughter could be heard; it was a woman's voice.,
Countess. Isabella Allannia who supposed to have died nine years ago was their standing right in front of them, but something was not right she was holding her stomach because is was swelling , Countess Isabella was rubbing her stomach and was smiling,
"she is a undead!"
"me dead, foolish girl , i have been a Countess. of this land even before you became Ugrihron trophy young wife, that homophile never like having you for a wife but he was force to do it, remember i was the one who arrange your marriage,"
" My foolish husband was infertile like Viscount Ugrihron ,"
" I tried everything just to get pregnant, i slept wit many men, I let them ravage my beautiful body but in the end it was futile,"
"because i too was infertile , my ovaries were too weak and could not produce an heir,"
"so i turned to dark magic, i made a pact with a very old vile demon to give me a child,"
"but the demon lied and just distorted our agreement, "
"I can now get pregnant but my body started to decay,"
" So for many years my husband harvested parts to replace my rotting flesh,
" that foolish man , was too decent to just randomly killed and get the body parts i need, his code of honor took me years to gain a proper body, the only thing missing is what you gave him a few days ago,"
" what are you talking about, i wanted to have a daughter as beautiful as you, so the only why to do that is harvest your ovaries my dear child,
"and now, my child is growing inside me, a child that will be my heir ,"
"you are like that dead man right their , he is truly a devoted husband, but look at him he is old and weak,"
"that's the best thing about healing potions and spells, you can harvest organs without even feeling any kind of pain,"
"and because yo cant see and feel what i took from you, you remain clueless, until now!
"either way , you should be happy , the being inside my stomach came from you ovaries,"
" rejoice!"
this shocked Hilas
She couldn't even fathom the thought of a undead birth to a child, knowing it was a product of such twisted means. And yet, she couldn't bring herself to react,
But most of all, Hilas felt a deep sadness. She had always dreamed of having a child with Ramiel a child that was a symbol of their love and commitment. But now, that dream had been tainted and turned into a nightmare.
She looked at her body with disgust and pity. she had been so blinded by her obsession for perfection that she had lost sight of what truly mattered. And now, she had lost her ability to get pregnant. She couldn't bear to face Ramiel like this, knowing what Earl Galthir Allannia had done to her body.
Hilas burst to tears and screamed with anger, she was in state of madness, she bite her lips in full rage knowing that , she could never get pregnant anymore, looking a the undead Countess Isabella Allannia who used her ovaries to conceive a abomination in her dead rotting stomach, she lost all reason , she dash toward Countess Isabella filled with anger and swung her weapon with all her might, determined to end the monstrous creature and its creator once and for all. Hilas had always dreamt of becoming a mother, to carry and nurture a life within her, to watch it grow and flourish. But now, all those hopes and dreams were shattered as she realized that her body was no longer capable of bearing children. T
he thought of being robbed of this natural ability by someone who was already dead filled her with a rage that she had never felt before. Her hands trembled as she gripped her weapon, her heart racing with a mix of fear, anger, and determination. She could not let the Countess get away with this. How could she create life when she herself was no longer alive? It was an abomination, an insult to nature and to all those who longed for the gift of motherhood. Hilas charged at the Countess, her eyes blazing with fury as she swung her weapon with all her might. The clash of steel to rotting flesh and bone, Hilas was merciless and full of hate, each attack was powerful and continuous, her screams of anger could be felt as the knight who saw this was shocked as the Viscountess was never like this, her calm and decisive move was known in the city she govern.
one driven by revenge and the other fueled by a twisted desire . In the end, it was Hilas who emerged victorious, her weapon piercing through the undead Countess and bringing an end to her reign of terror. As she stood there, panting and covered in blood, Hilas continued to scream and cry, the knight could only wait and watch her silently
But what hurt Hilas the most was the thought of facing Ramiel with this situation. She had always been careful with facilitating any kind of decision making in their relationship and with other matters weather its business or conflict , making sure they were on the same page and considering all options. But now, she couldn't help but wonder if her inability to conceive would cause a rift between them. How could she face him and tell him that she may never be able to give him the child they both longed for? Would he blame her? Would he resent her? These thoughts weighed heavily on her heart and caused her to feel a deep sense of guilt and shame.
Hilas couldn't help but question her own worth as a woman. She felt like she was failing as a wife and as a human being. She wondered if she was being punished for something she had done in her past, or if she was simply not meant to be a mother. The pain and anguish she felt were almost too much to bear.
But despite all of this, Hilas refused to give up hope. She knew that there were other paths to motherhood, whether it be through adoption or surrogacy. And she also knew that her worth as a person was not defined by her ability to bear a child. She was strong, resilient, and determined to find happiness and fulfillment in other areas of her life. The pain of not being able to have a child may have shattered her heart, but it would not break her spirit. She would continue to face her struggles with courage and grace, knowing that she was not alone and that there were other ways to build a family filled with love and joy.
Beta could only listen quietly and could not react, this was not her place to do so, reporting this back to her master will surely bring him pain. The king, who had always been a just and fair ruler, would surely be heartbroken to hear of the struggles his beloved was facing. But Beta also knew that the Ramiel would not let Hilas suffer in silence. He would take action and do everything in his power to help her,
Hilas was still experiencing a great deal of despair and frustration, which Beta couldn't help but notice. Hilas was only staring blankly and wishing there was something she could do to take away the anguish she was feeling. Beta could only do as much because she wasn't able to offer any kind of emotional help her because her homunculus body didn't feel anything, she was just reacting based on what was proper and logical at that very moment , nothing more nothing less.