Chapter 648
In Shaer’s eyes, the surrounding mist suddenly surged, and within the fog echoed the terrifying howls that had once pierced through her soul, nearly tearing it apart...
Yet for Shaer, these howls were more like “noise” than “pollution”...
On one hand, it was because when she ventured into the Old Days, her soul would endure a far more terrifying and profound darkness.
On the other hand... Shaer understood these wails and howls.
Let me out!!!
Please, don’t make me stay here... I beg you...
Mom... Wuwuwu...
The whispers of ancient tongues—Tonglingyu, Nostoyu—filled the air, and Shaer even caught a few phrases in the language of the Stars.
The strange figures struggling within the mist were the mad Ascenders of the Old Days.
They weren’t even behind the fog; perhaps they didn’t know where their distorted shadows had been cast from, crying out in frantic pleas to every soul that entered their realm.
These were the ones who had gone mad during their long wait.
“Haah...”
Shaer slowly exhaled, steadying her mind.
Indeed, once she could comprehend these “murmurs,” their impact on her became negligible.
She took a step forward, and this time, her feet felt as if they were planted on solid ground, rather than the squishy sensation of stepping on flesh and entrails.
She lifted her gaze and scanned her surroundings.
This place was somewhat familiar to Shaer; the node leading into the Otherworld was not far from the ancient castle, and it was also where the strong sounds had been directly silenced.
Moreover, Shaer had previously read the notes from the Church of the God of Order, which had explored the Otherworld for many years. She knew the reference points and how to proceed toward the castle.
Following the recorded reference markers, Shaer walked step by step forward, and soon, a somewhat hazy drawbridge appeared before her.
In the history of the Church of the God of Order, ninety-nine percent of the “Saints” and “Candidate Saints” had never made it this far.
Before long, Shaer’s presence, so out of place in the Otherworld, seemed to attract the attention of certain entities within the castle.
Click...
Click, click, click...
A sound of rapid footsteps, like steel striking the ground, echoed from behind the fog-shrouded drawbridge. Something was racing toward Shaer.
Clang, clang, clang...
The iron chains of the drawbridge shook violently as a terrifying creature, resembling a giant spider, climbed up the cables, hanging upside down. Dozens of crimson compound eyes glowed ominously through the mist...
Click, click...
Upon seeing Shaer, the creature paused for a moment, and in the next instant, it vanished from her sight, leaving only the swaying cables behind.
In the next second, a raspy voice appeared beside Shaer.
“Shaer... my lady...”
Shaer looked down to see a massive left hand, covered in hard steel, resting beside her, dozens of crimson compound eyes gazing at her eagerly.
Is this... Xiao Zuo?
Xiao Zuo had changed so much that Shaer didn’t recognize him at first.
When they first met, Xiao Zuo was only about the size of a human head, but now he stood taller than Shaer... it seemed she had watched him grow up.
Shaer reached out her right hand and gently patted the back of Xiao Zuo’s specially arched hand, then turned her gaze back toward the drawbridge and stepped forward.
The bridge was covered in what looked like mold, dotted with pulsating green brains, resembling clusters of broccoli with capillaries on their surfaces.
With no other path to take, Shaer pondered for a moment and tentatively stepped onto one of the brains.
Previously, when she had dug out a similar green brain from Windsor’s frontal lobe, it had been crushed to a damaged state just from being jostled in her pocket, losing its value.
However, this time, when she stepped down, the brain sank but didn’t shatter like a real brain; it felt more like stepping on a slightly deflated ball.
No wonder they were casually strewn across the path... they were quite durable.
But Xiao Zuo’s sharp fingers probably couldn’t traverse without damaging the brains, which was why he chose to walk on the chains instead.
Splash...
As Shaer crossed the bridge, Xiao Zuo climbed onto the cables, moving ahead to wait for her on the other side.
At that moment, another pure white figure emerged from the misty castle, standing beside Xiao Zuo.
“Lady Shaer?” The figure in white armor looked at Shaer, a hint of confusion in her voice.
She seemed surprised that Shaer had come directly here; at first, she thought it was just another human trying to steal something and was about to send Xiao Zuo to deal with it.
“Lei... where’s An Chong?” Shaer asked, looking up at the tall figure in armor, “Is she still here?”
“Yes.” The figure in white armor nodded slightly, grayish-white mist billowing from the seams of her helmet. “But she’s not in good condition... Are you here to find her?”
“No.” Shaer shook her head. “I’m here to find you.”
The figure in white armor paused for a moment, then stepped aside to make room, saying, “Let’s talk inside.”
Shaer nodded and followed the figure in white armor toward the castle. This was her first time entering the castle herself.
The exterior of the castle was like a garden, covered in green brains, but the interior was unexpectedly spacious, devoid of any furniture or decorations typical of a castle, resembling a massive stone structure.
However, one device inside caught Shaer’s attention.
It was a pair of half-spherical devices that, upon sensing a life form other than the figure in white armor entering the castle, released grayish-white steam from the seams.
The metal spheres slowly opened, revealing what was inside.
This is....
Lei Mei Dai Si?
Lei Mei Dai Si’s upper body was embedded in the upper half of the sphere, while her lower half was encased in the lower sphere.
When the spheres closed, this metal device would transform into something akin to a stasis pod, seemingly perfect for someone whose body had been severed in two to rest within.
At that moment, Lei Mei Dai Si glanced at Shaer with a blank expression, seemingly not recognizing her at all. After confirming there was no danger, she closed the sphere again.
It seemed she had even lost her memories of Shaer, likely due to the loss of part of her body in reality.
“This device was something I made out of boredom,” the figure in white armor remarked, watching the sphere close again. “I didn’t expect it to come in handy, and it fits perfectly...”
At this point, the figure in white armor fell silent, seemingly unsure why she had created such a thing. But there were many things she didn’t understand; throughout her long life, she had done many such things, most of which had effectively resolved the castle’s crises...
If there was any unexpected incident, it was definitely the recent near-miss with Xiao Zuo, as the exoskeleton on Xiao Zuo had indeed been made by her.
“You’ve left behind many memories,” Shaer said, looking at the figure in white armor.
“Rather than saying I’ve left behind many memories... it’s more accurate to say I might not have any memories at all.” The figure in white armor shook her head. “I have no recollection of my past as an Ascender... but I possess a jumble of inexplicable memories, as if they were implanted in me.”
“Then why do you want to see the Old Days?” Shaer asked.
She remembered the first time the figure in white armor expressed a desire to return to the past, her tone resolute yet tinged with a faint pain, as if there were unfinished business from the Old Days.
“I... want to go back and see who I really am,” the figure in white armor replied after a brief silence. “Every day here feels like it’s been predetermined. I can only rely on the faint traces in those implanted memories to piece together what kind of person I once was...”
“Have you pieced it together?” Shaer inquired.
“No,” the figure in white armor shook her head. “I only know it’s definitely filled with regrets.”
“Sometimes I wish I didn’t have those memories at all, to simply be a pure being born from the Otherworld. Perhaps I’d have fewer worries.”
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