Return of the Fallen Volume 2 Chapter 20
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Author: Blue_Rat
ch20
A few villagers still held their doubts about telling Kazuki and the others their secrets but since things had come this far and they were on the edge, they could only bear with it as they placed their trust in their chief’s judgment.
As Nunully continued to heal Sam, Kazuki and the rest all sat in a large circle and listened intently to the chief.
“Long ago, my father’s father’s father left the western lands filled with monsters and Magical Beasts and settled in this peaceful forest. With no other humans around for hundreds of miles and no powerful creatures, my ancestors could finally rest easy.”
“From the west, do you mean where the Miasma and the Azirians rule?”
Asuna’s abrupt question confused the chief.
“Miasma, Azirian’s, what are those?”
Kazuki’s brow lifted.
(He doesn’t know about them, could his ancestors have left before those things appeared on the western side of the continent?)
Seeing that the chief didn’t seem to know about humanity’s enemies, Asuna started explaining everything she could remember from Garn but that only left the chief and the other villagers even more confused. These people really had been highly isolated. The chief went on to tell them that people rarely found their way to their village and the topic of humanity’s enemies never came up and since it was only in recent years that the Miasma and the Azirian’s started to move eastward aggressively, news of it was still not everywhere mainly due to political reasons.
After the first bits of humanity that were closest to the ever expanding Miasma and Azirian’s were destroyed, the three great kingdoms forcibly evacuated anyone within a thousand miles or so of the danger. The reasons the people were given for being pushed off of their land and forced to migrate more than a thousand miles were all clearly bullshit but the people could hardly rebel against the three great kingdoms combined.
Even though their number was in the millions and tens of thousands of them starved on their forced journey, when it came to facing figures like Master Garn and others, the people could only remain silent and suppress their anger. Little did they know though that the three great kingdoms had actually saved them. For the amount that would have died had they come face to face with the Miasma or the Azirians would have been 100%.
Asuna told the villagers about the Miasma and the Azirians and the villagers shuddered in fear. Even the chief felt a bit of cold sweat on his forehead.
(If what this young girl says is true then our ancestor’s lineage that remained in the west has already been extinguished.)
A sense of sadness filled the chief’s heart.
After Asuna’s explanation, the chief did his best not to think about his fallen brethren and continued where he left off.
“My ancestors originally left the west because of fighting but if what you say is true, young lady, then it seems fighting will be here soon. Maybe we really will have to find a new home.”
A sense of sorrow filled the villager’s hearts. Leaving their home that they’ve known all their life was the worst possible solution, some would even prefer death over leaving.
“Is that what you all want?”
Kazuki’s voice was low but all could hear it clear as day. The chief couldn’t help but shout.
“Of course not!”
“Good, that’s the spirit. As long as you don’t lose your determination and will then there is still hope. So no need for self-pity or tears, just keep pushing forward and let no obstacle stand in your way.”
Kazuki’s words caught these villagers off guard but a few of them actually took what he said to heart and a bit of gratitude towards him was felt.
“Chief, I get that you and your people came from the west but what I really want to know is about the Magnitium. What is its true purpose in your village.”
The chief stood up and with a wave of his hand, he said.
“Please follow me.”
Kazuki, Asuna, and Shin followed after him while Nunully and Sam were still being healed.
The chief led the three to the back of the chamber where there was a tiny narrow path. Walking ahead, the path was only big enough for a single person to go at a time. Once they entered this small back entrance, it immediately led downward at a sloped angle.
100 feet 200, 500. The air became hot and made breathing a bit more difficult. The temperature had to be over 120° which caused Asuna and Shin to sweat profusely. Kazuki was doing a lot better. Since his main element was fire he would easily be able to withstand this little rise in temperature. That was not to say that he was completely immune to heat but with just this, he could handle it.
What was surprising though was that the chief still remained calm in this environment and not a single drop of sweat was spotted on him.
Even though the glow of the crystal ceiling was not very bright, everyone could still see fairly well and noticed his body.
