Chapter 45: Chapter 45

The More Beautiful a Thing Is, the More Terrifying What Lies Beneath Its Surface

After the monster vanished from the depths of the hunting grounds, in the real world, at some open space in Anzelona, a colossal tree, several hundred—nearly a thousand—meters tall, appeared out of thin air. Its trunk was entirely green, and its branches spread out into nearly a hundred different cities across Anzelona.

Above the branches, there were emerald green petals—no one had ever seen such flowers before.

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Everyone in Anzelona lifted their heads to gaze at the tree's branches and the green petals upon them.

A gentle breeze passed by, and green petals drifted down from the branches.

Lina swung her blade downward—it was already the umpteenth flower spirit she had cut down, she'd lost count.

Crystalline Suti lay scattered all around, but she wasn't in the mood to pick any of them up.

That monster had disappeared; she most likely was no longer in the hunting grounds.

But the hunting grounds were sealed by the gods—how could she have broken through at will?!

Was there some loophole she'd exploited?

"That thing shifted itself using a method we don't know. Probably, it slipped through a loophole in the Goddess of Order's rules."

"The seals of the hunting ground only apply to monsters and living beings in the hunting grounds. Maybe the Goddess of Order didn't categorize 'Spring' as a living being."

"Anzelona is in danger now."

"We can't worry about that now—let's break out!"

Lina gripped her blade tightly, unleashing a surge of magic.

Hundreds of flower spirits around them were all slain by this strike.

But it was clear that she had consumed a considerable amount of stamina as well.

"Let's just get out first!"

Just as they walked out from the depths, the ground shook once more.

That gigantic tree monster was approaching.

That 'big guy' just had to show up at this moment...

But this time, Lina and the others had no option to retreat.

They had to defeat it here; they needed to hurry back.

However, the 'big guy' only managed to take a few steps before crashing heavily to the ground right in front of them.

Ephelia stood on its massive body, waving to everyone.

They saw a huge charred burn mark on the back of the tree monster.

Behind Ephelia, a dozen more such big fellows had all collapsed to the ground.

By herself, she had nearly exterminated those monsters.

"You all look so anxious, my dear friends."

"I searched for ages and couldn't find you, so I just tore this whole area apart,"

"Miss Ephelia! Do you remember the way back? There may be a monster that escaped the hunting grounds!"

Lina said anxiously, as if she had foreseen that nothing would happen to Ephelia.

"Ah, I told you I'm not a 'miss' anymore. The way back? I've more or less figured out the routes here. Follow me,"

Everyone followed behind Ephelia, running as fast as they could in one direction.

Along the way, they encountered many more monsters.

Ephelia pulled out dozens of flaming throwing knives from her spatial space and hurled them in all directions.

The entire Dreaming Forest resounded with thunderous explosions; a great number of monsters were cleared.

Fighting their way through, they finally reached the edge of the hunting grounds.

Without hesitation, Lina led everyone and activated the return Prism.

They emerged from the Dreaming Forest and immediately stepped onto a teleportation array, returning to the city streets.

Mo Ying looked around the street—what did she see?

It flowed along the street, scarlet and stinking.

The blood of countless corpses.

Above them, a giant tree reached into the clouds, its branches releasing green petals.

They were stunning, emerald petals, mesmerizing all who beheld them.

But the moment your gaze was caught, you would slice open your own belly and die right there on the street.

Perhaps thanks to the Prism she wore, Mo Ying was still unaffected.

Yet, she saw someone swallow a dagger, spit blood, and die on the spot.

These people seemed utterly out of control, preoccupied only with sacrificing their lives to the tree.

The fallen bodies gradually formed a mountain of corpses, their blood flowing in rivers toward the tree's base.

The green petals drifting from the sky gradually turned red, as though stained by blood.

Gradually, the petals falling from the sky were no longer green, but red: more beautiful than any flower, exuding an intoxicating fragrance, inviting obsession.

Countless Hunters, knights, even soldiers of the military launched attacks on the tree.

But it was all in vain; none of them could approach its trunk—they all killed themselves on the ground, becoming one of the countless red petals falling from the sky.

A torrent of falling petals—a surreal spectacle.

The blood-red petals—so mesmerizingly beautiful.

Mo Ying collapsed to the ground, unable to move.

Terror overwhelmed her reason; she couldn't react in any way.

At some point, Lina and the others had already departed—she was alone.

A sound came from Mo Ying's bracelet.

She took a closer look—both of her bracelets' readouts had fallen to zero.

They had just been fully charged, and now were abruptly at zero.

Mo Ying saw those blood-red petals; her eyes lost all light.

She slowly raised her weapon and pressed it to her neck.

Even as her heart struggled and screamed, it was all to no avail.

Her body simply would not obey.

Was she... really going to die here ?

At the brink of Mo Ying's despair, she thought of her contract with Anlus.

At a time , only Anlus's power could... there was no other way.

