Chapter 3: Shadows at the Northern Village
"It seems we have new guests..." said the witch, stepping into the room, her staff tapping against the floor.
"And who might this be?" Alistor asked, raising a brow at the mysterious girl.
"She is our head officer here—Aurora Blackwood," the receptionist explained.
"Hello, good day to you, gentlemen," Aurora said, her voice soft but commanding. "What brings you here?"
"We're simply here for new travelers' certifications," Alistor replied smoothly, tipping his hat again. "Our wagon was, unfortunately, ambushed and all of our belongings—including our certificates—were stolen."
(Passive Skill Activated: Trickery)
"I see..." Aurora said, her gaze lingering on them suspiciously. Then her eyes shifted toward the shattered crystal ball on the table.
"Did you break that?" she asked, walking closer.
"Let's say it was... unintentional," Micreal answered without flinching.
Aurora knelt, picking up a shard of the broken glass. She examined it closely. "It's been a long time since anyone broke the measurement crystal," she said quietly. "Are you sure you're just ordinary travelers?"
Alistor simply smiled warmly, offering no further explanation.
After a tense pause, Aurora straightened and smiled as well—though it did not quite reach her eyes.
"Well then, enjoy your stay, gentlemen," she said sweetly, though her mind whispered another thought:"Normal travelers wouldn't even leave a scratch. But these two... shattered it. Suspicious... very suspicious. I must keep an eye on them."
Proceeding with the registration, Alistor and Micreal followed Aurora through the lounge as she explained the next steps. Just as they were about to complete the paperwork, a breathless worker rushed into the room.
"Master! There's a raid on the northern village—we must go now!" the worker cried.
Aurora immediately snapped to action. "Prepare the horses! We ride at once!"
Before she could leave, Alistor stepped forward.
"May we be of some assistance?" he offered politely.
"Stay here—" Aurora began, but paused. A new idea formed in her mind."This might be the perfect chance to see what they're capable of..."She smiled thinly. "You may come. But don't get in our way."
Minutes later, they were galloping out of the city, hooves pounding against the dirt road.When they arrived at the northern village, a nightmare greeted them: smoldering ruins, collapsed houses, blackened earth. The air stank of ash and burning wood.
"This is... horrible," Aurora whispered, surveying the destruction. "Who could have done this?"
Alistor and Micreal dismounted, quietly observing the scene."Hopefully the villagers escaped," Alistor murmured calmly, though his sharp eyes scanned every shadow.
Suddenly, Micreal stiffened.
"Sir! There's a massive surge of mana heading this way!" he alerted sharply.
"What?!" Aurora gasped, turning toward the road.
Out of the thick smoke emerged a figure cloaked in a ragged hood. The stranger giggled in a chilling, broken voice, then produced a vial and injected himself with its contents.
Before their eyes, the hooded figure grotesquely transformed:—An ogre's head twisted onto a scaled, serpentine body.—Wolf-like feet crushed the ground with heavy steps.—Goblin-like arms clawed the air, twitching violently.
Aurora and Micreal stared in stunned silence at the creature—something neither of them had ever seen. Even Alistor, though silent, studied it carefully.
Without hesitation, Alistor stepped forward, dismounting from his horse.
Raising one hand, he summoned dark shadows from the earth—skeletal warriors formed in an instant, their swords gleaming with eerie black light. They charged at the monster without fear.
The creature roared, charging Alistor directly.The skeletons intercepted, slashing from every angle. Even when the monster struck them down, they reformed, unrelenting in their assault.
Aurora stood frozen, shocked beyond words at the sight.
Beside her, Micreal folded his arms and spoke in a low, confident tone:
"You see, Head Chief... this is only a fraction of my master's power. If he unleashed his full strength..."He glanced at her with a chilling smile."...he would become your worst nightmare."
Aurora's heart skipped a beat as she looked between Micreal and the man commanding the undead with terrifying ease.
"Alistor... what are you?" she thought, a knot forming in her stomach.
The battle raged on, shadows dancing in the fires of the ruined village.
[Chapter 3 End]