...........

Chapter 34: An Infant's cries II

...........

What they found themselves faced with is a man, a hanging dead man.

The room was vacant except for another similar door at its end.

Val started observing the dead-hanging man from afar, "He looks well off. Artistic clothing, but no jewelry or any complementary thing, just like the house. He must be our contractor.

Also, I am sure you can hear what I'm hearing now."

Selena nodded at that with a frown, glancing at the door. From it, they can hear it, it's faint but noticeable. The faint cries of an infant.

"If my deduction is correct, then he should've set all of this up. He let the gate and the door to the mansion be wide open.

He probably sold all of his valuable possession and probably gave away a portion or paid all of it to the association or... Well, I need not say more, the letter on the ground beneath him should tell us everything we need to know."

Selena nodded before saying, "I'll get it while you all watch my back. Also, keep an eye on the door and the body. We'll search it after."

Lucas closed his eyes and took a deep breath, and only then did he open them again, "I'll keep an eye on the door."

He has never seen a body before his previous adventure, and now he found himself seeing another... Thus he decided to go with the option that won't involve looking at it.

Natalia followed closely behind Selena, ready to act if the situation requires it. She kept her eyes not only on the body but also on the door, on the people in the room, on everything that can pose danger.

That however appeared to be unnecessary as the frowning Selena picked up the letter with one hand while closing her nose with the other. The stench of death was too strong for her.

She put a bit of distance from the body before opening the letter just as Val stood by her.

"Do you usually do this? Wait for things to come to you without doing anything?"

Selena couldn't help but voice her complaints. She didn't feel like she should put such a responsibility on either of Lucas and Boarlian since they seemed inexperienced.

Val on the other hand despite his obvious calmness in the tensest situation chooses to do nothing in times such as these.

Val just gave her a soft smile, a sunny one as if he's ascending to sainthood before saying, "It's called being a gentleman. Why should I take others' opportunities? That would be rude, wouldn't it?"

Selene was left wandering to herself, 'Why did I let my guard down? Of course, he would something like that.'

She just shook her head as she fully opened the letter, noticing his obvious anticipation, 'It's as if he's treating everything like a game, like a puzzle to solve.'

"I hope you who opened this letter is who I wish for. The one to fulfill my final wish. I hope you will fulfill my wish either way for you won't mind having what lies in there.

Beyond that door lies the goal of your journey. Either the lost soul you seek to vanquish or the valuables you seek to take. The mansion is yours as long as you go inside for the ownership deed.

All you have to do is to vanquish it and set her soul free for I couldn't do it myself, I couldn't bring myself to raise my hand against her."

Beyond the walls of cities and towns lies danger, the unprotected. Choosing to have a house, mansion, etc outside the comfort of the high walls means accepting not a silver of protection from the kingdom.

In fact, the kingdom won't even bother with deeds of ownership for such properties. Whoever wants to own them can.

It's similar to the law of the jungle outside of those walls. Even murder is a common practice outside. Death is after all a dear friend of the world.

What matters is the ownership of the land. If the kingdom were to know of one living in a land without owning it, death without a question is that person's future.

There was a long silence in the room. No one talked but just allowed those words to sink in.

Even Val was silent... Though for a different reason. He was wondering. He was using his imagination to perfect the picture for there were still a few missing pieces.

The sound of the crying infant is one of them, 'The sound, it isn't that of a woman. Of that, I am sure.

That means... Ah, what a beautiful picture, I shall engrave it in my memories for I will paint it later. How can I let it be lost in the river of time?'

Val's face remained serene, unchanging as he said, "I guess we should start. Go ahead, my dear."

Selena gave him a glance as she questioned, "My dear??"

Val smiled and nodded, "Indeed, I am feeling generous, so you can have the title. I can really be the kindest of men when in good mood."

And so, whatever tense atmosphere there was, It was no more. Val's face returned to its seriousness ignoring their stunned faces, "Go on, we shouldn't keep the gentleman waiting. Let's sense his family to him."

For once, Selena agreed as she started the chant for the art, 'Nature in all things - Emerald Veins.' It was the same one she used before, and for the same purpose.

If Lucas thought It couldn't get any worst, It did. He found himself frozen for a few seconds, comprehending the scene before his eyes.

Then he found himself puking his stomach out. It really was too much for him. The degree of sinisterness has risen from the ground right to the sky.

He found himself puking despite the possible danger of the situation, simply because he couldn't bear it.

In fact, none of the group moved as they found themselves gaping at the scene, dazed.

They saw a woman, seemingly standing on the ground. They looked further and saw she was standing on her toes, almost floating.

Her toes had no nails. Her skin was almost cracking and falling like dust. All that was covering her body was a small white cloth tied around her waist. It was only reaching her twisted knees.

The upper part of her body was naked, for a reason. Her strangely deep eyes were looking down, not paying attention to the group at all.

Her mouth was seemingly cracked in half, and her tongue was dangling from the lower crack.

Her skin was terrifyingly dry, and blood or traces of blood were everywhere on the bed next to her. The room was simple but the things in it were anything but that.

Only now did the group know of the source of the sound. What they assumed to be an infant's cries was indeed an infant's cries.

The infant was in his mother's embrace, crying with no signs of stopping. The mother and child were connected not just by how they looked but also by... The umbilical cord.

Perhaps the mother was trying to feed the baby but there was nothing to feed. It all looked like a painting, an interesting one. In Val's mind at least.

The only ones still looking at the spectacle were Val and Natalia. Selena retreated backward with her eyes closed, trying to calm her heartbeat down.

Even Boarlian almost found himself following Lucas's example despite seeing the dead many times in the past.

Natalia took a quick glance at Val, noticing him taking a deep breath with his eyes close. His face was still calm however.

'I thought too much. He's much more humane than I thought. Perhaps he just hides his emotions behind his mask. I overestimated him.' Natalia noted in her mind... If only she knew.

Val almost uttered them, but he knew he shouldn't. The scene was forever engraved in his mind, and he was looking forward to engraving it on a painting.

He already has a name in mind. He even found himself in a state of inspiration as he wrote in his mind with imagination as Ink.

'Cries Of The World, it shall be called.'

'I heard it in my sleep, an Infant's cries.

I felt it in my skin, the howling of wind.

I sensed it in my heart, the coldness of rain.

I knew it in my soul, it was the world's cries.'

Val closed his eyes and took a deep breath while making sure not to show his joy on his face.

"I've ready about similar cases. One of the most horrifying specters but also the weakest. Let me take care of this." Val stated after a few seconds before heading into the room.

His elegant stance seemed to be even more elegant as he started casting his favorite art.

"Resistance of all Things -All resistance." The most basic of strengthening arts. The most widespread. Due to all of that, it's not the best, nowhere near special body arts at least.

"Blessing of all things -Overblood." The main blessing art of the Helious family, and they mostly possess blood arts so it was the only option for Val.

"Resistance of all things -Blood Shield." A combination of blood arts and resistance arts. The latter is an aspect of higher tier thus the name of the art.

And so...