The bustling streets became even more crowded as news spread among the townspeople about a soldier bringing in a monster. Children dashed and giggled their way towards the soldiers, while adults strolled along, applauding and celebrating the soldier's remarkable feat.
https%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FcveyaCb.png [https://i.imgur.com/cveyaCb.png]
*Clap-Clap*
*Cheers*
"They actually succeeded in killing a Green Scaled Lizard," remarked one townsman.
"Looks like it, but considering their numbers... it appears that one-third of them did not make it back," replied his companion.
"Well, it's no surprise. It takes at least twenty soldiers to bring down such a monster. It's quite an achievement if you consider their limited count in this small village."
'Twenty soldiers! And you expect me to face those monsters when I come of age! Where on earth have I been reincarnated too?' Ethan panicked internally.
"E-Excuse me, sir." uttered a frail and weak looking middle-aged woman. Her weary appearance showed a level of burden she carried within her. Etched onto her face was what seemed to be countless sleepless nights. Dark circles hung beneath her bloodshot eyes, evident of her relentless forceful hours. Her unkempt hair fell in disarray, as if mirroring her heart and mind.
"..." The soldier she had addressed stood firm, as if anticipating her presence. He gazed at the frail woman with empathy, as if he had seen the struggles of many and carried them within his eyes. Not uttering a single word until the woman had poured out her heart in its entirety, the soldier maintained a resolute silence.
"M-My boy... h-he was part of your expedition... but I don't see him anywhere," the woman stammered, her voice quivering.
"..."The soldier, still enveloped in silence, slowly turned his head towards the woman, gesturing with a subtle movement behind him.
Her gaze followed his indication, and her eyes widened with a mix of dread and hope. There, positioned behind him, stood another cart resembling the one that carried the lifeless beast, but noticeably smaller in size.
https%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2F91XTrfB.png [https://i.imgur.com/91XTrfB.png]
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Upon the cart lay a white cloth, its surface stained with a vivid hue of crimson. The woman's breath caught in her throat as she recognized the significance of the blood-soaked fabric. Tears welled up in her eyes and her heart pounding in her chest, fearing the worst yet desperately clinging to a glimmer of optimism.
The silence that enveloped them grew heavier, as both soldier and woman shared a solemn understanding. The soldier's somber expression spoke volumes, revealing the painful truth that awaited beneath the blood-drenched cloth.
With trembling hands, the woman approached the cart, her every step heavy. She reached out, hesitantly lifting the cloth.
"N-NO!!!! MY BABY!!! NO!!!"
As the fabric revealed the scene before her, a piercing wail of anguish tore through the air. The woman's voice cracked with the weight of her sorrow, her cries echoing throughout the area, raw with unbearable grief.
Her eyes fell upon a heartbreaking sight—the lifeless bodies of numerous soldiers sprawled across the cart. Among them, her eyes locked onto the familiar features of her beloved son's lifeless form.
Shortly after, the family members and friends of the other fallen soldiers arrived, their faces etched with the agony of loss. A level of despair and gloom Ethan had only witnessed in mere fictional portrayals on TV shows or movies.
It was a level of sorrow that touched the depths of his soul, one that he himself had never experienced firsthand, despite witnessing the destructive power of a tornado in his childhood, which had taken away homes and lives. The magnitude of this scene, however, surpassed it by a long shot, leaving him spellbound and overwhelmed by the intensity of human suffering.
In that moment, the stark reality of his current life settled deep within for the final time, casting a somber shadow over his own existence.
'Am I going to die while being eaten alive by monsters? Just like them?'
Overwhelmed by the weight of his uncertain future, Ethan's eyes welled up with tears.
"Wah!Wah!"
"Oh, don't cry, Ethan," his mother whispered, her voice filled with gentle reassurance. "Honey, we should go back home. The scene must have frightened him."
"Yes," replied his father, his voice filled with concern. He placed a comforting hand on his wife's shoulder, gently urging them forward, away from the heart-wrenching sight.
***
After arriving home, Ethan was gently placed in his chamber, and his mother tenderly tucked him into bed to have him rest for the night. As she left the room, closing the door behind her, Ethan remained motionless, lying in bed and fixating his gaze upon the ceiling. His mind seemed to be suspended in a state of emptiness, devoid of any active thoughts or contemplations.
'...'
Time passed, and Ethan remained still, enveloped in his own silence taken solace in it.
'...'
'...There has to be.'
'...There has to be a reason.'
'...A reason for being reincarnated in this world.'
'...this underdeveloped world.'
'...This monster-filled world.'
'...This treacherous world.'
'...Right?'
'...'
With unanswered questions, Ethan succumbed to sleep, and the passage of time seemed to accelerate as he lived through his life aimlessly. Days seamlessly transformed into weeks, weeks into months, and months turned into years, all without the answers he sought. However, at his sixth year in this unfamiliar realm, a remarkable surprise unfolded before him—a gift unforeseen, one that would redefine the very fabric of knowledge within this world and Ethan's own life.