“Where should the story begin?”
On the night of Monday, November 2nd, aboard the Light of First Snow train heading from Biedel to Maltz, the group still consisted of the same four people: Siles, Chendo, Chester, and Alva. They sat there, listening to Siles analyze the full sequence of events behind the incident.
They had already left the House of Hales. In a sense, the House of Hales no longer existed. Reconstruction was progressing at a very slow pace, and it remained uncertain whether the House of Hales would be able to reclaim its former state after this winter passed.
Chendo intended to return to Lamifa City with Siles. A man in the throes of passion was clearly unwilling to step away from his lover for even a moment—especially someone like Chendo.
Thus, the four of them had gone to the House of Hales together, and ultimately left the House of Hales together as well.
They said goodbye to Mary, the cheerful guide who planned to help rebuild the House of Hales; to Albert, the frowning explorer who had no idea how to explain things to his employer; and to Alfonso Carte, the folklore scholar who was severely injured and had lost a close friend.
Alfonso said he would remain in the Ashless Lands for a while to recover from his injuries and follow up on the aftermath of the event. Furthermore, once this incident truly drew to a close, he would take Emmanuel’s ashes to Kansas so that Emmanuel could return to his roots.
Siles was actually still somewhat concerned about the whereabouts of the circus clown, but ever since the clown handed him that playing card, he had completely vanished without a trace, leaving Siles with no choice but to bury this question deep in his heart.
Perhaps after the circus leader’s death, the clown, the magician, and the beast tamer were destined to wander all over the Ashless Lands like any other ordinary explorers, seeking various ways to make a living.
Perhaps such a fate had already been sealed from the very beginning when the circus was founded.
After the tent structure of the House of Hales collapsed, Siles found a large pile of statue pieces nearby that appeared to have shattered. Under Joseph’s confirmation, they learned that those were indeed the masterminds behind this event—the followers of Hoodoka.
However, from Joseph’s rather vague description, Siles confirmed that they actually worshipped both Hoodoka and Menavaca simultaneously, though this fact was unknown to the outside world.
When they left the House of Hales, they indeed heard news that a prominent merchant from Glaston had suddenly gone missing. Upon returning to Biedel City, they were even greeted by a beaming Lanmere, who was planning to seize part of the missing merchant’s business.
All of these matters could be considered afterthoughts.
In short, that night, after Siles and Chendo confirmed that matters had temporarily quieted down, they turned back to bring Alfonso and Emmanuel back, even though one of them had already become a cold corpse.
…As a side note, Audrey, the innkeeper, wept for a long time while holding Emmanuel’s body. Only after dawn did she wipe away her tears and throw herself into the reconstruction of the House of Hales with an attitude devoid of lingering attachment.
Afterwards, she did not even care how Emmanuel’s corpse would be handled.
Alfonso was unconscious for a time and only woke up the next day under Doctor Chester’s care. Siles had a long conversation with him, which pieced together a corner of the truth.
In truth, Siles would have preferred to communicate with Joseph, but after confirming the identity of those statues, Joseph committed suicide without hesitation, before anyone could stop him. It seemed he had already prepared himself for this before arriving at the House of Hales.
He had nothing left, his spirit completely crushed; he had lost the companions he lived with, and now his great vengeance had been exacted. As he died, he was still chanting Hoodoka’s divine name, seemingly having never abandoned the faith in his heart.
The incident that took place at the House of Hales also caused a number of casualties, mainly stemming from two points: the chaotic, violent slaughter during the day, and the raging fire that burned through the night.
Exhausted, the explorers clutched their wounds, either lying down or sitting outside the tent area, staring blankly at the post station on the brink of destruction, their expressions reflecting an indescribable bewilderment.
Even though the worst-case scenario had not come to pass, no one knew whether the current scene could really be called fortunate.
Miles, the manager of the House of Hales, perished in the fire because he was anxious to salvage certain items from his office and became trapped in the flames. Others who died—especially the owners of the shops and the explorers staying in the inn—met similar fates.
The Stardust embedded in the tent fabric fueled the intensity of the fire.
After the blaze, heavy snow fell. A layer of pure white snow covered the withered black ashes. The scales fell to the ground; after being smoked by the fire, their original bright silver-gray turned into a filthy, greasy black.
Due to Miles’s death, the leaderless House of Hales ultimately assigned Andy, the tavern owner, to serve as the temporary manager. However, Andy was clearly ill-prepared to handle such a situation; after soliciting opinions from all sides, he barely managed to clean up the aftermath.
