108. The Truth: Elaina...is...
Everyone watched the white figure with tense anticipation.
The mere presence of this figure gave them an unimaginable sense of security.
Maya gazed at Xiling, her mind involuntarily recalling Elaina's words to her.
"My partner, Xiling... is a very powerful person. Powerful beyond imagination."
"Indeed, powerful beyond imagination."
Facing the gazes of the crowd, Xiling said, "My name is Xiling. It's a pleasure to meet you all. Also, could I please have a word with your leader?"
A figure immediately stepped out from the crowd, a man in a priest's robe, his expression composed. He nodded to Xiling.
"I am Father Garan of the Tranquility Church. I appreciate your help, stranger."
Xiling nodded calmly at Garan.
"You're welcome. Please find a place; I have something I'd like to discuss with you."
Garan remained silent for a moment, then nodded. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, he, Xiling, and Elaina, who floated beside Xiling, walked into the church. He pushed open the door to a room.
Garan gestured for Xiling to enter.
Xiling entered the room, settled Elaina on a sofa, and turned to speak to Garan, who had closed the door, without warning.
"Thank you for your hard work."
The figure in the black priest's robe paused slightly, then turned around, his face reassuringly composed. He entered the room and gestured to two chairs beside a simple wooden table:
"Please sit, Mr. Xiling. We need to discuss your assistance to the town. The Tranquility Church is deeply grateful..."
However, Xiling shook his head and began speaking in a serious tone.
"No need. Tell me where 'it' is!"
A very subtle flicker crossed Garan's eyes, almost imperceptible, and then a perfectly timed look of confusion crossed his face.
"He? Mr. Xiling, do you mean... a resident of our town? Or some... something else?" His brow furrowed slightly, revealing the compassion and concern of a priest that were naturally evident.
Xiling sighed.
"I'm not going to play guessing games with you. This dream that shouldn't exist should come to an end. Tell me, tell me, where is the master who wove all this thing hiding?"
The air seemed to freeze for a few seconds.
Garan sighed, somewhat weakly saying, "So you know everything about this place, right?"
Xiling shook his head.
"I only know about seventy or eighty percent."
"Tsk, so you only understand seventy or eighty percent, not ninety or hundred percent," Garan's voice changed—no longer the solemn, deep preaching tone, but a slick, vulgar swagger.
He didn't even acknowledge Xiling, arrogantly sitting down on the stool, his legs propped up on the table.
Facing Xiling's gaze, Garan snorted coldly.
"Didn't expect that, did you? The leader here, the revered priest, is like this. Damn it!"
"You're not a priest, are you?" Xiling's voice was calm, but certain.
Garan, seemingly angered by Xiling's confident tone, was about to shout when he suddenly remembered something and asked Xiling a question.
"Hey, can you keep the noise from here from getting out?"
Xiling nodded.
"Great," Garan nodded with a smile, then the next second, he overturned the entire table! And then he started cursing.
"Fuck fuck fuck, yeah, like you said, I'm clearly not a priest, I'm just a regular con artist. I only ate a few meals from him, and I had to be a priest in his place for over two years, a full two years! Every day I have to imitate that old bastard's voice in a high-pitched voice!"
He then imitated the priest's compassionate tone, but with a chilling irony:
"Children, the Lord grants us peace… lost lambs…" After imitating, he suddenly grabbed his neck, gagging as if suffocated, his face showing pure physical disgust.
"My own tone! How I curse! How I lie! I've almost fucking forgotten it all! Fuck! Fuck!!"
The man continued to curse and kick the overturned table, as if kicking a certain figure, his pent-up resentment and anger exploding at this moment.
Time slowly passed amidst the torrent of profanities and the dull thuds of kicking.
Finally, the storm subsided.
The man slid down onto the sofa, panting heavily, his chest heaving. He raised a hand to cover his eyes, his shoulders trembling slightly. As the hand slowly slid down, the furious, thuggish mask on his face vanished, replaced by a deep-seated weariness. His eyes stared blankly at the shadows of the ceiling.
His voice changed, reverting to Father Garan's distinctive tone, but this time, it was tinged with an unspeakable despondency:
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry you had to see this, Mr. Xiling."
