Chapter 74: City of Redemption (IX) Gray Mist

Time seemed to freeze at this moment.

Wen Yin tilted her head back and looked into Gasiel's pale golden eyes.

The deafening and enthusiastic cheers around her seemed to be separated by an invisible barrier. Only the aura around him, which was no longer sharp but still cold, truly enveloped her.

However, this brief peace did not last long.

The fanaticism of the believers in the distance began to turn to another extreme due to the sudden weakening and stagnation of the holy light.

"Holy Light... Why has the Holy Light weakened?"

"The grace has stopped? How is this possible!?"

"The birthday is not over yet, Lord Saint..."

Chaotic whispers and exclamations instantly spread, replacing the previous unified praise.

Confusion, anxiety, and even panic began to appear on the faces of the believers.

Some people who seemed to know more about the situation made even sharper and more panicked noises.

"After the Holy Scripture, the Son of God will fall into a deep sleep to accumulate brilliance! Now that the Holy Light is not yet full, if he continues to sleep..."

"What if the Holy Light isn't enough to last until the next awakening? Gray fog! Gray fog will devour everything!"

"Who is it? Who interrupted the Holy Scripture and stole the Son's grace?!"

Countless eyes suddenly focused on the platform, and cast on the white figure closely attached to the center of glory.

"It's her! The strange nun!"

"She defiled the birth of the Son of God!"

"She stole the Holy Light! She put the Son of God in danger!"

"Blasphemer! Get down! Be purified!"

Anger and fear erupted like a volcano, and the crowd began to surge forward uncontrollably, trying to rush to the platform.

The guards struggled to form a human wall, but were shaken by the frenzied emotions.

Wen Yin stood on the high platform, with the Son of God in front of her and his emotions unpredictable, and below her was a sea of ​​angry believers who wanted to tear her apart.

This sudden change made her face pale and she frowned subconsciously.

Gahil seemed completely oblivious to the seething malice and turmoil below.

His pale golden eyes, which had just slightly fluctuated when she called his name, now regained most of their coldness and emptiness.

But there seemed to be a very tiny ripple remaining in the depths.

He lowered his head to look at Wen Yin's furrowed brows, and a ethereal voice sounded calmly, entering her mind directly.

Explaining the current situation, but still without much emotional warmth:

"The celebration is over, and I will enter a dormant cycle."

He was stating an established fact as if he were talking about a procedure that had nothing to do with him.

Those pale golden pupils glanced at the crowd surging towards them below, paused, and then calmly added, "Here, now, is a threat to you."

It seems like it is just assessing an environmental risk level.

"I'll take you away."

The moment he finished speaking, without waiting for Wen Yin to react, a point of extremely pure light condensed on Gasiel's fingertips again.

But this time, the light was not blinding, but rather had a soft warmth that made one drowsy.

It was completely different from his usual cold and violent holy light.

He gently pointed his fingertips at Wen Yin's eyebrows.

"Go to sleep."

That bit of warm light instantly penetrated into Wen Yin's eyebrows.

Wen Yin only felt an irresistible force sweeping through her sea of ​​consciousness.

All the noise, anger, and light from the outside world... everything quickly faded away.

The last thing she saw before her consciousness completely sank into darkness was Gasiel's pair of pale golden pupils that were so close to her.

The cold divinity still dominates like a frozen glacier.

But in the deepest part of the glacier, her eyes, which were gradually losing focus, were reflected.

It was as if he wanted to bring her image into the long sleep that was about to come.

Then, boundless darkness gently enveloped her.

Wen Yin's body softened and she completely lost all consciousness.

-

Wen Yin had an exceptionally warm and comfortable sleep.

When I opened my eyes again, I saw only a low gray ceiling.

The air was filled with a faint smell of dampness and herbs, which was completely different from the eternally pure cold fragrance of the inner hall.

This is not the bright and clean environment of the temple.

Wen Yin propped herself up and sat up from the bed, looking around.

She was lying on a hard plank bed, covered with a rough but clean linen blanket.

The room was extremely small, poorly furnished, with some miscellaneous items piled in the corner.

The only light came from a narrow window on the wall, and vague voices could be heard coming from outside.

This is... the outer city? Why is she here?

The memory finally lingered on the dazzling light at Gasiel's fingertips and the boundless darkness that followed.

At this moment, the simple wooden door was pushed open with a creak.

A middle-aged woman with a haggard face but good intentions walked in with a bowl of water.

Seeing Wen Yin's eyes open, a look of relief appeared on her face.

"Oh, girl, you're finally awake!"

The woman placed the bowl on the table and said in a slightly hoarse voice, a voice unique to residents of the outer city, "You've been unconscious for most of the day."

Wen Yin looked down at herself and found that she was still wearing the exquisite white dress, but the hem of the dress was stained with some stains and was no longer as shiny as new.

