Chapter 234: Stray

The screams and shouts of people reverberated and echoed throughout the vicinity.

"W… what was that explosion!?"

"Are we under attack!?"

"Are… are the undead here!?"

Smoke and dust filled the entire area, some houses were torn to smithereens, and a small crater formed on the once peaceful street.

"Vi, are you alright!?"

Sofia and Viel were currently in her bubble. A few seconds ago, she felt an abnormal fluctuation of mana suddenly traveling in the air around her. And so, by instinct, she quickly summoned a bubble.

And she did not just summon one, she summoned almost a hundred layers. And yet, right now, only a single one remained. If she only cast 1, then she would have surely died, seeing as the extent of the damage outside her bubble was… catastrophic.

"What… is happening?"

Viel could only hear the sounds of people coughing, crying, running, and panicking in every direction.

"The students, are they alright?"

"They should be fine, Vi. We've walked quite a distance away from the restaurant already. No one also seems to be hurt."

Weird, Sofia thought. With the force and strength of the explosion, she was sure that lives have been lost. But miraculously, no one seemed to be even hurt as the people had the energy to fill the air with noise. There were cries, yes, but they were cries of panic.

But more importantly, the center of the explosion…

"The explosion seems to be targeted at us, Vi."

"What is going on here!?"

The nearby guards quickly came. They have been on high alert for a couple of weeks now, so they rushed as soon as they heard the explosion and the cries of the townspeople.

"M… Miss Sofia!? What is going on here!?"

"You guys again!?"

Ted and his superior, Gabriel, were one of the guards that were taking action. "Did something happen? Are you two causing trouble again!?" Gabriel yelled. However, when he saw that the couple weren't heeding him and mind and Sofia was just staring in a certain direction, he quickly turned his head towards where she was looking.

"Why did you do that, father!?"

And there, as the smoke was clearing up, Gabriel saw a tall dark-skinned man, his hands stretched towards Sofia and Viel.

"Who… aren't those two the ones that just arrived earlier?"

Even with all the smoke and dust flying around, Ted quickly recognized the dark-skinned man and the young girl. They just passed through the gates earlier, and Ted remembered being greeted by both of them with a smile.

With the huge bag that the dark-skinned man was carrying, he thought that they were migrating here. With the lack of new people coming in, it was always nice to welcome new faces.

But this… were they just here to cause trouble, after all?

"Do not move!" The guards quickly unsheathed their weapons and pointed them towards the dark-skinned man. Sofia, on the other hand, had been gathering her mana ever since she saw the man. She was ready to go at any time, but fighting here would surely endanger the other people. Not to mention that Viel was here, if for any reason he suddenly lost control of his power, then all of them will be in danger.

She doesn't want a repeat of what happened a year ago.

"Why did you attack us?" Sofia said, her guard completely up.

"That thing in the wheelchair, the anomaly. It must be destroyed." The dark-skinned man replied without even a slight pause in his words.

"W… what!?" However, upon hearing his words, his companion, the young girl on her side quickly yelled, "I thought we were here to meet your friend!? Why are you attacking a defenseless man in a wheelchair!?"

"Stay behind me, child. It is dangerous for little humans like you to be involved in something like this." The dark-skinned man gently pushed the young girl behind him.

"W--"

"Teacher!? What's going on!?"

"!!!"

Viel's students, along with Lillia, suddenly appeared from the smoke and rushed towards Viel and Sofia. They were, however, unable to go to their side as Sofia still had her bubble up.

"What are you children doing here!?" Sofia, whose eyes have not left the dark-skinned man even for a second, quickly became flustered.

"Get the kids out of here!" Sofia turned her head towards the guards, beckoning them to move the children out of the way.

"O… okay!" Ted, with another guard, quickly rushed to carry the children away from the mess. Ted also stretched his arms towards the young girl beside the dark-skinned man, but she just shook her head and his behind the man.

"What do you want from us?" As soon as the children were gone, Sofia once again asked the dark-skinned man.

