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墨書 Inktalez
Gabriel arrived at the center of the village, where a group of elegantly dressed individuals exuding an air of arrogance stood, surrounded by anxious villagers.
Among the crowd, a tall man wearing a golden helmet stood on a platform, speaking loudly.
“Fellow villagers! Demons have invaded our world! Wherever these wicked beings go, they burn, kill, and plunder without mercy! They are the enemies of us all!”
He waved his arms dramatically, his voice echoing throughout the village. The villagers listened, their faces filled with fear and concern as restlessness began to spread through the crowd.
“What are we going to do? Have the demons really come?”
“I’ve heard terrifying tales about demons for a long time; I never thought they would actually arrive this time.”
“Can we fight against the demons? I hope they don’t come here.”
Voices rose in anxious chatter, worry permeating the air.
“To protect our homeland and ensure everyone’s safety, the Empire has decided to organize troops to resist the demons!
But this requires your support. Therefore, each person must pay taxes to fund the army and forge weapons to collectively resist the demons!” The man continued, though a glint of barely concealed greed flickered in his eyes.
Upon hearing this, the villagers erupted in protest. “Pay taxes? We barely have any money as it is!” a frail farmer frowned and lamented.
“Exactly! Life is already so tight; how can we survive?” a woman holding a child chimed in with her complaints.
At that moment, it seemed the Empire's envoy had anticipated the villagers' resistance. The leading man sneered coldly and waved his hand, prompting two burly subordinates to step forward from behind him.
One of the men wielded a glimmering long sword, swinging it fiercely. The blade sliced through the air with a whistling sound, effortlessly severing a nearby small tree. With a loud crack, the trunk fell heavily to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
This scene made the villagers gasp in fear. Another man began to chant incantations, and suddenly a roaring flame ignited in his palm. The fire danced wildly, raising the temperature and causing the villagers around him to feel the heat on their faces.
"Our knights are out there fighting and bleeding for you, while you live peacefully behind."
"Are you really unwilling to part with even a little money?"
A hint of impatience crossed the man's face as he looked down at them from his elevated position.
The villagers stared in terror at the unfolding scene, their eyes filled with dread. The once boisterous crowd fell silent, all intimidated by this display of power.
"Now, you all know what to do!" The leading man looked at the villagers with a smug expression, his gaze filled with menace.
"Protecting our homeland is something everyone should do."
"If you don't contribute even a little, then you are not a subject of this nation."
"When we discover demons, we will not use the money of our citizens to protect those who do not belong to us."
Another round of intimidation followed, accompanied by verbal threats.
With no other choice, the villagers reluctantly began to hand over their money.
Those who truly had no money could only helplessly offer their grain as collateral. Meanwhile, the imperial soldiers took advantage of the situation, demanding far more grain than necessary.
An elderly man trembled as he handed over the few bags of grain he had, his eyes filled with reluctance and helplessness.
"This is our family's food supply for three months..." he murmured softly, not daring to resist.
The imperial tax collectors rampaged through the village, plundering homes for valuables and food.
Soon, they arrived at Cuihua's Home. Cuihua and her brother stood in the yard, watching the arrogant imperial soldiers with a mix of helplessness and worry.
The leading soldier scrutinized Cuihua's family, a hint of disdain flickering in his eyes. "Hmph, just your family? Hurry up and hand over the money!"
"If you delay even a moment, the brothers bleeding on the front lines will go hungry, and you won't be able to bear the consequences!"
Brother Cuihua furrowed his brow and stepped forward. "Officer, we don't farm; we have no grain, only some game we've hunted. Please see..."
He gestured toward the few wild rabbits and mountain chickens hanging in the yard.
The soldiers exchanged glances, their expressions dripping with contempt. "Just this? It's far too little! But since you seem somewhat cooperative, we'll reluctantly accept it."
With that, they unceremoniously took all the game.
Watching their hard-earned catch being taken away, Brother Cuihua sighed in resignation. These animals had been their family's lifeline, and now that so much had been taken, life would be even more difficult ahead.
Especially now that there was an extra mouth to feed—Gabriel.
