Chapter 24 Chapter 24 The Third Wish
System 05 carefully examined the footprint. It was nearly half a meter long, oddly shaped, and alone, not in a pair. It was hard to imagine what its complete form looked like.
System 05 walked over and squatted down in the village chief's horrified eyes. There was a trace of death and decay on it, like rotten grass buried in the soil.
He used identification magic to investigate and saw a shadow standing on the edge of darkness and light. When the torch went out, it pounced on a figure.
Is this the Avenger?
"Sir, we have to burn this place down as soon as possible..." said the village chief.
System 05: "I want to go in and investigate."
Village chief: "But inside..."
System 05 took out the investigation order: "Don't worry, I'll be out soon."
His calm demeanor, steady tone of voice, and orderly movements put everyone around him at ease. The village chief saw that he was willing to investigate the matter and stopped trying to stop him.
System 05 donned anti-magic gloves and a mask, fully equipped. This world had many rules, and he had always been a stickler for them. He pushed the door open and walked in. The wooden door creaked. The room was small, with a crude earthen wall separating the living room and bedroom. The body of the owner lay in the living room, his back facing the door. Only half of the body remained, as if it had been gnawed by a wild beast.
System 05 asked Federer, who had followed in, "What's your impression of the Avengers?"
At Federer's age, he has never seen the Avengers, but they learn about them in church school.
They all knew that the Avengers would return, but San Andreas would defeat the Avengers once again.
"Avengers exist in darkness. Do not fall into darkness, and do not gaze upon it." Federer, sword in hand, looked around and said, "Everything the Avengers touch is contaminated. When priests encounter Avengers, they should destroy them immediately. Contact, gaze, and conversation are prohibited."
It cannot be heard, it cannot be smelled, it cannot be seen.
Federer looked at the body, his dark grey eyes fixed on it for a moment, and then said, "He's been contaminated."
Paladins have a talent for resisting psychic attacks, but the specific level varies from person to person. Federer seems to be completely unaffected.
System 05 and Federer investigated further but found nothing unusual. They left the room together and said to the village chief, "Burn it."
The village chief breathed a sigh of relief and asked his son to lead others to set fire to the house and the bodies.
System 05's heart was overshadowed. The Avengers had actually affected this place. It was only ten days away from the Holy City. He wanted to get more information about the Avengers in this village. Since he couldn't leave for the time being, he stayed in the guest room with peace of mind.
He took out a lot of books and read until noon. He ate something casually and then went to find the village chief.
The village chief was alone in his room, worried. When he saw the investigator coming, he said, "Sir, if there is anything you need us to do, please let us know."
System 05 said, "I want to ask about the dead in the village."
The village chief sat down and sighed deeply. "First, the little girl disappeared. We went to the mountains to look for her, but couldn't find her. When we returned to the village, we discovered the hunter's son had died the next day. According to the village's custom, the body should be stored in the cellar. After three days, all relatives will say goodbye to the deceased before burial. But three days later..."
The village chief took a breath, his eyes still filled with fear. "Three days later, the body disappeared. Later, the blacksmith also died, and the entire family of the village owner also died..."
System 05 asked, "Are their bodies all mutilated?"
Village chief: "Yes, we initially thought a wild animal had broken into the village. Later, as the nights grew darker, more and more people died..."
Those who gaze at the darkness for too long and those who are killed by the Avengers will be polluted and become Avengers, but the latter will be polluted faster.
The village chief is nearly seventy years old. He experienced the war with the Avengers when he was a child. It was not until the village was shrouded in darkness that he finally remembered the nightmare of the past.
He followed the instructions of his elders in his memory, lit all the torches, burned the corpses and houses, and prohibited anyone from approaching the place where the Avengers had appeared. He also asked the villagers to go to the Holy City to ask for help many times, but no investigators came and the Holy City did not respond.
System 05 asked, "How long has this been going on?"
Village chief: "More than two months."
System 05 asked: "What happened to that girl at the beginning?"
"She was originally chosen by us as a sacrifice to serve the mountain god, but she ran away," said the village chief.
"Mountain God?"
The village chief immediately explained, "It's a deity that has always protected the village. We call it the Mountain God, and we offer sacrifices to it every year. In the past, this mountain would often experience unexplained earthquakes, causing rocks to fall, making it impossible to farm and causing various disasters. After each sacrifice, the Mountain God would retreat for a while."
