NOVPUB
Chapter 405: 405
Lately, many farmers had noticed their crops were taking longer to mature. The difference wasn’t drastic, but it was significant enough to be noticed by those accustomed to harvesting at a specific time.
If Ikenga’s absence were to persist, this could become a serious issue. For now, however, it was just a slight setback. This was the general sentiment among the mortals.
Another pressing issue affecting the entire world was the occasional disappearance of people. Someone seen one day might be gone the next.
This was a common problem throughout the human kingdom of Nana. This issue, however, did not affect the godlings. Only the demigods could explain why this was the case.
Guards patrolled the streets with serious demeanors, their eyes like hawks, scanning for any detail. Their heightened vigilance stemmed from the fear of becoming the next to disappear.
Whatever was causing these disappearances seemed undeterred by the power of the rulers.
Right now in a city under the leadership of the Omadi kingdom in the eastern continent. As night fell, the patrols intensified. The flickering torchlight cast long, dancing shadows that played tricks on the eyes, amplifying the tension. The guards moved in tight formations, their hands gripping their weapons, the silence broken only by the rhythmic clang of their armor and the echoing of their footsteps on the cobblestones. The usual nighttime sounds of the city—the distant laughter from taverns, the murmur of late-night conversations—were muted, replaced by an unsettling quiet. Fear had cast a pall over the city, silencing its usual nocturnal vibrancy.
Suddenly, a bloodcurdling scream pierced the night. It came from a narrow alleyway just ahead. The guards surged forward, their torches illuminating the dark passage. They found no one, but the air was thick with a strange, metallic scent, and a single, crimson stain marked the cobblestones. It was fresh.
"Spread out! Search the alleyways!" the captain commanded, his voice sharp and urgent.
Two guards moved deeper into the alley, their torches casting wavering beams of light. They moved cautiously, their senses on high alert. Then, a soft scraping sound from above made them freeze. They tilted their heads back, their torchlight revealing...nothing. But the sound came again, closer this time.
Just as they were about to dismiss it as rats, a figure dropped silently from the rooftop, landing between them. It was dressed in commoner’s clothes, indistinguishable from any other citizen. But the speed and silence of its descent, the unnatural stillness of its posture, sent a chill down the guards’ spines. Before they could react, the figure moved with blinding speed. One guard felt a sharp pain in his side as a blade flashed in the torchlight. He staggered back, clutching his wound, his eyes wide with shock and terror. The other guard raised his sword, but the figure was already gone, melting back into the shadows as quickly as it had appeared.
The wounded guard slumped to the ground, his breath coming in ragged gasps. The other guard knelt beside him, checking the wound. It was deep, but not immediately fatal. As he looked up, scanning the surrounding rooftops and alleyways, he noticed something glinting in the moonlight – a small, crudely carved wooden idol, depicting a grotesque, humanoid bird like creature. It was a symbol he had only ever heard in whispered rumors, a symbol of the dark gods and their hidden followers. The realization hit him like a blow: these weren’t random disappearances. They were being hunted and the most hard to swallow truth was that their world really has evil gods in it.
The attack wasn’t done. As the other guards stood vigilant, searching for the figure that had attacked, a guttural shriek echoed from the rooftops. It wasn’t human. From the shadows above, two more figures descended, not by leaping, but by gliding. They had large, leathery wings that unfurled as they dropped, catching the air and allowing them to land silently behind the remaining guards. Their faces were obscured by dark cowls, but their eyes glowed with an eerie red light.
One of the creatures raised a hand, and the air around it shimmered. The torch held by one of the guards suddenly burst into a shower of sparks, plunging a section of the alley into darkness. Before the guards could react, the creature lunged, its hand transforming into a claw tipped with wickedly sharp talons. It slashed at the guard’s arm, tearing through his armor as if it were paper.
The guards, though shaken, were not untrained. They drew their swords, forming a tight defensive formation. The first creature, the one who had initially attacked, reappeared from the shadows, moving with an unnatural fluidity. It seemed to anticipate their every move, dodging their blows with ease. One guard swung his sword, aiming for the creature’s head, but it ducked under the blow and retaliated with a swift kick to the guard’s knee, buckling him to the ground.
The fallen guard gritted his teeth, his injured knee trembling as he struggled to stand. Despite the pain, he thrust his sword upward in a desperate attempt to fend off the figure looming over him. The blade met resistance, grazing the side of the assailant’s torso. A hiss of pain escaped the creature, its glowing red eyes narrowing as it darted back into the shadows.
The other guards closed ranks, their magical armor beginning to hum softly with a faint blue light. They invoked their training, summoning protective wards that shimmered faintly in the air around them. The captain, a seasoned knight named Ewan, barked commands to his comrades.
"Hold the line! Focus on the gliders. Watch the rooftops!" His voice was firm, a lifeline of stability in the chaos.
Above them, the two winged figures circled like vultures, their glowing eyes scanning for an opening. One let out another ear-splitting shriek, its wings creating powerful gusts of wind that extinguished the remaining torches. The alley plunged into near-total darkness, save for the faint glow of the magical wards and the eerie red light of their attackers’ eyes.
Ewan raised his shield, his other hand gripping his sword tightly. With a
grunt, his blade ignited in brilliant white flame, casting flickering light over the grim scene. The other guards followed suit, their weapons now glowing with enchantments designed to combat supernatural foes.
From the shadows, the first attacker lunged again, its blade aimed at Ewan. He parried the strike with precision, the clash of metal ringing through the alley. The creature’s strength was otherworldly, forcing Ewan back a step, but he held firm.
The winged attackers chose this moment to dive, their claws aimed at the exposed backs of the other guards. But the knights were ready. One of them, a younger recruit named Kael, stepped forward and unleashed a burst of light magic from his gauntlet. The radiant energy struck one of the creatures mid-flight, sending it crashing to the ground with a guttural snarl.
The other glider veered away at the last second, landing on a nearby rooftop with an inhuman screech of rage.
The grounded creature writhed, its leathery wings twitching as it tried to rise. Kael approached cautiously, his glowing sword held steady. Before he could strike, the creature’s eyes flared brightly, and a wave of dark energy rippled out from its body. Kael was thrown backward, slamming into the alley wall with a pained cry.
"Kael!" Ewan shouted, but he couldn’t move to help. The first attacker was pressing him hard, their blade a blur of motion as it struck again and again. Ewan’s shield absorbed most of the blows, but the relentless assault was beginning to wear him down.
Ewan held for a while until he saw an opening, lunged at the winged creatures, his sword aimed at its heart. The creature, however, was too quick. It twisted its body, avoiding the blow, and then grabbed the his arm with its powerful talons, squeezing tightly. The captain cried out in pain as he felt the bones in his arm begin to crack.
Ewan whose arm was crushed cried out, his sword clattering to the cobblestones. The winged creature tightened its grip, a sickening crunch echoing through the alley. The other guards, struggling against the disorienting mist and the swift attacks of the first creature, could only watch in horror. One managed to land a blow on the first attacker, a shallow cut across its shoulder, but the creature barely reacted, its eyes burning with malevolent glee.
The dark mist intensified, making it almost impossible for the guards to see. They stumbled blindly, their swords slashing at empty air. The winged creatures, taking advantage of their confusion, swooped in, their talons tearing at the guards’ armor and flesh. One by one, the guards fell, their strength failing against the relentless assault.
Finally, only the guard who had initially discovered the idol remained standing. He was battered and bruised, his armor torn, but he refused to yield. He gripped his sword tightly, his eyes darting from shadow to shadow, trying to anticipate the next attack.
