[FDJ]Chapter 91: Night of Madness (Part 1)

The Mystic eyes reflected the magical lights of the wandering villagers ahead. It was the first time Aphaf had seen such a colorful scene. The deserted village had become a nest for the monsters to gather.

"There are more of them than the information suggested. The two bird-like creatures earlier were able to detect intruders, so they should be able to as well," Aphaf, who was hiding, cautiously followed her servant. An intuitive worry filled her mind. The village appeared too dazzling in the darkness.

"Don't worry, Master. Monsters are meant to be defeated by brave knights. I have my ways," said the elderly knight, Don Quixote, maintaining a steady pace as he approached the entrance of the village.

Before long, the ghouls hiding behind haystacks on the outskirts of the village had all noticed the presence of living beings intruding into their encirclement. These quasi-human creatures, with fangs and sharp claws, called out to each other, attracting more companions.

Alterego Don Quixote hadn't even entered the village when at least thirty ghouls surrounded him. The scent of humans further stimulated their desire to feast. There were no remnants of dismembered bodies left in the village; they had been hungry since they were attracted there in the evening.

"Have they discovered me?"

"Their perception abilities aren't that sensitive. Master, don't make any moves before you expose yourself. The ones rushing towards us now aren't just the lowest-ranked ghouls."

Switching to a lance, Alterego Don Quixote accelerated even without riding a horse. The seemingly fragile lance instantly broke through the ghouls blocking his path. Without pausing, he changed directions twice and successfully entered the village. Whether visible or hidden, none of the monsters possessed the strength to fight him.

Taking advantage of her servant's diversion, Aphaf entered through a gap in the nearby fence. Her obstructive magecraft not only deflected the light but also "concealed" her presence, as well as her aura and magical reactions. Even the ghoul standing less than a meter away from her couldn't detect the presence of a human approaching.

The distorted creatures in the village were not just ghouls. Soon, Aphaf saw shadowy figures that resembled humans, wriggling large insects, cat-like animals crackling with electricity, and towering 2-meter-tall four-handed monsters wandering within the village. Tonight, Aphaf almost saw all the monsters she had encountered before, and even a few she hadn't seen.

They were quickly drawn towards the intruding Alterego Don Quixote, with most of them heading towards the chaotic entrance of the village.

According to the plan, the servant caused a commotion, disrupting the peculiar balance within the village, while Aphaf observed the source and potential true enemies.

Those monsters were no match for Alterego Don Quixote. Not to mention the ghouls that ordinary people could defeat, even the tall four-handed giants fell to the ground one after another and were slain by Don Quixote's sword.

Taking advantage of the reduced density of monsters in the village, Aphaf was able to approach the central area. She quickly noticed a torn snakeskin, and it wasn't just a piece. More fragments belonging to snakes were scattered in the center of the village. At least four snake familiars had been torn apart and devoured by the incoming monsters.

Aphaf didn't dare to approach the remaining monsters in the village recklessly. She was extremely cautious, relying on her Mystic eye to accurately locate even the invisible monsters and avoiding them one by one.

The monsters also didn't notice the arrival of a "delicious" living human in the crowded village. Under their watchful eyes, Aphaf observed all the traces of magic.

"What's going on? Besides Caster's snake familiars, there are other traces..." Looking around, Aphaf stood in a corner, searching for clues while narrowly passing by a slime-like creature that was approaching. To be safe, she temporarily used obstructive magecraft, successfully evading the slightly higher-level Shoggoth.

Looking in the opposite direction from where the Shoggoth was moving, Aphaf saw a magical source buried under a house in the village. At first glance, it seemed to be a device that used some rare magical ore as its core to create an attraction. It emitted mixed signals of the presence of many living humans and the scent of impending death, attracting the surrounding monsters. According to previous information, similar gatherings of monsters had occurred in three adjacent villages, all of which were drawn there.

Aphaf cautiously approached the house where the mineral was buried, making sure no monsters were targeting her. She walked to the edge of the wall and didn't forget to cast obstructive magecraft behind her. Her caution and attention to detail were impeccable. As a magus, she prioritized her own life above all else while seeking the origin of the magic.

Quickly drawing out her iron rod, Aphaf pierced the runes with the rod. Her movements were swift, and as the magic reacted, the iron rod, adorned with the runes, precisely inserted into the corner of the wall, touching the buried magic mineral underneath.

Suddenly, the foul stench that permeated the village diminished significantly. For now, Aphaf had only discovered one source of attraction in the village.

On the other side, Don Quixote effortlessly dealt with the majority of monsters attempting to surround him. The scattered remains of the monsters did not prove his bravery. Until now, he hadn't even used his Noble Phantasm.

