Chapter 317: The dark hunger (I)
The group gathered within the town ruins, setting up a temporary camp. The Xaos forces spread out, maintaining a constant watch while the Turkin soldiers prepared themselves for the night. Despite the eerie calm, no one could shake the tension that lingered in the air. They had stumbled upon something far worse than they had anticipated.
Vlad sat at the edge of the camp, his mind racing. Whatever had consumed the life here wasn’t natural. The hunger it demonstrated was terrifying, and its ability to leave no trace behind was even more so. He glanced over at Jormungandr and Ouroboros. The two Depravitas were using their A.I. Chips to monitor the surroundings, their expressions mirroring his own concerns.
Freya approached Vlad, her brow furrowed in thought. "What do you think we’re dealing with here? What could devour everything—demons included—without leaving a single trace?"
The viking princess hailed from a powerful civilization in the higher dimension. Her knowledge of the universe was extensive, yet even she had no clue about the type of entity they were facing.
The truth was, Vlad’s insight was even deeper. While he did not know the higher dimension, in his Second Past Life, he had reached the peak of the universe and encountered myriad life forms, yet none like the ones affecting the Monsoon Continent.
Vlad’s eyes remained fixed on the horizon as he spoke. "I don’t know. But whatever it is, it’s not something we’ve encountered before. It’s not just a predator—it’s something worse. A force that consumes without discrimination."
Freya fell silent, digesting his words. The unknown was more terrifying than any enemy they had faced, and the fact that even Vlad—who remained calm even in the presence of gods—now showed a solemn expression made the danger all the more palpable.
As the night wore on, the camp remained on high alert. The forest around them was unnervingly quiet, the usual sounds of nocturnal creatures absent, replaced by an oppressive silence.
"Ahhh, I’ll get some sleep. Wake me if anything happens," Freya said, letting out a small sigh before retreating to find a quiet place within the camp.