Building A Human Empire By Creating A Clan [EN]: Chapter 85

The Rise of Chaos

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When the dark clouds consumed the light, plunging cities and garrisons into an unsettling darkness, the humans were bewildered.

At first, they waved their arms, wondering if something was obstructing their vision.

But as the darkness persisted, a chilling fear began to creep in.

Why had the light vanished so abruptly, without warning?

‘Is Horbid testing me?’ one of Horbid’s followers wondered.

He knelt and prayed, blaming himself for perceived sins.

“Eternal light, Horbid… please, take away this darkness and restore the light…”

Then, a light did return, but it was a dizzying spectacle, hardly comforting.

Cyan lines began to etch themselves into the darkness.

The lines stretched and moved, forming a distinct border.

‘A person?’

The border took the shape of a person.

A human figure outlined in green was now visible in the oppressive darkness.

“Hello?” the follower called out hesitantly, eyeing the seated figure.

A sense of foreboding stirred within him.

Yet, curiosity compelled him forward.

He approached the figure and reached out a hand.

The moment his hand touched its shoulder, the figure’s head snapped around.

Kkyaaaaaaaaak——

A piercing scream echoed in his mind, a psychic assault.

The follower watched in horror as the human figure twisted and morphed into a grotesque monster.

The monster rose, reaching out its arms towards him.

“D-Don’t come any closer!”

Kkyaaaaa——

The scream intensified, a wave of pain crashing through his head.

The follower clutched his head, desperately pushing the monster away with his free hand.

The monster stumbled backward, flailing as it hit the ground, seemingly as blind in the darkness as he had been.

‘Lord Horbid!’

He realized he was the only one who could see the monster, a horrifying privilege granted by Horbid.

Understanding dawned, and the follower frantically grabbed the blunt weapon at his waist.

“Die! You monster!”

Thwack!

The jade-colored monster’s form exploded in a burst of sickly light.

The monster’s head was pulverized by the weapon, and the light flickered and died with it.

“Hoo…” the follower gasped, struggling to regain his composure.

But then, the jade-colored monsters began to reappear, multiplying until they filled every direction.

“What… the hell…”

Like the first, they floundered, unable to see.

The follower was convinced this was reality, a trial set before him.

He gripped his weapon tighter and charged into the throng of monsters.

“Die!”

If they couldn’t see him, he had to strike first.

“Die! Die!”

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Splat!

After felling a few, the monsters finally sensed his presence.

They must have pinpointed him by sound, turning in his direction.

He fought back with renewed ferocity, smashing the monsters that remained blind.

It was God’s will to fight against evil.

God was granting him the grace to witness the evil that plagued them.

He rejoiced, shouting wildly as he swung his weapon with all his might.

“Keuk!”

But his strength wouldn’t last.

Suddenly, a blinding light erupted behind him.

He whirled around, his eyes instantly overwhelmed.

“Ugh, ugh…!”

His eyes, accustomed to the jade-tinged darkness, burned at the sight of the golden light.

The pain of searing flesh consumed him, and another headache threatened to split his skull.

Stab!

“Keuhuk!”

Caught in the agony, he was defenseless as a blade pierced his heart.

“I’m sorry,” a voice whispered.

The monster spoke, using human words.

The follower’s eyes widened as he looked at his attacker.

The monster’s appearance, revealed in the faint golden light, was undeniably human.

It was a knight, one who had answered Thurdlet’s summons, just like the follower himself.

“W-What…”

He died without uttering another word.

The knight who killed him pulled out his blade and sighed.

He hadn’t wanted to kill him, but the man was a fanatic, beyond reason.

Without the momentary advantage provided by the light, he wouldn’t have stood a chance.

“……”

The knight clutched the necklace in his hand.

The necklace emitted a soft golden glow in the encroaching darkness.

The sun, symbolizing Edar Thurdlet, or rather, Edar Lundringen.

– When darkness falls, seek the light.

He remembered the words of the woman who had given him the necklace.

He had dismissed it as a cliché, but had she foreseen this chaos?

“Aaaaaaak!”

“G-Get away! You monster!”

He looked up at the sound of screams, scanning his surroundings.

He, too, could see the jade-colored monsters wandering in the darkness.

But when the light from the necklace touched them, they were revealed as human.

The jade-colored monsters were not monsters at all, but people.

‘The darkness here is a deception. The monsters seen within it are also a lie.’

He, too, had sought Horbid in the darkness, hoping not for a test, but for deliverance.

Immediately after, the jade-colored monster began to appear in the darkness.

‘The deeper the faith, the more monsters you see.’

At the same time, light emanated from the necklace and illuminated the monster.

The moment he raised his sword to strike it down, he realized the monster was a terrified comrade.

‘I believed that faith would allow me to see evil and defeat it.’

Because the more his faith grew, the stronger the jade color appeared.

The stronger the jade color, the clearer the monster’s form became.

‘It’s an illusion created by faith. Faith is what creates the monster.’

Clench…

He tightened his grip on the necklace.

He chose to believe that the comrade revealed in the light was the truth, not the jade-colored monster lurking in the darkness.

‘Darkness is a lie. The monster in the darkness is also a lie. Faith is deceiving me.’

Then, the light from the necklace intensified.

‘How can a mere necklace do this?’

He couldn’t comprehend it.

It was just a symbol representing a single person.

How could it emit light, and how could that light dispel the darkness?

Wasn’t the darkness, the jade color, the power of Horbid unleashed upon them?

Yet, a simple human symbol was pushing it back?

Something deep within him cracked.

“When darkness falls, seek the light…”

He held the necklace aloft and looked around once more.

The light’s reach was limited, but the screams continued from beyond its edge.

‘First, I need to get out of here.’

What could he accomplish alone?

He moved cautiously, watching the darkness.

Thud!

A sudden blow knocked him off balance, sending him sprawling.

He saw a madman looming over him, ready to strike.

“Hehe… hehehehe… I caught you…!”

Bloodshot eyes stared down at him, and the tip of a spear was aimed at his heart.

Even with the light shining, the madman was unfazed.

He raised his axe high, ready to deliver the killing blow.

Stab!

At that moment, a spearhead burst through the madman’s chest.

Gurgle!

The madman made a gurgling sound and turned around.

Then, a volley of spears pierced his body.

He trembled and collapsed.

“Are you alright?”

The knight looked up at his savior.

“You…”

A clear mark adorned his forehead, visible without a helmet.

He was once a slave, but now a free human.

The knight stared up at him in disbelief.

A human being saved by livestock?

“……”

It was a humiliating thought, yet strangely, he felt no shame.

The knight took the slave’s outstretched hand and rose to his feet.

“Thank you.”

The slave nodded and turned to leave.

Watching his back, the knight belatedly realized something.

Golden light surrounded the slave.

As if the light was trying to protect him.

‘The light is not from a sacred object, but from the flesh…’

The light the knight possessed was a faint glow from the necklace, but the light emanating from the slave was so bright and strong that it could be seen from afar.

‘Is God… protecting them?’

The chaos in the garrison began to subside.

Those consumed by madness in the darkness were subdued, and those who fought their comrades in confusion lowered their swords.

They gathered, drawn to the bright light.

“Where are we going now?”

“We are going to the city. There are many people there who desire light.”

The knight joined the ranks of the slaves.

The light from his necklace faded.

Instead, a faint light began to emanate from his own being.