The man standing
The light shone on his face, allowing Chen Lun to see the man's appearance clearly.
This is a white-haired young man. He looks ordinary, but gives people a feeling of being brave and decisive.
Especially his eyes, which are very bright, which is particularly special in this dark environment.
The upper body of the white-haired young man was naked, revealing his perfect muscles. His lower body was only wearing a pair of plain trousers, without even shoes.
"Do you know me?"
Chen Lun waved his hand and a silver cane appeared in his hand. He took a step lightly. It seemed normal, but in fact he was ready to enter the "extreme state" at any time and fight with him.
"Um."
The white-haired young man smiled brilliantly.
He seemed unaware of Chen Lun's vigilance. He casually placed the broken sword he was holding on the wooden barrel by the door, then walked forward a few steps and placed the lantern on the table.
The whole process was very natural and defenseless.
"I just came back from hunting and got some meat. Come out and eat together... We can talk while we eat."
After saying this, he waved his hand, acting very familiar.
Chen Lun looked at the man for a few seconds and could not see any ill intentions from him.
"Well... sorry to bother you then."
After a brief thought, he nodded slightly, took out the black hat and put it on.
Seeing this, the white-haired young man turned and left.
If Chen Lun attacked him from behind at this time, the opponent would most likely be in a bad situation, but this person didn't seem to care, and the way they got along was like they were friends for many years.
Chen Lun resisted the urge to attack, but also kept a certain distance from this person.
After following the other party out of the wooden house, Chen Lun's eyes fixed.
He noticed that the white-haired young man's back was covered with various scars, so densely packed that there was almost no intact skin to be seen.
"This kind of injury..."
Chen Lun was a little confused.
A swirling mist flashed in his eyes, and he stared at the white-haired young man, but when the other party's data popped up, Chen Lun's heart skipped a beat.
All the data are unknown, including the name!
'Who the hell is he?!'
This is probably not as simple as being 20 levels higher... Even if Chen Lun used [Life-Seeing Eyes] on [Sequence 5] Talleyrand, he could still see a small part of the data.
But with his own divination weight and intelligence bonus, he couldn't see through the white-haired young man in front of him at all...
"High-Sequence Transcendent..."
Chen Lun suddenly felt a little nervous.
The white-haired young man took a piece of black meat in his hand, cut it into small pieces with a knife, and threw it into the iron pot above the campfire, which made a gurgling sound.
"You just said you knew me...? May I ask who you are?"
Chen Lun suppressed his fluctuating emotions, sat on the stone pier beside the campfire, held the silver cane in his arms, and asked.
"Sorry, I forgot to introduce myself..."
The white-haired young man was cutting meat with his hands and turned his head with an apologetic expression.
"You can call me Arnold. As for why I know you... it's because of Philip."
"Philip?"
Chen Lun looked at the white-haired young man named "Arnold" with even more confusion in his eyes.
"Well, Philip and I are very good friends."
Arnold said.
He moved a big stone to the campfire, sat on it, and said while cutting meat:
"I have no friends. He is my first and only friend... In the long time, he is the only one who comes here to chat with me and talk about what he has seen and heard outside."
Arnold had a nostalgic look on his face.
"The last time he came to see me was to say goodbye, and I hadn't seen him for many years... He told me at the time that in the future there would be someone here and we would become good friends, and that person's name was 'Jack'."
He smiled brilliantly at Chen Lun again, his deep blue eyes reflecting the firelight looked very beautiful.
After Arnold finished shavings, he took out a wooden spoon and began stirring the pot.
Chen Lun digested the other party's words.
'Philip knew about me... and told this Arnold that I would come here?'
He was a little surprised.
"Arnold, what exactly is this place? You said Philip would tell you about what he saw and heard 'outside'. What does that mean...?"
"This is 'Dark End'."
Arnold picked up two wooden bowls, filled each with broth, and paired them with a wooden spoon.
He said as he handed over a bowl.
