Kingdom of Night

Chapter 5: Darkness Descends

The cold significantly slowed the decay process, but to Neo, it didn't mean much. The stench that hung over the slums was as repugnant as the smell from long-clogged sewers, making it unbearable for him.

One can be miserable and destitute, but not filthy and numb. If the heart is dead, there is only degradation left.

This place, this slum, was Sol's land of degradation, filled with dilapidated houses and emaciated lower-class citizens. Even with the white snow covering it, it only added to the sense of sorrow and cold. The faint, icy stench that represented despair and pessimism was what Neo disliked the most.

There were no figures on the rugged and muddy paths, but Neo could feel the hostile gazes from the broken shacks, likely because of his clothes. Judging identity by attire was a common way to recognize people. Although Neo's clothes were only made of fine fabric with some brocade and embroidery at the collar and cuffs, they were still too conspicuous here.

The slums were considered by the noble lords as the easiest breeding ground for crime, but compared to the invasion of dark forces, Neo felt it was entirely necessary to take the risk. After all, the crimes here were mostly acts of desperation for survival, which were vastly different from pure destruction and evil. Besides, he had no choice now.

The pain from his torn body had never stopped. After a period of decline, it surged again, forming an upward curve. This was the effect of the 'Dark Tide,' a curse representing the integration of many torments. If it didn't cause instant death, its curse characteristics would change, and the 'Dark Tide' was one of them. It came in waves, rising and falling without a precise onset time, making it extremely troublesome.

Although he didn't fully understand the terror of the Dark Tide, Neo had some control over his physical and mental state. He knew he couldn't resist the second wave of the curse's effects for long. Soon, his combat ability would plummet to its lowest point, where even a child could easily kill him. Before that happened, he needed to find a suitable hiding place.

The pain was intensifying, his vision was blurring, and he could hear his own ragged breathing and the abnormal rapid pounding of his heart. Before his extraordinary hearing and smell dropped to ordinary levels, Neo finally found a shack hidden in a corner. He crawled inside, curled up, covered himself with a rough woolen cloak, tightly gripped his sword handle, and soon fell into a deep sleep.

Clang!

When he woke up again, Neo's first instinct was to draw his sword because he realized his position had changed.

Falling asleep as if in a deep slumber, without a single movement and with slow, steady breathing, was a skill almost every dark werewolf possessed, which Neo had mastered from a young age. Additionally, Neo had a vigilance that even ordinary wild animals couldn't match, but in a state of unconsciousness or deep weakness, this ability would be somewhat diminished. This time, he had slept too deeply.

In the reflected snow light, the cross sword's blade gleamed faintly like water. After confirming the surroundings, Neo silently sheathed his sword.

Someone had indeed visited while he was unconscious. His bundle had been opened, the jerky and the small bag of flour were gone, and the only remaining coin purse had disappeared too. However, Neo didn't feel particularly angry; rather, he was somewhat relieved. He thought the thief still had some conscience. Otherwise, if they had taken his woolen cloak, he might have frozen to death in the cold shack.

His stomach growled with hunger, and without food, his body couldn't warm up. But the tearing pain in his body had lessened significantly. More importantly, his energy had recovered, and his mind was clearer—a good sign for a duelist who valued skill above all else.

Standing up agilely and silently, Neo looked through the cracks in the shack at the sky. It was dark and gloomy, almost evening. By rough calculation, he had slept for at least four hours. Listening carefully, he could faintly hear the sounds of fighting and screaming, though infrequent, coming only once in a while.

Neo interpreted this as a sign that the dark forces had mostly taken control, and sporadic resistance likely meant that a city-wide search was underway, pulling out those who were hiding.

As someone who kept up with current events and knew history, Neo believed that after losing three millennium wars, the devils of hell had become less arrogant and more cunning with the arrival of the fourth millennium war. At least, the decision-makers had changed.

They were no longer keen on capturing cities and seizing territory, concentrating forces to confront the light army led by humans head-on. Instead, they preferred to exploit human desires, seducing, buying, dividing, and sowing discord. Using these insidious tactics, they continuously undermined the light army's war potential from within.

Looking at the events that had occurred in cities like Bougainville, Sfarient, and Desula in recent years, the dark forces' intentions were obvious.

Unfortunately, the rulers of the three major nations were still preparing for their 'millennium war,' concentrating forces, stockpiling food...

The result was weakened defenses and high taxes...

Neo shook his head, unwilling to think about the foolishness and shortsightedness of the nobles who frequented palaces and villas and the generals who gathered around map tables with their red wine and hot tea. Understanding the big picture might not be very meaningful for him, but it could be crucial for saving his own life.