“Ah, the reason for this is, well, take a look.”
The chief held up his wrist and his Limiter tattoo was flashing.
“I’m sure you’ve noticed by now but these Limiter tattoos which I and my people have are not normal. My sister Abah is an inscription master and she made our Limiter tattoos different from regular ones. Ours is actually special in fact. Without an Enhancing tattoo, regular Limiter tattoos suppress a person’s strength and abilities. This one, however, helps to not only suppress but also control our abilities. Meaning if one concentrates a bit, they can tap into their abilities to a certain extent.”
“Us Mangshi can easily withstand high temperatures. As to why, well, I was told a story long ago that our ancestor’s ancestor was, in fact, a phoenix but whether there is any truth in that, I don’t actually know. Still, it’s fun to think about. Because of this, whether it’s speed, strength, or other things, as long as I concentrate, even an old man like me can prove to be useful. Haha, had I not been distracted by your sudden appearance last night, I might have actually been able to put up a fight, haha, just kidding.”
Kazuki looked at the old man’s wrist curiously.
(Hmm, It’s hard to believe but after all the books I’ve read, all the things I’ve seen yet I have never seen a modified Limiter tattoo. At first, I didn’t notice anything odd but looking closer there really are some differences, they’re just hard to spot because they are so small. Even with my enhanced vision, the complex details are not easy to follow. This Abah lady, it seems like she’s actually master class.)
Asuna was also curious about something and asked.
“You can use some abilities, can everyone else as well?”
The chief shook his head.
“No, you have to practice for many many years. Out of everyone in the village who can do it there are three of us…No, there are only two of us now.”
Everyone noticed a bit of regret in the chief’s voice.
“You mean to say?”
Asuna couldn’t help but ask more and the chief couldn’t help but respond bitterly.
“I and my sister can tap into our abilities and the other person was Mei’s father, Tsura’s husband. You told me that you killed a Mangshi last night. Since Mei and Tsura are alive, it means the one that died was none other than Tsura’s husband. That man was a genius. What took me and my sister Abah 300 years to master, that young man learned to do it in 40. Had Mei not been controlling him the night he died, I don’t think I’d be talking to you all today.”
Shin heard this and yelled from the back.
“Whoa! don’t just pass that statement on by like it was nothing. What do you mean 300 years to master? You don’t look more than 65.”
The chief blinked a few times.
“Well, how old did you think I was? Boy, you do know that a magical beast’s life span and humans are completely different. Not only that our life spans vary from species to species. For example, If a regular human’s average life span is around 80 then a tier-one Magical beast Mangshi such as myself is almost 400 years.”
Since everyone was facing the front and the path was so narrow, no one could see the ridiculous expression on Shin’s face.
(Holy crap, this geezer is over 300 years old, then doesn’t that mean.)
“Oy, old man if you’re 300 then how old are those kids then? Don’t tell me they are all hundred-year-old brats.”
The old chief found Shin’s statement to be kinda rude and he scoffed.
“Hmph, don’t be ridiculous, the children aren’t 100 yet. They’re all between 40 and 70 years old. Well, except Mei, that is. She’s the firstborn of the new generation and she is genuinely 7. The reason there’s such an age gap between her and the others is because she was an accident. Our village is small and must remain hidden, that means we can never grow too big or we outgrow the resources around us. Had I known what she would become, I’d have dealt with the situation sooner. Her age also makes her power incredibly dangerous. Without maturity and wisdom, she is a wild unscrupulous monster, prone to throwing tantrums and hissy fits. Except when she loses her reasoning, you can’t simply put her in a corner, for she can destroy the corner. Force one of us to do it for her or anything else she desires. Her tantrums lead to death and destruction. Her tantrums lead to her father dying and her mother being so delusional that she believes me and the rest of my people are the cause when the undeniable fact is her daughter is a plague to us all.”
The group went silent for a while as they continued downward, wondering just what secret the old man would reveal to them next.
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