BXBX NOVEL Chapter 131: Artwork
Chapter 131: Artwork
"Father, this isn\'t the place for you," just as Paladin and Macedonia hadn\'t walked far, a group of burly men approached them. The leader, a bare-chested giant standing at least two meters tall, blocked Paladin and Macedonia\'s path, casting a shadow over them, and warned them from a higher vantage point.
Macedonia, being a trained Holy See warrior, possessed the strength of a five-star fighter, and the giant in front of him, although intimidating, was no match for Macedonia. Macedonia swiftly placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, and with the silver armor emitting a bright light, an invisible aura of threat filled the air. He stepped forward, positioning himself in front of Paladin, and said, "We have no intention of disturbing the stability of Clearwater Town. We\'re just here to purchase some necessary supplies and then leave."
Perhaps it was the shining silver armor of Macedonia that made the giant hesitate, or maybe he didn\'t want any unpleasant confrontation with the Holy See. Adding to this, there were thousands of soldiers waiting just a few miles away. Under such intimidation, the giant nodded slightly, took a step back, and said to Macedonia, "I hope you\'re smart. If anything unpleasant happens here, it won\'t be good for either of us. You see, the town isn\'t safe right now." In response, Macedonia remained silent, ignoring him. The giant didn\'t want to bother with these soldiers of the Holy See and, with a casual shout, left with his fierce-looking followers. He intended to meet some friends and instruct them not to touch these two agents of the Holy See.
However, at this moment, Paladin paid no attention to these ordinary men. His keen hearing allowed him to overhear all the conversations on the street, even whispers. To his surprise, in the discussions about tonight\'s activities and plans for mischief, he heard a murmured conversation between two local bandits: "Did you hear? Old man Mante and his family disappeared this morning! Their remains were found in the nearby woods. The bodies were horribly mutilated. Even their organs were devoured!"
"Do you think it could be some kind of monster that got in? Otherwise, with Mante\'s skills, ordinary beasts wouldn\'t stand a chance." "You\'re right, that\'s what I think too! There have been over a dozen people missing in the past few days! I heard the bosses had a meeting last night, and they plan to seal off the town tonight, not allowing anyone in or out!"
Hearing this information, Paladin raised an eyebrow slightly. He quietly moved behind Macedonia and, with a sly smile, suddenly asked, "Have you heard that people have been disappearing frequently in this town lately?" Macedonia was surprised and turned to look at Paladin. Although he didn\'t say a word, his expression clearly conveyed the question of how did you know? Paladin took a step back, glanced around, and asked in a hushed voice, "So, those people who disappeared, did you have anything to do with it? Just for a girl? Hahaha, it seems you\'re even more formidable than I imagined."
"Don\'t talk nonsense!" Macedonia frowned and responded somewhat angrily. Seeing that no one around was paying attention to them, he lowered his voice and replied, "It wasn\'t me." "Not you?" Paladin nodded slightly. He knew Macedonia had no reason to lie to him about such matters. It seemed that Macedonia came to Clearwater Town because he knew there was a monster eating people, and having a monster as a shield was an excellent choice. "So, you don\'t trust me?"
"Enough of this," Macedonia said with annoyance. He looked back, and to his surprise, he only saw an unattended brown horse behind him. Paladin\'s figure had disappeared. His expression changed from surprise to anger. Macedonia angrily struck his armored leg and growled, "Damn it, he ran off by himself! I must report this to the Archbishop tonight!"
Putting aside the infuriated Macedonia, Paladin walked through the dimly lit alley. After confirming there were no other people around, the all-seeing eye on his forehead reappeared. He could see everything within a hundred meters that was touched by sunlight. The old stone houses, pots with soil on the second-floor balconies, the eyes of little birds perched on rooftops in the distance, and the bustling crowd on the street not far away, including the cursing Macedonia - all were crystal clear.
Quietly walking, feeling for potential clues, as he neared the edge of the forest, a sudden image flashed before his eyes. A giant beast, almost like a giant, was crouching in the grass, tearing into its prey on the ground with a gaping mouth. The prey wasn\'t anything special, just a mercenary in armor. It was impossible to tell if it was a man or a woman anymore, just a pile of broken flesh and blood staining the ground.
Paladin smiled faintly, and the all-seeing eye on his forehead immediately disappeared. He hastened his steps into the forest.
When Paladin suddenly entered the forest and stood behind the humanoid beast, the beast felt someone behind it and turned around abruptly, revealing a ferocious and terrifying appearance. It was about to swat this approaching meal with one hand when Paladin\'s voice rang out, "Aberleigh ! That\'s enough!"
The creature before him was none other than Aberleigh , the monster that had been following Paladin. Upon realizing that the person behind him was his master, and with Paladin\'s cold gaze, Aberleigh \'s ferocity instantly dissipated. Aberleigh , who stood nearly three meters tall, with arms as thick as a person\'s waist, immediately prostrated on the ground. He whimpered pitifully and emitted sounds disproportionate to his size, like a scolded puppy.
Paladin kicked Aberleigh \'s head, causing him pain. Aberleigh immediately cowered behind a tree trunk, looking at his master with fear. Paladin ignored the creature, circled around him, and sighed, "Little Aberleigh , you\'ve grown quite an appetite in these past few days. Look at this mess, you can\'t even eat cleanly."
Paladin scolded Aberleigh as if he were instructing a child. He pointed and gestured toward the scattered remains on the ground. In this densely wooded area, there were two bodies that had been mutilated beyond recognition. The once-refreshing scent of earth had been overwhelmed by the pungent smell of blood and decay. Paladin could even see bite marks on some of the bodies, suggesting that they were devoured. It was obvious that Aberleigh was indiscriminate in his hunger.
Unexpectedly, when he looked up, Paladin saw something odd - a cave entrance hidden behind a clump of weeds. Clearly, it was Aberleigh \'s dwelling place. However, the issue wasn\'t the cave itself; it was the row of wooden stakes displayed in front of it. Each stake held a severed head, and some heads still looked fresh, in stark contrast to the others that had started to rot and emit a foul odor. Paladin could see that some of the heads had had their eyes and tongues removed. It was evident that these heads were not meant for Aberleigh \'s consumption; rather, it was some form of his personal hobby or artistic expression.
Paladin took a few steps closer, carefully observing the heads. Upon closer inspection, he noticed that all the heads, despite their tortured expressions,
had their eyes and tongues removed. Paladin couldn\'t believe that this was Aberleigh \'s food preparation; it was impractical as the heads would rot within a day, causing stomach issues if consumed. Instead, he interpreted it as Aberleigh \'s personal preference or perhaps an art form.
Paladin walked up a few more steps, examining the gruesome display, only to notice one head that seemed fresher than the rest, with blood still dripping from the severed neck. He knew he had found something significant.