## Chapter 321: Hatred and Revenge
Under the illumination of the Setting Sun, the originally peaceful Village had been replaced by piles of Ruins. The sorrowful evening wind gently brushed over the scattered broken walls and remnants. Charred beams jutted out from the piles of Ruins, like a drowning person's hand reaching out of the water. Several Vultures shrieked as they descended from Mid-air, standing upon the wreckage, their sharp, greedy gazes sweeping over the hundreds of Corpses scattered on the ground. The mixed smell of Scorched Earth and the Foul Smell of rotting Corpses enveloped the entire Village.
Why? Why did this happen?
The kind and friendly smile I had prepared had long since frozen, replaced by deep astonishment. I walked forward with staggering steps, stepping over the unrecognizable Corpses that had long since rotted and stunk. My gaze constantly swept over the Ruins on both sides. At this moment, how I wished I had taken the wrong path and had just arrived at a strange, unfortunate Village attacked by Demon Beasts.
Right, that's it. Am I not a Directionally Challenged Person? Perhaps the Villagers I knew – the kind Village Chief Grandma, the cheerful Farmer Uncle, and that Kid with two streams of snot – were waiting for my arrival in the familiar Village not far from here. I reluctantly swallowed, letting out a few dry laughs, only to find my voice incredibly bitter.
However, Reality cruelly extinguished the last shred of hope in my heart. As I walked, a temporary Shelter made of Wooden Boards appeared in my Vision. The Shelter was so crude that even the attackers seemed too lazy to bother with it, making it the only intact Building in the entire ruined Village.
This was the Shelter the Villagers had built for me. It was here that I used Healing Spell to heal the Villagers one by one. Village Chief Grandma brought water over, and dozens of Kids surrounded me. Everything was still vividly in sight.
But now, this Shelter that remained standing was occupied by several Desert Jackals. One Hyena dragged a Corpse from not far away into the Shelter, and then they gathered around, gnawing loudly. The stinking Corpse Meat, the rotting Intestines and Innards, were dragged out by their sharp mouths, shaken in their jaws, and then swallowed whole. Their expressions were indescribably satisfied. A shriveled Corpse was quickly half gone, with not even Bone left.
One Hyena discovered the arrival of an uninvited guest. It swallowed the rotting meat in its mouth and let out a low snarl. The other three Hyenas also stopped, slowly turned around, and announced to the uninvited guest with their eerie green eyes and dangerous roars that this was their Territory, and all the Food here belonged to them.
But the uninvited guest ignored their warning and continued to approach. The leading and most robust Hyena finally couldn't hold back and charged forward first. As the Leader, it had to use force to prove its prestige, whether to enemies or its own kind.
Opening its bloody maw, its slobbering Teeth seemed to still have some leftover meat scraps stuck between them, emitting a nauseating foul smell. The Hyena Leader charged towards the enemy with a speed completely mismatched to its gaunt Physique. It thought, 'Soon I'll enjoy another fresh feast.' Its cold pupils revealed an increasingly ferocious look. Closer, even closer. When it was still a few meters away, it pushed off with all four legs, leaping towards the enemy like an Arrow. The Claws hidden in its paw pads extended one by one, its strong jaw opened wide, revealing its yellowish canine teeth. In its Act, nothing could defend against its Claws, let alone the biting of its mouth. This was the Hyena Leader's simple and narrow Confidence.
"Thud—"
Its Body felt as if it had hit an iron wall. The Hyena Leader was abruptly stopped. Its excessive Speed instead caused it a splitting headache, and its neck was almost broken. When it came back to its senses, it realized it was being held by a Large Hand gripping its skull, lifted high in Mid-air. The fingers tightened, and the crisp cracking sound of its skull had just reached its ears. Before it could even feel the Pain, the Hyena Leader's Act went dark, and its Life ended.
"Sizzle—"
With a crisp cracking sound, warm Blood and brain matter overflowed from the gaps between the fingers, dripping onto the ground and staining the white Priest Robe red. The hand loosened, and the Corpse of the Hyena Leader, with only half its lower Chin remaining, slowly dropped.
"I don't understand..."
The other three Hyenas saw their Leader easily killed and immediately let out a fearful bark, scattering in panic. An Ice Arrow split into three in Mid-air, drawing a brilliant trajectory as it approached the three Desert Jackals. In the face of Magic, these Hyenas seemed so fragile. Their fleeing figures were instantly overtaken. As soon as they came into contact with the Ice Arrow, their Bodies seemed to be afflicted by Immobilization Technique. Their fur, Muscle, blood, Innards, Brain, all instantly froze. Their Consciousness instantly vanished. Maintaining their running posture from before death, they turned into three Frozen States. When the Sun rose tomorrow, their Bodies would melt with the ice and disappear from this Act.
