Chapter 617: The Truth Behind the Silent Wall

Chapter 617: The Truth Behind the Silent Wall

Nina was wholly unprepared for the scene unfolding before her. Having seen Mr. Morris make contact with the brilliant barrier, she had let her imagination wander, conjuring up a myriad of potential consequences. Would some ethereal creature spring forth from the illuminating glow? Or perhaps their surroundings would undergo a rapid transformation, a complete change in the setting? She had even briefly pictured a catastrophic plummet, reminiscent of the fabled fall of Uncle Duncan and the mysterious dream version of the Vanished from the heavens. Yet, the current spectacle was beyond her wildest speculations.

The lustrous partition, resembling the legendary Silent Wall, disintegrated without warning. It shattered noiselessly, as fragile and unexpected as a delicate soap bubble popping in the air.

That once-majestic, glowing barricade, which had presented such an imposing obstacle, was annihilated within seconds. What was once a robust formation reduced to a mere cascade of shining particles, disappearing in a fleeting instant.

Following the barriers disintegration, the entire forest seemed to momentarily hold its breath, plunging into an eerie stillness. But almost immediately, the mists that had blanketed the forest stirred, continuing their mysterious dance. Jolted back to the present, Nina, driven by concern, swiftly approached her mentor.

Mr. Morris! her voice tinged with anxiety, Are you okay? How did it just?

His response was a shaky I-I dont know Mr. Morris, who was typically a composed, trustworthy, and polished academic, now wore an expression of genuine surprise. A slight, involuntary quiver of his lips betrayed his inner astonishment. Strangely, his mind wandered back to a lecture from his formative years at the Truth Academy. It was a list of the paramount rules of archaeology, emphasized with fervor by his esteemed professor, Lune:

Never lay a finger on anything.

Approach the environment with utmost caution.

I repeat, avoid all contact.

Refrain from making hasty judgments.

Seriously, keep your hands to yourself.

Show reverence for the remnants of ancient cultures.

For XXXX sake, resist the urge to touch!

Staring down at his hands, a wave of nostalgia hit Mr. Morris, and he was consumed with the familiar trepidation of childhood mischief, praying that his actions would remain undiscovered by his instructors.

Yet, his reverie was swiftly shattered by Ninas soft, startled exclamation.

Forced by the sudden change, her gaze was now fixed intently on a particular spot the exact location that the Silent Wall had once concealed. In tandem, Mr. Morris lifted his eyes, tracing her gaze.

What they saw was a shadowy, mist-enshrouded landscape. At the edge of the forest, where the rolling terrains met the horizon, the fog began to dissipate, unveiling the contours of an enormous entity.

Mr. Morriss first instinct was to identify it as a mountain, though its form was peculiar, contorted, and oddly warped.

As Morris peered intently, his initial assumption of the presence of a twisted mountain was entirely upended. Instead, he discerned a tree but this wasnt an ordinary tree. It was gargantuan in size, and it bore an appearance of utter devastation. The immense tree seemed as though it had been violently torn apart by some great force. Its mangled remains sprawled across the expanse, so distorted and misshapen that trying to envision its former splendor was a challenge.

Its once-expansive canopy, which likely provided shade for vast plains, had collapsed, succumbing to the relentless onslaught of time and natural forces. The sturdy trunk, which must have once stood tall and proud, was now fragmented and in ruins. The vibrant green foliage, which might have rustled in ancient breezes, was now conspicuously absent, having perhaps been devoured by an inferno. What remained was a macabre structure of branches, grotesquely twisted and reaching out as if beckoning the heavens, reminiscent of the gnarled digits of a decaying skeletal hand.

Monumental branches, still eerily erect, resembled the broken spires of ancient cathedrals, while the roots, though fractured, evoked the image of walls from bygone civilizations. The nightmarish scene before them was akin to an apocalyptic tableau. The ground, instead of fertile soil, was covered in a layer of ash, seeping into every nook and cranny, emphasizing the desolation surrounding the trees remnants. The atmosphere was laden with a sense of ancient cataclysm, and Morris and Nina felt as if they were standing on the precipice of a long-forgotten kingdom.

A look of confusion crossed Ninas face.

