The bard fantasized again.

Chapter 223 The Truth Behind the Mist

Chapter 223 The Truth Behind the Mist (4k views, please subscribe and vote)
Today, the mystery of the Dawn and Dusk Forest finally has a clear answer.

It's like an exam question, when you're trying to choose an option from many choices such as magical influences and hallucinogenic plants.

The examiner tells you there's a printing error, but it's actually a short answer question.

Demon domain.

This is the standard answer to this question.

Lilith stepped out of the coffin, her slender leg peeking out from beneath her knee-length black skirt, her black stockings encased in low-heeled leather boots, as she took two steps closer with a clatter.

The blood-red eyes were clear and deep, faintly reflecting Tang Qi's pen tip. The handwriting was somewhat messy, but still somewhat legible.

She picked up her notebook and wrote down a sentence:

"What have you been writing since just now?"

Few people visit this tomb, and she hasn't spoken to anyone in a long time.

Sometimes she even feels that her thoughts are clearer when she writes.

Having not spoken for many years, I've grown tired of it and stopped talking.

Tang Qi raised his head, wondering if the crimson in her eyes or the blood on her lips, if he could just take some and smear it on her pale cheeks, would be more in line with human aesthetics.

But this inhuman whiteness did give her a unique charm.

"Diary. It will probably be included in the appendix of 'The Guide to the Dawn and Dusk Forest' later."

Before me is a vampire, and from her narration, it can be seen that her aesthetics and perceptions are already fixed, fundamentally different from those of normal people.

If it were anyone else, possessing the dual labels of "vampire" and "dark lord," Tang Qi's first choice would never have been so careless.

Unfortunately, once he guessed the pen name 'Mary Sue,' it became difficult for him to muster any urgent vigilance—

"You may not have heard of this book, but it is currently the second best-selling book in Harbor Pigeons, only after your 'Ghost Bride'."

Once the "Longjincheng Guide" is released, it will definitely rise to number one.

Tang Qi was confident.

"novel?"

She certainly reads more novels.

After all, it is an era in which everyone can fabricate history. In order to glorify themselves and spread their fame, many people will publish autobiographies in the form of novels.

In particular, the overseas "Bard's Song" academy is the main producer of a series of uninteresting literary works such as dragon slayers and anecdotes of nobles.

Perhaps because of her identity as an author, she did not show much aggression.

"Travel Guide"

"never heard of that."

"Well you know now."

"You watch mine, I'll watch yours."

There was nothing wrong with exchanging them; I had a backup copy, so I handed over the transcript.

Arthur looked around, feeling increasingly agitated.

He wanted to question the vampire before him about why he was harming innocent civilians.

But then I thought about it again and realized it was like asking them why they were eating.

Logically speaking, he should have raised the holy emblem long ago and cleansed the filth before him.

But Tang Qi had Chenxi keep a close watch on them, and there was a risk that their mouths and noses would be covered if they weren't careful. So he had no choice but to try to seek divine revelation through meditation.

Faced with the vampire before him, should he condemn his sins or show leniency?

He knew this wasn't something he could decide.

Fide didn't care about any of that; she was more interested in what happened to the food that was sent every year.

Kuru is still studying.

Books are the bridge to communication.

How do you know this pen name?

Lilith continued writing.

“I’ve read your ‘House of the Mist,’ but it’s only similar in story and can’t fully support my conjecture—but I know Merlin, Merlin with the afro.”

Centuries ago, Merlin's ancestor painted pictures of your Night Raven family, and centuries later, he is still painting covers for your books.

When there is more than one coincidence, one should consider whether it is the truth.

Tang Qi lowered his head and continued writing in his diary, hoping to claim his reward as soon as the incident was completed.
"Your willingness to collaborate with port homing pigeons and publish best-selling books like 'The House of the Mist' proves that you are at least capable of communication now, and not a madman who thinks of killing living people whenever he sees one."

The best outcome is that we don't have to resort to arms.

After all, he didn't expect to kill a Dark Lord, and Dawn wouldn't be able to either.

Because they are immortal and indestructible—

[The Demon Realm, a demiplane intertwined with sin and fear.]

