Zach laid the girl on the bar floor, her head resting on his lap.
The old man had bandaged her wounds. Her eyes were shut—she was unconscious.
Zach glanced to the side at the old man, who was cleaning the bloodied towel with a bright smile behind the counter.
Previously, Zach had suspected him. The town was far too desolate, and it made him wonder: what actually happened here that such a kind-hearted fellow was left all alone in the middle of nowhere?
The old man walked back toward them, groaning as he sat on a stool.
"Is she going to be all right…?" Zach looked down at the girl's face on his lap.
Her red hair and hazel eyes added contrast to her overall stunning appearance.
Her pale white skin slowly regained its color, her eyelids twitching faintly.
Zach could tell she was around his age bracket, judging by her youthful features.
The old man didn't respond. He just looked at the seeker on Zach's lap with an unreadable expression.
"The battleground is no place for a kid," the old man finally spoke.
Zach only smiled bitterly.
What could they do? The world progressed, and humans had to progress with it.
The death rate of youths in the Empire had spiked in recent years. Humans had to evolve or die—it was that simple. The weak perished.
The old man sighed and stood up.
"Sir…?" Zach called out.
The man threw him a glance.
"Thank you."
"Yeah… it's my job." He waved it off.
---
Zach now sat on the wooden floor, his back resting against the counter.
Night slowly arrived, and Zach noticed a slight shift in the old man's expression every time he glanced at the setting sun.
The old man shut all the doors, blew out the candles, and turned the music off.
The only light came from a single candlestick.
Zach held a questioning gaze as he watched the storekeeper.
"It's not safe here at night…" he said grimly, placing the dim candle on the counter.
"What's your name, boy?" The old man shut the window.
"Zach," he answered, watching intently.
"The name's Leon." The old man barricaded the main entrance with wooden planks.
Zach had a flood of questions. Why wasn't it safe at night? What was out there? Why was the town this desolate? Were there other people here?
"It happened two years ago." Leon's face turned grim. Zach had urged him to tell the story.
"This town was just like any other—peaceful, loud, filled with loving parents and children." He paused.
Zach could feel the weight in his voice.
"But then they came…" His expression darkened.
"They called themselves demons, devourers of light. I was just a humble storekeeper, attending to the locals, making sure everything ran smoothly."
Zach didn't interrupt. He listened.
"A group of these things came into the village every night, looking for valuable souls to consume."
The candlelight flickered, illuminating the trio.
"Every day, they took more and more residents… until there was no one left."
Zach finally understood.
The so-called demons only revealed themselves at night.
Which meant—
They're roaming about right now.
Zach's eyes darted around the small bar.
"Then why don't you just leave during the day?" he asked.
Leon looked at him like Zach had just strangled his favorite pet.
"I would've left if it were that easy." He smiled bitterly.
"Unfortunately, the island is surrounded by countless monsters, ten times stronger than a grown elephant. Unless I want to end up as a half-eaten carcass in the snow, I suggest you avoid leaving here too."
He leaned back.
"But don't worry. The monsters don't invade the store. Something about the materials it's built with keeps them away."
"So what's your plan?" Zach asked.
Surely the man had one. Nobody wanted to live in a ghost town forever.
Or does he?
Zach couldn't assume anything about the old man's intentions.
"Plan?" Leon chuckled dryly. "Ha. I seem to have forgotten how daring teenagers can be."
Zach sighed.
His mission wasn't to mine the fissure, but to explore it—and uncover information.
"What do you know about this demon that lurks at night?" he asked.
Leon threw him a sidelong glance.
"What else? It comes out at night and feeds on humans. That's all I need to know to avoid it." His face was deadpan.
Zach thought for a moment.
---
[Side Quest Available!]
"Huh?"
Zach's gaze trailed to the floating words in front of him.
[Mission Title: Help a Fellow in Need]
Vanquish the demon lurking in the shadows. Become the hero and deliver the town of Aria from its lingering curse.
Difficulty: Hard
Possibility of Death: 60%
Reward: 3 Random Astras
Zach blinked as he read through the mission requirements.
The demon was most likely a Fiend. He couldn't fight those things yet.
But the rewards… Astras. ASTRAS!
If you didn't know, Astras were special mythical weapons and equipment, either found in the Astryx or given by the System.
In short, he would be risking his life for incredible rewards.
But was it worth the risk?
"What're you thinking about, kid?" Leon's grumpy voice snapped him out of his daze.
"What? Oh, umm… nothing." Zach chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck.
He had to consider it carefully. The risk of death was 60%. That was a lot.
"What if I go out and fight it?" Zach proposed.
Leon's wrinkled brows furrowed.
"What do you mean, fight it?"
Zach chuckled nervously.
"I may not look it, but I think I can hold my own."
The old man's eyes widened with hope.
"Really!? You mean… you're awakened?" His voice lifted, full of light.
Zach wasn't sure he could call himself that—he was still at the lowest rank, after all.
"Umm… sort of." His lips tightened.
The old man got up, walked to the counter, and returned with a dusty book in his hands.
"You should've told me you were awakened earlier. We'd have been having a very different conversation." He dropped the book in front of Zach. The cover read: Codex Gigas.
Zach saw strange, ancient markings on its surface.
He looked up to see Leon smirking.
"Read up."
Zach flipped through the pages.
The book spoke of strange creatures called Annuke—spirit beings that fed on humans, often depicted as black wraiths soaring through ghostly towns.
Zach flipped further.
After a few minutes, glowing text appeared before him:
[Information Acquired]
Vile Ghost Wraith — Fiend
A nocturnal wraith-type Thyxar that feeds on human flesh. Can be found during daytime in barren towns or dark valleys.
Zach rose to his feet.
"Leaving?" Leon raised a brow.
"Yeah," Zach muttered.
Whatever was out there—it was going down tonight.