Chapter 106: The End of the Road(4)
This was a nightmare, one that had shattered Queen Arachne’s dreams of conquering Solor, and had left her trapped in her beast form for centuries.
And what was worse, she now suffered from a severe aftereffect. If she fell into a deep sleep, she would be plunged back into that same, recurring nightmare—a nightmare not of Bai’s making, but of her own deep-seated terror.
And so, she had been forced to sever most of her memories, and had hidden herself away in the Crimson Nest, her life sustained by the power of the Bloodlust Spider’s corpse, until she had met the little fox again.
But no matter what, Bai had achieved her goal. The Queen had told her where the corpse was, had not lied, had not tried to trick her.
Because that memory was a terror she dared not touch.
Now, all she wanted was for the little fox to leave her alone. She would pay any price, just to avoid another nightmare.
Bai, having no interest in tormenting her, had left as soon as she had gotten the information she needed.
“I didn’t expect it to be here… no, I should have.”
She looked up at the small hill before her, the aura of death so thick it was almost palpable. Even the most resilient weeds couldn’t grow here.
This was the Wild God Altar, or rather, what would soon be called the Wild God Altar.
The Queen hadn’t hidden the corpse. This was where the Bloodlust Spider had fallen, and it had never been moved.
But with her current strength, she couldn’t have hidden it anyway. She had only been able to use a few secret techniques to conceal its presence.
“A mid-level World Ender. In the Promised Land, she would have been a powerful ruler.”
The Wild God had only recently died, and from its lingering aura, Bai could easily gauge its former strength.
She walked forward, and, raising her hand, a magic circle formed.
Her nine tails floated up, and one of them glowed, a strange light enveloping the hill.
And in that instant, the gray, desolate landscape was filled with a thousand brilliant colors, then, a moment later, plunged into an endless darkness.
—Dream Ability Number Three, “Dream Sending,” and Number Five, “Real Dream.”
The Bloodlust Spider’s body was dead, but its soul, its consciousness, was still dormant, not completely gone.
That was why it had been able to influence the Queen, to turn her into a vessel for its own survival.
And now, Bai was using her Dream Fox abilities to forcibly awaken that dormant consciousness, to speak with it directly.
“…Who… disturbs…”
After what seemed like an eternity, the hill trembled violently, and a massive, grotesque spider body emerged from the earth.
A single, massive eye opened, its gaze falling on Bai.
“Dream… fox… or…”
“Illusion…”
As if seeing something shocking, the deep, ancient voice was filled with a strange terror, and the eye itself trembled.
“It seems the Dream Fox and the Illusion Fox’s reputation in the Promised Land… wasn’t very good,” Bai thought, looking at the Wild God’s reaction, and remembering the fragmented texts she had read. “Oh well. As long as we can communicate.”
“Answer my questions, and that will be all.”
She looked up at the trembling eye, her voice calm.
“Is… dream…”
Hearing her strange, comical accent, the Wild God seemed even more terrified. It seemed the Dream Fox’s reputation was even worse than the Illusion Fox’s.
And in a way, it was true. The Dream Foxes were known for their pranks, for their tendency to wander into other people’s dreams. The Illusion Foxes, on the other hand, were more… reclusive, content to remain in their own illusions.
“First, what is the current state of the Promised Land? Second, how did you get to Solor? Third, how do I get to the Promised Land?”
Bai, ignoring its fear, asked her questions, then waited patiently.
This was a dream, a space she had created, and time here was slowed. She had all the time in the world.
And the Wild God was not Queen Arachne. It knew the terror of the Dream Foxes.
Realizing it was trapped in a dream, it quickly surrendered.
“Promised Land… God… destruction…”
“Speak clearly. Don’t rush,” Bai said kindly, but the Wild God just let out a heavy, shuddering breath, as if trying to compose itself.
Its consciousness, forcibly awakened from a long slumber, was still groggy, confused.
A moment later, it spoke again, its voice clearer now.
“God has descended upon the Promised Land… a burning rage, a destroyed earth, a shattered void…”
Perhaps because of the language barrier, Bai could only understand a fragmented, chaotic version of its story.
But even so, she had learned enough.
“It seems to be in the initial stages of the Divine Advent. It hasn’t yet completely become the Place of Divine Advent.”
“I… Divine Advent… escaped early… died in the void… an accidental fall…”
The Wild God’s voice echoed again. It had fled the Promised Land just as the destruction had begun, but had perished in the void, its fall to Solor an accident.
But that accident had brought a great deal of disaster, and change, to Solor.
Including the arrival of the main branches of the elves and fairies, who had likely followed its aura through the void.
And the situation in the Abyss, with Shaya’s appearance, and their subsequent summoning of the “Abyssal Lord,” who had brought the “Day of Divine Advent,” was also likely a result of this.
Whether the “Abyssal Lord” had ever truly existed was now a mystery, but one thing was certain: God was not the Abyssal Lord. The ancient demons had never intended to summon “her.”
“And the last question?” Bai asked, her gaze fixed on the Wild God.
The last, and most important, question.
