nashuaworldcup Chapter 140 is packed with information!
Chapter 140 is packed with information!
Chapter 140 is packed with information!
"We've arrived, Your Excellency."
Gloria led Tang Zijun to the largest tent in the city-state. Seemingly feeling that it was somewhat impolite to entertain a knight in such an environment, she added a sentence.
"This is already the best tent in the Black City settlement."
Tang Zijun nodded slightly. He wasn't the type to cause trouble, and given the current environment, there was no need for him to find fault.
Just as Ms. Xiao said, this was indeed the largest tent in the city-state. At least, Tang Zijun had not seen any other tent that could compare to it during her observation.
The tent's outer layer was made of rough and heavy leather, which was dark in color, as if it had been soaked in blood, with an eerie reddish-black hue. The surface was pitted and uneven, but at first glance it looked very smooth. It was unclear what kind of creature's skin it was.
At the top, a huge flagpole stands tall, with a black flag bearing a red fox head (the painting is quite good).
Below the fox's head was a twisted rune, somewhat similar to, but slightly different from, one on the city wall. A cold wind blew, and the flag fluttered in the dim sky.
Stepping inside the tent, a strange smell hit her—a mixture of fishy stench and fragrance—causing Tang Zijun to frown slightly.
However, compared to the stench outside, it's much better here.
Grilando was the first to enter the tent. Feeling the dim surroundings, she skillfully used a tinderbox to light the oil lamp hanging in the corner of the tent.
As the flame was lit, the room became much brighter, and Tang Zijun finally saw something that looked familiar—the oil lamp was very similar to the retro handheld oil lamps from Earth, but the smell of the fuel was different.
Tang Zijun suddenly didn't want to know where the fuel came from.
"Sir Knight, please have a seat."
Gloria made a "please" gesture, indicating that Tang Zijun could sit in the chair at the very back of the long table in the center of the tent. Judging from the arrangement, this should be the seat of honor.
Tang Zijun didn't stand on ceremony and sat down directly. "You seem very nervous, is it because of my identity?"
Upon hearing this, Grilando fell silent.
She was unsure how to answer, because she couldn't quite grasp the man's thoughts.
To be honest, she really didn't want this man to enter Black City.
Having grown up at the very bottom of this dark generation, Grilando had heard of and witnessed far too many eccentric knights and nobles.
In this oppressive world that can drive people crazy, there are many powerful people who often vent their desires on people like her. She can't imagine whether she would have the courage to resist if this man wanted to do something to her.
If possible, she would rather not have any contact with him, but she had no choice. The fact that he was able to come here alone from the Blood Plains proved that his combat power had exceeded their expectations.
And the ability to summon a knight's sword with a wave of the hand seems to be a power that only legendary mages possess.
With her magical abilities and knighthood, neither of them was something a mere mercenary like her could afford to offend.
Tang Zijun had no idea that the dashing woman in front of him had such a rich inner world; his mind was currently filled with curiosity about the world.
In a dark world and a dilapidated human settlement, a hero suddenly descends upon this place.
Could it be that I am the legendary King of Elden?
What am I thinking?
I still can't play games with Tangcao often; my brain is about to break down.
"Wow--"
Just then, Hyacinth's little head popped out of Tang Zijun's chest pocket.
"I'm suffocating! It stinks here!"
The ethereal female voice echoed in the tent, easing the tense atmosphere. Grilando suddenly looked up, her eyes wide with surprise at the small figure.
"A fairy?!"
Startled by Grelando's reaction, Tang Zijun gave her a meaningful look, her brow furrowing slightly. "You know her?"
"I," Grilando opened her mouth, her gaze fixed on the man before her, her expression shifting between light and shadow.
"Say whatever you want to say. I'm not going to eat you. Don't be so tense. Relax. Just treat this as a casual chat." Tang Zijun waved her hand casually.
Although that's what they say, it's impossible to make Grelando relax all at once, but listening to Tang Zijun's gentle tone did indeed soothe her nerves a lot.
"You...you don't know the origin of this creature?"
"I know a little bit, but what I'm more interested in is, in your eyes, what is this little guy's identity?"
Tang Zijun perfectly demonstrated the profoundness of language; every word he spoke was the truth.
Moreover, he was genuinely curious as to why humans in the dream world would know the flower fairies in the secret realm of the real world, and even seem to know them very well.