Life was about to get even tougher.
"It seems I need to hunt more in the forest," Brother Cuihua said to himself as he looked at the empty courtyard.
Gabriel, who was nearby, quickly chimed in, "I'll help too! I'm almost fully recovered now."
He thought to himself, "This is just a money collection; it hasn't reached the point of forced conscription, which means the demons haven't attacked here yet. That means there are only a few Low-level Demons scattered around."
"So many souls are all mine!"
"But I need to be careful and not attract attention. I must speed up my recovery."
As long as he entered the forest, even if those animals weren't killed by him, Gabriel could still absorb their souls.
For his future plans, enduring a bit and consuming the souls of lowly animals was acceptable.
Unexpectedly, Brother Cuihua shook his head in refusal.
"No, it's too dangerous in the forest right now. You've just recovered; what if something happens? I'll go by myself; you should stay home and rest."
Gabriel felt anxious but couldn't reveal his identity as a demon.
"There's no need for that; I'm feeling much better."
"Besides, I'm just following you, not going on an adventure. You're so strong; can't you protect me?"
"I've stayed at your home for so long; I want to repay you somehow."
Under Gabriel's persistent persuasion, Brother Cuihua finally relented, saying, "Alright, alright, I can't argue with you. But we must agree to stay near the edge of the forest. If there's any danger, you must hide immediately."
Gabriel nodded eagerly, unable to hide his excitement.
On the day of their departure, the sun shone brightly, and a gentle breeze rustled the leaves. Brother Cuihua carried a hunting bow on his back and had a sharp dagger at his waist, along with some hunting tools. Gabriel followed closely behind, feeling both nervous and excited. Although he was a demon, he was still recovering from serious injuries and dared not let his guard down.
Moreover, he was filled with curiosity about the forest; perhaps he could find an opportunity to regain his strength within its depths.
As soon as they entered the forest, Gabriel caught a familiar scent—the unique aroma of earth, leaves, and animals that filled the air.
He took a deep breath, feeling his demonic instincts stirring within him. Brother Cuihua remained vigilant, scanning their surroundings with keen eyes, not missing any detail.
"Remember, don't make too much noise and don't run around," he whispered to Gabriel. Gabriel obediently nodded but kept glancing around in wonder.
Brother Cuihua occasionally crouched down to inspect footprints on the ground and looked up to check for signs of animal activity in the branches above. After searching for a while, they only found a few wild rabbits.
The larger game they used to see from time to time—like pheasants and deer—was nowhere to be found now.
Brother Cuihua furrowed his brow in confusion and muttered to himself, "Strange, why are there so few animals around the forest lately?"
He felt a pang of worry; with Gabriel now added to their household, these wild rabbits would hardly sustain them for long. What would happen to their family's livelihood?
After much contemplation, Brother Cuihua gritted his teeth and decided to venture a little deeper into the forest with Gabriel in order to ensure their survival.
He turned his head and looked at Gabriel with a serious expression, reminding him, "When we go deeper in a bit, you must be extremely careful.
There are many dangers in the depths of the forest. If you encounter anything unusual, don't worry about me; just run back as fast as you can, understand?"
Gabriel was actually filled with curiosity about the depths of the forest. After all, he was a demon, possessing a unique perception and ability to handle danger. However, at that moment, he pretended to be scared and nodded, saying, "Brother, don't worry. I will definitely listen to you."
The two continued deeper into the forest, where the trees grew taller and denser around them. The sunlight was blocked by layers of branches and leaves, casting a dim light throughout the woods. The ground was covered with a thick layer of fallen leaves, which crunched underfoot with a "crunch crunch" sound.
As Gabriel walked, he curiously observed his surroundings. After all, this was the first world he had entered aside from the Abyss; it would be a lie to say he wasn't curious.
Trees, flowers, grass...
These were all things that did not exist in the Abyss, which was filled only with endless magma and countless demons.
Suddenly, his eyes lit up.
"These are Mandragora, Azure Wolf Flower, and Azure Liquid Fruit."
"All of them are quite poisonous!"
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