Morris continued, The legendary Atlantis is believed to have manifested the Silent Wall with the sole purpose of shielding the elves. However, this task, monumental as it was, seemed doomed from inception. Yet, from all indications, it appears that Atlantis, the architect, was aware of this inevitable fate. Regardless, the Silent Wall, in its devotion, ceaselessly endeavored to heed this directive. He paused, collecting his thoughts, then added, My scrutiny of the forests border has led me to discern that these nameless saplings delineate the boundary separating the woods from the ruins. Their arrangement isnt random; theres a methodical pattern suggesting a deliberate design.

But Nina faltered, searching for the right words, We arent elves, are we?

Morris shook his head, responding, The land we tread isnt the genuine Atlantis or the Pristine Dreamland. Always bear in mind, we currently reside within the Dream of the Nameless One.

This revelation caused Nina to fall silent, the weight of Morriss assertion dawning upon her.

Ancient elven lore was rich with tales from a time long past. These chronicles painted vivid pictures of the mighty demon deity, Saslokha, who wove the fabric of the universe within the intricate tapestry of his dreams. Within this dreamlike expanse, the majestic World Tree, known as Atlantis, stood sentinel, sheltering and preserving the elfin race from external perils. Their dominion and the extent of their influence spanned epochs predating the emergence of the vast oceanic expanses.

Yet, like all great tales, this one had its culmination. The grand narrative of the elves drew to a close with a catastrophic event of unparalleled magnitude the Great Annihilation.

Their present stay in Wind Harbor seemed to be a puzzling phenomenon. A peculiar convergence of the suns aberrant behavior and the looming Twilight produced this vast, dream-like projection. This setting was akin to an echo perhaps a vestigial remembrance deeply embedded in the collective consciousness of the elven lineage.

In this reverberating memory, both Atlantis and the Silent Wall, true to their ancient mandates, perceived every soul entering the verdant forest with pure intentions as an elf. The reason was grounded in historical truth. Both these age-old guardians had met their end countless eons ago, a time when the world had known no sentient beings other than the elves.

With a blend of awe and curiosity, Nina posed a pressing question, Whats our next move?

Morris, for a moment, was lost in contemplation. Instead of responding verbally, he engaged in a silent, telepathic dialogue with the ships captain. Conveying the myriad mysteries and discoveries they had encountered within this enchanted woodland, he sought direction and insight.

Duncan was in a state of complete bewilderment.

At this very moment, he stood beside Agatha, deep within the dream near the base of the Vanished. They were intently examining the enormous spinal structure that once belonged to an ancient god. Their primary objective was to unearth any clues or knowledge pertaining to the Great Demon God Saslokha or perhaps unveil hidden enigmas about the vessel they were aboard.

It was beyond Duncans wildest speculations that during his brief moment of distraction, Morris and Nina would stumble upon such monumental discoveries.

They had not only managed to traverse the Silent Wall but had delved into its concealed mysteries and had even gazed upon the vestiges of Atlantis.

Duncan felt as though he was caught in a surreal vortex of astonishment and disbelief.

While the Sea Witch and her unlettered companions were still navigating the intricacies of the forest, and the lone athlete faced arduous trials in the desert, it was the scholarly Morris and his student Nina who had daringly journeyed to the very epicenter of the map, nearly uncovering the grave of a deity from antiquity.

The situation conjured an analogy in Duncans mind: as if he had dispatched a pair of scouts at the outset of a mission, only to discover a few phases later that the monster, Cthulhu, lay defeated right at their camps entrance.

Shaking off the haze of his thoughts, Duncan chose to focus. He was acutely aware that Morris was awaiting his guidance.

His eyes scanned the environment, immersed in an eerie, obsidian fog. Below him, the majestic backbone of Saslokha sprawled, a silent testament to its bygone might. This relic of a once-mighty god appeared to be communicating with him, sending subtle, unspoken messages. Even the Vanished, strategically erected upon this divine structure, seemed to be channeling its energies, yearning to relay its historical imprints.

Drawing a steadying breath, Duncan formed a clear directive in his mind, Venture closer to those relics. Commence a thorough examination of Atlantis.