"K, kiek!"
The imps shivered as Chad smacked them all one by one on their sides.
His movements were filled with such sharpness and speed that Eli clung to his waist, one eye squeezed shut.
Wham!
Another imp was sent flying away.
The small imps didn't stand a chance against Chad who didn't hold back on smacking them away from his sight.
His goal hasn't changed. In order to uncover the reason behind the sleeping city of Velmire, he has to find the one behind all this.
Despite going straight for the target, Eli noticed that Mr. Chad was careful on going around the sleeping bodies on the ground. No harm was done to the villagers. He precisely avoided them, and made sure they wouldn't get swept up by the impact.
It wasn't long 'til the path was finally clear from the small imps.
Chad narrowed his eyes as they swiftly reached the edge of the city. They were headed towards the forest, unease settled in his chest. Even owls and other animals they encountered along the way seemed to be asleep.
There's no clear distinction between humans and animals. It's as if someone activated the spell and left it to attack every living being in its range automatically.
Their speed lessened as the 32 seconds interval was about to end. Chad put his feet down on the ground and got ready to defend against the incoming attack.
An alluring hum from a woman filled the dark, quiet forest. Chad summoned a barrier just in time to defend against it.
He waited for the humming to end and proceeded to run again.
Chad's hands started to tremble. He hadn't done much, but they were starting to ache and he could feel them going numb. He gritted his teeth.
'I have to finish this now. Any more would be too much for my current body.'
The source of the power where the humming voice was from was getting closer. The wind under their feet vanished.
"We're here."
Eli nodded. They cautiously walked forward, pushing leaves that were blocking their view.
He gulped out of nervousness. Eli wondered what's the appearance of the one behind the sleeping city of Velmire.
Chad tightened his fingers, getting ready to open another wound in case they found the caster to be hostile.
Rustle.
He pushed aside the last curtain of leaves and froze.
On a bed of countless leaves lay a child in tattered clothes.
A boy with light purple hair. He was full of bruises, and his four limbs each wore iron shackles.
The boy lay motionless in the cold, dark forest.
Chad frowned,
"...A kid?"
"Oh, no!"
Eli gasped as he quickly ran to the child.
He put his head on top of the boy's chest and breathed a sigh of relief when he confirmed his breathing.
The boy's face while lying down was so peaceful, Eli almost thought he might have been dead. When he took a closer look at the child's body, tears started to swell up.
The iron shackles shone under the moonlight.
"No way, just how is this…? How did he get all these bruises? This is…"
He touched the shackles from the child's right wrist and was surprised when he couldn't even lift it.
'It looked too big for his size but to think it was also this heavy… Just how did he get here?'
Eli couldn't even begin to imagine how the child got his bruises and these shackles.
Chad's mouth opened but didn't say anything.
Countless thoughts ran through his mind.
'A child? Is he the caster? How could a kid like that cast a spell this powerful? And to do it repeatedly?'
His steps hastened as he moved closer to the child.
Chad scanned the kid's body and lifted his chin.
'There it is!'
A glowing peony flower with its stem hugging the left side of the kid's neck.
His fists clenched as he scoffed.
'Hypnos' mark! So I was right, but how? Even if he's Hypnos' heir, a little kid like this shouldn't be able to do it, unless…'
If he remembered correctly, the spell used in Velmire should be within Hypnos' Verse 4, the Hymn of Slumber. It's not something a kid could cast, let alone use it repeatedly like that.
'Not to mention, even the supposed caster is asleep.'
The way things were right now was too different from his past knowledge. Michael's words rang inside his mind,
'The outside world is no longer the place you used to know.'
Chad's brows furrowed.
'Has the world really changed that much?'
He lightly flicked his hair back and told Eli,
"Anyway, we came here to stop the caster from activating the spell again. I'm not sure how he's doing it, but this kid is definitely the one behind all this."
"He is? Then, is he really Hypnos' heir?"
Eli frowned as he stared at the sleeping child.
"Yeah, the peony flower on his neck symbolizes Hypnos' divine mark."
Eli looked at the boy's neck.
