I felt a strange smell all around me. It was familiar, as if I had sensed it before, but I wasn't sure.
A drop of water fell on my face, and then another.
I opened my eyes. Above me was a sky covered in black clouds; the rain was pouring down heavily.
I looked around and realized I was under a tree that, although partially burned, shielded me somewhat from the rain.
"Am I alive?"
The pain coursing through my body was unbearable. I thought about resting for a moment, but the image of the other villagers came to mind. I couldn't stay there. I had to find them.
With great effort, I stood up and began walking.
The path was a desolate landscape: shattered trees and ground scarred by massive destruction. At one point, I nearly fell, but I managed to steady myself by grabbing onto a burned tree.
I pulled myself together and kept walking.
Where there were once lush, green trees, now only ashes and charred remains remained. The rain didn't stop; it even seemed to intensify, so I quickened my pace.
'The cave. I need to reach the cave.'
I had to make sure everyone was safe and warn them about what had happened with Alonso… and the demon attack.
Suddenly, I tripped.
I fell face-first to the ground.
"I have to go..."
I forced myself to my feet and looked ahead, but what I saw froze me completely.
In front of me was a charred person, their body reduced to an unrecognizable corpse. My chest tightened with an unbearable pressure that made it hard to breathe.
Farther ahead, I saw something worse: a mountain of piled-up corpses.
My heart began to race uncontrollably. Air wouldn't enter my lungs, and cold sweat ran down my forehead. My hands trembled uncontrollably. I tried to calm myself, but every step I took was harder than the last.
As I moved forward, I saw bodies I recognized. People who had once greeted me with smiles now lay lifeless on the ground.
"Hey, Vaelor."
"Still training again?"
"Hey, could you thank the witch for saving me?"
My legs faltered. I could barely walk. I felt a lump in my throat so tight it seemed like it would suffocate me.
And then I saw it: a small, completely scorched bow, lying next to a broken spear.
My feet stopped.
An unbearable pressure filled my head, and my vision began to blur.
"Hey, are you the witch's grandson? I'm Selene. Nice to meet you."
"Looks like it's just the three of us left. We'll have to work even harder."
"Hehe, did you really think you'd be the only one to get a Class? When Caelum gets his, the three of us will become stronger together."
I fell to my knees before the broken weapons.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Caelum. I'll be the best hunter around here."
"You'd better not fall behind after resting so much."
"You'll see. I'll get my Class too and become stronger than you guys. Just wait."
The sound of my heartbeat was deafening. I placed a hand on my chest, trying to calm it, but it was useless. It pounded so hard I felt like it would tear me apart.
_______________
A high stress level has been detected.
Providing assistance.
Creating system skill: Minor Mental Fortitude.
_______________
I felt my mind begin to clear. Little by little, my muscles responded better, allowing me to move with greater ease.
"And then the three of us will travel the world together!"
"Traveling the three of us… sounds good."
The voices echoed in my head like a distant memory, but every word carried a weight that pressed on my chest. My heart continued to race, until suddenly, a strange sense of calm washed over me. It was brief but intense, as if something were calling to me from afar.
"Grandma."
Without thinking much, I began to follow that sensation, leaving the mountain of corpses behind.
As I moved forward, the landscape grew even more devastating. The earth was completely torn apart, with deep cracks making it hard to walk. Every step brought me closer to what seemed to be the origin of everything.
Finally, I reached a massive crater. The air was thick and heavy, and the heat inside was suffocating.
"Is this it?"
I looked down, and something caught my attention. Something was there, at the bottom of the crater.
Without hesitation, I climbed down quickly. I stumbled several times during the descent, but I didn't stop. The sense of urgency grew stronger with every step.
And then, I saw her.
Grandma was there, her body lying on the ground, completely shattered.
My legs trembled as I slowly approached. I extended my hand, trying to take hers, but as I did… her hand crumbled to ashes at my touch.
My chest began to burn. I felt every heartbeat like a hammer against my insides. The air escaped me, and tears streamed uncontrollably down my cheeks.
The weight of helplessness crushed me. Everyone was dead. No one was left.
A guttural scream tore from my throat, echoing through the crater as if trying to drown the despair consuming me.
--
--
{Pov Omniscient}
Vaelor managed to carry Mireth, carefully making his way out of the crater. With every step, he noticed her body crumbling more and more, forcing him to proceed with utmost caution.
Finally, he emerged from the crater and kept walking, determined to reach the cabin.
Many minutes passed before he finally arrived.
"Even the cabin is destroyed."
He gently laid Mireth's body on the ground and entered the ruined structure.
As he walked inside, he saw the destruction everywhere. The second floor no longer existed, consumed by flames.
He moved to the main room, where the furniture lay in ruins. The bookshelf where Vaelor used to read had been completely burned.
Next, he headed to the potion room, only to find it similarly destroyed.
Continuing his search, he came across a door. After rummaging through the remains, he found a shovel. Holding it firmly, he stepped back outside.
With the shovel in hand, he began digging a grave.
As he dug, memories of peaceful days spent cherishing simple moments flooded his mind.
"Idiot."
He kept digging.
"Idiot."
Faces of the villagers, living in peace, flashed through his memory.
"You're an idiot!"
He stabbed the shovel into the ground, tears streaming down his face.
"You're an idiot! You did nothing to grow stronger! You did nothing to protect them! You have this useless system, and still, you did nothing!"
Gripping the shovel tightly in anger, he resumed digging furiously.
"I have to get stronger. I have to get stronger. I have to get stronger. And when I find them, I'll kill them. Until then, rest in peace, Grandma."
Once the grave was ready, he carefully lifted Mireth's fragile body and gently placed her in it.
"Thank you, Grandma. Thank you for raising me. Rest well."
He covered the grave, forming a small mound, then wiped his tears away and stood up, ready to move on.
"I still have so many more to bury. Goodbye, Grandma."
_______________
Due to the high level of stress, your skill Lesser Mental Fortitude has evolved into Intermediate Mental Fortitude.
_______________
Vaelor walked on, determined to give the rest of the villagers a proper burial.
"I need to grow stronger. Much stronger."
--
--
Far from what was once Shadowy Valley, Asmodeo and Baal could be seen flying away from the ruins.
"Hahaha! I finally killed Mireth! Now I feel like I could conquer this kingdom with ease!" Asmodeo laughed.
"Calm down. Look at the state that battle left us in."
Both demons were severely injured. Asmodeo was missing an arm, his body was riddled with wounds, and a gaping hole marred his chest. Baal was missing a leg, and his face was horribly disfigured.
"If Mireth hadn't been so concerned about the other villagers, the fight would have gone very differently," Baal remarked.
"Hey, why are we leaving? We could hunt down some humans to recover," Asmodeo suggested.
"The Lionhearts are approaching, and with them, the Steel Lion. In this state, we won't stand a chance, and I have no desire to face Abaddon and explain why you didn't return."
Baal's words sent a shiver down Asmodeo spine.
"Yeah, I suppose you're right. It's better to head back," Asmodeo conceded, though a grin spread across his face. "At least I managed to kill Mireth, and you took care of every villager in case she had any blood relatives."
Baal remained silent, unwilling to mention the child he had spared.
'I hope you prove to be more interesting in the future.'
The two demons flew off into the distance, heading back to their domain.