Chapter 69 - 35: The Birth of a Newborn, The Boundary Between Life and Death! (Part 1)

Chapter 69: Chapter 35: The Birth of a Newborn, The Boundary Between Life and Death! (Part 1)

Alex nodded slightly.

"Indeed, I possess some abilities that ordinary people do not."

The elder let out a faint sigh.

"That is good. There are very few humans left, so it’s only right that we help each other. Regardless of where you come from, why don’t you stay in our village for the time being? After all, there are no truly safe places left in this world."

"You still haven’t told me why this world has become like this," Alex pressed, his gaze falling upon a yellowed animal-skin map hanging on the stone wall. Most of the villages marked with red crosses on the map had likely been completely destroyed.

The elder observed Alex with that peculiar look once more.

"Very well. Perhaps you suffered some kind of trauma and completely lost your memories. In that case, I will tell you exactly what happened to this world."

He stroked his snow-white beard.

"For as long as I can remember, we humans lived peacefully alongside the Void Beasts in this world. Humans who died would all transform into Void Beasts."

"And whenever a human woman became pregnant, a Void Beast would dissolve into spiritual particles, entering the woman’s womb to be reborn as a human. This was the cycle of life and death; it was how things were supposed to be."

"But, I don’t know since when, these Void Beasts began devouring their own kind and hunting humans. As if they had gone utterly mad, they started attacking every living creature in sight."

"The boundary between life and death was broken. Frail humans were completely incapable of fighting back against these powerful Void Beasts. As the world gradually marched toward ruin, humanity had no choice but to hide underground... barely managing to survive until now..."

Before the elder could finish his tale, someone suddenly shouted from outside.

"Village Chief, Yumiko is about to give birth!"

The elder stood up abruptly, his expression turning solemn.

"Guest, you possess some extraordinary abilities just like Ade, don’t you? Please, come with me. After all, this village cannot withstand any further losses."

"Everything you wish to know, I will tell you after the child is born."

With that, the elder leaned on his walking stick and quickly walked outside. Alex followed behind him, arriving outside an isolated stone house at the edge of the village.

From within the house came a woman’s exhausted, hoarse screams, mingled with the midwife’s encouragement.

"Push harder, Yumiko! The baby is almost out!"

Outside, a man squatted on the ground, clutching his head with both hands and muttering to himself.

"No, don’t give birth... it will attract a massive swarm of Void Beasts... The whole village will die!"

"Shiba, lift your head."

The elder gently tapped the man’s shoulder with his cane, his expression carrying an unquestionable resolve. "If we don’t even have the courage to welcome a newborn, humanity will go extinct sooner or later."

Shiba snapped his head up, his face covered in tear tracks, his pupils dilated with terror.

"But the last few times... every single childbirth has attracted hundreds, thousands of Void Beasts! I can’t forget what happened last time... They tore the stone house to shreds, and even the newborn child was..."

His voice choked in his throat, as if blocked by something.

"Shh, quiet! They’re here!"

Everyone hid behind the stone houses, instantly falling silent. Even the cries of pain from within the delivery room grew muffled.

From the shadows of the rock wall, a massive head slowly emerged. It was a Void Beast; its head was covered in white bone plating, and pale blue flames burned within its eye sockets.

This monster had limbs as long and spindly as a spider’s, its joints gleaming with a cold, metallic luster. It was crawling silently toward the stone house.

The moment the monster appeared, the midwife inside had already fled the house and retreated into the crowd.

The scene was deadly silent. Only the agonizing groans of the mother in labor could still be heard from inside the stone house.

"Let’s hope it’s only this one..."

Alex heard the man muttering a low prayer.

Unfortunately... more and more Void Beasts began slowly squeezing out from the rock walls...

The man clutched his head in despair, too terrified to keep watching.

Just then, the boy named Ade suddenly dashed out from the crowd. He stood in front of the pregnant woman’s stone house, his right hand emitting a faint, spectral blue glow.

The boy raised his right hand and shouted coldly,

_____

T/N:

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