"Swish swish—"
Ice Arrows shot out one after another, then split into several parts, like precise tracking missiles. After drawing graceful arcs, they froze the panicked Vultures one by one into Frozen States, which fell to the ground and shattered into dust. The entire sky above the Ruins was filled with a brilliant ice rain. In a short while, within a radius of several thousand meters around the Ruins, there was no other Life except for one person standing quietly in the center.
"I really don't understand. Why? There's already an invasion from Hell, isn't that enough? Why harm your own kind? What's the point of spending so much effort to clear out Desert Bandits? What's the meaning of spending so much effort to clear out the Rebellious Fallen Ones?"
The collapsed houses clearly showed signs of being burned. The Corpses hadn't been eaten, so it was clearly not the work of the Hell Clan or Demon Beasts.
The blood-red Setting Sun was too dazzling, stinging my Eyes so much I could barely breathe. My Innards felt like they were in an oven, burning hot and stifled. Clutching my chest, I suddenly felt like a drowning person who had finally surfaced, gasping for air. My Eyes were stinging terribly. When I wiped them with my hand, a warm, wet sensation remained.
At this moment, I couldn't distinguish my Inner Heart, whether it was more Wrath or more Sorrow. I just felt a mix of emotions, like seeing those shameless traitors online who clamored for foreign things, perhaps even worse. Maybe I had already considered myself a part of Diablo, which was why I felt so stifled, so heartbroken.
My heart hurt so much. All the Strength in my Body was surging. Was there nothing left to vent on? Gasping for breath, I narrowed my Eyes and scanned my Surroundings. There were only Corpses and more Corpses. It was so unbearable, I wanted to do something. If those attackers were here, I...
"Xiao Fan, if you want to vent, just let it out."
The Little Ghost in my arms, her faint, insightful, and gentle tone, was like a sweet spring, clearing the blockage in my Inner Heart. The negative emotions squeezed inside erupted like a volcano.
Thank you, Alice. This time, let me be willful for once.
Without choosing to Fuse with the Little Ghost, I unleashed all the Berserk Power within my Body. A brutal Aura centered around me, enveloping the entire Village. The Wrath and Sorrow in my heart merged with the Berserk Power and vented out, giving me an ecstatic feeling, as if I were taking drugs. Drinking to drown sorrow only increases it; everyone knows this Principle, but no one can Resist it.
"Roar~~~"
A low, brutal roar echoed, like muffled thunder rumbling across the Sky. Maintaining a shred of Clarity with difficulty, I strode out of the Village. I walked faster and faster, finally dropping to all fours and sprinting. Each leap left four shocking Giant Pits in the ground.
So hot, my Body was so hot. It felt like it was on fire. I finally caught dozens of "short Crawlers," and I roared with excitement. I couldn't wait to unleash the heat surging within me, turning it into Blazing Flames that roasted these Crawlers into Ashes. It wasn't enough, far from enough. I roared, stood upright again, and continued searching for all the "Crawlers" within a ten-mile radius.
Today, a large area of Monsters in Stony Field West suffered. Within a radius of several hundred miles, almost all Monsters were tragically massacred. Some didn't even have time to react before being burned to Ashes by the Blazing Flames. The Legend of a blood-red Giant Bear, over ten meters tall and covered in Blazing Flames, spread through the Taverns: A blood-red Giant Bear, as if it had walked out of the Hell Abyss, spewing crimson Flames from its entire Body. With a wave of its Large Hand, it roasted swathes of Monsters into Ashes. Just its brutal Aura made me unable to move, like a frog stared at by a Snake. I thought I was dead when it spotted me, but it just glanced at me and roared before leaving.
The witness said this, and to make others believe him, he took out some Equipment that had been slightly deformed by the heat: "Look, this is the Equipment left behind after that Giant Bear left."
Although it sounded a bit mysterious, due to the Adventurer witness's certain prestige, coupled with other Adventurers confirming that indeed no Monsters were left there and there were traces of large areas being roasted by Blazing Flames, the News was quickly accepted. For a time, its popularity surpassed that of the S-Rank Hidden Merchant. However, unlike the S-Rank Hidden Merchant, it didn't appear from time to time after that. As time passed, it became a great strange tale in the Western Kingdoms, and the stories became increasingly exaggerated, with multiple versions appearing – Adventurers who encountered this Blood Bear: 1. had their Soul sucked away; 2. entered a hidden area; 3. obtained super equipment; 4...
