CHAPTER 111: CHAPTER 111 - HOW DARE THEY TOUCH MY DAUGHTER!! (1)

The old church stood forgotten at the edge of the village, shrouded in mist and silence. Time had stripped it of its sanctity—weathered walls cracked, stained-glass windows shattered, and the once-grand altar now a desecrated slab soaked in dried blood and foul offerings. Crows perched on the crooked bell tower, cawing ominously as if sensing the evil festering within.

Inside, the stale air reeked of mildew and rot. The flickering candlelight cast dancing shadows across the crumbling pews, where hooded figures murmured in low, reverent tones. A circle drawn with black chalk and runes pulsed dimly in the center, surrounded by sacrificial instruments—rusted blades, chains, and bowls stained crimson.

The heavy doors creaked open slowly with a groan that echoed through the cold stone chamber.

A figure draped in a patchwork cloak stepped in, the light behind her outlining her silhouette. In her arms, a small child whimpered—a girl with golden hair tinged with crimson streaks, curled into a sobbing ball.

"Eheheheh..." The woman giggled, her voice high-pitched and grating. "Look what I found."

Heads turned. The flickering light revealed a grotesque grin on her face as she stepped further inside. One of the cloaked figures scoffed. "Hmph. It’s just a child."

The woman halted. Slowly, she reached up and pulled back her hood, revealing a familiar face—one Luca would’ve immediately recognized.

The cheerful, kind-eyed woman who had greeted them with smiles and hot meals.

It was....The innkeeper.

"You idiot," she hissed, holding the girl out with one hand and lifting her cloak with the other. "Look. Look closely."

She pulled the child’s cloak down, revealing a faintly glowing tail with soft, iridescent scales.

Then she brushed back the blonde hair to show two tiny, budding horns.

A sharp intake of breath echoed through the chamber. One of the men took a step forward, trembling. "D-Don’t tell me... it’s... a dragon?"

The innkeeper grinned wider, her teeth showing like a feral animal. "That’s right. A pure-blooded baby dragon."

A wave of murmurs and excited whispers spread across the congregation.

"We don’t need to waste time on this village anymore," someone declared. "This single dragon is worth thousands of lives. More mana than we could ever ask for."

Another man asked, voice low and intrigued, "But where did you find it?"

"Hehehehe..." the woman chuckled, walking into the center of the runic circle. "Two brats checked into my inn yesterday. I thought they were just young adventurers snooping around. I planned to capture them directly, but when I entered their room, this little treasure was sleeping on the bed." She nudged the sobbing dragon girl with her boot.

"But just as I was about to strike... the girl came out of the shower." Her grin twisted. "I couldn’t make a move then, so I spiked their drinks instead. Fools thought checking the food would be enough. They never even noticed the sleeping potion in their tea."

The chamber erupted in laughter.

"HAHAHAHAHA!"

"Well done!"

"They must’ve been from some power, investigating us. Fools!"

"But what if they come here?" someone asked, more serious now. "They were strong enough to sneak around and sniff us out."

"So what?" a burly cultist grunted. "We’re over thirty strong. What can two brats still wet behind ears do against us?"

"Besides," the innkeeper added with a cruel smirk, "they’re still asleep. By the time they wake up..." she crouched beside the child and ran a knife along her cheek, drawing a thin line of blood that made the baby dragon whimper, "the sacrifice will already be done."

Another figure raised his arms toward the ceiling. "Prepare for the sacrifice! The ritual begins!"

Suddenly—

THUDDDMMM!

The massive church doors flew open, cracking the stone wall as they slammed back violently.

A cold gust of air swept into the hall, snuffing out several candles.

A figure stood in the doorway—tattered cloak, hair messy, eyes blazing with fury. His body was covered in scratches and dried blood, his breathing heavy but full of rage.

Luca.

His voice was low and trembling with wrath.

"H–HOW DARE YOUUUUU?"

The laughter died instantly.

All heads snapped toward the entrance as the temperature of the room dropped.

The baby dragon’s sobs stopped as her red eyes widened in recognition.

****

[Some time Before in the Inn]

The room was unnaturally still. A heavy silence lingered in the air, broken only by the sound of shifting cloth and a low groan.

Luca stirred.

His eyelids fluttered open slowly, vision blurred and spinning. His body felt sluggish, but instinct screamed that something was wrong. Gritting his teeth, he pushed himself up with trembling arms, clutching his throbbing head.

"Agh..." he hissed, sweat dripping down his temple as the dizziness assaulted him.

