Chapter 91: It's Better to Remain Clueless
The pale blue ripples of the Dragon Shout rolled forward, skimming the pool like a green curtain being lifted, and struck the Giant Oak at the center.
Krrrrr-lakk!
The massive wave crashed against the jade-like trunk, shattering into countless pieces of shimmering green. Strangely, when the two elements collided, the sound was not a roar of water, but rather the noise of glass breaking.
Yet, compared to the bizarre sight before him, the sounds were the least of Arthur's concerns:
The pool water, which resembled a green carpet, was torn apart by the relentless force, instantly exposing the mottled black and white pool bed. The water on both sides stood piled up like jelly, dozens of feet high, yet refused to spill down.
This place was getting increasingly sinister...
Arthur rubbed his temples, forcing himself to look at the pool floor. With just one glance, the exhaustion caused by the Dragon Shout vanished completely.
Those white objects were not the pebbles he had assumed; they were clearly a multitude of skulls! Their empty eye sockets gazed up at Arthur, seeming to recount centuries of accumulated loneliness. As for the black matter, it was black mud covering the pool floor. Now exposed without the water's cover, it was emitting wisps of foul, black smoke.
Seemingly noticing the gaze from above, the black mud suddenly became active, wriggling and burrowing beneath the bones. However, with the enhancement of [Dungeon Explorer], Arthur's vision was sharp enough to make out every tooth in every skull. As the black mud retreated, it only exposed more skulls beneath.
How many creatures were buried here?
Arthur's brow furrowed into a deep frown. After a moment of hesitation, he stepped onto the pool floor.
He used his small knife to poke and prod the floor paved with skulls, trying to figure out just how deep this pile of bones was. But no matter how hard he dug, the bones seemed endless, with no sign of the solid ground beneath.
Arthur sighed, giving up on digging to the bottom. But he wasn't entirely empty-handed. While searching, he discovered two types of skulls that were different from human ones:
One type appeared to be canine, similar in size to a human's but far thicker; the second type was much larger, flat and long, resembling a lizard's skull.
Why would the floor of the Heart of Brokilon contain so many skulls?
Arthur tore off a piece of his clothing, intending to take a few skulls back for study. But after using the Dragon Shout, his stamina was severely depleted. The moment he applied a little force, he stumbled and collapsed onto the pile of remains.
His hand landed on one of the skulls.
"Ah!"
Arthur cradled his head in agony. He felt like a balloon being over-inflated with liquid, ready to burst at any moment.
Fortunately, as a fleeting, unfamiliar memory flashed before his eyes, the swelling pain quickly subsided.
"Are you trying to show me your memory?"
Arthur retracted his hand, looking thoughtfully at the skull he had touched. It was quickly dissolving into a puff of black smoke.
Perhaps because the age was too immense, the unfamiliar memory left little decipherable content, only a vague scene lingering at the end: [He stands in a large pit, surrounded by heads as far as the eye can see. Though nearly suffocated by the crowd, he seems utterly indifferent to the cramped space, instead desperately craning his neck to look up at the sky.]
[Then, a green light ended everything.]
"Why does that look like some kind of cult sacrifice…"
Arthur was about to complain when the throbbing pain suddenly returned, far more intense than before.
Arthur gripped his head with both hands, trying to embrace the new memories, but to his horror, all the skulls on the pool floor were smoking black!
"Shit!"
Arthur cursed, lifting his feet and bolting toward the bank. But the memories, accumulated over thousands of years, rushed into his mind like a flood with the gates torn open.
He focused his attention, trying to rapidly process the unfamiliar memories to alleviate the mental burden.
This proved somewhat effective. As over a dozen memories were digested, the throbbing in Arthur's mind noticeably lessened. But before he could even catch his breath, a torrent of a hundred more unfamiliar memories poured in! Compared to the continuous flood of memories, his efforts seemed futile.
Arthur's eyes began to roll back. He was like a novice swimmer thrown into a river, about to drown in the overdose of memory.
[That's how those girls who drink the Water of Brokilon have their consciousness destroyed!]
Amidst the pain, a malicious voice surfaced in Arthur's ear.
He struggled to shift his attention away from the memory flood, finally seeing a tall, emerald-green figure slowly approaching him.
[Your sanity will be destroyed like this too!]
[Cry, scream, and then die!]
The green figure stretched out a finger, provocatively drawing it across Arthur's chest. Its voice was as melodious as a clear spring, yet the words it spoke were more vicious than a blade.
Arthur's hands grabbed wildly at his chest, but he seemed to be losing control of his body and couldn't grasp the figure's hand.
[Are you looking for me? I'm right here!]
The green figure smiled sweetly, extending a finger, softer and more slender than Philippa's, and grasped Arthur's hand:
[Look how kind I am, fulfilling your dying wish. But there's a price, you know!]
With delight, it raised its other hand and snapped its fingers in front of Arthur. Instantly, the rate at which the skulls dissolved on the pool floor accelerated, and the memory flood pouring into his mind became even more overwhelming.
But Arthur did not succumb to the collapse of consciousness as the figure desired. Instead, he opened his eyes:
"Got you!"
"You!"
The green figure instinctively tried to pull back, but Arthur's grip was firmer than iron pincers. With a slight tug, he hauled the figure into his embrace.
Up close, Arthur realized the figure's teeth were fine and small, lacking canines, and its ears were thin and long—clearly the features of an Elf.
Strange, how did an Elf end up in the dryads' sacred place?
"How did you…" The Elf struggled hard, finding herself completely unable to counter Arthur's strength.
"How was I not crushed by the residual memories in these skulls, is that what you wanted to ask?" Arthur spoke, one word at a time, slowly tightening the arm wrapped around the Elf.
The Elf had completely lost her previous composure. Her bones creaked under Arthur's vice-like grip, and her eyes and mouth contorted in pain. Yet, she still managed to nod.
"Alright, then I'll tell you…"
Snap! Crack! Two sharp sounds rang out as Arthur broke several of the Elf's ribs, making her entire body shrink. Crimson blood seeped from her mouth, tracing horrifying streaks across her pale face, yet her eyes remained fixed on Arthur's mouth.
Unfortunately, the answer Arthur gave when he spoke again was not what she expected:
"Fus Ro Dah!"
The pale blue ripples of the Unrelenting Force barely materialized before slamming into the Elf's beautiful face, instantly blasting her entire head into fragments.
"My apologies. It's better for you to remain clueless."
.............
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