Chapter 207: Staring at Each Other

A 'voice' was carried within the Wind of Rest, drifting over from far away. Of course, it wasn't the kind of sound one hears with the ears, but rather a message like a little sapling 'straining—growing—'. The gist of the message carried in the Wind of Rest was: Go away, go away—Mao Mao's fur is all messed up—

Seeing Ange, with the air bubble on his head, went sprinting for a while, and very quickly, suddenly crashed into another air bubble.

This was a massive air bubble. When the Wind of Rest blew here, it actually parted soundlessly, forming a windless space, just like the World Tree.

And the source of this air bubble was a colossal beast, its body a full sixty meters in diameter, covered all over in fluffy fur sticking out in every direction, propping it up into a ball.

This ball just lay there, mouth wide open, letting out a silent roar at the Wind of Rest: Go away, go away—Mao Mao's fur is all messed up—

And the Wind of Rest actually obediently parted around it.

Within a two-hundred-meter radius centered on this fur-ball, the wind became very gentle, just like within the windbreak circle of the World Tree.

Seeing Ange, completely unguarded, barged into this air-bubble zone and happened to meet the great fur-ball's gaze.

The great fur-ball blinked its eyes, blinked again, opened its mouth and kept roaring at the air. It probably thought it was roaring, but to Seeing Ange it looked more like puffing out breath. But regardless of what it was, the Wind of Rest obediently parted around it.

Seeing Ange was ignored. To a sixty-meter-diameter great fur-ball, a human-sized creature was about the same as a tiny ant. Compared to the Wind of Rest, a human who had barged into the air bubble was utterly insignificant.

Confirming that the great fur-ball truly had no intention of paying him any attention, Seeing Ange tiptoed out of the air bubble, retreated into the range of the Wind of Rest, and squatted down on the ground.

The little sapling on his head caused the Wind of Rest to part around him. Within roughly a half-meter radius centered on the sapling, a circle formed, and within this circle he would not be eroded by the Wind of Rest.

Seeing Ange's soul was in his head, right within this circle. When he squatted down on the ground, most of his body entered this circle, so the Wind of Rest did him no harm, as long as he didn't move about.

Seeing Ange squatted outside the air bubble, observing the great fur-ball. Apart from the World Tree, this was another creature he had seen that could diminish the Wind of Rest. And with its fluffy appearance, it absolutely could not be a creature of the Abyss of Rest. Where had it come from?

After squatting there observing for a while, the fur beneath the great fur-ball moved, and two Holy Knights wearing tattered Holy Light armor crawled out, leading several ragged zombies by the hand.

They drove an iron stake into the ground, bound the zombies to it, and the two Holy Knights started digging a pit. After digging for a while, the younger Holy Knight complained: "Can't we just toss them down and leave? Why do we have to dig a pit and bury them?"

The older Holy Knight replied irritably: "Can't you hear the whooshing wind outside? If we just toss them down, the moment the Dimensional Beast leaves, the gale will immediately blow them to death."

"They were already dead to begin with," the younger Holy Knight muttered softly, looking utterly unimpressed.

After digging for a while, perhaps finding the digging too boring, the younger Holy Knight couldn't help but ask again: "Captain, what kind of place is this? Why is the higher-ups paying so much attention to it? And why are we secretly planting Corpse-Eating Fungus here?"

The older Holy Knight gave a snort of derision: "What gave you that impression? If they really cared, would they have sent just the two of us?"

The younger Holy Knight immediately took offense: "Captain, what do you mean by that?"

"A man should know his own limits. With our level of strength, what important task could we possibly do? This is clearly a mission where it's nice if you finish it, but no great loss if you don't. And you're still unhappy? I spend every day hoping and praying for exactly this kind of work—finish it and get no credit, fail and take no blame. How carefree is that?"

"Old fox," the younger Holy Knight curled his lip, quietly despising him. He was still young, still dreaming of winning merit and glory, earning divine favor, grasping power, and ascending in a single step. He had no desire to muddle through like the old Holy Knight, completely lacking in fighting spirit.

Seeing the younger Holy Knight's reaction, the old Holy Knight's face showed an expression of having seen through everything long ago, and he chuckled: "Can't say it's not important either. Any mission involving a Dimensional Beast is actually pretty important. Maybe the higher-ups really are trying to groom you."

"Really? I knew it!" The younger Holy Knight was immediately energized, becoming full of drive, and even the speed of his digging picked up considerably.

But no one had told him that when a companion's words are unpleasant to the ear, they might be the truth; but when they sound wonderful and pleasing, slipping effortlessly right into your heart, they might just be a snow job.

