Chapter 91: The Shadow’s Devouring

After that, Ryan led the group to the foot of the watchtower and, just like yesterday, entered the house where Captain Marcelo lived to report alone. It was only then that the flustered Miss Thief finally had the chance to mutter quietly.

“Hey, hey, am I seeing things because of this messed-up place? That old lady named Shalin, her, her appearance…”

A scholar-looking Tree Branch adjusted his “glasses” and shook his head expressionlessly.

“If you’re seeing that scene because of something here influencing you, then without a doubt, I’ve been affected by the same power.”

The timid star mage Qionghua whispered, equally unsettled.

“But, but if it’s not our hallucination, why didn’t that soldier react at all?”

“…Clearly, one of us must be having a problem here.”

Enrique pointed to his head, glancing at the black-haired girl who had remained silent.

Understanding his implication, Miss Priestess nodded slightly.

“Well, although it seems a bit strange, she’s still alive. That kind of coherent logic doesn’t seem like a disguise; Ryan, perhaps even Shalin herself isn’t aware of the changes happening to her.”

“…”

At a loss for words, the others fell silent simultaneously.

They were all experienced high-level adventurers or strong individuals, so they wouldn’t easily be shaken by such a trivial matter, but what they had just witnessed was indeed quite bizarre.

Though that soldier named Ryan appeared oblivious, the elderly woman Shalin in the eyes of the adventurers could no longer be considered a “human” at least in terms of appearance.

Even in the dim light of night, with visibility not being great, the group noticed her grotesque state illuminated by the torch Ryan held.

More than two-thirds of her face had lost its normal flesh and transformed into a gaseous cluster resembling smoke and ash, slightly floating while still retaining a human visage, mingling inexplicably with the remaining one-third that was yet to change, as if undergoing some kind of gradual transformation.

Correspondingly, the skin exposed on her left hand and neck was in a similar state; while it was hard to see the full extent due to her clothing, one could easily infer the current condition of her body.

This was precisely the reason why the group’s expressions couldn’t help but show signs of unease upon seeing her.

If Ryan hadn’t taken the initiative to greet her and Grandma Shalin hadn’t displayed any signs of danger or aggression, they would have likely drawn their weapons directly.

Enrique furrowed his brows.

“We didn’t notice this situation because we didn’t see any villagers when we came yesterday. Could it be that others are in a similar state? But then why didn’t those militia teams or Mr. Marcelo…”

Shaking her head, Miss Priestess replied casually.

“Even if it’s mysterious and abnormal, it wouldn’t form without reason; this is likely not coincidental. But since Ryan didn’t realize the changes in the villagers, it means he has also been influenced by the environment here. Moreover…”

Vilyric turned her gaze toward Le Qiao Qiao and the others.

“As mentioned before, while it looks like you just arrived in this area tonight, our experiences from last night have proven it’s not false, meaning you lost that memory.”

“And this kind of ‘amnesia’ has likewise occurred with the militia member Ryan and his companions. However, those of us who had returned to ‘the other side’—myself, Enrique, and Sophie—remember everything…”

“Now suppose that the reason you lost your memory and were sent back to the previous night is due to a certain influence from this place, and that influence didn’t happen all at once but accumulated gradually during this repetitive process.”

“Grandma Shalin—Ryan—you few—and us three are perhaps precisely at different stages of this overlapping state, or it can be understood as the varying degrees of influence from this local power, with certain things lost in ‘quantity.'”

“The act of stealing such things is likely the true motive of the one behind the mysterious disappearances in creating this environment.”

Upon hearing this, Miss Le Qiao Qiao’s face instantly turned pale.

“Eh… wait, wait a minute, does this mean if we can’t get out, we’ll all end up like that ugly thing?! I don’t want to turn into that ghastly form! Boss!!!”

“Wow, don’t suddenly cling to me like that! Are you a dog?!”

“…What are you all doing?”

Just as the two girls started pulling at each other with a sudden disagreement, the remaining individuals awkwardly diverted their gazes. The atmosphere lightened slightly from tense to somewhat relaxed when a calm, seasoned voice suddenly rang out from nearby, causing the adventurers’ expressions to stiffen and become serious again.

Accompanied by the militia Ryan, a tall half-bear person wearing a monocle stepped out of the small house and approached them.

Captain Marcelo’s attire was just as it was the last time they met, wearing heavier armor than regular militia, with a battle blade slung on his back. His right arm, likely suited for wielding, was covered by a mechanical arm designed for lower rank imperial officers. Paired with his naturally robust physique and dense fur, he exuded a formidable aura.

“Cough, it’s nothing. Good to see you again, Uncle~”

Miss Priestess quickly kicked aside the person who was clinging to her leg and turned around, grinning as she greeted the Village Guard Captain.

The half-bear man frowned with an imposing aura.

“Again? Where have we met before? I, Marcelo, pride myself on having a decent memory. People with such distinct features like you all wouldn’t be so easily forgotten after even a single encounter.”

“Eh… is that so?”

That’s true, since both Le Qiao Qiao and the others, as well as Ryan from Village 192, had already lost their memory of last night due to mysterious powers, it stood to reason that Marcelo, who was trapped in this area and had no special circumstances, wouldn’t be any different.

In other words, for him, this was the first time meeting Vilyric and the others from outside.

…Really?

Not attempting to break the ice from the most basic aspects as the day before, Vilyric raised her hand, stopping Enrique, who was about to say something.

“Uncle, stop pretending. You remember everything, don’t you?”

“Whether it’s our meeting last night or the entire process of this village gradually changing much earlier, you… remember it all clearly, don’t you?”

“Eh?!”

Just like that, Miss Le Qiao Qiao, who had just been kicked aside, got up as if nothing had happened. With her eyes wide open like the others, Enrique too seemed stunned by this sudden turn of events, quickly exclaiming in surprise.

“Miss Vilyric, are you serious? Mr. Marcelo…”

Meeting the expressionless gaze of the half-bear man and the bewildered militia Ryan standing beside him, the black-haired girl smiled and nodded slightly.

“Of course, think about it. If the mastermind set up this space with a specific purpose, it’s only logical that they wouldn’t leave any personnel behind as insurance.”

“Just like us, there must be other adventurers who entered here to investigate mistakenly at nightfall, so in order to make contact quickly, assess the threat level of the opponents and take different countermeasures, who would be the most appropriate identity for this task? Who did we exchange the most words with yesterday?”

“That would be… the Village Guard Captain! The only one in a position to interact with all adventurers coming here!”

   

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