"What's wrong with me?" The voice was a little dry.

"Oh, don't mention it. I don't know what happened in the Holy Scripture yesterday. It suddenly became a mess!"

The woman sighed, a look of fear on her face.

"I heard there was a terrible riot inside. The crowd rushed in like crazy, trampling many people... It was pitiful."

"I was just there to watch the fun, and then I saw you in your nun's robes, fainted in a corner on the side of the road, your face frighteningly pale, so I carried you back."

She looked at Wen Yin's robe. Although it was dirty, the texture and style were obviously different from those of ordinary nuns. Her tone became more respectful. "Miss, which church do you serve in? When you feel better, I'll send someone to send you a message."

Wen Yin's heart trembled slightly. She quickly ran through the names of churches in the outer city that she had learned about. She chose one that was quite far away and difficult to verify immediately. She replied softly, "...I'm at the Mercy Light Church on Gray Pigeon Lane. Thank you for your kindness. I'm sorry to trouble you."

"From the Ciguang Hall?"

A hint of realization flashed across the woman's eyes, and then she became more enthusiastic.

"It's no trouble, no trouble! It's our blessing to be able to help you, who serve the Holy Light. Feel free to rest here. Although it's a bit simple, it's clean and safe."

Wen Yin thanked him softly again.

Then he asked casually, "I didn't know anything after I fainted... What's going on outside now? Lord Saint... Is he okay? Is everyone okay?"

There was just the right amount of worry in her voice, perfectly portraying a devout believer who was frightened but concerned about the overall situation.

When the woman heard this, a complicated expression flashed across her face and she sighed.

"I heard that there was chaos for a while, and even a collision with the Holy Son. Fortunately, the temple guards managed to stabilize the situation in time."

"The Holy Son... is naturally fine. According to past traditions, after the grace was distributed, the Holy Son returned to the temple and fell into a deep sleep."

When she mentioned "sleep", her tone was full of natural awe, as if this was an unchanging law between heaven and earth.

"Now that everyone has dispersed, it's just..."

The woman lowered her voice, with a hint of sadness on her face.

"Everyone's been saying that the 'holy light' left behind by His Majesty the Holy Son after his slumber seems much weaker than in previous years... The fog in the city seems thicker, and everyone's panicking..."

"However, the Holy Temple has issued a decree stating that everything is under the control of the Holy Son. Everyone should not worry, but strictly abide by the laws and wait for the next reappearance of the Holy Light."

Wen Yin was not in a position to ask more about why the Son of God was sleeping, so she could only nod in agreement.

"That's good. The fact that the Holy Son is safe and sound is the greatest blessing."

"Yes, yes. Just stay here and take care of yourself. Just let me know if you need anything."

The woman said a few more words of concern, then got up and left, letting Wen Yin have a good rest.

The door closed gently, and Wen Yin was the only one left in the room.

Wen Yin looked at the gray sky outside the window and realized that it was not a cloudy day, but a sign that the gray fog had become thicker due to the weakening of the holy light.

The fog seemed to have life, slowly rolling and wriggling, approaching the fragile city more than ever before, with an ominous feeling of suffocation.

Gahir slept. The Holy Light faded. The gray fog spread.

She was staring at the oppressive gray sky in a trance. In her mind, a clear and familiar child's voice sounded without warning, without any noise or pauses:

[Host! I'm online!]

It’s 028!

Wen Yin breathed a sigh of relief almost instantly, and her tense heartstrings finally relaxed a little.

[028, You finally recovered...]

Wen Yin breathed a sigh of relief.

[Yes, host.]

028's voice was brisk. "After leaving the core area of ​​the temple, the energy suppression from the Son of God has been greatly reduced. My basic functions have been fully restored, and the connection is stable."

It quickly started syncing information.

[According to the results of my recent scan of the local information stream, the situation outside is not optimistic. Panic continues to spread among the people, and everyone is worried that the Holy Light's protection is insufficient to withstand the gray fog. Various confusing rumors are also spreading.]

Wen Yin was most concerned about the being high up on the throne: [How long does Gashield's slumber usually last?]

[Retrieving historical records and public temple information...]

028 quickly responded, "Data shows that the Son of God always enters a dormant period after a major holy book, in order to... according to them, 'concentrate radiance' or 'communicate with the true God.'"

[The duration is not fixed, but generally ranges from one to three months.]

[During this time, the temple's light will dim, but it will still maintain basic functions until he awakens again.]

One month to more than three months... Wen Yin silently calculated the time.

This means that the time left for her may be very short or a little longer.

But no matter what, during this period, the Holy Light will only become weaker and weaker, and the gray fog...

Her eyes turned again to the roiling, unsettling grey outside the window.

