**Chapter 188: The Breach**
The extinguished wooden chandelier creaked as it swung under the eaves, and a wind carrying the stench of decay and ash brushed against my face.
I knelt before the corpse for a long time, staring at its grotesque face.
My mind was flooded with memories of the lively night, bustling crowds, countless faces—young and old—smiling, and the delicious scent of sweet pastries wafting from the vendor stalls. A sweaty uncle, looking all serious, warned me about carrying money alone, fearing I’d run into some nefarious characters.
But that money was long gone, lost in the chaos of battle.
Not long ago, that vibrant little town seemed like a distant dream.
After a while, I groggily stood up.
My legs felt a bit numb…
So I took a few steps, bent down slightly to thump my knees a few times, straightened up immediately, tilting my head back to avoid letting the tears fall.
I stood by the roadside for a bit, waiting for the tingling in my legs to fade, for the bitterness in my eyes to disappear. I sniffed, rubbed my eyes, and hopped along the eaves, back to the devastated central square, leaping over the ruined stage and spinning mid-air to land in a nearby alley, amid the rubble of a collapsed building.
This was where Daniel had once hidden.
I began to search among the ruins, flipping over charred boards, kicking away dust and charcoal. Before long, I found Captain Gray buried under some rubble, pressed down by debris from a collapsed stone wall.
I pulled Captain Gray free from the wreckage, brushed off the dust, folded up the battered blade, and twisted the already deformed hilt back into place, slinging it over my shoulder with a light pat.
“Phew—”
I exhaled a sigh of relief.
After standing there for a moment, I slowly walked out of the ruins, leaped onto the roof opposite, balancing on the charred beams, then looked south toward the town.
In the distance, the sky was as blue as a pristine canvas.
Faint sunlight pierced through the clouds, casting a soft golden hue, illuminating the distant mountain ranges, and a mist hung over the town, intertwining with lush greenery beyond the fences.
It felt like another world.
Between the woods, a blanket of frost and snow still lingered, like numerous jagged ice blades stretching southward from the edges of the forest. The green and frosty white mingled with the soil outside the town, but that picturesque scene was marred by a vast expanse of blackened earth that caught my eye.
That was the place where I had fought the dancer.
And that battle…
Well, it seemed it had ended a long time ago.
“Olivia…” I whispered softly.
Is she…
Still there?
I hesitated to think.
My hands trembled slightly.
After a while, as if finally summoning courage, I activated Moon Step and sprinted south towards the town, darting through the streets in the blink of an eye.
Once I crossed the fence, the biting wind hit me hard, and my feet kicked up dancing ice crystals from the frost. I felt no cold, feared no chill, and with all my might, I dashed forward, so fast that the scenes around me began to stretch and blur, merging mountains and trees into one. My vision became hazy from the moisture in my eyes.
I promised myself to go back and save them…
Why…
Did I just fall asleep…
How long…
Did I really sleep…
The roaring wind echoed in my ears, and soon the patch of blackened earth was right before me.
The once-raging Infernal Fire had long since extinguished, leaving only the charred remains of trees, cracked black soil, ash-filled air, and a temperature that had long since cooled.
“Ha, ha, ha…”
I panted, starting to slow down, no longer running, taking slow, painful steps towards the high ground that lay in ruins, once shattered by some great force.
Not long after, I found Olivia.
She lay not far from the pile of stones on the scorched earth, her eyes tightly shut, her face turning a sickly pale, and her lips slightly parted—bloodstains dried on her clothes, she had been dead for some time.
And that man named Karl lay sprawled protectively over her.
He was also dead.
A deep, dark spear pierced through Karl’s back, completely skewering them both and nailing them to the ground, the congealed bl**d staining the dirt beneath them a deep brown.
I saw their bloodstained hands, tightly clasped together.
“Olivia…”
I couldn’t bear to look at her pale, bloated face any longer. Biting my lip, I slowly stepped closer, staring at the dark brown spear that had pierced them like some crystalline object. After a moment, I grasped it firmly and felt a flash of red light in my eyes; crimson patterns sprang forth on my arms. I exhaled a cloud of black smoke and suddenly pulled with all my might, yanking the spear from the ground with a whoosh, sending it flying towards the nearby pile of stones.
Boom!
The spear embedded itself into the rock, causing a tremendous shockwave that sent the surrounding stones flying, collapsing the pile with a crash. Ash swirled over me, choking me, which turned my cough into a sob.
“Ugh…”
I bit my lip hard, fighting not to cry, waiting for the dust to settle, took a moment to catch my breath, then rubbed my eyes and moved to the side, drawing my scythe and furiously began digging into the earth.
