Their journey to the capital was drawing closer. Only about six days remained. Now, Alvaric and Tamae had arrived at a small village on the edge of a forest.
As they entered the village, Alvaric was shocked. The place was 160 degrees different from the previous capital or even Chillg city.
There were no stone roads. No magical lamps. No multi-story buildings. Only mud, tall grass, and the scent of earth. The houses looked like mere shacks. The roofs were nothing more than stacked leaves.
"What is this place?" Alvaric muttered.
Children sat in front of those dilapidated houses. Thin, hollow-eyed, holding their stomachs in hunger.
Some of them were barefoot, even though the ground was full of sharp stones. Their bodies were dirty with dried mud.
Elderly people sat on the steps of their huts, breathing heavily, occasionally coughing. Their clothes were torn in places.
A skinny dog walked by. Its bones were clearly visible. It collapsed at the roadside and never moved again.
