Chapter 556 Dust to Dust
"Shatas!"
Angel exclaimed. She wanted to grab the elf singer closest to her, but she was worried that this little touch would accelerate the other's aging. The latter seemed not to hear the cry, but turned her tearful eyes to Mobet beside him.
This nobleman of the Solomon Empire in the Fourth Epoch had his flaxen hair turned gray, his face was covered in wrinkles, and his eyes were rapidly becoming cloudy, making it difficult for him to see clearly.
But he also looked at his lover who had accompanied him for a thousand years in "Groselle's Travels", and his eyes reflected the other person's old face.
There was no need for words at this moment, both of them understood what was happening to them. They did not waste any energy, but held their hands tighter and hugged each other.
It was obviously their first meeting in "reality".
Bang.
Behind Mobet, Longzel sat down weakly on a reclining chair. His old body no longer had the strength to support his black armor. His drooping eyelids quickly covered his eyes. The hand holding the sword slowly loosened, and the black sword fell to the wooden floor. The surface was mottled, as if it had experienced a hundred years.
The last move of the Loen soldier was to turn his neck and face north.
That direction was Backlund, the home he had left 165 years ago.
The calmest one, who might have even anticipated his own end, was the ascetic Snowman. He knelt gently, facing the wall, stretched out his scarred hand, drew a cross on his chest, and chanted:
"The Father of all things, the great Source...
“May the pure souls here enter your kingdom and receive your salvation, even if they are not your believers…”
His voice became lower and lower, and his back became hunched.
Watching all this, Groselle squatted down weakly, sat back, smashed two chairs, pushed away the desk, and leaned against the bookshelf.
His distinctive single vertical eye was closed, wrinkles bulging around his eyelids, his hands hung at his sides, and his mouth was open as if he wanted to say something.
But in the end, he didn't utter a single syllable.
"Groselle, Siatas..."
Angel stared in amazement as his teammates, who had just been chatting and laughing, fell one by one. He suddenly remembered the hesitation and worry he had felt when he left Groselle's Travels.
These people entered the books and became part of the story long before Edwina and others. They were "historical figures" from 165 years ago at the latest, and some could even be traced back to the era before the Cataclysm.
They should have died and decayed long ago, but that magical item temporarily kept them inside, unaffected by time. But once the "story" was completed and they returned to reality, the power of time would immediately act upon everyone...
As if to verify her thoughts, the flesh, blood and clothes of the giant who fell in the corner and stopped breathing quickly rotted and disappeared, leaving only gray-white bones. His soul disappeared almost instantly and could not be detected.
The same thing happened to the others. Snowman's white robe, Mobet's asymmetrical clothes, and Siatas's hunting suit had decayed to ashes, piled together with the fragile remains that had endured millennia. Light flickered within, and Beyonder characteristics began to gather at an astonishing speed.
Only the black armor on Longzel's body, which was more than a hundred years old, has withstood the test of time. The black paint on the surface has peeled off, the iron armor has rusted, and pieces have fallen off. Inside them, a withered skeleton is still sitting upright, looking towards the north.
Unlike the others, the "Punishment Knight" Longzel did not exhibit any Beyonder characteristics. This reminded Angel of the relevant description in "Groselle's Travels" - this Loen soldier was not yet a Beyonder when he joined the team, but grew step by step with everyone's help.
Everything changed in less than a minute. The others were completely caught off guard and could only watch helplessly as everything unfolded. Klein had several thoughts: revealing part of his identity, dragging them into the gray fog to try and save their lives, or perhaps maintaining his body through "puppetization" and waiting to be rescued later...
But these methods all take time, and their time has long gone with the wind.
"I should have realized this earlier. This way we can keep them in the book until we find a way, and then..."
Angel muttered, deeply regretting not catching that glimmer of caution earlier.
"'Groselle's Travels' seems to be intent on completing this story. It gathers all who enter, and once those strong enough to challenge the 'King of the North', a decisive battle will immediately begin. After the story concludes, there's no point for us 'protagonists' to stay. No matter what, it will drive everyone away..."
Edwina explained softly, a hint of sadness in her eyes.
The tendency to write stories... Angel immediately thought of the Sealed Artifact 0-08 that caused the Tingen Disaster. The quill also had this characteristic.
Could it be that "Groselle's Travels" is also a magical item of the "audience" path?
Bang! The last piece of armor fell to the ground, and only five silent people were left in the captain's room.
Next, they quietly waited for the Beyonder Characteristics to gradually take shape. After being washed away by the passage of time, their corpses no longer underwent any additional changes. Angel's greatest fear of "no remains left" did not occur.
But when her eyes swept over the remains of Siatas and Mobet, who were kneeling and hugging each other, she still felt a sharp pain in her chest, and her hand secretly reached for Klein's arm beside her. The latter, regardless of his image as a "crazy adventurer," shook her hand, just as Mobet and Siatas had done when they first returned to reality.
He could feel the surprised looks from Edwina and others behind him, but even Anderson did not speak to ruin the atmosphere at this time.
Ten minutes later, four extraordinary characteristics appeared in the captain's cabin of the "Golden Dream". Based on previous communication and combat abilities, Angel knew that they belonged to the "Guardian", "Ocean Singer", "Dream Thief" and "Priest of Light" respectively.
Normally, after a not-too-difficult battle, obtaining four Sequence 5 Beyonder characteristics would be considered a "huge win," something one could brag about for three days and three nights. However, not a single person still alive could even laugh.
