10~ Fall
Who’s calling me?
Where am I going?
Just now, what was I supposed to do again?
I can’t remember.
Wenfu walked with her head down, her eyes clouded and unfocused, one foot lifting higher than the other as she aimlessly wandered across the unfamiliar land.
She didn’t know where she was going or why, just moving unconsciously in response to some primal call, even her usually proud tail dragging low behind her, like a hunting leopard. Her fluffy ears drooped pitifully, utterly devoid of spirit.
Her footprints marked the wilderness, only to be quickly erased by swirling dust and sand, leaving no trace behind.
Lost in a haze, she moved purely on instinct, vaguely aware of her own movement but with no recollection of where she had been or what she had been doing.
As the sun set, casting a crimson glow, a massive shadow rose in the wilds, blotting out the light and casting an even gloomier atmosphere over the darkening landscape.
After who-knows-how-long of walking, Wenfu stopped, standing as if soulless.
All around came wails and cries, yet Wenfu paid them no mind. Around her were also many tall, strange figures, moving strangely, their eyes vacant as they passed her by without noticing her presence, as if the demi-human among them were invisible.
A slight rustling sound was barely perceptible as someone hid behind a rocky outcrop, stunned at the sight within the ruins.
“What’s Miss Wenfu doing?” Aistride was silent for a moment, watching Wenfu’s bent figure swaying in front of the broken stone walls with surprise.
“I’m not sure, but Wenfu doesn’t seem to be in any immediate danger,” Dillin slightly restrained Princess Filisia who wanted to move forward.
“The orcs around her are also behaving oddly, showing none of the hostility the Demon Race normally displays towards the Light Race,” Dillin analyzed as he watched the orcs moving aimlessly around Wenfu.
“Don’t act rashly yet, Wenfu should be safe for now,” said Dillin, who’d been following since the first footprints, activating the Divine Analysis Technique and noticing a brain-shaped icon hovering over the heads of both Wenfu and the orcs.
What does this mean? Have they lost their autonomy? Are they mentally deranged?
But why is it just Wenfu who’s in this state?
A thought flashed across Dillin’s mind, reminded of a tale he’d read in a book before setting out: several demi-humans had mysteriously disappeared after venturing into Coleman Forest, never to be found again.
Could that explain this?
Dillin looked toward the ruins in front of Wenfu, clearly the remains of some ancient structure, with only a few pillars and base sections as evidence, the original appearance entirely undecipherable. It was certainly not something orcs could have constructed with their crude building skills.
Could it be an old ruin of the Light Race? But why would it have a mind-controlling restriction like this?
Aistride and Princess Filisia both turned their gaze toward Dillin, expecting the ‘Chosen One’ to figure out what was happening since they could only stand by and watch.
“I’m still not entirely sure what’s happened yet. We need a closer examination,” Dillin frowned slightly, sensing something off about the building. Under the Divine Analysis Technique, a faint layer of light surrounded the ruins, emanating outward from the center.
Princess Filisia and Aistride exchanged a glance, taking on the responsibility of protecting Dillin’s safety.
Creeping forward, the three of them left their hiding spot behind the rocks and cautiously approached the ruins, cautious not to startle the aimless orcs moving there.
As they got closer, the effect grew clearer – indeed, a thin purple light enveloped the ruin, and as Dillin tried to delve deeper into its source with his Divine Analysis Technique, his eyes suddenly filled with blinding white light. This intense flash burned his corneas so badly that he screamed in agony, feeling as though fire ants were gnawing on his retinas, leaving him temporarily blinded.
Taken aback by this abrupt change, Dillin broke out in a cold sweat, falling and rolling around on the ground.
This sudden movement alarmed both Aistride and Princess Filisia, with the former pulling Dillin back and the latter brandishing her heavy sword protectively in front of them, ready for swift retreat.
“Dillin! Dillin?!”
“My eyes… Are my eyes still there?” His world went black before gradually regaining sight. Dillin touched his eyes, his head resting on Aistride’s sleek black thighs while cold sweat drenched his back.
“Your eyes?…” Aistride paused, guessing what might have happened.
Feeling the softness of black silk under his head, Dillin quickly adjusted his posture, looking thoughtfully at the ancient temple ruins before him.
“Filisia, don’t be on guard anymore. We’re likely safe now, probably.”
“Before, I used the Divine Analysis Technique to analyze the atmosphere around these ruins and experienced backlash.”
Seeing Filisia’s puzzled look, Dillin explained with a grave expression: Yes, Divine Analysis Technique can backfire if the subject’s rank exceeds the technique’s own rank. Depending on the difference, it can result in mere failure or even harmful backlash, as seen earlier.
He’d read about this in the “Divine Analysis Technique Guide” during post-competition research. This also explained why most Divine Sons during the Crown Cup couldn’t perform Divine Analysis on themselves. The bloodline of the Gold Elf King is simply beyond lower-tier Divine Analysis, but with a sufficiently high level, even Gold Elves can be fully analyzed.
Who’d have thought… What goes around comes around. It used to be Dillin ‘blinding’ others, and now it’s his turn.
But still…
Dillin couldn’t help but feel puzzled. The Divine Analysis Technique had been upgraded to Epic level by the Gold Cup butterfly, so what could exceed this, causing blindness and backlash?
Taking a bold step, Dillin walked towards the ruins.
Fear stems from the unknown. Once the unknowns become known, fear naturally dissipates.
“Relax, even just standing near it is fine,” Dillin reassured the hesitating pair behind.
