An Apostle's Fate Chapter 3: The Village, a fate/stay night fanfic

An Apostle's Fate

Chapter 3: The Village

30 minutes later

Claudia von Mondrecht

Strangely enough, being a zombie had its uses. That being the fact that I didn't tire and that my bare feet didn't hurt as much one would have expected. As I walked down the lone road I also began to use my now improved sight to take in my surroundings. The road was used fairly often, but the landscape was rather untouched. It seemed so beautiful under the moonlight. The road had entered a forest some time ago and I could see a mountain range close by. The landscape wasn't that memorable, but I could at least determine that I was in a mountainous region in Europe.

Following the light, I stare at the great entity in the Night Sky. The moon. Being bathed in its light gave me a wonderful feeling. It was exhilarating and calming at the same time. It empowered me, but I could also tell that its presence would weaken me. During the day I would suffer in the sunlight, its rays would deteriorate my body.

I was unsure about the other weaknesses that dead apostles had. I remembered that running water and a few of the other stereotypes applied due to the common beliefs of mankind. The vampire mythos and its fictional suspects affect the real world. For me however, it isn't.

The stories of Carmilla and Dracula were the most famous stories concerning my race. Luckily, they will take some time until they become a thing. These are the middle ages after all. While I do not know what year it is, the levels of technology I have seen so far, tell me enough for the time being.

I'm snapped out of my thoughts as my nose catches a powerful scent...or rather, multiple scents. They were the same as before. Humans...Food. I move to the side and begin walking through the edge of the forest as I do not want to be detected. I could easily become prey of another knight or even a group of soldiers should I become too careless….In that case, I may as well use the new skill I had gained earlier. I also take the precaution of activating my presence concealment. My body gains a faint shimmer to it, making it sometimes take on the colours of the background. The effect is very weak though...It was only a reduction of 2.5% after all, so I shouldn't have expected something else. I'm rather surprised, but the skill doesn't seem to be using any of my magic. It might drain my stamina faster, but this was truly a great skill nevertheless.

I continue moving along the woods until I come across a split in the road. One road leads up towards the mountain and the other into the forest. A decent human presence was in both locations. The logical conclusion here would be that the village was in the forest and the castle in the mountains, but that was just an assumption and it wasn't worth putting myself at risk just from a guess.

I come out of my place of hiding before activating my magic circuits. The process is easier this time, but still isn't something I could do instantaneously. I only recovered a single unit of od in the last 30 minutes, but that does make sense. Being a creature that is probably meant to gain mana from blood and other bodily fluids after all, it makes sense for me to be so trash. Though, now that I think about it….My magical circuits and quality are way below average….downright trash even.

Once again I began channelling Od into my mystic eyes before bending down to get a closer look at the road before me. The path itself wasn't exactly the object of my attention but rather the dozens upon dozens of tracks that littered the way. There were more than a few people that had made the trip by foot, judging by the numerous boot marks, but just as many had made the trip by horse and cart, based on the dozens of relatively straight lines pulled clearly by hooves.

But I was looking for the carriage full of nobles, not a cart full of food or peasants. A few scant seconds of scanning them over with my eyes finally led me to find my target.

[Carriage tracks]

[Horse tracks]

[Carriage tracks]

[Humanoid Tracks]

[Horse tracks]

[Carriage tracks]

The ruined remnants of my face contorted into an approximation of a grin, twisting the rotted flesh that formed the majority of it into something that looked like a vague approximation of a smile. Still I could feel the muscles giving way and the discomfort I felt from doing so made it rather obvious that I shouldn't be doing this, at least for a while.

Looking towards the tracks leading to the forest I once again channel my mystic eyes.

[Humanoid Tracks]

[Cart Tracks]

[Carriage tracks]

[Humanoid Tracks]

[Horse tracks]

[Cart Tracks]

[Horse tracks]

[Cart Tracks]

[Horse tracks]

[Cart Tracks]

[Mystic eyes of Analysis (Augment) has advanced to LV 3]

And there's my confirmation, there was some crossover between the two locations but at least now I had a greater idea of which way would lead me to my prey.

My eyes levelling up also helped raise my mood, making progress was always a great feeling.

For now, I shall take on the peasants. Their scents were closer and the cover of the forest would provide me with enough cover to carefully approach my targets. The trip doesn't take long, but it was enough to show that night would not last long. I quickened my step and eventually came across the village, it was decently sized, about 80 buildings in total. It had a church and what I imagined to be some commercial buildings in its centre, but the best aspect was that it was very spaced out. The houses had a lot of space between them, with small roads and crops surrounding them. The forest was nearly untouched, leaving lots of shade within the village itself.

