Academic gathering with a lich-Chapter 856 - 797: The Demon in the Heart

The flames were still burning in the remaining charcoal and ashes. Despite Sahazaan’s lushness, its vegetation was not inexhaustible. As the last bit of tender green turned to flying ash, the flames also shrank and disappeared with the final popping sounds among the piles of wood. The jungle, burnt into a muddy trail of ashes, was now seated by a burly man whose whole body was wrapped in dust, making him look like a colored person, as he crammed overcooked meat into his mouth amidst the dust.

The ancient hunting party had completed the task of burning down the jungle and didn’t return. Instead, groups of ten stayed on the fringes of Sahazaan’s land like pendants on a necklace. Ohmhead had not explained the reasons in detail, and the Berserkers were not great thinkers, so there wasn’t much complaining. Though they lacked wives, children, and warm beds, the satisfaction of completing the chief’s demands and their boyish pleasure of playing with fire meant the Berserkers could be at ease for a while longer.

Without any sense of being isolated as potential threats, the Berserkers, looking like coal miners, engorged themselves and chatted boisterously amongst themselves.

"By eliminating all life, we eliminate the possibility of Heart-snatcher Worms entering our bodies through carnivorous consumption. Yet we still keep the prime youth of our tribe isolated from the rest," the Black Dragon, Alcalon, laid atop Stone Peak, staring at the tiny bonfires around, like a supervisor.

Ohmhead, the supervisor’s head, was being overly cautious.

"Transmission through parasitic food is just one mode of invasion by the Heart-snatcher Worms that we hypothesized. You can’t expect the enemy to operate according to our thoughts. Besides, this isn’t a typical parasite; we must prepare for the worst. Perhaps the worms can spread with ease through the air, or even in a vacuum. Maybe they can transmit just with a glance."

"Ha, looking at someone is all it takes to contract the worms," Alcalon chuckled, appreciating the Black Dragon Priest’s humor. "Then your quarantine measures are meaningless, only foolish actions are meaningless."

Ohmhead shrugged, and a small clump of ash fell from his robe; there wasn’t as much before, but it was because a young dragon kept blowing on his back. "It’s not in vain. Separating the able-bodied from the women and children can effectively reduce casualties. The living forces beneath Stone Peak are safe."

So, the lives of the hunting party are worthless; the lives of the tribe members who have served as muscle-bound maids are devalued. That’s what Alcalon speculated with malice as he joked with the Black Dragon Priest to pass time. They could only wait and observe the clan’s abnormal reactions to confirm the enemy before them as the supervisors.

"If the Heart-snatcher Worms are really like you said, and don’t need a medium to spread, then these weak tribespeople won’t be spared either. They might as well just parasitize women and children directly, ignoring terrain."

Ohmhead turned and gave the Black Dragon a surprised look, wondering if the whelp was being maliciously argumentative or just plain stupid.

"The mentality of a worm horde is the survival of the fittest. If you could control the strongest warriors, why would you want weaker hosts? Taking control of the hunting party could be decisive, and following the instinct of life, they would choose those robust young individuals."

Ohmhead realized that the Black Dragon, Alcalon, was courting death again. Upon detecting the malice in the mischievous acts of the Dragon Priest, this rebellious eldest son became increasingly self-centric towards his own Dragon Priest.

"My esteemed teacher, if those worms were really smart, they would know that controlling two other units could also be decisive..." The Black Dragon’s eyelids half-closed, with a hint of a heroic discourse simmering like green plums in wine.

"You might as well let the Heart-snatcher Worm control your dad, with one slap he could kill us all." The Black Dragon Priest, exaggerating further, suggested that the worms’ power is limited; influencing ordinary tribe members is already the extent of what the worms can achieve. Perhaps saving the main dish for the Creator to honor, or simply lacking in strength, at least there’s no chance the Heart-snatcher Worms can control Dragon Priests or Giant Dragons.

The Sleeper had not held much hope for the worm horde, merely desiring to create chaos. It’s like a carelessly placed chess move – harmless, but Dragon Followers must face it with the utmost sense of crisis. If it were not for their side influenced by the Evil God, the dragons and priests would probably be feeling much worse now.

The Black Dragon Priest observed a camp and found an excuse to send the annoying little endearing one away.

"The camp is becoming restless, maybe our enemies have arrived. Go welcome them, war-born eldest son, and let those egg-born vermin understand the terror of power."

Born from an egg, Alcalon took one last look at his Dragon Priest. The trouble with dealing with brawny brutes is you can never tell if they’re insulting you intentionally. With a flap of his wings to shower the Black Dragon Priest in a pile of ash, Alcalon flew towards the edge of the territory.

...

The hunting party had been sitting idle for too long, their initial excitement had settled, and the restlessness of having nothing to do began to take over. Sharpening weapons, shaking legs, pacing back and forth within the designated area – all these actions had been repeated so many times that the apocalyptic atmosphere they had created around them lost its novelty.

As dusk fell, the Berserkers, having received no further orders, felt an overwhelming sense of abandonment. The impatient tribesfolk turned their heads to look at the top of Stone Peak, only to discover that the summit was enveloped in a thick cloud of dust.

[The leader said there was an enemy invasion, but where is the enemy?]

[Why hasn’t the leader given any orders? Is there no movement back home?]

[Could we have been backstabbed? TNND, our women and children are all there.]

Exchanging glances with their hunting companions, years of cooperation led them to understand each other’s thoughts without words. I’m anxious, and he’s even more anxious than I am. Emotions are contagious, and the collective restlessness of the group added an unsettling noise to the usually silent warriors.

"Why don’t we go back and check? I think the safety of our homeland is more important."

The objection almost seemed to have been squeezed out by the warrior’s instinct.

"We must ensure the security within our territory. If we miss the enemy’s trail, that would be the real danger." The repressed voice sounded as if trying to convince others as well as oneself, "Trust the leader. Until his orders are issued, we’d better obediently follow commands. The leader’s wisdom is beyond our reach."

Some people scoffed, their repressed dissatisfaction like a cellar door pried open, unleashing a jumble of strange smells from the aftermath of a plunder.

"Sagacious judgement? Does that include Mr. Brandy?"

All Berserkers glared furiously at that damn fool who had unleashed the demon in their hearts, the demon in everyone’s heart, their bodies trembling and experiencing localized rejection reactions. To everyone’s surprise, the argument halted abruptly in the wind. But everyone understood that the seeds of unease had been planted, silently waiting to sprout.

And then the newcomer began to prod their wounds, causing blood and guts to fly, and hearts and livers to nearly burst from anguish.

"Mr. Brandy? I quite like that guy, he’s a very interesting person, isn’t he?" Where there is fun, there is the Black Dragon. Alcalon was simply a beast that fed on the pain of others, his eyes not hiding the mockery within.

"Lord Black Dragon!!" The Berserkers, as if seeing hope, were won over by the malicious methods of the Black Dragon, or perhaps it was the brutal power that the Black Dragon displayed that resonated more deeply within their hearts.

Those lurking in the darkness became even more cautious.

"Come, my followers, next we’re going to play a fun game."

"It’s called ’Who’s the Undercover’."