Chapter 144

"If they fail over there, we can set fire over here. What are you all doing? Stack more firewood!"

"This is already the maximum. We've brought everything we could!"

Useless fellows.

The villagers had ransacked all nearby vacant houses, breaking all wooden furniture and turning them into fuel.

Moreover, they had searched the rooms of the inn that the outsiders had hastily vacated, collecting anything that could burn.

The mountain of firewood piled up almost reached the inn sign hanging above.

But the elder was still not satisfied.

It was because of the growing anxiety after stopping the artifact that separated the outskirts and center.

In a situation where monsters could rush in at any moment, they couldn't just rely on those who had been sent to the other part of the village.

They had to prepare in their own way.

Since things had come to this, they had to eliminate those horrible monsters and clean up the village.

If that became impossible.

"Find if there's anything more in every nook and corner! Even tear off doors and add them!"

At the elder's angry command, several people scattered hurriedly while muttering curses.

The innkeeper reprimanded him.

"Don't shout like that, Elder! Are you trying to make those monsters chase us?"

"You who haven't lived here long! If you know nothing, keep quiet! It's all for the village."

The veins in the elder's neck bulged.

Yes, I've made all these decisions for the village.

When the population had greatly decreased due to an epidemic that spread through the village in his youth, he had argued for actively accepting immigrants,

He had also taken good care of those immigrants who had fled from other territories, helping them settle,

When a new representative came from the royal family, he had treated him generously, aiming for the promotion of the village to a city,

And when the monster appeared, he had proposed using an artifact to isolate the village.

Even now, wasn't he leading by example to exterminate those monsters?

The innkeeper turned his head away from the elder with an irritated attitude.

"This is why local natives are... Huh? Someone's coming over there."

From the empty street, someone was running toward them.

Their face was covered with a shawl pulled over their head, and they were hunched down.

"H-help me! Monsters, those tentacled creatures suddenly appeared over there!"

"Are you saying the monsters have already come this far?"

"God, have mercy."

"We need to hurry more. Is there still no news from the other side?"

The villagers went to help the person who had collapsed on the ground, gasping for breath.

The person, who managed to stand up with the help of several people though staggering, repeatedly expressed gratitude.

"I'm sorry, thank you... Suddenly when the house moved, monsters appeared from that side and attacked..."

"I didn't know the monsters would come this quickly. Are you alright? Elder, in this situation, wouldn't it be better to gather everyone in one place, even those who are inside their houses?"

"Indeed, that might be the case. Monsters could invade homes. Then innocent lives would be lost."

It was when people were anxiously adding their comments.

The elder suddenly shouted.

"Everyone, step back! Let go! Get away from that person!"

"Elder, what are you saying?"

"Step back! I said keep your distance!"

The elder swung his cane wildly.

Has the old man gone senile?

While everyone was having such doubts.

The villager who had been supporting the shoulder of the person wrapped in a shawl slowly withdrew his hand and looked down at his arm.

There was dark, fine ash-like substance on it.

No, rather than ash, it felt a bit grittier, as if something had been finely ground.

A giggling laugh escaped from under the shawl.

"You don't have to worry so much."

The shawl fluttered in the wind.

When the part covering the back was revealed, people couldn't help but be shocked.

Attached to the back of the head, which they had thought was puffy due to the tied hairstyle, was a large gray lump with thick blood vessels pulsating.

While everyone's attention was drawn to the lump that seemed like it could burst at any moment, someone started shouting and vigorously shaking their top.

The powder that flew away like flower pollen as the shawl was removed had stuck to everyone.

Though each person felt an ominous feeling about this and shook off their clothes, it was already too late.

People fell into panic as gray lumps gradually rose on their forearms, foreheads, and cheeks.

"What, what is this! What is this!"

"It won't come off...! It keeps coming up! Aaargh!"

"That person, that bastard deceived us!"

"Elder, Elder!"

Everyone looked at the elder, who had been the only one keeping his distance.

Their gazes held a thin thread of hope that the elder might be able to resolve this.

But the old man who received these gazes stepped back hesitantly, then as if remembering something, began pouring oil over the high-stacked firewood.

"Elder!"

The elder nimbly pulled out a burning piece of wood from the torch stand that had been set up high to illuminate the dark surroundings.

With a torch in one hand and his cane in the other, he pointed at the people as if it were a sword.

"Don't come close, don't move an inch! Absolutely not! Y-you are all contaminated. All contaminated!"

"Elder, why are you suddenly acting like this!"

"Those lumps on your bodies are evidence! They've all settled on your bodies. After a little time passes, you'll all become like that person. You are now monsters! Monsters!"

The elder shouted, spitting as he spoke.

The villagers momentarily fell silent.

Disgust, fear, and anger surged simultaneously.

But the one who had thrown off the shawl spoke while gently stroking the lump on the back of his head.

"No, that's not it. Monsters, Elder? This is a token to heaven. Though outwardly it may be ugly, we can see our family and friends within. We can live strong, healthy, for a very long time."

"I call that a monster!"

"No. We've become beings that can live forever. Strength is beautiful. We will live like that forever. Recognizing each other, being grateful for each other's presence!"

"Monsters. You're all mad!"

"That can't be. My ailing mother, my aging father, they both received the salvation of this bud and were reborn with new bodies. Though they can't speak, they always love us."

"Madmen! Get away. Devil's children, deceitful tongues!"

"Do you remember Lea who became unable to walk after falling from a tree and breaking her leg? The child who cried and asked to be killed because she couldn't get up has been reborn and become healthy. What about Jack? Jack who drifted in without parents, worked hard, and then became a fool after hitting his head on a rainy day, even you said he was pitiful, Elder..."