Whatever can counter an Epic Divine Analysis Technique, Dillin doubted these orcs could resist. Though he didn’t know who cast the spell or if it was Divine Authority or magic, one thing was certain: These orcs currently posed no threat to them.
Aistride and Princess Filisia glanced at each other, then followed Dillin’s confident strides.
Sure enough, as Dillin had said, when they stepped onto the ruins, the orcs continued to wander around aimlessly, their lifeless eyes showing no acknowledgment of their presence at all.
“Wenfu? Wenfu?” Aistride scooped up the vacant-eyed Wenfu into her arms, gently rocking her. There was no response.
Seeing this, both women instinctively looked to Dillin, deeming him the brains of their operation. What next was up to his judgment.
“I can’t release Wenfu from her current condition,” Dillin shook his head. “But it’s fine. The influence of whatever’s around here has a limited impact radius. If we bring Wenfu back, she’ll likely return to normal.”
“So what now?”
“Not in a rush. First, there’s something important we need to do.”
“What thing?”
“You can’t be serious? You’ve already forgotten??” Dillin gave them an exasperated look. “Taking advantage of vulnerable people and looting.”
“Mr. Dillin, what you mean is…?” Princess Filisia frowned, looking at the unaggressive orcs around them.
“That’s right, now that we’re here, don’t let the trip go to waste.” Dillin pointed at the orcs. “We can’t outright k*ll them, but chopping them up while they’re half-dead is doable.”
“Rough it, slaughter these orcs, take their claws, and while you’re at it, check if there are any Demon Race hearts.”
“I think there won’t be any,” Filisia shook her head, her long twin-tails swishing. “These orcs are either Green Ogres or regular ones, without any Divine Authority. There’s a very high chance they’ll lack Demon Race hearts.”
“If not, so be it. Every little bit helps. Taking their claws at least cuts down on one requirement.”
“But if these orcs regain consciousness and attack us, given our current state, it’d be hard to get away,” voiced Aistride’s concerns.
“No worries, go ahead. They won’t fight back. I guarantee it.”
Seeing Dillin’s confident smirk, Aistride and Princess Filisia felt much more at ease.
Filisia raised her giant sword, infused with crystal energy, and slammed it down on an orc’s critical area.
A resounding “Crack!” echoed as the orc’s head cleanly separated from its body, taking a couple of steps before realizing it was dead and collapsing.
Aistride quickly scanned her surroundings but found the other orcs didn’t react at all to their comrade’s beheaded body, completely indifferent.
“Indeed, it works,” Filisia licked her lips, suddenly filled with exhilaration at the idea of using these lifeless beings to release her pent-up frustrations, swinging her sword wildly.
Dillin backed away a good distance from her, afraid of being splattered with bl**d. Glancing at Aistride who was caring for Wenfu away from the ruins, he squatted down, pulling out a kn*fe to collect the orc’s claws. Unfortunately, his kn*fe wasn’t sharp enough, and he lacked the strength, so this duty eventually fell to Filisia.
It may be a despicable act—yet there’s a certain satisfaction in doing it, Dillin thought. His feeling toward orcs was purely negative and malicious, so this entire process felt fair in his judgment.
In just a short while, Filisia had nearly taken down her tenth orc. Killing such towering creatures was a great stress reliever. Never had she felt such euphoria. She found herself indulging further as she continued her rampage.
With her giant sword, she drove the unseeing orc to the ground and let it bleed out before stepping on the corpse, allowing its bl**d to splash all over her without caring how her hair, boots, and skin were drenched with it, getting more excited as she continued.
However, she hadn’t anticipated that the foundation of the ruins, already weakened by years of disrepair, could no longer withstand such commotion. Its base grew increasingly fragile and finally collapsed.
With his sharp eyes, Dillin was the first to notice and shouted.
“Filisia, the floor’s collapsing! Hurry up and move!”
In sync with his warning, a thundering “BOOM!” resounded, and Filisia’s foot slipped, falling into the hole.
“d*mn… Wait a minute?” Dillin was surprised at the bottomless chasm revealed by Filisia’s disappearance.
He thought a collapsed base would, at worst, cause a fall, but how could it be empty underneath?
Could these ruins hide something beneath them?
Before he could consider it further, another thunderous collapse occurred. The connected base triggered a chain reaction, causing the section where Dillin was standing to also collapse.
“Dillin!” Aistride acted quickly to grab Dillin but stopped, holding Wenfu tightly and retreating as a massive rock fell precisely where they had been.
Soon, more walls and supports collapsed, burying the entire ruin.
Aistride, still clutching the unconscious Wenfu, watched this scene with wide, shocked eyes, unable to utter a word.
Absolute silence reigned.
Total darkness.
“Achoo… Achooo…” Awakening from the fall, Dillin realized he’d fallen from a great height but fortunately landed softly.
Hmm, it was soft—like a spring bed. Falling on it made it feel like he could bounce a couple of times…
“Mr. Dillin, are you alright~?” came a nearby voice.
“Cough, I’m fine… Are you okay?” Dillin instinctively replied upon hearing Filisia’s close voice.
“Yeah, I’m fine as well. Unless that is, you’d get off me,” Filisia added with a teasing tone.
“Oh, uh…” Realizing his predicament after Filisia’s playful commentary, Dillin quickly scrambled off her.
Cough, and it was also the front… meaning the soft and bouncy place where he’d landed was indeed…..
Let’s not dwell on that.
“Sorry about that, it was the…….”
“Oh, I understand. It’s called irresistible force, isn’t it~?”
“Exactly, exactly,” Dillin chuckled awkwardly as the princess smiled. Rising, he brushed himself off and looked around. “Who would’ve thought this place was hollow underneath…….”
