Cruel

"Ruin of Demetius of Knowledge?" Zhen Qi mumbled, his brows furrowing. Just hearing the name, he could tell this wasn't as simple as reading and writing. However, he decided to listen further.

"Uh-huh," the man nodded, then proceeded to explain.

"Demetius of Knowledge is a man who cannot stop himself from acquiring knowledge," the man explained. "He travels the world in pursuit of knowledge, whether it be about plants, traditions, or the habitats of monsters. Even when facing danger, he refuses to halt his quest. You could say Demetius is addicted to knowledge. As a result, he has become known as the embodiment of knowledge. People praise him as the individual closest to a god in terms of knowledge."

"However, one day, this man suddenly went missing," the man continued. "Everyone began searching, with kingdoms offering their assistance. But many years have passed since he disappeared. Now, he has become nothing more than a legend of old times."

The Ruin of Demetius of Knowledge is the place where Demetius last visited before he went missing. Many people have tried searching for this ruin, but all they found were books. Not a single coin or treasure was found, which made others lose interest in it.

Zhen Qi simply hummed as the man explained. He wasn't interested in Demetius or his knowledge, but it was a different story for the bard.

Elandir's mouth occasionally opened wide in fascination, then closed as he listened intently. As a bard, he was deeply intrigued by knowledge, especially when it came from a man hailed as second only to a god. Elandir asked various questions related to Demetius, and the man answered them casually, one by one, with a smile. It seemed he didn't mind the barrage of questions, as he continued answering them with ease.

Zhen Qi watched calmly from the side as a holographic screen appeared before him.

---

Name: Morbid

Age: 30

Status: Priest

Race: Human

Level: ???

Skills: ???

Description: ???

Danger Level: 70 (Just stay quiet)

---

‘Hmm,’ Zhen Qi thought with surprise evident in his eyes. ‘This guy... He definitely seems stronger than me, maybe Rank 4 or above.’ He remembered the hunter named Thorne, with a level of rank 2. Considering Morbid, who appeared to be above Thorne in strength, Zhen Qi couldn't see almost any of Morbid's information. It occurred to him that his ability to perceive information might only work for those who were one or two levels higher than him.

What caught Zhen Qi's interest was the Danger Level. Luckily, he wasn't talkative and had no reason to be. He glanced at the bard who kept bombarding Morbid with a series of questions, like a wife questioning her husband about why he was late.

He went over and patted Elandir on the shoulder before turning to look at the man. "When will our mission begin?" he asked.

"Right now," Morbid replied. "It's better to do it as soon as possible since I have some things to take care of."

Zhen Qi nodded in acknowledgment.

"Sir priest, why do you need our help? Why not ask for assistance from your own guards, given your high status, you could easily dispatch a bunch of them," Elandir inquired.

Morbid paused for a moment, but in the end, he didn’t reply. Instead, he simply smiled and gestured for them to head toward the carriage.

"Stop asking too many questions," Zhen Qi berated as he went inside the carriage. Then, he continued, "By the way, why are you even here? I thought you were only helping me to find a job?"

"A man who has debt cannot sleep peacefully, as they say. I must repay my favor to you," Elandir said as he sat beside him. "What is your plan next after this? You can ask me anything! Whether it's about buying a good house, finding ladies, or even discovering fine wine! After all, I'm Elandir the bard!"

Zhen Qi sighed as he rested his head against the window, watching the people passing by. Minutes passed, and they still weren't outside the gate. He glanced at the man sitting before them. This man was definitely strange, and not being able to see all his information made Zhen Qi feel uneasy. A sense of distrust began to creep in. Shaking his head slightly to dispel the thought, he looked at the bard beside him.

Zhen Qi suddenly remembered that he hadn't checked the information about Elandir yet. Curious, he focused his attention on the bard beside him.

---

Name: Klaudius

Age: 24

Status: Bard

Race: ???

Level: ???

Description: ???

Danger Level: 20% (Nothing to worry)

---

Zhen Qi's eyes narrowed, and his brow furrowed in surprise. He hadn't expected the bard to be powerful as well. Initially, he hadn't used his ability to scan Elandir, as he preferred not to use it every time he met new people. He reserved it for individuals who gave him a certain vibe or when he was curious and needed information.

Zhen Qi realized that the young man's name was Klaudius, and he had lied to him. However, he decided not to dwell on it. As he mused, he found himself stuck between two people stronger than him. Despite this, he remained calm and looked outside. In this situation, there was little he could do. He reasoned that they couldn't do anything to him either; if they could, they would have already, especially the bard.

