They found an ant nest and ate every single ant inside, including the calf-sized ant queen they had been desperately protecting.
Since then, the surviving villagers renamed the place Antswamp Village to show their gratitude, worshipping the Ant God for generations.
But in truth, from the day they devoured that ant queen, every generation of this village has been deeply cursed.
Huo Fuyu sneered. "Sometimes I really can't understand what these people are thinking. You wiped them out and ate them clean, yet you still want to worship them and expect them to protect your village? Is that even possible?"
"The blood feud of genocide is irreconcilable. Just because we're human, does that make us superior to other living beings? Is such a simple truth so hard to grasp?"
Because his divine sense had been severely damaged, Huo Fuyu had lost his usual pretentious air.
He took a moment to compose himself before continuing. "The villagers are looking more and more like ants, and their habits are following suit. They've even begun to mutate, turning into ants at night to devour their own families."
Huo Fuyu glanced at the people around him and sighed.
"We weren't wrong in our previous guesses. The villagers are indeed afraid, and they truly don't know what's happening. They even want to protect us."
"But the murderers are indeed them."
"They are completely unaware of their own changes. During the day, they live in terror, and then at night, they turn into ants and eat their most beloved relatives and companions."
"Or perhaps they wake up at night to find that the person they love has turned into a giant, hideous monster. No matter how much you cry and beg, it has no mind. It will only eat you bit by bit."
Huo Fuyu's voice was very soft, yet everyone who heard it felt a chill down their spine.
This kind of curse made one's blood run cold.
The living didn't know what was happening, only that the village was being attacked by beasts, but they were actually the culprits who killed their own kin.
They were the very monsters they feared most.
Everyone's heart felt heavy. Over the past few days, the villagers had been quite kind to them and had even tried their best to help them at the beginning.
But the sins committed by their ancestors meant they had no right to choose a different life.
"What about the sacrificial rite? What is it exactly?"
There wasn't much time for sentimentality. Nan Yue was most concerned about what they were about to face.
Huo Fuyu's lips trembled. "I... I don't know exactly what it is, but it's huge... and very dangerous."
His expression was complicated. "We can only run. Against that thing... we don't stand a single chance."
The inexplicable unease in Nan Yue's heart suddenly surged to a peak. She heard a movement behind her; Ga Ya had opened her eyes and was walking over.
"You are the one chosen by the Ant God."
Nan Yue's killing intent spiked to its limit. She even felt the urge to kill this woman right then and there.
Ga Ya looked at Zhu Xi Ning and spoke slowly in her dry, raspy voice.
"You are the one who will succeed me. You will possess all the memories and an immortal body."
"Until you find a new successor."
Shang Xi's heart stirred, and she asked hurriedly, "Are you saying your memories are passed down through generations? You aren't the original survivor who has lived this whole time?"
Ga Ya gave a bitter laugh that sounded like the death rattle of a bird.
"There are no survivors. Everyone in Antswamp Village is a sinner. Once you step into Antswamp Village, you are already cursed."
Ga Ya looked up at the lowering sky and murmured, "While I won't turn into the Ant God and suffer the fate of being torn apart and eaten, I possess the memories."
Her cloudy eyes were like scratched glass beads, unmoving. "That is the most terrifying curse of all."
Which was more desperate: to be immersed in fear day after day, completely unaware that you were already a monster, or to be the only one who clearly knew what was happening yet was powerless to change it?
Nan Yue didn't know.
But she would absolutely not let Zhu Xi Ning become some sort of spirit medium.
She was going to leave this wretched mission.
"Don't even think about it."
Huo Fuyu gave Nan Yue a tug, and the group supported each other as they headed back toward the village.
There were still several hours before the sacrificial rite began at midnight. They needed to hide during this time.
At first, they thought they might be able to resist, but through Huo Fuyu's memories, they knew that regardless of what the boss in this mission was, it really was an ant, and they were no match for it.
After thinking it over, the group decided to hide together.
This thing seemed to be some kind of deity-like existence, so splitting up didn't make much sense. Staying together allowed them to look out for one another.
Finally, they hid in a stone house a short distance from Ga Ya's hut, with its door facing the forest.
The conditions in this house were slightly better than others. There were hand-woven blankets and crafts inside, and three masks were placed by the door, suggesting a family of three lived there.
"The villagers don't know they are the man-eating Ant God. They made these masks hoping the ignorant god would mistake the mask for them, using it as a substitute to receive the god's punishment."
Wen Xiang Yuan added in a low voice, "Masks in many primitive tribes serve this purpose. It's a bit like the patterns on animals, used to confuse enemies or to make themselves look more imposing."
Huo Fuyu glanced at Wen Xiang Yuan. "You certainly know a lot."
Wen Xiang Yuan chuckled. "I like to read."
Huo Fuyu remained noncommittal. For a scavenger, free time was precious. Most people were busy with part-time jobs even when they weren't in a mission.
While they knew that reading more and learning about the mission worlds helped in completing tasks, not everyone could manage it.
Nan Yue's team was certainly full of talent.
"There are still several hours left. Can we hold out?"
Gu Xiang Kai tore a bedsheet from the villager's bed and wrapped it around both of his fists.
Nan Yue knew this meant he was prepared to fight to the death.
Wen Xiang Yuan didn't know Gu Xiang Kai's ability. She naively thought his hands were hurting and asked him to put her down so she could help.
Wen Xiang Yuan's movements were very practiced as she carefully wrapped the cloth strips. Gu Xiang Kai watched her for a moment.
"Do you do this often?"
Wen Xiang Yuan smiled. "I don't have much in the way of abilities, so getting hurt is a regular occurrence."
"Try it. Can you move them?"
Gu Xiang Kai clenched his fists and then lowered his hands, looking at Wen Xiang Yuan. "Just stay behind me in a bit."
Wen Xiang Yuan was startled for a moment before she smiled. "You don't need to worry about me."
Her implication was that even if she died, she wouldn't truly die.
Gu Xiang Kai didn't know what to say. He pursed his lips and sat quietly beside Wen Xiang Yuan.
"Xi Ning."
Nan Yue was also picking through items in the room and handed Zhu Xi Ning a sharp small knife.
It was something the villagers used for hunting and daily life, and it was ground very sharp.
"Stay with me."
Ga Ya's words earlier had basically laid her cards on the table. Nan Yue was absolutely not going to leave Zhu Xi Ning in this godforsaken world.
Zhu Xi Ning managed a smile as she took the knife. "A-Nan, what are you panicking for? There are always superstitious NPCs in these missions. I'll be fine."
Rate on N.U.
