Chapter 218 - 156: I Don’t Know Either
The Wind Erosion Tribe was located within the Endless Sea, a tribe that had lived for generations on an island.
This island was mostly desert.
An island in the Endless Sea, covered in desert... Though such a thing was exceedingly rare, anything was possible in the Endless Sea.
An ancient Legend had always been passed down among the Wind Erosion Tribe.
According to the Legend, their ancestors had also come from the lands where the flame of civilization burned, stepping into the Endless Sea.
On the mysterious and dangerous sea, they saw Celestial Stars fall from the night sky, guiding them to this island where they had settled ever since.
On the island, they found the site where the Celestial Stars had once fallen.
The site radiated an unknown Power. It was great and dangerous, bringing the Wind Erosion Tribe both Power and calamity.
Thus, the Wind Erosion Tribe sealed it away, declaring it the tribe’s forbidden ground and naming it "Tasolomo," meaning "The Arcane and Mighty Star."
This was the origin of the Wind Erosion Tribe.
And so, they lived on in peace.
Occasionally, travelers sailing the Endless Sea would explore the island. The even bolder among them would venture into Tasolomo in search of its Arcane Mystery, only to never return.
Had nothing unexpected happened, the Wind Erosion Tribe would likely have continued to live in peace until the great cataclysm struck, turning them one by one into withered, horrifying Living Corpses, all in complete ignorance.
However, all of this changed completely with the arrival of a single person...
"...Tasolomo... Tasolomo..."
The Host murmured the name, its tone growing increasingly fanatical.
"It comes from the mysterious and great sea of stars! Its Power is supreme! It is an indifferent observer, and I, merely by glimpsing a trace of Its essence, was able to break free from this terrifying disaster and achieve eternal life!"
It raised its trembling hands, as if about to cheer in excitement.
But its turbid, bloodshot eyes fell upon its own monstrous hands. It froze, the fanatical look on its face vanishing as if doused with a bucket of cold water.
Seeing this, Niuniu and Mushroom exchanged a glance.
Although the Host hadn’t said it outright, they had more or less figured out the origin of its Power and the reason for the island’s current condition.
"So, those Eternal Life Blocks are actually just the eggs of these Parasites."
"And you, for this so-called eternal life, you schemed to have the entire Wind Erosion Tribe killed?"
Niuniu asked bluntly, not mincing his words.
"No."
The Host shook its head, seemingly lost in memories of the past.
"You’re wrong!"
"I was shipwrecked after being attacked by a sea monster and drifted here. The people of the Wind Erosion Tribe saved me."
"I was grateful and had no intention of harming them. In the beginning, I knew nothing of Tasolomo."
As it spoke, the Host’s expression twisted into a savage snarl, making its already hideous face even more terrifying.
"But... Yina’s father knew!"
"He coveted eternal life!"
"To that end, he went so far as to exile the tribe’s stubborn Old Witch and deceive his people, making them unknowingly offer up their Fire of Life to nurture these manifestations of Tasolomo’s essence!"
"He... is the true architect of this Skeleton Forest!"
The Host practically roared the last words in fury.
It was unclear what fueled its anger...
...
SPLURT!
A blade sliced through flesh, splattering black blood as one of the Hosted People was killed instantly.
In the distance, the Host’s Head shrieked ceaselessly. The Worm heads on its main head extended and retracted, striking at the two of them like cold, insidious snakes in a series of sneak attacks.
Although these monsters’ Level wasn’t especially high, they still managed to put considerable pressure on the pair.
Worse still, a continuous stream of Hosted People was pressing in from the perimeter!
"Tch, what a rat bastard. For such a big guy, all it knows how to do is hide and launch sneaky attacks. I swear to god..."
Shore was badly injured and stained with black blood. After finding a moment’s respite to eat a Recovery Wax Block, he didn’t forget to curse the Host’s Head, which had hidden itself once again.
"Stop complaining and help me focus fire on this bastard! If it doesn’t die, we’re going to die a few more times!"
Li Miao, clad in Heavy Armor, roared. Warfire raged upon his blade. Corpses piled up around him, unable to dissipate as fast as he could kill.
The two had already died several times at the hands of these Hosted creatures.
This was partly due to the strength of their Candle Spirit’s Attributes, but also because the creatures led by the Host’s Head were so numerous that the slightest mistake meant death.
"ROAR!"
The Host’s Head launched another sneak attack.
But Li Miao was prepared this time, raising his Large Shield to Block the attack.
Amid the impact, his Warfire-wreathed blade sliced off one of the enemy’s Worm heads, splattering black blood.
"AHHH!"
The mangled human head of the Host’s Head let out a cry of pain, and its remaining Worm heads screeched in unison.
The two were about to press their advantage when they realized the surrounding Hosted People had gone berserk, swarming them with bared fangs and claws.
Strangely, however, the girl named Yina remained standing blankly in place.
Next to her, neither the Host’s Head nor the Hosted People dared to come within ten feet of her, yet they had her tightly surrounded.
Furthermore, it didn’t look like they wanted to harm her. It was more like they were "protecting" her...
...
"Turmo was an ambitious man."
"He was the bravest and youngest chief in the history of the Wind Erosion Tribe. He was not content to spend his entire life on this isolated island."
