Chapter 4: The Ancestor of All Things
From the moment they boarded the dragon's back to the time the sky gradually darkened, Beichen and his party were finally carried by Ragnarl and were about to arrive at their destination.
From half an hour ago until now, the ground beneath my feet has been rapidly receding, covered by layers of forests.
Apart from the forest, there are large chunks of crystal-like crystals that emerge from the forest vegetation and are exposed above the forest. Occasionally, there are undulating rocks, which are also full of the light of unknown gems. In the air, you can see strange plants that look like floating mushrooms. In the wonderful sky where the sunset glow and the night light are intertwined, they are slowly emitting fireflies that look like spores.
"...So beautiful—I don't know what to look at..."
On the dragon's back, Beichen couldn't help but mutter, his head spinning wildly, secretly regretting that the digital camera was in Xifeng's storage space, otherwise - even if he took a few pictures casually, it would have become a magnificent view.
"Yes—there's actually such a vast and beautiful primeval forest in Senagard."
Xiang Ying also smiled and expressed admiration on his face.
"It seems that even though humans think they dominate the world, they're only observing the world from a narrow perspective. ...There's still so much in this world that we don't know."
Gu Yinyue also whispered this behind Beichen.
Hearing their discussion, the dragon flew quickly, sending a rumbling sound into the wind:
"That's why Senagard is called the 'God's Cemetery'—this is it. See those crystal pillars? ...Those are the tombstones."
“…Huh?”
The dragon did not answer, but chuckled softly in the wind.
"Look ahead, we're here."
Upon hearing this, Beichen and the others immediately looked up into the distance, and then, including her, Xiang Ying, Heihuo, Su Jie, Gu Yinyue, Longyun, and Naraka, almost opened their mouths at the same time, not even caring about the discomfort of swallowing big gulps of air - they were stunned at the same time.
...It was a huge Protoss mine.
No, let's use a more intuitive description - it was a huge tree, so big that even Ragnarl's size was like the size of a chicken compared to it.
In the translucent tree trunk that emits a soft white fluorescence in the night, there are countless golden veins flowing slowly. The leaves composed of crystal-like tiny cones are densely arranged on the countless branches, forming a huge and dazzling canopy. Countless faint lights of various colors intertwine, converge and reflect, dyeing the surrounding black sky into a bright warm color. Even the poisonous moon in the sky is dimmed by its beauty and loses its own color.
On its trunk, there are huge unknown vines winding up, dotted with lavender light; among the vines, blue and green fireflies are dancing leisurely; around it are huge fluorescent mushrooms floating, emitting orange-yellow light, like beautiful bright lanterns hanging in the air; in the air, high-concentration leptons of various elements gently collide, making an illusory ringing sound; many animals that Beichen has never seen are running and jumping near its roots, as if they are attached to the warm light.
"……ah……"
Black Fate cried out in a trembling voice.
His whole body was trembling because of it. His breathing became rapid and joyful. His blood seemed to be beating along with the veins in the huge tree trunk. His body temperature slowly rose, as if he had returned to the time before birth and was sleeping in the embrace of the Star Spirit Mine.
It was a resonance that came from deep within my soul—even though it was the first time I saw it, it felt as if I had been connected to it since birth.
Tears flowed uncontrollably from his eyes. Heihuo made a shameful sound and turned to look at Su Jie, hoping that he had not been seen - but he found that not only Su Jie, but also Xiang Ying, Long Yun and Naraka were the same as him, staring blankly at the towering tree in front of them, tears streaming down their faces unconsciously.
He seemed to understand a little bit what was going on.
──Perhaps, this is the joy and emotion that humans feel when they see their parents after a long absence.
The giant dragon let out a soft roar, circled around the huge tree trunk, then chose a huge tree root that was above the ground, slowly flapped its wings, and landed.
Beichen was still in shock, and was carried down from the dragon's back by Gu Yinyue. Then he suddenly came to his senses, grabbed the shrunken Ragnarl's tail, and shook it excitedly.
“Ragnar, Ragnar!… Is this where you were born?!”
"Don't get too excited. And don't give me a nickname just for yourself." The giant dragon swung the tip of its tail in amusement, and it just happened to hit Beichen's chin, startling her so much that she screamed and took a few steps back.