"Get out, devils, get out!"

"This is a blessing. A blessing that allows everyone to live eternally without getting hurt! That egg is an angel's egg!"

The face of the one who mentioned angels was so innocent.

But on that face, there was an unshakeable belief that nothing could change, like madness.

The elder, terrified, wildly swung the torch.

In an instant, the fire slipped from his hand, weakened by age.

The torch that rolled on the ground touched the pile of fuel soaked with oil,

And the fire spread in an instant.

Simultaneously, someone darted out from the shadow of a building and rushed toward the mountain of fire.

It was the red-haired young man who was thought to be confined in the tower.

* * *

The moment he rushed out, a scream of "Your Grace" was heard from behind.

The blazing pile of firewood was difficult to approach, but at that moment, the only thought that dominated his mind was that he had to retrieve the grimoire.

Even as the fire caught onto the hem of his clothes and blisters formed on his hands from burns, he couldn't stop pulling out the book.

From behind him, a strong hand grabbed and pulled him as he clutched the singed book.

"Your Grace, have you lost your mind! No, damn it, truly, I told you I can't cure mental illness!"

"Y-Your Grace, your clothes are on f-fire, we n-need to stamp it out...!"

Even as Amelia and Verde were extinguishing the fire on his clothes, he desperately brushed off the sparks on the book.

"The book! It's safe!"

"Is the book the problem here!"

Of course, it was the problem!

The moment he stood up, someone forcefully tugged the book.

The elder's trembling hands were holding the grimoire Pnakotic.

"Hand it over! Where do you think you're going, you can't go anywhere!"

"What are you doing! Let go of this, we have urgent business!"

"Without you all, I can't activate the artifact again!"

The village was about to be overrun by those demonic beasts; who cared about some artifact?

The old man was surprisingly strong; even though he pulled with all his might, the book didn't budge.

"This is not the time! Without this, we can't solve this problem! Please stop interfering!"

At that moment, someone screamed.

The person who had come wrapped in a shawl and proclaimed that the monsters' buds were angels' blessings was now writhing on the ground.

Inside the thin skin surrounding the massive grayish-white lump moving on the back of his head, an ominous life form could be seen wriggling.

"Aah, aaaaaaah!"

The verge of hatching.

This hatching didn't take as long as the previous one.

In an instant, what tore through the back of the head stretched, pulling out tentacles from every corner of the body of the person who had gone into shock from severe bleeding.

The demonic beast born before their eyes was much larger and more imposing than a human.

The people around began to collapse one by one.

Some screamed madly at the sight they had never seen before,

While others sat down and helplessly kicked their feet, trying to move backward.

He had to do something about this.

In the moment he was distracted by that, the grimoire slipped out of his grasp.

"My book!"

The elder moved away from him one step at a time, holding the book.

As he got up, holding onto Amelia and Verde, the elder shouted.

"Don't move from there. If you take even one step closer, I'll burn this book right away!"

"Look here!"

"Having lived longer than you, I should be sharp. I don't know what's written in this book, but there must be a way to defeat those creatures. Isn't that right?"

"Don't open it. I've clearly warned you..."

"You dare warn me! Me! A mere youngster like you!"

The elder suddenly exploded.

Sweat glistened on his forehead from the heat and nervousness.

"I am the elder! I've lived in this village the longest, and no one thinks about the village as much as I do! I decide everything! Me, and no one else!"

"Hey!"

"Don't talk back unnecessarily! This village, this book, they're all at my disposal!"

"I'm telling you not to look!"

"That's for me to decide."

The elder snorted and opened the book.

As the pages rustled, he simultaneously squeezed his eyes shut. He felt Amelia tightly grip his arm.

After a few seconds that felt like an eternity, all the elder uttered was a single syllable.

"Oh."

It wasn't a complaint about not understanding or a question about what it was.

Just a dull "oh."

Was something wrong? When he barely opened his eyes to look, the elder was staring fixedly at the book.

The elder, who had been standing still as if it was very important, holding the book with both hands, burst into laughter.

"Ohohoho."

"Elder."

"Ohohoho, hehehehehe, hehehehehe."

"...Elder?"

"Hehehehe. Hehehehe. Hehehehe. Hehehehe. Hehehehe. Hehehehe. Hehehehe."

"Elder. Um, are you alright?"

"Ohohohehe! Hehehehehehehehehehehe, hehehehe. Hahahahaha!"

The elder was laughing heartily.

But his eyes were bloodshot, and sweat was now pouring down his face like rain.

Though he was laughing, the awkwardly raised cheekbones and muscles that intermittently twitched and trembled were unnatural.

The book fell from the hands of the elder, who had been laughing for a long time with eyes wide open as if he had read a very funny joke.

"Hahahaha! Uhahahahaha! Hahahaha, hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!"

The elder threw away his cane and staggered back, running away.

Behind him, who was running feebly in a strange posture as if being punished, with both hands raised above his head, only his hollow laughter echoed loudly.

"Wh-what in the w-world."

Amelia muttered.

He slowly walked over and picked up the book that had fallen to the ground.

A sigh escaped him involuntarily.

So that's why he had warned him not to read it, but why hadn't he listened?

As he opened the crumpled pages and turned a few, a page with intricate illustrations on yellowed paper appeared.

He turned to Verde and Amelia and said.

"Let's call this demonic beast 'the Children of Shub-Niggurath.' Listen carefully, we don't have much time."