newbobooks Chapter 194 'Gods of Dreams'
Chapter 194 'Gods of Dreams'
Chapter 194 'Gods of Dreams'
Upon hearing Tang Zijun's question, Grelando did not answer immediately, but instead her expression became conflicted.
"What, can't I say?" Tang Zijun frowned.
"...No, that's not it."
Grelando waved her hand. She was actually very reluctant to talk about the gods. In legends, the gods were the beings who created the world and the creators of all things. For mortals to talk about the gods was a great disrespect and would be punished by the gods.
In the past, things were alright, since not many people had actually seen those gods. But ever since the gods of the Void Realm went to war with Nightmare, the whole world has been shrouded in chaos.
And ordinary people like them witnessed the legendary gods descending into the mortal world.
Therefore, if possible, Grilando would absolutely never use the gods as a topic of conversation, since no one could guarantee that the gods wouldn't cast their gazes when they were discussing them.
But since Tang Zijun had already spoken, Gloriand couldn't refuse, after all, whether or not she would receive a divine vote was uncertain.
But the knight was standing right in front of him.
After a moment of silence, Grilando spoke softly.
"The Gods of the Void are our collective term for the gods. People are willing to believe that the Void is the abode of the gods and a sacred place that transcends this world."
"The term 'Void Realm' originates from the Elf race. As the oldest race in the world, the Elf race believes they were the first race to be created and the most perfect race."
Later, as times changed, this term spread, and gradually, all races, including orcs, regarded the "Void Realm" as their divine domain, and the Void Realm became the abode of all gods.
So this world also has elves and orcs? Does that mean there are dwarves and dragons too? But thinking about it, it makes sense, since there are even merfolk here, so there must be plenty of other strange and unusual races.
I initially thought the dream world was more medieval, but now it seems to be quite similar to Earth's mythological era.
only.
Tang Zijun couldn't help but speak up. "Don't you consider the feelings of the gods when you put all the gods in one place? Don't they find it crowded?"
"Sir Knight, please be careful with your words," Gloriand said, shrinking back slightly. "Actually, before the war began, we were very far removed from the gods, and most people relied on records to find traces of their existence."
"Compared to other races, humans are crippled and short-lived, an inferior race, only slightly better than fish-men. They usually sit at the same table as cave dwellers and have no right to have their own beliefs."
"That's why most of the gods worshipped by humans are 'stolen' from other races. The elves respect life and nature, so we worship the god of harvest; the orcs crave brute force and invasion, so we worship the god of war."
Dragons love gold coins and wealth, so we worship the god of merchants...:”
"To be honest, most believers don't know who they are worshipping at the beginning; they blindly learn and follow the crowd."
As Gloriam spoke, Dex chuckled and shook his head. "Boss, you're reminding me, what you're saying is not only disrespectful to God, but if the church heard you, they'd probably hang you several times over."
Gloria glared at Dex, then continued speaking to Tang Zijun.
"I'm just stating the facts. Although these words have been strictly prohibited by churches in many places, history is history, and they can't change it even if they kill all the historians."
"That's right, history cannot be forgotten." Tang Zijun nodded. "Then, since the gods of humanity were all stolen, do those gods really protect humanity?"
"...Yes."
Grelando nodded slightly.
"Although I don't know exactly what happened, when the orcs invaded the kingdom before, a war god did indeed descend with divine power to help the kingdom successfully resist the orc invasion."
Although Desk seemed indifferent to the gods, he couldn't help but speak up upon hearing this. "Indeed, not only the god of war, but also some gods of agriculture will bless the land with good weather and abundant harvests."
"Are you sure these are really gods?" Tang Zijun frowned. "What you're describing, a powerful knight or wizard should be able to do as well, right?"
"It is a god." This time, Grilando and Desque said in unison.
After a pause, Grilando continued.
"There is a big difference between divine power and human power. Knights and wizards, in the end, are just wielding power bestowed by the gods. Although that power is extraordinary, it is still incomparable to divine power."
As she spoke, Gloria gave Tang Zijun another strange look. "Sir Knight, isn't your power also a blessing from the gods? Don't you know that?"
"Huh?...I know, I know." Tang Zijun shrugged. "It's a blessing from the gods, that's how we knights are."
"Who is the god you worship?" Grilando suddenly asked.
Now, Tang Zijun was in an awkward situation.
His brain raced, and soon several figures popped into Tang Zijun's head. Then he spoke.
