NOVEL WEB Chapter 161: The Unseen Force
A beautiful girl with vibrant dark hair, neatly tied behind her, opened her mesmerizing dark eyes as she jolted up from her bed with a startled cry. Beads of sweat accumulated on her temples, and confusion crossed her delicate, beautiful features.
Boom! A loud noise reverberated as the oak door of the room flung open. The next moment, Nyx was startled and quickly summoned the sword her mother had given her for her 9th birthday. Her eyes flashed sharply as her head jerked toward the door.
Nyx thought it was an intruder and was ready to strike, but seeing that it was her mother, she visibly relaxed. She returned the sword and stared at her mother, who was approaching with creases on her forehead and a worried expression on her face.
"Nyx, what is it?" she inquired softly, her hands moving to wipe the sweat from Nyx's temples. "This is the third time you've shouted in the middle of the night... Is it another dream again?"
Nyx licked her dry lips and nodded. "Yes... but I can only remember small fragments."
Aina forced a smile, her eyes filled with worry. "That's progress," she said. "So, what did you remember?"
For the past month, Nyx had been waking up in the middle of the night with a startled cry, drenched in sweat as if a bucket of water had been emptied on her, her face and lips looking extremely dry, as though she had seen a ghost.
At first, Aina had thought it was just a nightmare that would gradually go away with time. However, Nyx's continuous screams in the middle of the night were beginning to worry her.
Nyx took a deep breath, an expression suggesting she was trying to recall something crossing her face. Then she spoke:
"It was very vague, but I can tell we were fighting a war. Me, along with several people, but something happened that left me deeply saddened..." Nyx trembled slightly as she attempted to recall the dream that had been so vivid. She shook her head and added, "I can't even recall the details, but it was very vivid."
Aina let out a sigh. Since she didn't know the content of the dream, there was virtually no way she could help. All she could offer was a simple hug.
"Come here." Aina called out, and Nyx shifted closer to her mother. The two hugged for a few minutes without sharing a single word.
In her mother's embrace, Nyx felt at peace, and the sadness she had been feeling slowly faded away. Because her eyes were tightly closed, she didn't notice the soft, luminous glow emitted from Aina, enveloping the two of them. This glow was one of Aina's skills, allowing her to siphon negative emotions from others, making them feel calm and at peace.
Aina's gentle hum, a soothing melody, accompanied the glow, further easing Nyx's troubled mind.
As the glow intensified, Nyx's thoughts became clearer, and she opened her eyes.
Simultaneously, the glow disappeared. It was well-timed, and Nyx hadn't even noticed.
"Feel better?" Aina asked, managing a warm, gentle smile. After siphoning the negative emotions from her daughter, Aina was now filled with negativity, her thoughts constantly drifting to her husband, who was somewhere in the world.
Every day she wondered where he could be, and she was greatly saddened. However, today, the emotions were intensified, a result of taking the negative emotions from her daughter. Aina didn't regret it, though; as long as her daughter's burden was alleviated, she didn't mind repeating the process. Find your next read on m,vlemp _yr.
"I'm fine now." Nyx exhibited a smile—so beautiful that it would make many hearts beat wildly, stirring a desire to protect her with their lives.
Aina's eyes sparkled with warmth as she watched her daughter's radiant smile. Sometimes, she couldn't help but wonder who would be the lucky man to capture her daughter's heart in the future... Sometimes, she felt Nyx was too perfect, and no man could ever be worthy of her.
"Mom," Nyx spoke up.
"Yes, darling, what is it?"
"Have you heard any news about my stupid brother?"
"Oh, Eve told me he's perfectly fine, but I don't think he'll return anytime soon." A wistful expression crossed Aina's face, chasing the negativity away. "It's been over a month since he left, and I already miss him so badly."
"You miss him too, don't you?" Aina turned to Nyx, who scowled in response.
"Obviously not."
"Then why did you ask about him?"
"T-that..."
...
In the massive meeting room of the Cromwell Barony, the soft glow of shimmering moonlight filtered through the high windows, illuminating the large wooden table.
Seated at the head of the table was none other than Nathan Aegis Cromwell. On both sides sat Celine, Aina Elvin the archer, Gordon the druid, and Hans, the short, sturdy warrior. Eve would have been here if not for her special circumstances.
Everyone's expression was extremely serious, and the air was heavy. Nathan cleared his throat, and the meeting officially started.
"I have received news from the other towns. It seems we aren't the only ones experiencing unusually strong monsters," Nathan said, drumming his fingers on the table. It was very rare to see the old man so serious, which spoke volumes about the gravity of the situation.
"At first, we thought it was the doing of the Armstrong Duchy, but from the reports, they're also facing the same problem. The beasts keep coming close to the walls, as if something is attracting them."
After the blue-fanged python that tried to breach the wall, there had been several more cases of unusually strong beasts attempting to breach the walls. After facing several more beasts, Nathan decided it was enough, and they needed to take drastic measures before these beasts infiltrated the town.
"So what's the plan?" Celine spoke, and everyone opened their ears.
...
Swoosh. Swoosh.
While the meeting was going on, red figures darted through the outskirts of the Cromwell Barony with blinding speed. They moved so rapidly that it was very difficult for the eye to follow. The only thing detectable in their wake was the reddish afterimage and the dust trail that followed wherever they went.
The approaching beasts—stealthy, panther-like creatures—growled menacingly, their red eyes glowing in the dark as they sensed the presence of countless figures. These figures radiated killing intent, which only meant they were enemies.
From the shadows, the red figures emerged and lunged at the panther-like beasts, their steps almost undetectable. Hundreds of red flashes cut through the darkness in the blink of an eye.
Then the red figures disappeared, heading toward another direction of the walls.
In their wake, the panther-like beasts remained standing, but they were motionless as stone statues. A thin trickle of blood seeped from their bodies, the only sign of life extinguished. Then, in an instant, the creatures collapsed, their forms disintegrating.
Meanwhile, the red figures continued to dart around the outskirts of the walls, maintaining close proximity and easily handling any beasts attempting to infiltrate the Cromwell Barony. Some intelligent creatures tried to burrow underground tunnels that would link into the town.
However, the red figures arrived just in time and easily eliminated them.
Unbeknownst to the citizens, an unseen force was protecting the town, getting rid of the beasts attempting to infiltrate the walls.
Yet no one knew about it.