My eyes grew increasingly sore.
As the dirt became loose, I knelt down again, scooping handfuls of loose soil and tossing it aside repeatedly until my nails bled. The pit deepened until I finally emerged, lifted Karl and Olivia’s cold bodies, and gently placed them into the hole to re-bury them.
After that, I found an oval stone and stood it there, carving their names into it with my scythe—only then did I realize I didn’t even know their full names. In fact, we hadn’t spoken much because I had only known them for less than two days. I knew nothing of their pasts, their stories, I didn’t understand anything.
Even standing before their grave, I couldn’t find the courage to apologize.
A wave of sadness gripped me, rendering me breathless.
I don’t know how, but I had just managed to hold it in. I didn’t want to cry; tears felt like the most cowardly thing, like some worthless little girl who could do nothing but whimper… I didn’t want to be like this…
“Wah… wah…”
I didn’t want to cry…
But my chest felt like it was pressed by a stone, making it hard to breathe. My throat tightened, my nose burned painfully, and my disheveled hair was coated with dirt, fluttering in the breeze. I lifted my chin up and slowly closed my eyes.
Then the tears flowed unabated, streaming down my dirt-streaked cheeks.
“I’m late…”
I couldn’t bear to say those words of apology.
I was late again…
It was always like this; no matter what happened, I was always a step behind.
In Royal City, I was a step late to stop Teresa from becoming a demon, couldn’t save those kids in Cataloma, and couldn’t rescue Irush from the Abyss’s influence.
In the Silent Fortress, I was a step late to prevent the Heretics’ atrocities, couldn’t save the poor disaster victims, the many tortured women, nor could I save the strong and beautiful Lady Alanster, who promised to teach me flower arrangement.
In Alectine City, I was a step late to stop the mad army from breaching the city, couldn’t save the brave warriors of the Third Knights Order who fought tooth and nail to protect their people.
And now, once again, I was late.
I couldn’t guard the bustling nights of Stag Town, couldn’t save its kind-hearted townsfolk, and I promised Olivia that I’d come back, but I couldn’t make it in time.
I let her down…
It was Olivia who had fought for my chance with her life… and I accomplished nothing… I didn’t acquire the bl**d Pearl, nor did I save anyone…
I fell asleep…
Like some worthless fool, I just blissfully fell asleep…
Silvya…
What kind of Pope Knight do you think you are…
What kind of heroic nonsense is this…
I gritted my teeth, suppressing my sobs with all my might, but the tears just wouldn’t stop. I felt so pathetic, truly didn’t want to cry, so I wiped my tears with the back of my hand as I made my way to a nearby pile of stones, curling up in the shade where the sun couldn’t reach, dirt-covered hands clutched the fruit I had picked earlier, taking a bite, as if that could offer some comfort to my useless self.
The fruit tasted sour.
But it vaguely reminded me of when I first arrived in this world, when I fled from the knights into the woods, starving, with nothing to eat. At my most terrified and helpless, it was this unknown fruit that had given me a bit of solace and the will to live.
The taste was so familiar.
A year…
It had been a year since I left that nameless little village…
A year ago, when I felt utterly lost, refusing to acknowledge the monster I had become, wanting desperately to survive, but finding no way forward. At my most helpless, the man known as the Silver Flash spoke to me one quiet night by the cold creek, and I still remembered his words clearly.
But…
What have I done…
I possess great strength, yet when I look back, I realize I’ve done nothing…
I can’t do anything…
Thinking this made my heart ache unbearably. I sniffled, wiped my tears, and poured my remaining strength into devouring the fruit, eating ravenously, juice dripping down my dirty fingers.
Silvya…
You’re just a worthless fool…
A year…
You’re still the same, unable to save anyone, just a useless girl who can only cry… The villagers think of you as a hero. They were so happy when you returned… Grandma was so happy… They all believed you were a remarkable figure… only you know… how utterly useless you are… the village…
…wait a minute.
Suddenly, I paused in mid-bite.
The small village…
Grandma Claire’s village!!!
I tossed away the fruit pit, wiped my mouth, and sprang up from the ground.
A thought blossomed in my mind.
A realization that made my body feel weak, as if I had plunged into an icy abyss.
Everyone here is dead; the dancer and the bl**d Pearl are nowhere to be found. I remembered what the Jester had said earlier about needing to k*ll many… that many people must d*e… that their bl**d would be needed…
“Grandma Claire…”
Once that horrifying thought took root, it couldn’t be reined in. I barely held back any emotion or concern; my toes dug into the ground, and with an explosive sound, my body shot up like an arrow, launching into the sky. I soared over the scorched earth, and as I began to descend, the Chaotic Power within me surged wildly, Dead Smoke swirling around me as black flames erupted from my back—
Boom, boom, boom!!!
