Chapter 318: The Moonscorched Villagers, The Infection



The door creaked open, and a cold gust of air swept past Stark and Sora as they stepped into the ominous surroundings of the [Death Village].

The village itself looked like something torn from a nightmare.

Crumbling houses, their windows shattered and walls lined with dark, twisted vines, flanked the narrow streets.

[You do not belong here.]

A warning appeared before them.

The two of them exchanged a glance, but still moved forward regardless.

They were in the heart of one of the most dangerous places imaginable, and the stakes were life or death.

If you put it as if it was a normal rift, then the [Death Village] would be a level 450-500 area, and Termina would be a level 500-600 area.

"Stay close," Stark murmured, his eyes scanning everything for any sign of movement.

Sora nodded silently, her hand already pulsing with green energy, ready to summon her vines at a moment's notice.

Despite the oppressive atmosphere, she remained calm—she trusted Stark.

If anyone could pull off the impossible, it was him.

The village was silent, but it was a dangerous kind of quiet.

Where were the other participants?

With this many of them, there was no way to not find anybody.

"Look," Sora pointed at their house, "We're the only house close by, meaning that every house outside the square directs to a random street."

"Oh," Stark nodded.

They moved forward through the streets.

It was complete silence though, not a single monster or participant on sight.

"These 'moonscorched beasts'... you think they're watching us?" Sora asked, her voice low.

"Don't even know what they are," Stark shrugged.

But suddenly, a sound broke the silence.

Skrrt. Skrrt.

It was faint at first, but unmistakable—the sound of something scratching against stone.

Stark immediately stopped, motioning for Sora to do the same.

His eyes locked onto a nearby alleyway, shrouded in darkness.

The noise came again, a scraping sound, like claws dragging across the floor.

Stark's heart pounded in his chest as he squinted into the blackness.

There was something there.

Waiting.

Without warning, a figure burst out from the shadows.

Fwoosh!

It moved faster than Stark could react, a blur of motion that shot straight toward him, claws outstretched, its eyes glowing with a sickly yellow light.

Stark barely had time to raise fists.

"FUCK!" Stark shouted instinctively.

SLASH!

-24772!

His arm was slashed by the creature's claws, and Sora immediately kicked it away using her vines.

-123623!

The creature in front of him was monstrous, a grotesque fusion of human and beast.

Its flesh was pale and cracked, with dark veins pulsing beneath its skin. Its elongated limbs ended in jagged, razor-sharp claws, and its face, if it could still be called a face, had the twisted shape of a human skull, its eyes glowing with a malevolent light.

"PERCEPTION!"

...

[Name: Moonscorched Villager]

[Level: 500]

[HP: 1,276,377/1,400,000]

[Strength: 15373]

[Stamina: 9462]

[Speed: 19382]

[Defense:11481]

[Skills: Void Blink, Devouring Shadow, Lunar Howl, Moonlit Regeneration, Corruption Touch, Flesh Warp, Death Villager, Moonscorched...]

...

"That thing..." Stark's eyes widened.

[Chosen has been infected by Moonscorch!]

[Thus, the effects will be revealed.]

"...!"

A video appeared in front of all participants, showing the moment where the [Moonscorched Villager] emerged from the darkness and slashed Stark's arm.

[The moment a moonscorched beast hits you, you are instantly infected.]

[The infection spreads when you remain outside, since the rays of the crimson moons hit you directly.]

[The only way to reduce the percentage number is to go back in your home and wait.]

[Though, do note, someone that is moonscorched attracts beast way more than someone that isn't.]

[If your moonscorched percentage reaches 100, you become like one of the beasts, not only in the trial, but in real life too.]

"So... like the black sun in the very first rift I conquered?" Stark raised his eyebrows.

But no answer, and all the panels closed.

"Ah... fuck..."

He had been the first to get infected, tough luck.

[If you get hit again by another moonscorched beast, the power of the infection will grow.]

Stark could finally see why this trial was of the death difficulty.

And he needed to be extra careful.

"Let's go," Sora nodded.

"Yeah."

But right as they took their first steps to continue heading to [Termina], the city, Stark realized something.

"Hey, Sora..." his expression darkened.

"Hm?"

"That monster we fought used a skill called [Lunar Howl]."

"Yeah."

"It said that backup was coming soon."

"..."

"And we've been reading the announcement for at least three minutes."

"Oh."

Which means...

"SCRAKSKS-"

"GRRRR-"

That the monster they fought wasn't the only one.

Far down the street, more glowing eyes began to appear in the fog.

All the monsters were coming from a single side.

And it felt as though every moonscorched villager that was in Stark and Sora's area had regrouped after the [Lunar Howl].

Stark took the time to observe.

"There's 32 of them, we can't win," he said, taking a few step backs, "I'm already injured."

"Here," Sora approached Stark, and using one of her vines, she enrolled it around Stark's arm to cover up the wound, "That should help."

"Thanks."

But as he saw the vine, Stark suddenly got an amazing idea.

"Hey, Sora."

"Hm?"

"Can you restrain these monsters for even just a second?"

"I can... try."

EVERGREEN RESILIENCE!

The ground beneath them turned green and grassy, and now, the monsters were in Sora's domain.

FWISH! FWISH! FWISH!

Hundreds upon hundreds of vines came out of the ground and began to restrain the [Moonscorched Villagers].

"NICE!" Stark smiled, his aura taking over, "Alright."

He drew a circle in his palm, then taped it with his fist before pointing at the sky.

"HEAVEN'S WRATH!"

Thanks to his enhanced aura and mastery, the beam took only a single second to charge up, before erupting onto every single one of the beasts.

-737282! -839304! -647265!

Let's just say, none of them survived.