In all honesty, it looked wonderful and ideal. Too bad that the population would be decreased by a significant amount soon. Who could blame a young dead apostle like myself after all? The smell of its inhabitants was overwhelming, my mouth was dripping with saliva. My next goal was simple: I needed to feed.

I continue to move along the forest and approach a house at the edge of town. Sniffing the air around it, I could sense the delicious humans within it. The smell was even more intoxicating now with it being so close. Strangely enough, the family within was made of three. Two elder scents and a..younger one, but not childlike… I couldn't care now though, as it was downright hard to think in my current state. I hadn't made a strategy for this village, didn't know how I could eliminate them all without anyone escaping or them noticing it…. But now I didn't care.

The cover of darkness should be enough for now. Dawn was still far away and barely any houses were actually illuminated. The main issue, for now, were the guards hanging around lit lanterns in certain sections of the village. They seemed tired and bored out of their mind, rather than actually vigilant for any threats to the community. It was the dead of night and people were sleeping after all.

….I was going for the kill now, the opportunity would not become better. I crept out of the bushes and approached the garden, the ground was soft beneath my feet and made no sound. If I had more time or hadn't been in such a state, I would have admired the collection of vegetables in the garden, but that was simply not the case.

I make my way to the backdoor and check the handle….It was unlocked? This must truly be a peaceful community then. Too bad that this was probably their best defence against me. While my combat abilities were above average, I hold no doubts that a horde of people could easily kill me. Loud noises or the family waking up to me breaking in would have spelled my doom.

I open the door with a slow movement, mindful of the light creaking coming from its hinges. I enter the house and close the door behind me, before sniffing around to determine the location of the inhabitants. Two were in a bed upstairs and another, the younger one, down here.

I make my way to their room and creak the door open, slowly seeing a face of a young man, blissfully sleeping in his bed. I entered the room and a thing that stands out to me were the other two beds within. They were for smaller children, yet were empty nevertheless.

Missing children were hardly a concern of mine now though. I prowl towards the young male, not mindful of the ground beneath me as it had been made of stone. I had considered taking the sword from my inventory, but I was in far too big a rush to do so. And this should be special.

The knight had been killed in self-defence, but this was outright murder. I won't be chickening out of it...but I won't be denying the magnitude of the act either. I kneel next to his sleeping face. His features had become clearer with me so close and I just stared at him for a good minute. He was at the prime of his life...probably innocent of any greater sins and still had his whole life ahead of him.

[Human Male, LV 7]

A life I will be taking from him. I do wish to live with regret, but I also did want to show the smallest modicum of respect to my first victim. I had considered tearing out his throat or biting into his jugular, but that didn't seem right for my first time.

Instead, I took his pillow from beneath his head, prompting him to fall down onto whatever equivalent of a mattress they had. His eyes rip out in sudden alarm and he begins staring through the darkness of the room. A nearby window did let some light in, but the moon was not in a position to shine inside, so he could barely make out my shape.

He did with a few more seconds as I moved the pillow to my other hand, feeling around the rough texture and wondering what stuffing it had. The Man stared at me, probably incapable of making out my features or he would have screamed immediately. He lets out an audible swallow before saying,"Wer….Wer ist da?..Mutter, bist das du? Warum versteckst du dich im Dunklem?"

I gave him one last look, not trying to answer as I knew it would only come out as a garbled mess. If I could have spoken, I would have probably apologized….

With a sudden jolt, I rush towards him and press the pillow onto his face with all my might. He tries to resist but my strength wins out over his. Any attempts of him clawing at my arms are in vain, but they do annoy me, prompting one arm to move beneath his pillow and grab hold of his throat. His struggling increases, but with enough pressure and a few more seconds, he eventually begins to slow and eventually still. I move the pillow and throw it to the side in favour of staring at his face. His eyes were bloodshot and a bit of spit was flowing out of his mouth… I sensed no breath and felt no heartbeat from his throat.

[+350XP]

(650/700 XP)

He was dead...I killed him with murderous intent...And I felt nothing. Just a feeling of...not pride, but perhaps accomplishment? It was strange, but all in all? I could guess it signified that I truly no longer was human.

The body was still warm…..it might be an opportunity to try out something else. I move away from the bed and open a window to my inventory once more. I was able to move it between the bed and the boy, allowing him to softly sink into that dark abyss.

His body was gone, no blood or flesh left of him in this plane….Now that I think of it.. This was ideal.

