Crown of Silence

It was raining in the middle of the night.

On the dark street, a man in a coat picked up a lantern.

The rain seemed endless, and it fell on the man's long coat with greedy cold air, penetrating his heart.

The cold air frosted on the shell of the lantern, and the light was dim. In this dim light, it illuminated several feet in front of him. In places where the light could not illuminate, it was all dark in the rain.

The surroundings were distorted by darkness and rain, and only when the lightning flashed could it illuminate the towering fortress behind him. On the fortress, the stone beast squatted on the dripping mouth, with green moss marks, spitting out rain.

When the lantern was picked up, it illuminated the man's face.

He looked very old, with green eyes and short white beard.

The air was filled with an unusual breath, because whether it was rain falling on the ground, lightning flashing in the clouds, or the low breathing of the old man, and the whole city, they all carried the same weirdness.

Because there is not a single sound here!

In such a silent world, even the feeling of breathing and heartbeat is gradually stripped away. Cowards will not be afraid when they come here, because fear has long been frozen by this silence.

Gaius has been here many times, but every time he feels that this ruined city is assimilating himself, making him indifferent, like a walking corpse.

——Even ghosts can't survive in such silence, right?

When he raised his head to breathe, he could feel that this abandoned city was full of invisible things, that is, the 'ether' spread throughout the atmosphere and soil, the ether resonated with his lungs, and then coldly sucked away all the sounds.

When he looked down, he could see the rain on the ground fluctuating with the ether. The ripples overlapped, gorgeous like oriental silk. The 'silk' spread out from under his feet and spread to the dark streets.

This is a gorgeous cage.

The sound is swallowed by the barrier here, the ether is dormant here, even the musicians who know everything cannot communicate with the ether here - this is the Dragon Sleep Barrier.

In the silence, Gaius suddenly raised his head, he felt something approaching.

Because the darkness was lingering.

-

In the twisted rain curtain, the darkness was like some kind of amorphous living thing, struggling hard, dancing its claws wildly... to escape, to tear itself apart, to expel that thing from its body.

So, the darkness was separated.

In this silence, rain and wind swept. There were gray shadows walking out of the darkness. That gray color was like boiling lime and the sharp edges of marble.

There were thirty-one people when they left, and only nine were left when they came back, and their gray robes were almost covered with tragic blood. The leader staggered, holding a slender thing in both hands. The thing was wrapped in a dirty white cloth, supporting his body from falling down.

When Gaius saw him, he couldn't help but take a step back.

Half of his face was burnt, and the wound had not healed yet, and it was soaked white by the rain. The water drops fell from the side of his face, all with a faint layer of blood.

"Hein?"

He murmured in surprise, but suddenly realized that he couldn't make a sound.

Hein pulled the corner of his mouth with difficulty, as if he was smiling. This man was praised for his handsome face like a god,

but now he was as ugly as the Asuras in hell.

Gaius didn't have time to say anything, he turned around, seized the time, and pushed open the door of the fortress.

For a moment, he peeked behind Hein, carefully.

Behind Hein, the gray monks stood silently, carrying huge and heavy things on their shoulders. The thing was wrapped in layers of white cloth, revealing only a sharp edge.

Gaius felt his eyes stung and dared not look again.

The door closed silently, swallowing up the traces of the group.

Lightning flashed through the clouds. On the fortress, the lion-headed stone beast on the gutter stared at the sky, grinning like a sneer.

A deep wind blew from the darkness.

It was like walking into the world of Hades.

They were spiraling down, as if there was no end.

The torches on the wall illuminated the long corridor. Gaius led the way in front, and the heavy copper keys swung around his waist, colliding with each other silently.

As the key turned, the sixth black iron door opened. Every time, Gaius could feel the bronze hub behind the door rubbing against the huge structure. The violent vibration seemed to rush into his body with the key, and it was going to completely destroy his old bones.

Every time he took a step, he couldn't help but want to look back, to look back at the thing behind Hein. That thing was calling him, asking him to turn around quickly, look carefully, and see its appearance clearly.

In that call, his mind was turbulent. The invisible hand pulled the soul in his body and urged softly:

"Turn around."

The voice said: "Turn around quickly."

Look at me.

Look at me quickly.

——Look at me!

He trembled all over because the silent call was screaming in his ears!