Treating the injured, moving the corpses, arranging daily life, and providing a sufficiently reasonable explanation.
The explanation they ultimately offered was that a group of Old God followers intended to revive an Old God and planned to act at the House of Hales; Joseph, who set the fire, had learned of this in advance and, in an impulse, directly set fire to destroy the tents.
Although it indeed prevented the Old God from awakening, it undoubtedly destroyed the House of Hales in the process.
People gossiped endlessly about this explanation. Naturally, the key focus lay on the occasional blue flames that flashed during the fire. No one knew what those were. Various rumors about “ghost fire” or “soul fire” began to spread widely.
However, this was no longer something they wished to pay attention to now.
In fact, after the fire, quite a few rumors circulated among the explorers, such as the mysterious specialty shop, the peculiar Corinna Canyon, the non-existent “the Non-existent City,” and the Fate Cards.
The “information” Siles had previously used to deal with Andy—namely, the news that “secrets related to the Old Gods were hidden within the Fate Cards, and these secrets could be discovered by playing cards”—had imperceptibly become known to all the survivors.
This caused them to throw themselves into the grand endeavor of playing cards with a fanatical attitude.
Since their goal was to discover the secrets of the Old Gods, they did not even gamble money. However, looking at their immensely fanatical posture, one couldn’t tell whether they were truly searching for secrets or simply playing cards for the sake of it.
In short, this matter made Alva quite excited. He felt that if even this group of explorers was so keen on playing cards, then for the residents of Lamifa City, playing cards would be an even finer delight.
He had probably already begun fantasizing about the scene where his family would praise him upon his return.
This also led him to mutter and ponder how to make the card designs look more exquisite and expensive.
It was only at this time that Siles learned Alva was actually a student majoring in painting, who was likewise traveling through the Ashless Lands during his winter break. Of course, he was not a student at Lamifa University; otherwise, he would have certainly heard the name “Siles Noel.”
He was a student at an art academy in the city. The reason he studied painting was due to the needs of his family’s business. In his daily routine, he provided free cover art and book illustrations for printing houses and publishers.
This fact surprised them quite a bit and made Alva rather displeased—how did he not look like an artist? He was extremely artistic!
Doctor Chester had resolved a weight on his mind, making his whole demeanor appear much lighter. He smiled and said, “Perhaps in the future, Professor Noel’s novels could also invite you to draw illustrations. But then, you’ll have to work a bit harder.”
Alva then muttered that he would naturally work hard.
They all envisioned their lives after returning to Lamifa City. However, as they gazed upon the House of Hales, which had been turned to ash, they couldn’t help but feel a sense of confusion regarding the “present.”
…The truth. What on earth was the truth?
Siles spent some time sorting everything out, trying his best to find all knowledgeable parties to understand the relevant information.
Siles and Chendo later found the bodies of Professor Cabel and Assistant Mervyn, along with many other corpses, in the secret passage at the bottom of the Corinna Canyon. That place was also the location where the masterminds routinely lived and met.
They also discovered some records and archival materials there, from which they pieced together the closest version of the truth. However, due to time constraints, Siles had only skimmed through a portion of the materials, leaving many he hadn’t yet had time to read, waiting until he had spare time later.
Among them were some materials that Professor Cabel carried with him.
All in all, where should the story begin?
Siles looked at his companions’ curious eyes, pondered for a moment, and then said, “Let’s start from the time when Hoodoka fell.”
Hoodoka fell in the 134th year of the Age of Silence.
When the construction worker Duval built that temple for Hoodoka’s believers, no one knew that Hoodoka was about to fall; nor did anyone know that Hoodoka’s fall was directly connected to his followers.
In the deep rooms of the Corinna Canyon—which sounded a bit like “cardiac chambers,” though the actual meaning was not so—Siles and Chendo found some earlier records.
Those were likely written records and diary entries composed by descendants of the followers who had personally experienced Hoodoka’s fall, after synthesizing the accounts of their predecessors.
Among them, it was mentioned that in the early Age of Silence, Menavaca suddenly desired very much to meet Hoodoka for some reason. Hoodoka’s arrogance was known to all; He always dwelt high above in the sky, living alone within the Temple of Belan, and rarely even bothered to respond to His believers.
As for Hoodoka’s contact with other deities, that was heard of even less.
