Chapter 860 - Worship
Han Wu’s group pressed forward. They rode the Bone Dragons toward the ruin by day and fought mutated monster souls by night.
After numerous battles, V compiled an analysis of the mutated monster souls’ characteristics and discovered that their forms were linked to their daytime personalities.
The arrogant and contemptuous took on mutated soul forms resembling poles, with eyes at the tops of their heads and stick-thin limbs. Gossips, on the other hand, were covered in mouths with stubby limbs like dwarves.
Interestingly, triangle-heads all retained full memories. Most had long since gone mad or numb, but the few who remained sane were intensely stubborn and persistently sought the truth.
V cataloged many more forms and personality correlations. The data supported his conclusion that the mutated soul form was linked to personality.
This finding, however, was not particularly useful to Han Wu’s group. For the most part, they killed mutated souls without checking their daytime personalities. All they cared about were the crystals that dropped.
Han Wu made a habit of seeking out the triangle-heads to gather information. Some proved extremely useful.
One particular triangle-head, from the largest city closest to the ruin, had a head that was sharper and longer than any they had encountered before. It was a full three meters and could possibly double as a weapon.
This special triangle-head told them that he had once reached the edge of the ruins. There, a dark shadow had blocked his path and told him that it was not yet time for worship before it struck him.
The triangle-head had returned to the ruin’s vicinity multiple times since, but he never encountered the shadow again. In fact, he couldn’t even get close. Every time he walked toward the ruins, he would get lost and wander in circles. Going back toward the city always worked perfectly, however.
This information gave Han Wu’s group a hint as to what could be happening. The dark shadow was the key. It had said the time for worship hadn’t come, and had actively chased the triangle-head away. This suggested it was guarding the ruins under some kind of instructions to prevent entry outside of a designated time.
So when was the right time for worship? That was the question. The continent was locked in a single repeating day. What time of the day was correct? The triangle-head had tried many times and never found the answer. Only Han Wu’s group could shadow it out.
There was the issue of the triangle-head getting lost. The triangle-head couldn’t find the path to the ruin after that first encounter. The guardian shadow was likely responsible for this. All of these facts combined only made the ruin more fascinating to Han Wu.
“We’ll get our answers inside the ruin,” Han Wu said to the group.
The triangle-head led the way, and the group reached the ruin’s vicinity just before dawn. Han Wu could clearly see the ruin through the trees when the triangle-head began walking in circles in front of them.
Jing Jing communicated with his soul and discovered that his perception was completely different from theirs. He believed he was walking toward the ruin, but couldn’t get closer.
Han Wu used his second Divine Authority to break the illusion, snapping the triangle-head out of his confusion. Furious at having been tricked into walking in circles, the triangle-head charged forward in a rage.
He only took a few steps before a dark shadow appeared and swatted him away. The shadow muttered something the group could not understand.
“It is not yet time for worship,” Jing Jing translated.
Worship again! Han Wu sent Steely to force his way in, but the shadow merely swatted Steely away and repeated the same line.
Despite this, Han Wu refused to give up. This time, he sent Dark Locust. When the shadow struck, Dark Locust detonated itself, destroying everything in the vicinity. Even the shadow was blasted into black fragments.
“We should be able to get in now that the guard is gone,” Han Wu said, stepping forward.
The Origin of Mutation raised a hand to stop him. “Vessel, let the fodder check first.”
V sent another wave of bee drones toward the ruin. As they crossed the boundary, a new shadow materialized and blasted them all to pieces with a gust of wind.
“It is not yet time for worship,” it repeated.
At that exact moment, the eerie sound rang out, marking the coming of dawn. The triangle-head dissolved into ash and returned to his starting point. Han Wu’s group remained unaffected since they were outsiders.
V sent more bee drones toward the ruin. Surprisingly, this time they passed through without interference from the shadow. According to Jing Jing, its message this time was also different.
“Have a pleasant worship.”
The time for worship was dawn!
Han Wu moved quickly, but when he set foot across the boundary, another shadow appeared and struck him. The blow sent him flying backward.
“It is not yet time for worship,” it repeated.
Han Wu wanted to curse it to death. The worship window only lasts one minute?!
Meanwhile, V’s bee drones continued flying freely within the ruin’s perimeter and soon reached the entrance.
The ruins looked like an inverted pyramid. Another shadow stood guard at the door. Han Wu couldn’t tell if it was the same one that had hit him, since they all looked alike, but this one felt much stronger than the rest—most likely at the Heavenrender level.
