Chapter 53
"You've worked hard." Ketchum looked at the things hanging in front of him and remained silent for a long time.
Those were Yan and Yan. The two of them were stunned after the fire giant disappeared. Before they could hide like Xia, they were caught by the ascetic.
They fought with all their might, and were finally hung here after being pierced through their bodies with chains.
Looking at the two guys, Ketchum felt a little sorry for them.
This makes it much clearer that these are two children; if it weren't for their bright red bodies, they could easily be mistaken for human children. However, they are now covered in bruises. Yan, in particular, has several lacerations.
If it were him, even if he did find them, he would simply drive them out of the city. But Alpha wouldn't do that; he wouldn't show mercy to anyone who has done wrong.
These guys were barely clinging to life, barely managing to survive.
“The situation has been chaotic lately, and even when that monster was causing trouble in the city, the demon didn’t show up.” Alpha said to Ketchum, “It’s possible that the demon has already left, or perhaps he’s just trying to hide.”
Ketch remained silent, waiting to see what Alpha would do next.
"Dealing with that thing shows you're very strong. As your senior, I knew I couldn't defeat you. As a paladin, you have great talent and courage." Alpha patted Ketcht's armor: "I'll take those two red demons to a big city first. If we leave them there, they'll probably run away again."
Ketchum nodded: "So, you'll be temporarily away for the next few days?"
"To be precise, it will take half a month. I need six days to travel back and forth, and there are still many procedures to be handled. I will also apply for subsidies and supplies, and I will bring back enough supplies for my city when I return."
“Okay, I understand.” Ketchum nodded. “Then you should leave as soon as possible, the fewer people who know, the better.”
Alpha nodded. Next to them was a gap in the city wall; once he left from there, he would officially begin his journey. He didn't need to prepare anything; he had even come on foot.
Ketch had been waiting for him to disappear from sight, even as the rain poured down. His wounds were exposed to the chaotic elemental energy without even being bandaged. The bodies of ascetics possessed sacred power, making them completely impervious to the chaotic elemental energy.
Ketchum was hesitant about whether to say something symbolic to persuade him to stay, such as it was too late and he should leave tomorrow.
But he didn't say it; he really couldn't say it.
He felt ashamed because so many people had died, and the matter could have been closed.
But this matter is not over yet.
Ketch returned to his tent. He could have gone to church, which was still standing amidst the chaos. Its sturdiness and fire resistance allowed it to survive the disaster.
But as soon as he went back, he would see the child, the one named Lori, who was now wearing a very cute outfit—it was just a nun's habit, designed so that people wouldn't notice her nun appearance. But the child looked so innocent in it that it made him want to smile helplessly.
At this moment, she was pouring tea for the people sitting in the church, and providing hot stones and changes of clothes—it was raining heavily, but the reconstruction of the city was urgent, and the current tents were far from enough. Everyone was fully committed to their work, and when they had time to rest, they would come to the church for a temporary respite.
The church was filled with women and children who provided food and hot tea to those who were working, and helped them change their completely soaked coats.
Lori joined in; everyone liked the child and seemed genuinely happy. But this was no time for laughter; outside was complete ruin. Countless lives had been lost in a short time. So many had lost loved ones. If it weren't for the fact that people in this world had endured so much suffering that they were used to it, suicides alone would have added countless more victims.
Some of the dead are being urgently disposed of, as food supplies are scarce after the city was burned down. Therefore, they need to eat the dead to survive until relief supplies arrive.
In short, they are so tired every day that they wish they could sleep in the mud, so cold that they feel they are about to die at any moment, and so hungry that they want to eat the bodies of their own relatives.
How could she possibly laugh at a time like this? Ketchum didn't know, and neither did anyone else. It was a laugh devoid of any resentment, like the soft glow of a candle, gently illuminating the darkness. In the darkness, such a lovely little candle was truly someone one couldn't bear to see suffer any injustice.
Ketch sat in the corner of his tent, his eyes slightly closed.
Almost a week of sleepless nights had brought him to the brink of mental collapse. It's ironic, really; he was a pillar of support for many, yet he himself was on the verge of collapse. The guilt and self-reproach, combined with weakness and physical pain, tormented him daily. And at this point, he should have gone to Carl. Because Carl was his best, and only, friend.
However, even when he and Karl met, they only exchanged polite nods and no words, simply greeting each other normally.
Because both sides know that there are many things that are best kept to themselves and cannot be discussed openly. If those things that cannot be brought to light are ever revealed, then a decision must be made.
Ketchum was afraid of making decisions; he had once killed his girlfriend who had been transformed into a monster. It was a difficult choice, an accident; she was injured, and Ketchum had to kill countless monsters to find her.
It took him two days to carry her to the nearest city, but the moment they arrived, she transformed into a monster. She lost all reason, but she still remembered herself.
She knelt on the ground, crying, watching herself slowly turn into a monster, only able to groan.
She was looking at herself, wailing and hoping that Kitty could help her.
She reached out her hand, and Ketchum swung her knife. Blood stained the ground.
That was the decision he made; that's the kind of person Ketchum is. He might hesitate before making a judgment, but once he's made up his mind, he'll definitely get things done.
