Jormungandr and Vlad did not hastily leave the Turkin Kingdom to appear mysterious. Their swift departure was due to an urgent message they had received during their battle against the demonic horde.
A solemn expression crossed Vlad’s face as he recalled Overlord’s words: "In the north of the kingdom, strange events are unfolding. Monsters and even towns filled with refugees have perished under mysterious circumstances."
For something to be classified as "mysterious" by Overlord’s standards, it had to be truly peculiar. Vlad knew he had to investigate and deal with the issue quickly.
As he flew toward the next mission, Vlad couldn’t help but sigh, feeling as if he were constantly extinguishing fires, only for another to ignite elsewhere.
"Growing a kingdom is truly taxing," Vlad murmured with a wry smile. However, his eyes soon sharpened as he focused on recovering his strength, preparing for whatever awaited them.
Jormungandr’s speed was extraordinary, aided by his flaming wings and enhanced with lightning. In a little over fifteen hours, the duo traveled more than ten thousand kilometers, reaching their destination: a small, quiet town.
Vlad’s gaze narrowed as they gazed at the place from the sky. The town lay in a neighboring country called Amur, just north of their kingdom.
After the victory against the Azarin Empire, the forces of the Xaos Kingdom finally gained the freedom to explore and expand. Scouts were sent to investigate rumors of human settlements in the region to determine if they could be peacefully assimilated into the kingdom. What they found was far more alarming.
Immediately, Vlad noticed something unsettling. Many buildings had large white sheets draped across their rooftops, covering something ominous. His sharp senses told him something was wrong, but he did not get distracted. He focused on the roof of a large building, where seven figures awaited them.
"My King!" five of them shouted in unison, kneeling and bowing with impeccable etiquette as Vlad descended.
"Master, Brother," another figure greeted, bowing to Vlad and Jormungandr.
"Vlad, Jormungandr," the last one nodded with a small smile.
Vlad returned the gesture, signaling the Royal Guards to rise with a nod to Ouroboros before showing a kind smile toward Freya.
Meanwhile, Jormungandr retracted his wings and settled on Vlad’s shoulder to rest. The journey had been taxing, and he needed to recover his energy in case they encountered something dangerous.
"What’s the situation?" Vlad asked, wasting no time. It had been a while since he had seen the group, but there would be time for pleasantries later. His priority now was to understand the threat that had drawn Overlord’s attention and required the deployment of the kingdom’s strongest warriors.
Freya nodded and immediately moved to the white sheet covering a section of the roof. With a swift motion, she pulled it back, revealing hundreds of corpses—men, women, old, and children. They all appeared to have died within the last week; none showed signs of decomposition yet.
Vlad’s eyes darkened as he examined the grim scene. His gaze then drifted to the other buildings, where more white sheets undoubtedly covered similar horrors. Soon, he noticed something very odd that made him frown.
"There are no lethal wounds," Vlad observed, his voice low, a frown deepening on his face. "None of these people seem to have suffered any injuries that could have caused their deaths."
Freya nodded, her expression equally grim. "Yes, the scouts found all these people on the rooftops, dead without any apparent cause. It’s not just people either—there are also the monsters’ bodies that seem to have died similarly strangely in the town’s surroundings. The scouts covered the bodies with sheets and retreated, and Overlord sent us here."
The situation was far more disturbing than a mere attack or disease. As the Depravita of Wrath walked closer to the corpses, he issued a mental command to his A.I. Chip.
"Find the cause of death," Vlad commanded silently, his thoughts intertwining with the Chip’s calculations.
The Chip began scanning the bodies, processing data at an inhuman speed. Minutes passed before the robotic voice echoed in Vlad’s mind.
[Beep. Cause of death: neurological collapse. Their minds shut down completely.]
Vlad’s eyes narrowed as he processed the information. While the idea of sudden neurological failure was disturbing, it wasn’t entirely impossible in isolated cases. But for thousands of people—and even monsters—to die in the exact same manner? There had to be something more at play.
[Possible cause: forced extraction of souls.]
Vlad’s breath hitched slightly; though he did his best to keep his outward expression calm, he could not hide the shock that the A.I. Chip’s analysis caused.
Forced extraction of souls? That kind of power was rare, even among the alien forces. Whoever or whatever had the ability to strip the people’s souls represented an immense threat that should be handled with great caution.
Watching Vlad’s expression, Freya sensed the gravity of the situation. "What is it?" She knew the young man well, and it must be serious for something to disturb him.
Vlad stood silently for a moment before responding, "It seems the people here didn’t die from physical wounds. Their minds were wiped out, most likely from having their souls forcibly extracted."
The weight of his words sank in as the assembled warriors exchanged uneasy glances. The forced removal of souls wasn’t a typical attack, and trying to defend against it was not easy.
Ouroboros clenched his fists. "Who or what could do something ?" he growled.
Vlad looked out over the eerily silent town, the air thick with death. "That’s what we need to find out. Whoever did this, they must be very powerful and very dangerous."
Jormungandr lifted his head and spoke in a voice only Vlad could hear. "If they’re targeting souls, the enemy might be devils. Although we’ve found no indication of an incursion from Hell, they may have recently found a way into Terra."
A somber expression crossed Vlad’s face at the thought. When it came to souls, devils were indeed the most likely suspects.