Mentioning the topic of Dimensional Beasts, the younger Holy Knight grew a little timid. He looked up at the massive fur-ball, saw it still squaring off against the Wind of Rest, and hurriedly lowered his voice to ask: "Captain, why is such a huge monster so obedient?"

The old Holy Knight laughed: "You've got it wrong. When has it ever been obedient? Go on and order it now, see if it pays you any attention? It's only because the higher-ups have some kind of agreement with it that it acts. Otherwise, even if you stripped naked right in front of it and sprinkled salt and smeared spices on yourself, it still wouldn't pay you any mind."

"Good, good, that's for the best. The less it notices me the better." The younger Holy Knight's youthful bravado had completely vanished, and he let out a huge sigh of relief: "One swipe of its paw could flatten us into meat patties."

Soon, the big pit was dug. The two Holy Knights pulled out the iron stake, carried it to the bottom of the pit and drove it in, tied the zombies to the bottom of the pit, and dripped some kind of medicinal liquid onto the ropes.

This way, the corroded ropes would snap after a few hours, and the staked zombies could leave the pit and wander about, until the Corpse-Eating Fungus on their bodies spread throughout the entire Abyss.

Just as the two Holy Knights were preparing to return to the fur of the great fur-ball, the long fur suddenly parted, and a handsome knight clad in black armor, leading a sturdy skeletal horse, walked out from within the fur-ball.

Within the Dimensional Beast's fur, there is a dimensional passage. When its body simultaneously spans two spaces, this dimensional passage also connects the two worlds.

Many people want to know what shape the dimensional passage is, but unfortunately the Dimensional Beast's fur is too long. No matter what method is used, the boundary of the dimensional passage cannot be found. All that's known is that if you burrow into the fur and keep walking forward, you can reach another space.

A knight in black armor leading a skeletal horse suddenly popping out startled the two Holy Knights. The younger Holy Knight instinctively tried to draw his sword, but the moment his hand touched the hilt, the old Holy Knight pressed him down.

The old Holy Knight placed a hand over his chest and bowed respectfully: "Forgive us, my lord, for the offense. We received no notice and did not know of your arrival. Might we have the honor of your name?"

The handsome knight in black armor on the skeletal horse returned the salute over his chest and said politely: "It was my own whim. I did not notify the front lines of the Fallen Lands. When I saw the Dimensional Beast, I came over. I am Shadow Knight Julian."

"Hiss—the Shadow Knight, beneath whose shadow even the Holy Light falls? We pay our respects, my lord." The old Holy Knight dropped straight to his knees, while frantically tugging at the younger Holy Knight's hem.

The younger Holy Knight was somewhat bewildered. Wasn't the black-armored knight leading a skeletal horse an enemy? Shadow Knight? He seemed to have heard of it—a rank even higher than Divine Knight, the knight closest to the gods beneath the Holy Light.

Seeing the younger Holy Knight's utterly bewildered expression, Julian said to him politely: "You should thank your companion. He saved your life. The moment your sword was drawn before me, you were already dead."

The younger Holy Knight sucked in a sharp breath. A surge of intense fear welled up from the depths of his heart, causing him to fall on his backside onto the ground. A warm wetness spread between his legs.

The old Holy Knight hurriedly said: "Please forgive him, my lord. The child did not do it on purpose. Please show mercy."

The Shadow Knight nodded politely and said: "Very well. A small 'Admonition'—you'll lose control of your bladder for a period of time. Be diligent about washing your trousers."

The old Holy Knight's expression changed drastically, and he quickly lowered his head. Just like that, without a sound, the 'Admonition' had been cast upon the younger Holy Knight. This Shadow Knight's strength was truly terrifying.

And he was also quite petty. It was merely an instinctive reaction of reaching for his sword, yet he had used 'Admonition' to make the man lose control of his bladder, and for a duration of time at that?

For the hot-blooded young Holy Knight, this was harder to bear than being killed.

But he wasn't the young Holy Knight's father, so what did he care? Better hurry up and attend to this petty Shadow Knight, to avoid having the same done to him.

"May I ask, my lord, what mission brings you here? Is there anything you need us to cooperate with?"

Julian said with a smile: "No need. You may go. Have the Dimensional Beast stay and wait for me."

The old Holy Knight said eagerly: "Yes, my lord." He then quickly helped up the younger Holy Knight with his wet trouser leg, and the two burrowed into the Dimensional Beast's long fur.

The Dimensional Beast glanced down at Julian, said nothing, and continued squaring off against the Wind of Rest.

Julian led the skeletal horse to the edge of the air bubble and stared intently outward.

