Free Web NovelChapter 217: Chapter 210: Fallen
Yalan Continent, a path in the Wilderness.
Ian walked along a narrow path littered with gravel and weeds.
The path was tight, flanked by withered shrubs and twisted trees.
The branches of the trees were an unnatural, grayish-black, their surfaces covered in gnarled protrusions, some of which were still slowly squirming.
’It’s been contaminated...’
Ian tightened his grip on his Iron Sword, his steps light.
His [Starlight Perception] was activated to its fullest extent.
The flow of Energy in his surroundings appeared in his Perception as a hazy "color."
Most areas were dim and murky, like water tainted with ink.
But occasionally, he could sense faint, silvery-white specks of light drifting in the air like fireflies.
’Starlight motes...’
Ian tried to draw the motes toward him with his Spiritual Power.
The motes trembled slightly, then slowly drifted over and merged into his body.
It was a slow process, and the amount was minuscule.
But it did replenish a sliver of Energy, making his body feel a bit more comfortable.
’The ’Elemental Energy’ of this world must be these motes of Starlight, as well as the deeper ’Star Vein’ energy.’
Ian pondered this as he walked.
According to the observation logs, the "Star Vein Nodes" were being contaminated.
Did that mean pure Star Vein Energy was becoming increasingly scarce?
He touched the Starfall Core on his chest.
This thing could provide pure Star Energy. In this world... it was an absolute treasure.
No wonder the Li Xing Clan had been targeted.
After about an hour of walking, the path began to widen, and the surrounding vegetation grew sparser.
Ahead, a stretch of scorched earth came into view.
The ground was covered in a network of cracks, from which a dark red substance, like coagulated blood, seeped out.
The air was filled with the pungent smell of sulfur, mixed with a cloying, sweet scent of decay.
’The spreading zone of the corruption fissure...’
Ian stopped, his gaze grave.
In this area, the motes of Starlight had almost completely vanished.
In their place was a viscous, unsettling dark red Energy that flowed slowly through the air.
He tried to probe it with his [Starlight Perception].
The moment he made contact, an intent filled with Chaos, violence, and a ravenous hunger for Devouring lashed back through his Perception!
Ian immediately severed the connection, cold sweat beading on his forehead.
’Such strong contamination...’
He skirted the area, choosing to bypass it by climbing a scree slope to the side.
The slope was steep and difficult to climb, but at least it was safe.
When he reached the top of the slope, Ian glanced back at the scorched land.
In the center of the land was a deep fissure, as if torn open by a colossal claw.
Deep within the fissure, he could faintly see a pulsating, dark red light.
And... some blurry, distorted shadows crawling within the light.
’A nest of Mutants...’
Ian turned and quickened his pace, leaving the area behind.
Another two hours passed.
Ahead, the silhouette of Maple City finally came into view.
But the sight before him made Ian’s heart sink.
A large section of the city wall had collapsed.
Thick black smoke rose from within the city, twisting like giant pythons against the gray sky.
The city gate was choked with rubble, shattered planks, broken weapons, and... bodies.
Many bodies.
There were guards in tattered Leather Armor and commoners in coarse cloth.
There were also nobles in ornate Long Robes, now torn to shreds.
The blood had dried, forming dark red scabs over the ruins.
A gust of wind stirred up a cloud of Ashes and the stench of blood.
Ian gripped his sword and slowly approached.
The gate was completely destroyed, with only half of its charred wooden frame left dangling.
He stepped over the debris and entered.
The city was deathly silent.
Most of the houses lining the streets had collapsed, some still smoldering with black smoke.
All sorts of debris littered the ground: overturned market stalls, shattered pottery, blood-soaked cloth...
And more bodies.
Ian moved through the ruins, his steps light.
His [Starlight Perception] was fully active, on alert for any potential danger.
After walking for a while, he heard a faint sound from ahead.
It sounded like... crying.
Ian’s gaze sharpened, and he crept closer.
The sound was coming from behind a half-collapsed house.
He circled around to the side and peered through a crack in the wall.
Inside, three people were huddled together.
A middle-aged woman and two children, a boy and a girl, both under ten years old.
The woman held the two children, cowering in a corner, her body trembling uncontrollably.
Her face was covered in grime, her clothes were ragged, and a gash on her arm, deep enough to see bone, was crudely bandaged with a scrap of cloth that was still seeping blood.
The two children clutched her clothes tightly, their small faces filled with terror as tears streamed silently down their cheeks.
"Mommy... I’m scared..." the little boy whispered.
"Shh... Don’t make a sound..." the woman whispered back, covering his mouth. Her voice trembled.
"Those monsters... they might still be nearby..."
Ian watched this scene and remained silent for a few seconds.
He sheathed his sword and stepped out from behind the wall.
"Don’t be afraid. I’m not one of the monsters."
The woman’s head snapped up. Seeing Ian, her eyes first filled with terror, but after taking in his face and clothing, she relaxed slightly, though she remained wary.
"Who... Who are you?"
"Just a passerby."
The woman paused. From the looks of him, Ian was a capable man.
A complex mix of emotions flickered in her eyes: awe, fear, and... a hint of resentment.
She lowered her head, but her meaning was clear.
Last night, many civilians had died. She couldn’t tell which side was responsible, only that it was the work of those "important people."
Ian didn’t respond. He walked over and crouched in front of her.
"Your wound needs to be treated."
The gash on the woman’s arm was deep, its edges already turning black, showing early signs of infection.