I couldn't kill an entire town in the short time I had left, but I could certainly use this to bide my time.

I quickly began making the bed, making it look like the room was untouched rather than a place of murder. With that done, I move out of the room and head towards the floor above. The stairs were a bit worse for wear, but with enough caution, the sound was small enough not to alert anyone behind doors. I eventually reach the upper floors and follow my nose to the remaining inhabitants.

Opening the door, I see a middle-aged couple sleeping soundly in their bed, unaware of what fate had befallen their child. Well, they would follow that fate soon as well.

I approach the foot of the bed, before climbing towards the middle like a child coming to its parents after a nightmare. They are roused from the sudden movement, but I leave them no chance to awake as my hands find themselves on their throats within a second. They begin to struggle as their child had, but I didn't care as much this time around. I increase the pressure applied to their throats, eventually squeezing their windpipes to such a degree that they rupture from my grip. Their death was fast, but not painless.

[+700 XP]

You have advanced to Level 8 (650/800XP)

What came after was the same. I put their bodies into my inventory and made their bed. After that, I began ransacking the place for valuables. Coins, pieces of Metal, cutlery and especially clothes were quickly taken into my inventory. I even had the luck of finding some tools and a small book in their possessions. It was more than enough for my purposes and I wasn't even done for the night.

I exited the house from which I entered and turned to the closest one. My hunger was killing me, but this needed precision or I would not survive a week. I approach the next house, and the process is repeated.

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4 hours later

Claudia von Mondrecht

Daybreak was nearing, the atmosphere was lighting up and light was beginning to peek over the horizon.

I had just finished my seventh house and was done looting the last one. I rush out of the building and sprint towards the foliage, seeking cover in the forest once more.

[+6000XP]

You have advanced to Level 14 (350/1400)

(Presence concealment E-) has improved to (Presence concealment E) (This skill allows you to reduce your presence by 5%)

I continue running for some time until exhaustion sets in. my limbs hurt and my mouth was incredibly dry. Looking around, I take in the forest around me. It was a wonderful place, but it wouldn't grant that much cover during the day.

So I try out some things first. I had stolen various tools during my little murder spree and I think I can get something done with that. I open up my inventory and pull out a large tarp I had stolen….I could wrap myself up in it? No, that wouldn't be comfortable. I need to eat too, so I want to at least be nice and comfy.

My intelligence was still below human average, so I gave that fault for my ridiculous plan. I had taken a hammer and a few nails from my inventory and simply started nailing the tarp to a few trees. It was a bit difficult to do, especially with the threat of Sunlight coming closer and closer, but I managed...something in the end.

[Territory creation F-] ( It is the Skill to build a special terrain that is advantageous to oneself as a magus, such as for the purpose of collecting mana. Can also give a Parameter boost to creators parameters while in said territory. Current Rank allows for a 0.5% increase to all parameters.)

[Basic workmanship LV 1 has been created] ( Deftness with hands is always useful. The Simplest tasks, mechanisms, designs and structures can be built or repaired)

Well, that was unexpected. I have no idea if it will come in handy, but I sure hope it does….For now, I'm still rather mobile after all. Perhaps I could take the castle in the area...though this region might be swarming with Exorcists soon enough.

For now though, I should chow down. I bring out the first body beneath the tarp and begin to devour its flesh. I had killed about 24 people tonight and I kept all of them. No blood or traces of a struggle. It was clean.

The lack of children was still rather...odd. Empty beds were in nearly every house, so it did become noticeable after a while.

It was a thought for later though, perhaps after I had taken the whole village, then I could investigate their absence.

2 hours later

The village of Knokbergenwas in an unusual state this morning. It started like any other, but soon enough something strange was noticed. People had been wondering about and had been inspecting a certain range of houses for some time. 7 Houses. Filled with families the day before, now completely empty.

An elderly man, one who had been living on the opposite side of town, was approaching the scene. He generally cared little for the occurrences of the town, but this had piqued even his interest. You see, he made his living making medicine for the populace and serving as a general doctor of sorts. His assistant, a beautiful girl with the name Sabine, was accompanying him.

She was something of a village attraction. While her beauty was unmatched, her cold personality made her rather unapproachable to many of the villagers. She barely interacted in response to anything but the commands of the elderly man. Many thought this was somewhat strange, but most assumed that with her last name being the same as his, that she was his daughter. However, the truth was a bit more...complicated, for his true occupation was also something known to none..