System 05 waved his hand and told him to relax. It was normal for everyone to have different beliefs. There were countless gods and sects in this world. There were four mainstream churches in the Holy City of Light, and the Lord of Shadows was just one of them.
The temple is shallow and there are many turtles.
The village chief continued, "...because the offerings ran away, the mountain god is very angry this year. He's been shaking, and it's getting more and more intense. We can't farm anymore. If we can't pay the taxes this year..."
A trace of fear flashed in the village chief's eyes. If he couldn't pay the tax, the outcome would be no better than being devoured by the Avengers.
"Please help us, investigator." The village chief said earnestly.
"I can only help you deal with the Avengers." System 05 stood up and said, "I will set up a magic circle to protect this village and prevent the Avengers from entering."
The village chief was naturally very grateful. System 05 waved his hand, returned to his room, and took out all the books.
To combat the Avengers, the Holy City naturally had a lot of relevant research. However, Weber hadn't learned this in church school before, so he had to learn it on the spot. The only person who could help him was Federer.
System 05 sat cross-legged on the bed, with books scattered everywhere. When Federer came in, he had nowhere to step. He could only look at the books that were not used at the moment and pick them up to help clean up.
"Don't take that one," System 05 said without looking up. "It's about attribute theory. I'll read it later."
Federer smacked his lips. "We have to start with something so basic? Or maybe we should write a letter to the Bureau of Investigation and ask them to send someone over to handle it."
System 05 said, "The village chief has written three letters but still hasn't found an investigator. It's useless for us to apply. The Investigation Bureau can't spare any personnel."
There have been too many unusual events recently—and most of them involve the Avengers.
System 05 found a magic circle capable of resisting the Avengers, and after studying it with Federer for a while, they began preparing to carve it. The magic circle would cover the entire village, a vast area, so it would take at least two or three days. In this village, only the village chief could read a few words, and the others were unable to help.
While the two of them were carving the magic circle, the villagers were watching from a distance. Although no one died during those two nights, the mountain was indeed shaking constantly, and occasionally making loud noises, which was terrifying.
System 05 noticed that the village chief seemed to be looking for new sacrifices.
Two days later, the magic circle had taken shape, with only the finishing touches needed. System 05 sat cross-legged on the bed, his hair damp. Federer stood behind him, wiping his hair with a towel. System 05 initially resisted, but Federer persisted.
"If everything goes well, it can be completed tomorrow," said System 05.
Another rumbling sound came from the mountains, as if the whole world was shaking. This time the shaking was particularly violent. Federer half-knelt down and held System 05's shoulders, while System 05 hugged the book in his arms.
"Do you think it's the mountain god?" The vibration gradually stopped. System 05 looked outside and the outline of the mountains and forests disappeared into the darkness.
Federer said: "It's definitely not some kind of natural disaster. The frequency is too high. If what the village chief said is true, the mountain would calm down after each sacrifice, which means they really fed something."
"If that thing really existed..." System 05 raised its chin slightly. "For example, if you were just an ordinary person and there was a hungry beast in front of you, would you choose to cut off a piece of your own flesh to feed it? After feeding it, it would calm down for a while."
Federer looked down at his muscles and said, "I've never been a prey before... but if I were an ordinary person, I'd have no choice but to cut off my flesh."
"The more it eats, the stronger it becomes, and its desires will grow stronger, until the day you can no longer feed it."
"Since it can offer sacrifices, it means it can communicate," Federer said. "Maybe we can talk. I'll find other sacrifices to feed it, but if it kills me, there will be no endless supply of sacrifices."
System 05 couldn't help but look at him: "What did you learn in the church school?"
"Alas, I can't think of a solution. There's no point in running away anyway. We'll be caught up..." Federer chuckled, tilted his head, and looked at System 05: "Sir, what do you say we should do?"
"Kill the beast. You can compromise temporarily, but you can't become addicted to the sense of security that sacrifice brings. In short, don't forget to kill the beast."
Federer gently put down his dried hair and stared at the back of his snow-white neck. He felt his teeth itching. He suppressed his surging appetite and said with a smile, "You are right, sir, you are really amazing. I like you very much."
There's no need to add the last sentence. System 05 sensed the subtle meaning and was about to speak when he suddenly heard a scream from outside.
The flames flickered. System 05 walked to the window and noticed that one of the flames had gone out, and the darkness grew thicker. Another Avenger breaking in? After all, the magic circle wasn't complete yet. If the Avengers were conscious, tonight would be their last chance.
The village was silent and fear hung over everyone.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