"So, he broke a taboo, made contact with the Power of Tasolomo, and attempted to control it."
"But how could he possibly control such a Power?"
"Not only did he fail to gain the Power he sought, but he was also corrupted by it, becoming even more cruel and sinister."
"But though he was cold-blooded and exceedingly cruel to his own tribe, he treated his only daughter, Yina, very well..."
"According to the prophecies deciphered from within Tasolomo... to become a truly stable manifestation of Tasolomo’s essence and sustain eternal life, it was necessary to nurture a special life form to anchor oneself."
"This is a special existence, one that is both a Host, and also a Host."
"So, Turmo used his own daughter as this special existence, intending for her to gain eternal life alongside him..."
"As for everyone else, their Fire of Life would serve as fuel for his own hosting..."
At this, the Host couldn’t help but sneer, a hint of Madness appearing in its eyes.
"But he was dead wrong!"
"The chief of this remote tribe—an arrogant, cruel bastard! What right did he have to obtain eternal life? What gave him the right to survive this cataclysm?"
"Heh... HAHAHAHAHA..."
It burst into wild laughter.
"After I revealed everything to his daughter."
"Even that naive little girl refused to let his plan succeed. Instead, she chose to help me! The whole thing is laughable, utterly laughable!"
The Host roared with laughter, its ugly, savage face trembling.
However, after listening to its story, Niuniu’s expression grew cold as he stared intently at the Host.
"So, what did you choose to do?"
"You chose to steal her father’s eternal life, deceive that girl, and push this whole tragedy forward... is that right?"
Niuniu suddenly stood up and slowly advanced on the Host. His face was surprisingly calm, but his eyes were filled with chilling intent.
Seeing this, Mushroom was taken aback for a moment.
But after a brief frown, he said nothing. He simply, and without a word, began taking out one Magic Potion after another and drinking them.
"..."
At his words, the Host’s laughter died. It fixed its gaze on him, offering no reply.
"No wonder..."
"No wonder she saw death as a release and even thanked us..."
"You never mentioned any of this. Is it because you just don’t care, or because you find it... difficult to talk about?"
As he spoke, an illusory Warfire ignited around Niuniu.
Mushroom remained silent off to the side, but he began drinking his potions even faster.
At this moment, the rare scene of peaceful coexistence between the players and the boss vanished. The atmosphere instantly became tense, thick with hostility.
𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺
Faced with the two players pressing in on it, the Host was silent for a moment before letting out an eerie laugh.
"But that’s eternal life we’re talking about..."
"Who could possibly refuse the temptation of immortality?"
"Turmo wanted it, and of course, so did I!"
"I don’t want to die, and I certainly don’t want to become one of those mindless husks after death."
"Besides, when that terrifying cataclysm comes, every Fire of Life will turn into a mindless, shambling corpse anyway..."
"So why... couldn’t it have been me?"
With that, the Host let out a sudden roar and flew into a frenzy.
Its body began to retreat rapidly. The innumerable swarm of Parasites, as if stimulated, suddenly erupted into a riot, forming a terrifying giant hand that surged to envelop the Host.
But just then, a blurry afterimage flashed past, appearing abruptly behind it.
The next moment, two hands wreathed in Warfire violently pierced through its chest and bloated head. Black blood gushed out.
"Don’t move."
The Warfire on Mushroom’s body blazed. Though it had no Temperature, it made the Host feel an agonizing heat.
Especially the hand that was crushing its heart.
The surrounding swarm of Parasites froze.
But the eyeball of every single Parasite was fixed on the two of them.
Faced with this situation, the Host suddenly grew calm.
It stared at Niuniu, a horrific smile spreading across its face.
"Outsiders, do it. Then, wipe out these Parasites. It’s the only way to kill me. Otherwise, I will have my Resurrection."
Hearing this, Niuniu narrowed his eyes. "Are you trying to get yourself killed on purpose?"
"Not exactly," the Host said calmly. "If you don’t have the Ability, then I will simply kill you again."
"You... why?"
Mushroom, standing to the side, couldn’t help but ask. He was naturally asking why it had deliberately revealed the only way it could be killed.
So far, the Host’s words and actions had been utterly bizarre.
It was lucid one moment and mad the next, sometimes furious, sometimes calm.
"It’s simple."
"Let me ask you something."
The Host’s voice was still incredibly strange.
"Do you know my name?"
Hearing this, Niuniu and Mushroom exchanged a look.
"You don’t even know it yourself. How would we?" Mushroom asked with a frown.
At that, the Host laughed, then grew calm again.
"...That’s right. Even I don’t know my former name... nor do the countless versions of me throughout this chaotic world..."
"Once the special host body dies, this physical form will gradually become free of any weakness. The only flaw is that the fragile link that tethers my Soul will also vanish. I’ll gradually be absorbed into this body, losing what little sanity I have left..."
Upon hearing this, Mushroom and Niuniu finally understood.
"I get it now."
Niuniu nodded.
"Oh, right. Let me tell you something. There’s another terrifying creature hiding over at Tasolomo... Consider it a... parting gift for keeping me company."
Hearing Niuniu’s words, the Host seemed somewhat relieved as it shared this information with the two of them.
"Got it."
Not long after, a massive explosion echoed through the terrifying Skeleton Forest. Firelight consumed everything...