Regardless, Menavaca at that time wished to meet Hoodoka, but this deity was also unable to contact Hoodoka directly. Thus, He entrusted this task to His own believers.
The cunning merchants then used actual financial incentives to entice Hoodoka’s believers into summoning the deity they worshipped. And Menavaca waited nearby.
Perhaps Hoodoka’s believers also desperately wanted to see the deity they worshipped, or perhaps they were swayed by those tangible benefits. They did indeed successfully summon Hoodoka.
No one knew why Hoodoka suddenly responded to the believers’ summons on that day, no one knew what Menavaca and Hoodoka discussed, and no one knew why Menavaca insisted on having this meeting with Hoodoka in the first place.
In short, on that day, Hoodoka fell.
Panicked and dismayed, the believers frantically blamed Menavaca’s merchant followers. However, this group of followers who always hid in the darkness, worshipping sin, lies, and gloom, ultimately fell victim to this very belief.
They were indeed timid and cowardly; in the end, the truth of the deity’s fall became a secret widely known and jointly kept among the followers.
The merchants were also afraid that if this information spread, it would draw the wrath and dissatisfaction of other believers toward them and Menavaca. Therefore, they tried their best to satisfy the desires of these believers who knew the truth using money.
The two groups of believers mixed together, forming a hidden yet very real network of relationships based on conspiracy, guilt, and interest. They almost formed an organization.
In the centuries that followed, the history of the Fisher World was treacherous and volatile. Deities fell one after another, mist covered the continent, and civilization was wiped out. Under such circumstances, only a small group of believers still knew about the meeting between Menavaca and Hoodoka back then.
Over the several hundred years following Menavaca’s own fall, this small group of believers gradually developed a rather extreme idea because of that past meeting between the two deities.
Why must it be that Menavaca devoured Hoodoka? Why couldn’t it be the reverse—that Hoodoka devoured Menavaca? And Hoodoka’s power just happened to contain elements of deception and crime.
Why couldn’t it be that Hoodoka faked His death to escape, transforming into Menavaca?
This speculation was so absurd that a portion of the believers at that time chose to directly sever ties with those who believed this claim.
Among the remaining believers, they gradually came to firmly believe that Hoodoka and Menavaca were originally one and the same. In their eyes, these two deities were seamlessly unified, and so they themselves became chaotic and insane, keeping company with shadows, darkness, deception, and evil.
At the House of Hales, those statues that had fallen from the Temple of Belan and shattered directly, just like the deity they worshipped, were the descendants of these crazy followers.
They were generally divided into two categories: one group engaged in business outside to ensure their daily living needs while also guaranteeing the flow and update of information.
The other group researched methods to revive the Old Gods in the depths of the Corinna Canyon, using the House of Hales as a hub to control the conspiracy of “the Non-existent City,” causing countless innocent explorers to march to their deaths, while simultaneously searching for and trying to enter the Temple of Belan.
Joseph and Lila might have once been members of the latter group. Therefore, after Lila’s death, Joseph made up his mind to go to the House of Hales and destroy the source of all evil. In a sense, he also destroyed his former self.
They always believed that the Temple of Belan was the key to everything.
Ten years ago, they successfully located the Temple of Belan. Overjoyed, the followers entered the temple at all costs.
Yet precisely because of this, they overlooked Alfonso’s party, who were searching for “the Non-existent City” at the time, and failed to lure them to specific locations to die.
In Siles’s conversation with Alfonso, he finally learned what Alfonso and Emmanuel’s group had experienced ten years ago.
After Isherwood went missing, a deeply anxious Emmanuel and his companions came to the House of Hales and likewise obtained that map.
According to Alfonso, that map was actually a very obvious bait. The special location marked on it was right near the Corinna Canyon, but people had been to that place many times before; how could there possibly be an undiscovered city there?
Siles guessed that when people arrived at those locations, the Old God followers would actually kill these explorers in secret. Judging by how Siles himself had been ambushed before, this group of masterminds had indeed mastered quite clever attack methods.
That bore a resemblance to Hoodoka’s power to some extent. They were assassins hidden in the dark.
Alfonso agreed with this statement as well.
“But why did you go to the Corinna Canyon?” Siles could not help asking.
Alfonso was silent for a moment before saying, “At that time, Emmanuel believed that since there was such a prominent landmark like the Corinna Canyon nearby, Isherwood might very well have left some information for him there.
