Chapter 1217 Gusia’s Corpse <TOC> Chapter 1219 The Land of Darkness
Translator: SumTLMan
Angel remembered the Cold Ancient Ruins from the plane surface. Even though they bore the name “ruins,” according to Madeline, there was not a single trace of former structures in that region. People had dug into the earth, searching deep into the bowels of the land, yet found no vestiges of the supposed ruins.
Angel was initially confused. Why call it the Cold Ancient Ruins if no remnants were evident? Could it be that time’s relentless tide had thoroughly washed away all traces?
Now, taking into account Gusia’s body and the numerous native city structures they had encountered, it seemed to validate Greaves’ words.
This place, perhaps, was the true Cold Ancient Ruins, lying dormant for tens of thousands of years!
The so-called “Cold Ancient Ruins” known to the surface world might only be a platform leading here. The authentic remnants were embedded within this sealed continent!
…
Although they had more or less confirmed their location, the issue of how to exit became a quandary.
Angel turned his gaze to Greaves. If the surface Cold Ancient Ruins were merely a platform leading here, then there must be a route.
Greaves shook his head: “I never expected to end up in the Cold Ancient Ruins, and I had never inquired about an exit. However, during ancient times, the native people managed to leave this place, so there should be a way.”
There should be a way, but its whereabouts remained a mystery.
In a state of perplexity, their attention had to be redirected back to the body of Gusia, hoping to glean some clues from it. After all, he had come from the surface plane.
Popoca began to examine the body of Gusia.
“Nothing is lost, his one-time use spatial capsule is intact. It houses quite a bit of wealth, including many healing potions. It seems like he was well-prepared for his venture into the Abyss but unfortunately met an untimely end,” Popoca lamented. He then continued to analyze the body using energy readings: “From the residual magic energy depletion level and some obvious physical signs, we can deduce that he died approximately two months ago.”
“There is damage to the internal organs, but that doesn’t seem to be the cause of death. It could be due to insufficient magic energy to counteract the physical decay… Hmm, there’s a wound on the skull. It doesn’t seem to be caused by energy. It looks like it was pecked open by some creature.”
Popoca turned to Angel: “Gusia didn’t have these injuries before he went missing, right?”
Angel nodded in agreement.
Popoca stood up, “Aside from the wound on the skull, there are no other discoveries. This should be the fatal wound.”
Their expressions gradually grew heavy. The fatal injury wasn’t inflicted in the surface plane, which means that there is some unknown creature in this place that killed Gusia.
The unknown creature aroused their anxiety. However, there were other clues found on the body of Gusia. From the time of his death, it could be roughly deduced that he didn’t survive long after entering this place.
That is to say, the entrance to the Cold Ancient Ruins from the surface plane could be somewhere nearby.
Popoca voiced, “You mentioned earlier that Gusia suffered from hysteria, experienced auditory hallucinations, felt like someone was calling him, and then he disappeared. Could it be that the one who called him is the same one who killed him?”
“That’s hard to say.”
Popoca mentioned hysteria, and it triggered a memory in Angel——
“After Gusia disappeared, Bruen once discussed the Cold Ancient Ruins with me,” he recollected, “he said that in the past few centuries, at least a thousand people had vanished within the ruins. The frequency was not high, but the accumulated number was rather significant.”
“Subsequently, Frost Moon Alliance conducted research and found a commonality: all those who disappeared in the Cold Ancient Ruins suffered from a sort of hysteria-induced illusion before their disappearance. They felt as if someone was whispering in their ear, and they saw a shadowy figure,” Angel harkened back to Bruen’s words, “It was eventually confirmed that the figure was someone draped in a black raven cloak, referenced in certain texts as the harbinger of death emerging from the Bottomless Abyss——”
“Kurland!”
When Angel voiced this name, Greaves echoed it almost instantly.
“You are aware too?”
Greaves nodded, “Kurland is a God of Death, serving under one of the Elders who preside over the laws of death.”
“Elders? What’s that?”
“Entities who existed even before the Twilight of Gods, we call them Elders. Among them are Demon Gods, demons, and even natives, it appears Kurland might be an Elder himself.”
Greaves was confined by his limited perspective; his knowledge wasn’t extensive. What he did know was that Kurland was a guide for souls, called the ‘Guide of Death’ by natives and seen as a God of Death in the eyes of demons.
“If he’s the Guide of Death, could Kurland be the one who killed Gusia?” Popoca queried.
Casting a glance at Popoca, Greaves seemed reluctant to respond. However, with Angel present, he reluctantly shook his head, “I wouldn’t know. Kurland’s actions are far removed from my life.”
For a moment, it seemed the thread of inquiry was severed again. Or perhaps, the leads were too entangled to form any coherence.