Unfortunately, nothing could be seen. When the Wind of Rest was at its fiercest, even the wind was black. Outside the air bubble, it was as if not wind was blowing, but waves of thick ink. Unless something glowed in the night wind, like those angels, the situation outside simply could not be made out.

Yet Julian stood there in a daze, staring at empty space, like a wise poet lost in thought.

But the skeletal horse he was leading had no such poetic mood. It cursed and grumbled: "Pitch black and you're staring at what holy hammer? Hurry up and take out the projection array and set it up."

His mood shattered, Julian was instantly so angry he could barely speak: "You... you... you are vulgar."

"Yes, yes, yes, you're the refined one. The close-fitting soft armor under your plate hasn't been washed in six years, always messing around with these inexplicable things, every single time making me stand out here in the cold wind with you. Hurry up and do the real work." The skeletal horse urged impatiently.

"What do you know? The soft armor can't be washed—wash it and it loses its function. This strange wind blocks a lot of signals. Taking it out is useless. We have to wait for the wind to stop, you bastard." The polite elegance Julian had been maintaining was completely gone, and he was hopping about anxiously as if about to stomp his feet.

"Signals failing? That's pretty troublesome. By the way, is this place really..." Before the sentence was finished, the skeletal horse had its mouth covered by Julian.

The skeletal horse caught on, and muttered softly with its soul: "Oh, almost forgot about the big guy."

After Julian let go of its mouth, it couldn't stay idle and went on: "Then let's talk about something else. What's been going on with Dai Sen lately? He seems rather irritable."

Bringing up this topic seemed to lift Julian's whole mood; he smiled faintly and said: "Dai Sen took a huge loss on the Main Plane."

"Oh? Tell me, what happened?" The bone horse's two eye sockets began to glow as it asked excitedly.

"Archbishop Nicola was assassinated, so the bishop's seat in the Western Diocese fell vacant. Dai Sen hurried back to maneuver things, wanting to transfer back to the Western Diocese. His thinking was pretty—Sinking Land he'd managed like an iron bucket, so even if a new archbishop was sent over it wouldn't matter."

"And once he transferred back, he could meddle in the Western Diocese's affairs. With the support of two major dioceses, after the Pope died, his chance of succession would be a hundred percent. Who knew Lord Anthony was even more formidable—he directly split off the Eastern Diocese, established the Holy Church, and immediately became the Pontiff. It made him so angry he nearly had a cerebral hemorrhage."

The bone horse's entire lower jaw trembled: "Gagaga, really? Who assassinated Nicola?"

"Does that even need asking? Of course it was Anthony."

"Huh? Why would Lord Anthony kill Nicola? His image within the Church was pretty good—a proper Mr. Nice Guy. The faithful of the Eastern Diocese had a happiness index far higher than those of the Western Diocese." The bone horse asked, puzzled.

"Because Nicola had assassinated Anthony. Later, by some method unknown, Anthony revived, immediately consolidated the Eastern Diocese, used armed force to pressure the Church into dealing with Nicola, and at the same time arranged his people to take Nicola out in one stroke. Two-pronged preparation, shifting attention—Anthony truly is a master strategist."

If Anthony were here to hear all this, he'd probably burst out crying—he's been wronged!

The bone horse laughed gagaga for a while, then suddenly asked in confusion: "But if Anthony split off, doesn't that mean no one's competing with Dai Sen anymore? Wouldn't taking the Western Diocese be even easier for him? Why is he so irritable?"

Julian smiled faintly: "You're too naive. With Anthony splitting off, if Dai Sen then took control of the Western Diocese, that would mean both Sinking Land and the Western Diocese were under his jurisdiction—so whose orders would the Church follow?"

"Oh, I get it. The Pope wouldn't let that kind of thing happen, so he drove him back. No wonder he's so angry." The bone horse had a sudden realization.

"Yes." Julian empathized: "No matter how vast Sinking Land is, what's the use? Remote and barren—how could it compare with the sweetness of the Main Plane? That's the homeland I dream of, where the tender, fragrant beauties are…"

"There you go again, annoying!" the bone horse said angrily.

Just as Julian's poetry surged like a spring and he recited loudly, the Wind of Rest gradually weakened.

As the wind weakened, things outside the air bubble grew clearer and clearer, slowly becoming visible. Julian stopped in confusion, squinting toward the front of the bubble, where a faint shadow was crouching.

Was it a rock? Not quite, because there was some green at the top.

The Wind of Rest grew smaller and smaller, and finally the shadow could be seen clearly—it turned out to be a 'person' squatting with knees hugged to chest, a flowerpot on their head, a small sapling inside it, waving its leaves nonstop.

That person was also looking over—big eyes staring into small ones, meeting Julian's gaze.