The Smiling Death-Chapter 355: Telling Others

The living room of Roland’s house felt unusually tense.

Several wooden chairs had been arranged in a rough circle, and the important members of the village were already seated.

Roland sat in the center, leaning slightly forward with his hands resting on his knees. His expression was serious, his sharp eyes observing everyone in the room.

Beside him sat Kael, his arms crossed tightly across his chest.

Malphas sat quietly with his cane resting against his leg, his old eyes calm yet thoughtful.

Ria, the beastwoman in her late thirties, sat upright with a stern expression on her face. Her sharp ears twitched occasionally as she listened.

Silvan stood slightly to the side, leaning against the wall with his arms folded.

In front of them stood three figures.

Amon, Scarlett and Vetaal. The gray corpse-like man stood calmly behind them, looking as indifferent as ever.

The room remained silent. Amon and Scarlett had already explained everything.

About Vetaal. About the towers. About the monsters guarding them. And about the possible way to escape the loop.

Yet even after hearing all of it, none of the villagers had spoken immediately.

The information was simply too shocking. After several seconds of silence, Ria finally leaned forward slightly, her golden beast-like eyes narrowing.

Her voice was firm. "So let me get this straight."

Her gaze shifted toward Vetaal.

"This corpse-looking man suddenly woke up when you meet him, claims he knows about the towers, the monsters, and the seal trapping us here..."

Her eyes then snapped toward Amon.

"And you kept him hidden in your house for months without telling anyone?"

Her tone was sharp. There was clear suspicion in her voice.

Amon didn’t avoid her gaze. He answered calmly. "Yes." It was unusual for him to act with such calm.

Ria’s tail flicked behind her in irritation. "And you expect us to just believe that?"

Kael spoke next, his deep voice rumbling through the room. "You understand how dangerous this sounds, right?"

His sharp eyes moved toward Vetaal. "A strange being suddenly appears, who had been hanging to a tree for who know how many years. Claims he knows how to break the seal trapping this entire area."

Kael leaned forward slightly. "And you expect us to trust him?"

Silvan, the elf nodded slightly in agreement from the wall. "That is the problem."

His calm voice carried a hint of caution. "If what he says is true, then it is good news."

He glanced toward Vetaal. "But if he is lying...and having some bad intentions..."

Silvan didn’t finish the sentence. He didn’t need to. Everyone in the room understood the implication he was trying to put.

Roland finally spoke. His voice was calm but heavy. "Amon."

Amon straightened slightly.

Roland continued. "You said you found him when you first arrived here."

"Yes."

"And he told you about the towers before they appeared."

Amon nodded. "Yes."

Roland looked toward Scarlett.

"And you confirmed that the towers appeared exactly when he predicted?"

Scarlett answered without hesitation. "Yes."

Her tone was firm.

Roland leaned back slightly in his chair. His eyes slowly moved toward Vetaal. "So tell me something."

His voice was now colder. "Why should we trust you?"

For a moment, the entire room focused on the pale man.

Vetaal stood there calmly. Then he suddenly chuckled. A strange dry laugh escaped his lips. It sounds creepy. "Hehe..."

He slowly raised his pale eyes toward them.

"Trust?" He tilted his head slightly.

"You shouldn’t." The answer surprised everyone.

Ria’s ears twitched. Kael frowned deepen. Roland narrowed his eyes.

Vetaal continued calmly. "If I were in your place... I wouldn’t trust me either."

He lifted his thin hand slightly and gestured toward his own body. "I look like a corpse. Something unknown."

His white eyes scanned the room slowly.

"I appear suddenly out of nowhere like alive person. I claim to know secrets about this prison."

He shrugged slightly. "Of course you would be suspicious."

The room remained silent. Then Vetaal’s expression slowly changed. His voice became slightly more serious.

"But here is the truth." He pointed one long black nail toward the floor.

"I am trapped here too." His pale eyes glowed faintly.

"My power... my freedom... everything was sealed by the same force that trapped you."

He looked directly at Roland. "You want to escape."

Then he looked at Kael and said. "So do I."

Then his gaze moved across the rest of the room. "I gain nothing by lying to you."

He spread his hands slightly.

"Unlike you guys, i have been stuck year for hundreds of years. In fact... if you all die here..."

He smiled faintly.

"I will remain trapped forever. Since I cannot die...and with no power I cannot escape."

Silence filled the room again.

Amon stepped forward. His voice was calm but firm. "I know he looks suspicious and shady."

He looked toward Roland. "But everything he told me so far has been true."

Scarlett stepped forward beside him. Her voice was steady. "And I trust Amon too."

Everyone turned toward her.

Scarlett rarely spoke with such conviction. Her amethyst eyes remained calm as she continued. "If Amon believes there is a chance to escape..."

She glanced briefly at Vetaal. "...then I will take that chance."

Kael sighed heavily. Ria still looked unconvinced. Silvan rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

The room remained divided.

Then suddenly, Malphas tapped his cane lightly on the wooden floor.

Tap.

The soft sound drew everyone’s attention. The old demon slowly stood up from his chair.

His back slightly bent with age. But his eyes were calm.

He looked toward Amon. Then toward Scarlett. Finally toward Vetaal. After a moment, Malphas spoke in his old steady voice.

"I will believe them." Everyone looked at him in surprise.

Ria frowned."Malphas... you can’t be serious."

Malphas smiled faintly. "I am the oldest person in this room."

His eyes moved across the room. "I have lived here longer than anyone." Then he looked at Roland. "And I have not seen any chances to escape this place."

His voice grew slightly softer. "But this..." He looked toward Vetaal. "...is the first real lead we have had in decades."

Malphas slowly sat back down. "If there is even a small chance that this plan works..."

He looked toward Roland again. "...then we should try."

Silence filled the room once more. Now all eyes slowly turned toward Roland.