Chapter 296: Shadow Village
Chapter 296: Shadow Village
When I arrive in the village I came across a big change in the village Guardian who evolved into a race called the Forest Being, it seems she had help for that, she also said she had a message from a Spirit Queen for me.
"She said she helped me evolve into a wood elemental and a Holy Beast as a reward for you fulfilling the Spirits' request, but it's up to me whether I choose to make a contract with you or not." (Forest Being)
"Wait a minute! What kind of reward is this? What contract are you talking about? And what do you mean a Holy Beast?" (I)
"One question at a time, we have time, so I'll explain it to you." (Forest Being)
"I will start by explaining what a Holy Beast is, you already know that Fairies take care of nature's mana and Spirits take care of nature's spiritual energy, this helps nature to maintain its balance." (Forest Being)
"Holy Beasts are monsters that can harmonize with nature just like Fairies or Spirits, their duty is to take care of nature's Ki, normally only monsters from the 10th generation have chances to become a Holy Beast, the other alternative is to be chosen worthy by a Fairy and a high-level Spirit, so they could help the monster harmonize with nature as was my case." (Forest Being)
"When a monster becomes a Holy Beast its body is transformed by the Ki of nature and a pure element, so the Holy Beast many feces becomes an elemental monster, in my case, I became a Wood Elemental, I am from a race rare call of the Being of the Forest." (Forest Being)
"About contracts, it's easy to explain, Holy Beasts can make contracts just like Fairies and Spirits, but it must be of their own volition." (Forest Being)
"As for your reward, it looks like it's the opportunity to form a contract with me, all they asked was for me to stay close to you for a while and see if I would agree to form a contract with you or not." (Forest Being)
"I think I get it, but why would I want to form another contract when I have two at the moment? I'm happy with what I already have." (I)
"This is something I learned a little while ago when I became a Holy Beast a lot of new information popped into my head." (Forest Being)
"It seems that there are rare people who have the ability to use more than one type of energy, but there are also rare people who can train in three types of energy like you." (Forest Being)
"You must know that forming a contract with a Fairy, a Spirit or a Holy Beast is not an easy thing, but for the rare who have managed to form a contract with the three types of beings that care for nature, they get a great gift." (Forest Being)
"They earn the title of the trinity of nature, with that title one will be blessed by nature itself, that's all I know." (Forest Being)
Sigh
"What kind of reward is this that I might leave with nothing?" (I)
"You should be happy Zenos, the number of Holy Beasts is much less than Spirits and Fairies, they are also rare who choose to make contracts with people." (Forest Being)
"Please don't tell me that you also want to form some Cradle of the Holy Beasts." (I)
"No, that doesn't exist, a Holy Beast is not born, a monster needs to be worthy to become a Holy Beast, that's a great honor." (Forest Being)
"Do you Holy Beasts also have a God?" (I)
"Yes, the Beast God Cratos." (Forest Being)
I was surprised by the things I learned from the Village Guardian, after a long conversation I walked with her to the village leader's house, soon I was leaving, so I wanted to talk to her one last time.
As soon as I arrived I found the village leader and everyone on the council, they were silent as if they were waiting for something when I entered everyone looked at me with a face full of expectation.
For some reason, Ivan, Freya, Érica, and Vanessa were there too, as soon as I entered they came to me.
"Looks like you found the Guardian, I was very surprised when I saw her earlier, but it's a relief to know I don't need to leave her behind, it was eating my heart out inside." (Sapphire)
"I always told you to stop thinking about me and do your duty as village leader." (Forest Being)
"You took care of me and everyone in the village from a young age, you taught and trained us, there is no one in the village who would leave you behind." (Sapphire)
"Stop talking, you're going to make me cry Sapphire." (Forest Being)
"From your conversation, it looks like you guys decided to leave, right?" (I)
"Yes, we chose to leave the mountain range, there is no future for us here." (Sapphire)
"We would like to know if you would be willing to help us?" (Nymph leader)
"I help with great pleasure, I imagine it would be difficult to move so many people across the mountain range." (I)
"I think you misunderstood Father." (Vanessa)
"Huh!?" (I)
"When you arrived at the village I told you that there is no place on this continent where we could build a village, we would be attacked wherever we went." (Sapphire)
"But we can't stay where we are either, in addition to the problems caused by the miasma, there are also the armies that Vanessa claims are coming this way." (Sapphire)
"After a long conversation with some of your group and the village council, we came to a unanimous decision." (Sapphire)
When the village leader finished speaking, everyone stood up and walked towards me, then got on their knees and bowed their heads, even the people in my group got on their knees.