The dragon then looked up at the giant tree that towered into the clouds.
"...Yes. This is my hometown. I was born here, and it's also where I've been sleeping for the past ten thousand years."
"Ah, I asked you where you came from... and you replied... that you came from within Senagard."
"certainly."
Perhaps because it was in front of the Star Mine, the dragon's eyes were very gentle.
"This is the most important place in Senagard... it's not an exaggeration to call it the heart. Little witch, I have brought you to the most important hinterland of this planet. If you don't do something to satisfy me, I will not let you go easily."
Looking at the gentleness in the dragon's eyes and the hidden seriousness and murderous intent, Beichen nodded with the same expression.
"... Don't worry, Ragnar. Just because you trust me... I can't make any promises, but at least I will do my best."
"Um."
The dragon nodded, then turned and jumped onto a taller tree.
"Come on, follow me."
Beichen nodded to the men behind him, and then the group followed the giant dragon and jumped forward among the huge, intertwined roots. After a while, they arrived in front of the real tree trunk - Beichen tilted his neck almost 180 degrees, but still couldn't see its top.
She took a deep breath and reached out to the tree.
"Don't touch it unless you want to be brain dead."
The giant dragon warned in a deep voice, then slowly lowered its huge head and pressed its forehead against the tree trunk. After being silent for nearly ten minutes, the giant dragon raised its head, blinked tiredly, and turned to look at Beichen.
"I convinced it. ...Come over here."
"Master—"
Beichen was about to step forward, but Xiangying stepped forward with some concern and held Beichen back. He looked at the soft light emanating from the tree, then turned to ask Ragnarl:
"…What does brain death mean?"
"Wanzuzan Zhakalla—the memories and emotions within it, the ability to think in parallel with multiple thought organs operating simultaneously, and the powerful pulses of astral spiritual power—any of these could directly paralyze the brain of any fragile creature attempting to communicate with it."
"So, so perverted?! Then don't take the risk!"
Heihuo and Sujie's expressions changed immediately, and each of them hugged Beichen in their arms.
"That's right! Forget it, forget it. What if something happens to the little loach?"
The dragon rolled his eyes:
"That's why I persuaded it to temporarily shut down some of its thinking organs, leaving only one, and then suppress its emotions and the overflow of its astral spirit power. Although Master Wanzu hates humans, since the Red Moon Priestess has a request for it that concerns the future of the world, it is still willing to listen to it reluctantly. Of course, there are conditions in exchange."
“Huh…?”
"Go talk to it and you'll find out."
"But, Master—"
Xiang Ying still looked worried, but Gu Yinyue reached out and patted Xiang Ying's shoulder:
"Believe in your master. She's someone who can even defeat the addiction to Blood Epiphyllum Dew. No mental attack in this world can defeat her. ...Is that right?"
When he said the last sentence, Gu Yinyue's eyes moved from Xiang Ying to Beichen.
"...Yash Tuling, who has survived countless hardships to this day...could not possibly have fallen in such a beautiful and gentle place."
Seeing the encouragement and trust in Gu Yinyue's eyes, Beichen felt warm in his heart and nodded vigorously with a smile.
"Yeah... I've been through all sorts of things—I've even been through a threesome, so that's nothing."
As he said this, he turned around and rubbed the clothes on Ying's chest affectionately.
"Don't worry, even if it's the heart of this world, I won't lose. I'm the contractor of the first combat weapon, right?"
"……Um."
The worry and confusion in Xiang Ying's eyes gradually faded away, replaced by a hint of confidence.
──It doesn’t matter. Even if something really happens to the master, I should be able to protect her now──No, I should, I must!
"...I say, no one's complaining about Little Loach's line 'I even survived a threesome'... At a time like this, they should have said something like 'I've even died before'..."
Su Jie muttered something to the side, and Hei Huo nodded with a complaining look on his face:
"That's right, you're making us sound like perverts—you're clearly enjoying it too..."
“Wow wow wow!”
Beichen interrupted Heihuo with a blushing face, then walked up to hug both of them, smiling a little embarrassedly.
"...Yeah, I've even died before...so wait for my good news. The same goes for Longyun and Naraka. Don't look at me like that. I'll be asking you to guard me while I talk to this Wanzu."
