The great demon Sasloka.

Duncan felt a vague sense of familiarity, and then he quickly recalled that he had indeed heard this word - he heard it in a casual conversation with Morris a long time ago.

"I remember... this is the name of the 'main god' described in the ancient belief system unique to the elves," he said slowly while thinking, "This demon god has the ability to control dreams and soul wandering. In your legend, this great demon god is even related to the opening of the current 'Deep Sea Age' -"

"Yes, Captain Duncan," Taran El nodded. "According to the descriptions in those ancient legends, the world was originally a dream, created by the great demon god Sasloka in a state of half-sleep and half-wakefulness. The elves are the inhabitants born in the dream. Our innate mission is to serve Sasloka in the dream and prolong His sleep as much as possible to prevent the whole world from ushering in the end of the world due to the awakening of the great demon god."

Lucrecia, who was standing by, listened attentively. As a learned person, she was obviously familiar with the ancient and strange "heresy legends" of the elves, which were completely different from the mainstream beliefs today. At this time, she couldn't help but interrupt: "But Sasloka is destined to wake up - this is also part of the legend."

"Yes, the Great Demon is destined to awaken, and His awakening means the end of the world," Taran El nodded again and continued, "In most... less mainstream belief systems, there are similar 'end of the world prophecies', but in most cases they are just a warning, a deterrent to believers, used to enhance their persuasiveness and control over believers. The legends of the elves are not like this. In the legends of the elves, this 'end of the world' has already happened.

"Legend has it that the end of the world begins with a nightmare. The Great Demon saw a flood coming because of the nightmare, so the elves' long-term comfort lost its effect. He woke up in shock, and the flood leaked from his dream into the real world and turned into a vast ocean...

"After that, the great demon god Saslokain awakened and disappeared, and the elves could no longer return to that peaceful dream world. They could only survive in the vast ocean after the flood. This is the explanation of the 'Age of the Deep Sea' in the elven version of the myth."

Taran Eyre's narration of the legend was not much different from what Morris had said originally, except for some additional details. After the elven scholar finished speaking, Duncan showed a thoughtful expression.

After a few seconds, he broke the silence with a deep voice: "Your creation myth and doomsday prophecy all revolve around the element of 'dream'."

"Yes, in the culture of the elves, 'dream' has always been a very important concept," Taran El nodded, "We believe that dreams and reality are two different worlds, both of which are real and can influence each other. Falling asleep and waking up is the process of traveling between the two worlds - or in a more traditional way, it is a 'journey without a home'."

He paused for a moment, organized his words, and continued, "Speaking of this, let me mention something off topic - there is a special congenital disease among the elves called 'Dreamless'."

Duncan frowned: "Dreamless?"

"Literally, it means people who are born unable to dream," Taran El explained. "Dreaming is the instinct of mortals. In our opinion, dreaming is like death, which cannot be controlled or avoided. Of course, some people dream more, some dream less, and some even think they don't dream - but research has shown that these people just have dreams that are too short or too shallow, so that they can't remember their dreams at all after waking up. They still dream...

"But 'dreamless people' are completely different from the above situation - they really don't dream.

"The sleep of dreamless people is pale. After they fall asleep, there is only emptiness and chaos. Their consciousness seems to jump directly through the entire sleep process, and no skilled psychiatrist or priest can find any trace of their dreams.

"This condition of not being able to dream at all only occurs among the elves. The chance of developing this condition is about one in ten thousand. It is congenital and cannot be cured."

Upon hearing this, Duncan couldn't help but sigh: "...In a race that places great importance on 'dreams', dreamers will definitely be treated specially."

"Yes, in the eyes of most elves, the pale and empty sleep of the Dreamless is dangerous, strange, and even scary. In history, there have indeed been many unfair treatments against the Dreamless, but most of that was before the old city-state era," Taran El waved his hand. "Now we don't specifically target or discriminate against the Dreamless, but as you said, the influence of traditional culture is still there, and they will more or less receive some... special treatment."