Xiling calmly shook his head. The broken table, which had fallen to the floor, began to return to its original state slowly. Xiling sat down next to the sofa where Elaina had been lying, facing Garan. Xiling then asked softly, "Then, could you please tell me what you know?"
Garan took a deep breath.
"Of course, I'll tell you everything I know."
"My name is Garan, I'm a priest... no... my name is Lanster, I'm a con artist. And I'm about to start lying."
The origin of everything: Moonshadow Lake, the rising moon of another beginning.
It all started three years ago.
As a con artist, he was universally despised. Whether it was true or false, his words were solely for the purpose of gaining your trust and then extracting what he desired from your pocket.
But even the best can make mistakes. When he first arrived in Moon Town, he encountered a seemingly wealthy magician. Unfortunately, his con was discovered before it even began, and the magician severely beat him and then stole all his valuables.
Passersby showed no sympathy for a con artist, not even the law enforcement. They might even arrest him, because no con artist is innocent.
Just as he gritted his teeth, determined to endure the next few days, he met the person who would change his life.
Father Garan of the Tranquility Church.
He appeared as if guided by fate. He carried him, the con artist, back to the church, promising to take care of him until he was fully healed. However, there was one condition—once he recovered, he mustn't engage in fraudulent activity again.
Of course, he agreed.
However...
It was fraud, after all.
He hadn't expected his injury to be so serious. It showed no signs of healing for a whole week, but thankfully, he could barely get out of bed. The priest was even happy for him back then.
He didn't know what the priest was happy about.
Speaking of which, something seems to have happened in town lately; the priest seems to be in a constant rush.
Another week passed in a flash. His injury still hadn't healed, and he could only see the priest almost every night. He was swamped. Are all priests this busy?
He doesn't think he's seen him smile again.
Speaking of which, why is the priest always wearing a long robe lately? It's so hot; even a superhuman would want to stay cool.
Once, he asked him out of curiosity, and he just smiled and shook his head.
Fine, he doesn't care. He doesn't care anyway. Once he is fully healed, he'll leave.
A few more days passed.
He actually came to ask him when he was leaving?
Hey, didn't you promise to take care of him until he was healed? Although it looks like he's cured, he was actually not healed at all.
Of course...it was just a lie.
He was going to freeload off him.
The priest was very anxious and urged him to leave, as if something was about to happen. He left.
It was just a lie.
He left and came back. The priest definitely didn't expect that.
... And he didn't expect it either.
That very night, everything changed.
As the moonlight shone on the earth, he saw some people disappear in the moonlight. A bad premonition welled up in his heart.
Why is Moon Town called Moon Town?
Because the moon can be seen from this town, it is exceptionally beautiful. Almost every household in the town has a glass window in their ceiling to watch the moon. Perhaps no one would have imagined that the moonlight that night would be the beginning of a tragedy.
He deceived the moonlight.
He came to the church, and he saw the whole truth.
In a remote town, a priest in a church was a Tier 0 strongman.
But what struck him even more unbelievably was that this Tier 0 strongman was trembling before a strange figure, gritting his teeth and persevering.
What kind of monster was that?
His appearance seemed to break the stalemate.
Then, in the next second, he fell asleep.
When he awoke again, the priest was before him.
He told him the whole truth, hoping that he would con him once and become him.
Then the priest died.
And he became Garan.
A dream-like deception began.
He told everyone that he was Garan.
He told everyone that this was reality.
He told everyone that as long as we held onto hope and persevered, we would surely see the dawn!
Again and again, with his words, his expression, the way he dressed in his priest's robes, he imitated Garan's tone… with the entire soul of a con artist, he believed and persuaded!
A miracle… or rather, a reality created by the combined wishes of over 40,000 people and his deceptive power… appeared.
Thus, infused with the intense, pure faith of over 40,000 people, he truly became Father Garan.
This meticulously woven dream of lies overshadowed reality, distorted the rules, and became a new reality. Souls that should have vanished in the moonlight, corrupted and perished by the power of the ancient god, survived in this dream called reality.
And that last sentence, in itself, is not a deception. It is the anchor he planted, the most real part of the entire deception, the lighthouse, the lifeline, the only spiritual pillar that prevented these 40,000 people from being completely assimilated and devoured in this ocean of dreams polluted by the ancient god!
