NOVPUB
Chapter 96: 004: Black Rock Territory
The Ramos Duchy, a human kingdom that emerged after the Millennium Boundary ended, has only a few hundred years of history and remains quite young.
A millennium ago, this region was nothing more than a barren and desolate wilderness known as the Gray Territory. It was the millennium of peace and the subsequent population surge in the Seven Kingdoms that caused humans to overflow into this area, gradually forming scattered settlements.
At that time, people lived independently, struggling against the harsh natural environment and constantly facing attacks from wild beasts and demons. Life was exceedingly difficult.
It wasn’t until three hundred years ago that the Ramos family, under the Saladin Kingdom, built the first castle here to defend against Gnolls, Kobolds, and other demonic beasts from the forest that frequently attacked from the south of the Gray Territory. This gradually attracted surrounding refugees, eventually forming a stable human settlement.
Later, as the Ramos family declined within the core of the Saladin Kingdom, they shifted their focus entirely to this developing land and formally established the Ramos Duchy.
However, back then, the Ramos Duchy was merely a small human town with a mere population of tens of thousands. In the demon- and beast-infested Gray Territory, it was like a floating island on a vast ocean, always teetering on the brink of annihilation.
Then, approximately one hundred years ago, a brilliant and extraordinary knight, Grant Gwodis, emerged in the Ramos Duchy, becoming a legendary Great Knight at the age of just twenty-four.
Under his leadership, the Ramos Duchy reclaimed wastelands, defeated Gnolls and Kobolds, and vanquished the powerful demons of the Gray Territory.
With security ensured, the Ramos Duchy ushered in a period of rapid development. Furthermore, since its ties with the Saladin Kingdom had become minimal, it implemented more lenient laws, more open-minded ideologies, and a more just and equitable system.
As a result, the Duchy attracted large numbers of people who, for various reasons, were unwilling to stay in the Seven Kingdoms. Its population once soared to the millions, and its reputation as the "Land of Freedom" and "Land of Liberty" spread across the Seven Kingdoms.
Sadly, as with all things, prosperity inevitably gives way to decline, and the Ramos Duchy was no exception.
With the aging and eventual passing of its protector Grant, dark clouds once again enveloped the land. Although the Ramos Duchy had cultivated many formidable forces over the years, none could reach Grant’s heights. Worse yet, the enemies they faced this time were far more terrifying than the forest predators of the past—they were—
Black Wizards!
When these Transcendents wielding supernatural power descended upon the land, humanity’s proud military forces proved completely ineffective. Within just a few years, a Black Wizard Organization asserted its dominance, and the Ramos Duchy fell into an age of darkness...
...
The Ramos Duchy, Black Rock Town.
As Lynch stepped into the first human town along his path of escape, he turned his head to take in the sights around him, his brow furrowing slightly. He did not have a good feeling about this place.
The street scenes were somewhat similar to those of towns he’d visited before: cobblestone roads, Gothic-style wooden buildings, towering obelisks. What was different, however, was the pervasive filth and decay. Many things appeared broken and neglected, as if no one had cared for them in years.
The deeper differences lay in societal aspects.
The pedestrians on the streets were mostly muscular, intimidating figures whose eyes gleamed with menace—clearly people not to be trifled with. Nearly all of them carried weapons: axes, scythes, Cross Swords, and more.
Everyday items were scarce in the shops lining the streets. The most common establishments were blacksmith shops, not stocked with farming tools like hoes and sickles, but rather an array of weapons.
The air was perpetually tinged with a faint smell of blood. In shadowy alleyways, rotting corpses could occasionally be seen.
Not far from the entrance was a modest square. At its center stood a decrepit statue overrun by spiderwebs, depicting an old knight holding a sword vertically before him. The figure exuded an air of authority and inviolability.
The base of the statue bore an inscription identifying the figure: Grant Gwodis.
As Lynch passed by the statue, he couldn’t help but slow his pace, staring at it for a moment longer. For some reason, the knight felt oddly familiar to him—like someone he’d seen before. But where?
"Damn it, you promised ten silver coins. What’s the meaning of handing me nine and a half now?"
"Shouldn’t you ask yourself? You agreed to deliver ten virgins, but you only brought back nine. The last one is just some filthy scum, spoiled by the Old Axe Tavern. Giving you half a silver coin is already generous!"
Just then, an argument broke out along the street.
A burly man with a beard and a bald man were quarreling, apparently over a slave trade. The dispute centered on a tattered female slave whom they were tugging back and forth.
The bald man sneered coldly, "I don’t care. If you won’t pay the full silver, I won’t give you the full slave!"
With that declaration, he drew the axe from his waist and seized the female slave’s hand. With a swift, brutal stroke, he chopped her hand clean off.
The bearded man’s eyes immediately burned with rage: "Damn it, you’re dead!"
*Clang!*
With a sharp sound, he unsheathed the giant sword strapped to his back and charged forward without hesitation.
"You want a fight? Kill him!"
The bald man showed no fear, rallying his seven or eight cronies to arm themselves and join the melee.
The passing crowd instantly scattered, yet didn’t retreat too far. Instead, they gathered at a safe distance to watch, showing no sign of fear. It was as though they were entirely accustomed to such scenes.
Blow after blow was exchanged over a dozen rounds. Although the bearded man fought alone, his strength was astonishing. He swiftly cut down the bald man and all his henchmen, finishing them off one by one with precise, deliberate strikes.
In the blink of an eye, the ground lay strewn with seven or eight corpses—the bald man and his lackeys, all slain within mere moments.
The female slave whose hand had been severed bled profusely and was clearly beyond saving. The bearded man took out a dagger and unhesitatingly slit her throat before proceeding to carve out her eyes, heart, liver, and other organs to store them carefully in small bottles. His expression remained utterly impassive, as though performing a simple, routine task.
The gruesome sight caused Lynch to knit his brows tightly.
While the Seven Kingdoms also had laws regulating the slave trade, there were strict legal protections ensuring slaves’ minimal safety. At least on the surface, even nobles were forbidden from casually killing a slave.
To treat slaves as mere livestock, slaughtering and dismembering them at will—Lynch had never witnessed anything like this before.
The bearded man, visibly injured, drew the attention of those gathering around. Hidden desires flickered in their eyes, scanning him over.
The man let out a low snort: "Hmph!"
An ethereal, milky-white aura began to ripple across his body.
Gasps erupted from the crowd.
"A knight!"
"He’s a knight!"
The once-greedy eyes promptly vanished.
Soon, the man completed the dismemberment of the corpses, packing the extracted organs before carrying them and the slain slave away. What remained were mutilated, hollowed bodies and the pungent stench of blood hanging in the air.
After his departure, the crowd swarmed forward like vultures descending upon carrion, scavenging the remaining body parts.
From skulls to feet, ribs to muscle tissue—they took it all, though their purposes were unguessable. Only when the corpses were stripped down to mere scraps of skin did they halt, leaving the remnants to be kicked into a nearby alley, where they joined other rotting piles.
The crowd quickly dispersed, resuming their daily tasks as though nothing had transpired. Only the coagulating blood staining the square bore witness to the violent events that had just unfolded.
"What’s the matter? Surprised?" Avery’s voice came from nearby; she seemed entirely unperturbed.
Lynch nodded honestly: "A little."
Avery spoke nonchalantly, "This is just how things are outside the borders. This is what the world really looks like. We’re only lucky to have lived in a place that’s relatively decent."
She glanced at the bloodstained ground, her tone calm as she said, "Welcome to the Land of Chaos."
"Welcome to Hell."