“He refused to believe his brother would vanish so quietly without a trace. He believed Isherwood would definitely leave behind some cues—either a plea for help or a warning.”
Only then did Siles realize.
Alfonso said helplessly, “At that time, he had already gone mad. He was overwhelmed by guilt, regret, powerlessness, and distraction. None of us could persuade him, so in the end, we followed him to the Corinna Canyon. We thought there wouldn’t be any issues.”
“…But?”
“But we were wrong,” Alfonso said, showing a sense of bitterness and complexity brewed over long years. “When we arrived at the Corinna Canyon, the entire canyon was shrouded in some kind of dark, somber shadow.
“Emmanuel believed that was the message left behind by Isherwood, so he frantically charged into the shadows. We had no choice but to follow him into the charge.
“And then…”
Alfonso fell silent again, seemingly recalling that past experience. The madness of being driven into a corner, perhaps some resentment toward his companions, along with the sentimentality and confusion of the present day.
He said, “At the bottom of the Corinna Canyon… we discovered a tribal ruin.”
Siles said in astonishment, “But there is nothing there now.”
“Yes, nothing at all,” Alfonso muttered. “If I hadn’t truly obtained that piece of parchment, read the contents regarding the prophet and divine revelations, and gotten that fountain pen…
“Then I am afraid I would also think that I had merely dreamed a dream.”
Siles felt uneasy because of this miraculous experience. Later, after reading through the archival materials brought out from the Corinna Canyon, he discussed it with Alfonso and Chendo for a period, reaching such a conclusion.
That was the “shadow” of the Temple of Belan.
When Alfonso and the others arrived at the Corinna Canyon, those Old God followers happened to be going to the Temple of Belan. After many years, the Temple of Belan once again connected with the real world.
…And this likely reproduced certain things that had occurred in the past. An unknown ritual… or perhaps, the manifestation of some power.
Alfonso was somewhat unable to comprehend this speculation, asking, “But I did indeed bring out real, physical objects from there; how do you explain that?”
Siles tilted his head to glance at Chendo, who was beside him at the time, thought for a moment, and answered, “I believe… the power of deities lies in turning the intangible into tangible.”
Both Alfonso and Chendo froze for a moment.
Siles paused, then said cautiously, “You may treat everything I say next as merely a hypothesis provided to make this story seem more reasonable and logically complete.
“In short, we can assume this world is divided into two layers: the surface material world, and the inner non-material world. They overlap, much like how two different objects cast shadows that overlap when illuminated by light at the same time.
“The surface world is real and stable—such as our bodies, this table, or these houses. This is a world constructed purely of matter, without extraordinary power.
“The inner world is chaotic and active—such as our thinking, the power of time and history, or the domain of divine authority. This is the source of power for Revelators and Blessed, as well as the dwelling place of deities.
“How do humans existing in the material world interfere with and use the power of the inner world? Through our spirituality. Spirituality is a bridge—a bridge connecting the material world with the non-material world.
“Spirituality plus willpower equals our soul. In other words, our souls always live in the inner world; it is only that spirituality spans across the surface and inner worlds like a bridge, allowing willpower to bond with our bodies through spirituality.”
At this point, Siles paused briefly.
The reason he came up with the idea that “the soul always lives in the inner world” was not only based on stories and legends he had heard on Earth, but also stemmed from his own personal experience.
That dark house, that rumored sea of darkness, and the light of that lighthouse.
What place was that? Why did he appear there when his body turned into a statue?
Furthermore, the deep-sea dreams that could only be entered after falling asleep, the ethereal yet undeniably real Temple of Belan… where did these “places” actually exist?
Siles could only guess that this world was not as simple as it appeared on the surface.
When a human’s physical body fell asleep, the soul became more active, enabling entry into the deep-sea dreams; when Siles’s body became a statue, his soul was extraordinarily powerful, allowing him to survive in the sea of darkness for a time, awaiting a spark of life.
And as for the Temple of Belan…
Siles paused for a moment before continuing, “The reason I say the power of deities lies in turning the intangible into tangible is that I believe deities… or at least Their power, can directly interfere with the surface world without needing such complex processes like humans do.
“Take Revelators, for example; the reason they need to consume potions is to enhance the activity of their souls, making it easier to leverage the power of the inner world, which in turn affects the surface world.
“But deities—They inherently ‘possess’ that power without needing leverage. Perhaps They themselves are a part of the inner world.”