“Oh oh!”
Longyun pretended to be cheerful and struck a ridiculous bodybuilding pose. Naraka on the side kicked him, then nodded seriously to Beichen:
"...You now represent all of humanity. ...I believe you will succeed, so go for it."
"Um!!"
With Naraka's encouraging smile, Beichen turned around, walked to the tree, took a deep breath, and then slowly placed his hand on it.
Boom! !
With a huge feeling of suffocation as if jumping into water from a height, Beichen felt that something - like a living cable, connected his consciousness with the huge tree trunk through his hands.
His breathing was interrupted for a few seconds, his vision was completely blocked, and the light in front of his eyes turned into a soft warm yellow light. Beichen felt as if he was floating in a breathable ocean. His hands and feet could not move, but he did not feel very uncomfortable. His whole body felt light and he had a wonderful sense of stability.
Not long after, a slightly dazzling ball of light appeared before my eyes.
The ball of light floated in front of Beichen and paused for a few seconds, as if studying her. In the light, something like a thread, with small, glittering tentacles, gently touched Beichen's cheek.
"...Greetings...Respected...Lord Wanzuzan Zhekalla."
"Hello. "
"But there's no need to apply the etiquette of the human world to me. It's useless to me."
"Are you the Red Moon Priestess?"
"It's a beautiful color."
"Ragnart said you had something to ask me?"
"Is it possible that they are planning to start a catastrophe with me?"
"If that's the case, it only means that the Red Moon Priestess this time is truly hopelessly stupid."
Within seconds, deep, neutral voices, coming from all directions, combined into several sentences, simultaneously entered Qi Beichen's mind. Despite her best efforts, she couldn't decipher all the words, only vaguely judging that they formed a connected sentence.
──It turns out that even with only one thinking organ left, the strength of Wan Zu's thinking function is incomparable to that of the human brain.
Seeing Beichen in a daze, the ball of light in front of her sighed helplessly and repeated all the words she had just said in order. This time Beichen understood, and she quickly shook her head.
"I'm not trying to cause a catastrophe through you. This visit to you is actually a very personal request."
Beichen had just finished speaking when the light ball connected without any pause.
"Well, you certainly didn't lie to me."
"Although this may be considered rude from a human perspective, I checked your memory just in case, and it's clear that you are standing firmly on the side of a guardian."
"It's very interesting. Even the natives of this world haven't been so resolute as to challenge this prophecy of the end of the world. Why do you, a miko, stand up and oppose it?"
"You want me to revive your knight, right? To have him return to your side in the form of a transformed weapon?"
"This goes against the laws of biology, you should know. Things that are meant to die, when their lifespan ends, should die. Why do humans so reject and fear death? Isn't that the end that every living thing must face?"
"But it's understandable. After all, it's not the first or second time that humans have attempted to break the rules for their own desires."
"Besides, the knight's death will indeed make you feel unwilling."
"Is this the love you humans often talk about?"
"I think my estimate was correct. So I understand. I, too, have feelings like 'love'."
"I'm not incapable of compromise. Since ancient times, theorems have existed to be broken by the strong."
"Well, so I can promise you."
“…”
Beichen twitched her lips and was stunned again - with so many sentences being said at the same time, she could tell that one of them was weird!
The light ball sighed again and slowly repeated what he had just said in order.
Beichen twitched his mouth again.
——It's so convenient to talk to this Wanzu.
I had only said two sentences, but he had already said everything he needed to say—even her part!!
Beichen was feeling miserable here, while Wanzu started talking again.
"But I have a trade-off here."
"Although I seem to be at the top of this world, there are many things I cannot do."
"Actually, my position is quite awkward."
"There are some things—perhaps you are indeed a good person to help."
"How about this, let's call it a 'trade' in the human world, and exchange labor?"
"Don't worry, I'm not offering any assistance that would conflict with your moral values."
"Please consider this."
“…”
Beichen was silent.
The ball of light also fell silent.
"...Um, I apologize for my stupidity... Could you please... say it again?"
"……All right. "
I don’t know if it was an illusion, but there was a hint of fatigue, helplessness and contempt in Wan Zu’s voice.
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