Chapter 221 - 158: Corruption, Madness, Parasitism
Some players even went to great lengths just to retrieve their Wax Ash.
This prompted even the few players exploring Gael’s Depression to give up.
...
Gael’s Depression.
Perhaps due to the Dark Boundary that isolated everything outside the map, a dark and gloomy sky seemed to be a common feature of most instances.
Tall yet withered trees had pale-yellow vines hanging from them, dangling into the swamp.
In the dark-brown, green-tinged muck of the swamp, viscous bubbles would occasionally surface. The gas inside would build up for a long time before the bubbles suddenly burst, releasing clouds of yellowish-green toxic gas.
SPLASH...
The Spirit Fire Sail moved forward slowly.
The massive Deep Sea Worm and Giant-tailed Sea Monster pushed aside the surface layer of mud in the swamp ahead, allowing the Spirit Fire Sail to advance smoothly.
The Resentment Ghost Giant Monster stood guard by his side, but Black Mountain Little Demon still wore a grim expression.
He had been lost in this labyrinthine swamp for nearly a day, and after all his exhausting efforts, he had only found two Milestone Spirit Candles!
’That so-called "mysterious power’s influence" is a real headache.’
’It’s impossible to find the right direction!’
However, Black Mountain Little Demon’s journey today was not entirely fruitless.
Besides killing some of the unique monsters in Gael’s Depression, the only important thing was the snake-eye-like object he now held in his hand.
[Guidance of the Snake Eye]
[Type: Special Items]
[Effect: Always looks toward a fixed direction.]
[Explanation: The eyeball of a Lowland Copper Serpent. The Snake Eye seems able to ignore the influence of the power in this region, always looking toward a specific direction.]
Mire Copper Serpent.
This was a special monster Black Mountain Little Demon had discovered nearby after finding the second Milestone Spirit Candle with great difficulty.
Although it was a snake, the monster was as huge as a python. It was covered in rusty, brass-like scales, and its body had distinct joints, making it clear that it was no normal lifeform.
After a great deal of effort to kill it, the only thing it dropped besides Wax Oil was this item.
Judging from the item’s description, it might lead him to a special place within the depression. Perhaps there, he could find a solution to the mysterious power affecting the area.
Of course, it was also possible that this place was simply the key area of the Gael’s Depression instance.
So, Black Mountain Little Demon was filled with anticipation.
He had even ducked out of the instance for a moment to check the chat channel and found that no other players seemed to have found this special place yet.
’If I find it... never mind becoming famous, at least people won’t always think of me as "Brother One-Third Yu" or whatever.’
Just as Black Mountain Little Demon was lost in thought.
A sudden commotion came from the Deep Sea Worm and Giant-tailed Sea Monster up ahead.
However, Black Mountain Little Demon wasn’t worried.
It was just a crocodile-like monster from the swamp. For a player like him, who had spent a fortune on Krypton Gold to max out his Attributes, such a creature was trivial. He had run into plenty of them on his journey.
After his two minions dealt with it,
Black Mountain Little Demon’s gaze suddenly fixed on something.
A strange structure had appeared in his line of sight, partially obscured by the withered trees and vines of the swamp.
Shattered stone pillars sank into the swamp. Moss and vines grew wild, but they could hardly conceal the roaring, fanged snake head at the structure’s forefront. The mane on its neck was startlingly lifelike.
’It’s a massive ruin!’
The Spirit Candle’s guidance appeared at that moment, pointing forward.
’Without a doubt, this has to be a key part of Gael’s Depression!’
Seeing this, Black Mountain Little Demon grew excited and quickly touched the Spirit Candle Fire to accelerate.
’Finally! I’ve finally found it!’
’All my time and effort weren’t for nothing!’
However, in the midst of Black Mountain Little Demon’s excitement,
As if sensing the arrival of an outsider, the entire swamp suddenly began to churn violently. Numerous huge bubbles rose from the muck, and a strange power seemed to be hidden within the yellowish-green gas.
At this sight, Black Mountain Little Demon’s heart sank.
’Oh no, don’t tell me there’s some kind of guardian monster?’
At this thought, he quickly took out a newly bought Magic Pearl, preparing to summon it for the upcoming battle.
