Demon Hunter: I have a red gourd

Chapter 52: Spirits and Ghouls
Three days later at dusk, Ivan and the well-prepared Blue Guards appeared at the border between Temeria and Kaedwen.

Roche threw the brass telescope in his hand to Ivan, who caught it steadily and looked in the direction Roche pointed.

"The first village is in a low valley to the left of us, half-hidden by trees, with houses scattered about. A little further to the right, at the foot of the hill, is an even smaller village. At the entrance to the village stands a crooked old tree, very conspicuous."

"Follow the path on the right. At the end of the road, you can see a village surrounded by a stream with several wooden bridges spanning the stream."

Ivan looked at the scene in the distance and frowned.

It was hell there.

A suffocating silence permeated the three villages, with not a trace of smoke rising from the air. Broken barrels and overturned carts littered the empty streets, and countless bodies, pierced by arrows, lay scattered across the ground. The blood had long since dried, leaving behind shocking patches of dark red on the ground.

On these cold corpses, there were many monsters with emaciated bodies and pale skin, crouching down and chewing the flesh greedily like wild dogs.

Near these monsters, many floating illusory figures were wandering aimlessly in the village.

These shadowy figures were emaciated, like skeletons, their upper bodies naked, their skin shriveled and clinging to their bones, devoid of blood, and only faintly visible were their protruding ribs. Their heads were covered in tattered hoods, revealing only a mouth full of sharp teeth.

In their right hands, they held a slender sword, and in their left, they held a lantern emitting an eerie blue-green light. Their lower bodies were surrounded by a hazy mist, floating in mid-air, giving them a sense of illusion and unreality.

Like a deceased person who still clings to the world after death, it exudes a gloomy and terrifying aura.

Demon Spirit↓:
A rough count revealed that the total number of these demons was at least forty or more. Besides the demons, the corpses also attracted ghouls.

Ivan put down the telescope and looked at Roche beside him.

"Have you Blue Guards dealt with this zombie?" Ivan said as he returned the telescope to Roche.

"These ghouls should have eaten their fill. Logically speaking, with our current number, their instincts will make them retreat. They'll flee as soon as they see us, so there's no need to worry for now."

"But nothing is certain. I don't know if the factors that led to the formation of these demons will also affect the behavior of these ghouls. Regardless, you must be fully prepared."

"Ghouls? No problem." Roche answered without hesitation. "I've dealt with at least ten myself. Although my efficiency may not be as good as your demon hunters, this kind of monster is not as powerful as the demon spirits that leave ordinary people helpless."

He turned to look at the team behind him with a serious expression, and his eyes swept across the faces of each soldier like a blade.

"I know this is your first time fighting, but listen carefully—the Blue Guards don't accept trash!"

His voice was steady and powerful, and every word pierced the soldiers' ears like a nail. "If you want to survive, you must prove your worth! If you can do this, no matter what crimes you have committed in the past, I can give you everything you want - honor, title, military merit, money. But if you can't do this..."

He sneered, his tone sharp. "Then let those ghouls down there pick your bones."

Behind Ivan, Philip listened to Roche's lecture without a trace of fear in his eyes. On the contrary, his gaze became more determined, like a ignited flame.

He took a slow breath, his knuckles turning slightly white, and tightened his grip on the sword at his waist. Roche hung the telescope back on his waist and looked firmly at the village in the distance. "Ghouls have become very common monsters. We can't always find a demon hunter when we encounter them. This battle is also a training for you."

"set off!"

Everyone urged their horses and rushed towards the first village in the valley. The sound of horse hooves echoed in the air, breaking the silence around them.

When they arrived at the village entrance, everyone dismounted neatly and quickly, and then tied the horses in an orderly manner in the forest outside the village.

Ivan drew the silver sword from behind him, looked at Roche beside him, and nodded slightly.

"According to the plan, we will form a team of three and take care of each other!" Luo Qi understood and immediately shouted orders to the blue-clad guards behind him.

The team quickly dispersed according to the previous arrangement, and formed ten teams in just a few seconds.

Each team is led by an experienced veteran and two newly recruited soldiers.

Philip had just been appointed as the captain of a team by Roche, so he now played the role of a veteran, leading two new recruits who came with him from Crow's Nest.

The veterans looked composed, their brows etched with a hint of calmness, while the new recruits gripped their weapons tightly, their faces tense and their eyes flickering.

The smell of blood and decay in the air filled Ivan's nostrils. Feeling the badge on his chest trembling restlessly, he took the lead and rushed in with his silver sword.

Several zombies near the village entrance were feasting on a rotten corpse. When they heard Ivan's footsteps, they suddenly raised their heads covered in blood and flesh, and their scarlet eyes flashed with bloodthirsty light.

They opened their huge mouths, sticky saliva dripped down their fangs, and low roars came from their throats.

Ivan didn't hesitate at all. The silver sword in his hand flashed a cold light and went straight for the nearest zombie.

At the same time, Ivan quickly raised his left hand and released the Igni Sign. In an instant, a fan-shaped flame erupted like surging magma, sweeping towards the remaining ghouls.

Monsters like ghouls are similar to water ghosts and evil ghosts, and are all social monsters.

They actually look a lot like humans, but they are the opposite of everything humans are.

They have arms and legs like humans, but like stray dogs on the roadside, they crawl on all fours. Their faces resemble humans, but they lack any rationality or emotion, their eyes filled with bloodlust and cruelty. The only thing driving them is an insatiable desire for human flesh.

Ghoul↓:

When night falls, they appear in cemeteries, around ancient tombs, and anywhere else the dead are buried, searching for dead bodies. If they haven't eaten for a long time, they won't hesitate to attack the living.

To ghouls, living people are just raw food that needs to be torn into pieces and left to rot before they can be eaten.

(End of this chapter)