Reaching blindly for his satchel, he fumbled around until his fingers curled around a familiar bottle. His hand shook as he uncorked a vial and downed a bitter concoction—an advanced cleansing potion. Warmth spread through his chest as clarity rushed back to him.

His eyes snapped open fully, the fog vanishing in an instant.

"Damn it..." he cursed under his breath, heart pounding. He spun toward the bed.

"Selena!"

She was still unconscious, her skin pale and breaths shallow. Without wasting a second, Luca knelt by her side, pulling out two more vials—antidote and recovery elixir—and gently tilted her head, helping her drink.

As he held her, his hands trembled—not from fear, but rage.

His thoughts stormed inside him like crashing waves.

"Those bastards... How dare they? Good thing I already took some antidotes before dinner. But they— they dared to target her? They laid their filthy hands on my daughter?"

His eyes burned. His grip tightened.

A low growl escaped his lips as he clenched his fists, veins bulging. "They’ll pay..."

Selena stirred, lashes fluttering as the elixirs took effect. Her breath quickened, and soon she sat up with a gasp, rubbing her temple.

"Wha... what happened?" she asked groggily.

A cold voice cut through the room like a blade.

"Let’s go. Those bastards... dared to take my daughter away."

Selena turned, eyes widening. She had never seen Luca like this—his usual composure shattered. His aura flickered wildly, the air around him shimmering with rage. But then she remembered the little baby dragon, and her own fury ignited.

Those bastards had taken something precious. Someone innocent.

Without another word, they both dashed out of the inn, doors slamming behind them.

"Where to?" Selena asked, catching up beside him.

Luca’s eyes darted wildly through the darkened village streets, scanning every corner for a clue, any trace— where could those bastards may have taken her

Then he froze.

There, near a streetlamp barely flickering with light, something fluttered on the ground.

He rushed to it, dropped to his knees, and snatched it up.

A small, tattered blue ribbon.

His fingers clenched around it.

"I-It’s the ribbon I tied to her hand..." his voice cracked as he thought of the moment as she cried papa ,papa but he couldn’t do anything. He looked up, eyes sharpening like blades. He pointed down the path, breath ragged. "They must’ve taken her to the old church in the forest to the north."

Selena’s eyes narrowed. "But shouldn’t we plan? The forest is dangerous at night—there’ll be beasts, and—"

But Luca was already gone, sprinting into the shadows of the trees without hesitation.

Selena let out a frustrated sigh, then gritted her teeth and followed, her fingers crackling with gathering lightning.

They darted through the dark forest, moonlight struggling to pierce the thick canopy above. The air was thick with an unnatural pressure—muffled growls echoed through the trees.

As they moved, shadows stirred.

The first beast leapt from the underbrush, eyes glowing with corrupted mana, maw open in a snarl.

Selena halted, flicking her wrist. "Something’s wrong. They’re not acting normally."

"They’re affected by corrupted mana," Luca growled, voice tight with fury as even wasting one second more would be the end of this world "Out of my way!"

He didn’t even slow down. With a surge of strength, he charged forward, twin sabers gleaming in the moonlight.

The first beast pounced, but Luca met it head-on.

He didn’t dodge.

Instead, he swung his blades in a vicious cross slash, tearing through its side. Claws scraped against his arm, tearing his cloak, but he didn’t flinch.

"RAAAAHHH!" he roared as he cleaved through another. Blood sprayed across his shoulder as a fang grazed him—but still he pressed on. His sabers became extensions of his rage, dancing in brutal arcs as he tore a path through the monsters.

Selena was right behind him, hands outstretched as she conjured bolts of ice and lightning. "Arc Burst!"

Crackling thunder echoed as she unleashed a tempest of electricity into the trees, frying two beasts mid-leap. Another surged toward her—she spun, forming an icicle spear and impaling it through the throat.

Even she was stunned by Luca’s recklessness. He was fighting like a man possessed—no defense, no hesitation. Every attack was a gamble, every swing fueled by fury.

He screamed, "If anything happened to her—I’ll burn this whole damn forest to the ground!"

By the time they reached the clearing, Luca was bloodied and breathing hard, his cloak shredded, shallow cuts across his chest and arms. But his grip on the blades never wavered.

He didn’t even pause at the massive iron doors of the old, decrepit church. His rage already reaching its peak as killing those corrupted beasts has already wasted his time.

With a howl of pure rage, he gathered aura in his legs—ethereal and disturbing energy spiraling downward—and with a thunderous CRACK, he kicked the door open.

The wood splintered inward.

"HOW DARE YOUUUUU?!" he bellowed, his voice echoing through the hollow halls like a war cry of vengeance.