Yenviet Village

The sun was setting, and Darius Noctis' rickety vehicle had turned on its headlights. He had just entered a bamboo forest, where the narrow and rugged path forced him to drive extremely slowly, carefully avoiding rocks and potholes. Occasionally, fallen bamboo trees blocked his way. The deeper he ventured, the more it felt like no one had traveled this road for a long time.

Though it wasn't completely dark yet, the dense bamboo forest blocked most of the light. His vehicle's headlights shone like a lonely beacon in the gloom. Occasionally, small creatures followed the light out of curiosity, only to flee moments later as the roars of wild beasts echoed from the depths of the forest.

After wandering in the bamboo forest for three hours, Darius Noctis wasn't sure if he was on the right path. He had placed all his trust in the navigation system, which only loaded maps as he moved forward.

If he was going the wrong way now, there was no turning back. To get here, he had already passed through a dense forest of towering trees. Along the way, he had seen countless large claw marks on tree trunks and massive footprints belonging to some unknown creature. If the forest was terrifying during the day, it would be even worse at night. Even if he had ten lives, he wouldn't dare turn back.

"Fat Luu! Stick your head out and check if the pigpen is still secure. If it's crooked, fix it. Be careful not to get smacked in the face by branches."

As darkness approached, the eerie atmosphere of the bamboo forest became more unsettling. So, he found an excuse to talk to Fat Luu.

Fat Luu, not quite understanding the situation, took the request seriously. He stuck his head out of the vehicle to check. The pigpen was intact, and his dog, Woof, was looking back at him with its tongue hanging out.

"The pigpen is fine, Noctis." Fat Luu reported.

"Yeah." Darius Noctis nodded.

The longer they stayed in this place, the more unsettling it felt. He asked Fat Luu to light a cigarette for him.

Taking the burning cigarette from Fat Luu's hand, he asked, "Fat Luu, what's your real name? When we leave this place, you can't let people call you Fat Luu forever. You should lose some weight."

Hearing that, Fat Luu looked down at his round belly and replied, "When my mother was alive, she told me to be strong and eat a lot to grow up quickly. She said girls like chubby men. Ah… My name is Bao—Bao Luu."

Then, he chuckled. "Haha, by the way, Noctis… It's almost dark. When will we arrive? My father warned me never to enter the forest at night. It's too dangerous for ordinary folks like us."

Darius Noctis didn't answer Fat Luu's question. He noticed that Fat Luu's laughter was trembling, betraying his fear. Looking at the dashboard, he saw that they were only two kilometers away. At this speed, they could reach their destination before the sun fully set.

"We're almost there. Don't worry, we won't have to sleep in the forest."

Though he wasn't entirely certain, he reassured Fat Luu anyway. He didn't mind this—having Fat Luu around made him feel less afraid, reducing the chances of making poor decisions.

The path gradually widened, and the bamboo thinned out. He even noticed several bamboo stumps, evidence of human activity nearby. Seeing this, Darius Noctis let out a breath of relief and focused on driving forward.

The silence was so profound that only the rustling of leaves stirred by the wind above could be heard. Below, the soft hum of his electric vehicle blended with the creaking of the wooden carts being pulled behind them. The pigs and chickens had been silent ever since they encountered the giant hawk, huddling together in fear, staring at the darkening forest.

Only Woof and Meow remained unfazed. For some reason, they acted as if nothing was out of the ordinary. Woof continued to excitedly observe its surroundings, fascinated by everything. Meow, on the other hand, had been sleeping all day. When awake, it would lazily lick its fur before dozing off again.

Strangely, despite never being trained, both animals were extremely obedient to Darius Noctis. Throughout the journey, they never jumped out of their enclosures—only when he stopped the vehicle did they hop down to stretch their legs.

At that moment, Meow suddenly sensed something. It awoke from its nap and quickly leaped onto the roof of its pen, tilting its head toward the road ahead. The vehicle slowed down. Woof perked up its ears and stretched its neck forward, staring toward the front.

"Sir, may I ask, is that Yenviet Village up ahead?"

Darius Noctis spoke up.

He had stopped the vehicle because he saw an elderly man carrying a bundle of firewood on his back, walking ahead.

"Oh, young man! You're heading to Yenviet Village, are you? Where are you coming from?"

The old man squinted his eyes and curiously asked Darius Noctis.

"I'm Darius Noctis, and this is blacksmith Fat Luu from Phucloc Town. We're just passing through. Sir, is that Yenviet Village up ahead?"

Darius Noctis scratched his head, quickly correcting his tone.

"Ah, so you're from Phucloc Town? Our village is just a few hundred steps ahead. It's getting dark—hurry along. What's with all those carts? Are you merchants?"