I woke up leisurely and immediately saw the Little Ghost's pretty Face. She was holding an empty Energy Potion bottle and gazing at my Face with her watery silver Eyes. Giving her half of the Energy Potion to keep was indeed a wise decision. I let out a Bitter Smile and reached out to gently stroke her smooth face.
"Little fellow, how long have I been asleep?"
"One day."
The Little fellow gently placed her small hand on the back of mine, as if wanting to warm my cold palm with her fragile Existence.
One day, huh? Having Energy Potion is really convenient. I stood up shakily and summoned Light Snow .
"Let's go, back to the Village." I leaped onto Light Snow 's back and extended my hand to the Little Ghost.
"Xiao Fan, let's not go back, okay?" Perhaps afraid that the scene would stir my emotions again, the Little Ghost looked at my outstretched hand and said in a pleading tone.
"No, I have to go back and see. Maybe there are survivors." I shook my head firmly.
Biting her cherry lips, the Little Ghost still acquiesced and extended her hand. I pulled her up and held her in my arms. Actually, we both knew that judging by the state of the Corpses, the Village being destroyed wasn't a matter of just one or two days. The Chance of finding survivors was minimal. They had either left, or even if they were buried under the Ruins, they would have long since died of thirst or starvation.
"Little fellow, don't scare me, are you really okay? Why have you been sleeping so much lately?"
Seeing the Little Ghost's small Brain nodding up and down and getting sleepy again, I asked worriedly. If the deaths of those simple and cute Villagers made me feel Sorrow and Wrath, I couldn't imagine what I would be like if something happened to the Little Ghost.
"Mhm, I'm fine. Maybe I was greedy and ate too many Diamonds."
The Little Ghost rubbed her sleepy Eyes and mumbled a response. She struggled a few times but ultimately couldn't Resist the Sandman's temptation and fell asleep in my arms.
I hope that's all it is. I held the Little Ghost's delicate body tightly, gently rubbing my Chin in her hair, afraid that if I let go, she would leave me.
At Light Snow 's Speed, we returned to the Village in no time. I instructed Light Snow and Poison Creeper to take good care of the Little Ghost, and I took the remaining four Ghost Wolves to search the Village. Damn it, my Brain was really fuming with anger yesterday. I actually forgot to search first. A day has passed, and maybe people who could have been saved have already died. I bit my lip tightly, muttering silently.
A day later, the Corpses in the Village attracted many Vultures and Hyenas again, but in the face of the Ghost Wolves' powerful Aura, they all fled in terror. I didn't hold back either; any that couldn't escape in time were turned into Frozen States.
To be honest, the possibility of survivors was minimal. I didn't hold much Hope, but I wasn't willing to give up even the slightest possibility. Therefore, when Xiao Er sniffed around a certain Ruin and signaled to me that there was a faint Life Aura below, I almost couldn't believe my Eyes. Could there really be someone who had survived being buried inside for so long? Could it be an Adventurer?
With Question, I carefully dug away the Ruins bit by bit. This couldn't be rushed. A Stone Beam weighing several hundred pounds was no problem for me, but I had to be careful of the person pressed underneath. I worked for a full half hour before carefully moving away the last Broken Wall. The person pressed underneath finally saw the light of day again.
The first thing that appeared before my Eyes was a middle-aged woman. She maintained a strange posture, kneeling on the ground with her elbows supporting her Body, trying hard to create a Crevice beneath her. But it was clear that Xiao Er wasn't referring to her. Her entire Upper Body had been crushed by the wall, and her Body had even begun to rot. It was obvious at a glance that she had died long ago. So, I shifted my gaze to the Crevice she had created beneath her, and upon seeing it, I couldn't help but be moved.
Undoubtedly, her posture was to Protect the person beneath her. Lying beneath her was a twelve or thirteen-year-old boy, already in a deep coma, emitting extremely faint breathing sounds. If left unattended, he would likely die in just a little over half a day.
