Chapter 51 Half the Problem: Who still speaks in classical Chinese these days? ...

Ashlinn never expected to be stunned in her dream.

Aidan. How did that name end up here? Aidan's words from Ilovenia echoed in her ears:

"...Laurel has been using me as a substitute for the moon goddess for a long time."

Elves have a keen intuition for magic. The painter Laurel had long sensed that they were both of divine lineage.

Ashlin felt her thoughts were all jumbled up.

Most of the time, she didn't care much about divine lineage; theological and magical theories gave her a headache. Besides, she had just awakened her divine magic and embarked on such an absurd journey, leaving her little time to think.

But no matter how much she didn't want to think about it, she understood that the result of the blood test curse meant only one thing:

Knox did not use his own blood.

If he were a descendant of the gods, upon hearing the legend that divine blood could bring revelation, he would surely have tried it with his own blood. Now, however, she recognized all four names, and it was obvious that none of them matched Knox's characteristics.

Knox is not a descendant of the moon god. They guessed wrong.

The princess and the witcher stared at the four names, and for a moment they both remained silent.

“Okay, Manette, our court mage is indeed a descendant of the sun god, isn’t she?” Cassandra broke the silence. “I don’t know how Knox got her blood, she doesn’t seem to have ever been kidnapped… but she does have a lot of nosebleeds, so it probably wasn’t too difficult to do. I mean, the weather was quite dry for the first two months.”

“I don’t understand,” Elaine murmured. “Mannet is a descendant of the sun god, Sanova is a descendant of the death god, Ashlin is a descendant of the forest… Aidan, Aidan is a descendant of the moon, not Knox. How is that possible?”

She looked dazed.

"Knox didn't use his own blood because he's not a descendant of gods. But if Knox isn't a descendant of gods, how could he possess such powerful magic, even capable of casting spells like time loops? Ordinary people could hardly master this kind of magic through practice."

“Stop, stop, stop, I’m a little lost on your train of thought.” Cassandra raised her hand, looking surprised. “Elaine, you’re not referring to Prince Aidan of the Elven Kingdom, are you? The musician? You know, there are actually quite a few people named Aidan…”

"You yourself said that Knox's magic is powerful and unusual. Perhaps he has his own methods."

“Hey, take it easy, little princess.” Cassandra helped her up. “Lucas has already gone out to make his way in the world, and now you’re going too? Remind me, what was the excuse you gave your father for going out again?”

"Find Lucas."

“…Alright then.” Cassandra lowered her hand and led her horse. “I hope the Elf Queen welcomes us. I heard Ilovia was quite closed off before.”

“I don’t like going on adventures,” Elaine muttered. “But if Father finds out… he’s finally started to change his mind about magic these past few years, and I don’t want…” She shook her head.

“The black wizard’s henchmen don’t give information easily,” Cassandra said. “What are your plans for dealing with Aidan?”

Elaine smiled smugly and pulled out another glass bottle.

Inside was shimmering sand, tinged with an unusual pale pink. The magic it contained felt strangely familiar to Ashlin.

Ashlin didn't even have time to blink before the scene vanished, leaving only emptiness.

A phantom voice drifted into her mind:

“I heard your prayers, Ashlin. But it’s not something you can do to send someone a dream right now. Consider this a gift and a hint from me.”

“I’m afraid I don’t know either,” the goddess’s voice said. “But you will witness it again when Princess Elaine and the Witcher make progress.”

"Great!" Ashlin thought, "I can follow the Dream series now."

“Then perhaps you could try to find it,” Ashlin said. “You are an all-knowing god, why can’t a god like you do things like stopping dark wizards?”

“Gods should not interfere in human affairs,” the goddess replied. “Farewell, Ashlin. This is all I can do for you.”

She disappeared without a trace.

Early the next morning, Ashlin sent messages to Mia and Sanova separately using ravens from the Frostclaw Forest. She tied a wind elemental ribbon to the ravens' feet and cast a speed-enhancing spell on them.