Duncan listened to the unique culture and legends of the elves that were difficult for foreigners to understand. After the great scholar finished speaking, he thought for a moment and slowly said, "But among the many legends and records about dreams, there is only one that does not mention 'The Dream of the Nameless'."

"One possible explanation is that 'The Dream of the Nameless' is just a name given by those cultists, and the object it corresponds to has another name in elven culture," Taran El said. "This situation is very common - the elven cultural system is ancient and profound, and some of the things that have been passed down are often misunderstood and processed by foreigners. We can't expect a race with an average lifespan of less than a hundred years to understand whether a container with a history of seven thousand years is for holding wine or fetching water."

Lucrecia had been thinking silently nearby. When she heard the great scholar's words, she suddenly raised her head and said, "If it is 'another name', then could the so-called Dream of the Nameless One refer to the dream created by the great demon god Sasloka in the elven legend?"

"The old world?" Taran El frowned, but soon shook his head. "The dream created by Sasloka is just a legend. There is no real evidence to prove that it really existed. Even if it existed, it must have been shattered and dissipated in this 'Deep Sea Age'..."

"But you and another elf far away in Plunder did fall into a huge and strange 'dream' at the same time," Duncan reminded, "Have you forgotten the endless forest?"

"...I did think of it," Taran El hesitated, still choosing his words carefully, "We can make such a bold assumption...but we must verify it with sufficient evidence. If that dream is really the legendary 'Dream of Sasloka', the 'World of Origin'..."

"It's not just the elven society that will be shaken," Lucrecia said calmly, "it will also shake the academic community of the entire world."

"Yes, the whole world," Taran El said solemnly, "This means that among countless speculations and contradictory historical records, a 'record' about the history before the Great Annihilation has finally been verified. Even if we still cannot break through the black wall of history that stood ten thousand years ago, a crack has appeared in that wall, allowing us to glimpse the fleeting glimpses before the deep sea era."

Of course, Duncan had thought of this, but he did not interrupt. Instead, he thought silently. After a long time, he spoke with a hint of curiosity: "Are there any more detailed legends about the 'Great Demon God Sasloka'?"

"'Legends' are mostly vague and contradictory. Even a race like the elves with a stable and complete heritage cannot avoid this," Taran El said slowly. "In most legends, Sasloka is described as a giant dressed as a shepherd, holding a staff that can measure the world, but some stories describe him as a huge male goat. The Epic of Bran Maar stored in the city-state of Moko says that he has no body and can change into any appearance according to the imagination of the audience. He is the 'reflection' of the most majestic and awe-inspiring posture in the minds of mortals...

"But no matter which legend it is, there is one thing in common: Sasloka lives at the foot of the giant tree 'Silantis', and the giant tree 'Silantis' is the first plant born in the entire world. Sasloka created it in his dream as his home. Because of loneliness, he shook the branches of Silantis violently, causing the dust, fruits, and leaves on the tree to fall off. Those that fell turned into various things in the world.

"The dust that fell from the World Tree turned into mountains, rivers, and minerals. The branches and leaves of Silandris turned into various birds, beasts, flowers, birds, fish, and insects. The fruits of Silandris turned into the original spirits. The dust will not decay, so the mountains, rivers, and minerals will never decay. The branches, leaves, and fruits will begin to rot after they fall to the ground, so the creatures in the world have a cycle of life and death."

Taran El took a break here, took a sip of the tea that the puppet Luni placed on the table, and continued: "This is the process of the Great Demon God creating various things in the dream, and after this initial "creation" is completed, Sasloka began to patrol His world -

"He walks around Silantis, using his own eyes to determine the rules of all things in the world. He can circle the World Tree once a year, so Silantis withers and flourishes in a yearly cycle, and thus the world has distinct seasons. He returns to the foot of Silantis on the last day of each year. The elves must dress up and go out on this day to show Sasloka their most proud skills and creations. If the Great Demon God feels that those things are good, he will continue to stay in the dream world he created, and the world will continue to exist."

Afterwards, Taran El finally let out a long breath.

"That's all, Captain Duncan."