Free Web NovelChapter 46: Chapter 45: The Tip of the Iceberg of Ages
"Greetings, newborn Knights!"
A magnetic voice called out. The speaker was none other than Qin Xiaoxia, standing directly in front of the four men.
In fact, he was the first thing that had captured their attention after they woke up.
Though they only understood the meaning of his words through Su Su, who had immediately started translating, their attention remained fixed on the original speaker.
The space around him seemed to blur and distort as if warped by scorching flames, yet it brought them a feeling of warmth.
The aura he exuded was accompanied by an immense pressure, yet also an inexplicable sense of intimacy.
After their shattered souls were mended by Magic Power from the same source, they felt a peculiar, subtle sense of security and dependence toward its wellspring, like a chick seeing its mother for the first time.
Qin Xiaoxia, being particularly sharp, noticed this.
"Knights? You’re talking about us?"
Baru was, after all, the most experienced elder among the four. The question he voiced was one that not only the four men on the ground wanted to ask, but Su Su, Jenny, and the others as well.
Why had four men on the brink of death suddenly become so-called "newborn Knights" after being saved?
The title stirred a subtle feeling of jealousy in the others.
Doudou, hearing that his big cousin was about to start one of his spiels again, immediately hopped onto a sofa that had its dust cover pulled off and settled in.
Moments like these were more entertaining than television.
Seeing that he had everyone’s rapt attention, Qin Xiaoxia suppressed the fluctuations of his Magic Power, returning to the state of an "ordinary person."
A smile on his face, Qin Xiaoxia sat down cross-legged on the floor, so as not to seem like he was looking down on the four men wrapped in their sheets.
Seeing this, the others decided to sit down as well.
It had to be said, the atmosphere was quite nice with everyone sitting in a circle.
"This is a story from a very long time ago."
With a sigh, Qin Xiaoxia began.
He glanced at Su Su and gave her a nod. She nodded back excitedly, already eager to hear and share a story buried deep in history.
"I’m sure you’re aware that what you encountered was no ordinary existence that a common person could fight. It was terrifying, wasn’t it? You felt helpless, didn’t you? Utterly... hopeless?"
The process of a soul being "digested" is exceptionally cruel, even more so than death by a thousand cuts.
Because the soul is far more sensitive than the physical body, the victim often remains fully conscious as they are devoured, forced to watch themselves being "eaten" alive.
This is always the case, unless a particular aberrant monster possesses the power to paralyze souls. Clearly, the Demonized Crystal Ore was not one of them, nor did it have any need to anesthetize its prey’s soul.
Hearing Su Su’s translation, goosebumps visibly rose on the four men’s skin, and their bodies began to tremble uncontrollably.
The calm composure they had maintained since waking was shattered in an instant. The terror was still fresh in their minds!
"There’s no need to be afraid. I’ve already dealt with the Demonized Crystal Ore. It can’t cause any more trouble now."
After this word of reassurance, Qin Xiaoxia’s tone shifted abruptly, and his expression turned serious.
"But... you think that was terrifying?"
"Heh heh heh... The Demonized Crystal Ore is merely a low-level aberration with little intelligence that acts on instinct. The danger it poses doesn’t even compare to a single Chiperlo Ghoul. Oh, that’s right—Su Su has seen one of its larvae."
Su Su froze, finally understanding what that thing on Haohao had been.
During her moment of stunned reflection, the three people beside her and the four naked men grew extremely anxious, repeatedly urging her to hurry up and translate. freēwēbnovel.com
After Su Su explained the whole story, Jenny and the others finally understood that Su Su had already experienced a supernatural incident back in Hua Country and had been lucky enough to meet their "savior" then.
This tactic of having a third party corroborate the story was a potent way to build trust, especially when that third party was well-acquainted with those involved.
Thus, Qin Xiaoxia listened patiently as Su Su gave a lively recounting of how Haohao was saved, also mentioning the farcical incident at the amusement park, which made Jenny and the others, including Baru, laugh out loud.
When he saw that she was about done, Qin Xiaoxia calmly began to explain the characteristics of the Chiperlo Ghoul, bit by bit, in meticulous detail.
As he spoke, everyone’s blood ran cold. The four "Quasi-Knights" were doing alright, but the others couldn’t help but hug themselves and rub their arms, their hands and feet turning icy.
The name "Ghoul" might have made them think of low-level mobs from games like World of Warcraft, but only after truly learning what it was did they understand its horror.
It was a gregarious, infectious life-form that reproduced asexually, undergoing a series of stages including incubation-parasitism, metamorphic development, and mature predation—a terrifying invasive species that existed somewhere between a specter and a zombie.
Given a little time and space, Ghouls would probably allow for a live-action filming of Resident Evil, and it would undoubtedly be more terrifying than the sluggish creatures from the original!
This also made them understand why the danger from a Demonized Crystal Ore was said to be far less than that of a Ghoul.
"Throughout history, we have faced endless aberrations—horrors one would rather not even imagine. This goes back thousands of years!"
Without giving Su Su time to ponder, Qin Xiaoxia continued his tale, his tone shifting from deep sorrow to one dripping with blood as he recounted the historical plight.
The world was never alone. The current scientific community’s debate over whether humanity and Earth are alone is laughable.
From the earliest stages of civilization, humanity has constantly encountered enemies it could not overcome, facing the threat of extinction at any moment.
It wasn’t just humanity; other species on this world faced the same fate.
"But humanity’s potential is infinite, far beyond what you can imagine!"
Amidst the sorrowful darkness, Qin Xiaoxia’s words were like a ray of light. With a heavier tone and an emotionally charged voice, he delivered his next line.
"Until the appearance of Dawn!"
A single sentence was enough to ignite Su Su’s passion. When she repeated it to her friends, her voice was already choked with tears.
It was as if she could see the end of a tragic era for humanity and the world.
The other listeners felt it too. Though they didn’t yet understand what this "Dawn" was, they were intensely moved by the feeling of finally seeing the first ray of light before a new day.
Including the four Quasi-Knights, everyone unconsciously clenched their fists.
Doudou clutched the plastic bag he’d been holding the whole time. The sandwich inside was mediocre in his opinion, but what could you do when there was no popcorn? You eat.
Anything tastes good when you’re watching a show. It was just that the old sofa’s lack of comfort made him miss the one back at Qin Xiaoxia’s house.
’Another group, done for.’
Doudou thought to himself.
"We learned. We progressed. From each other, and even from the Demons. After a long period of fighting alone, the first awakened humans... The Nine Great Sages of that time decided..."
Qin Xiaoxia’s narration paused briefly, as if he were building up to the climax.
"...to establish ’Dawn’!"
A corner of history’s secrets had been lifted. Su Su covered her mouth, finally understanding the origin of Dawn.
The first light ignited in absolute darkness!
PS: Thank you to book friend Lao Ma de Tiankong for the 500 coin reward, and thank you to book friend Chang’e Kao Houyi for the 100 coin reward. Thank you to all the big shots for your recommendation tickets! I’m endlessly grateful!
A book like mine not dying in the womb is all thanks to everyone’s support!!