As long as they still have hope in their hearts, as long as they haven't given up on themselves and willingly become part of the ancient god, then that ancient god will forever remain only in the dream, forever unable to break free of its shackles and descend into their real world!
However… They all seem to have overlooked something, something crucial.
The Alienation Disease.
Its existence shattered the entire structure.
"It also created the current dream world. That's all I know."
After recounting everything, Lanster—no, Garan—turned his gaze to Xiling.
"This is the whole truth. The entire dream world is filled with the dead, including..." Garan's gaze shifted to the sleeping Elaina.
"...Your companion, who only has half a soul."
"Perhaps there are only two truly alive beings in this entire dream world: one is you, this half-dead person, and the other is that so-called Ancient God."
Garan spread his hands, his movements slow and powerless, like a prisoner who had given up the struggle, displaying invisible shackles.
"So now, as the second person in the know of the truth, having learned all this, what do you have to say?"
Under Garan's gaze, Xiling slowly spoke, "I will save you."
These simple five words, like a pebble thrown into a stagnant pool, failed to stir even the slightest ripple in Garan's eyes. Instead, a hint of pity and helplessness appeared on his face. He shook his head.
"How can you save them? They're all dead! What you see now are merely remnants extracted from the ashes of their existence by the ancient gods, forcibly stuffed into this absurd dream to play a role! Tell me, how are you going to save a group of...shadows that aren't even ghosts?"
Faced with Garan's question, Xiling's gaze remained unwavering. He looked at Garan and said clearly, word by word:
"I will kill it."
"And take away its power."
"Release all those assimilated by It, those imprisoned in this dream..."
Xiling's tone remained flat, but it was no longer a statement, but a declaration.
A declaration of unquestionable resolve, requiring no debate.
When Garan heard Xiling utter what seemed like a fantasy to him, he didn't immediately refute him. Instead, he looked directly into Xiling's calm eyes.
He saw calmness, seriousness, and anger.
Yes, Xiling was angry, but the object of his anger was himself.
Elaina was dead!
She died right beside him!
He had just promised to protect her, yet when the moon rose, all he could do was snatch back a cold, half-dead body.
Garan leaned forward slightly, his tone no longer mocking or desperate, but carrying an unprecedented solemnity and inquiry:
"Are you sure that the person standing before me right now... is conscious?"
Xiling made no unnecessary movements, only a slight, yet substantial, nod.
Garan took a deep breath, that breath seeming to inhale the despair and absurdity of the entire dream.
"So, you not only want to kill an ancient god who is theoretically impossible to kill, but also, after killing it, seize its authority and power? And, use this power to release all those assimilated in this grand dream?"
Garan's gaze was fixed on Xiling. He waited, awaiting a definitive answer.
But Xiling's reply was as calm as stating a given fact:
"I have already killed the real 'It', and taking away its power is not difficult."
The entire room fell silent.
Then—
"Heh...heh...hahahahaha!!!"
Garan suddenly covered his face with both hands! An uncontrollable, maniacal laugh erupted from the depths of his chest! The laughter was sharp, hoarse, and distorted, filled with endless absurdity, pent-up despair, and an ignited, almost hysterical ecstasy!
No one knew what he was laughing at. Was he laughing at Xiling's overconfident arrogance?
Was he laughing at the impossible glimmer of light that had finally appeared in this prison of despair?
Or was he laughing at the absurd arrangement of fate itself?
The laughter continued, echoing in the empty church, sounding particularly eerie and jarring.
Suddenly!
The laughter stopped abruptly! Garan abruptly pulled his hands away from his face! He took a step forward, leaning close to Xiling:
"Good!!! Very good!!!"
"You—all you need to do is kill It! Everything else…" A near-mad grin spread across his lips, his eyes devoid of any hesitation, doubt, or pessimism, only a desperate resolve remained…
"…Leave it all to me!!!"
Xiling frowned, asking, "I need to know what those tasks are."
"No! You don't need to know!" Garan interrupted him decisively, the madness in his eyes settling into a terrifying focus and calm.
"Leave it to me. You must leave it to me! Trust me, I'm a professional!" He took a half-step back, creating some distance, but his imposing aura remained undiminished.
He straightened his back, as if he had donned an invisible priest's robe once more, or perhaps more like the final, magnificent armor of a con artist.
