Chapter 15: Bloodstained Malice of the Full Moon (Part 1)
The pitch-black night resembled endless dark ink, thickly smeared across the sky, leaving not even the faint glimmer of starlight.
The only thing in the sky was the mirror-like full moon, like a nighttime beacon, hanging high above the heavens.
The moon grew rounder and rounder, until it appeared like a polished silver plate.
It was now the time of the full moon.
Erika had fallen asleep in Gladys’s arms.
Because of the earlier fright, her sleep quality wasn’t very good. If Gladys hadn’t been holding her the whole time, it would have been difficult for her to fall asleep tonight.
Erika was facing the window, and the bright moonlight filtered through, casting a glow on her delicate little face.
“Chirp chirp—”
At that moment, the faint sound of cicadas came from outside the window, adding a touch of life to the tranquil night.
“Clack!”
With a noise from the ceiling, a human head appeared, hanging upside down.
Erika wasn’t sleeping too deeply. The slight sound caused her to open her eyes slightly.
When she saw a human head emerging from the ceiling, she froze.
Am I dreaming?
Gradually, the head descended vertically from the ceiling. It appeared to be a tall figure, one that even blocked the gentle moonlight.
“Night has fallen, and humans strip off their luxurious disguise~♬ Beneath the full moon, people unleash their inner malice~♬Endless greed~♬You release your desires~♬Oh great greed~♬ Faith begins to shine~♬I am willing to be your devout messenger…”
A hoarse voice rang out.
The melody carried a cheerful tune, but the ending tones were heavy.
It came from the direction of the figure.
Just as the figure was about to land on the floor, he suddenly twisted and leaped onto the window, allowing the moonlight to pour over his body.
Erika’s half-open eyes stared straight at the figure.
No…
This didn’t seem like a dream!
Her heart suddenly tensed.
All sleep vanished. Her wide red eyes stared fearfully toward the window.
The man sat cross-legged on the windowsill, not looking at Erika. He simply faced the outside, leaving Erika only able to see his back.
It was a man…
The moonlight shone on him, casting his shadow inside the room.
“Who!”
Seeing the situation, Erika jumped up in fright.
At the same time, Gladys also sat up cautiously beside her. Her jade-like arm protectively shielded Erika in front of her. Her sapphire pupils were filled with alertness.
“Two lovely ladies, I apologize for disturbing your rest.
However…
You two should not be here.”
The man’s slightly hoarse voice rang out. But to Erika, it sounded somewhat familiar.
“Who are you?”
The cold voice came from Gladys’s lips as well. She was already emanating a chilling aura. Her stunning face bore a cold edge, and her hand gently shielded Erika behind her.
“Dervick Spancer, my name.”
As he spoke, the man slowly turned his head. Beneath a chiseled face was a mustache shaped like the character 八. His face carried a strange smile.
“If I’m not mistaken, you’ve heard my name before, haven’t you?”
One of the tavern gamblers—he was the one who gave her Gold Coins!
Erika was startled. Why was he here!?
Could it be that the person hiding in the room earlier… was him?
He just said his name was Dervick…
Wait, that name sounded familiar—she’d seen it in that historical record before.
“A Holy Church Paladin?”
Gladys seemed to have heard the name before as well. Her brows furrowed tighter. She knew well that the knights of the Holy Church were no joke, and Paladins were even more formidable.
Upon hearing the title of Paladin, Dervick smiled again. He shook his head and slowly stood from the windowsill.
His frame was very slim, making him look quite tall.
Standing in the moonlight, his smiling face looked especially eerie.
“No no no, miss, you forgot two words.
To be precise, I am a traitor.
A runaway Paladin!
Hahahahahaha…”
His laughter echoed with resonance, laced with madness, like a wild wolf howling beneath the moon. It stirred the soul.
“What do you want in our room!”
Erika glared. With Gladys beside her, a sense of courage had crept into her heart.
This was the guy who had been hiding behind the curtain, right?
“What do I want?”
Dervick raised an eyebrow nonchalantly. “That’s what I should be asking you. This room has been unused for years. Why would you move in?”
“That’s none of your business.”
Gladys suddenly responded, the cold beauty on her face intensifying. A wave of extreme cold slowly radiated from her body.
Even Erika beside her could clearly feel the sudden drop in temperature.
“If you don’t leave, I won’t be polite.”
“Oh~ I said, the ones who should leave are you.”
Despite the icy air filling the room, Dervick seemed completely unfazed. His lips curved up slowly. Under the moonlight, his face looked particularly grotesque. “Do you know who this room belongs to?”
“It belongs to us now. We were given permission by the Tavern Owner.”
“No. Years ago, the Holy Church sealed this room, and they paid the Tavern Owner a sum for it. That woman still dared to rent it out—greedy woman.
But someone like her would be very much liked by Lord Meladin, hehe…”
“I don’t care what you plan to do. Leave. Now.”
“That won’t do.”
Dervick’s gaze sharpened. His smile remained wicked. “The full moon is almost here. It’s the only chance to descend into the endless abyss.”
Seeing that Dervick had no intention of backing down, Gladys’s face turned grim. She leaned toward Erika behind her and asked in a low voice,
“Erika, was this the one who frightened you earlier?”
“I think so…”
Erika wasn’t certain at first, but at that moment, her red eyes happened to catch sight of Dervick’s shoes.
Those were the same shoes from under the curtain earlier!
“It’s him!” Erika suddenly confirmed.
So this guy had been hiding in the ceiling all along, never leaving, and had even evaded Gladys’s magical search!
“Heh, got it.”
With a murmur, Gladys’s slender fingers curled slightly. The cold air around them seemed to receive a command and began gathering in her palm.
As the immense energy surged, the room grew colder, instantly becoming like an underground ice cellar.
Frost began forming on the floor and gradually crept toward Dervick.
“Oh?”
Sensing that the other party could use magic-like energy without chanting, a hint of surprise flashed across Dervick’s face.
“Non-chanting?
As far as I know, there aren’t many mages like that on the continent.
I’ve never seen you before, miss.
Who exactly are you?
Or perhaps—you’re not even human?”
“Boom!”
Gladys had no intention of talking further. She flicked her palm, and a terrifying frigid storm exploded forth instantly.
The chilling aura rose from the floor, turning into invisible blades in the air. Wherever they passed, destruction followed.
“Thud!”
Realizing that the woman before him was no ordinary figure, Dervick immediately dropped his previous ease. His brow furrowed as he jumped from the windowsill, his body turning into a black shadow darting around the room.
“Interesting! Very interesting!”
Dervick’s voice echoed through the room. As he dodged, he continued praising, “I didn’t expect this—Miss, you’re clearly not human.
Among humans, I’ve met almost all those with power like this.”
As he spoke, he couldn’t help but laugh, “Not bad, not bad. It’s been a while since I met such a powerful opponent. If it’s you, miss, maybe you can get me a bit excited.”