novelraw Chapter 309: Gone into the Horizon
Chapter 309: Gone into the Horizon
Standing outside the town gate, both humans and Jackal Beastmen looked at the silver haired young man with complicated expressions.
The Jackal Beastmen hated him for slaughtering their kinsmen and killing their chief.
Yet at the same time, they were also grateful to him for uncovering the mystery behind the disappearance of their missing clansmen.
For years, many of them had believed rival tribes or desert beasts were responsible for the disappearances.
None of them expected the horrifying truth hiding beneath the town itself.
The discovery of the Slave Trade Guild’s underground atrocities had shaken the entire settlement completely.
As for the humans, their emotions were equally complicated.
They feared Thoren deeply.
No one could witness yesterday’s massacre without feeling dread crawl through their bones.
However, alongside that fear was overwhelming gratitude.
Thoren’s terrifying strength had shattered the absolute dominance the Jackal Beastmen once held over the town.
Now, weak awakeners could finally walk through the streets without constantly fearing abduction or sudden disappearance.
Even though tension still existed between the two races, everything had changed.
From now onward, conflicts would happen openly beneath the light rather than through secret kidnappings and silent slaughter.
Survival of the fittest.
That was now the only law governing the town.
As for leadership over the settlement, neither race possessed complete authority anymore.
Humans and Jackal Beastmen would now govern together.
Neither side would stand above the other.
The atmosphere outside the gate remained heavy and emotional.
No one spoke too loudly.
No one dared make unnecessary movements.
Every gaze remained locked upon the silver haired young man standing before them calmly.
"T Thoren... stay safe out there," the Hunter said quietly.
His usually relaxed voice carried traces of emotion difficult to conceal.
Beside him, the Healer also stared at Thoren silently.
Her eyes had turned slightly red.
"We all hope for your safe return," she added softly.
Thoren looked beyond them toward the gathered crowd before releasing a faint sigh.
When he decided to destroy the Slave Trade Guild and kill the Jackal Chief Beastman, he never expected events to develop this far.
Only one day had passed since the bloody battle.
Yet now, countless people already looked at him as though he were some kind of ruler or savior.
Although he understood their feelings, that did not mean he intended to accept such a role.
By the brutal logic governing the abyss, the town now belonged to him.
He defeated the strongest force within it.
Naturally, ownership should pass into his hands.
However, Thoren never desired power over a settlement.
His goal had always remained unchanged.
To descend deeper into the abyss.
To climb higher through its countless floors.
And eventually uncover the secrets hidden within this cursed world.
Because of that, he had neither the time nor ambition to remain tied to one location forever.
Thus, he chose the most reasonable solution available.
Delegation.
He entrusted authority over the human side of the town to the Hunter and the Healer.
The two possessed enough strength and intelligence to maintain order. More importantly, unlike many others, they had earned a measure of his trust.
As for the Jackal Beastmen side, Thoren selected the stoic Beastman who managed the inn where he previously stayed.
At this moment, the once indifferent Jackal Beastman no longer carried his former cold expression.
After witnessing the horrifying slaughter yesterday, even maintaining eye contact with Thoren had become difficult for him.
Feeling Thoren’s gaze land upon him, the Beastman immediately stiffened.
A forced and awkward smile appeared upon his face.
"L Lord... safe... return..." he muttered in broken human language.
Although his words sounded clumsy, everyone still understood his meaning clearly.
Thoren gave a small nod before turning toward the crowd once more.
"I hope that when I return, nothing here will have changed," he said calmly.
His voice remained soft and steady.
Yet every single person present heard his words clearly.
No one doubted them.
Not anymore.
At this point, Thoren’s words carried more authority than any law within the town.
No human dared oppose him openly.
Even the savage Jackal Beastmen no longer possessed the courage to challenge him.
Then his expression slowly turned colder.
"As for these three," he continued while glancing toward the Hunter, the Healer, and the stoic Beastman, "if anything happens to them, I will flatten this entire town along with everyone inside it."
"That is my promise."
The moment those words entered everyone’s ears, the atmosphere instantly froze.
Cold terror spread rapidly through the crowd.
Humans shuddered violently.
Several Jackal Beastmen instinctively lowered their heads.
Yesterday’s horrific battle replayed clearly within their minds.
The blood soaked streets.
The shattered corpses.
The monstrous undead Dust Naga.
The absolute despair crushing everyone beneath its presence.
They remembered everything vividly.
The Jackal Beastmen prided themselves on being savage warriors who feared no battle.
However, against this silver haired human, they felt completely tamed.
No Beastman present dared challenge his warning.
Seeing that everyone understood his intentions, Thoren finally turned toward the endless desert stretching beyond the town walls.
The scorching wind swept across the dunes violently.
Then suddenly.
Whoosh!
Before the shocked crowd, the massive undead Dust Naga Mini Boss appeared once more.
Its enormous body erupted from beneath the sands like a nightmare crawling from the depths of hell.
Ahhh!
Several people screamed instinctively while stumbling backward in panic.
The suffocating pressure descending from the undead creature instantly covered the entire area.
Fear spread rapidly throughout the crowd.
Even though the battle had already ended yesterday, merely seeing the undead Dust Naga again caused many people to tremble uncontrollably.
Thoren ignored the terrified reactions surrounding him completely.
He calmly walked toward the gigantic creature before climbing onto its massive head.
Standing atop the undead Dust Naga, his silver hair danced wildly beneath the desert wind.
The long black robe fluttered heavily behind him while his deep blue eyes stared into the endless horizon calmly.
For a brief moment, the entire scene appeared surreal.
The silent young man standing upon a monstrous serpent beneath the crimson desert sky resembled a ruler born from death itself.
Then through the mental connection binding them together, Thoren issued a simple command.
"Move."
Rumble!
The ground shook violently.
Clouds of sand exploded skyward as the undead Dust Naga surged forward with terrifying speed.
Its massive body glided through the desert effortlessly as though it had become one with the dunes themselves.
Within moments, it crossed an enormous distance rapidly.
The spectators could only stare blankly as the figure atop the monstrous creature gradually disappeared into the horizon.
Soon afterward, even the enormous Dust Naga itself vanished completely from sight.
Silence descended once more.
For several long moments, nobody spoke.
Humans and Jackal Beastmen alike simply stared toward the distant desert where Thoren had disappeared.
Complex emotions swirled within their hearts endlessly.
Fear.
Relief.
Gratitude.
Confusion.
Respect.
No one truly understood how they should feel toward him anymore.
"He is gone..." a thin young man whispered weakly.
The moment those words broke the silence, the crowd slowly emerged from their stunned trance.
Many people instinctively released long breaths of relief.
Although Thoren never deliberately released any intimidating aura, his mere presence created overwhelming psychological pressure.
Standing before him felt like standing before an unavoidable disaster.
Now that he had finally departed, everyone could feel that pressure gradually lifting away.
Slowly, whispers began spreading quietly throughout the crowd once more.
Meanwhile, countless gazes gradually shifted toward the Hunter, the Healer, and the stoic Jackal Beastman.
The new leaders of the town.
None of them expected their lives to change so drastically within a single day. Yesterday, the town remained trapped beneath fear and hidden slaughter.
Today, its future had shifted entirely onto another path. And all of it happened because of one young man.
The name now whispered throughout the town with equal parts fear and reverence.
The Grim Reaper.
***
AN: This poor author is asking for your support. Please support with your Magic Castle. I’m crying right now. I’m just too poor right now...
Take pity on me.