Chapter 2: Grandfather's Resurrection in the Coffin

The gazes of over a hundred onlookers quickly converged on Ethan.

Pale as paper, scrawny yet standing tall, his chin slightly raised, seemingly unfazed by the blood streaming down his forehead, his dark eyes appeared calm but with a hint of madness, like a wounded lone wolf in the night, proud, bloodthirsty, and ruthless.

"This child has a mature and resolute nature, and great courage. He is destined for greatness!" Many shared the same thought, and for a moment, the crowd fell silent.

Catherine wanted to scold Ethan but was taken aback by his fierce expression, and she too remained silent.

"You insolent brat! Today's gathering includes village elders and clan leaders, and we will not tolerate your unruly behavior!" Robert couldn't bear being scolded by a twelve-year-old and spoke out.

Ethan ignored Robert's reprimand, only pressing his ear closer to the black coffin—

"Thud."

Ethan thought he heard a faint knocking sound from the coffin and quickly moved even closer, lying flat against its surface.

"Thud. Thud."

"Thud."

"Thud. Thud."

Two more knocks. This time, Ethan was certain he heard them, and he turned around, his face frantic and ecstatic, exclaiming to the crowd, "Grandfather's alive! He's alive! Open the coffin! Hurry!"

The revelation sent shockwaves through the crowd, like poking a hornet's nest. People began to murmur, and many young girls were frightened by Ethan's startling declaration, hiding behind their elders and shrieking.

"Ethan! Be absolutely certain before you make such claims!"

"Yeah, how could the dead return to life? That's an immutable law of the universe, what could a child like you possibly know!"

"Step back! It's nearly noon; we can't delay the burial any longer!"

"Poor child, he's so distraught that he's hallucinating." A white-haired, elderly woman lamented.

"He's truly alive! Grandfather's alive; open the coffin! Please!" Overcome with emotion, the twelve-year-old Ethan finally burst into tears.

Wiping his tears, Ethan tried to push the coffin lid open but couldn't reach it. He dragged over a large stone to stand on, and tried again.

"Ah! Help me open the coffin! Please!" Ethan used all his strength, his pale face turning a deep red, but how could a regular twelve-year-old possibly move a coffin carried by eight people?

The coffin lid was sealed with a mixture of flour paste and adhesive, then nailed shut with iron nails. To open it required at least four strong villagers, and a single person would need the strength of a thousand pounds.

Undeterred, Ethan shakily dragged a twenty-pound iron rod over and inserted the thinner end into the edge of the coffin lid—

"Open it! Ah! Grandfather's alive! Alive! Wait for me, I'll save you!" Ethan's legs dangled in mid-air as he suspended himself from the iron rod, but the coffin lid remained unmoved.

Seeing this, Sophia quickly stepped forward, joining Ethan in grasping the iron rod and hanging on the other end. Soon, Olivia joined them in their effort to pry open the coffin.

"Ah! Lift... ah!" Ethan's hands trembled, his body arching.

The three of them, two girls and a boy, strained against the iron rod, now visibly bending and warping. But the coffin lid still did not budge!

Their struggle seemed eternal, and the hundred onlookers were visibly moved.

At that moment, a tall, thin, middle-aged man approached, patting Ethan on the shoulder, and said in a clear voice, "Lad, let me listen."

The man, Marcus Storm, was a respected figure in the village and Ethan's neighbor. He had often helped Ethan's grandfather and was well-liked and highly regarded.

Grateful, Ethan and the girls stepped back, watching Marcus as he pressed his ear to the coffin lid.

After listening intently for a while, Marcus raised an eyebrow. Soon, a faint smile appeared on his lips, and he turned to address the crowd, "Everyone, there is indeed something unusual happening within the coffin!"

"If even Marcus says so, could it be..."

"Could Edward really have come back to life? Marcus is never one to deceive us!"

"What an extraordinary occurrence! Dead for two days, and now resurrected..." An old man couldn't help but marvel.

"Please, elders, open the coffin! Save my grandfather!" Ethan cried out in grief.

Hesitation crept over the crowd, their eyes shifting between Ethan and Robert. Opening the coffin was a serious matter! Not to mention the great effort required to reseal it afterward, it would also be highly disrespectful to disturb the deceased. Though the members of Edward's family were not particularly influential, they still shared the same village, and interactions would be inevitable.

"Who dares to open the coffin?! Perhaps there are merely some insects inside. What's the big deal?" Robert shouted angrily.

Upon hearing this, Ethan snapped, his eyes blazing with fury as he stared at Robert. "Robert! How could you—"

"How could I? Edward led a life of hardship; staying alive would only prolong his suffering!"

Ethan's chest heaved rapidly, his eyes turning bloodshot. Suddenly, he caught a glimpse of the white paper in his pocket, stained with a faint trace of red. He lowered his head and, to the astonishment of the crowd, knelt before Robert. "Please, Uncle, allow us to open the coffin!"

Robert shuddered, opening and closing his mouth, but ultimately remaining silent.

"Join me in opening the coffin!" Marcus announced, striding toward the black coffin.

"Open it! Open it! We'll soon see if it's just insects or if someone has truly come back to life!" A burly middle-aged man chimed in.

"Everyone, help us lift!" Six muscular men in their thirties and forties surrounded the black coffin, gripping the lid, their arms straining with exertion.

"On my count of three, we lift together!" Marcus shouted.

"Three!"

"Two!"

"One!"

"Lift!"

Ethan stood at the front, watching intently with the rest of the crowd.

With a creaking sound that made everyone's teeth ache, the coffin lid was flung open with a loud bang!

Ethan rushed to the coffin first, followed by Olivia, Sophia, Victor, and the rest of the crowd, forming a tight circle around it.

Ethan saw his grandfather's face for the second time: his countenance remained serene and unchanged, only slightly thinner, with darkened lips. He lay peacefully in the coffin, as if merely asleep.

"What's going on? I thought he came back to life?"

"Exactly! He's clearly dead!"

"Even Marcus got it wrong!"

"Ugh, what a stench! He must have been dead for a while!" One person jeered, quickly covering his nose and stepping back.

Just then—

A sudden, piercing scream from a young girl echoed through the air: "Ahh!"

"A ghost! His eyes are open!!!"

"What?!"

"He's really alive!!!"

The onlookers, excluding Ethan, Olivia, and Sophia, were so frightened that they stumbled back several steps.

"What an incredible tale from the Continent of Chaos!" Everyone's eyes were glued to the black coffin, disbelief written on their faces.

It was early autumn, and the midday sun still held some warmth, but everyone except Ethan felt a chill run up their spines.

"Boom!" A startling thunderclap shattered the silence, lightning streaking through the sky.

The area fell deathly quiet, so quiet one could hear a pin drop.

And then, a more bizarre event occurred...