Desolate Village

"A horror story about a desolate village? I rather like that sort of thing, but don't worry. These Red Butterflies will protect us."

The Black Skirt Girl pointed at the Red Butterflies filling the sky around them. The fluttering translucent butterflies seemed to respond to her, all trying to land on her fingertips.

"As long as we don't leave the Red Butterflies, you will—I mean, we will be safe."

Shade looked at her for a long while before nodding.

"All right, I'll enter the village with you. But I still need to go to the mountaintop later, so let's move quickly."

"No problem. I can go to the destination with you later. I know there's a shortcut through this village that leads directly to the mountaintop."

Smiling, she took Shade's hand and led him out of the gloomy forest and into the black mist, formally entering the village shrouded in darkness, as though it lay within Eternal Night.

Outlander, you have entered the interior of a location-type relic once again.

"I know."

The Whisper Element grew increasingly dense. Terrifying black mist thick with curses swept toward them, and hideous faces could even be seen within it. Yet surrounded by the fluttering Red Butterflies, not a trace of the mist could approach them. On the contrary, as though afraid of the Red Butterflies, the fog around Shade and the Black Skirt Girl gradually thinned.

"What a powerful curse."

Shade looked around with lingering fear. If he had been alone, he definitely would not have entered.

"Sir, do you also study curses? Yes, this is a curse born from resentment, hatred, regret, and the calamity in the depths beneath the earth. We'd best not come into too much contact with them."

The Black Skirt Girl spoke as though she knew this place