The Monster is Coming

Chapter 463 The Dream Weaver's Remnant?

The sharp pains that pierced his body jolted Tu Hu awake from his deep coma.

He struggled to open his heavy eyelids; his vision was initially blurry, but gradually became clear.

What comes into view is a gray sky and several tall wooden poles supporting each other at an angle.

Memories of the period before I fell into a coma flooded back.

He suddenly regained consciousness, propped himself up, and found himself lying on a black stone slab.

"Yo~"

Just then, a tender chirping sound came from behind.

Tu Hu turned his head and saw three strangely shaped creatures surrounding him.

They had humanoid bodies, only reaching about knee height, with large heads and round, clear, jewel-like eyes that occupied most of their faces. Their pupils were vertical, yet they showed no sign of ferocity.

The leader had dark blue scales and a diamond-shaped mark on his forehead.

To its left is a small, light pink creature with the largest, most lively eyes. It seems particularly interested in the clothes he is wearing, its little paws constantly tugging at his trouser leg.

On the right is a small, dark green creature, gently sniffing the air, seemingly trying to discern its scent, its eyes filled with contemplation.

Not far behind them lay the giant spider that had been killed, its charred remains a horrifying sight.

This led Tu Hu to subconsciously guess that it was these three seemingly harmless little creatures who had dealt with the giant cave spider and rescued him.

At this moment, they discovered that Tu Hu had already woken up.

The three little creatures huddled together, making "yo-yo" sounds.

But Tu Hu understood the specific meaning behind the voice.

“That fierce creature has his scent on it, it must have been him… Is he in danger? Should we save him?” Little Blue, the leader, asked cautiously.

"His clothes are shiny, and he looks a bit dull. He doesn't seem like a bad guy," Little Pink analyzed, tilting her head.

"He is badly injured and his breathing is disordered, but he has the ability to defeat the fierce one and may be able to help our clan solve the current predicament."

Tu Hu was stunned.

He can understand what they are saying.

This ability seems innate; there's no need for analysis, the meaning the other person wants to express naturally comes to mind.

The ferocity they mentioned probably refers to the blind behemoth that he knocked back with a single punch.

"Thank you... thank you for saving me. I... meant no harm."

The three little creatures froze instantly, their jewel-like eyes widening in disbelief.

The little pink guy was the first to react, jumping up excitedly:
“He spoke; he could actually use our language; he understood us.”

The wariness in Xiao Lan's eyes dissipated considerably, replaced by incomprehensible confusion.

It stepped forward, looked up at the tiger-slaying beast, and let out a "yo" sound:

"Who are you? Where did you come from? Why are you injured and lying in the Blackthorn Forest?"

Tu Hu tried hard to recall, but all he could remember were fragments of the passageway, the shattered light and shadow, and the giant beast chasing him; his previous memories remained blank.

Thinking of this, a bitter look appeared on his face, and he shook his head, saying:
"I... don't remember, I only remember being chased by different monsters one after another... and then, I got here."

He pointed to his tattered clothes and the dried blood at the corner of his mouth, indicating that he was not in good condition.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Lü nodded:
"His confusion didn't seem fake, and his injuries were real; he may have lost his memory due to the severe injuries."

Xiao Lan pondered for a moment, and seemed to have made a decision.

It turned around and called out.

Soon, several smaller creatures of the same kind, each a different color, arrived carrying a huge leaf filled with clear spring water and a few glistening white fruits emitting an enticing fragrance. They placed the leaf in front of Tu Hu.

"Eat, you need to recover."

I glanced at the food and a strong feeling of hunger surged through me.

At this moment, Tu Hu stretched out his trembling hand, which was weak from exhaustion, picked up a fruit, and put it in his mouth.

The fruit melted in his mouth, and a gentle energy quickly spread, moisturizing his parched throat and damaged body, even easing the intense pain within him.

During this time, he looked up at the three little ones in front of him.

I have roughly analyzed the current situation in my mind.

The tribe to which these three little guys belong is an enemy of the tribe to which the blind giant beast that had previously hunted him belonged.

They discovered the "fierce" creature that they had punched and severely injured, and keenly sensed the unique aura that remained on its body.

