novelraw Chapter 1184 - 354: Void Realm Theory
Chapter 1184 - 354: Void Realm Theory
The faint light of dawn pierced the eastern horizon, casting a holy and hopeful glow over the snow-covered Pompeii Village.
When Luo Yan's group returned to the village with the sleeping child, the Mill Master and his wife, who hadn't slept all night, were the first to rush out.
Upon seeing the boy asleep in Finic's arms, the middle-aged man, weathered by the elements, could no longer contain his emotions. Together with his wife, he burst into tears, kneeling in the snow, thanking everyone profusely.
The bashful Ira hurried forward, comforting the couple while helping them up from the snow.
Gazing at the kind-hearted girl, the poor woman moved her lips as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, her trembling lips only squeezed out a timid "thank you," hiding the shame in her eyes.
The crying woke the child.
The boy looked around in confusion, and after a while, perhaps recalling the nightmare of the previous day, he began to cry too.
The dawn's cries alerted the villagers.
Hearing of the heroes' triumphant return, the villagers, who had worried all night, rushed out of their homes and surrounded the adventurers who had saved the village.
Their faces were a mix of gratitude, joy, and a hint of unnoticeable shame.
The old village chief shakily grasped Finic's hand and exclaimed excitedly.
"Heroes! By Saint Sis... you are the heroes of Pompeii Village!"
"No, we actually..." Finic blushed, trying to explain that it was actually Mr. Colin's guard who had done it, but the villagers didn't give him a chance to speak.
In fact, it didn't matter who did it.
What mattered was that the nightmare plaguing Pompeii Village had finally ended. They no longer had to worry about that mad woman occasionally coming to the village to kidnap children.
"You actually killed that witch!"
"Thank you so much!"
"Praise Saint Sis, praise the Emperor, praise you who made vows to them, you are the true knights... Thank you, we no longer have to live in fear!"
They were fortunate to be saved, happy that their livelihood, the logging field, was reclaimed; yet their hearts were filled with fear and guilt.
They knew well that out of selfishness, they did not fully disclose the terrifying legend of Hecajelin, "Green Teeth," only vaguely referring to it as the "Undead Mage," fearing these young adventurers would back down.
No one blamed them.
It was the only lifeline they could grasp.
Now that the heroes had returned, not only did it set their minds at ease, but it also quietly masked the guilt beneath their overwhelming joy.
The villagers took out the best rye bread, treasured smoked meat, and ale from their homes, insisting on forcing them into the hands of these young heroes.
These items weren't worth much, but they represented all the village had.
However, faced with the villagers' overwhelming enthusiasm, Finic and the other three felt particularly awkward.
If not for Mr. Colin and his powerful guard, they would have long been bones in the Undead Army. The heavy praise felt both unearned and sarcastic to them.
"No, no, everyone's too kind, we can't accept this..."
Finic, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment, smilingly declined the villagers' food. Barrett and Leo just gave honest smiles, unsure of what to say.
At this moment, the Mill Master came over, solemnly handing a heavy pouch of money to Finic.
"This is the agreed-upon reward and a token of our appreciation... for Saint Sis's sake, please don't refuse!"
The pouch contained some silver coins, but mostly copper coins. The well-educated Ira carefully counted a total of 55 silver coins and 74 copper coins.
Finic seriously counted out twenty from them, adding ten of his own "Big Money," pushed through the crowd, and handed a total of thirty silver coins to Mr. Colin.
This was the agreed-upon reward.
Luo Yan gladly accepted it and handed the pouch to Sarah beside him.
Though thirty silver coins were meaningless to him, like stones by the roadside, they symbolized the fruits of his labor, which made it different.
"Sir, what are your plans next?" Barrett mustered up the courage to ask in a booming voice.
Luo Yan pondered for a moment, then smiled and said.
"I have no particular plans, how about taking a rest today? After all, the apprentice exam registration doesn't close today, so going tomorrow works just as well."
Taufu was already asleep in Sarah's arms.
In her hibernation period, she could sleep even more deeply than a child. Just now, the villagers' overwhelming gratitude didn't even pull her out of her dreams.
The four young adventurers exchanged glances and nodded.
Finic walked up to the village chief and politely declined the latter's invitation to a feast, then reunited with Luo Yan and the others, heading back towards the Traveler Camp.
The villagers watched them leave until their figures disappeared on the snowy horizon, then dispersed from the village entrance.
From start to finish, neither Luo Yan nor Finic mentioned the villagers' deliberate withholding of information.
Perhaps the four young people understood, but they all tacitly chose to remain silent.
The growth they experienced that night was probably more than all the way along their journey...
...
The group returned to the bustling Traveler Camp, surrounded by a noisy atmosphere, but this atmosphere couldn't infect Finic and the others who had just returned from the brink of death.