"The dark forces won't occupy Sols for long," Neo thought silently while rubbing his numb, stiff limbs.

With this core understanding, he had a basis for judging the current situation. Neo believed that the dark forces' sudden attack on Sols was most likely to conduct evil blood rituals and dark pollution rituals, similar to the 'Night of Blood' in Sfarient. Essentially, it was like mixing poisonous mold into wheat, turning this land into a borderland between light and darkness, making it easier for the dark forces to infiltrate and move freely.

This tactic was undoubtedly insidious. To save the land, significant resources would be required, comparable to a major battle. If not saved, Sols would gradually fall into a true dark territory, causing unimaginable hidden damage, such as demoralizing the light army and swaying public opinion.

Besides land pollution, there was also life pollution. The dark forces would plant seeds of evil among the residents of Sols and might even arrange for many dark cultists to remain disguised as good citizens after the event, then withdraw to observe the changes.

This was equivalent to handing the opponent a blood-stained butcher's knife. If the light army dared to wield it, the dark forces would surely use their puppets in various kingdoms to expose the incident, creating a crisis of public opinion.

Identifying evil by its aura was easy, but identifying evil thoughts was difficult. Two years ago, in the city of Bougainville in the Holy Order Kingdom, an incident occurred where over 200 civilians were mistakenly killed due to the misuse of 'Identify Evil' magic. The repercussions were still felt today. Such a useful tactic would undoubtedly be used more than once by the dark forces.

In addition to land and life pollution, Neo believed the dark forces had other unknown purposes. Otherwise, considering the value and difficulty of the assault, Asia would have been a better target than Sols. It wouldn't make sense to choose a harder target without enough benefits. The dark forces' devils were certainly not foolish!

Regardless, since the dark forces needed to conduct evil blood rituals, they would need a lot of people, and the search was likely already underway. Neo decided to move immediately to the next hiding place.

At that moment, Neo heard the drumming footsteps and smelled the scorching sulfur...

Whether it was a coincidence or not was no longer important. A being with such an aura, making such sounds while walking, and giving him a sense of extreme danger, could only be someone like the Black Butcher or even a stronger presence. To Neo now, such a being was akin to the Grim Reaper. He had no interest in showcasing his bravery or toughness in front of such an enemy.

His legs hadn't fully recovered from their stiffness, so Neo had to be even more careful to avoid making a loud noise. Evening was the darkest time of day, and his night vision was of little help at the moment. Worse still, with nightfall and the howling cold wind, the muddy ground had frozen, covered with a thin layer of snow, making the already rugged path even more difficult to navigate. Neo couldn't move too fast, fearing he might miss a ditch and twist his ankle, which would be truly devastating.

After walking several dozen meters and turning a corner, Neo looked back and saw a Hellfire Golem appear at the other end of the alley. He gasped, ducked his head, and hurried on. Although not as notorious as the Black Butcher, Hellfire Golems ranked higher in the Bestiary. Their relentless nature and deadly 'Soul Sense' made them particularly fearsome.

The Hellfire Golem was an unstoppable killing machine, never tiring or stopping. But what made it most terrifying was its 'Soul Sense,' a higher-level skill than the ordinary dark golems' 'Life Sense.' Once it targeted someone, the outcome would only end with one side falling.

"It seems the third hiding spot needs to be adjusted..." Neo thought as he swiftly climbed onto a low shed and then onto a roof. He needed a broader view to decide on the best second hiding spot.

Like a cautious rabbit, each hiding spot had a certain relationship, not too close or too far, adjusted based on the actual situation.

In the original plan, the prison was Neo's third hiding spot. The prison in Sols was located in the southern central part of the city, not far from where he was. Neo remembered that a few dark cultists were indeed imprisoned there. He believed that once the dark forces invaded Sols, the prison would be one of their first stops. At the same time, the prison was probably a place few would want to visit a second time. Originally, it seemed like a good hiding place, but with a hunter like the Evil Fire Golem, hiding there would easily lead to being cornered. It was a risk not worth taking.

As for the second hiding spot—the Burning Grounds—this didn’t need to be changed. After all, whether it was 'Life Sense' or 'Soul Sense', a strong enough energy could effectively isolate them. Fire was a cheap and easy-to-find source of energy. If he could find a hiding place close to or within a burning building, it would be relatively safe until the fire diminished to a certain extent.

Neo had initially planned to warm himself by the fire and cook some food to get through the coldest part of the night. Now, he could only take things one step at a time.

Thump, thump, thump! The soul-shaking footsteps of the Evil Fire Golem grew clearer, maintaining their consistent, unhurried rhythm.

Neo let out a soft sigh. He knew that the time for resting four hours straight, like before, was now a thing of the past.