Chapter 164: The Dead Pretending to be Alive

The moment Aether stepped through the door, the interior of the inn swallowed him in warm light and clean order. It was nothing like the warped corridors or looping shadows outside. This place looked… crafted. Stable. Real.

The entrance opened into a wide main hall built from dark, polished wood that had been oiled until it reflected the lanterns above. The floorboards were long and straight, fitted together so tightly that not even a sliver of dust could slip between them. Each board carried a soft grain pattern, swirling gently like waves frozen mid-motion. No creaking, no shifting underfoot, every step felt grounded.

Thick wooden pillars framed the hall, rising to support a ceiling constructed of exposed beams. The beams were heavy oak, sanded smooth and stained a rich, deep brown that matched the floor. Between them, the ceiling panels were lighter in color, creating a clean contrast. Small metal lanterns were hooked along the beams, each encased in glass and burning with a warm golden flame. The light spread evenly, without harsh shadows, coating the room in a steady glow.

To the left stretched a row of tables, solid rectangular pieces carved from the same dark wood as the pillars. Their surfaces were polished, unscarred, unburned, untouched by chaos. Chairs with straight backs and sturdy legs were neatly arranged around them. Every chair matched. No wobbling one in the corner. No mismatched parts. Even their cushions were uniform, thick, gray fabric tightly fitted and clean.

On the right side, a long counter dominated the space. The countertop was smooth stone, a pale granite polished to a soft shine. Behind it stood shelves lined with bottles, mugs, and neatly stacked plates, each arranged with deliberate care. The bottles were labeled, the mugs identical, the plates all from the same set. Nothing looked chipped, tarnished, or out of place. A small brass bell sat on the counter, its surface gleaming in the lantern light.

A staircase rose behind the counter, curving gently upward to the next floor. The bannister was carved with a repeating wave pattern, the same motif as outside. Each step was perfectly level, edges rounded slightly from craftsmanship rather than wear. A soft carpet runner stretched up the center, a deep red trimmed with gold thread, perfectly aligned and freshly brushed.

To the far side of the hall, a stone fireplace sat inset into the wall. Its stones were smooth and evenly stacked, forming a perfect rectangle. Inside, a controlled fire burned steadily, flames licking at logs that crackled softly but not wildly. The mantle above it held only two things: a polished metal lantern and a framed carving of the inn’s emblem, the flat stone and ripple.

Near the fireplace were several armchairs arranged in a semicircle. They were upholstered in dark charcoal fabric, firm but comfortable-looking, each paired with a small round wooden table polished to a shine. Someone had placed a stack of folded blankets on one chair, tightly woven, clean, neatly arranged.

The air smelled faintly of warm bread, polished wood, and something herbal, maybe tea. Everything was orderly. Intentionally placed. Maintained with almost obsessive care.

….

Aether couldn’t believe his eyes; he hadn’t seen something like this ever in his life. Well, maybe because he never went to an Inn as a kid, and there were none in the Withered, so this was the first time seeing one. But it was even more impressive knowing that this was built in a place where monsters roam around like it’s every day.

… It’s also impressive that in a place like this, there was still hope, enough hope to try and recreate little things about their past life.

This world, whatever its name was, was… the underworld, the place people come after dying in the real world, they are left here to live in agony, if he had to say, death beyond this place, was permanent… if it wasn’t then people wouldn’t be scared of death. And those hunters were definitely terrified.

So to think that in this world, something like this exists.

“Hey, kid, are you going to just stay there?” Aether turned to the person sitting behind the counter, the one who, if he had to guess, created this small Inn, which isn’t to say it isn’t impressive.

She was a woman in her late fifties, hair tied back in a loose gray bun, a few strands falling around a lined but steady face. Her hazel eyes were sharp and calm, the kind that missed nothing. She wore a simple apron over a rolled-sleeve shirt, hands strong and sure as she arranged mugs behind the counter. A solid, no-nonsense presence, like the inn itself.

“Come here! I’ve never seen you around. Are you new here?”

Aether looked around. Many eyes rested on him, many waited to see his story, and yet, on all of their faces were smiles. Maybe they were just intoxicated from the drinks, but still… why were they so friendly? This place was in no way a place to make friends.

But still, he stepped forward, sitting down on a small chair near the counter.

“How old are you?” The woman said, crossing her arms and laying them down on the counter.

“I was fifteen the last time I checked.”

The woman’s eyes widened, almost as if she were sorry for him. She sighed.

“I thought that you were young, but I tried to think you just looked younger than you were? How did you even die?”

Really, if he had been asked this question not too long ago, he wouldn’t have known, but because of the Abyss, he learned about his death, and the agony he was inside at that moment, and ever since learning about it, he feels a shiver run from his legs to his head every time he thinks about it.

“Bandits.” He said, slowly tapping the wooden counter with his fingers… There was something off… when he touched it, it wasn’t the same as it would normally be, he couldn’t put his money on it, but it was as if his touch was a little numb… and it wasnt just his touch, almost all his senses were off… yet he was never able to tell until now.

’Huh… interesting.’

Aether stared at the counter, and after some time, a drink appeared in front of him. He looked at the woman, who had a bright smile on her face.

“Well, it’s sad to die so young, and to some lowly scums like those bandits, but in the end…” She looked towards the many people drinking inside. “All you can do is drink away the pain. Plus, all of us here are dead; we’re all a family.”

While the woman’s smile got even brighter, the people around cheered for her. Aether’s face only got darker. He stared at the drink, as if there was something inside of it, ready to tear him up, and everyone around him.

’Family? What a joke.’

He bit his lip… as he pushed the drink back to the women. Which made her raise one of her brows.

“What? Is it not to your liking?”

Aether shook his head. “I just don’t drink, plus, I’m underage.”

The woman shrugged her shoulders. “Your loss.” She grabbed his drink and downed it in a second. But, with the wooden mug still at her mouth, she stopped, looking at Aether more seriously. “But you should know that this is only water?”

Aether squinted his eyes. Only water, but that didn’t make sense; many people here looked as if they were completely intoxicated.

“You see, my main goal when creating this Inn was to bring something from Aether that others could try and feel again. It’s only water because we can’t taste anything, our taste buds are completely dead, and plus, our bodies are dead, alcohol doesn’t do anything, and it’s hard to get.”

Aether felt himself tremble a little. He knew he was dead.

But… someone to say right to his face that his body was dead, and moreover over many of its functions weren’t working, since it couldn’t be just those two, after all, he said it himself, he felt his senses being weaker.

“I… see, so then.” He looked at the others around him. “So, are they… only pretending?”

The woman nodded her head, staring in the eyes of those who happily laughed and played together in her Inn. She was happy to give them this feeling again, but she also felt… guilty.

“Most people try coming here to feel human again, it breaks my heart really. They try so hard to trick themselves into thinking this is true, that there was really alcohol and they were drunk, even if deep down they knew it wasn’t true.”

…

There was a long silence after this, almost as if none of them knew how to continue the conversation, but it had taken a rough turn after all.

…

She slammed her hands on the counter.

“But enough of that sad stuff, want to learn more about this place?”

Aether stared for a second before nodding.

Determined to learn what this place truly was.

It’s past, present, and more importantly.

Future.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep