Chapter 89

Humans? How could there be humans here?

The moment Zhou Zhi saw the figure, he guessed at many possibilities: the pollutants that could cover his body, a human who had also accidentally entered the inner world, or something else.

The figure of the man became clear. He had a body that was stronger and taller than that of a human, and his skin was bronze. However, unlike humans, his lower body was not legs, but a long snake tail.

The newcomer seemed startled. When those golden-red eyes looked at it, it sensed the presence of a predator from the upper reaches of the food chain, but it still stepped forward.

"My god, you have finally returned." The snake-man did not utter a sound, but Zhou Zhi read this message from the invisible sound waves.

This surprised him slightly, since human language had never appeared in the Otherworld, yet he was able to miraculously understand the meaning behind what the other person was saying.

The snake-man was also curious about humans. He first introduced himself, saying that his name was Mori, the leader of the snake-man tribe, and that he had come here because he sensed the aura of a king.

Thinking of the little guy's long snake tail, Zhou Zhi tacitly accepted this statement. He didn't have much time left and saw no hope of returning. If the snake people could take good care of him, that would be the best outcome.

Zhou Zhi followed Mori to the settlement of the snake people. The snake people and humans are not much different in terms of intelligence. They already have the ability to build houses and tools. Moreover, their living environment is much harsher than that of humans. Given time, they may be able to develop a similar civilization.

It was from Mori that Zhou Zhi learned the little monster's name was Koyater, the god they worshipped.

Gods?

Looking at the octopus wriggling in his arms, Zhou Zhi's lips twitched. So he had picked up a god on the roadside?

Because of Tokoyatel, they were placed in the most spacious and clean wooden house. The snake people even thoughtfully prepared food, which seemed like offerings, but looking at the black chunks of meat, he was a little worried about getting food poisoning.

"Injured...it hurts..."

"Are you injured?"

Zhou Zhi frowned, lifted the large black creature up, and squeezed its tentacles. Even if it was injured, its black skin made it difficult to tell.

Koyater was wrapped around Zhou Zhi's hand. The wooden house was spacious, but he preferred his old spot. He stuck out his tongue and licked the blood off it.

Zhou Zhi then realized that the little monster was worried about the wounds on his body.

The snake people had not yet developed weaving technology, and they usually used the leaves of a plant to bandage their wounds. These leaves were large, soft, and emitted the fragrance of grass.

Zhou Zhi borrowed a few leaves and straw rope, but it was inconvenient to tie them with only one hand, and he tried for a long time but couldn't get them tied properly.

Koyatl came closer, its tentacles moving nimbly, and quickly tied a knot in the straw rope.

Unfortunately, it's a dead knot.

"alright……"

He looked up, seeking praise; the human hand was warm and dry, and felt comfortable against his skin.

This unfamiliar environment terrified Koyater. The wooden house was supposed to be safer than the wilderness, but this was not home. The snake-men pacing back and forth outside made him particularly anxious, and he didn't know how to express it, so he could only wrap his tentacles around the human's fingers.

"Go to sleep, I'll stay here and watch over you."

The little monster's anxiety was calmed down, and it gradually fell asleep to the sound of its heartbeat.

Zhou Zhi closed the door. He was skeptical of Mori's words; those respectful words might be sweet words to lure people into a trap, and should not be trusted at all.

Through the cracks in the wooden house, he could see the red sky outside, and that chilling atmosphere was still there and had not diminished in the slightest.

When Koyatl woke up, Zhou Zhi closed his eyes. As soon as he lay down, all the fatigue he had accumulated over this period rushed over him, and his wounds throbbed with pain.

Perhaps it's because I suddenly found myself in a safe and comfortable place, and in my drowsy state, my mind was filled with a jumble of thoughts.

He felt a little homesick, missing his parents, the azure sky, and the traffic and crowds below. Scenes that were once commonplace could now only be relived in his memory.

He also thought of Koyater. Zhou Zhi hadn't given the little monster a good name. He was terrible at naming things. He initially called it "Mimi," but then got too lazy to call it that, since it was just the two of them living together.

Can he go back?

The road home seemed endless, but he was utterly exhausted.

Go to sleep now, tomorrow is another day.

...

Zhou Zhi was awakened by the knocking on the door; the wooden house made a loud noise.

He opened the door, and there stood Morley, his tall figure almost blocking the entire doorway.

"How did you sleep?" Perhaps because of their similar appearance, Mori also showed goodwill towards Zhou Zhi.

"It's alright, what's wrong?"

“We don’t have much time left.” Morley’s brow furrowed with worry, and he gestured for the two to follow.

Zhou Zhi hadn't looked closely yesterday, but today, as he passed through the snake people's encampment, he noticed that all the snake people had worried expressions on their faces, as if the end of the world was about to arrive.

Pairs of eyes were fixed on the two outsiders, the fervent gazes falling on them, or rather on Koyater, frightening the little monster into hiding in Zhou Zhi's arms.

"Gods..."

"Can He save us? He looks so weak."

"I heard the leader brought it back from outside..."

"He looks very much like that gentleman."

Whispers filled his ears, and faces showed hope, fear, and doubt. Zhou Zhi remained vigilant, but he hadn't heard any language for a long time, which made him feel as if he had returned to human society.

"Gods, Gods, save us! Save us!" A snake-man rushed out, bowing to the ground, his eyes filled with madness and obsession as he looked at Koyatl.

"Biler, what are you doing!"

Morley's expression changed for a moment, seemingly not expecting anyone to act so recklessly in his presence. His thick snake tail flipped Biller to the ground. Biller didn't go forward, but rolled on the ground, waving his hands in the air.

A piercing voice exploded in the air, “He has awakened! We will all die! We will all die!”

Clearly, his mind had become somewhat unstable, and this fear spread among the snake people, who shared the same worries as Biler.

Soon, Biller was taken away by two snake people. Mori turned around and said, "Come with me, your doubts will soon be answered."

Zhou Zhi and Koyater followed, their final destination being a palace deep in the forest.

The palace, nestled amidst lush, layered greenery, was built of wood. Despite its rough exterior, lacking any elaborate coatings or patterns, it was still a palace.

A palace that surpasses the current level of construction capabilities of the snake people.

The palace was furnished very simply, with only a huge mural and a large stone slab. The moment Zhou Zhi saw the stone slab, his blood froze.

It was covered with densely packed Chinese characters.

"This was left by an adult who looks like you. Before he left, he said that when disaster strikes again, our people's god will return and lead us to dawn. This ruin is his last gift."

"Disaster, you mean that in the sky..."

Zhou Zhi found this absurd. His mind was in a mess. Did this pioneer anticipate his arrival and leave these things behind? Or was none of this an accident, but rather a result of human intervention?

What does that even mean?

He began to read the slate.

"Hello, newcomer! My name is Yin Wenshan, an investigator from the Lighthouse, and I come from human society. Following the prophecy of the 'Prophet,' I came to this world to find a way to save humanity. This is a journey from which there is no return. As my life is about to end, I have engraved the results of my investigations over the years on a stone tablet, hoping that those who come after me will be able to see them."

"Humans categorize pollutants into multiple levels. Above all pollutants, there exists an entity infinitely close to the concept of 'gods.' This world is composed of the bodies of gods. Every so often, the gods awaken, fight each other, and devour all things. I call this period of time the 'turbulent period.' The last turbulent period distorted space, connecting the human world with the inner world."

Zhou Zhi's gaze shifted to the mural, which was enormous. At first glance, one might think it depicted a scene, but after reading the text, he realized it was a map.

"I currently know of only four such beings, and I have named them. 'The Eye Without Pupils,' He dwells high in the sky. When the sky is covered by a thin gray mist, it is the time when He sleeps. When the mist dissipates and the sky turns red, it is the time when He awakens. At this time, black rain will envelop all things, and all creatures that come into contact with the rain will eventually become His food and puppets. Only a firm will can break the shackles."

On the mural, a black eyeball hangs at the highest point, surrounded by a rich red, like an inverted bowl covering the world below.

"The feathered serpent god, is the deity of the serpent people, who controls the changing seasons. During the last upheaval, the feathered serpent perished and has been missing ever since."

“Tark, His appearance is somewhat like the phoenix created by humans, His body is engulfed in flames, and He has a huge body. He and the feathered serpent have similar powers and territories, and the two fight each other.”

Below the eyeballs, the sky is painted with winged snakes and birds, which fly in the rain and control the weather by flapping their wings.

"'The Tree of Life' is the source of all life, possessing the ability to bring the dead back to life. The area around Him is the most vibrant with life. But He also needs to devour a large number of lives. It's like a cycle; the life around Him begins with Him and ends with Him."

Beneath the sky, a colossal tree occupies the lower half of the mural, representing both mother and executioner. To the left is vibrant life, to the right a desolate wasteland.

“Only by uniting their power can we separate the human world from the inner world. But I am too pessimistic and ultimately do not believe that this power can be controlled by mankind. I have doubted the prophet’s prophecy, but I still came here.”

"My mission is complete, my successor. May you be well, and may humanity be well!"