The old man asked.

"No, I sell noodle soup from this cart. Sir, hop in, I'll give you a ride to the village."

Darius Noctis opened the vehicle's door, stepped out, and smiled at the old man. Finally, he had met someone. Yenviet Village had to be just ahead. He sighed in relief. The sun was truly setting now. The more he looked around, the more uneasy he felt. He wasn't afraid of ghosts, but he feared wild beasts—or worse, the monsters lurking in the forest.

The night always held inexplicable fears. Especially for him—someone who had lived in a world where darkness never truly existed. Back then, nights were always lit up with bright lights, leaving no room for fear.

"Alright, alright! Thank you, young man. You said you sell noodle soup? What does it look like? Are you planning to sell it in our village?"

The old man laughed heartily, his back slightly hunched. Darius Noctis helped him to the side door of the vehicle and took the bundle of firewood from his shoulders.

The side of Darius Noctis' vehicle had a small auxiliary door that connected directly to the cargo hold. If he ever needed to grab something quickly, he could simply open this door—an incredibly convenient design for transporting goods.

However, as Darius Noctis was helping the old man onto the vehicle, Woof suddenly jumped down, baring its teeth and glaring at him. At first, Darius didn't pay much attention, only noticing the old man's momentary hesitation upon seeing the dog.

"Grrr~~~ ... Woof! Woof! Woof!"

It barked three times in a row, hostility evident in its stance toward the old man.

"Have you lost your mind? Get back in the pen, now!"

Darius Noctis gave Woof a swift kick on the rear before helping the old man onto the vehicle. Then, he handed the bundle of firewood back to him.

"Just sit here and hold onto this railing. The road is a bit bumpy, so be careful not to fall."

After giving the old man a quick warning, Darius moved to the front to drive. Initially, he had planned to let the old man sit in the front passenger seat and have Fat Luu move to the cargo area. However, Fat Luu's large belly made it impossible for him to fit through the narrow side door. Since the village was close, letting the old man sit in the back for a short while wouldn't be an issue.

Woof obeyed Darius' command but walked back to its pen with clear reluctance. Its eyes remained fixed on the old man until it was out of sight.

At this moment, Darius wasn't paying attention to Meow, assuming it was still asleep. However, in reality, it was perched atop the cargo hold, directly above the old man. Tilting its head, it stared intently at him. The old man seemed to sense the gaze and looked up, smiling at the cat.

Night had fallen, and the last remnants of sunlight faded beyond the horizon, leaving only a dim glow. Darius Noctis drove slowly. Up ahead, he saw faint lights—wasn't that Yenviet Village?

[You have arrived at Yenviet Village. Route completed.]

[Annoying As Shit congratulates the device owner for completing the task.]

[Keep it up, device owner!!]

"Hey!" Darius smacked the screen, feeling as if the AI was mocking him.

As he approached the village gate, the lights illuminated his surroundings more clearly. To his surprise, the village gate was built from earth and stone. Though not particularly tall, it appeared sturdier than the ones in Phucloc Town. Was this really a village? Or should it be called a small fortress instead?

Setting that thought aside, Darius was about to drive closer when a man holding a torch stepped in front of the vehicle, blocking the way.

They have torches here? If they had torches, they must be using kerosene. Then how come Fat Luu didn't know about crude oil?

"Halt! Identify yourself!"

The man holding the torch was a well-built young man. He didn't seem particularly curious about Darius' vehicle but firmly ordered him to stop.

"Khanh, it's me… Hurry and help me down."

The old man poked his head out of Darius' vehicle and waved at the young man.

"Chieftain? What are you doing here?"

The young man, called Khanh nhỏ, was startled.

"Help me down, ahh, my poor old back…"

With Khanh nhỏ's assistance, the old man groaned in relief and patted his hunched back.

"This vehicle is excellent—so smooth. Far better than those expensive imperial carriages."

As he spoke, the old man handed his bundle of firewood to Khanh nhỏ, then walked up to the front of the vehicle and knocked on it lightly.

"Young man, step down. Show me something that proves you're from Lupterna. I hope you understand—our small village has a grudge against the empire. I fear they might have planted spies here. People from Phucloc Town visit occasionally, but you're a stranger."

Darius Noctis didn't think much of it. He got out of the vehicle and handed his travel permit to the old man. The old man then glanced at Fat Luu, who was sitting in the passenger seat, before looking over the documents and nodding.

"Alright, the ink on this is still fresh. Must've been done by Van Bien. Very well, you may enter. It's almost dark…"

The old man patted Darius Noctis on the shoulder before hunching over and walking into the village gate.