"I see, so this is Hypnos' mark. He really has it… a divine mark…"
'How could someone so small do all that? Is this the true power of a divine mark?'
His hand trembled as he lightly caressed the bruises on the child's arms.
He forgot about Velmire and was now completely occupied pitying the child in front of him.
Chad stared at the two kids and pressed his lips together.
After a moment, he finally opened his mouth,
"...For now, I–watch out!"
Clang!
A long red staff appeared in front of Eli, defending both him and the sleeping child from a blade thrown at them.
He could see Mr. Chad's hand bleeding while holding the staff.
Eli then heard a scoff.
"Hmm, not bad."
A group of men wearing white clothes underneath their black cloaks appeared in the dark forest. One man stepped up at the front and put his hood down.
He appeared to be middle-aged, and his striking features caught everyone's attention, especially his short beard that blended almost too well with his facial features.
He pointed at the child lying down on top of the leaf bed.
"I'm gonna make it short. Leave that kid to us, and I'll let you go free."
Eli flinched and unconsciously shielded the child behind him.
Chad scratched his head and laughed,
"Ha, stop saying things like that. You're making it seem like I'm weaker than you, y'know?"
A golden light enveloped Eli and a glowing sphere encircled him inside it.
Chad used his left hand to make a barrier for Eli.
Faramond, the short-bearded man, frowned.
"...You look young. Arrogance can kill you, you brat!"
He signaled his men to attack the black-haired young man blocking their way.
They all swarmed toward Chad in an instant.
"Dammit, old men are supposed to be nicer to young ones, y'know!"
Chad dug his nails in, drawing more blood to lengthen the staff, then slammed it into the nearest cloaked man's gut.
"Wha–?!"
Faramond flinched.
His eyes widened,
'Blood manipulation?! There's no way!'
Each one of his men who got hit by Chad either got thrown far away or knocked out unconscious in just one hit.
This made Faramond feel uneasy and his palms started glowing, getting ready to make a move but stopped when he heard a woman's calming voice, humming in the dark.
The air vibrated, and he staggered. He could feel a sensation as if a sedative was being poured into his skull.
Faramond quickly clasped both of his hands and a shimmering veil of sunlight appeared in front of him, blocking the hums' attack.
'Burning Curtain!'
Thud!
His squad members who weren't able to defend in time, and those who tried but couldn't overpower the voice, slowly fell to the ground, without being able to process what's happening around them.
One of the remaining standing ones had his weapon fall from his hand.
"W, what is this? I feel… sleepy…"
He felt his body slowly relaxing. His shoulders eased and his mind calmed down. The alluring voice of a woman humming made him want to rest for as long as he could.
Only the captain, Faramond, remained amongst the black-cloaked men.
Faramond's jaw cracked,
"What in the hell is happening?"
'The kid is clearly asleep. Even if he's Hypnos' heir, this shouldn't be possible!'
He had that kid in their cave just a week earlier. Faramond was the one who caught him. He knew better than anyone that that kid was not capable of casting a high-tier spell such as this.
The humming continued and a small crack appeared on Faramond's Burning Curtain, until it became big enough for it to break and forced him to use his raw divine power to block it.
"Kugh–!"
He bit his lip.
His current level in Phoebus' Atlas should be around Verse 9.
'You're telling me my shield wasn't enough?'
The Sun God's abilities were a natural counter to the kid's attack, so it should have been more than enough. But then, why is he struggling?
Faramond looked around, but he couldn't see anyone else, apart from the ones already in front of him.
'Is Hypnos here?'
That's the only explanation he could think of.
The young man they were attacking earlier had a barrier put up to defend against it. Chad is sweating profusely but was able to maintain it.
Chad's arms trembled.
'Ahh, stamina. I need more stamina…'
"Who are you?!"
Faramond screamed at him.
Chad looked at the man in annoyance. The eerie humming still had yet to end, but this random old man just had to talk to him while he's trying to focus on defending against it. His arms were barely holding on and this kind of disturbance is unwelcomed.
"Haa… really, people these days have no manners."
Once the humming voice stopped, he put his arms down and slicked his bangs back.
He caressed his chin and tilted his head,
"Let's see, you can probably call me Chad?"