"What are you guys doing? Why is everyone kneeling?" (I)
"Zenos, as the village leader I beg you to let us live in your dungeon, allow us to build a place where we will never be in danger again." (Sapphire)
"What? Do you want to stay in the Dungeon?" (I)
"Master, please accept them, they are trusted people with whom we fight side by side." (Ivan)
"They have nowhere else to go, please accept it, Father." (Vanessa)
Why is everyone making a request like this to me, I only let them live a few days in the Dungeon while we were fighting Farus.
"…" (I)
My head was already hurting as I tried to understand this situation, they took me by surprise this time, I didn't know what I should do, I looked at the people kneeling on the floor and then at the door still open behind me to see the village.
"(If I refuse where will they go?)" (I)
"I always told the master that it was only a matter of time before people gathered around him." (Érica)
"Someone like you would sooner or later attract people, even if you refuse to accept them now, similar situations will happen again." (Érica)
"The master likes the people of this village, you also led these people several times over these days, so why doubt her now." (Ivan)
"It's one thing to host people for a few days, it's quite another to let those people live with you." (I)
"I know this is a sudden request, it took me a long time to accept this myself, but you have shown yourself to be trustworthy many times." (Sapphire)
"All your combat plans took into account the lives that would be lost in the process, you helped by providing weapons, armor, potions, and combat clothing to my village, you even thought about how we could feed ourselves by planting fruit trees and sharing the monsters that you hunted." (Sapphire)
"You even provided treatment for the wounded and sick, everything you've done is something I as a village leader should have done, I can never repay everything you've done so far." (Sapphire)
"After all you've done for this village I know I'm asking a lot, but please allow us to build a village in your dungeon?" (Sapphire)
"(After all you've said, I can't refuse…)" (I)
Sigh
"Alright, alright I accept, now stand up." (I)
"What trouble have I gotten myself into…" (I)
When I said I accepted the council people started hugging each other after getting up, the village leader shakes Ivan's hand and I see the village guardian crying with a smile on her face as she sees everyone cheering.
After that, the village leader accompanied by the village council leaves the house and they walk towards the center of the village, while they are going the village people follow them, in the center of the village the Orc representative stamps his foot on the ground and a part of the solo gets up, so the village leader and the others go up there and wait for the village people to gather before they start talking out loud.
"From today onwards the village of Lamias no longer exists." (Sapphire)
"Earlier today I told everyone the dangerous situation we find ourselves in, I also told the plans to move to a new location and build a new village." (Sapphire)
"Now I am happy to say that we have permission to build our new village in Dungeon Eclipse, now we welcome the new village leader Zenos!!!" (Sapphire)
"ZENOS!!!"
"ZENOS!!!"
"ZENOS!!!"
"ZENOS!!!"
"ZENOS!!!"
with the speech to the village leader I realized that she had already told the situation to everyone in the village, it seems that she even told that she was planning to create a village inside my Dungeon, at that moment I remember that the camp was with all the things still there, but no one was inside the Dungeon, it was then that I realized that she was already getting ready for when I accepted.
When I looked at the people screaming my name I see that some people started to take the boxes with everything stored and take them to the Dungeon gate, the people who were putting everything away when I left the Dungeon were preparing for this moment.
"I was tricked…" (I)
"Deceived is a strong word, we just knew you would accept it." (Vanessa)
"I knew the master wasn't going to leave the people of this village to their own devices." (Ivan)
The village leader comes towards me with a big smile and taps my shoulder as she talks to me.
"I'll always be with you Village leader, you don't know what a relief it is not having this responsibility anymore hahahahahaha…" (Sapphire)
"What?" (I)
Ding!
"Now all that's left to do is give your village a name, choose a name that represents us." (Sapphire)
"You who should be the village leader." (I)
"The Dungeon is yours, so you're the village leader, I thought it was obvious, now that you've accepted it, you can't go back on your word, can you?" (Sapphire)
"I was tricked…" (I)
"Let's not cry village leader, at least choose a name for your village." (Sapphire)
"Come on Dad, the days are going to be more fun with so many people." (Vanessa)
I wiped the sweat that was running down my eyes, before surrendering to this situation.
Sigh
"Okay, looks like I have nowhere to run, so I'll at least pick a good name." (I)
"That's how you talk." (Forest Being)
I close my eyes and spend a few minutes thinking about the features of the village, I try to think about what makes this village unique, then I look down and see my shadow, at that moment an idea comes to my mind.
"How about the name being Shadow Village after all the Dungeon is in my Shadow as well as the whole village." (I)
"That's a good name." (Sapphire)
"Liked it." (Vanessa)
"That name gives a certain degree of mystery." (Ivan)
"May the Village of Shadows prosper under your command Zenos." (Forest Being)
Ding!