“Whether or not Kurland was the one who murdered Gusia, finding a way out is our priority right now,” Angel stated, “Let’s continue searching here for clues. If we find none, we’ll head towards the wilderness. I sense… that the source of the calling isn’t too far away. Maybe, we’ll find answers there.”
The town still held many corpses, but they found no other useful leads. Occasionally, they came across human bodies, which were mostly apprentices.
In the end, they left empty-handed.
“Since we haven’t found any leads, let’s keep moving forward.” This time, they did not travel by the Gondola, as Angel sensed they were close to the source of the call.
Their figures faded into the gloomy mist as they ventured deeper into the wilderness.
……
A heavy footprint was left on the ground; swiftly filled with rainwater.
This trail of watery footprints extended deep into the wilderness.
In controlling his power, Angel slipped, leaving another divot in the ground. Greaves and Popoca, at his side, pretended not to notice and continued forward.
This eased Angel’s embarrassment somewhat.
“Shop owner, can you sense who is calling you now?” Greaves suddenly asked.
Angel shook his head, a ripple of uncertainty coursing through his mind. He felt the call getting closer, yet he was still unable to discern who was summoning him. Was it a living creature or was he being guided by the collective continental consciousness? These unanswered questions haunted him like a lingering ghost.
A few miles later, he moved on.
As Angel trudged ahead, he found an unexpected sense of familiarity washing over him. Gusia had vanished after feeling a similar call, which initially seemed similar to his own situation. However, upon reflection, Angel realized a clear contrast. Gusia’s response to the call had been one of hysterical rejection, utterly different from his own.
Despite this, Angel remained cautious. After all, he himself was capable of confusing the senses and perception. He couldn’t rule out the possibility that this sense of familiarity was nothing more than an intricately crafted illusion.
“Is that a shadow ahead?” Popoca gestured into the distance.
Looking up, Angel found their way ahead masked by the haze of the rain. Yet, within the obscurity, he could just make out a shadow — not very tall, yet strikingly erect and firm — standing still at a distance.
This was a wasteland, a barren expanse where even a decent-sized rock was a rare sight. The sudden appearance of this solitary silhouette was indeed out of place.
The shadow remained unmoving, and they approached it with due caution.
Upon drawing closer, they discovered that the silhouette was not a creature but a withered tree, standing alone amidst the wilderness, bathed in the veil of rain.
“I always thought that no plant life could exist on this continent,” Popoca exclaimed in awe as he moved towards the tree. “This withered tree, though lifeless, signifies that there once existed a cover of vegetation here.”
Angel was about to follow when Greaves blocked his path.
By this time, Popoca had already reached the vicinity of the tree. After circling it a few times, he noticed that Angel and the others hadn’t followed.
Returning to them, he found a look of confusion in Greaves’ eyes. “I had a feeling something was off about that tree,” Greaves mumbled, “Like it’s holding onto a dangerous aura. How come…” he trailed off, clearly puzzled as to why Popoca wasn’t affected.
It was at this moment that Angel understood why Greaves had stopped him. He had likely sensed danger ahead, and Popoca had unwittingly played the role of a scout.
Unperturbed, Popoca simply ignored Greaves. They weren’t of the same race, and mutual hostility was not unusual.
Shrugging, Angel walked towards the tree. Seeing Angel move ahead, Greaves naturally followed.
When Greaves reached the tree, he noticed Angel holding something he’d taken off the dried branches. In his palm lay a curious object.
Intrigued, Greaves asked, “What is that… a feather?”
Lying in Angel’s hand was a single Black Feather, its downy strands somewhat rigid, and its color as deep and mysterious as the Bottomless Abyss.
At that moment, Popoca approached them. Catching sight of the feather in Angel’s hand, he was taken aback, “Where did you find this feather?”
Angel pointed towards the withered branches of the tree.
Popoca looked perplexed, “When I was here earlier, I took a good look around. I didn’t see any feather.”
“Are you certain?” Angel asked, turning to Popoca.
Popoca declared with a tone of unwavering certainty, “This tree isn’t towering; I’ve inspected it meticulously, there’s no trace of anything.”
The proposition that Popoca would fabricate a lie over such a matter is highly unlikely. Hence, could it be possible that this feather materialized out of the blue?
“When I strolled over here earlier, this feather was the first thing that struck my gaze — conspicuous in its existence.” Angel, scrutinizing the feather in his hand, an expression of puzzlement flickering in his eyes, queried, “Could it be, that a certain creature has been skulking in our vicinity, unbeknownst to us?”
Seemingly, only this explanation could elucidate the current situation.
For a moment, an aura of silence pervaded the surroundings.
Just then, a voice broke through the stillness, echoing in their ears:
“This is a gift bestowed upon you by Kurland. Please accept it, savior of the Tan Continent.”
Chapter 1217 Gusia’s Corpse <TOC> Chapter 1219 The Land of Darkness