Alfonso and Chendo both remained silent, looking as if they had not understood what Siles was talking about at all.
Siles did not push them, nor did he intend to explain it too clearly. After all, this was merely a guess, a hypothesis, with many incomplete aspects.
He continued, “I believe the Temple of Belan likely preserved some… ‘things.’ ‘Traces’ that once appeared in this world. That is the ‘shadow’ of the Temple of Belan—the tribal ruin you once saw.”
He thought that if he were to use an analogy from Earth, the paradise of the gods was like… a server?
Just as the deep-sea dreams still connected to human dreamscapes, Siles believed that the Temple of Belan likely preserved similar things. Regrettably, they were currently unable to know what was inside the Temple of Belan.
Of those Old God followers who entered the Temple of Belan, many died or went mad. Even those who survived became increasingly hysterical and extreme. This was precisely why they had so madly lured explorers to their deaths over the past decade.
The tribal ruin discovered by Alfonso was like an ultra-large “Time Trace,” permanently preserved there, and they had happened to stray into it at that precise moment.
The reason he called such an existence a “shadow” was that Siles recalled the diary of the former temple worker, Duval.
The diary mentioned that when Duval got up in the middle of the night, he discovered a statue in the shadow of the temple. The next day, the foreman considered it a stroke of luck that Duval had not stepped into the area of the temple’s shadow.
…Shadow.
Much like the “bubbles” in the deep-sea dreams, the Temple of Belan seemed to possess such “shadows.” And that happened to correspond with the divine positions of those two deities as well.
“A beautiful rainbow bubble.” “The shadow side of the world.”
The only difference was that the “shadow” had already affected reality, whereas the “bubbles” had not. Or perhaps, they had already affected reality without Siles knowing it?
As for why the items Alfonso obtained were real—if the Rubik’s Cube Siles gave to the boy Emil Harrison in the deep-sea dream actually appeared in reality as well…
Siles thought to himself that this would be easy to verify. The next time the deep-sea dream opened, he would know.
Chendo possessed the miraculous, divine power to pinch words off paper and directly manifest them into reality—something only an Old God’s Scion could accomplish.
Even now, Siles did not know whether so-called “Old God’s Scions” were truly biological “descendants” in the reproductive sense. But regardless, Chendo was able to perform such a marvelous feat because he possessed the power of Ligadia.
And the deep-sea dream clearly symbolized the power of Akamara.
Siles had a strong premonition. When he gave away that Rubik’s Cube at the time, he hadn’t thought much of it, merely wanting to comfort Emil’s emotions. But looking back now, he felt that the Rubik’s Cube would truly appear in Emil’s real life.
…Then he really would become the “mysterious and marvelous Mr. Ghost.” Siles couldn’t help thinking.
Alfonso still seemed not to understand, saying, “Some kind of… illusion… that exists dependent on divine power?”
Siles said, “You can understand it that way.”
Alfonso nodded thoughtfully.
Siles turned to ask, “What did you encounter inside?”
“It was like a… village that was vibrant one moment, but completely derelict the next. Every house seemed ready to devour people. Our initial exploration was aimless, and many people died mysteriously around that time.
“Moreover, we realized… we were trapped in that place. To leave, we carefully searched every corner of the village and discovered that piece of parchment and a fountain pen.
“Besides those, however, we found nothing else of use. As you know, Emmanuel and I are both folklorists. The existence of that village astonished us greatly because we had never heard of such a village before.
“…In the very center of the village stood a guillotine. Quite a few heads were piled beside it, appearing to have been beheaded simultaneously within a short period. We didn’t understand what had happened, nor did we know why such lynching existed.”
Siles asked, “Did the contents of the parchment explain any of this?”
Alfonso shook his head: “The parchment… written on the parchment was that God gave a revelation that one day in the future, a prophet would appear… You probably already know this. I met with Karl.
“However, I believe you are actually right… the concept of a ‘prophet’ is extremely rare. That tribe seemed to live in a place completely isolated from the world, which is why such a strange concept developed.”
Siles pondered for a moment, then said, “‘God’? Regarding this form of address, this is the first time I’ve heard it.”
“Perhaps they meant Hoodoka,” Chendo said, carrying a hint of negative emotion toward Hoodoka. “The god in the heavens. Doesn’t Hoodoka always live in the temple in the sky?”
Siles formed a slight association because of this phrasing.