It exists independently of any world, unrestricted by geographical location or political factors, like an isolated island shrouded in mist, drifting in the 'Fallen Shadow Realm,' an endless darkness superimposed on the material plane.

To put it simply, imagine that in the material plane we exist in, there is a lush, verdant mountain before us.

However, at the same coordinates, apart from the ethereal plane that the third-circle spell [Blink] enters, there is actually another plane that is swallowed by boundless darkness.

It could be interpreted as the shadow of the mountains, but that's not entirely true.

In that dimension, this mountain might be a slope of bones piled up.

The Demon Realm is probably an artificial cave carved out of Bone Slope, which, like the 'Dragon Government Hall', has been twisted into an independent space.

This space consists of three parts.

As a separator, the fog obscures isolated realms.

As a cage, it imprisons the lord's territory.

The lord who resides in the prison as the center.

Because it is a prison for lords, even the freedom to die is taken away by the Demon Realm, just so that these prisoners who have committed sins can suffer endless torment.

But this is by no means a just trial.

It is the invisible malice formed by all the shadows and negative emotions in the world, which has created a stage for these prisoners who suit its tastes, for its amusement.

But now, this nameless demonic realm seems to have broken through the shackles of the plane, abruptly covering the original wasteland of this continent, appearing grandly before the world, transforming into the landscape of the Dawn and Dusk Forest...

This brings to mind the fallen Golden Kingdom, the leaked phlogiston sea, and the sealed Nine Hells passage.

Hey, I've discovered the world is even more doomed than I thought.

"Then the remaining question is what happened after the assassination..."

Tang Qi flipped through the latter part of the text, searching for what happened next.
"Sean became Van Frien?"

It is painful to pierce the heart of a loved one with a dagger.

Like that stinging pain, it was flowing along with the blood, clinging to Sean's fingertips, arms, and chest.

They are connected by blood.

This is a betrayal.

A betrayal of family, friendship, love, and all the beautiful things in this world.

Sean, a child who has enjoyed everything since birth, has the absolute right to speak about this wonderful life.

They also realized that their actions were an unforgivable sin.

He wanted to betray it, and then protect it.

Let this land be spared from being buried by the [Tide of Chaos].

"But even the Dark Lord himself doesn't know why he was imprisoned."

Tang Qi sighed.

This is the reason why the handover ceremony failed to be completed.

The reason for his imprisonment is because of the unforgivable crimes he committed in the past, which led him to be drawn by the shadowy underworld and dragged into the mist.

This also means that 'Demon Realm' has always been haunted by this past crime.

Whether it's liberation or handover, it must be linked to this sin.

If Lilith's crime is not related to 'betrayal', it is impossible for her to receive a corresponding response.

Wrong choices will only lead to wrong outcomes. The shadows were drawn by this sin of betrayal.

They seem to have absorbed 'flying leaves,' a kind of intoxicating, decadent, and addictive tobacco, laughing, mocking, and ridiculing this mortal who tries to manipulate the shadows—

Perhaps that book about the Fallen Shadow Underworld was actually a 'clue' that they actively distributed to watch the farce unfold.

They got what they wanted.

Sean realized that his betrayal had not brought him any power.

He wailed like a newborn baby until he finally lost his voice, finding release in his collapse.

Lilith fed him her own blood—

Ferrier the Night Raven, their grandfather, swore his loyalty from the very beginning of the castle's construction.

He was a nobleman who truly yearned for peace for this land.

To this end, they used lies and books to appease Lilith, the vampire who had once spread fear across the land.

He was not bitten by the vampire and became a vampire derivative.

However, he directly consumed her blood; just a few drops were enough to transform himself and his soldiers into the [half-blooded] race.

They are faster and stronger, possess the ability to see in the dark, and can easily walk on vertical surfaces and hang upside down without needing to breathe or use their hands.

Their fangs became their natural weapons, allowing them to bite the skin of living creatures like vampires and draw life force from their opponents' blood.

The price paid is the most primal hunger for living things.

This level of hunger can be resisted by willpower, and meat is sufficient to satisfy it.

This enabled the invincible night march and became the most steadfast cornerstone of peace.

Although most of them were eventually buried in the tide of chaos, in the magical plague that broke out due to the collapse of the magic network.