"Master Ahrental! Miss Sabine!" The man turns around to see one of the town's guards approach the pair. He gives Sabine a curt smile which is answered with a cold stare. The guard was unfazed, used to her reactions as he was, and began to try to lighten the tension between the three., "It doesn't happen often that we see you on this side of town. I take it you are here for this strange occurrence as well then?

The old man nods before giving a small smile, "Yes indeed. So many families simply disappearing in the night? It seems impossible, doesn't it? They made no mention of it to anyone, right?"

The guard merely nodded with an exasperated sigh, "None at all I'm afraid. What makes the least sense to me is why now? They all had children staying at the Duke's School. Why would they leave without them?"

The elder man, Xefus Ahrental shrugged his shoulders in response, "Can't say that I know the answer to that my boy….Say, would you mind if I took a look among their houses?"

The guards stare in confusion for a bit before the young woman walks in front of him. She closed in on his face, his own cheeks lit up in response, but before he could respond, her eyes lit up with a purple glow. She began speaking in a neutral tone, Do not bother the master anymore, he will go where he wishes as is his right."

The guard freezes up for a good second before answering, "Ah yes...We want to wait for the Judge to investigate first, but I'm certain there is no problem in letting you look first. The families that left took all their valuables and possessions with them anyway, so I doubt you would have reason to steal anything."

The old man gives a kind smile in response before heading towards the first house. He enters the domicile with the young girl following right behind him. As soon as the door closes behind them, his kind expression disappears only to be replaced with the cold analytical gaze of a Magus. The man was an Alchemist, creator of things and beings. The girl behind him for instance was not his daughter but nevertheless still his creation. She was a homunculus, an artificial human. She was his guard and assistant, no other purpose suited her.

The man walks through the house and already notices the first thing out of place. Lingering Mana in the air. It was minimal, nearly insignificant, but it was there. He also knew that no villager had any magical potential. He had removed those when he moved to this village after all. Being the one trusted for the ailments of the villagers gave him ample opportunity for experiments after all and only those with potential for magic ended up in his workshop.

'So it meant that an outsider was here.' the man thought as he stroked his beard. A rogue Magus showing up on his territory wasn't something he could allow. The homunculus tugs on his sleeve and points to the back door, prompting him to see slight traces of mud leading into the house. Whoever had been here probably voided being loud, but was unaware of the traces they brought in. Another thing of note was that the footprints came from bare feet rather than from shoes.

He moves over to the entrance and brings his hand to the floor. His arm lights up with green lines which cross over to the floor. He was casting structural analysis, a spell that would show him properties and even the history of what he was scanning. In this case, it revealed to him some rather interesting aspects of the intruder. Their flesh was rotten. Old as if from a corpse, their flesh gave off no heat.

It told him enough of just what had entered his town. His heart started beating with increased vigour.

The possibilities of this. A newborn Dead Apostle was here in his territory! The danger was obvious, but this opportunity was greater than anything else! Full-grown dead apostles were nigh impossible to kill, Capturing one was an even greater impossibility.
This was it. It would catapult his research by centuries. And it was all his!

He calmed his erratic breath before his own body gave out from the excitement. He needed to ensure this apostle would become his. The church might involve itself and he couldn't risk that any time soon. They would ruin everything.

He turns to his Homunculus, "Sabine, return to the workshop and notify your stronger sisters to arm themselves. Tonight we will hunt for this creature. After you have told them, I also want you to head to the main road and intercept anyone trying to notify someone of this. Kill them swiftly if necessary."

She nods in response as the two leave the house. She rushes back to their home while he leisurely makes his way home, with a great smile on his face.

The translation:

"Wer….Wer ist da?...Mutter, bist das du? Warum versteckst du dich im Dunklem?"

"Who….Who is there?... Mother is that you? Why are you hiding in the dark?"

Current Stat sheet

Claudia von Mondrecht

Lv=14 (350/1400XP)

Class = Rogue

Subclass = Urchin

Race = Dead Apostle (Ghoul)

Title = none

Hp = 4,400 HP (END x 100)

Hpr = 61.1 HP/m (LV x END x 0.1 )

Body/Blood Coefficient= 18%

Damage Reduction = 4.4 (END/10 + ARMOR)

Stats:

Strength = 74

Endurance = 44

Agility = 48

Mind = 15

Charm = 21

Luck = 48

Author's note: Hope you all enjoy this story. If you haven't noticed, I will be making shorter chapters for this story as it generally is more comfortable for me. Forcing myself to make 15k chapters as a standard just wasn't working out and I really started hating it. So yeah, I hope you enjoy it.