Chapter 186: The Village Outside the City.

Outside the city walls, the military convoy sped across the barren road at high speed.

Each soldier sat upright, gripping their weapons tightly. Their eyes were sharp, scanning the surroundings with unwavering vigilance.

Everyone knew the truth.

Beyond the city walls was a no man’s land.

Since the appearance of the Abyss, humanity has lost vast portions of its territory. Entire regions had fallen into chaos, overrun by creatures that were once ordinary animals.

Now, the Beast Race dominates nearly half of the world.

With the emergence of mana, trees had grown into towering monstrosities, and animals had evolved into terrifying beasts.

The balance of the world had been shattered.

Humanity was no longer the undisputed ruler of the land.

Instead, they were locked in a brutal struggle for survival.

And worse still, humans were fighting on two fronts.

The Abyss below.

And the Beast Race above.

The situation was far from hopeful.

Inside the convoy, a heavy and suffocating tension filled the air.

No one spoke.

The soldiers’ attention remained fixed on the road ahead.

From time to time, distant howls echoed through the forest.

In the shadows of the trees, pairs of glowing eyes followed the convoy’s movement.

Watching.

Waiting.

Some of the soldiers tightened their grips on their weapons, preparing themselves for a possible ambush at any moment.

Yet, amid all this tension, one person remained completely calm.

Thoren sat quietly inside the central jeep, his gaze fixed on the wilderness outside the window.

There was even a hint of curiosity in his eyes.

To him, the forest around them felt… underwhelming.

Compared to the creatures he had encountered inside the Abyss, the beasts lurking in these woods were insignificant.

They didn’t even come close to the weakest creatures found on the safer levels of the Abyss.

At best, they could be compared to low-level beasts, nothing more.

Ordinary people might tremble at the sight of these creatures.

But those who had truly witnessed the horrors of the Abyss…

Would understand.

The beasts on the surface were nothing but child’s play.

Ten minutes later, the convoy began to slow down.

Soon, they arrived at their destination.

In front of them stood a small village.

A crude wooden fence surrounded it, forming a fragile barrier against the outside world.

At the entrance stood two burly men, each holding a long black spear.

Their expressions were stern.

“This is private property!” one of them shouted. “Turn back immediately!”

Despite seeing the military convoy, neither of them showed any fear.

In fact, there was even a trace of disdain on their faces.

Just as the sergeant in charge of the convoy was about to step forward and speak, the door of the central jeep opened.

Thoren stepped out.

“Stay back,” he said calmly. “I’ll handle this.”

The sergeant froze for a moment before swallowing the words he had intended to say.

He could only sigh inwardly.

Everyone present already knew what would happen next.

Before leaving the base, their commander had given them a strict warning, follow Thoren’s orders.

Do not interfere.

And, if possible, stay on his good side.

At first, they didn’t understand why.

But now…

After everything they had witnessed, they understood.

The young man before them was not someone they could compare themselves to.

As for Thoren, he walked forward calmly, his expression indifferent.

Behind him, the two undead servants dragged the half-dead bodies of Alfred and Bernard across the ground.

The sound of their bodies scraping against the dirt was unsettling.

One of the guards at the gate noticed them.

His eyes widened instantly.

“T-This…”

His grip on his spear tightened.

A chill ran down his spine.

However, his partner was not as perceptive.

“Kid, if you take one more step,” he sneered, “you won’t be leaving this place in one piece.”

This was the wild.

There was no law here.

Only strength mattered.

And to them, their words were the law.

But the scene that followed was not what he expected.

One of the undead servants suddenly released Bernard’s body and stepped forward.

“Do you think…”

Whoosh!

Before the guard could finish his sentence, the undead servant closed the distance in an instant.

“What…?!”

The guard’s eyes widened in terror.

Instinctively, he thrust his spear forward.

Bang!

The undead servant swung its axe. The spear shattered into two pieces.

The momentum of the attack did not stop in the slightest.

It continued forward, straight into the guard’s chest.

“Ahhhh!”

The guard was sent flying backward.

His body slammed violently into the wooden fence.

His chest was torn open.

His internal organs were completely destroyed.

Blood poured out like a broken dam.

He died instantly.

Silence.

The remaining guard stood frozen in place.

His face turned pale.

His entire body trembled uncontrollably.

Slowly, the undead servant turned its head and looked at him.

Thoren stepped forward, stopping just a few feet away from the trembling man.

“Will you take me to your boss,” he asked calmly, “or not?”

“A-Ah… y-yes… yes!”

The guard nodded frantically.

Fear was clearly written all over his face.

Cold sweat soaked his back.

All the arrogance he had displayed earlier had completely vanished.

“Very well,” Thoren said. “Lead the way.”

Without hesitation, the guard turned around and hurried into the village.

Thoren followed behind him.

The undead servants dragged Alfred and Bernard along once more.

Inside the village, the atmosphere was bleak.

Thoren’s gaze swept across the surroundings.

Men.

Women.

Children.

All of them wore tattered clothes.

Their faces were lifeless.

Empty.

Some of them had visible whip marks on their bodies.

Others had bruises and scars that had yet to heal.

The huts were crudely built with straw and weak wooden frames.

They barely provided any protection from the elements.

At night, the cold wind would easily seep inside.

And when it rained, it would be no different from sleeping outdoors.

Thoren’s expression darkened slightly.

He had expected cruelty.

But not to this extent.

How could they treat fellow humans like this? he thought.

Even slaves deserved basic shelter.

Yet these people were treated worse than animals.

A cold fury rose within him.

Just imagining his parents living under such conditions made his blood boil.

After walking for a short while, they arrived at a much larger house.

Unlike the rest of the village, this building was well-constructed.

The materials used were of high quality.

It stood in stark contrast to the surrounding huts.

Clearly, this was where the one in charge lived.

Two guards stood at the entrance.

When they saw the approaching group, one of them frowned.

“What are you doing here?” he asked sharply. “Why did you leave your post?”

The guard leading Thoren hesitated.

“Ah… I…”

He stuttered, unsure of how to respond.

Before he could explain, Thoren stepped forward.

“I’m here to see your boss,” he said calmly. “Take me to him.”

The two guards exchanged glances.

Then one of them looked Thoren up and down with suspicion.

“Who are you?” he asked. “And what business do you have with our boss?”

Thoren did not answer.

Instead, one of the undead servants stepped forward.

And this time, it would do the talking.

****

[AN: Please support this book with your golden ticket and power stones.

Message Chair +1 Chapter.

Dragon +2 Chapters.

Castle +5 Chapters]]

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep