Chapter 106: (1)


    [Its so horrifying.]


    .


    As they descended from the rocky mountain and arrived in front of the burning city, countless screams echoed from all directions, so numerous that one couldnt discern the owners.


    Help us, please.


    Someone, please! Help our father!


    Priest! Our child isnt breathing! Please, help!


    Among the people emerging from the city, few appeared unscathed. Most were either burnt or bleeding from injuries caused by copsing buildings.


    What was somewhat fortunate was that there were a few individuals who seemed like priests attending to the injured.


    But with just those numbers, they wont be able to save half of them.


    Unless the priests had infinite divine power, they couldnt rescue everyone. The probability was high that the screams, heard from all around, would end as soon as the priests divine power diminished.


    At least hundreds, maybe even thousands could die.


    The exact number of people within the city was unknown, but even now, people continued to pour out of the city, and just the ones who had already escaped the city gate numbered over a few hundred.


    Id like to support them with potions from the store or something


    Currently, he could afford only a few dozen potions with the G he had. Moreover, giving a small quantity of potions to them would likely cause chaos. In ces overflowing with patients like makeshift hospitals, potions could be a source of greed.


    [Kaiyan, what will you do?]


    First lets go inside. We need to find out whats happening.


    Stumbling over peopleing out from outside, Kaiyan entered the city through the now burning-down gate.


    As he passed through the gate and entered the citys interior, he was weed by an intense heat that made his skin burn, despite the cold weather.


    Moreover, the citys interior was in much worse condition than what he had seen from the rocky mountain. Or perhaps, everything had copsed and burned down while he was descending.


    The only intact structure seemed to be the inner wall in the far distance. No, even that inner wall was leaning and partially destroyed. It didnt seem like a simple fire could have caused all this.


    Buildings may have copsed due to the fire but the mes spread to the inner city? How?


    [It feels like monsters might have caused amotion within the city!]


    Upon hearing Riekas words, it seemed usible that this was indeed the case.


    The situation was eerily simr to when his hometown had burned down.


    I should have asked people outside if I knew it was going to be like this But it cant be helped. Rieka, hold on tight. We need to go inside the inner city.


    [Shall I go in?]


    Its fine. If it doesnt work, Ill just break through. Here we go!


    Under normal circumstances, there would be soldiers and knights guarding the inner city. However, amidst this chaos, there was no guarantee they were still protecting the inner city. Even if they were, they wouldnt have known what had happened in Lumbanium. Kaiyan had to find out.


    As Kaiyan held Rieka tightly, they crossed the burning city. They noticed people who hadnt managed to escape the city yet.


    Who Who could have done this?


    It was truly horrifying, even more gruesome than the battlefield. This devastation felt different from the intensity of war. Observing the burning city made Kaiyan feel it was crueler and horrifying than when soldiers were mercilessly ughtered byrge monsters on the battlefield.


    Kaiyan quickly ascended through the city, and upon reaching the inner wall, he noticed that it too had been destroyed, or perhaps set aze.


    There was no one guarding the entrance.


    Come out


    The moment Kaiyan tried to step into the barrier, his heightened senses picked up three foreign energies.


    [Kaiyan, theres a dense energy inside! And its quite powerful too!]


    It seemed like Rieka had sensed it too, her eyes filled with unease.


    It feels somewhat simr to when I encountered that dark mage in Babelin Castle.


    It reminded him of the ominous and foreign energy he had sensed from those three individuals back then.


    Rieka, dont hesitate to use the scrolls when the battle begins.


    [Of course! Ill use them ording to the situation!]


    Kaiyan gently ced Rieka on the ground and drew his sword as he stepped further into the barrier, where the oppressive energy became even more palpable. He also noticed soldiers lying around, wounded and bleeding.


    As he cautiously passed by them and moved deeper inside, he sensed a faint presence of someone with weak energy.


    Could it be a survivor? I should ask what happened.


    Changing his direction toward where the survivors energy wasing from, Kaiyan approached arge man who was holding onto his bleeding abdomen, sitting on the ground.


    When Kaiyan got closer and checked his face, the mans eyes widened in surprise.


    Banson?


    K-Kaiyan?


    The massive figure before him was Banson, the leader of the Banson Mercenary Corps, with whom Kaiyan had coborated a few months ago.


    Why was he here, covered in blood?


    What in the world No, thats not important right now


    Kaiyan quickly retrieved a potion from his pouch and applied it to Bansons wounds.


    *Squish*


    Ugh! Th-Thank you.


    No, more importantly, whats going on? Why are you here?


    Amidst Kaiyans rapid-fire questions, Bansons face turned bitter.


    Its all my fault. I got greedy for money and brought these guys here when I shouldnt have.


    What do you mean Oh, Banson, where are the others?


    The others Bisel, Verium, Ka Damn! The Banson Mercenary Corps they all died because of me.


    They died?


    Kaiyan vividly remembered Bisels heartyughter, and the fact that he was now dead, along with the other mercenaries, was hard to ept.


    Kaiyan, I never expected to meet you in a ce like this Get out of here quickly. There are monsters here.


    What are you talking about? Please exin so I can understand. Why did the other mercenaries die?


    As Kaiyan grabbed Banson by the cor and shouted, Banson looked embarrassed but finally opened his mouth.


    When we parted ways and passed through the Louis ins, we encountered three strange guys there. But when they heard we were mercenaries, they requested a mission. They said they would pay 3,000 gold.


    So, we epted the mission. It was incredibly easypared to the 3,000 gold they were offering. We were blinded by money.


    What kind of mission was it


    Meeting someone other than the upper ss in the Louis ins was strange enough, but a 3,000-gold mission?


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