The Truth of Ereccia

Chapter 35: The Truth of Ereccia

The crimson blood had long since dyed the soil a reddish-brown, and a faint mist of blood permeated the sky. Countless dark red tentacles on the city's outskirts writhed madly, occasionally shedding flesh and blood that was impossible to identify as belonging to any particular limb.

"Truly a breathtaking view, wouldn't you agree, Lord Ai Rui?"

On the peak of a high mountain not far from Ereccia, a man in military uniform gazed with intoxicated delight at the city, which had transformed into a living hell. With every gust of wind that carried distant screams, his sickly smile grew more twisted.

"Selos, are the soldiers ready? Not a single person is to be allowed to escape."

The man named Ereccia did not respond to the previous question. He merely looked down at the city below with a cold expression and inquired. He was the ruler of the city below, the one who had once led its construction and prosperity.

And, under his leadership, this city named Ereccia had become hell.

"Of course, Lord Ai Rui. I guarantee not a single lowly commoner will escape the testing grounds."

Selos turned and bowed to Ai Rui, a flush of unhealthy red creeping onto his face. His bloodshot eyes made him look terrifying. He was no longer the gentle, kind former captain of the city guard, who always wore a smile even when dealing with commoners.

"Indeed! All for His Majesty the Emperor!"

Ereccia nodded coldly. However, when he spoke of His Majesty the Emperor, his eyes burned with fanatical devotion. Decades ago, he had received orders from the Empire to go to the borderlands, recruit refugees from other kingdoms, and establish cities.

On that day, tens of thousands of Imperial soldiers received the same orders as Ereccia. Towns and cities began to rise along the borders of the Eastern Empire. During this period, a large number of residents from other kingdoms fled into the Eastern Empire, settling in these towns.

This city was the second one Ereccia had led the construction of, built upon the ruins of a previous city named Elzia. The deepest part of the sewers, where the Underground Kingdom of the Giant Rat tribe once resided, was the only evidence left after the previous city's destruction.

"For His Majesty the Emperor!"

Selos clenched his fist and slammed it against his chest, responding with a fanatical, sickly expression. He then turned and walked towards Ereccia below. His soldiers were already stationed at every exit outside the city.

Anyone who managed to escape would be immediately apprehended by the soldiers guarding the exits. Everyone would be inspected with special instruments. Those with special abilities would become experimental subjects for the Empire, while the rest would be killed and thrown back into the city.

"Report, Officer. No one has escaped so far."

Outside the city gate, a soldier in black armor saw Selos approaching and quickly stepped forward to salute. "Report!"

"Tch! What a bunch of trash."

Upon hearing the soldier's report, Selos glanced disdainfully at the writhing tentacles at the city gate. They had done this many times before, but previously, a few residents had still managed to escape.

Some of the experimental subjects for the Empire's ancient hero bloodline experiments were captured during these times. After all, under the threat of death and slaughter, those commoners might activate their latent bloodline powers just to survive.

"Forget it. We've already captured quite a few test subjects recently. Also, guard the exits tightly. Not a single person is to escape."

The next moment, Selos waved his hand, signaling the soldier in front of him to leave. While he was slightly displeased that no new test subjects had been captured, it was what it was. The next batch of refugees from other kingdoms was already on their way, and the city would soon be rebuilt.

As for why no one had discovered their actions yet, it was because everyone who survived became a test subject. Furthermore, only those most loyal to His Majesty the Emperor, who had been granted 'Power' by him, were allowed to participate in this plan.

"Yes!"

The soldier saluted and returned to his post, staring intently at every exit of the city.

Meanwhile, in the dark sewers, Tuka's team was struggling to move in a certain direction. The foul water and mud underfoot had turned bright red, and the pungent smell of blood mingled with the stench of the sewers.

"Stop!"

Suddenly, Gordon's voice came from the front of the team. Instantly, everyone in the squad held their breath. Even Tuka's eleven-year-old son covered his mouth tightly with his hand, not daring to make a sound. His dark brown eyes stared at the front filled with fear.

Just a few hundred meters away, around a corner in a sewer, three Shadow Guards observed their surroundings with scarlet eyes. Their bodies, made of shadow, allowed them to blend almost perfectly into the dim environment of the sewer. As they moved, only faint sounds could be heard, like ghosts gliding through the darkness.

A few minutes later, the Shadow Guards finally left the area and went elsewhere.

Seeing this, Gordon, who had been hiding in the shadows, did not appear immediately. Instead, he waited for a few more minutes, ensuring the monsters had truly left, before signaling to the others behind him. The group finally relaxed.

"Gordon, thank goodness for you. Otherwise, we really wouldn't have had a chance to escape."

Tuka stepped forward and gently patted Gordon's shoulder. After reuniting with Keith and Nina, they had secretly entered the sewers according to their original plan, heading towards a sewer that led outside the city, which they had discovered while pursuing a monster on a previous mission.

Along the way, relying on their familiarity with the sewers, Gordon's keen senses, and the mud smeared all over their bodies, the black ooze made them difficult for monsters to detect. The foul odor masked their own scents, allowing them to detect monsters in the sewers in advance each time, continuing their journey without incident.

"What are you saying? Don't forget, we're teammates who have been through life and death together."

Gordon looked up at Tuka and smiled gently. However, with his face covered in black mud, he looked somewhat comical.

"Yes! Keep your spirits up. We're not far from entering that sewer. Then we'll have a chance to escape."

Saying this, Tuka looked around their surroundings. With his familiarity with the sewers, he easily determined their location and estimated how much longer it would take to escape.

Behind Tuka, his wife tightly held their child's arm, her eyes filled with unconcealable fear. Even now, she didn't understand what had happened, why monsters had suddenly appeared in the city.

If Tuka and Gordon hadn't appeared in time, she and her son would have died under the monsters' claws, just like their neighbors. And the scenes they had witnessed along the way made her realize that this city they considered home might now only have them few survivors.

"Nina, how's Keith?"

At this moment, Tuka turned and asked Nina, who was at the very back. After bandaging Keith's wound and administering medicine, he had remained unconscious and was now being carried on Nina's back.

"His breathing has stabilized. He should be alright."

After speaking, Nina turned her head slightly to look at Keith behind her, her eyes filled with worry. She knew Keith's condition was only temporary. Even if they managed to escape, Keith would be crippled. Having lost an arm, he could no longer be an adventurer. Moreover, his wound, covered in sewer mud, would likely become infected later.

Whether he would survive was a question.

To the reader friends who mentioned the protagonist hasn't appeared for a long time, the world in the book hasn't even passed a single day yet. Also, this section is a very important foreshadowing, marking the birth of a heavyweight supporting character.

I, Daidai, want to make the characters' experiences, personalities, and so on, full and fleshed out, making them feel alive. Or rather, I want to write the entire book this way, moving beyond mere chronological accounts.

As for the protagonist, he will appear immediately after this part of the plot!