"Outside, of course, refers to the 'present world'."
Chen Lun let down his guard a little, took the wooden bowl, and quietly performed the magic of "Five Senses" to smell the odor with his eyes alone.
A strange meaty aroma mixed with the unique aroma of fungi made him quite hungry.
But his attention was still on the four words "end of darkness" said by Arnold.
"The end of darkness...?"
"Yes, the deepest part of the dark world also refers to the deepest part of the spirit world. In this area, the living world has merged with the spirit world... Everything is in a dilapidated state."
Arnold nodded.
When Chen Lun heard this answer, his heart suddenly skipped a beat.
"Why does it sound like version 2.0...? The spirit world is in turmoil, and pollution is spreading... "
He was silent for a few seconds, then asked the question that concerned him most:
"Arnold, do you know how to get out of here?"
"leave……?"
Arnold took a sip of the broth and shook his head in confusion.
"I... don't know. Sorry, I don't remember a lot of things. I may not be able to help you."
His mood became depressed, and he seemed sad that he could not help Chen Lun.
Chen Lun sighed secretly.
"We can only take it one step at a time... and then find a way to go back."
The scene fell into silence.
The only sound was the occasional beeping sound from the burning campfire.
Under the firelight, Chen Lun looked at the broth in his hand and secretly used the panel to identify it, and found that this bowl of food was not simple.
[Extraordinary Thing - Unnamed]
Item description: A bowl of soup that contains powerful supernatural power. The ingredients are selected from creatures and fungi from the dark world, as well as a piece of flesh and blood from the descendants of the ancient gods...
Although the cooking method is rough, it can greatly improve physical fitness.
"The flesh and blood of the descendants of the ancient gods...? ! "
There was a hint of surprise in Chen Lun's eyes.
He suddenly remembered that the extraordinary characteristic he had preserved, [Didak's Armor], was obtained from Didak, the son of the ancient god.
Could the piece of black meat in Arnold's hand just now be similar...
"I'm sorry, Jack, I can only offer you such simple accommodation."
Arnold drank the broth in his hand, wiped his mouth, and spoke with a hint of apology in his tone.
Chen Lun saw the other party's cautious expression, thought about it, and finally scooped a spoonful and put it into his mouth.
The meat soup has little saltiness, but is extremely delicious.
The taste was different from anything he had ever eaten.
[You have consumed "Extraordinary Item - Unnamed", and your physical fitness has been improved! ]
[Health limit +50, physical limit +10, endurance +1 and intelligence +1! ]
Chen Lun raised his eyebrows.
"It's harmless and can improve the panel's attributes...!"
He continued to scoop another spoonful, and after he finished eating, the prompt box popped up again.
A gleam flashed in Chen Lun's eyes, and his hands moved faster and faster. In less than half a minute, he had finished the broth in his hand.
The prompt box popped up several times, but then it stopped. It must be that the increase in the broth had reached its limit.
Chen Lun took a look at the panel and was surprised to find that his upper limit of health points had increased by 200 points, his upper limit of physical strength had increased by 100 points, his strength and agility by 2 points each, and his endurance and intelligence by 4 points each.
This is equivalent to upgrading several levels!
"Thanks for the treat, Arnold."
Chen Lun handed over the wooden bowl, then took off his hat and saluted.
Arnold's original sad mood was swept away and he looked very happy.
"You're welcome, Jack! I'll fill you another bowl!"
As he spoke, he filled the wooden bowl with broth again and handed it over enthusiastically.
"There's still a lot in the pot. If it's not enough, I'll go out hunting again."
"Thanks."
Chen Lun looked at Arnold in front of him, felt the other party's pure kindness, and expressed his gratitude sincerely.
Taking the wooden bowl, Chen Lun temporarily put aside his guard and many doubts in his heart and continued to eat. Although the broth would no longer provide bonus, he was indeed a little hungry.
Arnold was not to be outdone. He filled his bowl with broth and started eating.
