Chapter 416: Visiting The Mutant Village, Looking For A New Arm

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The Undead Giant was waiting for an answer. That alone was enough to make Ragnar gasp in disbelief. The knight was not simply reacting to movement or following an order. He had asked a question, and now he wanted someone to explain what had happened to him.

Not only had sanity returned to his eyes, but his reawakened memories had come together to restore his consciousness. He was no longer an empty undead being following basic instincts. He could think, remember, and understand his surroundings again.

"With this spell, you will be able to bring the undead back to their senses," Riven explained. "Use it well."

"D-Divine Lord, thank you so much!!!" The Giants knelt before him, their excitement evident as they realized what this gift meant for their people.

Ragnar still held the tablet, taking care not to let it touch the ground as he knelt. He glanced toward the awakened knight again, as though he needed to check that the spell had really worked.

The knight was still looking around, trying to make sense of everything.

There were other undead nearby. Now, instead of seeing only figures wandering without purpose, the Giants had a reason to approach them.

They could ask questions. Hear answers. Find out what those restored memories held.

Riven let Ragnar keep the artifact. There would be plenty for them to do after he left, and judging by the looks being exchanged, they were eager to get started.

Riven simply waved his hand and disappeared.

Afterward, he collected Vladimir and dragged him along to his next destination, the underground village of Mutants.

"Why am I here?! What is this place... Wait, that dungeon we visited the other day?!" the werewolf barked angrily.

Vladimir stopped long enough to look around, then turned toward Riven with an expression that made his opinion of the surprise trip perfectly clear.

He had apparently not been given enough warning. Or any warning, really.

Riven kept walking.

That annoyed him even more. The werewolf followed, but not without glancing down the passages around them, trying to work out exactly where they were going.

"You could have told me before bringing me here!"

Riven looked back at him, then at the space where his arm should have been. Vladimir noticed the glance and frowned.

"What?"

He knew the arm was missing. He did not need someone staring at it to remind him.

Still, Riven seemed to have a reason for coming here, and Vladimir had not yet heard it. He folded his claws against his palm and waited, looking no happier about the situation.

"Just shut up and follow me for once in your damn life, Vladimir." Riven sighed. "It’ll benefit you greatly. You’re missing an arm, after all. Why not ask these guys to help you out? They’re not only master flesh-benders but also capable of remarkable technological work with what little scrap they’ve got."

"Huh..." Vladimir muttered. "Who are you talking about???"

Riven smiled and pulled back a curtain, revealing a huge open space. Vladimir stood behind him, looking into a village built from scraps. Creatures of all kinds of strange shapes moved about until they noticed the newcomers and stopped to stare.

Vladimir had to duck as he stepped through the entrance. Once inside, he straightened and looked over the nearest structures, trying to decide what he was seeing.

Pieces of metal had been joined into walls, with patched coverings stretched over the roofs. Some doorways were narrow, while others were much wider, apparently built to suit whoever lived inside.

There was barely anything that looked as though it had been made from matching parts.

Yet people were using it all. An inhabitant carried a container through a narrow gap between two buildings, while another stopped beside a machine with tools still in hand.

Riven waited for Vladimir to take it in. The werewolf had stopped complaining, at least for the moment.

Makeshift structures, strange machinery, and equipment assembled from whatever materials the inhabitants could find filled the space. Despite its cluttered appearance, the village was clearly organized. These creatures had established their own community, and their abilities were not something to underestimate.

A few of the Mutants recognized Riven and came closer. Their attention soon shifted to Vladimir, particularly his claws and the space where his arm should have been.

He noticed, of course.

"What are you staring at? And what are these things?!"

Riven gave him a look. He had brought the guy here to get help, and Vladimir was already making that more difficult than it needed to be.

Still, the werewolf’s attention kept returning to the equipment. He studied the joined pieces, then the tools laid out nearby. Whatever he thought of the inhabitants, he seemed interested in what they had managed to build.

That was probably the best time to explain the rest.

"They’re mutants," Riven continued. "They can give you a new arm, one that will grow along with you, half flesh and half metal. What do you think? This way, you can complete your whole freak-of-nature build."

Vladimir’s expression changed at the mention of an arm that would grow with him. He glanced at his remaining claws, then back at the Mutants.

"Half flesh and half metal?"

"That’s what I said."

For once, he did not immediately argue. He seemed to be considering it, though Riven’s last comment had clearly annoyed him.

A replacement was one thing. A replacement he would not have to discard as he changed was another. Vladimir had apparently found a reason to stay, even if he had no intention of admitting that Riven had done him a favor.

Riven folded his arms and waited. He knew that look well enough. The guy was interested.

"Tsk, fine!" Vladimir hissed. "I guess it’s not a bad idea, I am interested." He said, while still wondering why Riven even cared about his missing arm. "Show me what you can offer, shrimps."

Several Mutants looked at one another. One had been about to step forward but stopped at the way Vladimir addressed them.

Riven turned toward the werewolf.

He could have just asked. It really was not that difficult. Somehow, Vladimir had managed to make even accepting help sound like a demand.

Riven sighed. "Forgive his manners. His mother dropped him when he was born."

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