Novellv Chapter 4293 A Dream of Gods
Chapter 4293 A Dream of Gods
Chapter 4293 A Dream of Gods
Two torches on the pillars blocked the thick fog from reaching the outer edge of the sacred place, but when Shad entered the temple, he found four figures beside the fire.
Lady Thorne, who was wearing a blindfold, and the elderly twin witches, Mrs. Victor, were still there. There was also a pregnant woman by the fire.
Since she was already pregnant, the other woman couldn't possibly be a witch. However, other people seeking divine help could easily appear here, so while Shad hesitated, he wasn't particularly surprised.
Before Shad appeared, this place had probably been silent for a long time, but Shad's appearance seemed to shatter the stagnant space-time, and several pairs of eyes turned to the doorway. Although Ms. Thorne was blind, her senses told her who had returned:
"Mr. Hamilton, is that you?"
Her voice was hoarse, clearly indicating that she hadn't spoken in a long time.
"Yes, do we need to verify if I am a memory?"
"Shad can't stop me," Shad inquired, "and the pregnant woman is even less likely to prevent me from getting closer." Mrs. Thorne shook her head, supporting herself on the ground as she rose to welcome Shad:
“No need. You’ve been gone for a very long time. I’ve gone out with other people a few times, and I’ve discovered that the only thing I remember about you doesn’t form illusions of you. You seem to be special, possessing a certain uniqueness.”
"Is that right?"
Xia De was unaware that he possessed such an ability, but since he no longer needed to verify his identity, that was a good thing.
He told Ms. Thorne not to stand up. He then nodded to the two old witches and the pregnant woman, and sat down by the fire. After shaking his head to dispel the dizziness from the memory loss, Shad released Mia from his pocket.
The ladies didn't react to the cat's appearance, but after Mia appeared, she curiously looked around before looking up in a certain direction on the second floor. However, Shad didn't notice what Mia was doing. After making sure Mia wouldn't wander off, he quickly retrieved the various supplies he had brought.
After all, no one seemed to be in very good condition.
The old witches were even weaker than when Shad arrived, but they still forced themselves to help organize the supplies. The pregnant woman also wanted to help, but Shad persuaded her not to, as he felt her belly looked like she was at least seven months pregnant.
Ms. Thorne's eyes "looked" at Xiaomia, but she only sensed the presence of a warm, comforting being. Life, vitality, and reason returned with Shad's arrival. While everyone was organizing supplies and the old witches were helping with cooking, Shad finally began to speak with Ms. Thorne:
"I've been gone for a long time, haven't I?"
Ms. Thorne nodded:
"Time is chaotic here. I only remember that after you left, four more people came here. Two of them couldn't regain their memories and directly asked the gods to let them go back. One got lost in the fog outside and never appeared again. The other one is this Ms. Carmen."
She pointed to the pregnant woman, who managed a weak smile at Shad. The woman looked to be in her early twenties, and if it weren't for the maternal signs of pregnancy, she wouldn't have looked any older than Lacia and Margaret.
Judging from her clothes, she must come from a well-off family, but she is ultimately just an ordinary person.
"So what's the situation with Ms. Carmen?"
Shad inquired further, and the pregnant woman, having apparently heard Mrs. Thorne mention Shad, seemed to hold him in high esteem; however, she still introduced herself:
“Hello, Mr. Hamilton. I am the princess of a small kingdom in the Western Continent. To be honest, I don’t remember how I got pregnant, nor do I remember how I got here.”
She smiled bitterly and gently touched her stomach.
“Ms. Thorne told me some things. I haven’t completely lost my memory. Judging from what happened before, I can roughly guess why I came here. I met people I shouldn’t have met. But... that’s it. I want to give birth to this child here first, and then decide what to do next.”
Ms. Thorne gently shook her head at Shad, signaling him not to ask any further questions. Shad could guess that her coming here was probably related to the child in her womb. However, since she had decided to give birth to the child despite losing her memory, Shad wouldn't say anything more.
Ms. Carmen, the pregnant woman, is currently in relatively stable condition. After exchanging a few more words with her, Shad resumed his conversation with Ms. Thorne about the current situation.
Compared to when Shad left last time, the three who had lost their memories showed no improvement; not a single memory had returned. During Shad's absence, Ms. Thorne also attempted to go out with the other arrivals to search for clues, but the situation in the fog was extremely complex, and they not only gained nothing but also encountered several dangers.
There is a demon outside.
