Since Kranos had seen the elder prepare the tea himself, he didn't think twice before taking a sip. It had been a long time since he last drank tea, and he couldn't help but savor the taste. good tea, he commented inwardly.
As Kranos closed his eyes to enjoy the flavor, the elder's voice broke the silence, carrying a melancholic tone as though he were reliving a painful memory. The depth of emotion in the elder's voice made Kranos feel as if he were being transported back in time, experiencing the moment alongside him.
"It happened some years ago; the skies suddenly turned purplish. at that time an aura of devastation permeated this planet. That was when they emerged, terrifying creatures that blotted out the skies. At that time i was but merely a child; i watched in horror as the sun seemed to be corrupted, turning into what you see today. It wasn't just the sun but the whole forest as a whole."
"At first people didn't think much about it; it was only when it started corrupting humans that they discovered something was wrong. Although 30% of the trees had been corrupted at that time, they felt it had to do with certain trees. They linked the purple aura to the birth of a treasure."
"After the experts of this world discovered that something was wrong, they immediately went to the source of the purple energy. Unfortunately, when they reached there, whatever caused this had vanished, seemingly into thin air."
Sip…
The elder took a sip of tea to moisten his throat before continuing, "in the end, the top experts realized that there was no way to save everyone in this world; only those who had not been corrupted were accepted into the safe haven, a city that is said to be clear of the contamination."
Kranos was stunned. "so the 'corrupted' were left out here to die?" he couldn't believe how inhumane the experts of this world were.
The elder sighed again, "they had no choice; they discovered that as time passed, the corrupted will slowly corrupt others close to them." at the elder's explanation, Kranos finally understood; it seemed they had no choice. he could imagine how helpless the experts felt.
Kranos took a moment to digest the information he had obtained. "i came last night but the doors were locked with no one answering…"
Before Kranos could finish speaking, the elder waved his hand to interrupt him, "i told you that when the purple aura permeated this planet, terrifying creatures appeared. These creatures seem to like peace and quiet; they also love eating humans, and they especially come in the night. So we try our best to be quiet at night while hiding, hoping, and praying for survival."
Kranos's mind drifted to the little girl he had encountered the previous night. He quickly told the elder about her. The elder pondered for a moment before replying.
"You likely encountered one of the corrupted."
The elder then rolled up his sleeve, revealing thick, purple strands that ran across his arm. Kranos was shocked.
The elder rolled it back up. "this is what happens when one is corrupted; when one is fully corrupted, their skin turns purple and they become something similar to a ghost! Just like those terrifying creatures, this was the reason why it was a little too difficult for the experts to kill them."
Kranos took a deep breath. it seems i have been transmitted to quite an interesting world: strange creatures, restricted nightly movement, and safe havens? There seems to be a scheme ongoing. Kranos felt something strange with this world, a unique Demon perhaps? One with an ability to make others corrupted?
But isn't this world considered safe? Wasn't it explored already? Kranos felt that something was wrong but he couldn't place a hand on it. what about the others that were teleported to this world? If this is considered safe, then what would be considered dangerous? Thinking of this, Kranos asked the elder.
"Elder, has there been any information about strange, clean people appearing here in recent years?"
At Kranos's words, the village head was stunned; he immediately asked, "did something happen to the safe haven? Did the creature attack?"
Seeing the elder frantic, Kranos thought of an explanation and said, "i came with some friends and we got lost while playing outside."
The elder stared doubtfully at Kranos. "they allow children outside? Aren't they afraid of corruption?"
At this, Kranos immediately came up with another excuse; he used his childish facial expression to use, "i… we… snuck out."
…
After a long discussion, Kranos finally took his leave. He immediately began forming a plan. i can purify the contamination from mana in the surroundings before absorbing it. can i do the same to the people of this village? That way we will be able to easily enter the city after i get them to lead me there.
First, i need to familiarize myself with this village, then i will slowly help the children while studying this village and gaining more information about this world from the elder. I hope i will be able to purify them, though; that way my plan will be easier.
The elder had given him a small house in the center of the village. As Kranos walked through the settlement, returning from the elder's home, he noticed the villagers staring at him as though he were an alien.
It's been a while since they've seen an uncorrupted human, Kranos thought, frowning slightly. He didn't mind the stares, but it was clear they were hesitant to approach.
He understood why. They're afraid of corrupting me.
While lost in thought, he noticed a boy around his age approaching, holding a snack.
"Welcome to the village," the boy said with a small smile. he noticed the boy's features; it seemed the corruption had advanced greatly in the boy. His hair was already turning purple; there were also purplish stripes on his face, even on his fingertips, which he used to give Kranos the snack. he could see thick tendrils of purplish stripes there.
He noticed that the other villagers hesitated, bringing their children closer. Kranos could guess their thoughts: they were hesitating at first but coming to the conclusion that Kranos would be living with them for a while. they guessed that he too would be corrupted; he even saw a hint of pity in their faces.
Kranos gratefully collected the snack from the boy; even though he wasn't hungry, he felt the boy's sincerity. he looked at the snack; it was a fried dough. Kranos immediately felt disgusted as soon as he glanced at it; he could see some purple stripes on the dough. how do they eat this? Kranos wondered, but on second thought, there was nothing else to eat; since they couldn't starve, they could only eat what they had at hand.
"Where are your parents?" Kranos asked the boy, suppressing his disgust.
The boy pondered for a moment, his expression neutral. He replied as though it was nothing, "the creature took them away. grandpa leader said they went to a better place and are waiting for me. i'll soon go there, i guess."
Hearing the tone the boy spoke Kranos felt saddened, But then another thought crossed his mind. This will be the best candidate for my test. if i can heal him, it will be considered a miracle. since he doesn't have parents, no one will question what I do. Although he felt that his thoughts were heartless, he knew that there was little need for emotions and sentiment now.
Kranos' eyes lit up and the repulsive boy looked more pleasing to the eye. "Follow me; i have something for you." Kranos said to the little boy, like an elder, and clasped his hand behind his back as he walked away.