I didn’t waste any ti—I imdiately started walking in the direction marked on the map.
Surprisingly, along the way, I encountered many other Race heading toward the Kingdom. They were probably on quests too. So groups I passed seed to have just completed theirs. The path wasn’t entirely empty like I expected—it was alive with activity, adventurers coming and going, the environnt buzzing faintly with tension and purpose.
But after a few hours of walking,everything grew quiet. Almost eerily so. There was barely anyone left in sight. Unless they were inside the Sea Monster buff zone, I didn’t see a soul. Not that it mattered—the creatures lurking here didn’t dare approach .
One of the strangest things I saw was an enormous wall of seaweed. It looked unnatural—thick, dark green strands that twitched as if alive, devouring anything that touched them. I gulped, uneasy. But the map was clear: the only way forward was through them.
According to the map, a small village lay hidden sowhere within the seaweed field. So, without wasting ti, I stepped forward, heart pounding.
The road was narrow—claustrophobically tight. I activated the Legendary Jelly’s protection, wrapping myself in its slippery, glistening shield. To my surprise, the seaweed responded. It parted slowly, respectfully, like sentient vines obeying a stronger force.
Even so, I remained cautious, eyes darting in every direction. I couldn’t afford to lower my guard. Anything could attack at any mont.
Then I saw it—a monstrous plant with a gaping mouth lined with rows of jagged teeth. It lunged toward , faster than I expected. But I was ready. I had already activated Satan Eye.
Before it could strike, I summoned my Shadow Sentinels. Two shadows burst forth, their blades gleaming with cold fury, and sliced the plant’s head clean off. The body twitched violently, then collapsed.
I looked around. My Shadow Sentinels hovered beside , weapons drawn, ready to fight. But nothing else ca. Not a single creature dared to approach. Finally, after pushing through the last patch of seaweed, I saw it—
Light.
Without hesitation, I ran toward it. My heart pounded, legs trembling from exertion. As I reached the edge of the illuminated area, I saw sothing—or soone.
A puppet?
No—it was a doll. A life-sized doll, sitting in the middle of the path, covering its face and sobbing softly. Before I could approach, its arms twitched—and then, faster than lightning, a massive claw swiped at .
Thankfully, my Satan Eye was still active. I dodged at the last second, feeling the wind split behind my ear.
Adrenaline surged through . Suddenly, my staff vibrated, and a voice echoed from it:
"That doll is possessed. Soone—soone strong—is behind it. A 6-Star presence, hidden sowhere in the village."
Without waiting, I acted. My Shadow Sentinels intercepted the doll, buying ti. It moved with terrifying speed, closing the gap almost instantly. Its claw nearly pierced my chest—but just in ti, I stepped into the boundary of the village’s protective light.
The doll froze, twitching violently at the edge of the light. Then, like a broken machine, it began wandering the village periter again, unable to enter.
I exhaled in relief, chest heaving.
The village was completely silent. No one was outside. It felt abandoned—but I knew it wasn’t. Then suddenly, a nearby door creaked open, as if inviting in.
I didn’t hesitate. Outside was too dangerous. I ran in, slamming the door behind .
Inside, I found a middle-aged man—one of the Deep Sea Fish race. His skin shimred like scales beneath a hooded robe, and his bulbous eyes studied with a mix of suspicion and awe. He looked to be a 2-Star at most.
"You... survived?" he asked, voice thick with curiosity. "You’re only a 3-Star. How are you still alive out there?"
he was also very confused too see a Human in front of him but seeing the Starfish Above he didn’t asked
I nodded and gave a half-truth. "I have a spell that protects . It weakens enemies. I can’t explain the full details, but... it works."
His eyes lit up. "Truly? Then maybe... maybe you can help us. That cursed church—the one devoted to the Sea God—it’s the source of the evil. No one has ever returned from purifying it. But if you can, I’ll reward you. More than 150 gold coins."
I hesitated, then slowly nodded.
