Chapter 802: Act 152 – Beneath the Ice Layer
The magical light sphere illuminated the surroundings, casting a pale light that outlined the uneven contours of the ice surface, forming a concave ice cavity like an inverted bowl—small and quiet. In response to Brendel’s question, Kehua merely looked at him, smiling slightly, her gaze calm, neither arguing nor contradicting; on the other side, Anlek leaned silently against the ice wall, having knocked his forehead, and his wrinkled face was covered in blood, looking rather disheveled.
This made Brendel feel troubled. Was he really going to stab her? If the opponent were a fierce demon, it would be easy to do so without any psychological burden. But judging by her appearance, she was merely an innocent young girl. Although her existence might lead to a very bad future, causing many to lose their homes, friends, and family, that was merely a possibility. If the maiden were eager to argue, he might think she harbored ulterior motives, but Kehua was very intelligent; she remained silent, which instead made her look composed, leaving Brendel at a loss on how to proceed.
Brendel already had his sword in hand, but he ultimately sighed and lowered the heavy sword. He could not bring himself to kill someone over an unfounded possibility.
He was still too soft-hearted.
Brendel couldn’t help but shake his head. If Antinna saw him now, she would surely advise him privately that a person who wants to achieve great things cannot be too hesitant. However, he did not know that Antinna remained loyal to him precisely because of his softness, which set him apart from other nobles. After all, the aide was not made of stone and was merely afraid that he might be caught in the schemes of the cold-blooded nobles, resulting in his ruin.
A voice of disdain came from behind him.
Brendel turned around and caught sight of Anlek’s disheveled face, looking akin to a beggar, but his expression was filled with contempt, as if he looked down on Brendel’s mercy. Anger surged in Brendel’s heart. If he could do nothing to Kehua, could he do nothing to Anlek? You have blood on your hands—blood of the Erluin people. Ankle’s actions had thoroughly pushed him to the opposite side of civilization. In Erluin, under the Temple of Fire’s jurisdiction, merely colluding with demons was a grave crime, let alone summoning the demon army to the surface while stealing the Temple of Fire’s portal, nearly destroying the port of Ampere Seale, which housed hundreds of thousands. Any one of these actions would justify a thousand deaths.
Brendel coldly regarded the once-mighty Duke of Erluin.
Anlek also raised his gaze to look at him, his eyes moving beneath his long brow. He spoke a single sentence that immediately froze Brendel in place: “The Duskgazer Dragon?”
Brendel gasped, nearly unable to hold back a sword thrust that would pin this guy to the ice: “What did you say?”
“As far as I know, only one person can see through the mists of history,” Anlek replied slowly, “and that is the Duskgazer Dragon foretold by the witches.”
“Defeating someone ahead of history, I cannot claim that I was wronged,” he shut his eyelids as if he had resigned to fate.
This guy seems convinced that he is the Duskgazer Dragon, Brendel thought, speechless. He wondered if the snow witches of Burnoson had lost all sense of secrecy; it seemed that their prophecies were common knowledge. Didn’t they fear that the Temple of Fire might find and kill him, the successor of the Duskgazer Dragon, first?
But he soon realized that this line of thinking might be flawed. The Black Prophecy mentioned that the reappearing Duskgazer Dragon in Vaunte had all-seeing eyes and omniscience, capable of piercing through the mists of history. If that were the case, it was natural that the Temple of Fire would not kill him. And if the Duskgazer Dragon died, it would merely prove he wasn’t the true Duskgazer Dragon—this was a paradox. Brendel finally understood the power of those who wrote prophecies. It seemed both sides could be justified depending on how one interpreted it.
Just like Anlek at this moment, Brendel suddenly began to understand his thoughts. This proud duke was reluctant to admit defeat to a mortal, so he simply decided that Brendel was the Duskgazer Dragon. After all, that was the only way to make sense of his previous conversation with Kehua.
Of course, such stubborn speculation was nothing but a joke to the average person; it could be easily dismissed with a laugh. But for Brendel, it had a hint of truth, as he indeed bore the legacy of the Duskgazer Dragon. Although this was well hidden, if the Temple of Fire were to investigate, it might not remain undiscovered. Moreover, he exhibited that kind of judgment about the future, which could seemingly only be explained through rumors in the Black Prophecy, although he understood that it stemmed from his own time travel.
But the problem was, who would believe it?
Another thing puzzling Brendel was Anlek’s resigned demeanor. In his perception, this duke was certainly someone who would not back down until the last breath, not someone who would appear defeated after suffering a minor setback. To his knowledge, Duke Anlek had a lifetime of rich experiences; his path to this point had not been smooth. He had faced countless hardships, even losing his most beloved woman in the struggle for the title during his youth. Brendel had once doubted that this was what drove Anlek to madness and obsession, abandoning his noble title to become a cultist.
In any case, compared to these experiences, this defeat shouldn’t have been a huge setback for him. Who was he putting on this act for? There were only two of them here, and Kehua certainly couldn’t save him; if it was for Brendel’s sake, was he trying to retreat to advance?