If one truly spoke of a god in the heavens… wouldn’t Lusmi, the God of Stars and Radiance, be a much better fit?
Alfonso shook his head—he now knew about the relationship between Chendo and Siles, toward which he displayed a subtle, surprised, but not necessarily opposing attitude.
He merely said, “But why would Hoodoka grant such a revelation?”
“Maybe people simply misunderstood Hoodoka’s meaning,” Chendo guessed, then shook his head again with a mocking smile. “Who knows. A story that happened in the distant past.”
This explanation gained the agreement of both Siles and Alfonso. That was indeed something from a very, very distant time.
In short, Alfonso and Emmanuel ultimately obtained that parchment and the fountain pen. And once they obtained those two items, the appearance of the tribal ruin dissolved into ash, much like strokes of writing being erased.
“And then you burned that parchment?”
Alfonso nodded and said, “I insisted on it. Emmanuel’s state at the time… was not good. He broke down completely. Fortunately, Karl appeared back then; otherwise, I’m afraid I wouldn’t have been able to bring him back to the House of Hales.”
However, despite this, when they went to the Corinna Canyon a second time, Emmanuel was unable to successfully return to the House of Hales.
Siles sighed softly in his heart.
Ten years ago, after the Old God followers swarmed into the Temple of Belan, they became increasingly extreme and stubborn.
And seven years ago, when Alfonso used that fountain pen to prove he had indeed discovered a tribal ruin, this group of Old God followers plunged completely into chaos and frenzy.
According to the account of that unnamed Old God follower who died at the bottom of the Corinna Canyon, that fountain pen had written down the fall of Hoodoka.
This couldn’t actually be proven from Alfonso’s discovery; it seemed there were still many disagreements regarding the whole matter. Either way, this group of Old God followers split as a result.
One faction of followers seemed to believe that the fountain pen had indeed appeared and the Old God had truly fallen with no room for reversal—dead meant dead; while the other faction believed it was not true.
The former group’s faith was shaken—half-human, half-statue; or perhaps, a portion of them did not lose their faith, but already believed the deity had indeed fallen—Joseph and Lila.
Meanwhile, to prove the former group wrong, the latter group became even more anxious and wild. In some records, Siles discovered that they would even use the Temple of Belan to directly kill people.
There seemed to be some connection between the Temple of Belan and other temples built by Hoodoka’s followers (or perhaps the “shadow” of the Temple of Belan?), through which they seemed able to travel to the ruins of those other temples.
The Stardust vein was the same; its connection to the Temple of Belan was even deeper, as it seemed the believers originally found the Temple of Belan right there. That was why they directly utilized the Temple of Belan to act against Siles and his companions at that time.
Siles was mentally prepared for this. After all, the deep-sea dreams had already proven that these divine paradises possessed very unique effects and functions, depending on whether humans could master them.
These Old God followers seemed to have accomplished this to an extent, but they lacked Will as high as Siles’s; in the end, they were doomed to self-destruction.
That was why they engaged in actions like walking into the mist. Not because they were immune to the mist’s corruption, but because they had long been mad to their very core.
Over the long five years that followed, they continued using their usual methods—special rumors, custom-made maps, and pre-arranged traps—to turn batch after batch of explorers into statues, delusional in their attempt to awaken the deity through this.
Explorers including Fredman and the team that had once traveled with Chendo had likely received identical or different maps, but ultimately died because of them. Even those lucky enough to escape were severely injured and died shortly after from untreatable wounds.
These were the habitual tactics of this group of Old God followers; whether serving Hoodoka or Menavaca, they followed the deities they worshipped, accustomed to using such methods that hid in the shadows and employed underhanded schemes.
However, they had already found the Temple of Belan. Five years passed, yet they still made zero progress. This brought them a sense of frustration.
Right at this moment, someone thought of using other Old God followers. They wanted other Old God followers to try different methods, utilizing them to seek out a solution.
A two-pronged approach—wasn’t that better?
And they did not actually consider that to be “exploitation.” They viewed it as an equivalent exchange—I provide the method, you provide your life.
Afterwards, they began refining the plan and selecting “partners.”
Just as Siles had thought, because they were carrying out such a “grand plan,” when Lanmere discovered and excavated that Stardust vein, this group of Old God followers reluctantly chose to endure it.
However, they did buy back nearly half of the Stardust and modified the tents at the House of Hales at that time, considering it a method worth trying.