If something happens to Sanova, she might have to turn back halfway...

This idea terrified her.

Should she abandon Lucas for Sanova? Or conversely, should she ignore Sanova to save Lucas? Last time it was just a false alarm, but what if Sanova really does meet with misfortune this time?

Ashlin's mind conjured up her adoptive father's kind smile, and silver magic danced in the scent of herbs.

No, Sanova can't be harmed. She struggled to suppress her panic. Yes, he was a descendant of the gods too. She must be overthinking it. Mia probably saw Ashlin's letter by accident, which is why she wrote that. Sanova might have been too busy researching dark wizards to tell Mia about Ashlin. She should focus on the present.

After the raven left, Ashlin recounted the details of her dream to Lucas.

The black cat lazily opened its eyes, barely paying any attention to her, only offering a few perfunctory words. This was completely unlike him; if anyone would be interested in these magical dreams, it would undoubtedly be Lucas. Ashlin didn't think much of it; perhaps he was just too tired.

Before the ancient tree where High Priestess Araknia (Ashlin silently repeated this long name in her mind to prevent herself from forgetting), a long queue stretched as far as the eye could see, just like yesterday. The queue consisted mainly of well-mannered orcs, while those who lacked manners pushed and roared, trying to get in; even if they did manage to get in, they would be kicked out.

Fortunately, Ashlin has Mr. Mara as a shortcut.

Mr. Mara whispered something to one of the little chickens at the very back, and the chicken immediately nodded, letting them in through the back door.

Ashlin couldn't help but feel how unfair this was to the orcs queuing outside. Not everyone was as fortunate as Mr. Mara to have a good relationship with the High Priest. The High Priest had originally made the wreaths to encourage the orcs to improve their abilities, but now they were wasting their time queuing.

The tree hollow was filled with a strong, cloyingly sweet scent of jasmine. There were no windows in the walls, but candles were piled up on both sides.

Mr. Mara peeled back a thick layer of birch bark, then peeled back...

A layer of white spider web.

Ashlyn cried out, not because of what she saw, but because Lucas's claws tightened and hooked into her shoulders.

“I’m sorry!” the black cat said immediately. “Meow, I’m sorry. Mr. Mara, you never said the High Priest was…”

Before the words were finished, the huge, dark shadow behind the spider web began to wriggle, its eight slender, hairy black legs creaking and rattling, and dust billowed up from the tree hole.

Above the spider's legs was half a woman, with eight dark red eyes squeezed onto her forehead like a cluster of bloodstains. She was old and faded, with lines etched around each eye, and her long gray hair hung to the ground like rags.

Ashlin felt as if spider webs were growing beneath her feet, rendering her unable to move.

Maybe it's not too late to run now.

Mr. Mara gestured for them not to move.

Spider-Man raised his four front legs.

“No need for formalities. Ashlyn Bailey, and Lucas de Vere,” she murmured dreamily. “Step aside, Mara. There’s nothing I wish to read lately.”

Mr. Mara had originally come to speak on their behalf so they could qualify for the trial. Now it seemed unnecessary, as the spider priest was clearly interested in them.

He was ordered to leave, and before leaving, he patted Ashlin with his large, furry paw.

Arachnia leaned closer, scrutinizing the witch and the cat, her eight eyes narrowing dangerously.

Ashlin's heart pounded, magic surged through her blood, and several small vines, sensing her presence, sprang out from the wall of the tree hollow.

Araknia's gaze fell on Lucas, and she burst into laughter.

"A prince of such stature, reduced to a ball of fluff! Excellent, excellent!"

The black cat tilted its head: "A ball of fur?!"

“Yes. She should have said scarf,” Ashley said.

Lucas's beard twitched.

“I already know what you seek. The wreath can prolong your half-human state, but to obtain it, you must pass three tests,” Arachnia said. “The first test is a test of wisdom. Let’s begin.”

"This spider is so impatient," the cat complained. "It's this day and age, who still speaks in classical Chinese?"

Araknia became serious: "I understand what you are saying."