A hand pressed on his shoulder, calming his disordered heartbeat. He woke up and felt that his whole body was soaked with cold sweat.

It was not until now that he realized that he had been standing in front of the last door for a long time, immersed in some hidden temptation, unable to extricate himself.

That thing is demonic!

Gaius turned back and smiled hard, and Hein just withdrew his hand and motioned him to move forward.

When the last key was inserted into the lock, Gaius was so tired that he felt he was about to die.

The three-meter-thick iron gate opened with a tremor. As the mechanism twisted, the torch was lit and the darkness dissipated. The cold wind blew from behind the door, with a pungent and burning smell, making people dizzy.

But Gaius was vaguely relieved. His mission was finally completed, and so was their mission.

He raised his head and looked at the inscription on the iron gate:

- Guixu Well.

Behind that iron gate was the abyss.

In the darkness, light rose from the abyss, rippling, illuminating their pale faces.

In the legend of the East, there is a whirlpool at the end of the ocean called Guixu. It is the embers left when the previous world passed away, so it represents death. The dead stars and dead sea water fell from that whirlpool and fell into the endless darkness, never to return.

But there is only darkness in Guixu. Where is the light that is like the world burning?

In the dark abyss, there is a blazing light.

It is like silver and gold are melted, and the boiling copper and iron liquid roll in the cauldron, forming a vortex, rolling endlessly, and the silvery and cold light illuminates the faces of each of them.

After watching for a long time, I feel dizzy and want to throw myself into it and jump into the vortex.

This is the Well of Guixu, the end of the world, and the place where all life disappears.

Even the ether will be killed here.

Those elements with sacred power float in the abyss, scattered like ashes. But before they die, they will gather together, flowing in the air like boiling iron, turning into a painful vortex.

Under the vortex, there is death.

"It's finally here."

Gaius murmured silently, turned back to look at Hein, but saw the astonishment and fear in Hein's eyes.

Because in the silence, a faint sound suddenly sounded.

That faint sound was extremely subtle, but in this terrible silence, it was extremely clear. It whistled and surged like a tide, and the sound spread in the air, causing layers of ripples.

Because on the shoulders of the gray-robed monks, in the layers of shrouds, that thing was... breathing!

Gaius and Hein's faces froze. They looked back and saw only the last scene - among the scarred gray-robed monks, one person's body suddenly collapsed and fell to the ground.

Just a moment after being swept by the ripples, his face was shattered, and his body collapsed all over the ground, like gravel. (っ◔◡◔)っ There was no blood on the ground, because all the blood and energy merged into the sound of breathing!

So, the breathing sound became as violent as a tsunami!

Bang!

A shriek like the scraping of iron plates rose from the remnant of breathing! The scream was so high-pitched and so gentle. While the eardrums were shattering, it actually felt like singing.

Sing praises to this world!

At first it was just a faint tremor, but now it has turned into a roar!

Like a knife and an axe slashing, a dragon's scales rubbing, and the earth breaking when the stars fell. The endless scream spread, and it condensed into a huge ripple, trying to break free from the layers of shackles and restraints on the body.

The violent shock burst out, and the air waves swept.

——The Dragon Sleeping Boundary was broken!

In the abyss under the Guixu Well, the light rolled.

The iron vortex burst with a bang!

Those hot and silver fluids boiled again! A huge amount of light spots rose from the lake like steam, accompanied by a strong wind, and ripples were created in the scream!

In front of this scream, the human body was lifted up like a fallen leaf and pressed against the wall. The lungs seemed to be filled with iron sand and could not breathe. That kind of force pressed people's bodies into the stone, turning their bones and flesh into mud!

Then, the layers of shrouds shattered.

In the dizzy illusion, Gaius felt that his brain was blank, but he finally saw the appearance of that thing clearly... It was a steel coffin!

On the cross-shaped steel coffin, the layers of chains that bound it trembled uneasily, and with the loud noise of it falling to the ground, it fell apart. The steel was actually burned out in that kind of power!

The iron coffin was shaking violently, and the copper nails on the coffin lid popped out quickly. They were afraid of the monster hidden in it and wanted to escape. Fine cracks emerged from it, like living things growing and spreading rapidly.

The screams became louder and louder!

The screams were frantic, like the hands of demons, beating the gray monks one by one into mud on the wall. But on Hein, that terrifying pressure was bounced off.