Could it be that this duke truly thought Brendel was too soft-hearted to kill?
Brendel furrowed his brows; it was definitely not that simple. He couldn’t resist studying Anlek more closely, his gaze quickly honing in on Anlek’s hands, which bore no resemblance to a noble’s hands—rugged as if weathered by trials, matching better with his military background. However, that wasn’t the focus; the key detail lay in the ring on his index finger—a ring shaped like a serpent biting its tail.
The Ouroboros Ring.
So, this was the crux of it, Brendel thought, almost forgetting about it. This thing had brought him significant trouble when he first arrived in this world; he hadn’t forgotten its function—if he ‘accidentally’ killed Anlek here today, news that he was the Duskgazer Dragon would instantly reach the higher-ups of the Everything Returns Society. The Duskgazer Dragon was the mortal enemy of the four sages, but the saying that “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” didn’t universally apply. The relationship between the Duskgazer Dragon and the followers of Dusk was one of bitter enmity. The Everything Returns Society would definitely take pleasure in seeing him clash with the Temple of Fire.
Thinking of this, Brendel couldn’t help but break out in a cold sweat. So that’s what this guy had in mind; he placed the ring in plain sight to warn him.
“What is it?” Anlek asked when he saw Brendel’s change in expression. “Is it that the Duskgazer Dragon has grown soft enough to fear killing?”
“Not at all; I was just admiring your ring. How about this: you take off the ring for me, and I’ll give you a swift death, and I’ll reluctantly arrange for you to meet your master, the Duskgazer Dragon,” Brendel replied, somewhat irately.
Anlek chuckled, as if he’d finally recovered from his earlier pathetic state: “No need for such trouble; this is merely an ordinary ring, and there is no issue of magical dissolution. You can certainly kill me with a single sword stroke and take it for yourself.”
“Old fox!” Brendel cursed inwardly; this was a typical case of someone trying to play innocent after having taken advantage.
“You little sly one!” Anlek retorted, feeling fortunate to have Kehua, the eldest daughter of Echis, here to help him grasp the opponent’s weakness. Otherwise, in his current state, he might have been executed on the spot by Brendel. However, Brendel’s sharp reaction greatly surprised him. Initially, he thought he’d have to personally threaten the other, but he hadn’t expected that Brendel would understand the situation merely by glancing at his ring. This not only required intelligence but also a deep understanding of the internal structure of the Everything Returns Society.
Where did such a monster come from? Anlek couldn’t help but wonder.
Anlek naturally couldn’t be killed now; as long as he was in Brendel’s hands, he would certainly not dare to reveal secrets easily, otherwise, his only lifeline would be gone. Brendel already knew that this Duke Anlek absolutely didn’t want to die so easily; had he not seen the Ouroboros Ring earlier, Anlek would likely have reminded him of it or directly threatened him. His goal was to survive, not to disclose who the Duskgazer Dragon was.
Now both of them held knowledge of each other’s weaknesses and thoughts; for the time being, they warily reached a sort of balance, though unspoken, it was mutual understanding.
Brendel simply chose to ignore the old man Anlek; after all, there were still empty spots in the dungeon of Fir Castle, and once they reached his territory, he would certainly find a way to render that ring ineffective. As for what Anlek was pondering, he didn’t care to know either; after all, Anlek believed that the Duskgazer Dragon was his greatest bargaining chip. In reality, however, Brendel’s trump cards were far more than that. Since Anlek was willing to walk this dark path, he might as well play along.
Both harboring ulterior motives, Brendel turned back to look at Kehua, who lay on the ground, watching the scene with great interest. Brendel asked, “What do you want me to do with you, Miss Kehua, the Princess of the Duskmire clan?”
“No need to call me so,” Kehua smiled slightly and replied wisely, “Since you did not kill this gentleman, you won’t kill me before he dies, right?”
Brendel sighed; he had been seen through again. Wasn’t it said that those with great busts often lacked brains? Why was Kehua the exception? Was it because the physiology of the Duskmire wolves differed from that of humans? He couldn’t help but glance at her; the young girl lay quietly on the ice, wearing a thin robe but showing no signs of being cold, her chest gently rising and falling with her breath. If one disregarded her identity, this eldest daughter of Echis resembled a goddess, at least her figure was flawless. Neither could loose black robes hide her graceful curves, even true goddesses would be envious.
As he stared at her, Brendel suddenly recalled the touch from earlier and, his mind heating up, hurriedly pressed his nose down, fearing he would embarrass himself.
Kehua let out a chuckle, showing a hint of her youthful spirit, seemingly unconcerned.
Since no problems could be resolved here, Brendel had to figure out where they were. He only remembered the scene when he fell from the spiral hall. But what lay beneath the abyss, no one knew. It seemed that players in the game had once gone down, but the depths were filled with crisscrossing ice glaciers, which were everywhere in the center of the Death Frost Forest. Nobody had the leisure to wander through these large and small glaciers.
