Fallen Chronicles

Chapter 274 Chapter 274: The Past (Part 1)

Sorry for the delay, I had something coming up and couldn't post any, as for the bonuses, it will be post today.

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Renji could quite understand Suthia, after all, no one wants their dark history laid bare in front of their beloved, just like many people chosen by the large truck, about to be hit into another world, thinking in the last second, they would want to format their computer's hard disk just the same.

The barrage that Thia launched against the witch, in essence, was no different from urgently formatting a hard disk; if it were him, he probably would be even more anxious.

The witch, essentially, is just a segment of the Zero's Dream program. Even if a living mouth were left, it's doubtful any valuable information could be extracted, might as well end it and save the time.

After nearly a month, Renji finally met his woman online again, and he really wanted to be intimate for a while, but with the dramatic changes in the Dream Zero following the witch's death, Renji had to pull his attention back first.

The witch, being one of the five "Miasma Masters" who divided the world, her demise caused the overall concentration of Miasma in the dream world to drop by one-fifth immediately, especially in the region she governed.

Looking around, the originally barren and cracked land now seemed to be healed, quickly regaining vitality, with the shadows of grass and vegetation already visible.

At the same time, the number of Miasma monsters wandering in the wilderness also sharply decreased, either moving to other areas or directly dissipating into nothingness.

Perhaps the only thing that hasn't changed is the sky above, still bloody red, but compared to the initial heart-thumping dark brown-red, the color has obviously faded a bit.

The change in the environment is one aspect; on the other hand, it's like the reward after defeating a BOSS, the witch left behind many illusions.

These illusions formed a series of pictures, not others, but the past stories of "Ashen" and "Suthia."

As a player, Renji mostly operated from a third person perspective, issuing commands from a macro perspective through various options on the game interface.

Now, these illusions have given Renji another angle, filling in many details he never knew in the game from a micro perspective.

Like a little shabby house similar to a horse stable, a little girl lying on a bed with a straw mat wakes up groggily, scared of the unfamiliar place, seemingly unclear about what happened, where this is, how she got here.

But fortunately, the sound insulation of the shack was very poor. Just as she carefully approached the door, the conversation of the guards outside reached the little girl's ears.

"I don't know what the leader was thinking, insisting on taking in a child, and a sickly-looking girl at that"

"Who knows, maybe our leader is kind-hearted, even giving up his own room for her."

"Alas, although being kind is better than being cruel, I don't want to follow a leader who's too nice. In this world today, being kind just means being bullied. How can our settlement develop in the future?"

"Develop? You're thinking too much. Like our small settlement, I've joined more than a dozen, barely surviving is already good. In fact, most probably disappear in a few months, so take my brother's advice, the settlement isn't yours, don't foolishly give your life for others. Like us, just muddle along as much as you can, if something happens, run quickly, never take the lead, preserving yourself is the most important. If this settlement is gone, just find another new leader."

"Hmm… you got a point, alas! In the end, it would be good if we could become Eclipse. That way, we could join those big settlements that are safe and stable."

The illusion ends here, and the next scene shifts to a tense and intense battlefield.

Many dog-level Miasma monsters surround the settlement, trying to break through the main gate, with about a dozen militiamen being commanded by a person shrouded in the shadow of a cloak, resisting the monsters.

Initially, it was okay, Ashen perfectly utilized each militiaman, letting each one be in the most suitable position to exert the greatest combat power.

The good times were short-lived. Even as casualties mounted, Ashen, the commander, directed the other militiamen to fill the gaps with rapid calmness and without panic. However, it was evident that the militiamen couldn't replicate his demeanor.

Among them, some began to show more and more reluctance to fight. When ordered by Ashen to take the lead, they exhibited hesitation and even resistance.

The battle that could have been ended with a bit more effort under Ashen's command now became uncertain again.

A militiaman at the forefront, due to a slight carelessness, was terribly bitten on the thigh by a Miasma mad dog. The bloody wound made him scream in pain. The wailing made the already panicked team even more unstable, with several people showing a tendency to flee.

At that moment, a divine light seemed to descend from the sky, shining on the militiaman's leg wound. It not only drove away the surrounding Miasma monsters but even, to many people's astonishment, rapidly healed the militiaman's wound. In a few blinks, under the divine light, it was as good as new.

"Don't be afraid, everyone. I am here, I am an Eclipse, my ability can heal everyone. As long as I am here, you all won't be in danger of losing your lives!"

"So please trust our leader, trust Lord Ashen's command, we can definitely defeat them!"

The little girl stepped forward from the back, actively joining the battlefield, and Ashen didn't say much about it, continuing to command the militiamen to resist the monsters.

Knowing that an Eclips, especially a healer, was assisting them, the militiamen's morale greatly increased. Many were able to let go of their fears of getting injured.

The battle quickly ended, marking an unprecedented victory for the settlement with zero casualties.

The illusion scene shifted again. The former small settlement of twenty to thirty people has now developed into a considerable scale, with the number of people expanding to over a hundred. The area of the settlement also grew from half a football field to the size of two football fields.

The reason was simple: the rapid growth of the militiamen's combat power in the settlement.

After all, before, if they were injured in battle, the minor injuries were okay, but more serious ones almost equaled a death sentence in the future, as medicine was the most scarce resource in the settlement.

But with the little girl joining the fight, it's different now. The militiamen all know that no matter how severely they are injured, as long as they don't die, they can be healed back to normal by Suthia.

So, regarding the leader's command in battle, they could almost strictly comply, no longer cowardly.

As the only Eclips in the settlement, and a healer, Suthia quickly accumulated a lot of popularity, gaining the admiration and affection of many in the settlement. They rushed to try and talk to Suthia, chat, and become friends.

"Miss Thia, thank you so much. Without you, I probably wouldn't see the sun tomorrow."

"It's nothing, Uncle Kuro. This is what I should do. Compared to me, Lord Ashen's command is more amazing"

"Mm, the leader's command is indeed amazing, haha."

"Sister Thia, not to hide it from you, today, when the leader told me to take on that viper's sting, I really wanted to run, it was completely because I thought of you that I gritted my teeth and went for it."

"Thank you, Brother Ake for trusting me. But every command from Lord Ashen, I believe, is absolutely the best solution at the moment. Next time Brother Aken can't have this kind of thought again, you have to believe in our Lord"

"Mm, I know."

"Thank you Suthia. Sometimes I think, if you were the leader, it would be good. Our Lord is always silent and taciturn, not knowing how to communicate."

"Koren, Lord Ashen carries the lives of hundreds of people in the settlement, including you and me. It's because of such great pressure that he speaks so little. How can we blame Lord Ashen for this?"

"Ah, that's also true. When I encounter tense battles, I also don't have the time to speak. Suddenly, I feel a bit able to understand my lord now. It was my mistake."

"Sister, how come Lord Ashen always wears a cloak, never taking it off? It's scary at night. You don't think the leader... isn't human, do you?"

"Pfft! Little Yana, don't talk nonsense. How could that be? I'll tell you secretly, actually, under Lord Ashen's cloak is a super handsome man! He has a pair of deep blue eyes, a firm face, a tall nose bridge, and, and~~"

"Wow! Lord Ashen is so awesome!"