OBS Chapter 3552 Snow Mountain Funeral
Chapter 3552 Snow Mountain Funeral
Chapter 3552 Snow Mountain Funeral
"Yes, perhaps a treatment for this heart disease will actually emerge in the future. Unfortunately, I won't live to see it."
The unfamiliar tavern owner raised his glass of water to Xia De and toasted him. Xia De didn't say anything more, got up and left the tavern.
He didn't immediately return to Kyle Todd, but instead stood on the dock watching the sea filled with cargo ships. The tavern owner heard a sound coming from the deep sea, which, without a doubt, was the work of the deity who had given Shad divinity at Lake Green.
In reality, Shad received help from the three sea demons during the Battle of Moon Bay, so the relationship between them could no longer be considered hostile; at least it returned to a neutral state. This latest news indicates that at least the original deep-sea drowned person had a relatively positive impression of Shad, and the influence of that initial mutual understanding continues to this day.
"The fishmen and water ghosts were also controlled by that demon, so those lower demons must also be its doing. So, forcing me into the House of False People may have been the plan of the False People, but perhaps the demon is the one who truly controls everything, and the False People are just its henchmen."
He turned to look at the majestic Mount Fatumunster behind him. In his past dealings with demons, though each time there were different troubles, none had involved so many changes. Even the Stone Mirror Demon—Goethe—whom Shad remembered as the most formidable, merely lurked behind the demon Osenfort, whose heart had turned to stone, constantly battling Shad.
As his level increased, Shad assumed that assisting the doctor in hunting demons would no longer lead to any unexpected incidents. Shad's encounters and searches, and the doctor's appearances to hunt, had become a set procedure. However, upon entering the high-level ring, the ancient evil spirit gave Shad this unexpected "surprise":
"Black Hand - Tefron's goal must be to liberate the Demon King, but what exactly is the Demon King?"
Luvia, with her long hair, clearly stated that the other party was fundamentally different from Desire, completely shattering Shad's original belief that "the Demon King is the embodiment of sin." Although Shad has not yet encountered the Demon King, judging from the information gathered from various sources and the impact of that drop of blood, the other party's power is probably equal to or even surpasses "Desire."
Because it was sealed away very early on, Shad couldn't find any records of it fighting against mortals. Even in the Third Age, when evil spirits and demons roamed freely, its name has never appeared in any of the unearthed documents and materials.
The doctor said that the more people know about its existence, the greater the chance of its escape, which is probably why it is shrouded in mystery.
However, Shad wasn't entirely without a way to find out. "Desire" knew about that thing, but refused to answer. And the gods certainly knew what the "King of Demons" really was. Tomorrow was Tuesday, and Shad was going to the inn in Whispering Hills again. The Lord of the Walls had been quite nice to Shad, so Shad wondered if it was possible to get some clues from that god.
He then rowed back to Kyle Todd Town. The matter at the "House of the Fakes" had just ended, and the island was peaceful today. Rita had already returned to Ice Castle when Shad came back, so Shad went to visit little Leona and Ellie.
Unlike the lazy cat, the two little unicorns didn't have the habit of taking naps. Seeing that he didn't have anything to do for the time being, Shad asked them:
"Want to go for a run on the snowy mountain?"
Both little unicorns were very willing.
Shad then rode on little Leanna's back, with Ellie beside him. Under the cover of illusion, the two holy white beasts took off directly from the courtyard fountain of the Snow Mountain Hall and flew towards the snow mountain that was sparkling in the sunlight.
The weather was sunny when they were in town, but suddenly it started snowing as the unicorns ran merrily through the snow-capped mountains. The failure of the All Souls' Day rituals was believed to cause unusual weather on the island for the entire year, and Shad hoped today's snow was no omen.
However, compared to the preoccupied Shad, the unicorns were much less troubled. After landing on the mountainside, they first rolled around in the snow, then ran and bumped into each other. Seeing Shad frowning beside them, they even tugged at the hem of his clothes, trying to get him to join them in playing in the snow.
Around 3 PM, Shad, with his keen eyesight, noticed flames burning in the mountains higher than where they were. Confused, he went to investigate with Ellie and little Leona, and there they found the five elders: Elder Harald, Elder Vilda, Elder Ursa, Elder Thorin, and Elder Uller. In addition, Claire and almost all the ring sorcerers and priests from the Fatu were also present.
They stood before a fire pit made of more than a dozen thick logs, situated below a rugged rock face. Some corpses lay on the fire pit; the flames Shad saw were caused by the burning logs and bodies. After landing, Shad and the unicorns noticed everyone's solemn expressions and quietly approached them.
