Chapter 4 – Sparks Beneath the Ashes

Several weeks had passed since Leonardo da Vinci's peculiar "medicine" had alleviated the suffering of some of Ashwind Post's sick. While the visible results brought a mixture of surprise and relief to the patients' families, the flames of suspicion towards him, the "outsider," had not been so easily extinguished. Most villagers still kept their distance, treating him with a polite but cold demeanor. The glances cast his way remained filled with a skeptical curiosity, a fear of his strange, incomprehensible abilities.

Eldrin, the old leader of Ashwind, though acknowledging the efficacy of the medicine Da Vinci provided, continued to act with measured caution. He allowed Da Vinci to reside and move within the village but assigned a few young warriors to "ensure his safety"—which, in reality, meant keeping a close watch on his every move. Conversations between them mostly remained in the realm of inquiries about Da Vinci's origins and knowledge, rather than genuine consultation.

Driven by his inventor's instinct and a desire to see improvement, Da Vinci attempted to suggest ways to better the village's living conditions. He spent days observing, studying the environment, and analyzing the problems the villagers faced.

"Elder," Da Vinci began one day, as Eldrin was inspecting the shallow well that served as the village's main water source, "I've noticed the water in the well is becoming murky and has an unusual odor. If we were to construct a simple filtration system using sand, gravel, and charcoal, it could significantly improve the water's cleanliness. I could sketch a design for you."

Eldrin merely glanced at Da Vinci before slowly shaking his head. "Thank you for your concern, young man. But we have had our ways of managing water since our ancestors' time. Any change made without thorough understanding could lead to unforeseen problems."

Da Vinci's efforts didn't stop there. Seeing the village walls, made of scrap metal and decaying wood, looking rather unstable, he couldn't help but offer, "If we were to adjust the support structures and apply proper principles of weight distribution, these walls could be made many times stronger, capable of withstanding..."

"Enough!" A young warrior captain standing near Eldrin barked, his voice laced with irritation. "Don't act like you know better than us! What would an outsider like you know about our defenses!"

Even minor suggestions regarding sanitation improvements, such as proper waste disposal or digging more discreet latrines, were dismissed as trivial and unnecessary in a situation where everyone struggled for daily survival. His attempts were overlooked, rejected, or sometimes even met with ridicule. Da Vinci began to feel the heavy wall of distrust. The knowledge and experience he had accumulated throughout his life seemed worthless in this land. A slow sense of isolation began to gnaw at him.

Amidst the coldness and indifference of most villagers, only Kiana, the red-haired young woman with the chilling gaze, seemed to still "see" something in him. Though she maintained her stoic demeanor and spoke little, she would often find opportunities to speak with him alone. Perhaps bringing him food to his hut, or simply sitting beside him in a quiet corner of the village, silently watching as Da Vinci used a piece of charcoal to sketch strange figures on the ground.

One night, as faint starlight illuminated Ashwind Post, Da Vinci sat staring at the golden paintbrush lying inert in his hand. It remained dull, devoid of any luminescence. Despair began to show clearly in his eyes. Kiana approached silently and sat beside him.

"You look... like you're carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders," she said, breaking the silence, her voice even but tinged with understanding.

Da Vinci let out a long sigh. "Perhaps I truly don't belong here, Kiana. The knowledge I possess... it seems no one wants it."

"These people fear what they don't understand," Kiana replied, her eyes fixed on the darkness ahead. "This world has taught them to be wary of anything unfamiliar... But I saw what you did to that mechanical beast with my own eyes... And your medicine... it truly worked, however you managed to create it."

Silence fell again before Kiana spoke. "Do you wish to know... why this world is the way it is?"

Da Vinci turned to her with interest. This was the first time Kiana seemed truly ready to reveal the story of this world.