Because Hein raised his head, with golden flames in his eyes!

As if divine power was attached to his body, he broke free and crawled towards the iron coffin at an incredible speed - like falling into the abyss, like a moth flying into a flame.

He chanted something in a low voice, and suddenly pressed his hands on the iron coffin!

For a moment, the scream disappeared.

The moment of silence was extremely long.

Then, the scream exploded a thousand times!

The terrible tremor turned into substance and rushed up his body along his arm.

The skin of his arm cracked inch by inch, and blood spurted out, but it misted in the twisted wind, but the blood and qi drilled into the gap of the iron coffin and disappeared without a trace.

First the palm, then the arm, and finally the half body. Hein's body was rapidly withering and shriveling, and his life was about to be sucked out along with the blood! He turned back with difficulty and looked at Gaius, his lips opened and closed, wanting to shout something.

Gaius was stunned.

He lowered his head and saw the slender package rolling beside him. It was what Hein had brought back along the way. With the vibration and rolling, the shroud that bound it was also untied, exposing the holy object inside.

It was like a spear cast in cast iron, rough and wild, with a blunt blade, but stained with layers of blood. In the scream, its blade lit up, buzzing, and releasing burning light.

The light was blazing, cutting through the restraints on Gaius.

He bent down with all his strength and held the spear tightly.

For a moment, he felt infinite power surging into his body, and courage. The terrifying roar disappeared, and only his heartbeat lingered in his ears, like rolling thunder.

The divine power filled his body, burning his blood and almost bursting his heart, making him indulge in it and wanting to release this power.

If there is iron in front of him, he will pierce it; if there is a dragon in front of him, he will pierce the dragon; if there is an enemy in front of him, he will crush him to pieces; if there is a god in front of him, then...

His consciousness was dominated by this power, and he stood up involuntarily, took seven steps forward, and his footsteps were imprinted in the stone.

Now, he stood in front of the enemy.

The iron coffin trembled endlessly.

He glared at the cracks on the iron coffin, glared at the darkness inside, clenched the spear with both hands, and stabbed out with all his strength and courage!

There was a sound of bubbles bursting.

It was as if the iron coffin was just an illusion. The spear easily penetrated the crack, pierced into the darkness inside, and stabbed out from the other end.

Like an illusion, he heard a wail like a giant dragon before it died.

In the wail, the scream stopped abruptly, the dancing ether light suddenly paused, then condensed, turned into a rainstorm, and returned to the abyss.

Silence swept over again, and the iron coffin fell into deathly silence again.

The full power disappeared, and Gaius staggered around, trying to lift up Hein from the ground.

This burly and strong man has now withered into a baby. It shattered when touched and turned into ashes. Only the head rolled to the ground, and the shriveled pupils stared at Gaius.

He was dead.

Gaius closed his eyes for him and turned to the iron coffin.

Like a mayfly shaking a tree, the old man pushed the iron coffin hard, squeezing every bit of strength in his bones, pushing it deeper and deeper.

Until he used up his last strength and pushed it into the boiling vortex of the iron flow!

The iron coffin fell, rolled in the air, and sank into the vortex silently.

The rough spear still penetrated deeply into the iron coffin, and sank into death with it.

In the last moment, he saw the terrifying totem engraved on the iron coffin.

As if walking out of a nightmare, it has a brass face, a black iron body, three heads, traces of birds, beasts and humans, a huge and ferocious body, countless arms holding flames, frost, plague, knives, axes, water bottles, bones...

It is obviously not human-like, but it looks so... beautiful!

Perfect to the point of being terrifying.

This is a creature in mythology, the wicked son of God and Mother Earth, a demigod full of anger and power.

——Hundred-armed giant.

－

－

When Gaius walked out of the ruined city, he heard the sound of the waves.

Perhaps he stayed in silence for too long, and even the sound of the waves made people feel like a kind of salvation.

In the drifting cold rain, the carriage waited quietly in the dark. The man in the car waved to him, he was stunned for a moment, got on the car, and the carriage took him on the way back.

The car was warm, filled with the smell of incense, and decorated gorgeously.

But he still felt the coldness lingering around him, unable to dispel it.

The person sitting opposite him brought him a hand warmer, and he felt a trace of precious warmth, but his face was still pale.

"Welcome back to the human world."

The white-haired oriental man turned up the light and illuminated his face.

