Chapter 437: Life After Apocalypse?
Five days later.
A team of spiritless male Acraepoids left Fort Santalum and headed towards the outer region of the sulfur quarantine area. They were on a mission to search for food in the abyssalized world.
Not only did they have to feed themselves, but they also had to keep some for their wives and families back at home.
However, they were defenseless against the ferocious abyssal creatures.
Countless Acraepoids had died before they could adapt to the abyssalized life in this world, and no one knew how long more they could take it or how many more would die for the adaptation to happen.
As for the possible abyss cataclysm in the future…
Grimm had become one of the Acraepoid Warriors in Fort Santalum, enjoying the fresh fruits from the city’s only uncontaminated land every day.
He wore a stern, cold expression all day long.
Grimm and three other warriors cruised in midair, warning the Acraepoids outside the city to not enter without permission. This mediocre and dull task was the only task assigned to these warriors.
“Huh?”
From a distance, they spotted a group of food-searching Acraepoids flying back to the city. Grimm and his team flew towards them and blocked their way, there were about dozens of them.
After a scrutinized search, the team leader allowed the group access to the city.
Grimm noticed that these Acraepoids looked rather sad and exhausted. They might have encountered some misfortunes along the way and lost some friends.
Furthermore, it was obvious that one of them sustained an injury from the abyss attack. They must have been attacked by the abyssal creatures out there.
After the group of Acraepoids disappeared into the city, Grimm’s team leader distributed some food to him and the other team members, the food he presumably detained from the group of men earlier.
“Brothers, how about we head to the Flower Street tonight? Let’s have some fun!”
The leader bit off a piece of the fruit, his jaws writhing and chewing, his expression inexplicably frivolous.
The so-called Flower Street was similar to the taverns in the Sorcerer World.
In contrast to the Sorcerer World, the female Acraepoids in the Infernal Spirit World were in a completely unequal and vulnerable position. Very few female Arcaepoids were practicing Infernal Swordsmanship.
In the current doomsday situation, the higher class Acraepoids were worried about the possibility of the sorcerers infiltrating this city to spread the Sorcerer’s Shadow. The biggest fear for the lower class Acraepoids was hunger!
Regardless of humans or Acraepoids, hunger could drive one crazy!
Due to this, the Flower Street that contradicted the Dark Destroyer Infernal God’s Will was established in Fort Santalum. It was where the female Acraepoids sold their bodies and mated with alien Acraepoids in order to survive after losing their husbands.
They were not like the escort girls in the taverns in the Sorcerer World. Their behavior contradicted their beliefs, but it was the only way they could survive.
The other two warriors smiled mischievously at the suggestion. Grimm, on the other hand, shook his head and said, “No thanks, I have a sister to take care of.”
What Grimm meant was he did not want to splurge on food supplies.
“Sister? Haha, hey, Grimm, I suggest you dump your sister as soon as possible at times like this, she is just a burden to you. After all, things are no longer how they used to be.”
Despite how offensive it sounded, the warrior was honest and true.
Again, Grimm shook his head and smiled without another word.
After five days of private investigation, Grimm had basically understood some conditions in this small city of Fort Santalum. In addition, thanks to this city, he figured out something about the Sangrun Gree Vassal Kingdom.
A month ago, there was indeed an Infernal Spirit World Guardian present in the Sangrun Gree Vassal Kingdom. In fact, the guardian generated World Force in Fort Santalum and eliminated an undercover Dark Demon-Hunter, along with the Abyssal Moss, in the city.
Only then did this small city learn to use sulfur for the Abyssal Moss contamination, to survive laboriously in these cataclysmic days.
The Acraepoids from the nearby abyssalized villages and cities came to this city for refuge, causing the problem of overpopulation.
In this small city, there were three leaders who were Level-2 Acraepoids, a Dark Destroyer Infernal God Temple abbot who had lost his divine power, more than three hundred Acraepoid Warriors, hundreds of thousands of city residents and several thousand more refugees outside the city walls.
There were three main buildings in the city.
The Dark Destroyer Infernal God Temple, the Leader Burrow, and the Holy Orchard.
Now that the Dark Destroyer Infernal God Temple had lost its glory, the Holy Orchard had became the most precious property of the city.