Just as Mo Ying prepared to act, someone knocked the weapon from her hand.

It was a girl with short pink hair and pink eyes, dressed in crimson robes.

Mo Ying suddenly recalled, wasn't she a fellow schoolmate?

That face—identical to Shen Yiwei.

Then, Mo Ying noticed a silver cross engraved on the girl's clothing.

"Confirm Calamity Level."

After saving Mo Ying, she spoke to the Orderkeepers behind her.

"It's been determined that ordinary life in Yggdonia can't cope."

"Reporting the disaster level to Bishop Cornier, requesting action authorization."

"Bishop Cornier has classified this calamity as 'Nightmare'. Permission granted for intervention."

"Bishop Aisla, bishop Cornier requests you resolve this swiftly. The order of Anzelona is of critical importance—it is the world's greatest nation."

The one who saved Mo Ying was named Aisla, yet she looked so much like Shen Yiwei.

And Mo Ying sensed the same magic power on her.

She too was a Light-Dark Symbiote—Mo Ying was sure.

But after that, aisla didn't spare Mo Ying another glance, leading the Orderkeepers toward the colossal tree.

A dazzling bright daylight flashed on the horizon.

In about ten minutes, the massive tree became ashes, drifting away on the wind.

A calamity was thus ended.

This was what an Orderkeeper was—the messenger of the gods...

Did Aisla resolve the calamity so quickly? She stood by the ashes of the burned tree; Lina was at her side.

"According to the death recorders, this Nightmare-level calamity lasted precisely seventeen minutes and fifty-six seconds, and the death toll is 724,561."

Lina nearly lost her balance at the number.

"No need to blame yourself. This was beyond your capability,"

Aisla said with little emotion.

"To prevent plague or spread of infection, please dispose of the corpses promptly."

"Report to Bishop Cornier; the issue is resolved and the death toll can be transmitted as is."

"Preliminary assessment, this was a calamity caused by the Dreaming Forest. Report to Cornier, and see if she wants to re-rank the Dreaming Forest's danger level."

"With everything perfectly resolved, let's return."

The Orderkeepers departed—fast and efficient as always.

Once the giant tree was gone, the strange springtime in the city gradually faded.

Mo Ying lifted her head—the rain of petals was no longer falling.

"Don't cling to me, my beloved. When the winter of decay passes, I shall become the spring breeze gently caressing your cheek."

"Boncotte, my beloved, will you take me where spring exists, to see the most beautiful flowers?"

"When I open my eyes, what I see is no longer endless cold, but your smile melting it away."

Mo Ying seemed to hear voices—one speaking to another.

"Seven hundred twenty thousand dead..."

Mo Ying couldn't believe the number, but as she gazed at the mountain of corpses beside her, she had no choice but to accept it.

Mo Ying retched—after that extreme fear, only now could she take in the horror of those corpses.

"It's because of me..."

Mo Ying thought of a possibility.

That monster, after devouring Boncotte, had transformed into its horrific form.

It was her—she had saved Boncotte at the time.

If only she hadn't reached out to save him; if Boncotte had fallen to his death there, would these people... could they have...

"Just like forging contracts with fae in the Fairyland, everything you do in the hunting grounds affects much, but this matter isn't your fault," came the tiny voice of her contract fairy, meiyas, appearing at her side.

She snapped her fingers and brought Mo Ying back to the Dreaming Forest.

"Look ahead, Mo Ying."

Mo Ying raised her head.

In the grass ahead, someone emerged.

"All the hunting grounds—except Fairyland and Doll Abyss—are under the effects of time. Time here is chaotic and disordered."

"I've let you enter the Dreaming Forest a second time; you'll find that time has reversed itself—Boncotte is alive."

"Hello, excuse me, are you...?"

Boncotte approached after seeing Mo Ying; he appeared unable to see Meiyas.

He didn't recognize Mo Ying at all.

"The hunting grounds can 'reset'. No matter how many monsters are slain, after a while, they all revive."

"You're right—the monster has revived too."

"Boncotte has found his wife many times, but every time he finds her, a 'reset' takes place."

"He's been devoured by his wife countless times, but it's never caused something like today."

"This was just a mutation in the hunting ground, unrelated to your actions."

"But... perhaps if you hadn't saved him, things really would've turned out differently."

Meiyas smiled ambiguously.

"Actually, I've been searching for my wife all this time."

When Mo Ying said nothing, boncotte started speaking himself.

"I hope you can join me..."

As he spoke, Mo Ying pushed him aside.

Mo Ying fixed Boncotte with a haunted, terrified look.

If I hadn't saved this man back then—

Wouldn't all those people... have lived...?

(End of Volume One. This volume was merely an introduction to some of the characters and the worldbuilding. The main story begins next volume, and the protagonist will appear.)

(Treat these first 45 chapters as a 'zero' volume—the story proper starts with the next one.)

Volume Two: An Abandoned Girl, with Time's Silhouette