670 The Devourer's Bracelet
In a spacious hall, all ten key figures—Caretaker Ivor, Caretaker Nala, Caretaker Shani, Caretaker Naida, Caretaker Zola, Stronghold Leader Zogar, Stronghold Leader Seth, the Village Chieftess, the Village Chief, and Orion—gathered. Queen Selene sat in a specific direction, with Elara standing behind her.
Seated on the other side were Patriarch Rylan, along with Isadora, Lyndon, Leif, Leona, and the rest of the gods chosen.
"Okay, you can continue, Patriarch Rylan," the Village Chief requested with a contemplative expression as he looked at Patriarch Rylan.
Patriarch Rylan nodded and continued, "The man is called Captain Seig. He is a god's chosen and a member of the half-
giant race, serving as the captain of the 2nd unit of a vanguard team in a grade 1 runaway city known as 'The Sleeping Fox.' Meanwhile, the woman with him belongs to the Sloth Demon race and serves under him as the Lieutenant of the 2nd Unit Vanguard team of 'The Sleeping Fox' runaway city."
"They both graduated from their training with high Vylkr energy compatibility. After receiving their Devourer's bracelets and weapons, they made a name for themselves by plundering other Runaway cities and successfully defending against attacks on their own Runaway City. Our Runaway City and theirs had been in a longstanding misunderstanding for years. Unfortunately, eight months ago, both cities reached their boiling points and decided to part ways. Before we could fully grasp the situation, we were suddenly attacked by Captain Seig and his team."
"Fortunately, we had been on high alert for any imminent attacks, allowing us to eliminate some members of his team. This left only Captain Seig and his second, Lieutenant Evadne. Also, we managed to secure the remaining two million Four-
Eared Elves and abandoned our Runaway city, making our way towards this Village, hoping for a miracle," Patriarch Rylan responded.
"Unfortunately, with the loss of every single one of our units and those who had survived but were left with life-threatening injuries sustained from the battle and barely clinging to life, the journey was as dire as we had expected."
"After a few weeks, we realized we were being followed. We managed to escape with our lives only through the sacrifice of our remaining injured units. However, they located us again after a few weeks and launched another attack."
"In retaliation, our unit numbers dwindled one by one as they were not fully healed from their injuries. The constant attacks of the Vylkr vines further decimated our forces, reducing our numbers to one million, five hundred thousand. Every day, we lost 500 to 100 people to the Vylkr vines, and each time Captain Seig located us, we suffered losses of over a thousand more. When we arrived here, our numbers had dwindled to a mere hundred thousand, with only one unit remaining."
"Unfortunately, Captain Seig, whom we had believed we had lost track of, reemerged. If not for the interference of the Village, we could have all been killed off one by one and devoured by the Vylkr vines until none of the four-eared elves remained. Fortunately, Captain Seig and his Lieutenant have been captured, and all I plead for is for you to make them suffer the agony of what the four-eared elves endured before their eventual death."
After Patriarch Rylan finished speaking, he released a deep sigh.
The key figures, from the Caretakers to the Stronghold Leaders and the Village Chief, the Village Chieftess, Queen Selene, and Orion, all wore deep, contemplative expressions. Patriarch Rylan's explanation had left them in shock and amazement.
The information they had just received showed them a harsh image of the world beyond the Village. A desolate world ravaged by Vylkr vines. Various races occupied territories in this barren expanse, living in Runaway cities. As their name suggested, these cities constantly moved to evade the relentless onslaught of Vylkr vines.
Simultaneously, they engaged in conflicts with other Runaway cities, plundering them for resources and forming alliances with those deemed allies for protection and necessities.
However, as they digested the story, they realized that the world outside was slightly vastly different from their own Village. The key distinction was that the Village stood alone without external enemies, apart from the relentless attacks of the Vylkr vines, and it wasn't a Runaway city.
"Now, regarding the Vylkr energy, considering its nature, I need you to explain how the two attackers and the individuals behind you can wield it. This is something I believed and confirmed to be impossible. So, Patriarch Rylan, shed light on how such a phenomenon became possible," the Village Chief asked, shifting his attention toward Leif and the others standing behind Patriarch Rylan.
The eyes of the other key figures followed suit, fixing their gaze on Leif and the others.
Patriarch Rylan nodded in understanding and gestured for Leif to come forward.
Leif acknowledged with a nod and walked forward steadily.
"I believe you'll gain a proper understanding if he handles the explanation, being a god's chosen himself," Patriarch Rylan stated.
The Village Chief nodded in understanding, his gaze shifting towards Leif as he arrived at the centre of the hall and stood before them.
Leif stretched his right hand forward, showcasing the bulging bracelet to everyone.
"This bracelet on my right hand is called the 'Devourer's bracelet.' It is an artefact— an unranked artefact, to be precise. Although powerful, it requires various components for proper use, one of which is the vial," Leif explained.
He brought his right arm forward, opening a compartment on the Devourer's bracelet to reveal a small gold vial with detailed designs.
"As we all know, Vylkr vine in its purest form is too dangerous even for a powerful warrior at the peak of their race to handle or fight against. However, they are first diluted using a special achemichal process and stored in vials of different grades to utilise them. Each vial contains a collected amount of Vylkr energy, and the higher the grade, the more potent and challenging it is to handle," Leif explained, carefully placing the vial back in its compartment and closing it.