In order to find out the truth about the fierce creature's injury, they followed the scent all the way and happened to find it being attacked by the cave giant spider, so they came to its rescue.

Saving him was done with a clear purpose.

They saw their potential to injure or even kill the "fierce" creature and hoped to use its power to fight against forces that threatened the survival of their kind.

Having figured this out, Tu Hu felt a little more at ease.

Having clear terms for the exchange makes it easier for him, an amnesiac, to accept it than offering kindness without any reason.

He needs this relatively safe environment to recover from his injuries and figure out his condition.

He looked at Ah Lan, who was in the lead, and said:

"I understand...you need my help to deal with those...fierce ones?"

The diamond-shaped mark on Xiao Lan's forehead seemed to glow slightly, then she nodded solemnly:

“A fierce tribe… They are strong, there are many of them… They steal our food, destroy our homes… We… need power, and you have the strongest power we have ever seen.”

Little Pink nodded vigorously, her big eyes filled with anticipation.

Xiao Lü added:

"This will be your home until you recover. We will provide food and treatment."

Tu Hu looked at them. Although the three little guys had a clear purpose, their eyes were pure, and there was only a desire to survive in their eyes.

He took a deep breath, feeling the pain in his body slightly relieved by the food, and slowly nodded:

“Okay, during my recovery, I will do my best... to protect you, as a way of repaying you.”

An alliance based on the need for survival has been initially formed at this moment.

……

In the days that followed, Tu Hu stayed here.

During the conversation, I learned that this adorable ethnic group is called the Rongling tribe.

It is in this black thorn forest beneath our feet that an ancient race has lived and multiplied for thousands of years.

The three little creatures he was talking to were the leaders of their kind, all over 40 years old.

Their names all carry auspicious connotations such as stars, flowers, and forests.

Tu Hu simply named them Alan, Afen, and Alv based on the color of their scales.

They readily accepted this simple and straightforward name, and even felt that it was a unique mark he had given them.

During the conversation, it was learned that Alan, Afen, and Alu, as the leaders of this group, actually bear enormous pressure that is inconsistent with their youthful appearance.

Every day, Alan patrols and trains the soldiers, and he always carries fresh wounds on his body.

A-Fen led her gathering team out early and returned late, searching for food and collecting herbs in the Blackthorn Forest.

Ah-Lu acted like a little housekeeper, carefully allocating food and supplies.

One late night, Alan sat by the campfire, having Afen apply herbs to it, while recounting the story of its tribe's migration to Tu Hu, its voice tinged with bittersweet memories:

“We didn’t originally live here. Our home was deep in the Blackthorn Forest, where there was a very fertile ‘Star Valley’ where the land could grow the most plump honey fruits, the spring water was sweet, and there was plenty of prey.”

Its gaze fell upon the flickering flames, as if it were seeing a scene from the past.

“But the ferocious tribe has arrived. They are like a black tide, so many, so incredibly many… They are stronger than us, their scales are thicker, their claws are sharper.” Alan’s voice trembled slightly.

“We chose to fight. Ah Fen’s parents, Ah Lü’s brother, and many, many other members of our clan... all fell in the war.”

The campfire crackled, reflecting the glistening tears in A-Lan's eyes, and also the momentarily dimmed gazes of A-Fen and A-Lü.

Those wounds, even after a long time, remain vivid in their memories.

“We could no longer defend Star Valley. If we continued to fight, our people would die. So we had no choice but to leave, abandoning the most fertile land left by our ancestors. We fled from the pursuers and lost more and more of our companions... Finally, we found the Spring Basin we have today.”

"Food is hard to find here, and there are new dangers... but at least we survived."

Tu Hu listened in silence. He understood that behind the Rongling tribe's current predicament lay a history of escape steeped in blood and sacrifice.

Their seemingly peaceful new home is the final resting place they obtained at the cost of countless lives of their relatives.

"It's your turn."

Just as Tu Hu was lost in thought, A Fen suddenly beckoned to him, holding a few large leaves covered with dark green herbs in her little paws.

Tu Hu was slightly taken aback, then understood what A Fen meant.