But one of them, Sean, was completely transformed into a vampire after receiving more of Lilith's blood.

"Why did you save me?"

"We are friends."

Lilith would point to the novels she had read and answer calmly.

This part was not described in detail in Lilith's notes.

Perhaps it was because she herself wasn't clear about what exactly was driving her decision to feed her blood to Sean—

She can sense emotions, but finds it difficult to analyze them.

"I don't want to never see you again."

So that's all she said back then.

Tang Qi looked up at the vampire who was completely absorbed in the "Guide" and seemed oblivious to everyone else.

Trying to guess her feelings at the time—

The bloodline of the Night Raven originates to some extent from Lilith herself.

This created a subtle connection between them.

Lilith's decision to stay in the castle out of boredom, seemingly a result of being deceived by Ferrier, is actually a two-way choice.

Just like many years ago, she sat on the beach, welcoming the scorching dawn, until she was burned to ashes...

Tang Qi thought of the oil painting on the second floor.

It was after a long period of peace, when the elderly Ferrier, realizing he was nearing the end of his life, commissioned Merlin to paint a family portrait.

Even until the very end, Lilith did not leave the tomb or appear before everyone.

He still reserved the most central seat for her.

Right in front of him.

With this in mind, Tang Qi resolutely wrote down a line of words—

She felt a sense of belonging within this family.

Lilith's appearance changed the fate of the Night Raven family.

This made them doves of peace, standing tall and prosperous amidst chaos.

But she was also changed by this family.

She began to understand humanity, even if she never truly comprehended it.

But they learned knowledge, etiquette, and how to treat guests.

The hanging figures on the treetops and the carpet of bones were welcoming these 'guests'.

Even if it seems bizarre to ordinary people, that is the earnestness that her worldview can bestow.

The patrolling guards, the fallen red dress, the departed Van Frien...

All of this is both the result of the Demon Realm's mist, mocking these mortals who are powerless to resist for various reasons, and a remembrance of the Dark Lord.

She didn't want Sean to die.

I don't want all of this to just vanish into thin air.

Because her underlying nature has become loneliness.

Sean's suicide was undoubtedly impulsive.

His grief and remorse caused him to lose his mind in the moment of pain, even forgetting about the family he cared about.

But Lilith gave Sean a chance to come to his senses and realize that what was more important than his personal feelings was how to protect the dove of peace.

So he became Van Frien.

Taking his brother's place and condemning the rebellious 'Sean' to the annals of shame was both a way to remember his own sins and the best way to maintain the integrity of his family and territory.

The Demon Realm is closely connected to this continent, which gives Lilith the ability to control the mist and shroud the land—

She didn't have to do this; as the lord of darkness, she wouldn't be affected in the slightest.

Of course, that's all she did.

But the chaotic frenzy that swept in could not be stopped.

Fortunately, Sean, reborn as a vampire, led the remaining soldiers, along with reinforcements from the north, to thwart the threat in the raging tide.

This bought some time, allowing the Archmage of the Wizard Tower to quell the source of chaos.

For the next century, Sean diligently played the role of the older brother.

He feigned his old age to maintain the stability of the family as much as possible, but the sins of the past seemed to have influenced the views of his descendants.

He could sense that the family was crumbling, but out of respect for 'Van Frien,' the 'centenarian' who led the Night Ravens to glory, he wasn't about to break up with them.

Should we continue pretending?

He abandoned his identity as 'Van Frien' and allowed his brother to die peacefully in his old age.

Then, by replacing another descendant, he would use his own dictatorship to continue maintaining the family's glory for another hundred or two hundred years.
He shook his head.

Let’s stop here.

he thinks.

There are no eternal dynasties, nor eternal glory in this world.

Even dictators cannot maintain lasting peace.

Moreover, he always suppressed his bloodthirsty impulses.

What's more unbearable than pain itself is the inability to escape from it.

He didn't want to be haunted by the pain of his hands being stained with the blood of his loved ones in his dreams in the days to come.

After accepting love, and then betraying love...

All he has to do is repay the debt.

So he said his final goodbye to Lilith.

He stepped into the sunlight.

After writing the last line, Tang Qi sighed deeply, realizing everything:
"So the vampire mist swirling in the fog..."