But in the next moment, something stunning occurred.
He watched as the bubbles in front of the massive ruins gathered, then suddenly burst, releasing a cloud of yellowish-green gas that caused the surroundings to distort.
Following that, the massive ruin itself began to warp. It grew blurry, and then vanished completely.
’Huh?’
Black Mountain Little Demon was utterly dumbfounded.
’The ruin? Where’d the ruin go? How could such a huge ruin just vanish like that?’
In disbelief, Black Mountain Little Demon sent the Deep Sea Worm and Giant-tailed Sea Monster forward to check.
But it was just as he’d seen.
The massive ruin from a moment ago had indeed vanished right before his eyes.
Black Mountain Little Demon stood stunned for a moment, then took out the Guidance of the Snake Eye.
The Snake Eye was now pointing to another place.
The Spirit Candle’s guidance was doing the same.
’It seems the Snake Eye is definitely pointing toward the ruin, no matter what. But getting inside probably isn’t as simple as just sailing up to it.’
Seeing this, Black Mountain Little Demon felt a massive headache coming on.
’Do I have to start searching all over again?’
’What in the world is going on?!’
...
"Corruption, Madness, and... Hosted..."
As he spoke, Luo Ge turned around.
"Burton Mage, in the Land of Burning, was there ever fertile ground for these heretical powers to grow?"
Based on what Niuniu reported,
that entity, the Hosted Bone and Blood Giant Statue, was a special existence. Not only did it retain its own Wisdom through a great cataclysm of unknown origin, it even knew that countless more of its kind existed outside the Dark Boundary.
This was an extraordinary discovery, one that naturally drew Luo Ge’s attention.
Thus, he had spared no expense, consuming a large amount of Wax Oil to enter the instance and conduct a "friendly exchange" with the Hosted Bone and Blood Giant Statue.
He had managed to glean some useful information from it.
And it could all be summarized as a heretical "Hosted" power, manifested from a mere residual aura.
That’s right. A mere residual aura had spawned a lifeform like the Hosted Bone and Blood Giant Statue—a being capable of maintaining its sanity within the chaotic world of the instances.
The most crucial word in all of this was "Hosted."
Just like the "Corruption" hidden on Exile Island.
And the "Madness" that ravaged the Seaside Town.
"Hosted" was an almost identical heretical power, different from any of the mainstream, accepted powers in the Land of Burning.
The origins of these powers were as unknown as they were terrifying.
Noxia, standing behind Luo Ge, also felt uneasy upon hearing his words. She pressed her lips together, her clasped hands tightening their grip.
"I am not familiar with these heretical powers, but I have heard of Corruption."
Burton Mage nodded at Luo Ge’s question, but then shook his head, indicating his knowledge was limited.
"But I don’t know much. All I can recall is this so-called ’Corruption’..."
He began by speaking about the heretical power known as "Corruption."
"Corruption... This type of heretical power was once recorded. It originated in the Far West."
"The Far West’s complex, overlapping terrain, numerous races, and frequent Celestial Calamities gave rise to a multitude of nations locked in perpetual warfare. The people suffered immensely, and rivers of blood flowed."
"Records state that back then, the roadsides of every nation in the Far West—from the bottoms of remote cliffs to the depths of the Abyss—were littered with festering corpses. The stench of their decay hung heavy in the air, blanketing the entire region and giving birth to innumerable horrors..."
"It was at this time that a sect called the ’Funeral Monks Association’ appeared. They went about collecting remains, and the number of horrors in the Far West subsequently decreased."
"But as the corpses disappeared, so too did the common folk of the various nations. The countries of the Far West noticed the anomaly."
"They gathered powerful Fire Burners, found the Funeral Monks Association, and discovered the hidden truth."
"The records are quite vague about the exact outcome."
"But after that, the Funeral Monks Association was no more. Several nations vanished soon after, and the very phrase ’heretical power of Corruption’ became a taboo..."
"And during my travels, I have seen the Gulard Empire’s army suppressing these heretical believers."
At this point, Burton Mage looked at Luo Ge, sighed, and said:
"When the Firelight grows weak, the darkness bares its fangs."
"In the midst of such terrible turmoil, the darkness that festers is likely beyond imagination."