I finally understood why such an ordinary Kid could survive so many days in the Ruins. Besides the woman above him desperately supporting the weight, I found that the woman's hands – one hand was prying open the boy's Chin, opening his mouth, and the fingers of her other hand had been bitten into a mangled mess. She died maintaining the posture of placing the spot where her arm's Artery was located into the boy's mouth. I could almost imagine that this great woman, after the boy fell into a coma, used one hand to pry open his mouth, then bit her own fingers with her mouth, using her own Blood to sustain the boy's Life. When one finger stopped dripping, she bit another. After biting all five fingers, she bit off her own Artery and brought it to the boy's mouth before finally dying.
Was this Motherly Love? I gazed at this ordinary yet great Mother with full respect, feeling that all the Strength in the world seemed so pale and weak before her.
I bowed solemnly and moved her Corpse aside. Her Body was already stiff, maintaining that posture, like a Cicada Shell left behind after Metamorphosis. Then, I first used Healing Spell to envelop the boy's entire Body, ensuring there were no Wounds or fractures left, before picking him up and placing him on an empty patch of ground. I gave him a little water and then diluted a drop of Energy Potion for him to drink. After the boy's breathing stabilized, I used the remaining water to clean the dust from his face.
"Huh?"
After carefully examining the boy's Appearance, I exclaimed in surprise. This boy was actually that tall and sturdy, always wearing a simple smile, the simple boy whose future dream was to become a Paladin. I remember his Name was Gaia, that's right. His Mother always called him Little Gaia, Little Gaia. Hearing that, you might think he was a girl.
But his current Appearance was truly horrible to behold. Although the ulcerated areas on his Skin had been healed by me, having been buried in the Ruins for who knows how many days, his originally sturdy Body had become as skinny as a rail, making me unable to recognize him immediately when I first saw him.
Two days later, the extremely weak Gaia finally woke up. As soon as his Eyes opened, he kept muttering "Mama, Mama," grabbing my hand like a lost young beast.
"Sleep and Rest well, child. Everything will be okay." I gently felt his forehead; he had a slight fever. This kind of minor illness often stems from the Inner Heart, and even Healing Spell is ineffective.
"Priest Uncle, please. You must... you must save my Mother. She's right above me. Please, please..."
Seeing that it was me, Gaia kept muttering, Tears streaming from his Eyes, and then he fainted again.
His gray Eyes, without focus or color, stared like a dead person's at this Scorched Earth Ruin.
This was Gaia's second time waking up. This was the expression he showed after accepting everything I told him. Those lifeless Eyes made even me feel a chill in my heart.
"I want revenge."
After staring at the Village remains for a whole day without drinking a drop of water, Gaia suddenly turned his Head and said this to me.
"And after revenge?" I glanced at him faintly.
"I want revenge." He repeated, expressionless.
Resisting the urge to slap him, knowing that doing so would definitely turn his Brain into a mangled mess, I grabbed his collar and lifted him up.
"Do you know how you survived until now? Your Mother saved you with her blood, drop by drop!!"
"I know!" Gaia remained expressionless.
"She protected you so desperately, was it just so you could live burdened by Hatred?"
"I don't know, I really don't know. Besides revenge, what else can I do? What's the Meaning of living? Why did Mother save me, why did she abandon me? Priest Uncle, can you tell me?"
The boy who had lost his Vitality finally showed a hint of hesitation. After all, he was just a twelve or thirteen-year-old child.
"Very good. It's good that you can ask this." I put Gaia down and patted his shoulder.
"I don't oppose your revenge, but your Mother exchanged her Life for your survival, not to see you like this, but to Hope that you live well. If you have no goal, then I'll decide one for you." I pointed at the Ruins.
"This Village has a History of several thousand years. It's where your ancestors lived, your homeland. Its Importance to the Villagers, including your Parents and Relatives, you probably know better than I do. You wouldn't want it to disappear like this, would you? If I were you, I would shoulder the Responsibility of rebuilding the Village."
"Rebuild... the Village?"
Gaia stared blankly at the piles of Ruins. His lifeless Eyes seemed to come alive. After watching for a long time, he began to mutter to himself, "That's right, if I can rebuild the Village, Dad, Mama, and the Villagers will probably be a little happier..."
He suddenly turned his Head and looked at me with a firm gaze. "Priest Uncle, I understand. Thank you. But before rebuilding the Village, I still want to get revenge and annihilate those Bandits." By the end, the boy's Eyes revealed Killing Intent. The seed of Hatred was deeply rooted in his mind.
"Of course. However, if you want to personally kill your Enemies, you must have Strength. To rebuild the Village, you also need a certain Strength. You can't do it now, do you know that?"
Gaia nodded.
"Then, I'll send you to Rogue." With a faint smile, I took Gaia back to Lut Gholein and sent him back to Rogue using Remote Teleportation.