Kiana began, her voice flat but laced with a bitter undertone. "Long ago... before the memory of the oldest person in this village began, our world was not like this, not just ruins and toxic wasteland. It is said to have once been beautiful and bountiful. But then, the 'Great War of Annihilation' occurred. No one knows for sure how it started or who ignited the spark, but its result was the collapse of ancient civilizations and the rise of new powers, vying for dominance amidst the ashes... The Four Empires."

She paused, gauging Da Vinci's reaction, then continued. "The first empire you should know, and our sworn enemy, is the Nebula Machine Empire. They are the creators of the mechanical beasts you've encountered. Their territory stretches eastward, mostly a vast desert and colossal industrial complexes spewing toxic smoke into the sky ceaselessly. They worship mechanical technology above all else and believe in controlling everything through strict order and an invincible military."

"Further west lies the Eldian Dominion. That land is as different from here as heaven and earth. It's said to be the most fertile land, with lush green meadows, dense forests, and clear rivers. Food is never scarce. Most of its people are peaceful farmers and merchants. Though there are occasional skirmishes between smaller regions over resources, overall, their internal conflicts are far less severe than what we face. Eldia is the dream destination for many refugees."

"To the south is the most terrifying land... the Vulcanus Wastes, or as we call it, 'The Cinder Mountains.' It's a scorched desert of lava and active volcanoes. The air is scorching hot and filled with deadly toxic fumes. It's home to ferocious, unnaturally mutated beasts. Only the strongest, battle-hardened nomadic tribes can survive there. It's rumored that rare and powerful minerals lie hidden beneath its fiery surface, tempting foolhardy fortune seekers."

"And finally, far to the north, is the Sylvanan Enclave, or 'The Elvenwood.' That land is covered by an ancient, vast primeval forest. It is the sanctuary of the reclusive, long-lived Elven race. They possess a deep connection with nature and are rumored to have profound knowledge of woodland magic. The forest itself is protected by some mysterious power, making it a place almost as safe as Eldia. But the Elves rarely welcome outsiders, and their lands are difficult to reach."

Kiana's narrative opened a new perspective for Da Vinci. He began to see the larger picture of this world's conflicts and power dynamics. The problems faced by Ashwind Post were but a small speck on the vast map of war and survival.

Days turned into nights. Da Vinci continued to try and reacquaint himself with his powerless brush. In the darkness of his hut, he tried again and again to "draw" small objects, hoping for even a flicker of golden light to reappear, but to no avail. The hope of using this power to help people or change his own fate began to dwindle. He felt like a musician who had lost his masterpiece instrument, or a painter who had lost his sight.

Then, one morning, seemingly like any other, the alarm shrieked from the rickety wooden watchtower. The panicked voice of a young guard echoed, almost unintelligible, "Something... something's coming! It's... it's moving incredibly fast! It looks... it looks like a person!"

Chaos erupted instantly. Villagers scrambled for cover in terror. Warriors who had some skill hastily grabbed their weapons. Eldrin shouted orders, his voice strained, trying to control the situation.

And then, a figure emerged from the treeline at the edge of the village. It moved with a terrifying speed, almost too fast to follow. Its form was slender, like a human's, yet it exuded an aura of strength and menace. Its skin was a matte black metal that swallowed the morning sunlight. Its eyes were twin crimson lenses that glowed with a cold light. It was a "Stalker Unit," a mechanical assassin from the Nebula Empire, once only a rumor, now a horrifying reality.

It wasted no time. The moment its form cleared the forest edge, it lunged towards the center of the village like an arrow. Its target seemed to be Eldrin, who was standing and directing, or perhaps Kiana, who had darted in front of her leader, twin swords at the ready.

Kiana and a few other warriors tried to intercept, but they were battered aside by the Stalker Unit's speed, power, and precision. Cries of pain mingled with the harsh clang of metal on metal.

The Stalker Unit easily parried Kiana's blades before swatting her aside with one of its mechanical arms, sending her sprawling to the ground. It ignored the other warriors attempting to hinder it. Its crimson lens-eyes fixed on Eldrin, who now stood alone, defiant. Its other arm morphed into a razor-sharp metallic blade, poised to strike…