"It's been dispelled?" Don Quixote noticed the fading scent of the simulated magic and immediately caused a ruckus. He picked up the body of an ancient leather giant with his lance and smashed it towards the hesitant monsters.

Servants not only faced the overwhelming advantage of humans but also possessed overwhelming strength compared to the vast majority of beings from this world and other worlds. From the perspective of familiars alone, there was no doubt that Servants were at the top level. Without the Holy Grail to supply magical energy, it was difficult for humans to summon and control them.

Only after confirming the safety of his Master leaving the village did Don Quixote increase his retreat speed. It seemed that the hidden enemy Servant had no intention of making a move at the moment.

There was no need to rush to deal with the remaining monsters. They believed that their ally, Rider Eleanor, and her Master would arrive shortly. With the anti-army Noble Phantasm of Miss Rider, they could eliminate the monsters in one fell swoop.

Shaking off the flying monsters that pursued them, Don Quixote nodded toward Aphaf, who was still invisible in front of him. Their voices were conveyed through the connection of their mutual spell.

"I found many fragments of snakes in the village. The source of the monster gathering is a magic mineral that emits a simulated scent, attracting the wandering monsters in the vicinity."

"Caster, is it? But I think it's unlikely that the Servant who excels in using snake familiars would personally come. He is currently assigned to monitor the battlefield. If I were the commander, I wouldn't risk such an important tool for testing and ambush. The most suitable candidate is undoubtedly the loyal Knight."

"I destroyed a source. Will it attract the enemy's attention?"

"In theory, Caster has already noticed that his magic has been disrupted. However, it seems that the enemy's Servant has no intention of engaging with us. The presence of that Servant has been fading since we approached the village."

"Except for Assassin and Caster, the other Servants should be the types skilled in direct combat, right?" Aphaf thought of Rider Eleanor, whose keen observation brought her a sense of suppression far greater than her actual combat ability.

"We can't be sure, but let's hope for the best." Don Quixote looked back and saw that a few monsters were still following them, only two or three in number, but it was not an ideal situation. "Something doesn't seem right..."

The two of them were currently between the first and second villages, in a forest where the moonlight was unable to penetrate. The sparse and chaotic footsteps reduced the sense of terror, as no one would be afraid of easily defeating monsters.

Suddenly, a snake slithered down from the treetop and spoke to Don Quixote and the hidden figure of Aphaf. "My Master has changed his mind and doesn't intend to have a confrontation between Servants. Because..."

Before the snake could finish its words, it lost signs of life. Tentacles sprouted from the crown of the tree, and the entire tree suddenly came "alive." As a signal, more trees sprouted numerous tendrils and emitted a screeching sound toward the prey trapped within their encirclement. The sound was even more unbearable than the previous monstrous birds. Ordinary people caught in this forest without any preparation would quickly descend into madness with little chance of escape.

The living forest spread like a plague, and Don Quixote further sensed the ominous feeling. Enemies that couldn't be easily defeated shouldn't be ignored. If they continued to be trapped in this chase without a moment's respite, who knows if a high-level monster capable of fighting Servants might suddenly appear.

"Master, stay close to me for now."

With a sword swing, Don Quixote cut off the branches in front of them, and he and his Master, Aphaf, hastened their pace towards the second village.

"Are we being targeted by something? Besides the Crusaders of Jerusalem?"

"No, it should be said that among the guests attracted by Caster tonight, there are categories that he didn't anticipate. That's what forced them to change their plans. Originally, they were planning to ambush us in the first village."

The two of them were moving very quickly and managed to leave before the entire forest became fully active. Soon, the outline of the second village appeared in their sight. At the same time, intense sounds reached their ears, and the ground beneath their feet trembled slightly. It seemed that a fierce battle was taking place in the second village, even louder than the commotion caused by Don Quixote in the first village.

Before they could get closer, another loud noise erupted from the village in the night. Huts and other objects collapsed and fell, and when Aphaf and Don Quixote looked again, the low buildings that were originally there were gone. The entire village seemed to have been wiped away as multiple fragments, with the complete ellipse becoming fragmented. If they had arrived half an hour later, they might not have found the second abandoned village as described in the intelligence report.

"What's going on, Vivar?"

"It seems that the enemy's Servant is even more eager to cause chaos than I am, or rather, he has encountered an opponent worth making such a big commotion for." Don Quixote signaled Aphaf to remain hidden and not to rashly enter the second village. He planned to go in alone first and see which sides were engaged in the battle in this village.

Aphaf followed her Servant's advice and roughly observed the outskirts of the village. Unlike the first village, there were only traces of the monsters' activities outside, but no sign of them. "The snake detected you, and possibly me as well. Be cautious of ambushes, Vivar."

"Understood, my lady (Master)."