"I worship the Goddess of Ice and Snow, you probably haven't heard of her, it's quite a niche faith..."
"The Ice and Snow Goddess!?"
Contrary to Tang Zijun's expectations, Grelando stared wide-eyed at Tang Zijun with surprise and disbelief. Tang Zijun was startled by her strong reaction. He thought he had accidentally said something taboo. Looking at Grelando's expression, he suspected that this woman was about to pull out a weapon and duel with him.
"What's wrong? Is our relationship with the god we believe in not good?"
"No, I, I also believe in the Goddess of Ice and Snow!" Gloria excitedly lifted her clothes, showing Tang Zijun the tattoo on her stomach.
"Look, this is the mark of extreme ice that I've had since I was a child."
Tang Zijun looked over and indeed saw a dark blue snowflake mark on the upper left of Grelando's navel.
"I never imagined that you, Knight, were also blessed by the Goddess of Ice and Snow. I am so honored."
"I didn't expect that either.::" Tang Zijun's lips twitched.
Taking advantage of Grelando's enthusiasm, Tang Zijun quickly steered the conversation elsewhere. He didn't want to continue talking to a seasoned ice and snow cultist, lest he expose his secret.
"Um, tell me about the nightmares. What are those guys' origins, and why are they waging war against the gods of the Void Realm?"
"Nightmare? That's actually a general term for 'gods.' They're called gods, but those monsters can't really be called 'gods' at all."
Desk answered Tang Zijun's question. "Nightmare creatures are a group of creatures of unknown origin. No one knows where they come from. We call their origin the Abyss."
"Legend has it that the nightmare creatures are beings even older than the gods. They have always lurked in the abyss, feeding on flesh and blood, and are opposed to the gods."
"So you mean that you didn't know the origin of the nightmare creatures, but instead fabricated an origin for them?" Tang Zijun thought for a moment and said.
"The unknown can be frightening, but if we can make nightmare creatures less unknown, it can also reduce people's fear," Deske said.
"I see."
As we walked and talked, the surrounding environment gradually transformed from wasteland into mountains.
They encountered no danger or monsters along the way, but in the distance, several unknown figures cast their gazes toward them.
"Those are corrupted mountain spirits. Originally, they were natural products of the mines, born from gems and ores. However, after being corrupted, these guys became ferocious."
Gloriam explained to Tang Zijun, "Actually, these guys don't usually cause much trouble. Their destructive power is limited; an adult can handle them."
It's just that its body is tough, making it difficult to kill.
"You really know a lot about these creatures."
"After all, I'm a mercenary. I travel all over the country and often come into contact with a lot of strange creatures." Greland smiled apologetically. She wasn't surprised that Tang Zijun didn't know anything about these creatures.
Knights are mostly pillars of the middle and upper echelons of various kingdoms. They rarely go out into the wild and are mostly stationed in various city-states. Even when they go out, they lead an army.
When a large army marches in a dense procession, not only mountain spirits but even giant monsters have to take a detour. Wild creatures generally avoid contact with armies to avoid injury, so many knights and soldiers have never seen those creatures before.
At most, they've heard about these things from other people or seen images of them in a book.
At that moment, Desker spoke up.
"We've entered the mine's perimeter; going any further might not be as peaceful as before."
As he spoke, he drew a longsword forged from fine steel, and Grelando also pulled out two curved knives from her back waist.
Looking at the two mercenaries who were ready for battle, Tang Zijun couldn't help but feel a little nervous. As he gazed at the unknown road ahead, he felt that the background music might suddenly become rousing at any moment.
Once they entered the mine, their pace slowed considerably.
Unlike the previous barren land that stretched as far as the eye could see and offered little cover, the mine was filled with pitted caves and pits.
From the outside, it looks like a huge, man-made sinkhole.
This was Tang Zijun's first time visiting such a place. If there was any scene in her memory that could be compared to this place, it would probably be the stalactite caves she had visited before.
A cold wind howled, creaking and groaning as it creaked down the dilapidated wooden stairs. The further down one went, the dimmer the light became.
It looked like a giant maw that was devouring the light.
Deske brought out the oil lamps and torches he had prepared beforehand. "The visibility is getting lower and lower. We'll each have a torch, and I'll use the oil lamp to lead the way. We might have to spend the night here."
Just as Desk was trying to light a fire with a flint and steel, Tang Zijun suddenly twitched her ears and turned her head sharply to look into the depths of the cave.