Cleaver Of Sin

Chapter 539: Map [Bonus Chapter]

’Next destination, the Sand Village,’ Asher thought to himself with a wide grin stretching across his face, a grin that carried both anticipation and a quiet, dangerous confidence. The Village Chief could not help but look at him strangely, wondering why he was suddenly smiling like a madman in the midst of such grave circumstances, but judging from the situation and the subtle shift in the young man’s demeanor, he guessed that Asher might have found a clue or formed some decisive conclusion within his mind.

’But there is another problem, how do I get to the Sand Village?’ Asher thought to himself as he was already certain there would not be any maps readily available for someone like him to use.

Asher turned to the blind Village Chief as he asked, "How far is the Sand Village from here?" his purple eyes locking onto the Village Chief’s white, sightless ones with a steady and calm gaze.

"About thirty kilometres or so, not exactly sure," the Blind Village Chief replied after a brief moment of contemplation, his tone measured and thoughtful as though calculating distances in his mind.

"I will need someone to guide me, a villager or anyone who has been there, as I do not know the way," Asher stated, though inwardly he was certain he could traverse that distance within a couple of minutes if he chose to take to the skies.

The blind Village Chief fell into deep thought before finally speaking, "Actually, our village has a map that leads to every village in our region, but I cannot lend it to you as it has been passed down from generation to generation; after all, the villagers cannot exactly know the route to every village by heart," the Village Chief explained carefully, "I suggest you make another copy, no matter how bad it may look, it is still better than nothing," the Village Chief suggested in a practical tone.

He could not give out the map; he could only suggest that Asher make a copy of it for his own use, as tradition and responsibility restrained him from doing otherwise.

Asher smiled faintly, the situation was perfect for him, with his level of intelligence and perception, he did not need to painstakingly replicate the map, as even a single glance would be more than sufficient for him to memorize its entirety in perfect detail, "No need, I will not be needing to make a copy of the map, I just need to get a look at it and I will be fine," he replied to the Village Chief with calm assurance.

The Village Chief did not argue or question him further, he simply nodded before turning and walking back toward his own residence, and Asher did not hesitate or delay; he followed with composed and measured steps. Entering the Village Chief’s residence, the man retrieved a large folded parchment from a secured wooden chest, the Village Chief carefully removed the rope that held the thick parchment together, then slowly unfurled it onto the table positioned between himself and Asher.

The map was large, to say the least, as it contained intricate and remarkably detailed depictions of the entire region, as though the cartographer had deliberately taken into account the varying levels of intelligence among the villagers. Various mountains, hills, jagged peaks, winding pathways, rivers, lakes, and other water bodies were meticulously illustrated. Everything was labeled with precise handwriting, and every single village was drawn and clearly marked with deliberate care.

Asher stared at the map, and with that single, casual glance, he understood it perfectly and formed an immaculate mental image of it within his mind. Asher could not exactly read maps aside from something modern and simplified like Google Maps, but physical ones that were hand-drawn and layered with geographical intricacies were something he had absolutely zero experience with.

But this map made everything comprehensible, as the cartographer had clearly ensured that even the most intellectually challenged individual in existence could interpret it without confusion or error.

"Thank you for your assistance thus far," Asher stated as he extended his hand toward the Village Chief in a gesture of gratitude and acknowledgment.

"A pleasure," the Village Chief replied as he grasped Asher’s outstretched hand firmly, "and if possible, please, save them," he added as his voice lowered with restrained emotion, though he did not make it an unreasonable demand, as he had already made it clear that Asher should only save them if he truly could.

"I will try my best, Village Chief," Asher stated with quiet tone before walking out of the Village Chief’s residence. He looked around for a moment at the surrounding structures and sighed softly at their harsh living conditions. But he knew he could not exactly do anything about it.

Even if he could improve the circumstances of Blackstone Village and assist them in prospering, the neighboring villages would not simply sit back and watch another settlement advance beyond them without consequence; something akin to a minor war, perhaps even a brutal skirmish between villages, would inevitably erupt as jealousy and greed took root.

With a final contemplative glance around, his foot left the earth as he propelled himself into the sky with a thunderous sonic boom that tore a crater open beneath him as he ascended with explosive force. He wanted to reach the Sand Village as soon as possible.

The kidnappers might have already begun their operation, or the critical moment might have been drawing closer and closer, as he did not know the exact time of their intended strike, but he could reasonably speculate that it might occur at night.

But that remained nothing more than a hypothesis, because just as the people of Blackstone Village were kidnapped under the cover of darkness did not necessarily mean the people of the Sand Village would also be taken during the night.

The map appeared vividly within Asher’s mind as he tore between towering trees, he followed the direction and route displayed in his mental projection of the map, cutting through mountains, slicing across dense canopies of trees, ’faster...’ Asher thought to himself, as every second he spent flying was another second in which the perpetrators could potentially escape beyond his reach.

The sound barrier shattered violently as Asher pushed his speed even higher, successive sonic blasts echoing behind him as he launched forward like the warhead of a guided missile, minutes blurred together in a seamless rush and soon he approached the Sand Village, as he could now clearly see it from his elevated vantage point in the sky.

He reduced his speed gradually as the thunderous sonic booms echoing behind him dissipated completely, and he came to a controlled stop before landing lightly upon the thick branch of a tree. Asher stood in silence for a brief moment as he contemplated whether he should employ the same baiting tactic as before.

After a short but decisive moment of thought, he concluded that he should indeed repeat the strategy, to openly announce his presence and deliberately make the kidnappers aware that he was here. With that thought formed, he stepped out from his concealment and made his presence known, and unlike the blind Blackstone Village guards, the Sand Village guards immediately noticed him without delay or confusion.