"I do not need anything from you, other worlder. I have business with the one behind you."

"Wha--"

"Uhm… excuse me?"

Sofia was about to open her mouth, but before she could do so, Viel raised his hand.

"You guys do know I am right here, right? Why are the two of you just talking between yourselves?"

"V… Vi."

"It's alright, Sofi." Viel shook his head as he pushed himself closer to the dark-skinned man, passing through Sofia's bubble like it did not even exist.

"Do… I know you from somewhere?"

"No, this would be the first time we meet face to face."

"I see. Then isn't it rude to attack someone you just met?"

"No. What is rude is that you are trespassing in my world."

"Trespassing? I am not a drifter, I was born here. Wait… I was born here, right Sofi?"

"Eh? Uh… yes?"

"There you go." Viel clapped his hands as he let out a smile.

The dark-skinned man, however, only let out a light scoff upon hearing Viel's words. "Enough talk, stray god. Leave or I will be forced to extinguish you."

Sofia's ears quickly perked up as soon as she heard the dark-skinned man's words. Stray… god? Does this man know something about Viel?

"I see…" Viel placed his hand on his chin, "That is good and all, but perhaps we can talk someplace else?"

"Talk? I am here to eradi--"

"The child behind you seems to be scared. Please, I insist. Let us talk somewhere else."

The dark-skinned man slowly turned his head towards his little companion, and seeing her hands shivering as she gripped on his clothes, the man could not help but let out a short sigh.

"Fine."

"Good, let's go to our house."

"What, wait a darn minute!" Before the group could leave, Gabriel blocked their path, "Are all of you seriously leaving just like that without any explanation!?" He hollered. However, he slightly backed away as soon as the dark-skinned man started approaching him. Even Sofia was ready to attack at any moment.

But contrary to all of their expectations, the dark-skinned man did not harm Gabriel, instead, he handed him a pouch. "Here. For the damage, we've done to your city."

"W… what's this!?"

"...Treasure."

"..."

And so, the newly arrived man and his little companion followed Viel and Sofia out of the town. And considering how monstrous these groups of people are, Gabriel's hands were tied.

Out of all the big cities out there, why did these monsters have to make a mess in their peaceful town? But still, even though he knew it would be useless, he tasked a group of guards to follow the group to their house.

He knew that there was something weird about Sofia and Viel. And now another odd one arrived in their town.

Would they even still be alive before the undead reaches their town?

***

"Please. Welcome, welcome. Our house is a little small but we take pride in it."

"Hm…"

"Would you like something sweet to eat… what's your name?"

As soon as they entered the house, Viel immediately talked to the young girl that was always hiding behind the dark-skinned man.

"Eh… m… me? My name is… Lyanna."

"I am Viel. Would you like to eat something sweet, Miss Lyanna?"

"Uhm, okay?"

Viel quickly pushed himself towards the kitchen, trying to find and feel the cabinet where Sofia was hiding the snacks.

Sofia, on the other hand, did not leave the dark-skinned man's side. Her eyes still staring at him, the mana she had gathered already reaching the limits of what her body can take.

The sound of Viel making a mess in the kitchen and even breaking plates echoed throughout the house, but even then, Sofia's eye did not leave the dark-skinned man.

It took a whole minute before Viel came back, bringing in some drinks and some sweets for Lyanna to eat. He then turned his body towards the direction of the dark-skinned man.

"First of all, I would like to say that I don't remember anything. My most distant memory is from 2 years ago. So forgive me if I do not know you." Viel said, his words clear and without pause as if he had been practicing the line for quite some time now.

"You can call me Noah. And as I said earlier, this is our first time meeting face to face… and I need you to leave."

"I am afraid we can't do that, mister Noah. We've taken quite a liking to this town, you see."

"No, not this town… but this world," Noah quickly shook his head as he raised a finger.

"Eehhh… but I was bo--"

Before Viel could finish his words, Sofia interrupted him.

"Stray god...

...What did you mean by that?"