Chapter 190 - The Aftermath [1]
Diyael quickly went back to the gate of the village where the others were waiting per Verc’s order earlier.
And he quickly brought the news of what happened and the situation inside.
The atmosphere around the wooden gate was heavy and tense. Dozens of people were gathered in small groups, their faces pale with worry as they stared toward the smoking ruins of the center settlement.
They had heard the distant explosions, the roaring of the giant beast, and felt the massive waves of pressure that shook the ground beneath their feet.
Diyael didn’t waste a single second as he approached the anxious crowd.
Tatum, Jed, and the other kids were surprised after hearing the news from Diyael. Especially when they heard the condition of the others from him, that they were on the verge of death.
"What did you say?!"
Tatum exclaimed, his fists clenching tight as his eyes widened in utter disbelief.
Jed’s face turned completely white.
"No... that can’t be! We have to go to them right now!"
Maya and the others almost immediately ran straight toward the castle, but before they could even do so—
"Calm down... Master Verc is taking care of all of them, he’s the only one who can help them."
Diyael stopped them and stated that.
He raised his massive arm, blocking the narrow path leading toward the castle. His voice was firm, carrying a steady weight that forced the panicked youths to freeze in their tracks.
"Let’s trust our master and follow his orders instead to save as many as possible."
He quickly followed.
The kids were silent, they were frustrated and angry because of what happened to the village and the people.
Tatum glared at the dirt floor, his teeth grinding so hard that his jaw throbbed with pain. They wanted to run to the side of their friends, but they knew deep down that Diyael was speaking the absolute truth.
They didn’t possess healing abilities. They didn’t have special abilities. Running to the castle without a purpose would only get in Verc’s way while he was trying to save lives.
The kids forcefully calmed themselves down. They realized that Diyael was correct.
Even if they rushed to where Verc and the others are, they can’t really do anything to help them.
And so, instead—
"LORD VERC HAD GIVEN HIS ORDER...!"
"SEARCH EVERY NOOK OF THE VILLAGE AND RESCUE EVERYONE YOU CAN AND BRING THEM TO THE CASTLE!"
Tatum turned around and shouted that. His voice echoed that everyone heard it clearly.
"TIME IS TICKING, START MOVING!!!"
Then following him, Diyael exclaimed that. This way, the few members of his tribe that came with them will start moving as well.
The warriors of Diyael’s tribe snapped to attention, their sharp eyes locking onto their chief before nodding in understanding.
And after the two leaders set out the order given to them by their master—everyone started looking for survivors in the ruined village.
They scattered instantly in all directions, splitting up into small search parties to cover as much ground as possible.
*****
A lot of orcs and gnolls had died... children, women, men, elderly...
The path through the village was lined with absolute destruction.
They either got crushed by massive debris or were killed personally by Morcant’s attack when he raided the village alone.
It was a really gruesome sight.
In some places, entire families were found trapped beneath the heavy wooden beams of their collapsed roofs. In other areas, they saw villagers with missing body parts with trace of Morcant’s mana on their bodies.
Everyone moved to find any survivors... They brought everyone who showed even a bit of life to the castle, where Verc was waiting along with the others.
Tatum and Jed worked together, lifting heavy stone slabs with their bare hands whenever they heard a faint groan coming from underneath the rubble. Whenever they found someone with a weak pulse, they immediately scooped them up and sprinted as fast as their legs could carry them toward the ruined lobby of the castle.
And as soon as patients were brought to him—SLASH!
DRIP.
Verc would cut himself and let a drop of his blood enter the mouth of the wounded ones!
He knelt on the hard, blood-stained ground, his blade making quick, precise cuts along his left arm without a single flinch on his face.
He plans to turn everyone that is wounded into vampires, this is the only way to save them.
The only force powerful enough to force a dying mortal body to heal is to turn them into vampires who have absurd regeneration abilities.
Not everyone will be able to handle the process of turning into one, especially with their conditions—most of them will probably die, in fact.
The process of receiving a higher creature’s blood was violent and unpredictable. A body that was already weakened might simply collapse under the sheer density of the foreign mana, failing to adapt and shutting down completely.
But still, this was better than nothing.
They will die either way if they were left all alone, after all.
Without Verc’s intervention, every single one of these people brought to the lobby would draw their final breath within minutes. Giving them his blood was a gamble, but it was the only chance at survival they had left.
"..."
Verc decided to try everything he could to save as many as possible... even at the cost of him losing a bit of his power.
He didn’t care that his own mana reserves were dropping slightly with every heavy drop of blood he gave away. He didn’t care that his body felt a mild wave of fatigue settling into his muscles. He just kept moving down the line, holding open the mouths of the dying villagers and letting his crimson life force drip onto their tongues.
"GUURRRRGH...!!!"
-GRRRRRR!!!
As Verc was letting the wounded ones drink his blood to turn them into vampires, he heard strange noises behind him.
The sounds were painful, wet, and guttural, echoing horribly off the shattered walls of the ruined room.
And when he looked toward it—he saw Nara and Onyx groaning in pain with their bodies twisting weirdly.
Nara’s small frame was arching off the cold floor, her hands tightly clutching her chest as dark, thin veins spread rapidly across her neck and face. Beside her, Onyx’s body was thrashing violently, his sharp claws digging deep grooves into the dirt as his bones shifted and cracked loudly beneath his skin.
They were in the process of turning... They would either die, or successfully turn into vampires and heal up.
Their mortal bodies were fighting a desperate battle against the vampiric energy invading their bloodstreams. If their hearts could endure the intense transformation, the injuries on their bodies would vanish instantly; if not, their vital functions would stop completely.
"..."
A worried frown appeared on Verc’s face seeing the two of them in that condition.
His eyes narrowed as he watched Nara gasp for air, her small chest trembling violently. He wanted to do something to ease their pain, but the transformation process was entirely dependent on their own inner strength and willpower.
Verc looked around...
"..."
The ruined lobby of his castle was completely overflowing. Dozens of bodies were laid out in rough rows, covering the broken stone tiles from one end of the hall to the other.
A lot of people were on the dirty ground, shaking uncontrollably and violently as they started turning into vampires.
The floor was cold, covered in sharp debris, gray dust, and splinters of broken wood. The open roof let in the cold wind, stirring up dirt that settled over the open wounds of the suffering villagers.
"They need a much better place to recover."
Verc mumbled to himself.
His voice was quiet, but his tone was completely serious as he looked at the uncomfortable, dirty environment around them.
And so, without a second thought—
S W O O O O O O O S H—!!!
Verc activated [Dungeon Genesis] and [Terrain Manipulation].
A massive surge of dark, refined mana erupted from his body, spreading out across the entire ground like a heavy wave of liquid shadow!
The broken stone tiles, the shattered pillars, and the collapsed outer walls of the castle began to hum with a strange, dark power. The concrete and rock started to melt and reshape themselves, rising upward like wet clay under Verc’s absolute control.
He used his broken down castle to start creating a new structure that will protect everyone temporarily!
The jagged edges of the broken walls pulled together, forming thick, smooth barriers that completely blocked out the harsh wind and dust. The dirt floor beneath the wounded villagers transformed into polished, clean stone platforms, raising their shaking bodies off the ground and creating a safe, sealed shelter around all of them.