novelraw Chapter 185
Chapter 185
Ch.185 Demons Are Already Sneaking into the Human World… This Is Truly Serious
“Is this your hometown?”
I asked, gazing at the ruined village scattered with rubble.
“Yeah. This is my hometown.”
I followed Selena into the desolate village.
Why?
Why did her back look so pitiful today?
“I don’t remember all the details clearly, but someone attacked the village in the middle of the night.”
Selena stopped at a house reduced to scorched stone.
“This was our home.”
She entered cautiously.
“My family had three people—Mom, Dad, and me.”
It looked like a Fireball had exploded inside.
I followed her in.
“There’s not much to see, is there?”
Selena turned with a sorrowful smile.
“You must’ve gone through so much…”
Her mournful expression made me unconsciously smile bitterly.
I knew the world of Destiny wasn’t a bright, romantic place.
The core of Destiny was the hero’s fate—
a game showing a hero’s life growing stronger through countless trials.
Sometimes those trials were so harsh they felt excessive—
like Leah’s former master or the fall of Mia’s elven kingdom.
Selena seemed to have endured equally cruel suffering.
“That was my room.”
She pointed to a room.
I stepped inside carefully—
shattered glass, debris, and soot-blackened walls.
“Huh? What’s that?”
Something long lay buried in the rubble.
I carefully cleared the debris—
an old doll appeared.
Damp from years of moisture, even moldy.
“Oh? That’s…”
Selena stared blankly at the doll.
“So… it’s still here.”
I handed it to her.
Though dirty, she gazed at it with immense tenderness.
“This was my childhood doll. I thought it disappeared that day… but it’s still here.”
She seemed lost in memory.
Tears welled in her eyes—
then one quietly fell.
I sat beside her and gently patted her back to comfort her.
Afterward, we decided to camp there.
We prepared a simple dinner, readied for bed early, and lay down in our bedrolls.
I still didn’t understand why Selena obeyed the God of Death’s orders.
Her past seemed tragic—but I couldn’t grasp why she’d willingly lend her body to Roy.
—Snore… snore…
Selena slept peacefully beside me.
What do I do…? Hope feels faint.
I sat up—
couldn’t sleep anyway.
I couldn’t waste time like this.
With the Gates of Hell open, demons could invade the human world at any moment.
Since I wasn’t sleeping, I might as well investigate.
I rose from my bedroll, gathered firewood, lit a small torch, and entered the ruins.
“Hmph… but who’d do something like this?”
The orphanage was attacked because it belonged to the Church of Death—simple enough.
But why attack this village?
Bandits?
Unlikely—the explosion marks were too clear.
Mages are elite here; they wouldn’t mingle with common bandits.
I cautiously entered a ruined building.
“Did the explosion happen from inside?”
The debris clearly scattered outward—from inside to outside.
If magic struck from outside, debris would’ve flown inward.
But if it exploded internally, debris would scatter outward—exactly as seen.
And…
“This was clearly done by a fairly skilled mage…”
Ordinary houses use stone and wood.
For stone rubble to scatter this far, it couldn’t have been a basic Fire Arrow—
at least a Fireball-level spell was needed.
So… this wasn’t bandits—it was an armed group.
“But why attack this village?”
It looked ordinary.
Why would a military group—not bandits—attack it?
More importantly, why search the house thoroughly before detonating it from within?
As if looking for something…
“This is… suspicious.”
It’s Selena’s mindscape—maybe her memory is flawed.
“Hmm…”
Something felt off.
Hard to explain—but definitely wrong.
What am I missing?
“Oh?”
I searched the collapsed houses, looking for something.
“Not here?”
I checked the next house—still nothing.
“Here either?”
After searching several houses, I became certain.
“Bones… are missing.”
The incident was about ten years ago—bones could’ve decayed…
but for dozens or hundreds of skeletons to vanish completely? Unbelievable.
“Could it be…?”
I urgently scanned the ruins.
Did someone gather the villagers, kill them, and bury the bodies together?
In wartime, mass graves are the standard way to dispose of massacre victims.
“Wait…”
Roy broke the Seal Stones because Selena possesses Infinite Regression.
But when did the Church of Death learn Selena had this power?
After she entered the orphanage?
That’s most likely—but what if they discovered her ability earlier through some method?
I felt a clue unraveling—but lacked evidence.
This is Selena’s mindscape; her memory might be inaccurate.
