Chapter 774: Act 127 – Awakening
“What’s making you smile?” Brendel showed confusion towards the other party’s attitude.
The Frost Knight King’s eyes burned with a gray-white flame, and a subtle smile cracked on his pale face: “You can rest assured, I had no intention of reclaiming the legacy of the Duskgazer Dragon. You have passed the test perfectly.”
“Passed perfectly?”
“Although your performance in the previous battle was so poor that it was astonishing, your judgment was extraordinary. This shows you have a mind for combat, which is more important than anything else. Moreover, you have the potential to become a traveling mage. Although you are still just an apprentice, I can see that you have already found your own path, and becoming strong is merely a matter of time for you.”
“As for my question, you have answered it. Young man, you only made one mistake: Odin is searching not for the Duskgazer Dragon, but for someone who can bear this responsibility. And my duty is to show you the future of Vaunte.”
“The future of Vaunte is that endless war you speak of? Are you saying that the Crystal Mass is a latent enemy of our world, perhaps even having served the Duskgazer Dragon in the past?”
“I don’t know; that is Odin’s intent. But at least I know that the growth of our world’s civilization has not been smooth. The ever-present cultists, the Black Forest, and the monsters are eroding the borders of the civilized world. This war has never ended.”
“I know that even without you saying it; no one will sit back and await death. This world’s enemies are not solely the Crystal Mass; even without them, we must still face the tides of magic. The Twelve Moons have never shone kindly upon Vaunte, and we still have werewolves and cultists to deal with.”
Sibers chuckled softly, offering no further explanations: “Since you’ve come to terms with this, please accept the gift from the ancient bloodline.” He pointed to his pale chest, covered in patterns, where a heart burning with fierce flames thudded beneath decaying skin: “The second legacy of the Duskgazer Dragon, the precious knowledge from the Crystal Dragon, is right here. Raise your sword and stab me.”
“…This.” Brendel stared at him in shock.
“What are you dazed about? I will not sit idle,” Sibers raised the Frostblade in his hand. “The treasure is right here on me; if you want it, take it with your sword.”
“Damn.”
…
Inside the ice cave, it was somewhat quiet. Someone had finished recounting the earlier events. In his hand rested the bright blade of the Frost Songstress Xina, lying across the thick ice formed over millennia, resembling a cold pond.
Brendel stared at his left hand; to outsiders, it appeared covered with a layer of dragon-scale-shaped metal gloves—blessings from the Dragon God—but beneath the armor, the skin on the back of his hand was burnt, with charred and ugly wounds radiating outwards. At the center of the twisted injuries glowed a heavy black gem that burned with a fiery brightness like amber.
That was the second legacy of the Duskgazer Dragon.
The Gray Saint, Alorze, remained silent for a long time, as if still savoring the war described by Sibers. Everyone pondered why that Minren lord appeared here and why he particularly drew the Earl of Toniger into the Abyssal Plain. Naturally, Brendel did not mention the legacy of the Duskgazer Dragon. Still, the “future” that Sibers presented was enough to capture others’ attention.
A voice suddenly broke the silence.
“How can we be certain that what he showed you is real?” It was Prince Rainwright Aurelius who spoke, his expression indifferent to trust or skepticism, suggesting a desire to control the topic.
“He never intended for us to believe it’s real, Your Highness. He simply showed it to us, and whether we believe it or not doesn’t harm him in the slightest. After all, this is Sibers. I’ve heard legends about him from my father since I was very young. The King of the Frost Knights—a person like that certainly has no need to trick us… Not to mention, he died long before the War of Saints ended.” Veronika denied Rainwright’s inquiry. Even Prince Cruz did not dare to casually question the judgment of his tutor. The female legion commander’s demeanor was calm as she sheathed her longsword. Her voice echoed faintly in the cold, sealed underground as she looked towards Brendel, who was sitting on a snow-covered rock, and made a joke: “—Don’t you feel cold?”
Brendel did feel cold, but he was exhausted beyond measure. “Milady Commander, I’m too tired to joke.” He rolled his eyes.
“Battling such a presence is bound to be exhausting, Mister Brendel,” Shi Do quickly offered her sympathetic comfort.
“Yes, not being utterly defeated is indeed something to be proud of. But I want to hear your opinion, Brendel. Why did Sibers bring you into the Abyssal Plain? I doubt he merely wanted to show you a painting of war. Or rather, why did he do this?”
“That question is too difficult; can we change it?” “I’m afraid not.” Brendel wanted to brush it off, but the lady’s steady gaze made him realize—he had better find a plausible reason today, or he wouldn’t convince her.
This azure-clad commander had already proved her exceptional sharpness within the Loop of Trade Winds, and her asking him so leisurely wasn’t because she had truly lost her judgment.
“Fine…”
“I think he is trying to warn us.”
“Warn us?”
“What is civilization’s greatest enemy? It is the cultists, the Black Forest, the monsters, the world beyond the mist. All beings that worship Martha are engaged in a prolonged war with the monsters. This war has neither begun nor can anyone say when it will end. It seems like this story was crafted from the beginning, but has anyone ever questioned why this is the case?”