Grilando hesitated for a moment, seemingly choosing her words carefully, before slowly speaking.
"We call them fairies, and some people call them flower fairies. Legend has it that these creatures are formed from the essence of plants, and each of them has the ability to bring about a bountiful harvest. Therefore, they are highly regarded by noble lords."
If Grelando had some doubts about Tang Zijun's identity as a knight at first, all her doubts vanished upon seeing the fairy hyacinth.
That's a fairy!
It is a being that people from the lowest social classes may never see in their entire lives.
These creatures have always been kept by noble lords and various powerful figures, and ordinary people rarely get to see them. Perhaps only knights who have been knighted are qualified to have a fairy with them.
Hearing Grelando's words, Hyacinth proudly puffed out her chest, with an expression that said, "Wow, I'm really that amazing!"
Tang Zijun looked at the hyacinth with some surprise, but he was more puzzled than anything else.
If, as Chang Lei says, the dream world exists on a level higher than the real world, then why would dream world creatures also be born in the secret realms of the real world?
Furthermore, the inhabitants of the dream world are very similar to Earthlings. Although Tang Zijun has not yet met any Easterners, Gloriand's Western appearance is enough to prove it.
"Grielando Shaw, may I call you that?"
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"Of course!" Gloriand sat up straight immediately and said seriously. "You can call me whatever you like."
Generally, people are addressed by their surnames, but to be addressed by her first name by a knight made Grelando, a mercenary, feel honored.
"Grilando, I just heard you say that this is the Black City settlement. Could you tell me more about this place? To be honest, I'm quite curious about it."
"Don't you know where this is?" Grelando looked at Tang Zijun in surprise, her gaze somewhat strange.
"I came here by accident. I inexplicably appeared in a forest, so I don't know anything about this place."
Tang Zijun did not hide his past experiences, nor was he worried that his words would cause the woman in front of him to have any particular thoughts. On the contrary, Tang Zijun was more curious about what kind of scenario she would imagine.
"The forest, the Ghost Mist Forest, is that the forest deep within the Blood Plains? How did you manage to emerge from the territory of those Blood Cultists!" Glolando's eyes widened.
"If you're referring to the direction I came from, then you're right. As for the Blood Cultists you mentioned, you're not referring to those red-robed people, are you?"
"It's them!" Gloriand gritted her teeth. "The reason this place is like this is entirely because of them."
"Tell me more about it." Tang Zijun leaned forward slightly.
Grilando sighed and spoke.
"Originally, this area belonged to Earl of Red Leaf Ridge. Since the war between Nightmare and Void Realm began, the entire world has been shrouded in calamity, and this mountain range has also been affected by the war."
In the war against the monsters, countless people bravely sacrificed their lives, while Earl of Red Leaf Ridge withdrew from this place with his remaining guards, completely handing over this territory.
In order to survive, the remaining people turned to some evil gods, and the blood cultists were among them. They abandoned their bodies and offered their blood to the evil gods.
Those creatures had completely lost their humanity, hunting any life that set foot in the Ghost Mist Forest. At the same time, their bodies were also affected by the curse, rising again to roam the Blood Plains day and night.
Tang Zijun listened quietly to Grelando's story. He hadn't expected that such a large amount of information could be hidden in just a few simple words.
First, there is the war between Nightmare and the Void.
Nightmare, as the name suggests, refers to the monsters born in a dream world. Tang Zijun subconsciously thought of the terrifying existence that blotted out the sky before.
As for the Void Realm, Tang Zijun wasn't sure what kind of existence it was. If she had to compare it to Nightmare, then it should refer to 'Beautiful Dream'. Perhaps the Void Realm was another name for the Beautiful Dream faction.
Therefore, from this perspective, the world I am in now should be a normal dream world, as well as a battlefield between nightmares and the void.
As for Gloriand and the other dream dwellers, they were just ordinary people who were unlucky enough to be affected by the war.
If you understand this point, then the emergence of those monsters becomes perfectly logical.
In order to survive, these ordinary people are forced to crave power from the indescribable. These evil gods are different from the forces of nightmares and do not belong to the forces of the Void Realm. They are a faction of their own, displaying strange energy.
These energies can even separate the soul from the body.
The evil god granted the wishes of those followers, drained their blood, and allowed them to live in a dual form as ghosts and zombies.
But can this really be called "living"?
(End of this chapter)