Without hesitation, he took off his already tattered clothes, revealing his strong upper body covered with new and old scars.

Unlike the fine scratches on Alan's body, the scars on his body were more gruesome, like centipedes crawling all over his body, especially on his chest and back, where there were several deep purple bruises that have not faded at all.

Seeing these wounds, Alan stopped licking her own wounds, and Alu put down the pebbles in her hand. The three pairs of jewel-like eyes focused on Tu Hu, filled with obvious worry.

Little Pink cautiously approached, tiptoed, and gently applied the cool herbal leaves to the most conspicuous bruise on Tu Hu's chest.

Its movements were very gentle.

"hiss."

The moment the herbs touched the skin, a refreshing coolness immediately penetrated, as if parched land had encountered a spring of sweet water. The burning, dull pain was somewhat dispelled, bringing a rare sense of relief.

"This is moonlight moss, which can only be picked by springs at night. It's very effective for relieving pain and reducing swelling." Xiao Fen explained with a hint of pride as she carefully spread the herbs on his chest, her big eyes blinking as if she were taking credit or comforting him.

Alan nodded in agreement and added:
"We use this when we're injured, but it's not easy to find."

Ah Lü silently pushed the leaf bowl containing water towards Tu Hu's hand.

Seeing the unreserved concern shown by these three little ones, Tu Hu's heart was touched to the very core.

He didn't speak, letting Little Pink carefully apply the herbs to him with her tiny paws.

In the days that followed, Tu Hu was no longer just a passive bystander.

As dawn breaks through the thin mist over the Blackthorn Forest, he will take the stone spear that Alan made for him and join the patrol and hunting party.

He silently followed behind Alan, learning how to identify the tracks of wild beasts and how to use the sound of wind and water to cover his tracks... With his strong physique, he quickly became a reliable asset to the team.

Once, when they encountered a lone "spiky boar," and Alan and the warriors were struggling to cope with its hard thorns, he accurately threw his stone spear, piercing the boar's head and averting the crisis.

At that moment, Alan looked at him with even more trust.

In the afternoon, he would set off with Ah Fen's gathering team.

Along the way, I silently noted down the properties of each herb that Ah Fen taught me: which ones could stop bleeding, which ones could reduce fever, and which ones were highly poisonous and must be avoided.

They also witnessed the difficulty of collecting the moss, as they had to climb slippery rock walls to collect just a few precious moss plants.

To avoid the poisonous bees, they had to abandon a patch of berries that were about to ripen.

Ah Fen would look longingly at the abandoned berries, her little face filled with heartache, and then she would work even harder to search for alternative foods.

At night, he would sit beside Ah Lü by the campfire in the center of the camp, watching how the little steward distributed the day's harvest of food and herbs.

Which items need to be eaten immediately, which can be dried and stored, how much extra food the wounded soldiers need to recover as quickly as possible... While fiddling with the small stones representing supplies, A-Lu would quietly explain the considerations to Tu Hu, such as why priority should be given to ensuring food for cubs and pregnant spirits, and why unnecessary activities should be reduced to lower consumption when food is scarce.

For the first time, Tu Hu understood so intuitively that maintaining the most basic operation of a tribe required such complex calculations.

Time flew by, and Tu Hu had no idea how long he had been there.

He was no longer a guest of the Rongling tribe; he had truly integrated into their community.

The initial sense of alienation from him among the other members of the tribe gradually disappeared.

The cubs will curiously circle around him, and the bolder ones will even try to climb on his legs.

The older Rongling would greet him with a friendly "yo" sound when they saw him.

The hideous scars on his body never disappeared, and intense pain often surfaced.

But a sense of security is growing in my heart.

This land, and the small figure struggling for survival, are gradually filling the void in his heart.

But he still doesn't know who he is or where he comes from.

In the daily routine of hunting, gathering, and guarding, he found meaning in his existence and developed a strong sense of belonging to his tribe.

Once his physical condition improved somewhat, he finally had the energy to ponder the biggest mystery that had been lingering in his mind: Who am I?

He searched his entire body, and apart from his clothes, the only thing that might contain a clue was the bright, warm-to-the-touch crystal he had been clutching since he woke up.

