NOVEL WEB Chapter 13: The South
— Barbarus + Southern Swamp —
Hades was lying near a field with his scythe, sleeping in a strange position.
The small, makeshift campfire he had set up had just gone out, with a wisp of smoke still rising.
It was daytime on Barbarus, and nearby farmers were out with their tools, working the fields.
They were chatting and laughing, but all kept a cautious distance from Hades.
He was the strange wanderer who had come south almost simultaneously with the Death Guard.
Initially, the villagers were wary of this mysterious man who occasionally roamed near the village.
He appeared extremely sinister, repulsive even from a distance.
But when the villagers asked the local Death Guard to expel this mysterious man, they were met with silence.
"That man is not a bad person. His name is Hades."
Even so, the villagers remained cautious, avoiding him whenever possible.
Soon, they understood the silent truth behind the Death Guard’s words.
When the screams of the night faded away, villagers hitching their carts for the morning’s work were greeted with an unbelievable sight—
Scattered limbs, blood splattered everywhere like rivers, crops trampled into chaos.
The terrified expressions frozen on the shattered heads of a group of Xenos.
A strong stench of blood wafted from the field.
And next to this hellish scene, a man was lying with his scythe, half-propping his head, snoring loudly.
Silver blades still smeared with thick blood, the hooded man seemed drenched in blood, soaked in the thick crimson fluid. His limbs bore visible cuts.
He was Death!
The villagers, shaking with fear, stared in shock, while the man seemed disturbed by the noise—he woke up, slightly surprised.
"Ah, sorry for ruining your fields, haha, uh... really sorry. I was trying to lure them out, but it didn’t work."
The man laughed awkwardly, seemingly trying to ease the tension.
Clearly, his attempt failed.
"I’ll help you replant! Really! I’m very sorry!"
The world must be a lie, thought the villager with the cart, fainting as he watched Death apologize.
After that, the villagers, with a mix of respect and fear, began referring to the mysterious man as “The Revenant.”
Of course, they didn’t dare accept Hades' apology or compensation.
In fact, they even regularly brought extra grain to the strange Revenant.
Whenever he was away, they would leave a bag of grain tied to a dead tree near the little camp he had set up.
The Revenant spent most of his days sleeping to conserve energy for the night’s battles. Occasionally, he would sit with his huge scythe, quietly watching the villagers work.
Curious children would sometimes stand at a distance, observing the strange man.
If their parents were busy with farm work and didn’t notice their kids, the braver ones would try to approach him.
The Revenant seemed pleased to have the children around. He would pull out a handful of roasted wheat, wave them over, and invite them to join him.
But no child ever made it to his side.
Without exception, those brave children would feel dizzy and breathless as they neared the Revenant. Crying, they would run back, leaving the Revenant sitting alone.
The man awkwardly scratched his head, silently put away his roasted wheat, and continued sitting by the field, watching the children cry as they ran away.
Their parents, meanwhile, watched the Revenant from a distance, filled with fear.
Whenever the crying children returned, their anxious and scared parents would give them a quick smack before holding them tightly, soothing them with repeated back pats.
In the distance was the silent Revenant; nearby was the bustling human world.
It was always like this.
<+>
Initially, the Death Guard who arrived in the south had considerable complaints about Hades.
Why should their hard work building defensive villages be overshadowed by a man who roamed alone at night, killing enemies?
Hades single-handedly wiped out three groups of roaming creatures in one night, protecting three small neighboring villages, while the Death Guard fortified nearby medium and large human settlements.
Some suggested that the Death Guard should also take the initiative to attack at night, given that the southern monsters were weaker than those in the north.
With a strange gleam in his eyes, Calas Typhon approved a proposal from a group of eager fighters.
However, this five-man team was attacked by a group of Xenos Slaver on the first night. Though they managed to repel the slavers, three were severely injured.
<+>
In the following meeting, Typhon paced slowly around the sand table, summarizing,
"As you can see, Hades indeed has the capability to survive in the wild."
"Though I know many of you dislike him, we are all part of the Death Guard. Our goal is to repel those Xenos Overlords who enslave our people."
"The Death Guard does not seek fame; our existence is to liberate humanity."
"And Hades—"
Typhon paused, looking at the circle of Death Guard captains listening silently.
"He can help us relieve the pressure from the Overlords. After all, one of our goals in the south is to unite other human villages, giving us more time and energy to talk with those village leaders who refuse to cooperate with us."
Typhon calculated in his mind that some villages in the south, after submitting to the Xenos, received some technology as rewards, including poison prevention and weapon technology.
However, as time passed, those Death Guard who had previously complained also fell silent.
Hades approached the Death Guard leader Typhon, stating he was going to the nearby mountain to kill an Overlord.
"Are you insane?! Do you really think you can kill an Overlord alone? Do you really take that lucky win against Lazar as your strength? You're not Mortarion! Hades! Don't be stupid!!!"
Typhon shouted incredulously from across the room, for some reason, Hades insisted on maintaining a certain distance between them.
"I'm not insane. I'm sure I can do this. I've fully assessed the situation."
Hades' black eyes, hidden under his hood, stared intensely at Typhon.
Typhon's heart trembled. He took a deep breath and continued,
"Hades, Hades, Hades, I... I know I haven’t liked you, yes, I haven’t liked you, but back then, it was the three of us who escaped together."
"We are Death Guard, comrades in arms. Although we’ve had our clashes, we are still friends, aren’t we?"
Typhon looked back at Hades.
Hades said nothing, only nodding slightly, the hood once again obscuring his eyes.
"So, listen to me, don't go, okay, don't go."
"You're not Mortarion. On Barbarus, no one but him can do this."
Hades stood up, his belongings jingling with the movement. He bowed slightly to Typhon.
"Thank you for your concern, Typhon. I’m also glad we are still friends."
"But my decision is final."
<+>
After that, Typhon saw countless severed Xenos heads.
Damn, what a monster.