It appeared that he was currently situated among these glaciers.
These ancient ancient ice fissures varied in size; the larger ones could stretch across miles, while smaller ones were akin to the ice cavity he was currently in.
“Can I borrow your magic for a moment?” Brendel asked as he turned back to Kehua.
Kehua nodded, and the light sphere quickly flew to his shoulder.
Brendel searched the ice walls for a while; the elongated ice cavity extended for dozens of meters, made of azure ice. Sometimes, the ice reflected light, making the entire cave appear surreal. However, after circling around, he found no way out; the whole ice cavity was completely enclosed, not a single route above them. After confirming multiple times, he finally gave up, feeling a bit dispirited as he returned to his original spot, puzzled. Was this place a closed-off space, and how had they fallen in here? Or was it buried due to an avalanche triggered by the collapse of the spiral hall?
If it were the second possibility, the problem would be significant; he distinctly remembered it was half a mountainside. Who knew how thick that collapse would be?
And how much air was still in this ice cavity remained uncertain.
Kehua watched him return and softly asked, “Are you looking for a way out, human sir?”
Brendel suddenly looked up at the eldest daughter of Echis and asked, “Do you know where this is?”
Kehua nodded: “This should be beneath the Spiral Hall, the Eternal Slumber of the Gods.”
“The Eternal Slumber of the Gods?” Brendel mulled over this term, suddenly realizing: “This is where Sulash sleeps?”
“Sulash?”
“I mean the God Who Awakens,” Brendel replied.
Kehua nodded again.
“So, it’s here,” Brendel understood as he looked at Kehua. “You seem to be quite knowledgeable?”
“I have always been very aware, human sir,” Kehua answered. “In fact, the God Who Awakens is Milius. Although we fell into eternal slumber after that battle, it’s merely a saying. Just as I can awaken, Lord Milius can as well.”
“That’s not right,” Brendel said, somewhat confused. “Shouldn’t Milius be on our side? Then what’s the meaning of going through such great lengths to resurrect him?”
“Foolishness.” Anlek’s voice interjected.
Brendel glanced back at him, realizing there must be some intrigue behind this, but he did not expect this duke to voluntarily reveal it, so he turned his attention back to Kehua. Kehua grinned mischievously: “The rebirth of deities on this earth after the age of mortals is indeed not good news for you. Moreover, the key is that currently, it is my other side controlling Milius.”
Brendel furrowed his brows; he knew all this, but he felt there was still something she was hiding: “There’s an issue here. If I remember correctly, Milius is merely a deity of frost giants, but his standing is not beneath that of your mother. And this is said to be his territory; your other soul should not take over, even if Milius has just awakened. Not to mention, Miss Kehua, that is just half of your soul.”
“Under normal circumstances, that would indeed be the case,” Kehua answered, “but Lord Milius’s consciousness is not within his body.”
“What!” Brendel exclaimed in surprise. “You mean the God of Giants has merely awakened his body?”
Kehua nodded.
This was serious; didn’t this mean that what was called Sulash and Kehua’s dark side were actually very similar? An embittered Duskmire descendant controlling the true body of a god was not a trifling matter. If Milius’s body merely possessed its inherent powers, that would be fine, but if it also came with the functions and domains of a deity, it would be trouble. However, Brendel felt that since it was the boss of the Temple of Winter Sleep, the difficulty probably wouldn’t be too outrageous. Of course, this could only be a hopeful wish; after all, history had already changed, and this was not a game—who knew what would happen?
“I remember you referred to your other side as your sister?” Brendel suddenly felt a twinge of fear and said, “Your sister doesn’t seem to have a very good temperament.”
Kehua looked at him awkwardly: “Human sir…”
Brendel certainly understood why Kehua would feel awkward because here, he was probably the most familiar with the ‘sisters’ of the duality.
The kind Kehua was a thorough pacifist; it was said on the forum that her greatest wish was to become a horticulturist. Of course, this strange statement had no idea where it came from, but it had a degree of credibility. In contrast, Kehua’s ‘sister’ was a true war fanatic, her dark side being the reason for this boss’s existence, hellbent on resurrecting the Duskgazer Dragon—a view that coincided perfectly with Anlek’s.
Yet the dark side of Kehua occasionally had good moods; perhaps she wouldn’t seem so manic, such as when she first appeared in the hall. But such things were too ethereal; Brendel didn’t dare gamble with such matters. He looked around the sealed space; their primary task now was to find a way out, and the only way to do that would likely be to dig their way through. He could only hope the ice above them wasn’t too thick or that they’d be lucky enough to break into an ice crevice. Due to the uncertainty of how much air remained in this ice cavity, he had no choice but to act quickly.
But this matter clearly couldn’t be completed by him alone.
He glanced back at Anlek and Kehua, asking, “Do you two not want to die here together?”
……
PS: Seeking votes!