Like all oriental nobles, Bai Heng wore a silk robe with silver thread embroidered patterns faintly visible on the robe. The patterns were full of majesty and arrogance, like flames.

Except for the white hair, Bai Heng looked very young, energetic, and without wrinkles on his face. Only when looking into his eyes did Gaius feel: This guy is really as old as himself.

"When did you come?" Gaius asked softly.

"I followed closely behind, so I had time to take a look from a distance."

Bai Heng lowered his eyes, still in shock: "Just looking at it makes me feel like I'm losing my mind. It's really despairing."

"There's nothing to despair about."

Gaius murmured in a low voice. He recalled Hein's face, his withered head and his shriveled eyeballs, and his expression dimmed: "From the beginning to the end, isn't it just 'paying the price'?"

"I'm just afraid we can't afford that price." Bai Heng said softly: "We lost dozens of musicians and the dragon-slaying spear named 'St. George', just to deal with the dream talk of the hundred-armed giant in his sleep. In the eyes of those monsters, the way humans resist is also ridiculous, right?

Like ants, even death is worthless."

Gaius was silent.

After a long time, he sighed softly: "Bai Heng, 20 years ago, when the 'Silver Disaster' destroyed Wolf City, I was in the city."

"Huh?" Bai Heng was stunned.

"I was standing on the city wall at that time, watching it coming from a distance, with overwhelming waves and brilliant neon lights. It was really... beautiful. So, don't worry, that kind of magnificent destruction will make people feel... It wouldn’t be a pity to be buried in it.”

Bai Heng was stunned for a long time, and then suddenly laughed softly: "Human beings are really ridiculous. When I hear that I can die more beautifully, I feel less regretful."

"So, let's worry about the problems while we're still alive first."

Gaius closed his eyes and chanted the dogma softly:

"—Awe of the ether."

Bai Heng was silent.

-

The silence lasted until the carriage stopped.

Outside the car is the port, where a sea ship is waiting to set sail in the rainy night.

Through the window, Gaius heard the sound of the waves. He had left the scope of the dragon's sleep barrier, and the sound returned to this world again.

After staying in silence for so long, even the sound of the waves, which usually seems noisy, feels like salvation. Gaius couldn't help but look back into the distance.

But in the distance, in the darkness, nothing could be seen clearly.

"Then, let's say goodbye. His Majesty the Pope is still waiting for my report."

He got out of the car and looked back at the car: "Are you going back to the East too?"

"Yes, after all, I have a very...arrogant empress in my family." Bai Heng sighed: "If I'm not here, maybe something bad will happen, right?"

Gaius smiled: "It's really hard to be a traitor, Bai Heng."

"It's the regent." Bai Heng corrected seriously.

"Goodbye, then, Mr. Regent."

"Goodbye, Your Highness."

The carriage door was closed.

In the heavy rain, Gaius watched quietly as the man's carriage disappeared into the rain.

Amidst the sounds of countless rains, he looked back and stared into the darkness where the fortress was located, as if he could hear the roar of the monster through countless layers of blockades.

"I really can't understand it."

His eyes were deep: "Why on earth do you monsters linger in the human world?"

-

-

This year, there was a rare phenomenon of twin moons shining in the sky. The pale moon and the blue moon hung high at the same time.

There have been six earthquakes on the ground, some areas are still dry and some are flooded. Some people claim to have discovered a flammable black liquid in the desert area, some say the continental plates are moving, some say the earth is round, and some say the ancestors of humans are monkeys.

These are minutiae.

This year, the revolutionary army that occupied the New World was still in its infancy, and natural disasters were still raging in the dark world.

Some countries are borrowing lavishly on national debts that they can never repay, and some places are militaristically expanding their legions. The war between nations for relics and ancient technology continues.

The Holy City forgave the sins of mankind, while the nobles of the East sold silk to the dead.

Everyone was fighting and killing, and seemed to be very busy.

Few people notice that the Dark Ages have ended hundreds of years ago, and that the fragile peace between humans and natural disasters has been maintained for too long.

This world is still so huge, but unfortunately most of it is still hidden in darkness.

There are now nine remaining kingdoms out of the twelve, struggling to occupy a small corner of the world, and slowly and cautiously expanding their territories in unknown directions.

Some people cast their sights to the other side of the ocean.

Because the wind brings the sound of the new era.