Orcus Town’s past

Michael spent the rest of the day with the locals of Orcus Town, witnessing firsthand just how dire their living conditions were.

Most of the time, both the children and the adults journeyed out into the dangerous forests in search of edible fruits and berries. But even then, they would rarely gather enough sustenance to get satisfied. Many of the fruit-bearing trees had been destroyed—either crushed into the ground by falling debris or swallowed up by the deep crevices that scarred the land.

The only water source they had was the occasional rainfall, which was infrequent and unreliable.

As Michael talked with the middle-aged woman, he found out that her name was Beth. She was one of the few locals who had chosen to stay in Orcus Town despite its horrible state.

He asked her how things deteriorated so badly for the town.

"We already asked for help from the neighboring towns," she said, her voice weary. "But… they couldn't do much."