109. Elaina, Knowing Everything, and Xiling Face the Ancient God
After putting on her equipment, Elaina turned to Xiling.
"So, where is this place?"
"A dream, I suppose." Xiling's tone was no longer indifferent but had returned to its usual normalcy.
"A dream?" Elaina frowned, confirming.
"Yes, it's a dream," Xiling nodded affirmatively, then continued, "Do you remember the Ancient God?"
"Yes, I remember. Didn't you mention it today?" Elaina seemed to have realized something.
"So, what's happening here is related to that ancient god!"
Xiling gave a thumbs up.
"Smart, as expected of a genius witch! That's right, this is the ancient god's dream."
Elaina stroked her chin.
"So it really is related to the moon?"
She remembered briefly losing consciousness after being exposed to moonlight. Something seemed to have happened in between, but she forgot. When she regained consciousness, it was dark. Elaina tried hard to recall what she had forgotten, but quickly gave up.
"Why think so much?" Elaina shook her head, looking at Xiling.
"As long as Xiling is here, he'll definitely resolve things here."
A smile returned to Elaina's face.
"Then, Hero," Elaina playfully gave a slightly awkward bow, "I'll leave the rest to you! By the way," she drew her wand in confusion, "Do you know why my magic is completely unusable here?"
Xiling stroked his chin, feigning thought:
"Hmm... perhaps it's because this dream realm itself doesn't possess magic? After all, this is the consciousness realm of an ancient god; the rules might differ from the real world. I'm also not entirely certain about it." His explanation carried a reasonable speculation.
"Is that so..." Elaina was skeptical, but still put her wand back in its pouch.
"Alright. So, what do you plan to do next?"
Xiling's fingers slowly traced the holy sword at his waist.
"The answer is simple,"
"Find the true master of this dream, and then—destroy it. Only by completely ending this distorted dream can we liberate all the trapped consciousness here."
Upon hearing this, Elaina nodded vigorously, her smile still bright:
"As expected of your plan! Simple and direct. I probably can't be of much help now, so..." Her smile held concern, "Be careful, Xiling."
"Don't worry, I'm a hero, nothing will happen," Xiling responded to her concern with a relaxed and confident smile.
"That's true!" Elaina seemed convinced by Xiling's words. She turned around and walked briskly towards the door.
"Then I'll go out and take a look!"
Elaina's back was full of vitality, her gray hair swaying slightly with her steps, seemingly real enough to be touched. However, Xiling knew that the other was just a dream projection of Elaina in this dream, not the real Elaina. If she were the real Elaina, she wouldn't have forgotten the information about the chat group.
Just as Elaina was about to reach for the door, Xiling's voice rang out.
"Elaina."
Hmm?
Elaina turned her head to look at Xiling in confusion, but seeing Xiling's expression, she became even more confused.
Xiling was smiling, but for some reason, she... felt that Xiling was very sad right now.
"Xiling?" Elaina's smile faded, replaced by genuine worry. She unconsciously took a step back towards Xiling.
"What's wrong? Your face suddenly looks so strange..."
"I'm sorry, I couldn't protect you."
"Huh?" Elaina was completely stunned, then chuckled, her smile filled with pure comfort.
"What nonsense are you talking about? Didn't you protect me perfectly well?"
"If you hadn't arrived in time, I might have really paid a heavy price for my recklessness! Thank you, Xiling." Her smile was genuine and radiant, filled with the relief of having survived a catastrophe and a deep trust in her companions. This smile should have been a ray of light dispelling the gloom, but instead, it pierced Xiling's heart like a needle.
This gratitude was based on the premise that she was unaware of the true tragedy that had happened to her.
Xiling took a deep breath, as if suppressing all his emotions, and an expression of utmost seriousness and determination appeared on his face.
"I promise you, I will save you. I will save everyone here."
Elaina blinked, a trusting smile returning to her face, and she nodded vigorously at Xiling's declaration.
"Yes!"
Her voice was clear and resolute, "I believe in you."
"Then I'm off."
"Good luck!"
Watching Xiling's disappearing figure, the smile on Elaina's face vanished like a candle flame caught in a cold wind.
She stood there silently for a long time before a barely audible murmur escaped her lips:
"Xiling...what happened?"
Elaina was an intelligent person, though vain, and always emphasized her genius talent.
But in truth, she was a real genius. She was intelligent. The things she forgot, this dream, and the townspeople—everything was so wrong.
Most importantly, it was Xiling. He… was so heartbroken, so consumed by guilt.