"What on earth is this gray fog?"

She murmured softly, asking both 028 and herself.

[The database's definition of 'Erosion Mist' is mostly based on the official Templar propaganda: chaos, evil, and filth that needs to be purified.]

028 replied, "But according to my analysis of the abnormal energy model, its composition is complex. It seems not to be a simple destructive energy, but more like a highly distorted energy aggregate of unknown form, but containing some kind of primitive life force."

[Its relationship with the Holy Light is not a simple confrontation, but rather a twisted symbiosis and balance.]

Wen Yin was silent for a moment, looking at the gray fog that was almost pressing against the window sill, and blinked gently.

Gashir sent her out, perhaps unintentionally, or perhaps out of some inhuman logic that she had not yet understood.

But in any case, this gave her an opportunity to go outside the temple and observe the true face of this world.

"It seems," Wen Yin whispered to herself, "before he wakes up, I have to find out what secrets are hidden in this gray fog."

-

Wen Yin exchanged some of this world's common currency from the system. Although it was not much, it was a considerable fortune for the residents of the outer city.

She handed the money to the woman who took her in.

"Thank you so much for saving my life. Please accept these as a token of my appreciation."

Wen Yin's tone was gentle, with just the right amount of gratitude and apology.

"My church is remote, and things are not peaceful outside right now. I'd like to stay here for a few days. Is that okay?"

When the woman saw the money, she was surprised and refused it at first, but under Wen Yin's insistence, she finally accepted it. The wrinkles on her face smoothed out, revealing a simple and somewhat awkward smile.

"Miss, you're so polite! As long as you don't mind my shabby house being drafty and damp, that's all that's fine!"

She paused, the smile on her face faded, stained with a lingering haze and sadness, and her voice lowered.

"Alas, in this world...it's not easy to survive."

"My husband...was out hunting two years ago when he encountered a foggy tide and never...never came back..."

She raised her hand to wipe the corners of her eyes, her eyes filled with deep fear of the gray mist.

"That man-eating creature... what a sin! Now that the Holy Light is weak again, we dare not breathe loudly at night..."

At this time, two thin figures were timidly leaning against the door and looking inside. They were the woman's two children.

She looked to be about seven or eight years old, with a sallow complexion due to malnutrition, but her eyes held a child's curiosity and awe of the strange nun.

The woman quickly called them over to pay their respects to Wen Yin. Wen Yin smiled at them gently, but her heart was heavy.

This is the life of ordinary people under the protection of Holy Light.

Struggling to survive, they live in constant fear of losing their loved ones and being swallowed by the gray fog.

Night falls quickly.

The Outer City at night is completely different from the Temple.

There was no eternal soft light, only disturbing darkness and an increasingly thick damp and cold smell in the air.

Wen Yin was placed in the best small bedroom in the woman's house, which was actually only relatively complete and clean.

On the small table in the center of the room stood a low-quality crystal stone that was much smaller and dimmer than those used in the temple, emitting a pitifully faint milky white light.

This is the cheapest protective product that an ordinary family can buy from the church. The holy light power contained in it is extremely weak and can only dispel the thick fog in a small area and bring a little psychological comfort.

The woman checked again and again to see if the doors and windows were sealed, and then looked at the faint crystal stone worriedly before leaving anxiously.

It's late at night and everyone is asleep.

Outside the window, the gray fog rolled silently like a living thing, so thick that it was almost impossible to dissolve, completely swallowing up the starlight and moonlight.

Inside the house, the faint light of the crystal stone seemed so small and fragile surrounded by the endless darkness, like a lonely boat in the wind and waves that could capsize at any time.

The light barely illuminated a small area around Wen Yin's bed. Outside the circle of light was a deep and sticky darkness, as if there was life wriggling in it.

There was an icy chill in the air and an indescribable sense of voyeurism.

That gray fog...seems to be more "active" than during the day.

They are no longer simple mist, but more like an invisible, slowly flowing life form, clinging to the cracks in windows and doors, trying to get into this only shelter with light.

Wen Yin was lying on the hard bed, but she was not asleep.

She clearly felt that the surrounding darkness seemed to... pay special attention to the room she was in.

The feeling of being surrounded and looked at by an invisible being was even more terrifying than being watched by the Son of God in the temple.

Because it is more primitive and full of unknown malice.

Just when this suffocating feeling of oppression reached its peak, an extremely slight cracking sound suddenly came from the table.

Wen Yin's heart skipped a beat and he looked over instantly.

I saw that the cheap crystal stone, which already had a dim glow, had a clear crack on its surface.

And at the moment the crack appeared, the pitiful holy light inside it suddenly went out like a extinguished candle.

The last light source disappeared.

Wen Yin's eyes fell into darkness.

Something sticky crawled up her ankles in the darkness.