Perhaps it was this decisive and inflexible personality that caught the eye of God. I'm not sure, but that's probably it.
Karl poured himself a glass of wine. He used to enjoy drinking, but he wasn't a good drinker, so he rarely drank after becoming a paladin, for fear of messing things up.
But today he desperately wanted to have a drink, any amount would do, just a little bit.
As the liquor slid down his throat, Carl felt much better.
He sat cross-legged on the ground. Although there was a place to sleep nearby, he didn't have much time left to lie down and sleep in bed.
He had long been accustomed to sleeping while sitting up, which gave him enough time to think and plan his next move.
However, there is no way to reconcile this time. This time is also different from last time. Now, two paths are presented to us, and choosing either one will lead to completely different results.
Ketchum was lost in thought when he looked up in confusion at the burning candle on the table.
What should I do now?
Ketchum stared at the candle for a very long time, and then slowly extinguished the tiny bit of light in the room.
He sank into the darkness, preparing to rest.
The sun went out again, and darkness swallowed the world.
In the darkness, the little spider fell into the ruins, cold rain falling on him. Protected by the night and the ruins, no one could see him.
Chrisson came today to say goodbye to Lori, because he was leaving.
For some reason, Yak was completely different from the previous Benno; he was now actively making preparations to leave.
Can you believe that guy actually pieced together a wagon from planks and other things in the ruins? He moved in the usable parts of the previous wagon and the goods, making a total of three wagons this time.
Hack and the others weren't planning to leave yet, seemingly still holding onto some hope. They were utterly puzzled by Ark's insistence on leaving.
If nothing unexpected happens, they will be out of the city by tomorrow morning. Chrison, the two cats, along with the coffin and some other items that need to be stored, are kept in the third carriage where he is staying.
However, the quality of these carriages is very worrying. To put it nicely, they are a combination of mechanics and witchcraft; to put it bluntly, they are a piece of junk that would fall apart without the blessing of magic.
Ark said he would take Lady home, and they would make do for now, then get a better carriage once they got there. He used a bag of gold coins as proof that they were only using this as a temporary measure because there were no better carriages available.
Chrisson said he had to say goodbye to his friends and leave first, as setting off at night in the heavy rain would be irresponsible. Therefore, they were willing to wait for the spider to say goodbye to his friends, and were not worried that he would never return.
You see, the fighting force on this carriage would make any faction want to win them over; almost everyone belongs to a completely different camp. But Ark is a strange person; there are never any two people on his carriage. They come together purely by chance, and then leave because of their respective paths.
"Staying here isn't a long-term solution. If you want to stay here forever, you'd better think carefully about where in this world you'd need someone more than a shrewd businessman." This was a phrase Ark often said. He was never saddened by the departure of friends; no matter the reason, he would always offer his blessings and then go his separate ways. Some people would die soon after leaving, while others would do many remarkable things. How many such diverse people did Ark actually know? He didn't know; in any case, because of his passive state due to his stomach ache, he would only be remembered by a very small number of people.
These were the thoughts that filled Christon's mind, because he had to wait. He could see the child bringing hot water to the person resting in the chair.
It seemed she was doing something to help others, which made the little spider happy. He knew she was a good girl, and he didn't need any explanation to prove it.
If there really wasn't a chance to talk things over, Spider-Man might leave. But there was still time, and he wanted to wait a little longer.
Because Chrison brought the child a small gift, which he carefully wrapped in a box and carried on his back with a curtain to shield him from the rain.
It's a very simple little gift: a little rabbit doll. The little spider wove it himself. It's quite a delicate and beautiful little thing. The rabbit was woven from the white silk pulled from the four long spikes on the spider's back; those four spikes were his best weaving tools.
But before meeting Lori, Spider-Man saw Carl.
He was not far away from him. The little spider turned its head to look at him; he was not far beneath it.
He was watching him too, so the little spider didn't try to hide.
Carl's reluctance to act immediately was already a sign of goodwill; he was wrapped in a huge raincoat, looking like the Grim Reaper. The filthy creature before him descended from where it had been hanging upside down, and looked back at Carl.
"Are you here to see Lori?" Carl asked softly. "Lori said she knows you."
Chrisson was taken aback. He had originally intended to explain his purpose himself, but this guy had spoken up first.
He nodded, agreeing with this statement.
“Would you like to rest in the church?” Carlton paused and said, “I haven’t yet thanked you for helping Lori on Blood Day. I can take you inside through the small door. I’m ashamed to say that all we can offer here right now is herbal tea and some simple food. You can rest in a place where no one can see you.”
"Thank you." Chrisson paused and said, "But I'll be leaving soon, and I'm just saying goodbye."
Are you leaving?
"Yes, I came with someone else, and now that he's leaving, I have no choice but to leave with them."
"Is it Ark?"
"Um."
After exchanging a few words, Chris handed over the package he was carrying.
"What is this?" Karl asked, looking at the box wrapped in cloth.
“I’ve thought about it carefully, and she must be tired right now. I don’t want to frighten her.” Chrisson paused and said, “Could you help me take this to her?”
"Okay, so how should I address you?"
"Me? Call me Chrison, that's the name Ark gave me. I didn't have a name before that, or you can call me Little Spider, for reasons that are obvious to the naked eye."
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