Deep in Elaina's memory, in the center of some blurry images, was always Xiling's clear face. These images should have included others, but her mind was locked; specific memories about them, such as their names and appearances… were a blank.
It was as if the whole world consisted only of her and Xiling.
"What happened…" Elaina unconsciously clenched the fabric on her chest, her knuckles turning slightly white from the force.
"What had happened that could make him so heartbroken… so full of guilt?" She whispered, chewing on Xiling's last vow:
"I will save you, save everyone here… save me? Why did you specifically emphasize saving me? Am I really just trapped in this dream?" A bitter smile appeared on Elena's lips.
The unease and fear in her heart made her involuntarily squat down, burying her face deeply in her curled-up arms, her shoulders trembling slightly.
"I..." A terrifying word formed in her chaotic thoughts.
"...Am I dead?"
The chill that thought instantly swept through her body. If she really...was...then what was she to him?
But if she were dead, why did Xiling say she would save her and the people here?
She couldn't understand.
She really couldn't understand.
As soon as she tried to think, her head began to throb inexplicably.
What was wrong with her?
Just then, footsteps sounded outside the door, stopping precisely at her doorstep, followed by a clear knock.
Elaina took a deep breath; she couldn't lose her composure in front of strangers. She stood up, straightened her clothes slightly, and finally opened the door.
A man dressed as a priest appeared before her.
Garan looked at the figure that had vanished from the room, then at the girl before him, whose eyes were slightly red, and spoke.
"I know the whole truth about what had happened, and I also know what happened to you. Do you want to know?"
Elaina looked at the priest before her, and finally, she slowly nodded.
She wanted to know the [truth].
After they sat down,
Elaina spoke first, her voice trembling with a mixture of bewilderment and longing:
"What is the truth?"
Garan didn't answer immediately. A complex expression appeared on his face, hidden behind the gentle priest's mask, a mixture of complex feelings of mixed emotions, and a distant envy.
"You know what?" he spoke slowly, his voice low and strangely heavy, "You really are happy."
"What?" Elaina was completely stunned. This sudden, seemingly unrelated question caught her off guard, even bringing a sense of absurdity.
Happiness? In this strange place? After just experiencing such agonizing internal conflict?
She didn't understand what the priest was trying to say.
Galan looked out the window. Although he was a con artist, he took matters of the heart more seriously than anyone else. He believed that the girl before him, kept in the dark, had the right to know everything about what Xiling had done.
"You're his lover, aren't you?" Garlan looked back at Elaina, his tone as calm as stating a fact.
"Wh...what?" Elaina hadn't expected him to start with this kind of topic. She quickly waved her hands.
"No, that's not it."
"Then he must really like you; otherwise, he wouldn't have done so much for you."
Elaina muttered silently, "He's so good to everyone."
However, the image of Xiling kept unconsciously appearing in her mind, finally settling on the first thing she saw upon waking—his familiar figure. A sense of security instantly overwhelmed all her panic and confusion!
That sense of security was so profound, so…natural.
Her heart fluttered, but after Elaina took a few deep breaths, the flutter subsided. When she looked up again, her eyes were focused, with an almost desperate resolve.
"Father, please stop beating around the bush. Tell me, what exactly did he do for me? And what… what is going on here?!"
"I don't know what methods he used, nor what terrible price he paid, but he successfully forced his life form into a half-dead state. Only in this way could he infiltrate this dream through soul projection…"
"Half-dead?" Elaina repeated the word, feeling a bit incredulous.
A hero… half-dead?
Galan continued, "He should have told you this is a dream, right?"
Elaina nodded.
"Then he definitely didn't tell you the truth about this dream."
Through Galan's narration, the whole truth was laid bare before Elaina.
Confusion, pain, and disbelief appeared on Elaina's face. Finally, she let out a soft laugh.
So… she really was dead.
—
Meanwhile, at the heart of this distorted dreamscape—on the moon, composed of viscous darkness and flowing pale halos—a guest arrived, a hero radiating terrifying killing intent.
The moon's master hovered silently, possessing long, greyish-white hair that gently swayed in the windless air. Xiling saw those familiar features, those familiar contours, even the curve of her lips was identical!
That was Elaina.
When the [being] bearing Elaina's face spoke, it wasn't a clear, melodious voice, but a bizarre noise, a mixture of countless insane murmurs, indescribable in any human language!
But Xiling understood, and understood perfectly.
"You've finally come…"
"Damn hero!!!"