The Little Knight advanced, holding the Lumafly Lantern he had bought from the merchant Sly. Every few steps, he would see a six-holed mask statue; some were of Herrah, others of the Weaver.
On the way, he encountered a Stalking Devout. The Little Knight did not yet have the Shade Cloak, making it difficult to evade the beast's attacks. However, while the Stalking Devout was dormant, he quickly jumped onto its back and fiercely slashed with his Nail.
The Stalking Devout was completely unprotected against attacks on its back. It ran about in vain, eventually being cut open and bleeding to death.
Whenever they reached a fork in the road, they went upwards. After several repetitions, they arrived at a spacious area.
Candles were scattered everywhere, and in the center was a raised platform. On the platform was a stone bed, with long drapes hanging from the ceiling. A beam of light streamed in from a skylight, illuminating the stone bed and the figure lying upon it.
It was fat and bloated, with a bulging abdomen, exuding a primitive, beautiful, and sacred reproductive aura. The six-holed mask on its face was the source of faith for all creatures in Deepnest.
The Little Knight walked onto the platform, to the side of the stone bed, and swung his Dream Nail, cutting across Herrah's sleeping body.
Grand and magnificent dream light spread everywhere, mesmerizing Simon. In the blink of an eye, the Little Knight was already lying on the ground; he had entered Herrah's dream.
Hornet, who had arrived here at some unknown time, emerged from a dark corner, passed Simon, and stood on the platform, gazing deeply at Herrah, her mother.
Time flowed, and Herrah's body gradually faded, as if dissolved by light, seeping into nothingness.
Hornet stepped back a few paces and stood firm.
Simon vaguely heard a faint sigh, drowned in the noise, without causing the slightest ripple.
Hornet slowly paced to the edge of the platform and sat down, her red dress spreading out like a blooming flower. She placed one leg flat and crossed the other over it, adopting a very comfortable sitting posture.
She sat at the edge of the skylight's light beam, her slender, moon-like mask illuminated in shifting light and shadow by the faint glow of the candles on the ground.
One of the Dreamers had passed on, and one-third of the seal was broken. The Radiance's will expanded violently, covering the entire Hallownest. Simon looked up, gazing in one direction, from which a faint sense of danger emanated.
Soon after, the Little Knight, having absorbed Herrah's will, awoke and slowly rose from the ground. He walked to Hornet's side, waiting quietly, always ready to listen.
"It seems you have eliminated that beast… taking another step closer to your fated goal." Hornet tilted her head, looking at the Vessel. Her tone was still calm and composed, but Simon felt that calling her own mother a beast might be a bit disrespectful.
"I will not hinder this, but standing by idly still causes me some pain."
The Little Knight shook his head slightly.
Hornet's tone was serious, "What? You may think I am harsh, but I am not entirely cold-blooded." She paused, as if to treat her next words with solemnity, "We cannot choose our mothers, nor can we choose the circumstances of our birth. Despite all the flaws in this world, I am grateful to her for giving me life. This is a debt I owe her. Only by letting her rest in peace and taking on the burden of the future from her hands can I begin to repay it." Saying these words seemed to have taken a great deal of her strength. She turned her head away, staring blankly at the statues on the wall.
The Little Knight swung his Dream Nail, cutting across Hornet, to discern her true thoughts.
Although Simon could not see the content, he silently recalled Hornet's dream-speech, "Mother… forgive my inaction… but perhaps we can choose another path…"
Hornet could undoubtedly sacrifice her life to seal The Radiance, even becoming a new Dreamer, accompanying solitude and madness through long ages, but this was not what she wished to see.
Simon, deeply impressed by this scene, remained silent. He knew that Hornet was resolute, and she also yearned for the Little Knight to kill The Radiance, to put an end to the eternal tragedy.
The Little Knight put away his Dream Nail and walked to Simon's side, ready to listen to his instructions.
Simon chose his words carefully and said solemnly, "Next, I suggest you go to the Abyss at the bottom of the Ancient Basin. Use the king's brand to open the gate. You will find something at the bottom of the Abyss, but there's no need to rush too much; the seal is still relatively stable for now. You can thoroughly explore Deepnest; there are still some items worth collecting." He paused, "Once I have settled the swarm that came to Deepnest, I will go to the archive of Teacher Monomon. You can find me there, and at that time, I will tell you all the information you should know."
After hearing his words, the Little Knight suddenly swung his Dream Nail at Simon.
Simon did not resist.
The light pierced his body, with no unusual sensation.
A hallucination appeared before his eyes: a pure white and tall knight walking on a clear lake, bowing his head to meet Simon's gaze from beneath the surface.
Simon sighed softly, his voice echoing through the water, becoming ethereal, "Rebel against fate, why are you so impatient? Before I face the ultimate challenge, the tragedy will surely unfold."
The Little Knight put away his Nail and left Herrah's chambers through another passage.
Simon felt a little tired but still braced himself, preparing to go to the station to arrange matters. Before leaving, he took one last look at Hornet; she sat there so solitarily at the edge of the platform, gently swinging her legs, looking neither sad nor happy.
One must learn to fight with oneself.
Fighting with one's emotions, one's ideas, one's thoughts, all must be fought.
Until breaking free, then starting the next round of fighting. It will never stop. This is growing up.
Simon knew that no one could help her through such an experience. Fortunately, Hornet was a strong enough warrior.
...
Leading the Foolish Followers, following the Stag Beetle's footsteps, they ran all the way from Deepnest to Dirtmouth.
Many insects had already gathered here, of various races. Their arrival revitalized this decaying small town. Lights were everywhere, and strange insect languages rose and fell, noisy but vibrant, filling one with joy, especially in these times of hardship.
Simon announced that Deepnest had been cleared, then began to lead those insects interested in seeking refuge in Deepnest, through the Stag Beetle tunnels, directly to that distant village.
After leading the group back and forth several times and confirming the safety of the route, Simon handed this repetitive task over to the Foolish Followers.
The Stag Beetle had been diligently leading the way without complaint, finally getting some rest not long ago, because the map merchant couple in Dirtmouth had already recorded the travel routes. Now, any insect could go to Deepnest on their own simply by buying a map from them.
Simon chatted with the map merchant Cornifer for a few moments, learning that he had traveled all over Hallownest and drawn maps of all regions.
"That's truly remarkable work! Then give me a map of the Ancient Basin and Fog Canyon!"
"Buy the map from my wife. Now, I need a good long sleep. It's been a long time since I've been out for so long; I'm truly exhausted!" The scholarly male mosquito, Cornifer, yawned, took off his glasses, rubbed his eyes, and went off to rest on his own.
--+--
T/N: Although I'm an inexperienced Editor, I do have a Patreon account! Although it seems like I don't have many supporters right now, my webnovel will be released in full every day, and the advanced chapters will be uploaded to Patreon.
It may not be worth it now, but who knows, it might be different in the future. Who knows!
patreon.com/Greyhounds
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