Passing through the vast agriculture was hauntingly beautiful.
The contrast between highly advanced farms and the land being overtaken by nature was both beautiful and haunting.
To know that nature will eventually overtake everything is one thing but to see it with my own eyes, the death of what could have been a technologically advanced civilization being brought to its knees by nature, was stunning.
As I grew closer to the edge of the city I saw no walls.
I wondered how they had defended or if they did not survive precisely because of this.
But once I had gotten even closer I saw large indents of dull metal.
I had a sneaking suspicion on what it was but I couldn't say for sure until I checked.
I went over to them to open them up.
The hinges of the metal were all rusted but a good slash of my spear was enough to cut them.
This allowed me to pry open the surprisingly light pieces of metal attached to the ground.
What greeted me was a turret.
It was overgrown with moss though so I doubted it would even work.
Still being careful I stepped lightly around it hoping that it was out of commision.
…
Exploring the city was an effort well spent.
While there wasn't much to grab there was much to learn.
The greatest find in the city was a library.
Most of the books had been damaged beyond repair but there were still some that were readable.
Chief among them was a journal detailing the process on how their turrets were made.
I spent a significant amount of time reading it.
Although I could not understand it I could at least regurgitate it to delta if i'm unable to bring the book back.
I exited the library carrying a backpack I found abandoned on one of the library seats, filled with books of all kinds.
Towards the center of the village lies a grand manor.
It looked like it was used for administrative issues.
When I entered there was a reception hall in the first room and further beyond was what seemed to me like conference rooms.
Whiteboards with markers lined one side of the wall and chairs of comfortable make were seated between a large table.
I found nothing of use except the whiteboards and markers but they were too big to take with me so I left them.
While I could have taken the markers they would have been useless without the whiteboard or some paper which we don't have.
Further down the hallway was a stairway leading up and down.
Deciding to go upstairs I found the personal quarters of what seemed to be the lords.
The reason I thought it was the lord's was because of how extravagant it was despite the obvious neglect it had been given.
I was tempted to take everything for myself.
The silk sheets, the nice tableware, the desk, the pen and paper, the bed.
But the only thing I could take was the pen and paper.
Searching through the drawers I found a key.
I checked all the locks that I had found throughout the house but nothing fit the key.
It wasn't until I went downstairs that I found a corpse locked in what seemed like a jail cell.
The corpse had its arms chained to the wall.
On the chains and walls near the chains were inscriptions
…
I opened the cell to get a better look at the inscriptions on the chains.
But as soon as the lock clicked open the corpse came to life.
Fully facing me was the face of a monster.
What I expected to be a human face turned out to be what seemed like a demon mask fused with a human face.
The chains creaked and bones popped.
Looking from his face to his arms I saw that slowly the inscriptions were turning red then disappearing.
His arms twisted themselves with force I had only seen in the Gaul queens.
…
I stared stunned at the corpse… no would it be zombie… demon… whatever it is it was more powerful than anything I had ever fought.
Breaking out of my stunned state I throw the backpack to the other side of the room, then start to reinforce my spear.
Once it was reinforced I ran towards the corpse aiming to take its heart.
…
The spear had pierced it but it had not hit the heart.
At the last moment the corpse had finally unchained itself and dodged to the right.
While I had hit a lung it was not a fatal hit.
Whatever this is, it didn't need to breath because even with a lung pierced I felt heard no breathing or hitched breath.
Quickly pulling my spear back I retreat to the other side of the room.
We both stared at each other, each staring at the other trying to evaluate each other's prowess.
He was first to dash, fingers stretched out grabbing at my neck.
I dodged to the side while also swinging my spear up to hopefully cut his hand off
The corpse reacted fast though changing his grip so that he could grab at the shaft.
*SHINK*
When I pulled the spear back I was able to cut his palm.
Not even flinching at the wound he goes for another dash.
This time he was too close for me to try and attack with the spear so I didn't.
I dropped the spear, to the corpses surprise, then I crouched down channeling aether into my hands.
My nails grew sharper and my hands sturdier.
Using my newly reinforced hands to grab at his neck I tore his jugular out.
However, that didn't immediately kill him.
Grabbing on to my wrist he brings up his elbow and smashes it onto my arm breaking the bone.
But he's not done, with eyes knowing that he's going to die he goes for one last jab efore the life leaves him.
I could see the jab, it was going straight for the heart.
My eyes widened and a sense of dread filled me.
I knew I would not survive this hit.