Published at 21st of December 2025 9:21 am

Chapter 1645: Monsters Inside The Houses

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Bluebird and his group were perplexed, more than they had been on any mission in recent memory, but they knew they couldn’t afford to stand around questioning things. They needed to act, investigate, and uncover what was happening, especially because they were working under a quiet but very real time limit. Nightfall was approaching, and based on what they had witnessed earlier, nightfall would change everything.

The first thing they did was spread out and explore more of the village itself.

From the look of things, a struggle had clearly taken place. There were splatters of dried blood staining patches of dirt and stone, trails of it leading around corners as if people had run or been dragged. On several wooden walls, scratch marks and broken boards hinted at violent attacks and desperate attempts to escape.

Every now and then, they found small remnants, bones that looked gnawed on, scraps of torn fabric, and signs of bodies that weren’t fully intact. Most of the remains appeared to have been taken by beasts or wild animals sometime after everything went wrong.

But one conclusion became obvious:

The villagers were either dead, or had become infected with whatever madness was keeping them hidden indoors.

All of them staying out of the sunlight only confirmed it further.

“We need to check the surrounding areas,” Bluebird said eventually. “If other towns show the same symptoms, this could become far worse than a simple regional issue.”

Rike was assigned to stay behind in the village while Bluebird and the other knight visited the next settlement. Rike protested, loudly at first. He wasn’t thrilled about being left in a village with nearly a hundred humans who had seemingly lost their minds. But Bluebird reasoned with him, and in the end, Rike accepted his role.

“As long as they don’t come out into the sun, I should be fine,” he muttered nervously. “Probably.”

Bluebird gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

“If anything seems wrong, don’t be a hero. Come find us immediately.”

Leaving Rike behind, Bluebird and the other knight headed to the next village over. They were relieved to find movement, laughter, and life as soon as they entered. People walked through the streets, children ran across wooden bridges, and vendors stood outside stalls shouting about their goods.

At the very least, the problem had not spread this far.

But Bluebird didn’t waste time. Before even questioning anyone, he made his way straight to a special courier post in town, a place used by adventurers and officials alike for fast communication.

He handed the young courier a sealed message.

“This needs to get to the Red Wing Kingdom as fast as possible,” Bluebird said sternly.

The young man bowed once, then immediately mounted a horse and sped off down the eastern road until he disappeared into the horizon.

With that done, Bluebird and the knight began their investigation.

Questioning locals was surprisingly easy. People were open and friendly toward them, especially when they heard the words Red Wing Kingdom. They offered meals, asked if any major war had broken out, and apologized for not having more prestigious accommodations.

But what was concerning, what was genuinely unsettling, was that no one had heard anything about the sickness or the symptoms Bluebird described.

Not a single person.

No strange illness.

No red-eyed humans.

No bizarre outbreaks.

No attacks.

Some of the villagers even claimed they had recently visited the afflicted town and everyone there seemed perfectly fine.

So the change was sudden, Bluebird thought. And incredibly drastic. But the village had been reporting strange problems for a while, hadn’t they? How could it turn so quickly?

Something didn’t feel right.

If it were a natural disease, spread from person to person, it would have at least trickled into nearby areas. Someone would have seen something. Someone would have carried symptoms.

But this?

This felt targeted.

Purposeful.

Almost... planned.

And however it started, it seemed containable, at least for now. Because no one in the healthy village displayed a single sign of infection, and no one knew anything about a cure either. That wasn’t surprising in smaller towns like this; the best medical experts were far away in the larger cities.

When Bluebird returned to Rike, he found the man pacing anxiously.

“Nothing happened,” Rike said quickly, “but I kept feeling like something might happen.”

“I had the same worry,” Bluebird admitted. “There’s a chance whoever, or whatever, killed the Knight Captain might come after you too.”

Rike gulped, suddenly more pale.

“Th-that thought didn’t help.”

“But I have some good news,” Bluebird continued. “The issue hasn’t spread. The villages nearby are fine. That also means we need to decide what to do with the infected villagers... and we don’t have many options.”

The biggest issue became painfully clear as they stood near the edge of the abandoned settlement.

Restraints.

They had none suitable for this situation. Ordinary ropes and chains were already useless, they had tested them earlier when entering one of the cabins. The ropes snapped like twine. Even reinforced knots were torn apart. Whatever strength the infected had, it was far beyond that of normal humans.

They would need beast-grade restraints, metal and leather infused with Qi or magical beast attributes. But those were rare and hard to obtain, and certainly not lying around in a remote riverside village.

“What do we do?” Rike asked, fear creeping into his voice. “When nightfall comes, won’t they come out? Won’t they come after us? And not just us, they might leave this place and attack other towns too.”

Bluebird didn’t answer immediately.

He stared out across the empty streets, eyes narrowed. He wasn’t just thinking about the three of them. He was thinking about the kingdom. About Bronzeland as a whole. About what would happen if a hundred infected humans spilled out into the world under the cover of darkness.

“To protect the kingdom,” Bluebird said quietly, “we have to try something first.”

He finally met Rike’s eyes.

“We’ll enter one of the larger camps and attempt to restrain as many as we can. If we can immobilize a group, even temporarily, it will buy us time until reinforcements arrive.”

Rike’s grip tightened around his sword.

“And if we can’t restrain them?” he asked.

Bluebird exhaled slowly.

“Then... when nightfall comes, we’ll have no choice but to get rid of them all.”

Rike’s stomach twisted. The sun was already beginning to dip behind the trees, casting long shadows over the abandoned houses. Purplish light washed over the ground.

He knew Bluebird too well.

He knew the Captain hesitated in situations like this, not from weakness, but from compassion. And that hesitation might cost them all dearly.

Night was coming fast.

And so were the monsters trapped inside the houses.

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