However, after repeatedly examining the crystal, no clues to the memory could be found.

One afternoon, he was alone in the quiet treehouse, his gaze once again focused on the crystal in his hand.

He held it above his head and examined it repeatedly in the sunlight, but still couldn't find anything special about it. He could only see the crystal shimmering rhythmically as if it were breathing.

He couldn't help but sigh; after days of investigation, he still hadn't found anything.

His anxiety caused his emotions to fluctuate wildly.

at this time.

The dazzling crystal in his hand suddenly trembled, and then burst forth with an unprecedentedly intense halo, as if a small sun had awakened in his hand.

The surrounding scenery rippled and distorted like water for a moment, then vanished completely.

The next moment, he found himself standing in an incredibly magnificent hall.

Here, the dome is high and far, and countless bookshelves emitting soft white light float all around, extending to the horizon.

The bookshelf was densely packed with stones of various colors.

This is a dreamlike library that exists within a crystal.

Tu Hu was shocked as he strolled through the scene, his gaze sweeping over the labels on the bookshelves.

"The Complete Guide to the Fundamentals and Applications of Psychic Power," "Gene Editing," "Dream Weaving Materials: From Microscopic to Macroscopic," "Dream Engineering"... Each category represents a vast and rigorous knowledge system.

He tried to draw a stone with his mind, and the stone flew into his hand automatically, radiating light and forming a stream of light and shadow that entered his mind.

The sheer volume of knowledge contained within astonished Tu Hu.

In the days that followed, he began to read voraciously.

Through the information recorded in the brilliant crystal, he gradually learned that it was the crystallization of wisdom left behind by a glorious civilization called the "Dream Weavers." They were skilled at using dreams and spiritual energy, and their civilization's technology was highly advanced.

This information stirred Tu Hu's emotions.

He could enter the realm of knowledge so smoothly and access its knowledge as if he belonged there.

More importantly, although the contents of the materials were stored in the form of mental information, he could completely understand the text in many of the illusions.
This gave rise to a conjecture in Tu Hu's mind:
"Could it be... that I am from the Dream Weaver Clan? Is this crystal the spark of our civilization's wisdom that we preserve? And am I a survivor who was stranded here during some kind of disaster?"

This hypothesis seems to perfectly explain why he possesses such great power, since he originally came from a powerful civilization.

This also explains why they could easily master this illusionary library and understand the textual information within it.

Based on the information described in the illusionary realm data, it can be basically confirmed that Tu Hu has already perished in the cross-realm expedition.

The purpose of leaving behind this wisdom crystal is to continue the story of civilization and pass on the technological heritage of the Dream Weavers.

With these thoughts in mind, a complete story gradually took shape:

The Dreamweavers, having exhausted the power of their civilization, embarked on a perilous interdimensional expedition, only to encounter an insurmountable enemy in a certain world, ultimately resulting in their complete annihilation.

In the final moments of civilization, the survivors initiated the "Fire Seed Project," sending the crystal that carried the wisdom of the entire race, along with him, who might be the last member of the race, back to their homeland, a world long since ruined and abandoned in history.

They hoped that the spark of civilization could find new soil and sprout anew in this land of origin.

And he was the chosen one: the guardian of the flame.

He carries on the hope of continuing the story of our dream-weaving civilization.

This crystal in my hand is both a legacy and a weighty mission.

After Tu Hu exited the illusionary library and his consciousness returned to the treehouse, the light of the crystal in his hand slowly faded.

He looked out the window. Alan was instructing his people on how to hunt, Afen was experimenting with new herbs, and Alu was carefully recording the growth of nearby plants.

Aren't these simple and resilient lives the best soil for continuing the flame of civilization?
He could completely guide them onto a completely new path.

The knowledge of the Dreamweavers will be gradually imparted to them, allowing the Velvet Spirits to create a different future in this Blackthorn Forest.

This is both to repay a debt of gratitude and to fulfill one's responsibility as a descendant of the Dream Weavers.

He gripped the wisdom crystal tightly, his eyes less confused and more determined.

Perhaps, this is the meaning of his existence.

(End of this chapter)