Chapter 140: A Village of Monsters 2:

Chapter 140: Chapter 140: A Village of Monsters 2:

They were simply living their lives.

After a while, the girl brought Ronan to a dining area where several villagers were preparing dinner.

The moment the food was served, a delicious aroma filled the room.

Ronan stared at the dishes.

There was meat, vegetables, and several unfamiliar ingredients he couldn’t identify. However, what caught his attention most was the large piece of meat placed over a fire.

The flames burned brightly, yet the meat didn’t turn to ash.

Instead, it remained intact while releasing an astonishing amount of energy.

Ronan’s eyes widened slightly.

Could that be... a Phoenix?

He quickly dismissed the thought.

Phoenixes were mythical creatures, and according to the memories he had obtained from both his undead body and his second life as the "Ronan" , such creatures were usually associated with the central continent and other places far beyond the middle-level continents.

Yet the meat in front of him possessed a similar aura.

He didn’t know what he was eating, but he had a feeling that it wasn’t an ordinary beast.

"Eat, young one," the old woman said, placing a plate in front of him. "You’ve traveled a long way."

Ronan nodded and picked up a piece of meat.

The moment he took a bite, his eyes widened.

Delicious!

He had eaten few delicacies since coming to this world but as a modern earth male he had eaten alot of food froms some top chef but nown come close even the food prepared by Jolan.This meat was on an entirely different level.

The energy contained within it rushed into his body, spreading through his flesh and strengthening his essence.

Ronan almost swallowed the entire piece at once.

His body began heating up.

The energy was too concentrated.

He quickly realized that eating another bite might cause his body to explode from the sheer amount of energy entering it.

[Ding!]

[An enormous amount of energy has entered the host’s body.]

[The host’s current realm is insufficient to absorb the energy completely.]

[Warning: Further consumption may damage the host’s body.]

Ronan stared at the notification.

He had only taken one bite!

Meanwhile, the girl sitting beside him was eating happily, taking one mouthful after another without showing any signs of discomfort.

Ronan looked at her plate, then at his own.

What kind of monster is this girl?

He had already suspected that she wasn’t ordinary, but now he was becoming increasingly certain.

The villagers, the necklace, the forest, the food...

Everything about this place was strange.

He looked at the old woman who had served him the meal.

"Thank you for the food," he said carefully.

The woman smiled.

"You’re welcome. It’s only something we prepared for dinner."

Ronan nearly choked.

Only dinner?

He looked at the meat again.

If something like this was considered ordinary food in their village, then what kind of things did these people normally eat?

He couldn’t even imagine it.

After dinner, the villagers invited him to stay for the night.

Ronan considered leaving immediately, but after remembering the terrifying auras surrounding the village, he decided that staying was probably the wiser choice.

He had no idea how strong these people were, and he wasn’t interested in discovering the answer through a fight.

Besides, he had received a substantial amount of energy from just one bite of their food.

If he could absorb it properly, his strength would increase considerably.

Later that night, while Ronan was resting, a system notification appeared.

[Ding!]

[The host has absorbed a large amount of energy from an unknown source.]

[The host’s current realm has reached its limit.]

[Upon completing the required breakthrough conditions, the host can advance directly to the Seventh-Star King Realm.]

Ronan sat up immediately.

"Seventh-Star King Realm?"

He read the notification several times to make sure he hadn’t misunderstood it.

Ordinarily, breaking through to the King Realm would begin at the First Star. Yet the energy he had absorbed was so immense that the system was telling him he could advance directly to the Seventh Star once he completed the necessary conditions.

Ronan leaned back slowly.

He had originally intended to spend a considerable amount of time breaking through.

Now, one meal had changed everything.

He glanced toward the door.

Who exactly are these people?

The following morning, Ronan prepared to leave.

The girl accompanied him to the village entrance, where one of the old men was waiting.

"Young one," the old man said, smiling, "you should be careful on your journey. Your enemies are already looking for you."

Ronan stopped.

He hadn’t told anyone about having an enemy.

He hadn’t even mentioned that a Vampire Lord was hunting him.

Yet this old man spoke as though he knew everything.

Ronan’s expression became serious.

"How do you know that?" 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ

The old man merely smiled.

"Be careful, young one."

He didn’t explain further.

Ronan stared at him for a moment before eventually bowing his head.

"Thank you for your hospitality."

He was curious, but he knew better than to ask questions these people clearly had no intention of answering.

Before he could leave, the girl approached him and held out a small bead.

"Here. Take this with you."

Ronan accepted it.

"What is it?"

"I’m not sure. I’ve been told to give it to someone who helps me."

Ronan examined the bead before activating his system.

[Scanning...]

[Object: Unknown.]

[Classification: ???]

[Description: Insufficient information.]

[The host’s current strength is insufficient to determine the object’s true nature.]

Ronan’s expression twitched.

Another question mark.

He looked at the bead, then at the girl.

"Does everything in your life have to be mysterious?"

The girl giggled.

Ronan sighed before fastening the bead around his wrist.

"Thank you."

He looked at the villagers one last time before turning around and continuing his journey.

He had come here searching for a way to reach the Abyss.

Instead, he had encountered a mysterious girl, a terrifying forest, and a village filled with people whose strength he couldn’t measure.

He still didn’t know who they were.

But one thing was certain.

They were far beyond anything he had expected to encounter on a middle-level continent.

And as Ronan walked away, he couldn’t help wondering whether the world he knew was only a tiny fraction of something much greater.