Fox Sister

“Damn, this is serious…”

The village Master mentioned was far worse off than I imagined.

From the moment I stepped into the village entrance, an eerie chill seeped into my skin like I was standing in a graveyard.

I cautiously focused my magical power and opened my Spirit Eye.

Instantly, the mysterious energy shrouding the village became disturbingly clear. The villagers’ life force was being drained away completely, as if their very souls were being ripped from their bodies.

As I slowly walked along the village path, even the wild plants by the road looked withered and lifeless. An oppressive silence hung over the empty streets. The only sound was the echo of my own footsteps, ringing out eerily in the cold air.

Occasionally, I’d pass villagers who stared blankly into space with hollow eyes, moving like zombies. They resembled scarecrows more than living people.

Sitting listlessly by the roadside were children covered in dirt, not making a single sound. There wasn’t a trace of laughter on their pale faces.

What in heaven’s name happened here? Master only mentioned sealing some yokai at the shrine and told me to handle it alone…

This destructive energy enveloping the entire village went far beyond what any ordinary monster could unleash.

While walking, I spotted a weathered wooden sign in the distance – a tavern, barely legible letters creaking in the wind. It seemed like the perfect place to gather information.

Carefully pushing open the tavern door, I was greeted by a pungent mix of mold and stale alcohol that stung my nose. Even though it was daytime, the interior was dimly lit, with a few battered wooden tables scattered about.

In the corner sat an old man hunched over his sake cup, drinking mechanically like a lifeless puppet. And there was a woman… something about her stood out strangely in this decrepit place.

Unlike the rest, she wore clean clothes, though her hair was carelessly tied up. Her expressionless face felt like a sharp thorn piercing through the tavern’s gloom.

“…Welcome.”

Her low voice broke the silence. With a stiff expression, she briefly greeted me before gesturing for me to sit anywhere.

Though her gaze kept piercing into me, I calmly took a seat at one of the tables. Assessing the situation here was my priority.

Ordering a bowl of soup, I casually observed my surroundings. The old man in the corner continued his mechanical drinking, his face as stone-like as ever.

Only the woman watched me intently. Her gaze felt heavier than the darkness inside the tavern.

“What’s happened to this village?”

At my question, she averted her eyes and replied vaguely.

“It’s just… an epidemic and drought.”

Though her tone was casual, there was definitely something she was hiding. Her lips pressed tightly together, refusing to say more.

After some thought, I decided to stay overnight since sunset was approaching and I had nowhere else to go.

“I’ll stay for one night.”

Hearing this, the woman hesitated.

“Here…?”

Nodding, I pushed further when she sighed softly.

“The timing isn’t good. You should cross the mountain before full dark.”

Her words hinted at wanting me gone, which only made the tavern seem more suspicious. I pressed on firmly.

“Why are you so worried? Is there any reason I can’t spend one night here?”

She struggled to answer, her lips moving silently. Her reluctance to speak only deepened my suspicion.

“A… no…”

Finally, she spoke.

“There’ve been some unpleasant incidents lately… I’m concerned you might experience something uncomfortable.”

Her vague “unpleasant incidents” lingered in my mind. The shadow of worry on her face under candlelight didn’t match her words.

With no other plans, I requested a room despite the unease.

“Fine then… would you be okay with a cheap room? The upper rooms have been occupied for several days…”

“Doesn’t matter.”

Taking out a few coins from my belt, I handed them to her. She reluctantly accepted them with a sigh.

“Alright. Please follow me.”

Following her through the dim corridor of the tavern, I suddenly stopped as a chilling sensation ran down my spine.

A sinister feeling… like someone was watching me, though there was nobody around.

Once inside the room, I quickly placed protective talismans everywhere. The smell of aged dust mixed with the strong ink scent filled the air.

Lying down, I felt a faint warmth of my younger sister’s touch on my hand, but forced myself to shake off the memory. The horrifying truth behind those happy memories always followed like a shadow.

Just as I was drifting off to sleep…

Sssshh… sssshh…

A subtle sound teased my ears – something slithering against the wall. Not quite like a snake, yet disturbingly persistent.

Instinctively sensing danger, I gripped the silver dagger hidden in my chest. Without hesitation, I threw it toward the sound.

A dull thud accompanied movement. In the faint moonlight, a large spider fell from the wall, its many legs twitching grotesquely.

The stench was overwhelming. Its armored shell gleamed menacingly, covered in thick hair. Though my dagger was embedded deep in its body, it still struggled fiercely, clicking its mandibles.

The ominous energy in the room grew thicker.

Considering everything now – the village’s strange atmosphere, this monstrous spider – I briefly thought about returning to Master for help.

Clutching my fingers tightly, I suppressed the rising anxiety. This was the first task Master entrusted to me alone, and I didn’t want to fail.

After barely dealing with the terrifying spider, memories of the past kept resurfacing every time I closed my eyes.

Was it because I saw something horrifying earlier? Images of my younger sister kept appearing, her once bright eyes now blood-red.

Forcing myself to sleep proved futile. Tossing and turning, I ended up spending the night awake.

Stepping outside the tavern as dawn broke, the chilly morning air pierced deep into my lungs. Last night’s unease still weighed heavily on my mind.

Pushing aside my anxiety, I headed straight for the shrine Master mentioned. Entering the forest path leading out of the village, the sense of dread from last night only intensified. Even the morning light filtering through the leaves felt unsettling.

Finally reaching the small shrine…

The sight before me was truly horrifying.

The shrine was soaked in dried blood, its walls and floor completely stained. The talisman-covered wooden pillars were shattered beyond recognition.

Approaching carefully, the coppery smell of blood filled my senses. The cracking sound of my steps echoed unnaturally loud on the sticky surface.

Examining the wooden pillars closely, they were cracked and brittle like old firewood. This wasn’t caused by simple curses or yokai attacks – someone used powerful sorcery to completely drain all life force.

Walking around the shrine, deep claw marks were scattered across the ground. It looked like someone was trying to dig rather than destroy. However, most traces had been erased by the magic.

Returning to the village after leaving the shrine, nothing had changed. The villagers remained like withered trees, their movements robotic.

Their eyes held no signs of life. Trying to talk to them only resulted in meaningless muttering. Their humanity had long since disappeared.

Searching throughout the village for clues proved fruitless. While the remnants of evil magic were everywhere, there was no trace of its origin.

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