Brain bloom

"I saw myself in a... garden full of roses," Mori asked slowly. "You probably didn't see it, did you?"

"No," she mumbled in reply, then fell silent. She sat on the cloud, arms crossed, deep in thought, occasionally touching her banshee horns as if that would broaden her perspective.

Meanwhile, Mori was savoring that scene in his mind—

This was the first time she had ever seen a real rose since she came into this world.

When she first learned about rose stones, she also learned that roses were plants that only existed in mythology... So, what she just saw was perhaps a scene from the divine realm?

Thinking of this, Sen Shi couldn't help but raise his head and look at the deep, boundless blue sky.

Is there a rose garden further up there?

Within seconds, Melia had sorted out her thoughts—

“In the past, in very rare cases, Na Yin Clouds containing records of divine voices have flowed into those very secretive auction markets. Many people have also heard voices from the divine realm—but… the power of those voices is terrifying; they can create hallucinations, making people feel as if they are actually there… and…”

"and?"

"People who have experienced this kind of hallucination have basically gone insane or died."

Melia looked at Mori with a very serious and complicated expression.

"The only one who has experienced this illusion and is still alive is the only remaining master of magic in this era."

"It looks like there's a lot of risk involved..."

“Yes, otherwise I wouldn’t have put up these defenses—” She pointed to the surrounding spatial magic, then continued, “But even that master of magic has become a bit erratic. So, how are you feeling now? Are you experiencing any mental confusion or anything?”

"It's alright, it's alright. I'm also a master of magic."

Mori quickly smiled and said that although she was a little uneasy, she didn't have any adverse reactions. If there were any problems, she would go find a dandelion petal; its scent suited her perfectly and felt like a cure-all.

Melia's expression relaxed slightly: "I also think you're quite normal. Well, you're right, after all, you're my father. Besides, we know very little about the divine realm. The words left behind by those who experienced hallucinations are our limited understanding of the divine realm."

Mori thought that if that was the case, what she saw was probably really the scenery of the divine realm.

Melia carefully put away the Na Yin Cloud, which she had already heard about once, and continued walking towards the pillar of light with Sen Shi.

On the way, Mori described the Rose Manor, while Melia said she would investigate it thoroughly when they got back. They both thought of the "Desolate Rose Garden"—a hidden instance named after a place without blooming roses.

That happens to be Melia's hometown.

She looked into the distance: "I might have to go find Aunt Fernanda and ask her about the details of what happened before."

Upon hearing the name of the Ancient Calamity Dragon, Sen Shi suddenly realized that if there was any connection, this Calamity Dragon, which had lived for a very long time, might know a lot of inside information. As for now, they were not at a loss and could still gather as many clues as possible.

Sen pointed to the distant pillar of light that he wished to illuminate.

"Let's go, I hope you've found the same thing too."

"That's true."

They walked hurriedly, and along the way, Melia inevitably asked about many trivial matters to pass the time. Because the Four Seasons were currently in a precarious situation, even the Holy Coffin Kingdom, which should have been focused on dealing with the Peda Empire, had temporarily suspended its war due to the theft of the sacred relic.

Melia knew the general idea, but she wanted to hear the person in question tell the story. Of course, Mori didn't answer. First, a skull flew over, then a pair of hand bones. Even his own daughter wouldn't believe it if she heard about it.

Helpless, she then used her experience at the underwater ruins to change the subject.

……

The story of the corpse and the lotus ended with Mori's words. Before they could discuss their impressions, they saw Yuan's figure.

Strangely, the surrounding air was very hazy, and Mori felt a sense of déjà vu. It was like... yes, she remembered, it was like the feeling she had when she went to the Demon Realm with Kaname.

There was no light around, but things could still be vaguely seen.

A chaotic feeling clung to every wisp of air, and whenever she got close, she couldn't help but tremble from the leaves to her toes.

Soon, Mori found the source of this feeling—it was in Gen.

She sat on the edge of a cloud, gazing at the rising sunrise in the distance, occasionally scribbling in the book she carried with her. It was clear at a glance that she was, as always, pursuing the dawn she sought.

Hope's profile showed some disappointment.

"It's not like..."

"We'll find it eventually."

"fraud."

“The devil won’t deceive you—besides, you are my daughter.”

The hushed conversation made the two of them freeze in place.

Besides Yuan, there's another visitor here? It's the source of the strange atmosphere. Just because of its presence, the surrounding space has already changed, as if the realm of demons has devoured the normal space.

Melia was extremely surprised: "Oh my... isn't this the Ancient Demon King? What's he doing here?"

"Is this the ancient Demon King...?"

From the hazy darkness, Sen Shi finally recognized the figure of the ancient demon king.

On Yuan's shoulder, a wondrous creature perched. It resembled an owl, but wore a small crown on its head. Below, a pair of sharp horns indicated its demonic nature, and its feathers were much softer.

This guy... is not good...