The two of them ate and chatted casually, and soon they finished the whole pot of soup.
The originally unfamiliar relationship has become closer.
[Arnold's favorability towards you has increased! Currently it is friendly! ]
Chen Lun looked at the prompt box. He didn't know whether it was because of Philip or his own charm value, but he easily won the other party's favor.
But he could make a preliminary judgment that Arnold probably had no ill will towards him.
Because the opponent's strength is far superior to yours, he doesn't have to put in too much effort if he wants to do something bad to you.
After eating and drinking, the two sat by the campfire and continued chatting.
Chen Lun learned some information about the "end of darkness" from Arnold, that is, the area where the two were located, and the area near the wooden house was very dangerous.
In the invisible darkness, there are powerful dark creatures. They are the natives of the dark world. After being mysteriously polluted, they have become even more terrifying.
Chen Lun had no idea about this, but since even a strong man like Arnold felt it was dangerous, it must be something complicated.
As a result, he was extremely wary of the darkness around him.
"Arnold, have you always lived here? From what you said, you seem to be yearning for the outside world. Why don't you leave here...?"
Chen Lun asked while drinking a cup of tea.
The tea leaves for this cup of tea were also harvested by Arnold from hunting. The tea brewed from it can improve the speed of sanity recovery, which makes Chen Lun feel novel.
"I have no idea."
Arnold said this with a bright smile.
"I just knew I couldn't leave."
Chen Lun looked at him silently.
Arnold didn't remember a lot of things, and Chen Lun was unable to get more valuable clues from him.
Chen Lun had no idea about Arnold's identity, but the other party had such powerful strength, but stayed at the end of this darkness. There must be a deeper reason behind it.
…
…
…
A few more hours passed.
Chen Lun observed the statue of Maggie linked in his mind and found that his sanity value had been consumed by more than 200 points, leaving only about 700 points in reserve.
He began to feel a little anxious, because if he still couldn't find a way to leave, and his reserves were exhausted, then his own sanity would be consumed...
'When the time comes, I will die because my sanity will be completely wiped out... Although I am in the fairyland now, I will not really die, but it will also cause spiritual damage.
As long as you are trapped here, your sanity will continue to be consumed, and it will eventually become a vicious cycle... If you die too many times, your body outside will also die.'
Chen Lun pondered.
At this time, Arnold came over with the broken sword in his hand and a lantern in his other hand.
"Jack, it's time. I have to go out hunting... You can rest in the cabin and wait for me to come back."
His expression was slightly serious.
"Remember, don't leave your campfire alone...it's very dangerous in the dark."
"Okay, I understand."
Chen Lun stood up and nodded.
Arnold seemed to suddenly remember something, took out a booklet and handed it over.
"This is what Philip gave me at the time and asked me to pass it on to you... He also said that this is the 'terminal' of Wonderland. If you can get here, it means you are ready."
Chen Lun's pupils shrank.
"The end of Wonderland?! What are you preparing for...?"
He suddenly realized that things seemed to be getting serious.
After Chen Lun took the booklet, Arnold turned and left, his figure slowly disappearing into the darkness.
Watching the faint light of the lantern being gradually swallowed up by the darkness, Chen Lun sat by the campfire with mixed feelings and opened the booklet.
"——Hey, my friend, you didn't expect that I didn't die in that battle. The guys from the History and Ritual Association are tough, but they can't kill me... Don't worry, I'll leave my 'relics' to you, and I won't ask you to take them back.
I have been promoted to a high sequence! I don't care about those things... (crossed out), I have traveled to many places, experienced many ups and downs, and finally became a Fate Saint.
But I'm still not good enough for Maggie... (crossed out)
I finally realized that the world I was exploring was actually called the 'Dream World', which is the prototype of the fairyland... It is connected to the third layer of the spiritual world, 'The End of Darkness'. To be precise, the Dream World can be regarded as the fourth layer of the world.