"When you see the Old Man named Fara, tell him you want Strength, and that will be enough."
Outside the Waypoint, I gave Gaia one last instruction. He nodded silently. This originally simple and kind boy no longer had his former smile. Hatred occupied his Brain and stripped him of his Feelings/Emotions. I didn't know if Time could truly dilute everything. Looking at Gaia's Figure disappearing in the White Light, I sighed softly.
Walking out of the Mage Guild, I looked up at the gray sky of Lut Gholein and narrowed my Eyes again, trying to conceal the rage and Killing Intent within.
"Twins... is that it?"
From Gaia, I learned that before the village attackers massacred everyone, they seemed to be asking about Ai Ke Lu and Xi Lu Si. Combined with what they had told me about being chased by bad people in Lut Gholein, the answer was obvious – the group who attempted to kidnap Ai Ke Lu and Xi Lu Si in Lut Gholein hadn't given up. After finding out the Village they were in, they followed them. However, Ai Ke Lu and Xi Lu Si had already been sent to the Rogue Encampment. The angered and shamed Bandits then massacred the entire Village.
"This Act is truly dark, too dark."
I shook my Head, trying hard to Calm myself down. Meshif wouldn't be back for over a month. But thankfully, I had found something to pass the Time.
Lackeys, this time you've really angered me.
Lut Gholein Palace, inside the heavily guarded King's Study.
"Your Majesty, I believe you understand my meaning."
King Az squeezed his still-fat Body into the Chair. It creaked with every slight movement, making one worry if the Chair would collapse at any moment.
"I understand the Elder's meaning. Don't worry, within five days at most, I will give you a satisfactory reply."
Az stood up from the Chair with difficulty and promised solemnly. Given Lut Gholein's current situation, the destruction of a small Village wasn't something that warranted much attention, which was why a bunch of audacious fellows had emerged. Of course, with such a large-scale Activity, it wasn't difficult to investigate. That's why King Az dared to make such a guarantee.
"Then I thank Your Majesty in advance. Consider this a Favor I owe you. If you have any Difficulties in the future, I will Help to the best of my ability." I bowed slightly.
"Haha, with the Elder's Favor, it's worth giving away half the Kingdom."
Az knew I wasn't someone who liked formalities, so he wasn't hypocritical and accepted it generously.
Okay. Next is the Mercenary Guild. That's easier to deal with; everything is easy with Money. And that kid Tok, I heard he's doing very well lately. It's time to greet him too.
Two days, I anxiously waited for two days. First came the News from the Mercenary Guild, then from King Az's side, and finally Tok also came running over. All the News pointed to one Target, a rogue Organization called Lan Xi. It seemed to have some Count backing it in the shadows. The omnipresent Mercenary Guild even found out that it was this Lord Count who ordered the kidnapping of the Twins.
Very good. I don't care if it's Lan Xi or Lan Dong, and I don't care what this Count is. As long as there's a Clue, that's enough. Az said my Favor was worth half the Kingdom. Although there might be some exaggeration, sacrificing a small Count for a huge Favor is definitely highly profitable for him.
The state system was mobilized, and I didn't neglect the Mercenaries either. After receiving enough Money, Geleizi, who couldn't stop smiling, immediately stated that he guaranteed to cooperate with the Army to wipe out this Organization and capture them all alive. In some aspects, the Mercenary Guild's Efficiency is far higher than the Army's.
Standing on the high tower top against the Wind, I coldly watched the scene below where flames soared into the sky. The Army had completely surrounded this area, watertight. The Mercenaries had even thoroughly investigated the underground waterway here, which was only wide enough for a Mouse to pass through. Under the All-Encompassing Net, this Organization had no chance of escaping.
Meanwhile, Lazy Crow sent News that there was also Activity in the Villa Area. Unexpectedly, the place where this Count lived was only a few streets away from my Villa. Tsk tsk, what Fate.
That night, the Lan Xi Organization, including its Leader, the so-called Count xx, and over 300 Members, were wiped out. The next day, hundreds more Members who were outside were successively captured. It is Affirmative that under the double pursuit of the state and the mercenary systems, there will be no escaped fish left in the entire Western Kingdoms.
So, what should I do with this Junk next? Looking at the two Reports in my hand, I lightly tapped my index finger and narrowed my Eyes, trying hard to think of the most appropriate Method. Should I torture and kill that Count xx first? Of course not, I still need to leave a few for Gaia to have his fill.