They had indeed kept a constant eye on those workers and Lanmere, which was why they were able to discover the existence of the two defectors, Joseph and Lila.
In the letters found in the hidden room of the Corinna Canyon, they originally wanted to kill both Joseph and Lila simultaneously, but to torment Joseph, they ultimately chose to kill Lila first. Even the deaths of the other workers were merely done in passing.
Subsequent to that, Chendo and the explorers stumbled upon the existence of that temple ruin by chance. They were not the first batch of people to discover the temple ruin, but due to Chendo’s presence, the Old God followers did not dare act rashly.
Only after Chendo left did they move against those explorers. At the same time, they suddenly realized that it seemed like an excellent opportunity—an opportunity to execute their plan.
Because of the appearance of a special ruin, it was entirely normal for some strange and marvelous items to flow into the market, was it not?
The reason that picture of the strange man ended up in Elgar’s hands was a meticulously crafted coincidence and conspiracy. And the power of that picture came not from Timiafa, but from Hoodoka—deception.
Deceiving human stomachs, disguising filthy ingredients as beautiful delicacies.
Siles didn’t know how this group of Old God followers accomplished it. He surmised there might be old records involved, or even the participation of “divine templates.”
Or perhaps the followers of Hoodoka had already intersected with those of Timiafa in the past?
Siles recalled the diary of the worker Duval, which mentioned three types of strange people appearing during the temple’s construction: very fat people, very thin people, and people walking unsteadily.
Perhaps the very fat people were merchants or gourmands; perhaps the very thin people were ascetic monks; perhaps those walking unsteadily were drunkards, followers of Elco.
These three were merely Siles’s guesses without concrete evidence to prove those strange people actually held such identities. However, regarding the relationships among followers of different deities prior to the Age of Fog, Siles felt even more curious.
After all, even in that era, communication between people was inevitable; furthermore, belief in this world was unlike religions on Earth, possessing a much more secularized background.
In any case, when Elgar obtained that picture, everything that followed unfolded naturally just as Siles knew—the Greyson incident occurred as a matter of course.
Strictly speaking, the Gourmet Town was actually an example. The Old God followers realized with wild joy that large-scale events carrying a specific, conceptual meaning aligned with a deity’s domain could indeed trigger a response from divine power.
Thus, the followers of Hoodoka (or Menavaca?) began to act.
The House of Hales was a natural testing ground. They strived to spread conspiracies here, using people’s ambition and greed to commit sins, hoping to take this opportunity to awaken the deity.
When the time was ripe, they made the Temple of Belan appear above the House of Hales, making it the “venue” for the deity’s revival. Stardust—the ashes of Hoodoka’s divine throne—was the finest sacrifice target; they didn’t even need so-called “out-of-control Time Traces.”
Because the genuine Old God remains were right here.
…But their action ultimately failed.
Because Joseph burned down the tents of the House of Hales; or perhaps, because they had failed to satisfy the deity’s requirements altogether.
In the end, like the deity they worshipped, they fell from the sky and plunged into the abyss. Yet while the deity could still leave behind Stardust as brilliant as stars, they could only break into pieces like statues.
Chronologically speaking, that was the rough outline of this story.
However, the real reason Siles became involved was the experiences of Alfonso, Emmanuel, and Fredman.
In Siles’s conversation with Alfonso, what Alfonso and the others had gone through over the past period was naturally of utmost importance, and Alfonso patiently explained everything clearly, including Emmanuel’s cause of death.
After arriving at the House of Hales, Alfonso and Emmanuel asked around for news everywhere, just as Siles knew, and found “Karl” and that so-called “survivor.”
At the same time, they joined the team of an explorer who claimed to possess a much older version of the map.
Regarding this point, Siles couldn’t help asking whether that ancient map was real. Alfonso nodded, answering that there was indeed such a version of the map—earlier than the Barnett version.
The reason that version of the map hadn’t become popular was likely because Barnett had a printing house fully assisting him, even though he himself ended up separated from his wife and child due to the Ashless Lands affair.
In short, the group went to the Corinna Canyon together a few days ago for the sake of “the Non-existent City.”
On that allegedly older map, that “Corinna Canyon” indeed did not exist.
To an ordinary explorer, they might think it was merely because the map dated back to an earlier era when people hadn’t yet explored the Corinna Canyon region, which was why this special geographical feature wasn’t drawn.
However, to an explorer who insisted on getting to the bottom of things, this single mismatch alone was worth a trip.