Stella, not being a Fatu, stood on the outermost edge. Upon seeing Shad approach, the white-haired girl lowered her voice and said:
"Last night, the body of the last missing mountaineer was found. A funeral is being held now, and the bodies will be buried directly in the snow-capped mountains. The lady originally wanted to invite you to the funeral, but then said there was no need for you to be sad as well."
The funeral was held so quickly because there was no need to delay; burying the deceased's body in the snow-capped mountains was the greatest honor bestowed upon them.
Shad nodded, and together with the unicorns, they looked past the silent crowd at the blazing flame.
After waiting for a long time, Claire, who was standing with the five elders, finally finished her mourning and came to Shad's side as the elders gathered in front of the fire to talk.
Xia De then asked:
"What attacked those surviving climbers? Can they describe it?"
Claire looked in the direction of the flames and answered softly:
“I also went to see the survivors, and their situations were all different. Most of them suddenly got lost and couldn't find the right direction, so they could only stay where they were and wait for rescue. A small number of them fell off cliffs for various strange reasons, or lost their maps and food, so they could only turn back in the direction of going down the mountain.”
No one claimed to have encountered a specific enemy.
"Basic illusions can make ordinary people unable to distinguish directions, or cause them to accidentally step into the air."
"No, during All Souls' Day, these tribal warriors who carry the fire within them are not only blessed by us high priests, but the snow-capped mountains also protect them after they set foot on them. Although they do not possess supernatural abilities, their luck and various basic resistances are very high."
During the climb, even the illusions of the Central Ring sorcerers might not be able to deceive them, because illusions actually counteract the power of the snow mountain.
She pursed her lips, her golden eyes reflecting the flickering flames. Though she had grown up in Kyle Todd, and had been away from home for many years, she still held a deep affection for her hometown. The victims this time were mostly her age or younger, and their deaths truly filled her with anger.
"Although the House of Pseudo-Humans possesses the power of flesh-and-blood erosion and spatial manipulation, as well as the ability to control minds, it would still require at least a fourth-stage pseudo-human to bewitch these warriors who carry the flame. However, there is only one fourth-stage pseudo-human on the island, making it impossible for so many people to be involved in an accident at the same time."
"So it wasn't a fake person, it was that demon. The attacks on Time Wheel City and the town were all its doing."
Shad didn't mention anything about the "Demon King" or his good relationship with the evil god; he only said that he had received information:
"The demon gained immense power from a single drop of blood, which is why it was able to enhance the 'House of False Humans,' which was not originally a weapon, and even use such powerful illusions during All Souls' Day after being injured by me and Ms. Camille Eden of the 'Sun Emblem'."
What kind of blood is that?
Claire asked, and Shad shook his head:
"You can think of it as the blood of some ancient and evil being, even more evil than the demon itself. It should still have some of that blood, but not much."
"So, can you find it?"
Shade shook his head again:
"There's no way to deal with it for now. The blood on the demon's hands has gotten into a very troublesome matter, and my friend who specializes in dealing with demons is still preparing a plan. But we will definitely get rid of it; we absolutely cannot let it leave Fatummont Island."
Claire nodded, then took Shad's hand, and together they continued watching the flames burn.
As the flames gradually died down, the young priests gathered the remaining ashes for burial, and the elders came to Shad's side. He hadn't concealed what he'd told Claire about the demons; the five elders sighed after hearing it, but their attitude was resolute:
“Even if the enemy is an ancient evil spirit, the Fatu people must seek revenge. This is the first failure of the All Souls’ Day ritual in a thousand years, and so many young people have been sacrificed. If we do not seek revenge, our generation will have no face to meet our ancestors after death.”
The doctors couldn't find the demon for the time being, and no one knew what it had done while it regained its power through blood. All that was certain at the moment was that the demon was still hiding in the snow mountain.
Although the elders have a better understanding of the snow mountain than Shad, after All Souls' Day they need to continuously adjust the elemental tides of Fatummister Island through rituals to prevent a major natural disaster from occurring on the island this year, or to prevent more troublesome relics from being brought about by elemental disorder.
Therefore, the Fatu people's revenge is currently directionless, but they have pledged to provide the strongest support for Shad's "exorcism plan." Even if it requires sacrifice, they are determined to eliminate the demon on the island.
"Its ultimate goal is to find a weapon to break free from its shackles. Are there really no legends of such weapons on the island?"
Undeterred, Shad asked again, but the old men shook their heads after recalling the events:
"No, perhaps the clues are hidden in inconspicuous documents. We will continue our search."