Night fell like spilled ink, completely shrouding Black Oak Town.
The daytime clamor, cries, and sounds of slaughter had already subsided, replaced by a deathly stillness. Only the wind wailed as it passed through ruined houses, accompanied by the occasional low howl from the distant mountains and forests—whether from beasts or magical creatures, no one could tell.
The air was thick with the lingering stench of blood and a faint, almost imperceptible odor of decay that turned the stomach.
As far as the eye could see, there were only traces of ruin and death: dark brown blood splattered across the walls, gnawed-off limbs scattered at street corners, shattered doors and windows, and walls corroded and melted by acid.
The entire town lay in utter silence, as though every trace of life had been completely erased by the brutal purge of the day.
None of Duke's group of four had any desire to spend the night in that open square, which resembled a battlefield of hell. Each of them directed their slave creatures to roughly clear out two relatively intact stone houses with fewer bloodstains.
Leonard and Ella chose a residence on the eastern side of town, while Duke and Vivian chose a small courtyard on the western side.
Even after entering the house, they could still smell a faint scent of blood, and the floor was in disarray. It was obvious that the owner had been dragged away in a hurry.
Vivian cast several simple wind spells to disperse the dust and foul odor, then used debris to block the broken windows. At last, she managed to create a corner that was relatively suitable for shelter.
Only after they had settled in did the exhaustion they had suppressed all day truly descend upon them.
Looking at the silent streets outside