He was aware that the bard likely had intentions toward him, but he chose to remain silent. His gaze shifted outside to the street, which had now been replaced by trees and bushes as they traveled further away from the town. He kept his thoughts to himself, observing the changing scenery without giving away any hint of his inner musings.

…

According to Morbid, the Ruin of Demetius of Knowledge is located between the Town of Verda and the River of Maya. The ruin lies within the forest called the Ladies Woods. Morbid mentioned that they could reach their destination by riding carriage in about half an hour.

"We're here," Morbid said to them as he exited the carriage first. Zhen Qi noticed his sudden change in expression, replaced by shock and surprise. Following Morbid's gaze, Zhen Qi's face also registered alarm. Then, in a subconscious reaction, he took a step back, clutching his stomach. Without warning, he vomited, expelling all the food he had eaten.

"It seems we arrived at the wrong time," Morbid remarked sympathetically as he went to Zhen Qi, patting his back gently before offering him a handkerchief. Zhen Qi accepted it gratefully and thanked him as he wiped his mouth.

"I apologize, Zhen Qi," Morbid said, his tone sincere. "I didn't expect something so... gruesome to happen right in front of us. This was beyond my expectations. If you prefer, we can postpone our venture until tomorrow."

Elandir's expression mirrored the solemnity in the air. "Let's take some time to rest," he suggested quietly.

After calming down, Zhen Qi looked at the village in front of him with a complicated gaze.

The village in front of them, which was supposed to be vibrant with life, was instead a scene of horror. Corpses lay strewn all around, their lifeless forms occupying windows, fences, doors, and roofs. Blood flowed from the gaps between houses onto the streets, painting the scene in a macabre hue. Zhen Qi could see organs protruding from some of the corpses, adding to the gruesome sight.

At the center of the village stood a large tree, from which five people hung. Fear and shock were evident in their eyes. The people who were hanged varied in age; there was a child, an old person, a young adult, a middle-aged individual, and one other figure that made Zhen Qi's eyes widen in horror. Quickly, he looked away, unable to bear the sight.

"What the hell is this? What kind of demon does this?!" Zhen Qi exclaimed, his voice trembling with a mixture of anger and disbelief. For the first time in his life, he felt a boiling rage and deep-seated irritation swirling within him. His fists clenched tightly, his gaze shifting uncomfortably towards the young girl who hung from the tree. Every glance at her reminded him of something he desperately wanted to forget.

"I don't know. This is the first time I've seen something like this," Morbid replied, his voice tense with disbelief. "There are usually soldiers guarding the village. This is beyond my expectations. I don't believe in demons in a literal sense, but if a human is responsible for this, then they are worse than any demon." Morbid signaled the carriage driver, his expression grim as he prepared to take action.

"Perhaps a monster?" Elandir mumbled.

"Monsters?" Morbid tightened his brow, deep in thought. "It's impossible. The monsters in the Ladies Wood have been cleared by hunters. Even if there were some that remained, they shouldn't be enough to massacre the whole village."

Turning to Zhen Qi, he asked, "Sir, what do you think? Can you still go on?"

"I'm fine. Let's go," Zhen Qi nodded, though he still felt shaken by the sight of the corpses. Unlike Morbid and Elandir, who seemed more accustomed to such horrors, Zhen Qi had never seen anything quite like this. However, he knew that as the God of Death, he couldn't afford to be afraid of corpses.

As they entered the village, the stench of blood and various odors assaulted Zhen Qi's nose, causing him to quickly cover it with his handkerchief. Now inside, they could finally take a closer look at the gruesome scene before them. Horror, fear, and shock were evident on the faces of the various corpses, as if they couldn't believe the terror they had witnessed.

"This is hell! Whoever did this deserve a punishment a hundred times worse than anything in hell!”

"Pray to Panoptes, may you bless these innocent souls and lead them to your paradise!”

Just as Zhen Qi was about to pass by one of the bodies, a voice rang in his ear, and a holographic screen appeared before him.

[Your Authority Soul detect 210 wandering souls.]

[Because of your Authority: Soul, you gained a skill.]

[Soul Vision (E)]

[You can see the souls of the living after death and communicate with them. Upgrade the skill to improve the vision and communication between souls.]

[The Authority: Soul detects 200 faithless souls. Do you wish to absorb them?]

[Each soul will transform into 1 faith.]

“Huh?”