Chapter 56: The City in Flames

The city was truly in chaos, just as Alden had expected.

Looking around Wynthalor, thick plumes of dark smoke rose from every single direction. Panicked people frantically fled through the burning streets, their terrified screams echoing into the sky as mindless, grotesque Shrivens chased right behind them!

This was the very first time Alden had witnessed such a brutal scene with his own eyes. Seeing the terrifying Shrivens hunting down citizens made him realize a harsh truth: this magical world was not just some peaceful fantasy setting. Where there was magic and power, there were bound to be devastating problems. In his old world, people fought over land, food, money, and resources. But here, the stakes were far different. The opponents tearing up the city were not rational humans you could negotiate a truce with. They were bloodthirsty monsters—or rather, they used to be humans before the temples forcibly mutated them into mindless heretics.

Alden had never heard the full details of this horrific phenomenon, not even from the rumors at the academy. What little he had learned was just basic, half-baked information. But seeing these creatures in front of him, actively spreading chaos and destruction, he realized they were a much bigger threat than anyone could comprehend. Even the most basic Shrivens and Acolytes were far stronger than a weak Awakener. If compared to the Awakener ranking system, their power levels ranged anywhere from E-rank up to just below B-rank.

The Shrivens were monstrous beings who relied entirely on their brute prowess to slaughter their opponents. Their mutated hands were sharper than swords. Acolytes, on the other hand, were the insidious beings responsible for transforming normal humans and other intelligent races into these very heretics.

But the biggest problem was not just their ability to kill or transform innocent people. With every single kill, their own power increased! Their strength, speed, and overall lethality grew higher with each victim, which earned them the title of the world’s ’Parasites’. Since a Bishop directly corrupted them, their power was connected to him. The more people they killed or transformed, the more stronger the Bishop himself became!

Alden walked through the ruined city, making sure to keep his presence hidden in the shadows so no one could sense him. He was not actively searching for the Bishop just yet. Tracking down the Bishop was actually too easy for him, and the reason behind it was simple...

Just as he lost himself in his thoughts while passing through a narrow, dark alleyway, a sight of a terrified boy caught his eye.

A small child, no older than four or five years old, fell hard onto his knees. The boy’s face was twisted in pure terror as tears streamed from his eyes. A monster—an unmistakable, grotesque Shriven—was already looming right over him! It raised its sharp claws, ready to strike the helpless child.

[Astral-Step!]

*BOOOM!*

A devastating punch coated with bright stellar energy slammed directly into the Shriven’s stomach! The monster’s body launched backward like a cannonball. Dark blood spilled through the air as the beast smashed violently into the wall across the street! The gaping wound in its stomach enlarged as the lingering residues of stellar energy actively burned away its flesh.

"AHHHHHHH!!!!"

Without wasting a single second listening to the monster’s agonizing scream, Alden scooped up the crying child. He crossed the distance in a flash, reappearing in a safe, quiet spot away from the main street. He looked down at the boy. The child looked shocked, but the fear slowly vanished from his wide eyes. His fluffy cat ears drooped down as he looked up at Alden with an adorable, tear-stained face.

"Who are you? Where are your parents?" Alden asked gently.

Fresh tears welled up in the child’s eyes. He buried his small face into Alden’s stomach and sobbed.

"Sob... Sob... They... They died... That monster killed them... Sob..."

Alden looked at the child blankly. A strange pang of guilt hit his chest as he heard about the boy’s tragic loss, but he quickly shook it off and gently stroked the child’s trembling back.

"It is okay... Everything will be..."

He stopped mid-sentence. He realized he was offering empty hope to a child who had already lost his entire world. He crouched down to meet the boy’s tearful eyes.

"What is your name?"

"Sniff... It is Kion..."

Alden nodded and continued with a firmer, more encouraging tone.

"So, Kion... Tell me, what did your parents want you to become? Did they ever tell you about their dreams for you?"

Kion paused. His tears halted for a moment as he recalled the warm words his parents used to tell him.

"Sniff... My parents used to say... They want me to become a good boy... And one day become a big, strong man they could be proud of..."

A small, imperceptible smile tugged on Alden’s lips as he looked at the little boy.

"So, let’s not be weak in this moment. You want your parents’ dreams to come true, right?"

The child nodded fast! His eyes moistened again, but this time, he bravely held back the tears from falling.

Alden stood up straight, just wondering what he should do with the kid now. Suddenly, a young girl, no older than fourteen and possessing cat-like ears similar to Kion’s, rushed into the alley!

"Kio! There you are!"

She ran forward and quickly pulled him into a tight, desperate embrace. Right behind her, a city officer wearing standard battle gear jogged into view. He seemed to be part of the task force assigned to evacuate citizens to safe locations.

"Sister... Sob... Where were you? I thought you left me too... Sniff..."

The teenage girl hugged him even tighter. She looked up at Alden with an incredibly thankful expression, which Alden answered with a simple, silent nod.

The officer stepped forward toward them.

"Now that you have found your family, come with me. We have to move to a safe zone right now."

His eyes flicked toward Alden, quickly noticing the Arcane Academy crest shining on his uniform.

"You are a student of the Arcane Academy! You should also leave this place immediately. Come with us!"

Alden just shrugged his shoulders casually and replied with a calm, smooth tone.

"Oh, yes, I was just planning to leave. I will head back to where the academy resides. Don’t worry about me, just take good care of the children and the other citizens."

Without waiting for a reply, Alden vanished from the spot, leaving behind only a faint residue of mana.

The officer blinked in disbelief as he looked around the empty space. He couldn’t sense the boy’s presence anywhere!

"Who the hell is that kid?"