His voice lowered. "You don’t understand how dire it is. No one can reach this village. The seaweed keeps it in constant darkness. Only for a few hours in the morning does the light break through."
I nodded again. We waited in silence. Hours passed, and morning finally ca.
Even then, no villagers left their hos. They were terrified.
I stepped outside. It was still quite dark, the sunlight barely piercing through the seaweed canopy above. But I could now see the church up ahead.
Carl—the man who spoke to —refused to co along. "I won’t go near that thing," he whispered, trembling. "The doll..."
I walked toward the church alone. It lood ominously. At its peak was a strange crescent moon symbol. Embedded into its main door was a keyhole surrounded by fifteen numbered dials.
Fifteen? Strange.
I searched the outside of the church, looking for any clues—but found nothing. Then, to my shock, within just thirty minutes of exploring, night fell again. The seaweed canopy closed in, swallowing the light.
I froze.
There weren’t just one—but five dolls now. Each radiated a 6-Star aura. My blood ran cold. I was just outside the protection of the village’s light.
I ran.
My senses scread—sothing was about to touch . But I slipped through a narrow passage just in ti and collapsed inside the village’s light boundary.
As I lay there panting, sothing clicked in my mind.
Fifteen.
I looked around the village. There were exactly fifteen houses.
Just like the fifteen numbers on the church door.
A fog lifted from my mind. It wasn’t just random. It was a clue. The puzzle lay within the village. The only question now was...
it" He thought the possibility
Where is the key?
I was still puzzled as I returned to Carl’s house, my mind replaying the strange events that had just occurred. The dolls, the light, the numbers on the church—the mystery was becoming clearer, but also more disturbing.
As I entered, Carl looked up from his small table, where strange aquatic herbs were spread out. I took a deep breath and explained everything: the dolls, the numbered dials on the church door, and the revelation I had about the fifteen houses in the village.
"Fifteen houses... fifteen numbers. It’s not a coincidence."
Everything had happened so quickly, and I struggled to get the words out properly. But Carl listened attentively, his large, purple fish-like eyes glimring in the low light of the lantern.
The mont I ntioned the connection, his expression changed. His eyes lit up with understanding and hope. A wide smile broke across his face. He stood and gently patted my shoulder with his webbed hand. His blond hair shimred like kelp in the sea, and the violet scales across his cheeks caught the lantern’s glow.
"Good. Very good," he said with genuine warmth in his voice. "You’re the first one to make any real progress. Many others have tried—but none ever ca this far, not even close. Most gave up before understanding anything at all."
He paused for a mont, as if lost in thought, then continued, "I had almost lost hope... But maybe—just maybe—you can do it."
Despite the spark of hope in his words, there were still no solid answers. The mystery remained. And just like that, more days passed.
I tried to explore the village whenever I could, but my ti was always limited. The darkness returned far too quickly, and it was far too dangerous to be caught outside when the dolls appeared.
One thing beca clear: the villagers had an abundance of food. They rarely went outside, not because of laziness or cowardice, but because of fear. The darkness could fall at any mont, and anyone outside the light risked facing those cursed dolls—and worse.
The fear of the unknown kept everyone inside. No one dared to approach the church, and I couldn’t bla them.
But slowly, as the days passed, sothing began to change.
The villagers started to recognize . At first, they kept their distance, whispering about the strange human who had sohow survived the seaweed fields and the dolls. But as they watched return again and again, unscathed, their wariness turned into curiosity—and eventually, cautious respect.
I beca known as the outsider—the human who was trying to solve the mystery of the cursed church.
So even greeted when I passed, offering food or whispering old stories and rumors they had heard in the past about the curse. I listened carefully, trying to piece together every clue, every scrap of forgotten knowledge.
But ti was ticking. I still hadn’t found the key, and each day the darkness seed to return faster.
Sothing about the church, the houses, and the villagers was all connected.
It was here—in one of these fifteen houses.
I just had to find it... before the next night fell.
Reviews
All reviews (0)