章節 27: Report Given
The sun rose reluctantly, casting feeble rays through the thick layers of ash and smog that choked the sky of the world.
As I opened my eyes to another day, the weight of loss settled upon my heart like a cold shroud.
I dragged myself out of bed forcefully, my movements sluggish, and made a coffee to try and chase away the melancholy that lingered within me.
But even the bitter taste of the brew couldn't mask the bitterness of my feelings.
I walked to the veranda and sat on a chair, resting my cup of coffee on the small circular table, before me, the city of Duskville, once a bustling metropolis, now lay in ruins,
After a few minutes of breathing in the fresh morning air and sipping at my coffee, I took hold of a pen and a notebook, taking my time to fill out my report for the Council of Survival.
After finishing my early morning assignment, I stood up from my chair and went to the bathroom, taking a cold shower in an attempt to wake myself up from this reality that felt like a dream.
Back when Emberhorn became a reality, I was excited.
I thought everything would be alright.
I was too naive.
Even to this day, I haven't even gone to search for my parents. I am scum.
But what worth is it to go see if people whom you didn't have a connection to were alright?
They didn't care about me, and I didn't care about them either.
So I won't bother.
Even if it makes me feel guilty and bad.
I wore my usual adventuring clothes that had begun to wear off. The usual black shirt with the golden belt and pants and my white coat with the golden badge on my right shoulder.
I brushed my hair and teeth, packed my reports in a small school bag, wore my shoes, and finally departed, closing the door behind me.
Step, step, step.
Taking a stroll around the city felt like wandering through a graveyard of forgotten dreams.
Once bustling streets now echoed with emptiness, the remnants of a civilization that had crumbled. The ruins of buildings stood as solemn witnesses to the havoc the apocalypse had wrought.
The smell of ash entered my nose as I barely saw a person or two walking through the streets.
It was still early morning, after all, and people were afraid of when the next Main-Story Quest would commence.
"Already here, huh…"
I trudged wearily up the steps of The Council of Survival's building, my body aching from how I had pushed myself in the Enigmatic Dungeon with my Attributes.
The once majestic structure now stood as a somber reminder of the world that was lost to the apocalypse. Its once vibrant colors had faded, and cracks adorned the walls, mirroring the fractured state of our society.
As I stepped inside, the dimly lit halls greeted me with an air of desolation. Flickering lights lined the walls, casting eerie shadows that seemed to dance and mock my exhaustion.
The echoes of my footsteps felt like mournful cries from the past, serving as a haunting reminder of all that was lost, of how big Emberhorn's effect truly was.
The meeting room lay at the heart of the building, a circular chamber accessed through heavy oak doors adorned with intricate engravings of battles fought.
I pushed the doors open, their creaking sound adding to the grim atmosphere.
Within the chamber, a circular table dominated the room, its once-polished surface now marred by scratches and stains.
Five figures sat around the table, their faces cloaked in shadow.
At the head of the table sat Isolde, the leader of The Council of Survival.
Her once vibrant silver hair now hung limp and grey, and her piercing blue eyes seemed to carry the weight of a thousand tragedies.
Isolde was a seasoned warrior, an earnest one that tried to act strong even as a leader that had to send warriors to their death.
To her right was Eamon, a grizzled veteran with a strong gaze.
Beside him sat Selina, a healer whose once soothing presence now seemed overwhelmed by the constant flow of injured survivors seeking salvation.
On Isolde's left was Tiberius, a formidable strategist who had chosen my party members. Although, struggles to devise effective plans in a world of chaos already seemed to have drained him mentally.
Finally, at the far end of the table, was Vera, a scout who had roamed the wastelands in search of hope, but found only heartache and despair.
As I approached the table with my report in hand, I couldn't help but feel a sense of dread.
The weight of the world and the fate of our dwindling civilization seemed to rest upon my shoulders as the strongest warrior of Nivalis, my country.
I knew that no matter what discoveries I had made in the Enigmatic Dungeon, they would offer only a glimmer of hope in a sea of darkness, or rather, the ancient knowledge would make them despair at the strength of the Lenticulars.
The room fell silent as I began to recount my trials and tribulations during the quest.
Each word felt heavy, laden with the reality of our dire situation.
As I concluded my report, the silence lingered, suffocating, until Isolde's weary voice broke through.
"Thank you, Adrenoid," she said, her voice tinged with sorrow. "Your efforts have not gone unnoticed, and we appreciate the sacrifices you have made. But alas, our world teeters on the edge of oblivion, and it is becoming harder to see the light amidst the ever-encroaching darkness."
The other council members nodded solemnly, their gazes fixed on the cracked surface of the circular table as if it held the answers to our salvation.
At that moment, I understood that my quest was not the panacea we so desperately sought. Our world had changed irrevocably, and hope was becoming an increasingly scarce commodity.
As I left the meeting room, I sighed in despair.
97 more Main Story-Quests to go, and we're already this far down in the third one.
What will happen to us?
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