For some inexplicable reason, Mori felt a chill run down his spine for the first time, his heart pounding violently. It was as if he were facing not a bird, but some indescribable behemoth, capable of destroying the world with a single gesture.

"Oh, Melia, Mori, you're here?" Yuan put aside her disappointment and turned around happily. "I found some rare ore, come and take a look?"

"And then there are those who live in all four seasons."

The ancient demon king let out a low growl, but did not turn his head.

Mori's soul trembled for a moment at the word "Four Seasons Man".

She didn't know why she felt a chill, but instinctively, she used her eyes to try and understand the other person, to find the answer to her question. So she focused intently on the ancient demon king.

However, the expected name box did not appear.

On the contrary, Mori felt a stinging pain in her eyes, and even the blurry words did not appear. Her trembling deepened, and in a moment of surprise, the Ancient Demon King seemed to have sensed something.

It suddenly turned its head, its eagle-like eyes staring intently at Sen Shi, as if trying to pierce through the deepest part of her soul.

What do you want to see in me?

A continuous, muffled sound, like thunder, slowly emanated from its throat.

"Because the seal on the Thundercloud Insect was not right, I was worried and came here specifically—I thought it was a wasted trip, but it turned out to be the right one, such an intriguing seasonal being..."

Volume 1, Chapter 163: Solidification Time

The ancient demon king is a rather strange monster—this was the first thought that popped into Mori's mind.

She had heard the term "King of Ancient Demons" many times, especially from Yuan, who would mention her adoptive father from time to time. In Sen Shi's memory, this demon king was always the kind of devil with sharp horns, a blue face and fangs, a pair of wings that blotted out the sky, and hellfire burning in his eyes.

Because in the gaming era, this is what the most powerful demons look like.

She swiped quite a few.

Furthermore, Mori had initially thought that since he was Yuan's adoptive father, his personality would probably be similar to hers. Completely devoid of terror, but rather rather clumsy? But the reality was quite different.

How could such a terrifying being have been nurtured into this state?

A pair of eyes from a top hunter pierced Sen Shi fiercely.

But Mori didn't consider himself prey, and felt inexplicably angry. He tried his best to gather his mental energy to the limit, barely managing to suppress the trembling in his heart.

Sen Shi suddenly realized that the Ancient Demon King must be a major trader and an extremely wealthy individual. After all, he could casually produce a clump of Thundercloud Worms, so he must possess even more wealth.

Feeling somewhat relieved, she reached into her bag, ready to retrieve her debt-collecting bow at any moment, just in case.

The hostility emanating from both sides inexplicably sharpened the atmosphere, and the surrounding chaotic air felt as heavy as lead.

"Are you the one I spoke of... the one who was summoned to the Four Seasons?" it asked, its eyes narrowing to slits as if it were observing the forest.

"Yes."

“Then, you—” The ancient demon king wanted to say something more, but was suddenly interrupted.

"Hey, what are you going to do to my important partner?"

Suddenly, a complaining voice rang out. At the same time, she grabbed the body of the Ancient Demon King and shook it incessantly in her hand, like a bottle of cola. The Ancient Demon King was shaken back and forth, his face flushed, but he still tried his best to maintain his dignity.

But its sound, because it was being shaken, became a vibrato, fluctuating in pitch.

"I wish you wouldn't play me like this now."

"Seriously! Why did you have to scare me like that!" Yuan tightened her grip a little more, as if to punish it.

On the other side, Sen Shi was on high alert one second, but the next second, she witnessed her daughter abusing her adoptive father. She didn't know what to say.

The ancient demon king said in a trembling voice, "I can't scare her. And since she's your companion... stop shaking her!"

It struggled angrily for a few moments, then forcefully flapped its wings and took flight, breaking free from Yuan's grasp.

The ancient demon king, now airborne, looked down at Yuan with furious eyes and sighed heavily: "You've disgraced all demons!"

"Hmph, who told you to do something bad right away and then scold me?"

"……never mind."

Having forcibly calmed down, the Ancient Demon King looked at Sen Shi and silently recited a spell.

That doesn't seem to be... a silent incantation.

A strange feeling crept into Morishige's heart. The incantation sounded as if it came from another world. Fortunately, Morishige didn't sense any hostility, but she remained as vigilant as possible.

The space trembled for a moment.

Those unpleasant, lingering demonic domains surged out like a tidal wave, as if to engulf the entire world.

Within this realm, Melia and Wish were frozen in place, like two wax figures. The only one alive and free was the Ancient Demon King. It slowly descended back onto Wish's shoulder, speaking in a voice of liberation—

"Alright, I've frozen the flow of time in this world. It's quiet now... Let's talk."

"Freezing time? That's a very convenient thing."

Mori forced himself to appear calm, but inside he was filled with dread.

"I am the ruler of the realm of demons, the ancient demon king Ron Stolt."

After stating his name, the ancient demon king questioned—

"What kind of true god are you? From which era were you summoned? It's astonishing. That harvest priest is truly terrifying; he actually managed to awaken a true god..."