Chapter 80
The fact that at least one demigod-level being could cast a curse on this person indicates that their identity is anything but ordinary...
“Then why were you cursed?” Ye Bai pressed on.
“I don’t know.” The shadow seemed to sense Ye Bai’s curiosity and politely explained, “I apologize; I didn’t mean to conceal anything. It’s just that my entire existence has been erased, including my name.”
Ye Bai was taken aback... To have one’s entire existence wiped out—what kind of deep-seated hatred could lead to such a curse?
“What’s your situation now?”
A figure carved from stone was undeniably strange, far more bizarre than any undead creature.
The shadow replied, “The curse has trapped me here, forcing me to exist only within this written medium. Only those who can understand these words can see me. I was unable to communicate with anyone until recently, but I didn’t expect you to learn the Dragon Language so quickly, so I took the liberty of approaching you.”
Ye Bai couldn’t help but be astonished. “So if I hadn’t learned the Dragon Language, I wouldn’t be able to hear you?”
“Yes,” the shadow nodded. “Many beings have come here over the years, but I’ve been unable to communicate with them.”
Such a situation was truly rare...
This was the first time Ye Bai had encountered something so peculiar, and her curiosity about this shadow trapped in words sparked a series of questions. “So you can only remain trapped in this stone? And you mentioned ‘Aotofisi,’ right? What does that mean?”
“Not entirely.” After saying this, the shadow’s carving seemed to ‘move’ to one side of the white stone, and Ye Bai saw the figure make a leaping motion.
In the next moment, to Ye Bai’s astonishment, the carved shadow appeared on another white stone nearby.
“I can move between written mediums within a certain distance.” After demonstrating this, the shadow continued, “As for ‘Aotofisi,’ it means ‘swift’ in Dragon Language. I noticed you seemed troubled about naming, so I took the liberty of suggesting it.”
“I meant to convey that I meant no harm, but I didn’t expect to frighten you. I’m truly sorry.” The shadow once again apologized politely.
“No need to be so formal.” With such a courteous demeanor, Ye Bai gradually relaxed her tense emotions.
For now, it seemed that the shadow was a ‘two-dimensional’ being in a physical sense, unable to escape the stone and pose any threat to her, a three-dimensional person.
Of course, just because she was no longer tense didn’t mean she was no longer cautious of this strange figure.
“May I sit over there?” the shadow asked, pointing to the stone closest to the campfire.
Ye Bai raised an eyebrow and nodded, “Feel free.”
The shadow leaped once more, landing on the white stone nearest the campfire.
Ye Bai sat across from him, facing the fire.
As the shadow moved, Ye Bai paid special attention to the donkey. From its perspective, it should have noticed the movement of the stone wall, but its eyelids drooped lazily; it merely glanced over and showed no special reaction.
This donkey was unusual. Ye Bai felt a certain affinity towards it, and seeing its lack of reaction to the shadow made her feel a bit more at ease.
The flames of the campfire flickered, and after a brief silence, both spoke at the same time.
The shadow: “Actually, I…”
Ye Bai: “I’d like to ask…”
They both paused, and seeing that Ye Bai wasn’t speaking, the shadow maintained its polite demeanor: “Please, go ahead.”
Ye Bai smiled slightly, successfully interrupting the spellcasting!
From the moment the shadow approached to communicate, Ye Bai sensed the scent of a quest.
But she knew all too well that quests in the divine realm weren’t so easily accepted. This shadow’s strange curse likely stemmed from at least one demigod-level being, a character above level eighty. If it involved deities, it could be a level 100 boss.
If she accepted the quest, who knew when she would be able to complete it?
Even though she had arrived in the divine realm, Ye Bai was well aware of her own strength.
In the divine realm, survival was the name of the game.
So, just as this mysterious NPC was about to reveal a quest, Ye Bai cut in without hesitation, taking the initiative to ask, “I’m looking for the weaving tribe’s fabric. Do you have any clues?”
This NPC, burdened by a curse and with a mysterious background, likely had more game information than lower-tier NPCs. Perhaps she could extract some information about the divine realm from him.
Besides, even if she didn’t get anything, it was worth asking since he was the only being she could communicate with at the moment.
The shadow was momentarily taken aback, then pondered for a moment before saying, “As for the weaving tribe’s fabric, I do know of some nearby. It’s the most sought-after material on land. I know that to the south, there are some dragon kin who might wear clothing made from this material, but they have since become undead, guarding the treasure trove of ancient dragons.”
After a pause, he added, “If you’re interested in this treasure trove…”
“I’m not.”
Ye Bai interrupted again!
What a joke—was the dragon’s treasure trove something she could approach at her current level?
This NPC was acting suspiciously! Ye Bai’s instincts kicked in; she detected a familiar scent in his words—it was the smell of empty promises.
As a master of empty promises herself, Ye Bai wouldn’t fall for such tricks!
If she had hesitated even a moment longer, a quest about the ‘dragon’s treasure trove’ would have surely popped up.
“Wait…” Ye Bai suddenly snapped back to reality, looking at the shadow. “The dragon’s treasure trove? Why is it guarded by dragon kin? You said they… are undead?”
The dragon kin were numerous, formed from the bloodlines of ancient dragons and their worshippers, living beneath the Sky City. They couldn’t even ascend to the Sky City, so how could they possibly qualify to guard the dragon’s treasure trove? And now they had become undead?
The next moment, the shadow’s words left Ye Bai stunned:
“You didn’t know? The ancient dragon race has been extinguished.”
The ancient dragons... extinguished?!
When she saw the dragon tomb drop, Ye Bai had considered that the ancient dragon race might have faced a catastrophic event leading to their migration, at the very least leaving behind some bloodlines. But she had never imagined that the outcome was complete extinction.
This was one of the top races in the divine realm’s background setting, and in terms of individual power, no one could surpass the ancient dragons!
So what had the divine realm evolved into now?
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Chapter 57
If the ancient dragons could be extinguished, what was the state of the divine realm now?
“Ah!”
The donkey’s bray pulled Ye Bai back from her whirlwind of thoughts.
Both she and the shadow turned to look at the donkey, which strutted over like a lord and nudged its head toward Ye Bai.
Ye Bai had grown accustomed to this and skillfully pulled a piece of bread from her backpack, offering it to the donkey.
“Chomp, chomp.” The donkey devoured it in two bites, satisfied, and wagged its tail, giving Ye Bai an appreciative look.
Ye Bai instinctively nodded in acknowledgment but then paused, suddenly regarding the donkey with a suspicious gaze—
Was this donkey trying to manipulate her?
“…” Meeting the donkey’s innocent eyes, Ye Bai withdrew her gaze and turned back to the shadow.
The donkey’s interruption reminded Ye Bai of the main topic, and she pressed on, “How could the ancient dragons be extinguished?”
“I don’t know the full details,” the shadow replied, its tone speculative. “However... the Sky City shattered, and much of it fell. It must have been a brutal war.”
“Ah, ah.” The donkey lazily brayed twice, as if agreeing with the shadow’s words.
“War? Who could have extinguished them…” Ye Bai furrowed her brow, her words trailing off: “The deities?”
The powerful among the ancient dragons could exceed level 100, reaching the divine level. Coupled with the dragons’ characteristics, they were among the strongest in the divine realm. Unless another being of level 100 or above intervened, Ye Bai couldn’t think of anyone capable of shattering the divine court.
“Oh? You’re familiar with the deities?” The shadow’s tone rose, and it asked Ye Bai in return.
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