Alex in Wonderland 1.5: Hope Of Daybreak

Chapter X: Strength

The party travels to the village of the undead. With Alex being the only one immune from the corruption as of now, he sets off alone to look for any clues for the location of the tree. Will there even be a clue there?

The Wagon stops inside an old house. The house was cracked and crumbling but it will serve as a good place for them at night. The inside was large with multiple rooms to turn into a camp. There was even a generator inside. Sadly, it didn't use magic but instead used fuel. The party will be using fire as a light source again. Herold, Belial, Butch, and Aisha speak with Alex before he starts heading to the village.

Alex: Okay, going to a village full of the undead. Sure, why not.

Aisha: Don't worry. The worst thing they can do is eat your brain.

Alex: But I need my brain.

Aisha: Really? Someone told me I didn't have one but I'm still okay. So you should be too.

Alex: Uhm, sure. Okay... So, uhm, what do I need to do again?

Herold: You need to look for clues that will lead us to the false world tree. Anything will do.

Belial: You may also find supplies if there are any.

Alex: Look for clues and supplies. Got it.

Herold: But I must warn you, the village also has Ghouls alongside the undead.

Alex: Ghouls? What are they?

Aisha: Moskov said they were like the undead but have a curse on them. They look like mummies to me.

Herold: I agree that they appear similar to that of mummies with their bodies wrapped in bandages. Some state that a ghoul is a desert-dwelling, shapeshifting demon that can assume the guise of an animal, especially a hyena. It lures unwary people into the desert wastes or abandoned places to slay and devour them. Although, they also possess a curse that they use to corrupt their prey and make it easier for them to devour. Be careful not to fight one. Your power is Angelic but you are still human. It can cause you to weaken.

Butch: I heard they are usually used as servants for Necromancers. Be careful of them too.

Alex: Okay, I will. I'll be going now. It's already noon, I want to come back before dark.

Herold: Take care, my love. We will begin preparing this place for the night.

Alex: I left my cauldron and herbs in the wagon. It'll help with the air and our sanity.

Alex starts walking along the obsidian road and sees the village. He walked about 30 minutes before finally reaching it. Once he was there he sees it was odd. The place was clean and the houses were not crumbling like the rest of the buildings in the forest. There was a fountain at the center. Alex walks closer to it. A stainless steel plate reads "The Fountain of Aqua Negra"

Alex: (Hmm, maybe this can be useful.)

Alex takes out an empty milk bottle and fills it with the black water. Even holding it up to the sunlight, it remained pure black. He places it inside his bag and continues to look for clues about the false tree.

Alex: (Okay, need to look for clues. Oddly, I haven't seen a single undead here.)

Alex first checked a building that looked like an item shop. Inside were fully stocked shelves.

Alex: (Odd, for a village of the undead, they certainly have good stock. Should I even take any of these? They look useful but suspicious. No, I shouldn't. This all feels too odd not to see it's a trap)

He leaves the shop and looks inside another building. None of the buildings in this village had doors nor did they have much of anything about the false world tree. The shops were stocked, the clinic had freshly changed beds, and some of the houses had burning fires but none had anyone in them.