“What did you encounter there?” Siles could not help asking. “You seemed to stay there for more than a week.”
“We were trapped there and couldn’t walk out, just like that tribal ruin we visited before. Occasionally, a wave of mist even drifted over. Some explorers quickly developed mental issues, and we began slaughtering one another…
“It was only when that group of people left the Corinna Canyon that we managed to escape. But by then, I was the only one left alive. Perhaps because I was less noticeable. Corpses… the entire bottom of the Corinna Canyon was filled with corpses.”
As he spoke, Alfonso shook his head.
After a pause, he added, “Perhaps this was precisely the scene Hoodoka’s followers wanted to see. They liked this… people slaughtering each other, committing unforgivable sins, everyone harboring dark, unmentionable thoughts…
“This was what they wanted. This was what Hoodoka wanted according to their concepts.”
Alfonso muttered.
Siles fell silent for a moment as well.
Sometimes, he couldn’t help feeling a wave of confusion: Did deities guide or even create human belief, or did humans project their own concepts onto deities?
Regardless, the explorers trapped at the bottom of the Corinna Canyon fell into an extreme dilemma. Finding no way out, they began suspecting that the culprit was among themselves—a bizarre, eerie situation.
People died one after another; some met their end not from mental pollution or mutation, but at the hands of fellow humans.
Hearing this, Siles asked, “So that survivor…”
Alfonso let out a long sigh, his face showing an expression woven with hatred and regret. He said, “Emmanuel trusted him completely because he indeed correctly described some of Isherwood’s characteristics. But…
“But, do you know? Many people knew about Isherwood’s past reputation and deeds because that matter caused a huge stir ten years ago. As you know, that was precisely why I couldn’t directly publish the matter about the tribal ruin.
“Even though Isherwood went missing, these people remained extremely curious about his past experiences, believing he had indeed found some clues. Therefore, they wanted to follow in Isherwood’s footsteps.”
Siles realized, saying in a low voice, “So that survivor was a bait?”
“Perhaps he was bait, perhaps he was indeed a survivor, or perhaps he once belonged to Isherwood’s team and later betrayed him…” Alfonso’s voice grew fainter. “But he killed Emmanuel with his own hands; and I killed him with my own hands.”
They both fell silent.
Alfonso’s tone carried an emotion that was a mix of melancholy, helplessness, or relief as he said, “At any rate, this matter… can be considered settled. It’s over.”
Siles nodded slowly.
He actually still had a few questions, but felt there was no need to ask Alfonso anymore.
For instance, why did they encounter mist at the bottom of the Corinna Canyon? Before the “Corinna Canyon” truly came into being during that period, why was that area covered in mist? Where did the mist come from?
Perhaps there were two possibilities: the first was that it was genuine mist; the second was that it was merely a tactic used by the Old God followers to blind people, since Hoodoka’s power possessed the attribute of deception, did it not?
…Perhaps it was fake mist—merely people’s eyes and senses deceiving themselves. That was not impossible either. How many people disguised scraps and left-overs as delicacies, swallowing them down in self-deception?
This question would ultimately remain without a witness. Siles thought to himself. He hoped that one day, he could unravel this mystery. Perhaps that would be when his research into the power of the Old Gods became more thorough.
All in all, Old God followers might still exist, but the shadow of “the Non-existent City” hanging over the heads of Alfonso, Emmanuel, Fredman, and even more explorers had finally dissipated.
…Having told the story up to this point, Siles let out a breath.
Certain parts he didn’t explain clearly to Chester and Alva, such as the power of the Old Gods, the relationship between different Old Gods, speculations regarding the surface and inner worlds, and so forth. Such dangerous topics he blurred over as much as possible.
However, the two listeners didn’t seem to care very much, instead clicking their tongues in amazement over the scam of “the Non-existent City.”
Siles constantly had similar emotions lingering in his heart as well.
Chendo sat beside Siles, handing him a cup, and whispered, “Are you still feeling troubled?”
“Yes,” Siles said. “Countless questions trouble me. Past, present, future… fate… time and fate. Truly a complex and immense subject.”
Chendo said, “The fact that you can still view these questions as a ‘subject’ means you still have confidence in yourself. And I believe in you too—you will always find that answer. You will always find the solution and the truth.”
Siles pondered for a moment, then let out a gentle smile.
He said, “Perhaps so. Regardless, I still need more information.”
