Death Heir's Devouring System
Chapter 56: Echoes of the Forgotten

Chapter 56: Echoes of the Forgotten

’I should have sent a bit more than thirty Chosen toward the camp by now,’ Azrael figured, not slowing his steps.

’I’m sure there are more hidden somewhere, but that should be enough. With that, I can consider Seraphina’s request completed. Truth Seeker is rightfully mine.’

His eyes didn’t halt for even a second, observing every nook and cranny for unseen threats.

’From here on, I’ll be going on my own accord toward the blizzard. If my theory is right and there are people with higher Ascension Levels than us, then we’ll need them should the worst happen. And if the cold proves too much, I can always turn back.’

With his mind made up, he moved farther west. From sprinting, his speed gradually reduced to jogging, then eventually to walking.

’The density of the knights patrols is increasing...’ He grimaced, eyes moving toward the north.

’It’s obvious that the corrupted monsters are working under some kind of twisted orders. Maybe after being corrupted, they follow some weird sense of order as if they were sane. They exit the kingdom’s territory, enter the western side of the Golden Lands, and kill the monsters that come from the blizzards. After this, another squad of knights comes to transport the bodies to the canyon, filling it with blood.’

A subtle smile spread across his lips.

’In other words, me being in the west now should mean the Ruined Kingdom territory is less guarded.’

Without hesitation, he moved north. Immediately, he noticed the change. The patrol of knights thinned until they disappeared altogether. He was going to use the opportunity to reach the cold blizzards through the Ruined Kingdom territory, bypassing every obstacle.

’Now that I think about it, the houses shouldn’t be looted like the ones that were near the camp were.’

Azrael wasn’t one to poke his nose into places that could lead to trouble. However, he had to admit, there were still many unknown variables on this cursed planet. If he studied the old ruins of the desolate kingdom, he might learn a thing or two.

Perhaps even discover the reason why the Corrupted knights were acting with some semblance of purpose.

Making sure the area was without any threats, he slowly entered the nearest village house.

His nose picked up the vast amount of dust that had settled on the floor, an indicator that nothing had moved here for a long time.

Still, unwilling to let his guard down, he continued cautiously. The more his eyes studied the place, the more the interior resembled a human’s home. The only difference was that everything inside was several times larger than it should have been.

Turning the corner, he entered the living room, and his breath halted.

A skeleton had been impaled against the wall, a sword driven directly through where the heart should have been.

’There was a fight. One pierced the other’s heart with a sword and impaled them to the wall, leaving them to die. There’s no flesh or blood left... It must have happened a very long time ago,’ he observed, stepping closer.

’The skeletal structure resembles that of a male, assuming these beings have a similar anatomy to ours.’

With his curiosity piqued, he turned the place upside down, scavenging for anything that seemed even remotely useful. But everything was hundreds of years old; most of the items were either worn out or so fragile that the faintest touch shattered them.

"Nothing that could be useful," he muttered in disappointment. Shaking his head, he turned to leave—

Until something caught his eye.

"Hm?"

His gaze landed on the fireplace. It was faint, almost easy to miss, but from the right angle, something stood out among the charcoal.

"Is this supposed to be a diary?" He asked, raising an eyebrow as he lifted the book, half his size.

Miraculously, the covers had survived, along with the last few pages inside.

The moment his eyes landed on the unknown symbols, he clicked his tongue.

"Yeah... How am I supposed to read any of that?"

To his surprise, the system responded. A menu appeared over the unknown text, translating it into letters he could understand.

He began to read.

’First they came for my mother. She was old, and it was for the war, so I complied. Then they came for my wife. She was an untrained woman, useless for the war. They gave me no choice but to comply. And now... they want my daughter? She wasn’t going to reach adulthood fast enough to join the war, so we might as well use her for the ’greater good’ before we all fall?’

Azrael noted that the handwriting was becoming more frantic, and so was the translation.

’I will not allow that! I can’t let them end our bloodline! What happened to the promises of—? Weren’t the millions they took enough? How many more do they need to rival the gods? I can’t let them take my daughter. Not her. She’s the only thing I have left. If they take her too... What was the point of me joining the war in the first place?!’

This was as far as the handwriting was readable. After that, it became a mess.

With a sigh, Azrael closed the diary and took another glance at the skewered skeleton.

"A father... stripped of everything he held dear." He muttered, turning away, the creak of the old floorboards following his steps as he exited the ruined house.

"This is the price of weakness," he said coldly. "Its cost is far greater than that of strength."

The sun was soon going to set once more. He would have to wait until tomorrow before departing toward the blizzards, unless he wished to find himself stranded in that frozen place, embraced by darkness from all sides.

Making use of the little sunlight he had left, he explored several other houses, eager to uncover something else.

But unlike the first house, he didn’t find anything noteworthy, not even a skeleton left behind.

He ventured further north, determined to explore as many homes as possible, but his luck remained the same. Each structure was just as empty and lifeless as the last.

The land beyond the houses was the same; every trace of road had long since vanished, swallowed by the dark soil and overgrown with golden grass swaying in the wind. The only thing that stood out was a massive well, positioned at the center of the small village.

Azrael approached it and glanced down into the void. He couldn’t see past the darkness.

’I wonder how deep this goes?’ he thought.

Driven by harmless curiosity, he picked up a rock and dropped it into the well. Then, in silence, he waited to hear the echo of it striking the bottom.

A second passed. Then another. A dozen more. Even after a full minute, no sound returned.

"Is this thing bottomless?" he muttered.

For a brief moment, he wondered if he would survive the fall, then immediately shook the thought from his mind.

Intending to rest through the night, he entered one of the abandoned homes and had a strangely peaceful sleep. After spending so many nights in the golden wilderness, it felt oddly comforting to be surrounded by wooden walls.

The next morning, Azrael was awakened by agonizing screams.