"Well, stop staring at us. Let's divide up the Beyonder characteristics."
Anderson was the first to break the silence. This inappropriate remark was instantly met with angry glares from the two female companions. If Angel had not been spiritually exhausted, he would have even had the urge to hang him out of the window.
"I think this is also their wish. It's better to give the extraordinary characteristics to teammates who have fought together than to bury them underground and wait for others to dig them out..."
The "strongest hunter" who became the target of public criticism smiled bitterly and explained.
"Also, besides the Beyonder characteristics, the remains must also be sent to where they belong... Siatas misses her people dearly, so she can be buried next to the elven ruins on Sonia Island. As for Mobet, the Solomon Empire no longer exists, so I don't think he'd want to return to the Inter-Sea. Let's bury him next to Siatas... I quite like this talkative person.
"Longzel is the easiest. Backlund should have many veterans' cemeteries, but Groselle's Giant King's Court is just a legend. Snowman believes in the ancient sun god, the original creator, who doesn't even have a church..."
At this point, Anderson got stuck.
"Leave Groselle and Snowman's ashes to me. I'll find a solution."
Angel interjected that she thought this matter could be entrusted to Mr. "Sun" in the God-forsaken Land. The Silver City where he was had always had plans to explore the "Giant King's Court", and they also believed in the Creator mentioned by Snowman, so perhaps they could find a place to bury this ascetic monk.
"Longzel is under my charge."
Klein briefly stated that after being promoted to "Master of Secret Puppetry," he had the idea of returning to Backlund.
"Then I will bury Siatas and Mobet. My ship often goes to Sonia Island."
Edwina pursed her lips and looked at the pile of lovers' remains.
After "dividing" the five deceased, no matter how reluctant they were, the topic inevitably turned to the distribution of Beyonder characteristics.
Angel looked around and found that there were only four copies of the characteristics, but there were five people present.
Well, if the distribution is based on contribution, Danitz would probably have to return empty-handed. But he did take the risk to be the first to enter Groselle's Travels to explore the way, which is not good... Angel's eyes moved back and forth between the Beyonder characteristics on the table and the other people, and suddenly met Edwina's light blue eyes.
She might have noticed my doubts... Angel secretly looked away and simply stopped thinking about this difficult decision. He prepared to listen to other people's opinions first.
Unexpectedly, Lieutenant General Iceberg spoke directly:
"There are only four copies of Beyonder Characteristics here, and I think everyone has the right to be allocated one." She glanced at Danitz, who had been silent since leaving the book world. "So, I will include 'Groselle's Travels' as well... In addition, as a thank you for your help, I will give each of you three a reward of 1,000 pounds."
She had said last time that this travelogue would cost 8,000 pounds, which was basically equivalent to a Sequence 5 Beyonder trait. So after adding it, there would be just enough for one person... Was she worried that with only four Beyonders, Danitz would inevitably be left out, and that after being unable to participate in the battle, his sensitive heart would be hurt again?
Angel thought about it and shook his head.
"You and Groselle alone can defeat the 'King of the North'."
"I trust the judgment of this magical item. The Frost Dragon didn't appear until you joined us. This means that if we face it alone, we will die... The overwhelming cold alone will kill everyone, not to mention its final frantic struggle."
Edwina analyzed, and quickly let Angel, Klein, and Anderson accept the extra "reward."
"Then, regarding the allocation of Beyonder characteristics..."
Angel looked at the desk, his eyes fixed on the characteristics left by the "Ocean Singer" Xiatas. It was as transparent as a jellyfish, with blue sea water wrapped inside. Whirlpools and lightning appeared from time to time, and singing could be heard.
If she had to choose freely, her first target would definitely be this characteristic.
"I won't use that book. I don't want to accidentally drop a few drops of blood on it and then find myself back in the icy plains facing the 'King of the North'. Without Grossel, I'll just become dragon excrement, not a dragon slayer... I'll choose this one. It's quite my style."
Anderson chuckled, gave up the most special item, pointed to the baby-hand-like features left by the "Dream Thief" Mobet, and chose his own spoils.
"I choose Siatas."
Angel said quickly, gathering the characteristics of the jellyfish's appearance in front of him.
"Snowman's 'Priest of Light'." Edwina looked at a pure, shining crystal that exuded a sacred aura.
She voluntarily handed over "Groselle's Travels" and naturally had no intention of taking it back.
I'm afraid that after going through all this, this studious pirate general has also suffered a great deal of psychological trauma.
"Then I'll take this travelogue."
Klein nodded and reached out to press his hand on the brown cover.
The last remaining ball was the size of a fist, like a heart riddled with holes, with the "Guardian" attribute glowing with the morning light. Everyone turned their eyes to "Flame" Danitz.
"Captain, I... I didn't do anything..."
Danitz woke up as if from a dream and shook his head repeatedly in refusal.
"You contacted German and Angelica, explored the route, and took the corresponding risks. Your contribution doesn't just come from participating in the battle... Besides, isn't this an opportunity for you and the captain to grow closer?"
The one who persuaded him was Anderson, who had a strange smile on his face. He seemed to have come out of the brief negative mood after the death of his teammate and patted Danitz on the shoulder.
"Take it." Edwina also said, ignoring Anderson's teasing.
After staring at his captain for a moment, Danitz nodded heavily and took the last Beyonder characteristic.
This legacy of the giant guardian seemed to give him extra strength, allowing him to no longer bend his back and lower his head in front of his captain.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
