allonlinenovel Chapter 377 — A Monster’s Birth (1)
Chapter 377 — A Monster’s Birth (1)
Hianshu and Revhara had finally separated, agreeing to a fragile peace treaty.
Was it respected?
Was peace truly present in both kingdoms?
No.
The hatred between the two kingdoms lingered.
Revhara’s people loathed those who had driven them from their homeland as if they were mere insects, while Hianshu’s people—the mortals—felt repulsed that they had spent generations worshipping Gods who did not care about them.
In the small villages of Hianshu lived the low-ranking commoners, while the noble human families resided in the capital.
"AHHH!" A woman’s agonized cry echoed through a modest hut among many others scattered across the village.
"Hang in there," an elderly woman urged. "Push harder. You are almost there." The midwife guided the labouring woman through the pain.
After much struggle, tears, and agony, the child was finally placed in his mother’s arms.
"It’s a boy," the midwife announced with a grin.
Her face was covered in sweat and tears but the sight of her healthy baby made her smile. The exhausted woman glanced toward her husband, who grinned warmly in return.
Slowly, he approached the bed and pressed a gentle kiss against her forehead.
"You’ve done well. Get some rest."
"I will, but..." she hesitated, lowering her gaze to the infant in her arms. "Why isn’t he opening his eyes?"
The midwife frowned.
"I am not sure." She pressed a hand against her cheek and shook her head. "I’ve never seen a child like this before. He cried, and he’s breathing normally, but as for his eyes... I don’t know what could be causing it."
"Ah! He opened them!" the new mother suddenly exclaimed, her eyes lighting up.
The midwife smiled in relief.
"That’s wonderful—" The words died in her throat.
The woman suddenly collapsed forward.
"My wife!" the husband gasped, his eyes widening in horror.
He reached toward the baby, only for his own body to slump onto the bed beside his wife.
The midwife froze. Her breathing became uneven. Her heart pounded violently against her chest.
This wasn’t normal.
Why were they collapsing?.. If it were only the mother, it could be understandable. Her body must have been exhausted. But even for the father...
Slowly, she approached the bed and checked both of their pulses.
The colour drained from her face.
Neither of them had one.
Then, a horrifying thought crossed her mind.
It was absurd.
Impossible, even.
And yet she could not stop herself from verifying it.
The father had partially shielded the child with his body. With trembling hands, the midwife carefully moved him aside.
A scream tore from her throat.
"Monster!" she shrieked.
The child stared up at her with eyes unlike any human’s—golden pupils surrounded by brilliant blue irises.
The sight sent a chill through her entire body.
She barely had enough time to stumble backward before she, too, collapsed onto the floor.
A priest passing through the village heard the scream and immediately rushed toward the hut.
He had been making his usual rounds, ensuring everyone remained safe. It was not uncommon for Revharan raiders to attack villages near the border during the night.
The moment he entered, confusion washed over his features.
A couple lay motionless on the bed. An elderly woman was sprawled across the floor.
With what little life remained in her, she lifted a trembling hand toward him.
"D-Don’t look him in the eyes..." she whispered.
"Are you alright?!" the priest shouted, rushing toward her.
He knelt beside the woman and reached for her shoulder.
However, it was too late.
The last traces of life had already left her body.
"Don’t look him in the eyes."
The warning echoed through the priest’s mind.
"Who?" he murmured to himself.
Then, a soft cry sounded from somewhere behind him.
The priest immediately sprang to his feet and turned around, searching the small hut.
His gaze landed on the bed. Tiny hands and legs wiggled beneath the blankets.
The infant continued crying relentlessly, the sound filling the room while the priest stood frozen in thought.
"Was she talking about the baby?" he wondered aloud.
His eyes narrowed.
"If it’s his eyes..." he murmured.
A scarf hanging from a nearby wall caught his attention. Without wasting another second, he grabbed it and approached the child cautiously.
The baby continued crying, completely unaware of the tragedy surrounding him.
The priest carefully draped the cloth over the infant’s face before lifting him into his arms.
Only then did he dare look at him.
The child appeared ordinary enough.
Small.
Fragile.
Helpless.
Now an orphan, having lost both of his parents.
Nothing about him resembled the terrifying creature the midwife’s final scream had suggested. Yet the bodies surrounding him told a different story.
The priest swallowed hard.
"But I can’t be certain." His gaze drifted toward the lifeless couple.
"I should bring him to the Temple."
Then, a thought crossed his mind, and a frown formed on his face.
What if he is one of the demons?
The thought made his grip tighten instinctively before he quickly relaxed it. The child had done nothing wrong.
Not yet, at the very least.
Carefully, he tied the scarf around the infant’s eyes, making certain it remained secure.
Then he tugged gently on the fabric, ensuring the baby could still breathe comfortably beneath it.
The cries slowly quieted. A soft giggle left his mouth, its small legs and hands moving once more.
The priest stared down at the child for a long moment. He had no intention of taking the life of an innocent baby.
If the child truly was innocent.
But until the Temple determined what this infant was, he could not risk allowing anyone to look into those eyes.
As he stepped forward, his foot caught against something.
The priest looked down.
The midwife’s lifeless body lay sprawled across the floor.
A sharp breath escaped him.
For a moment, he closed his eyes and silently offered a prayer for her soul.
Then, he carefully returned the infant to the bed.
As a priest, he could not simply abandon the dead.