Ian took out a small oil-paper packet of powdered herbs; it was the only medicine he had found on Li Xing.
He tore away the filthy rag from the woman’s arm and carefully sprinkled the powder onto the wound.
The woman sucked in a sharp breath from the pain but bit her lip and made no sound.
"Thank you..." she said in a low voice.
"What’s the situation in the city now?" Ian asked as he bandaged the wound.
"Last night... the rebel army suddenly rose up, opened the city gates, and let in the Mutants from outside..."
The woman’s voice trembled. "The City Lord’s Mansion was breached almost immediately. More than half of the Guard Team was killed, and the rest fled...
"The Noble District was sacked, and many families... didn’t make it out."
She glanced at Ian. "I heard they put up a fierce resistance, but there were too few of them... In the end, the mansion was overrun, and many people died..."
Ian’s hands paused.
’To think they would use Mutants to breach the city. It seems the traitors have been completely corrupted by the Abyss; they can’t be considered human anymore.’
’What a pity. Humanity has lost another sanctuary city. There probably aren’t any other large settlements nearby.’
"Did anyone escape?"
"I don’t know..." The woman shook her head.
"It was too chaotic. There was killing and fire everywhere... We hid in a cellar and only dared to come out at dawn. We’ve been running ever since..."
The woman paused, looked at Ian, and hesitated.
Ian looked up sharply. "Do you know something?"
"In the middle of the night, I saw a group of people burst out of the city’s back gate and head west..."
West of the city.
Ian committed the direction to memory.
"Thank you."
He finished bandaging the woman’s wound, took out his last two pieces of dried meat from his coat, and handed them to her.
"Find a better-hidden place to hide. Don’t come out at night."
The woman took the dried meat, her eyes welling up.
"Thank you... Thank you, sir. You be careful too... West of the city, I think there were Fallen active there yesterday..."
"Fallen?"
"Those... humans who have thrown in their lot with the corruption..." The woman’s voice dropped. "They’re more dangerous than the Mutants..."
Ian nodded and stood up.
"Take care."
He turned and left, heading toward the west side of the city.
He had to find supplies as soon as possible, or his body wouldn’t hold out.
The people who escaped last night might know where to find another human settlement.
The woman watched his retreating back, hugged her two children tightly, and began to sob quietly.
The streets grew increasingly dilapidated.
The further west he went, the more ruins and bodies he saw.
Some of the corpses were dismembered, as if gnawed on by something.
The stench of blood in the air was so thick it was suffocating.
Ian gripped his sword, his steps growing even lighter. His strength was still low; he needed to be extra careful.
Just as he was about to leave the city, Ian rounded a street corner and heard a sound.
It wasn’t the guttural roar of a Mutant, but a clearer sound, closer to a human voice... a low chuckle.
"Heh... So much fresh flesh and blood..."
Ian froze, then slowly backed away, keeping close to the base of the wall.
Through a gap in a collapsed wooden frame, he saw three humanoid figures standing in a small clearing not far away.
They wore tattered Leather Armor, the original style still vaguely recognizable, and held scimitars and short spears.
Their skin was ashen-gray, with bulging veins that writhed like black earthworms beneath the surface. Their eyes were a murky, dark red.
But their movements... were far more coordinated than those of a Mutant.
’The Fallen...’
Ian tightened his grip on his sword hilt, his palms slick with cold sweat.
The Energy fluctuations emanating from these three were much stronger than the four Mutants from last night.
The tall one in the middle, holding a blood-stained cleaver, was hunched over a corpse on the ground, rummaging through it.
He pried open the corpse’s hand and dug out half of a blackened flatbread from between its fingers.
He shoved it into his mouth, chewed for a moment, then spat it out.
"Dammit... This stuff is tasteless."
Suddenly, the short one on the left cocked his ear, his nose twitching.
"Boss, I think there’s something over there."
"Oh?" The tall one looked up, his dark red eyes scanning the surroundings.
Ian held his breath, shrinking further into the shadows.
But it was too late.
The short one’s sense of smell was too keen. He had already turned his head, his gaze locked directly on the crack in the wall where Ian was hiding.
"Over there!"
"Go, grab him."
The tall one grinned, revealing a set of jagged, sharp teeth, and charged forward with his cleaver raised.
Ian’s heart clenched.
Run!
He spun around and bolted. Tapping his toes to the ground, he activated [Star Step], and his body shot through the ruins like a gust of wind.
But the Fallen was faster.
Especially the tall one. The muscles in his legs bulged, each step crushing the stones beneath his feet as he moved so fast he left an afterimage.
"Kid... don’t run away..."
The menacing laughter chased him from behind, growing closer and closer.
Without looking back, Ian swung his Iron Sword in a backhand motion, clearing a broken wooden beam from his path as he dashed into a narrow alley.
The alley was tight, with high stone walls on both sides and piles of junk on the ground.
The terrain here was complex. Maybe he could...
Before the thought could even finish, the sound of something tearing through the air exploded behind him!
Ian instinctively tilted his head to the left.
A sharp hiss cut the air as a glint of cold light grazed his ear and slammed into the wall ahead—it was a short spear!
The tip was completely buried in the stone brick, the shaft quivering with a low hum.
"The kid’s... pretty good at dodging..."
The tall one had already reached the alley’s entrance, blocking it with his cleaver in hand.
The other two Fallen vaulted over the walls on either side and dropped into the alley, flanking Ian from the left and right.
His escape was cut off.