Although Grimm did not have any clear evidence, for some reason, he could faintly sense that a mysterious Demon-Hunter was hiding in this city, concocting some plans. This was entirely Grimm’s subconscious feeling though.
Nightfall.
Grimm, Claudia, the middle-aged Acraepoid woman, Nyo, Naya and Fred were gathered in the room, all eyes were focused on the male Acraepoid sitting next to the woman.
This man was Nyo and Naya’s father.
Huh?
Grimm recognized the injury on the man’s body.
As it turned out, he was the Acraepoid who was injured by the abyss attack among the dozens of men during the day.
Cough, cough…
The injured man stroked his little daughter Naya tenderly. He glanced at her daughter’s increasingly weak body and the severity of the Sorcerer’s Shadow, a hint of guilt and despair emerged in his eyes.
“Naya, don’t worry, as long as we devote our faith and pray to the almighty Dark Destroyer Infernal God, no matter how difficult our lives are, we will start anew again. I’ll take you to visit your aunt in the Sangrun Gree Kingdom then, I promise.”
It’s been five days, Naya’s abyss erosion had worsened by a few degrees.
Through his observation, Grimm had thoroughly understood the reason why the city was still attacked by the abyss.
Except for the edible plants, other resources such as the water supply and the air had begun to be polluted by the abyss. However, the city residents here did not take note of this matter because they had no corresponding knowledge.
Although the abyss breath was very weak, it was enough to cause severe damage to the relatively weak young Acraepoids.
The poor little Naya did not know that she was subjected as a living specimen by Grimm. Grimm was closely monitoring her as he observed the life and death cycle of the abyss attack.
Based on his estimation, the magnitude and horror of the future abyss cataclysm in this world would be far more severe than the pyrodust cataclysm that Grimm had had the pleasure of witnessing in the Shadow World.
After all, the so-called pyrodust cataclysm was, in fact, part of the World Law.
The alternation of shadows and pyrodusts was equivalent to the day and night cycle of the Sorcerer World.
When one part awakened, the other part would fall into a deep slumber, although this cycle of reincarnation was a little too long for ordinary living things.
“Okay,” little Naya hummed silently. She cuddled herself in her father’s embrace and closed her eyes.
Grimm and Claudia sat upright with their noble descendants’ disguise. Although the title of the aristocracy was meaningless in this disastrous time, the identity of a warrior was unquestionable.
“You are injured this time, who knows what’s going to happen on your next trip…” the woman wailed sadly. Her voice was trembling as she sobbed.
“If you die, what’s going to happen to us? The monsters are getting stronger and stronger, but you…”
Sigh…
The man heaved a long sigh.
He carried the weight of his family on his shoulder, but in apocalyptic times like this, his strength was too insignificant.
And now, he was…
Suddenly, the father turned, looked at Fred and said in a solemn and sincere voice, “Fred, I have watched you grow since you were just a boy. Before your parents were killed by the Sorcerer’s Shadow, we were good friends. I believe in you. So, I want to ask you, will you take my daughter, Nyo, as your wife? Are you willing to take the responsibility of an Acraepoid husband in accordance with the Infernal God Will?”
“I…”
Fred replied anxiously, “I will!”
Fred held Nyo’s hands tightly, rejoicing and excitement filled their faces. The great joy dispelled all the ramblings in his heart.
A few days later.
Fred and Nyo had a simple and warm wedding. Grimm, Claudia and the relatives and friends of the bride and groom sent their simple blessings.
Claudia put up a smiley face on her disguise. Grimm, however, seemed to be caught in a certain nostalgic memory, his eyes flooded with his own sadness.
A few more days later.
Nyo and Naya’s father had to depart for another treacherous trip due to the shortage of food supplies. After a final glance of his beloved family, he resolutely left Fort Santalum with his group and flew away.
“I found something about the Bloodstones,” Claudia whispered into Grimm’s ear.
With her beautiful appearance among the Acraepoids, her Sorcerer Wisdom, and her nobility status, she had already developed and expanded her social circle to help Grimm get information.
“Okay.” Grimm replied flatly, “I need more time to collect data on the Infernal Spirit Power and the effects of the Abyssal Moss, plus… this city should not be so calm and peaceful.”