Perhaps in reality, her true hometown has inward-scattered debris… or bones.
First… I need to know when Selena last visited this place.
And clear up these doubts.
The next morning—
—Sizzle… sizzle…
Delicious aroma and sizzling sounds woke me.
“Hmm…”
“Oh? You’re up already?”
Selena’s clear voice rang out.
“Yeah… what’s for breakfast?”
She flipped something in a small pan.
“Pancakes.”
She served breakfast—
white milk and food in ceramic bowls.
Was it because this was a dream?
Selena carried a Spatial Bag.
—Munch… munch…
As we ate, I carefully asked:
“Selena, I have a question.”
“Hmm? What is it?”
I glanced at her hometown.
“When was the last time you visited here?”
Selena frowned, thinking, then replied:
“Hmm… about two years ago?”
Two years ago… then…
“Was it exactly like this back then?”
She nodded readily.
“Yeah. No difference. Why? Something wrong?”
“Not really—just felt odd. Last night I wondered who’d do this… and found some strange things.”
“Strange things?”
“First, the debris is scattered outward—meaning something exploded from inside the buildings.”
“So? What’s strange about that?”
“It means the attackers came looking for something. After confirming it wasn’t there, they used Fireball-level magic to blow it up.”
She closed her eyes tightly, as if digging through memories.
“Actually… yes… that’s right…”
Her expression turned serious.
“What were they looking for…?”
Lost in thought, she didn’t notice me watching.
“And second—I didn’t find a single bone fragment.”
“Bone fragments?”
“Right. If they just killed people and blew up the buildings, remains should be here—but there’s nothing. That means either the bodies were gathered and buried elsewhere… or taken alive.”
“Who… would do that?”
Her eyes snapped open sharply.
“I don’t know for sure—without knowing their motive. But tell me… was it really the same two years ago?”
She nodded firmly.
“Yes. Same when I came two years ago—and five years ago too.”
After that, Selena fell deep in thought.
“Did they find what they were looking for?”
“Given the evidence—it’s certain they did.”
She fell silent.
She looked overwhelmed—maybe I should leave her be for now.
***
“Isn’t it about time the Demon King moves?”
Scarlet’s words made everyone flinch.
“He’s probably resurrected by now…”
“Definitely…”
Leah and Cecilia’s subdued voices echoed softly.
The Hero Party couldn’t stop the Demon King now.
He was strong enough alone—and certainly wouldn’t be alone.
They’d defeated him before only because his army was deployed elsewhere, leaving him lightly guarded.
Now, his full demon army would surround him.
Breaking through countless empowered demons to reach and defeat him was nearly impossible.
They had no clear plan.
Then Mia spoke up:
“We can’t just sit here.”
She was right. Inaction would bring greater disaster.
“We must inform the Emperor and Lord Auros. Only then can we minimize damage.”
“We can do that now.”
Leah stood, pulling out Vallien’s Staff.
She could teleport directly to the Gates of Hell, then cross to the Imperial Palace immediately.
“That seems like our best option.”
Cecilia nodded in agreement—Scarlet followed suit.
“It’s our only choice.”
With consensus reached, Mia turned to Nephert.
“Nephert, protect Leah. The Demon King’s army might ambush you on the way.”
“Ah—got it.”
Leah was a Grand Magician with legendary gear—but weak in close combat.
If an enemy closed in, the outcome would be disastrous.
“Then we’ll go.”
Leah raised Vallien’s Staff and chanted:
“Teleport.”
A blue flash—and Leah and Nephert arrived at the Gates of Hell…
only to find demons guarding it.
“Who are you?!”
Demons instantly readied to attack—
but Leah’s magic was faster.
“Gravity!”
“Urgh…!”
Demons collapsed under crushing weight.
‘They’re resisting Gravity this well?’
Before, monsters flattened like paper under Gravity—but these demons merely stuck to the ground, likely due to high magic resistance.
“Sister! Hurry!”
Nephert urged her.
“Yeah! Let’s go!”
They crossed the Gates of Hell and reached the human world—
where dozens of demons rested.
—Who are you?
—Huh?! Intruders?!
Leah’s next Teleport spell flashed—
and they appeared in the Imperial Capital.
“Where are we?”
Scanning their surroundings, Nephert saw Leah’s pale face.
“This is the capital. Phew… Demons are already sneaking into the human world… This is truly serious.”
The Emperor would be furious when he found out.
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