The witch said with certainty:
"It's an evil spirit or demon. It seems to know me very well; I've encountered it twice already, and each time it spoke in a language I couldn't understand. I don't know if it's a physical manifestation of memories or a real demon that has come here. I can't defeat it; it's extremely powerful."
"Could the other person originate from the part of your lost memories? Is the problem you want to solve related to demons?"
Shad asked, and Ms. Thorne shook her head:
“I have no trace of any demonic curse on me. The merciful gods here will only help with illnesses and curses. If I want to exorcise a demon, it is much easier to find a witch with the lineage of a witch hunter than to come to the gods.”
Shad then examined Ms. Thorne's body again and indeed found no demonic power within her. However, the swamp outside was fraught with problems; it was quite possible that, let alone demons, she might encounter even more powerful enemies than Shad had faced before.
Besides the demons, Ms. Thorne, who was investigating outside while Shad was away, also encountered other troubles, but they were nothing compared to the demons.
So when the two old witches distributed the hot vegetable and meat stew to everyone, and the long-awaited aroma of the food filled the empty temple hall, Shad, holding a bowl of soup in one hand and stroking the squinting Mia with the other, also spoke of his plans:
“I’ve gotten some ideas from a friend that might help you, but before I use those methods, I want to take a nap here and confirm some things in my dreams.”
In fact, Sirius suggested that Shad determine whether the [Swamp of Oblivion] was just a dream of the gods by entering a dream. If no strange phenomena appeared in Shad's dream, then it would prove that the place really existed.
Ms. Thorne did not ask Shad why he did this; she simply nodded.
"Then you should rest. We'll eat first. It's absolutely safe here, and I'll look after your cat for you."
"Meow~"
Xiaomia meowed immediately; she didn't need anyone watching her. Shad petted the cat, drank the bowl of vegetable and meat soup, and then put the bowl aside.
"I've also brought the calming potion I prepared for you. You can drink the potion while I'm asleep and take a look at this; this information is related to the origin of your eyes."
Shad handed the prepared materials related to the "Sea of Origins" to Lady Thorne. These materials were written in the language of the Fifth Age, and Daniste had even corrected many of Shad's grammatical errors. Although Lady Thorne was blind, this did not prevent her from reading the text.
The woman wearing a blindfold thanked him softly, and Shad wasted no time. He found a pillow, drank the sleeping potion he had prepared in advance, and curled up by the fire, closing his eyes.
With the rustling of pages, the cat moved to the side of the pillow, lay down where Shad's head hadn't yet taken, and closed its eyes. The even breathing of the stranger and the cat soon blended into the crackling of the campfire.
Shad wasn't the type of person who could fall asleep anytime, but as long as the potion was potent enough and he didn't resist it, falling asleep was quite easy.
Knowing that this place was not absolutely safe, he slept very lightly, which meant that when the dream began, Shad realized he was already asleep immediately.
The dream was golden, the dream was warm and comforting. Standing in the second-floor abode of the gods, Xia De raised his head and looked at the enormous, well-built figure reclining on the high platform in front of him. Golden light emanated from the god and shone on Xia De in his dream. The "God of Compassion" gave Xia De a motherly feeling.
He turned his gaze down at him from above:
"Child from a distant time and space, you have come again."
"Isn't this a dream?"
Xia De thought to himself with doubt, the power of the god in front of him seemed real to him, it didn't seem like a dream.
"No, of course it's a dream, but I chose to talk to you in a dream."
That kind and warm presence read Shad's thoughts:
"The Swamp of Oblivion is not anyone's dream. It is a special area formed on the edge of a place where the memories, thoughts, ideas, and ideas of mortals are mixed together. It is real, and there is no need to doubt its authenticity."
This wasn't the first time Shad had heard of terms like "the edge of the world," but the god's words had answered his questions, making this dream visit meaningful.
"Thank you for your guidance."
Shad bent down to thank him, then realized his left shoulder felt heavier than his right. Turning his head, he saw an orange kitten lying there, curiously watching the dream.
For no reason at all, Shad instinctively felt that this was not the cat in his dream, but the real cat that had entered this special dream with him.
He immediately wanted to apologize to the tall, reclining figure for Xiaomia's impolite behavior, but before he could speak, the warm and benevolent deity spoke first, smiling and praising:
"This cat is as warm as the sun."
P.S.: Requesting votes at the end of the month!!!
PS2: This chapter's illustration is titled "Ms. Thorne".
PS3: I recently noticed that The Witcher 3 has a new DLC, but it's a shame it won't be available until next year. Looking forward to it!