“That is what scholars should explore. Our scholars have already unearthed many ancient tablets and documents. One day, we will figure out how to end this war and stop the dusk from eroding our civilization. But that’s not… not… this…”“Our scholars are still studying the literature of the Minren, but the Minren themselves surely know more than we do, don’t they? After the Duskgazer Dragon was defeated by the Knight of Azure, what truly happened to the world? They know better than we do,” Brendel retorted. For this question, Veronika could only silently nod.
“But why would he warn us? History tells us they are our enemies, that we defeated the Duskgazer Dragon and single-handedly ended the Minren’s rule.” The scholarly lady asked, somewhat puzzled.
“Perhaps that is the reason Sibers came here; at the most critical moment of the War of Saints, he left the Duskgazer Dragon. If this isn’t the most severe betrayal, then surely there are other hidden reasons.”
That hidden reason seemed to pertain to preserving the legacy of the Duskgazer Dragon, but that wasn’t what Brendel intended to discuss. Otherwise, Veronika wouldn’t need to worry, and even his tutor Mephistopheles would personally drag him back to the Golden Flame Sanctuary of Cruz to undergo the highest level of interrogation before the sacred statue of the Flame King Gilt.
Whether human or elven, despite their endless battles, none had ever forgotten the War of Saints that ended seven centuries ago. The terror of the Duskgazer Dragon loomed over a thousand years of history like a dark cloud; Saint Ausoor might have forgiven, but that doesn’t mean everyone else could.
Otherwise, why would the Wind Elves and the Crusian people monitor the borders of the Great Glacial continuously?
Fortunately, Brendel had formulated a notion in his mind long ago. “In terms of combating monsters, the Minren have a longer history than we do. The Duskgazer Dragon was killed by the Knight of Azure himself; thus, they must hold many secrets we are unaware of. Let’s not forget that this place is the Breath of Milos, the final resting place of that Frost Giant King.”
“In myth, he fought with packs of wolves and ultimately perished here. But is there only the remains of that Giant Father? That might not be the case. The bones we saw earlier and that mercury-like enemy already indicate a lot.”
“You mean Sibers left Odin during the most critical moment of the War of Saints, likely concerning the war between civilization and dusk? The tyrant sensing his impending death sent his capable subordinates to arrange for his posthumous affairs?”
Brendel looked up, discovering it was Prince Rainwright Aurelius who spoke those words, unable to suppress his delight. The credibility of this statement was much higher coming from him than if Brendel had said it himself. He had originally thought he would need to guide the scholarly lady to draw her own conclusions, but unexpectedly, this firstborn of Cruz was much more perceptive than he had imagined.
This was a pleasant surprise—if the other party were not a prince but the imperial princess, he would have felt like embracing her and giving her a fierce kiss on the cheek.
“The Duskgazer Dragon, could he be so benevolent?” the Gray Saint lightly replied.
“It’s possible, Sword Saint. The academic community has long speculated that Odin may have predicted his own demise. In fact, the Minren and the witches began to flee well before the fall of the empire. The Minren and the witches were unwaveringly loyal to the Duskgazer Dragon; if that weren’t the case, they wouldn’t have abandoned that tyrant. This is not without reason; the laws of nature are clear. The Minren’s tyrannical rule has already sown the seeds for the empire’s fall—the justice of history cannot be opposed. With Odin’s wisdom, he likely already saw their inevitable end—” Shi Do explained softly.
“Humph, Odin is the Duskgazer Dragon, but he also worships Martha. Monsters and cultists are not our only enemies.” Prince Rainwright clearly showed his displeasure at Mephistopheles’ doubts.
“So what kind of secrets lies hidden here?” Veronika furrowed her brows.
“I suspect that this is exactly what Sibers wanted to warn us about. I suspect there might be something sealed here; otherwise, why would Anlek be so determined to come here? ‘The Heart of the Dragon’ they have already obtained; they have no need to play hide-and-seek with us here.” Upon finishing this statement, Brendel’s expression suddenly changed, and he stood upright. He had originally wanted to find a plausible excuse, but now he suddenly felt that this might not be the possibility of the truth.
Just as he said, why were Anlek and the others so intent on entering the Breath of Milos? They were not a group of ordinary people; they were cultists, precisely the enemies Sibers mentioned.
Moreover, why would the legacy of the Duskgazer Dragon be placed anywhere else but in this remote location? The more Brendel thought about it, the more it seemed plausible. The image of his strange dream resurfaced in his mind—why did those fleeing Minren guard this place day after day?
“Uh-oh, haven’t we always felt something watching us from behind?” He turned back, looking serious as he addressed everyone.
“What is it?” Alorze narrowed her golden eyes and finally spoke. She was not interested in Sibers but had always been curious about this matter.
But instead of answering her directly, Brendel said, “I think I know what Anlek and the others are trying to do.”
“Brendel, did you guess something?” Veronika asked.
Brendel nodded: “You are in good shape. If I’m not mistaken, the Everything Returns Society intends to awaken that thing.”
“That thing?”
Yes, that thing.
That hidden BOSS that was said to have never appeared in the Frost Forest.
The God of Awakening, Sulash—
…(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets; your support is my greatest motivation.)
