As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows over the forest path, Kyle finally let out a small breath.
The eerie presence he had sensed earlier had vanished.
There was nothing unusual lurking nearby—not anymore.
Still, Kyle remained cautious.
He turned to the Head Knight and asked.
"Are we coming up on another village soon?"
The Head Knight nodded, guiding her horse forward.
"Yes. We should reach the nearest village in about ten minutes."
Kyle's eyes narrowed slightly.
Ten minutes?
That was strange.
He had a keen sense of his surroundings, and yet, he didn't feel the presence of a village anywhere nearby.
Normally, even before a settlent ca into view, there would be signs—distant voices, cooking fires, the scent of livestock or fresh bread, the warmth of human life.
But this ti, there was nothing.
Only silence.
lissa noticed his tense expression and frowned.
"Is sothing wrong, my lord?"
Kyle was quiet for a mont before answering.
"Be careful when we enter the village. No matter what you see or hear, do not believe it until you are sure what you are seeing is the truth."
He said.
lissa stiffened.
"…What do you an?"
Kyle's gaze remained sharp.
"I have a bad feeling about this. There is supposed to be a village nearby, but I cannot feel the mana of the people who are supposed to be in that village."
lissa hesitated before nodding firmly. She was not good at mama control or sensing, but even she could verify what her young master was saying.
"Understood. I'll be on my guard."
She looked toward Bruce, who was riding slightly ahead, and added.
"I'll pass on the warning."
Kyle gave a slight nod but didn't say anything else.
Bruce probably already realized sothing was off as well.
Minutes later, they reached the village.
But as soon as they stepped onto the dirt road leading into the settlent, an unnatural silence settled over them.
No chatter, no movent—not even the sound of animals.
The buildings were intact, but the atmosphere was wrong.
Too still. Too quiet.
'This feels almost unsettling. I better keep my guard up.'
Kyle felt his wariness spike. Sothing was very, very wrong.
Even the Head Knight, who had been calm before, looked uneasy. She scanned the surroundings before muttering, "This doesn't feel right."
Kyle glanced at her, surprised.
For the Head Knight to openly admit sothing was amiss ant she truly sensed the danger as well.
She turned to him and said.
"I don't like this. Let enter first to check for any threats."
But Kyle shook his head.
"No, I want to go in alone first."
He said.
The Head Knight's brows furrowed.
"That's too dangerous."
Kyle, however, wasn't swayed.
"I need to confirm sothing."
He said simply.
Before she could argue further, he dismounted his horse and walked forward.
The Head Knight swore under her breath.
She could only watch him go before gritting her teeth and following after him.
Before stepping forward, she glanced at Bruce and lissa and ordered.
"You two stay outside."
Bruce and lissa both nodded but looked uneasy.
As Kyle and the Head Knight crossed the threshold of the silent village, the air grew colder.
The pair walked inside, and lissa tried to follow behind, only for Bruce to reach out and stop her before she could make a mistake.
Bruce barely dodged the punch lissa aid at him, stepping back just in ti to avoid a direct hit.
"What the hell is wrong with you?!"
He snapped, glaring at her.
lissa, fists clenched, glared right back.
"What's wrong with ? What's wrong with you, Bruce? How can you just sit back while our master walks into danger?! You're a disgrace to him!"
Bruce exhaled sharply, rubbing his temples.
"lissa, listen to yourself. You're letting your emotions cloud your judgnt."
"Oh? And you're letting cowardice hold you back!"
Bruce's expression darkened.
"You think rushing in blindly is bravery? That's called stupidity."
lissa bristled, ready to argue, but her entire body froze.
A chill ran down her spine as her mana senses scread a warning.
Bruce noticed her reaction and sighed.
"Finally. You noticed."
lissa turned her sharp gaze toward the direction where she sensed the disturbance.
Dozens of mana signatures.
They were approaching quickly, creeping toward them like crawling insects.
Her grip tightened on her weapon.
"Tch… Bugs."
Her lips curled into a dangerous smirk.
"I guess I'll just have to exterminate them."
______
anwhile, Kyle walked deeper into the silent village, his eyes scanning the area with sharp precision.
Each step he took felt heavier than the last.
The deeper he went, the harder it beca to move.
Even breathing felt unnatural—as though sothing in the air was pressing against his chest.
This was no ordinary village.
Sothing corrupted was festering here.
A sickness in the air.
A taint that tried to weigh him down, suffocate him, and keep him from progressing forward.
But Kyle did not stop.
He did not hesitate.
He rely adjusted.
With practiced ease, he circulated mana through his body, reinforcing himself.
The pressure against him lightened imdiately.
His breathing stabilized.
His movents beca fluid once more.
The corruption in the air still clung to him, but it no longer mattered.
Kyle focused, searching for the source of this vile sensation.
Behind him, the Head Knight finally caught up.
She was breathing heavily, her movents slower than before.
It was clear that even she was affected by the strange pressure weighing down this place.
"You—"
She started, her voice slightly strained.
Kyle kept walking.
The Head Knight gritted her teeth and forced herself to move forward.
When she finally reached him, she grabbed his arm and yanked him to a stop.
"That's enough, Kyle. Stop being a problem for . You could get hurt if you keep pushing forward like this."
She said, eyes sharp with frustration.
Kyle finally turned to face her.
His golden eyes, calm and unwavering, t hers.
"You should be more worried about this village."
He said simply.
The Head Knight stiffened.
Kyle's gaze remained steady.
"If we don't deal with this soon, then my injuries will be the least of our concerns.""
He continued.
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