“Okay, just one question,” Ashlin said, “What if we don’t pass the trial?”

"If you don't pass, you die," Araknia said casually, pointing one leg casually to the corner.

In the corner, there were several skeletons covered in cobwebs.

Ashlin so desperately hoped they were just decorations.

"What is not recorded in human books far surpasses your comprehension," said the high priest. "The trial of wisdom now begins."

Ashlin wanted to say something more, but the trial had already begun swiftly.

At the priest's command, a gigantic spiderweb, shimmering with magical light, instantly unfurled, enveloping the entire space. Countless white spiders began to crawl along the web, weaving ever-changing runes and patterns.

The priest disappeared.

The door was locked from the inside, leaving only the two of them in the tree hollow.

At this moment, the spider web began to sway, and a line of white characters was slowly woven into the web:

If half of the problem is solved within an hour, it will be approved.

"Half the problem?" Ashlin was puzzled. "What problem?"

"Meow?" Lucas asked.

She looked around but found nothing amiss. The tree hollow resembled the high priest's residence, with parchment and jars of herbs on the table, blueprints and mysterious runes nailed to the walls, and a large cauldron placed to one side. A green hourglass sat on the coffee table.

Ashlin picked up the paper on the table; it looked like a potion recipe, but it was written in a language she couldn't read. Was she going to make this potion?

She flipped through the pages again, only to find that each sheet contained a different potion recipe. Heaven knows which one she would be able to make if needed. She couldn't possibly make a hundred potions in an hour.

Next to the recipe, there was a newer sheet of paper with something written in unfamiliar script, formatted like a short poem.

"Do you have any thoughts, Lucas?"

The black cat meowed again and sniffed the parchment. It seemed he was clueless as well.

To solve a problem, you must first identify it.

So Ashley began a thorough search of the tree hollow. Luckily, it was a tree hollow, so she didn't have to expend too much energy; the tree could search itself, handing her suspicious items with its twigs: a few animal hairs on the ground, three pink buttons on the corner of the table, a small goddess statue under the bed…

“I said I wanted clues, not junk,” Ashlin said to the tree branch, then added to the statue, “No offense intended, sir. I meant something else.”

She realized her tone had been a bit harsh. Sure enough, the branch, stung by her sharp words, bowed its head in sorrow. But after the criticism, its efficiency did indeed improve.

It first pointed to a mouse hole, but Ashlin rejected it, since it was unlikely to find any valuable clues in a mouse hole; then, it diligently rummaged around for a while and came out of the cabinet.

There was a small, glittering silver object hanging from the top.

A silver key.

All the chests can be opened at will, and inside are magical items used for divination, such as crystal balls, bones, rune stones, and mirrors. The keys are completely useless.

Perhaps the biggest problem is her difficult-to-use brain.

She turned to look at the black cat, wanting to ask for advice.

Lucas scratched at the bottle on the table with his paws. Once, twice, three times...

"Hey, what are you doing!"

The bottle fell to the ground and shattered.

Ashlin wondered if this would deduct points from her trial. She looked at the black cat with a puzzled expression.

The black cat opened its big blue eyes and looked back at her innocently.

"Meow."

"Is this a hint? Do you think there's something wrong with this potion?"

The black cat didn't respond, stepped on the parchment, and squatted down.

A sense of panic slowly crept into her heart. No, it couldn't be...

"Lucas? Are you alright?"

Upon hearing its name, the black cat's ears twitched back, but it didn't react otherwise.

“Nod if you understand me,” Ashlin said.

Lucas sat upright for a while, then, seemingly finding Ashlin a bit boring, went to smell the other herb bottles, rummaging through everything he could find.

Several bottles of potion were poured onto the table, and he removed the corks, revealing the colorful potions flowing like a rainbow, a truly magnificent sight.

The black cat dipped its paw in the medicine, then jumped behind it, its tail bristling, and quickly shook the medicine off.

Ashley tried to calm herself down.

Lucas, that's the problem.

He couldn't understand what she was saying.