The village was more normal up close than Lian had expected.

The houses were made of stone and wood. Not so poor that they looked like a camp, and not so advanced that it could be called a real city.

Smoke rose from the chimneys. Yellow lights were on behind the windows. And for the first time since entering this realm, Lian smelled cooked food.

But what caught his attention more than anything was the silence.

The moment the guards entered the village, people came out of their houses one after another. Old men, women, children. Practically everyone stared at them.

No one said anything. No one smiled. No one came forward. They just looked.

Lian felt like he had entered a zoo and he was the animal being shown for the first time.

Even a child holding a wooden doll stood still and stared at him.

"We found outsiders!" Then one of the guards shouted.

As if a spell had been broken, the people suddenly started whispering. Quiet voices rose from all sides.

"Are they really outsiders?"

"They are so young..."

"But where did they come from?..."

"Why are they wounded?..."

Lian frowned. These people seemed like they had not seen any new person for a long time. Or at least very rarely. At that moment, the crowd moved aside.

But this was not that strange. After all, in ruined realms, it is very rare for civilizations or intelligent humans or races to exist.

An old man stepped forward from among the people. He was about sixty years old. White hair and a simple robe. But something in his gaze made it impossible to see him as a normal old man.

His eyes were too sharp. Too alert. As if he did not miss the smallest detail.

The guards immediately lowered their heads. Even the village people fell silent.

The old man smiled.

"Welcome to our village." His voice was calm and warm, but Lian did not feel comfortable for some reason.

"I am Aldric. The elder of the village."

"Do not worry. You can stay as our guests for as long as you want."

"Thank you very much. I am Lian." Lian thanked him but was still cautious.

He had many questions. Too many. What is this village? Who are these people? How have they survived in a ruined realm?

But before he could ask anything, Aldric looked at Aria, Alisa, and Ryan. His face became serious.

"The wounded must be treated first. After that, we will have plenty of time to talk."

Lian was quiet for a few moments. Finally, he nodded. It was logical. For now, nothing was more important than staying alive.

The village’s treatment center was a stone building in the center. Inside, it smelled of medicinal plants. Shelves full of bottles and various medicines could be seen.

Aria and Alisa almost passed out the moment they entered. Ryan was not in better condition. His face was pale, and he was breathing with difficulty.

Several healers immediately took them. In contrast, Lian and Seris were in much better condition.

Their wounds were shallower. Mostly fatigue and bruises. After cleaning the wounds and bandaging a few cuts, their treatment was almost done.

The main healer was a girl around fifteen or sixteen years old. She had light golden hair, green eyes, and a smile that, unlike many of the village people, looked real.

"You were very lucky. How did you survive such a wound? And where is the wound?"

Lian looked at her. She was pointing to the large hole visible on his torn clothes.

"I wonder the same thing. And that wound has healed." Lian gave a small smile.

The girl laughed. Her voice was calm. For the first time since arriving at the village, Lian felt like he was talking to a normal person.

So he decided to gather some information.

"Your village is big."

"It used to be bigger." The girl sighed while organizing the medicines and said.

"Monsters?" Lian noticed. His tone had changed.

"What else could it be besides those damned monsters?" The girl thought for a moment and nodded.

"Move your arm. Let me see if it hurts." And she immediately changed the subject.

Lian’s eyes narrowed a little. He had gotten his answer.

A while later, his gaze went out the window. The golden mountain could still be seen. Even from this distance, it had a strange shine. As if it was really made of gold.

"What is up there?"

"The Mountain God." The girl answered almost without thinking.

"The Mountain God?" Lian raised an eyebrow and asked. This answer was strange and unclear to him. What is the Mountain God?

Could a monster be living up there? If that was the case, it could become a problem.

"Yes, he protects us." The girl gave a sweet and innocent smile and said.

"When the world was destroyed, when the monsters destroyed everything, the Mountain God saved the remaining people. That is why our ancestors settled here."

"To live under his protection." It was clear that this girl truly believed what she said.

Lian stayed quiet. The story sounded like an old legend. But in this world, many legends had truth to them. So he could not completely reject it.

But this itself could become a problem. If something was up there on the path to the key, or worse, protecting the key, it would be a big headache for them.

He had heard that powerful monsters might live in places where keys are located. Because around the keys, energy is at its most dense. For monsters, that is like paradise.

"Has anyone ever seen the Mountain God?" Then an important question came to his mind, and he asked.

For the first time, the girl was quiet. It took a few seconds. Then she smiled. But this time, her smile was a little different. It seemed somewhat fake.

"Of course not. No human is allowed to go to the peak. That is the god’s territory."

"And if someone goes?" Lian asked with curiosity.

The girl looked at the window. At the golden mountain. And immediately, devotion, faith, and belief appeared in her eyes.

"Those who went... never came back." She then said quietly.