"As long as you..." Garan's voice was low and powerful, like a final vow, his gaze fixed firmly on Xiling's calm eyes, "can do what you said—kill It! And then use the power you seized to resurrect all those assimilated and imprisoned in the dream...then!"
"The rest, leave it to me."
Just as Xiling was gazing at the other person, a voice suddenly rang out in the room.
"Hmm~"
Elaina seemed to wake from a dream and began to shift her body on the sofa. She looked like someone still half-asleep, her brow furrowing as if she found the position uncomfortable. Her hand kept groping towards her head, as if searching for a pillow. Soon, her hand touched something, and she closed her eyes and rested her head on it. The displeasure on her face disappeared, replaced by a look of satisfaction.
Garan, seeing this, said nothing more and walked towards the door. Soon, only Xiling and Elaina, with her head resting on his lap, remained in the room.
Looking at Elaina using his lap as a pillow, an apology appeared in Xiling's calm eyes, and a sigh, almost drowned out by her breath, disappeared into the air.
"I'm sorry, I broke my promise."
...
Elaina felt incredibly comfortable during her sleep, a sense of peace she had never experienced before. A kind, comforting scent surrounded her, and the pillow was exceptionally soft, making her snuggle closer like a kitten. Half-asleep, Elaina opened her eyes and saw a face that brought her comfort.
The witch's mind was clearly still fogged up; lingering sleepiness made her voice unconsciously soft and dependent:
"Good morning~ Xiling~"
"It's already evening, why are you still calling it morning?"
"Is that so?" Elaina mumbled groggily, her consciousness still lingering on the edge of a dream.
She lazily tried to prop herself up from that cherished softness, but her limbs were weak and powerless. She barely managed to lift herself slightly before her body, like a puppet with its strings cut, slumped forward and lightly bumped against Xiling's shoulder.
"Hmm...I feel so tired~" Her voice was muffled, carrying a sense of weakness, like a whine, or more like stating a pitiful fact.
"Then rest a little longer."
"Hmm~"
Having received permission, Elaina immediately and comfortably gave up struggling, leaning her entire weight against that reliable support. She even snuggled comfortably, finding an even more comfortable position, and closed her eyes again, her breathing gradually becoming even.
The room was silent for a few seconds.
Suddenly!
Elaina abruptly opened her eyes! Sleepiness evaporated instantly, as if it had been doused with cold water! Her brain, like rusty gears, made a screeching, grating sound. Everything that had just happened—from searching for a pillow to using his lap as a pillow, and now his shoulder... as the pillow—like a revolving lantern, it rewound and played wildly in her thoughts!
Her gaze, like a stuck spring, moved stiffly, inch by inch, downwards, finally settling on her position, pressed tightly against the other person's body.
The next second, Elaina's body was instantly sprung back as if by an invisible, powerful spring! She practically lurched backwards, sitting upright, frozen on the edge of the sofa! A burning blush spread visibly from her ears, quickly taking over her cheeks and neck, even her small earlobes turning a deep, almost bleeding red!
"!!!" A silent scream exploded in her head, sending chills down her spine!
"What am I doing!" A wave of overwhelming shame and intense self-doubt instantly engulfed her.
She remembered! She remembered everything! Her shameless, almost groveling behavior just now! In front of Xiling! Like a clingy little child! She frantically tugged at her collar and hem, as if that could erase the humiliating scene.
Almost with a masochistic curiosity and a desire for confirmation, she cautiously looked at Xiling again—and then, she saw a damnably understanding and reassuring smile on the other's face!
That smile instantly ignited the fuse of rage within Elaina!
"Hey!" she almost screamed, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, grabbing her wand that had been lying beside her and pointing it at Xiling.
"What's that expression?! What does it mean?!"
Xiling leaned back slightly, avoiding the wand that almost hit his face, and innocently said, "It's called gentle watchfulness."
"You're just laughing at me!"
Unable to cast spells, Elaina raised her fist and slammed it towards Xiling's head. Xiling could only raise his hand, trying to block the witch's terrifying barrage of blows.
However, the witch's power was overwhelming. The hero was forced to retreat and ultimately signed an agreement with the Witch.
[Sign the agreement! From now on, you must unconditionally grant me one request! Any request! No going back on your word!]
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