I didn't dare to explore further.
Dream world... (crossed out)
In short, don't go to the dream world easily, there are gods there."
Chen Lun's breathing paused as he looked at the scribbled dark blue handwriting.
"There are gods living in the dream world...?"
He suddenly felt that this kind of thing was too far away from him, but it was right in front of him.
When Chen Lun obtained some extraordinary items such as Sun Wine and Moon Wine during his exploration of the fairyland, this "dream world" was also mentioned in the description given on the panel.
But he didn't expect that the real dream world would be so terrifying.
The following paragraph seems to have been added some time ago, and the handwriting is slightly different:
“——The extraordinary ability I developed, [Animal Mimicry], was once praised by my teacher, who said it was a rare power on the path of destiny… As I was promoted, this ability stayed with me for a long time.
I also relied on it to defeat many opponents.
I believe that you have read my diary and learned this skill from the extraordinary knowledge recorded there.
My limit is to be able to preserve the characteristics of five extraordinary creatures. Following the guidance of my teacher, I took a very extreme path.
After pausing my exploration of the dream world, my teacher asked me to go to the coastline of the Far East and board a warship bound for the Misty Island… There are countless extraordinary creatures in the deep sea, and through them, I have acquired what I believe to be the most perfect characteristics.
A starfish with a strong ability to recover, a giant crab covered with deep-sea minerals, a shrimp that can burst out hundreds of times its own strength, a mermaid with excellent mental abilities and beautiful appearance...
I would like to add that the feeling of the siren is wonderful. You must try it if you have the chance. (scribbled smiley face)
Finally, there is a black whale that is as long as a small island. I have gained a great vitality from it, which makes me almost invincible! "
Chen Lun frowned deeper and deeper, and turned to the next page. There was another message after a long time:
"--I was wrong.
The teacher lied to me.
I shouldn't have gotten too involved with the deep sea, but it's too late.
I was dragged into the dream world by force. Every night when I went to sleep, I would enter there uncontrollably. I had no way to escape...
Lady Sighs is guarding the gate and I can't get out.
My fate is controlled by the teacher. If I want to break free from this fate, I must kill him with my own hands... Maggie told me that only I can do this. If someone else kills the teacher, I will die too.
This is a struggle of fate, and others cannot interfere.
A friend of mine named Howard has the same fate as me.
Together we will challenge the teacher...
… (scrawled, crossed out)
After I became a saint, I saw many things in the future from the thread of fate, including you. I don’t want you to repeat the same mistakes...
You are my successor and also a friend from across time and space.
The final outcome of Howard and I is unknown, but I am prepared to fail because the teacher... (crossed out), because Mr. Clough was once a God.
Our chances of winning are almost zero.
Finally, I would like to give you some advice.
The moment you step into the path of destiny, you have already entered the circle of destiny. Only by being promoted to a higher sequence can you be qualified to challenge destiny.
Failure is beyond our control; success is a matter of chance.
I believe you can do it. After all, you are different from me...you are that special person.
The world is going to change dramatically because of our path… for reasons unknown.
I suspect the source of the turbulence is the end of darkness and the world of dreams… The boundary between these two worlds is filled with endless pale spider silk, which may also be related to it.
You have to be on your guard at all times.
In addition, Arnold, who lives at the end of darkness, is a friend I met unexpectedly. His identity is very special, and I hope you can get along with him in a friendly manner.
He needs your help and can give you some.
I'm sorry that my words are a bit messy, maybe it's because of my complicated mood when I wrote it...
I'm so sorry I can't be in the same era as you, Jack.
If possible, we would be close friends, right? (scribbled smiley face)"
Chen Lun frowned and turned another page.
There was only one sentence written in the middle of the page:
"I must see you in the coldest winter, Maggie, because the wind and snow will slow down time and allow us to embrace each other longer."
A scribbled smiley face.
But it was blurred by the water stains that had long dried up and turned into a distorted cry.