Chapter 10: Ashes of Gram Village

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I was running, feet slamming against the dirt, lungs burning from the cold mountain air. The grass blurred beneath me, the trees thinned, and the horizon cracked with smoke and fire.

Gram Village... I had to get back. I gritted my teeth, panic rising with every step.

The system wouldn't let me use the Resurrection System unless I was dead—it wasn't a teleport item. There is no guarantee if the System will teleport me to Gram Village Directly.

Return Scrolls... why didn't I buy one?

I had spent all my money preparing for the Hidden Quest, gathering lilies, buying resist gears, all for one dungeon, all for me.

And now... now the village was in flames.

"Dammit!" I cursed under my breath.

I knew, I should've known.

Alfiria Saga always opened with the same cinematic:

A peaceful village engulfed in fire, a massive black dragon soaring overhead, the destruction of the Trainee Village, I never connected it until now, it was the Old Gram Village all along, no wonder there is no tutorial at the beginning when i transported here, no wonder I was in the Withered Forest, everything make sense now.

I looked up—and my heart dropped, a massive shadow moved across the sky, wings as wide as the clouds.

The dragon.

It flew east, leaving only ash and silence in its wake.

I stumbled. Fell to my knees. My breath caught in my throat. I was too late.

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Flashback...

"Huh? You're back at that dummy again?" a voice called with a chuckle.

I looked up, wiping sweat from my brow. It was Gregorie, captain of the village guard. A tall man with a scarred face and an easy smile.

"Still not bored of swinging that stick, Leben?" he grinned.

I laughed lightly. "Gotta keep up appearances. What if I get scouted by the Royal Guard?"

He let out a hearty laugh, slapping me on the shoulder. "Well, if you ever do, remember us small folk."

Behind him, the village soldiers sparred in the open yard. Most were young, barely out of training, but there was pride in their movements. Gregorie glanced back and waved at them.

"Oi, you lot! Show Leben some respect! That dummy's got more bruises than any of you!"

"Yes, sir!" they chorused, laughing.

Later that week... I passed by the orphanage. A little girl ran up to me, hands cupped around something.

"Mister Leben! Mister Leben!"

I knelt down. "What's up, Lily?"

She opened her hands, a small crown of wildflowers rested in her palms.

"Me and Mina made it for you. 'Cause you always look lonely."

My chest tightened. I took the gift gently.

"Thanks. I'll treasure it."

Another day. At the inn, I greeted the innkeeper, who was sweeping the front steps.

"You missed dinner," she said, smiling with motherly warmth. "Out training again?"

"Yeah," I scratched my head.

"Come in. I saved a plate. You need to eat more, Leben. You'll blow away with the wind."

Even Ms. Nora, from the Adventurer's Department, had grown warmer over time.

"You're still here," she said one morning. Most who train like you give up after a week."

"Guess I'm stubborn."

"Or stupid," she smirked, handing me a form. Still, it's kind of admirable."

"Leben, you're gathering herbs again?" Ask the guard at the entrance of Gram Village.

"I have too, or else I'll starve."

After turning in some herbs at the Adventurer's Department. I made a short stop at Marda's Apothecary. The little wooden shop sat crooked at the edge of the marketplace, always smelling faintly of mint and strange roots. The door creaked as I entered.

"Back again?"

Marda peered up from behind the counter, adjusting her thick glasses. I held up a pouch of fresh herbs.

"More burns than usual today. Training dummy fought back."

She snorted, but her hands were already busy sorting the plants.

"Fine. I'll brew you something for bruises too, your hands are bleeding after hitting that dummy for hours. No charge. You're the only one who brings fresh sunleaf anymore."

I waited, watching her grind and pour with practiced care. She handed me a small vial as a reward for gathering her free herbs.

"Try not to bring more before next week."

"I'll do my best and give you a whole cart."

"You ***!"

I run while waving at her smiling. That village... it wasn't just a place to start quests. The warmth that I never experienced from my world. It became home.

The people made it feel like home.

End of Flashback...

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The memories collapsed under the weight of reality. I stood at the edge of the village.

Ash fell like snow.

Homes were nothing more than scorched frames, walls reduced to rubble, craters lined the road like open wounds.

No cries. No footsteps. Only the crackling hiss of dying fires.

In my hands, I still held the flower crown. It was lightly burned and brittle. I fell to my knees, my fingers trembling.

"Why..." Tears streamed down my cheeks, mixing with soot and sweat.

I punched the ground, again and again.

Why didn't I come sooner? I am aware even if I came early, I cannot slay that dragon with my current stats, even if I use the Resurection System, it is not enough to defeat it.

"I know, goddamn it!"

I want to protect the Villagers even if I die.

I screamed, a raw, broken sound that tore through the silence like thunder.

Gregorie, the soldiers, Marda, Nora, the innkeeper, the kids. They are all gone, because I had chased a hidden quest, because I had been too focused on grinding stats and preparing for the future, I should've known the pattern.

Alfiria Saga always masked tragedy as setup. It never told you what mattered—only left you to regret what you missed.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, collapsing fully onto the dirt.

Rain began to fall. It hissed as it hit the scorched earth, trying to cleanse what could never be washed away.

– – –

Hours passed..

When I rose again, I stood in front of newly carved graves—hundreds of them. I had buried the villagers where the gardens used to bloom. No skeletons. No names. Just mounds of earth.

I hadn't buried Henda yet, her remains still rested in my Inventory Bag, alongside her pendant. I would return her to her lover, to the man who still waited, but not yet, not until I finished mourning the village that gave me a second life.

The rain continued to fall as I stood there, alone among the graves. I didn't say anything. I just stayed. In silence. In sorrow.

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