“Before the stronghold’s warriors could arrive, our numbers had dwindled from thousands to mere hundreds. Some warriors fell in battle, overwhelmed by the relentless onslaught.” the Village Chief continued, the weight of the tragedy evident in his tone. “The morning brought piles of dead Vylkr vines and the lifeless bodies of our fellow villagers, their fate worse than that of a corpse.”
We arrived in front of another door, and as he opened it, the chief instructed, “Wait here.” The door closed behind us, leaving me in suspense. He walked toward the lanterns hanging on the wall, his own lantern illuminating them. Mesmerized, I observed as the flames danced, intertwining and setting the peculiar stones within ablaze. After rekindling the lantern and securing it back in its position, he proceeded to the next one, seamlessly maintaining his narrative unfolding alongside the flickering light.
“After that, our journey to recovery was arduous and filled with pain. But once we had regained our strength, we delved into extensive research, leaving no stone unturned in our quest to understand why such a calamity had befallen us,” the village chief explained, his voice filled with determination. He illuminated the last lantern, and the room flooded with a radiant glow, revealing something that left me frozen in place.
“We reached a deep realization, directly tied to our ever-expanding numbers, and it led us to a crucial decision,” he said, his words hanging in the air. “Every person in a position of power made an unwavering agreement to maintain a delicate balance within our village. We vowed never to let our numbers grow too large, which could redirect the attention of the Vylkr vines away from our farms and towards us. Simultaneously, we would never allow it to dwindle to the point where we risked the absence of our future generations.”
“As the village chief, it is my solemn responsibility to ensure the population remains within certain thresholds,” he stated, his voice resonating with gravity. “I must keep it from surpassing a thousand and prevent it from falling below five hundred.” Pausing for a moment, he seemed to await my reaction or any questions I might have about the weight of his words.
Overwhelmed by the revelations, I couldn’t help but inquire, “What are these?” My eyes fixated on the multitude of stone statues in front of me, their number reaching almost a hundred. Some statues stood intact, while others bore cracks that threatened to shatter them at any moment. However, each shared a common feature—an expression of fear or astonishment frozen upon their faces. The statues appeared eerily lifelike, as if they were more than mere images etched into stone.
“If you’re currently pondering how these lifelike stone statues appear even more lifelike than they seem, then you’re absolutely correct. They hold a deeper significance. Each statue here represents a person who was rescued by the village chief during that fateful time. Using his gift, he carved out a safe space beneath his own hut. However, where there is life, the Vylkr vines are never too far away. As you can see, the safe haven was eventually overrun, and every inhabitant met a horrifying fate, their life force mercilessly drained from them,” the village chief explained with a sigh. 𝒃𝙚𝙙𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝒍．𝒆𝒕
He turned around, his gaze traversing the multitude of stone figures, and I followed closely, not wanting to be left behind. “The sole survivor was the village chief himself at that time. Consumed by grief and remorse, burdened by self-blame for failing to anticipate such a tragedy, he made a decision. Instead of living with guilt for the rest of his days, he embarked on a journey to the other side of the river, battling Vylkr vines until he vanished, never to be seen or heard from again.”
“After these events unfolded, the village chief who preceded me was appointed as my predecessor based on merit. Now, after sharing all of this with you, I hope you can understand why I’ve revealed and shown you these things,” he concluded, his tone filled with a mix of solemnity and hope.
Involuntarily, I couldn’t help but gulp in response. This place had been my personal paradise, where I could live a life of boundless desires without any worries. The sight of the dreadful Vylkr vines]- and now this revelation made me almost shake my head, questioning why this world couldn’t simply be a haven where I could peacefully age, with my sole concerns revolving around my self-indulgent pursuits and pushing my sexual boundaries to the limits. Yet, the danger lurking within this world had intensified once again, dispelling the illusion of utopia and reminding me that it was just another world.
However, as I observed the village chief patiently awaiting my response, I quickly gathered my thoughts and replied, “So essentially, what you’re saying is that my extraordinary fertility, capable of impregnating women beyond their fertile years, would pose more harm than good to the village.” As we continued walking amidst the multitude of lifelike stone statues, he nodded and responded, “Yes,” before chuckling. “But don’t misunderstand me. I’m genuinely pleased that Naka has blessed our village with a warrior of exceptional inner strength potential and incredibly potent semen, capable of impregnating three women in a short span of time.”
He sighed and shook his head while slowing his steps. “All these would have been the dreams of the village chief in the past, including my predecessor. Instead of waiting for our destruction once more, I will strive to find a solution.” Within minutes, his footsteps gradually decelerated until he came to an abrupt halt. We stood amidst a pile of objects that widened my eyes. “Where did all this come from?” I blurted out, my gaze wandering over the bizarre items scattered on the ground. Some caught my attention, like intricately designed glass cups and beautifully crafted lanterns made of glass and metal.
From my knowledge, no one in the village possessed the skill to create such objects. While they could potentially be gifts, the craftsmanship and intricate detailing revealed that they hailed from a place far beyond our village’s capabilities.
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