A shockwave formed from the sonic boom exploded around me, as the air roared and crackled like a furious tide, wrapping me in swirling Dead Smoke to shield me from the explosive winds, and my speed skyrocketed instantaneously, turning my body into a black shooting star racing toward the village.
“Wah…”
I sobbed out of desperation.
My heart burned like a flame, engulfing everything in chaotic turmoil. Even my breath grew hot; I felt my mind starting to blank, unable to think of anything but flapping my wings desperately, pushing myself to go faster and faster, longing to reach whatever awaited me before it was too late.
Or perhaps everything had already become irreparable…
The black meteor dragged a long tail of flames over mountains and forests, emotional turmoil wrenching at my power, causing my protective Chaotic Fire to falter a few times. Fierce winds clawed at my throat, forcing me to cough violently. My blurred vision made it hard to discern the road below, nearly sending me off course.
Then, after crossing the last ridge, familiar sights suddenly came into view.
I arrived…
But once I got there, I hesitated to land.
I dreaded what I might see.
I feared being late again, only to discover a scene filled with corpses and bl**d, and pairs of eyes void of life.
I broke through the clouds just outside the village, dissipating the Dead Smoke and retracting my wings, planning to walk slowly into the village.
That way, I could delay witnessing that scene.
A gentle breeze stirred the grass and stirred the dust around me.
I slowly approached the village.
“…cough.”
My throat was dry, and I couldn’t stop swallowing, my small fists clenched tightly, my nails nearly stabbing into my flesh. I could feel each step I took increasing the tremor in my legs and sapping my energy.
But the familiar village was drawing nearer.
When at last I reached the village entrance, I stood frozen, catching my breath, ears perked up, straining to listen.
I heard nothing.
The village lay in eerie silence.
“There’s no one…”
In that moment, sheer panic surged through me, shooting straight up my spine to my brain, as if my consciousness was abandoning my body, drifting away to who knows where.
There were no voices…
I was terrified to the point of nearly collapsing.
Where is everyone…
Like a restless zombie, I numbly wandered into the village, losing track of when I mustered the courage to take my first step, my blurred eyes gazing at the familiar yet almost strange houses. I felt disoriented, lost in a daze, imagining children’s laughter behind me, chasing after me. I wanted to grab a stone to throw, but when I turned, no one was there—nothing at all.
“Is there… anyone…”
I took a deep breath, trying to steady my emotions, my voice trembling softly like a mosquito: “Is there… anyone there…”
“I’m Little Silvya…”
“I’m back…”
As I passed the familiar well and the overgrown path, I felt a bit steadier, and I shouted a little louder.
“Where are you… all of you!”
“Don’t hide, please…”
“Come out…”
“I’m scared…”
I remembered the first time I stepped onto this path.
It was a foggy day, and smoke spiraled up from the village. I was starving, wrapped up in my filthy cloak, cautiously setting foot in this world inhabited by humans. I was scared and apprehensive, terrified of being seen as a horrible monster, dreading that someone would hurt me. It was during that time on this very path that I encountered Grandma Claire.
She was the first human to accept me in this world.
And now, on this path, there was no one.
“Is there… anyone…”
“Anyone at all…”
“Grandma…”
“I’m back…”
But no one replied.
“Wah…”
I couldn’t bear to take another step forward.
Because just around the corner was my old home, Grandma Claire’s house, and I feared I would see a scene I didn’t want to see. I feared Grandma wouldn’t be waiting for me to return.
The wave of sorrow broke through once more.
I stood frozen, ignoring everything, my legs buckling as I sank down to the ground, my mouth opened wide as I wailed, unleashing all my emotions into the air, my cries echoing throughout the village.
I was late again…
Why…
Am I so useless…
I…
Suddenly, a hesitant voice came from behind me: “Sil—Silvya…”
My loud wailing abruptly stopped. I blinked, my mind slowly processing, then turned around.
A few familiar villagers emerged from behind the houses, clutching their shovels and pitchforks, peeking anxiously in my direction.
And among them stood Ryan, looking bewildered.
“I said I heard a voice just now. Why are you crying? Are you okay…?”
With his rough homespun shirt smeared with mud, his pant legs rolled up to his knees, he looked somewhat comical, but at that moment, he felt warmer and more comforting than ever to me.
Like sunshine breaking through after the rain.
