168: Ending (4,000)

Chapter 166: The Curtain Falls (4000 words)

Arthur’s words sent shivers down the Pixie’s spine.

The wooden panels of the mosaics indeed told a story, but based solely on the images, it was hard to decipher so much information.

Moreover, those mosaic panels had disappeared on the second floor, yet Arthur claimed they were everywhere.

“But—but—”

Xiao Lingdang didn't know how to respond.

Arthur knew that what he had just said would be difficult for others to understand.

This was precisely a manifestation of his mental state gradually deteriorating.

He understood that he wasn't deciphering the content of the paintings; rather, the information was continuously pouring into his mind.

If he stayed here any longer, he would eventually go completely mad.

Arthur slowly exhaled and walked towards the two skeletons.

“Who are they?”

The sudden appearance of Rose and Thorn made Arthur’s heart clench.

The girl’s question left him at a loss for how to answer.

“Are they like those children, also lost here?” Rose asked again.

Xiao Lingdang whispered in Arthur’s ear, “You have to tell them the truth, Arthur.”

“They have a right to know.”

Arthur nodded and motioned for the two children to sit down.

“We took the other children to the kitchen,” Rose said, “Rosalie is looking after them.”

“Don’t worry, she’s our nanny, a very good woman.”

“I’m sure she is,” Arthur replied. “Come, sit down, children. I have something to tell you.”

Arthur told the two children part of the truth.

Rose looked at the skeletons on the ground and asked softly, “So, are we already dead?”

Thorn looked at his sister curiously and asked, “What does ‘dead’ mean?”

“Like Grandma,” Rose explained, “She’s asleep forever, didn’t Mom say she went to heaven?”

“Then why aren’t we in heaven, but still here?” Thorn asked.

“Some evil presence has bound you here,” Arthur answered.

“Is it that monster?” Rose asked. “If you defeat it, can we go to heaven?”

Arthur shook his head, “I can’t guarantee that.”

Upon hearing this, Thorn’s eyes welled up with tears, and he choked out, “Why? Is it because we weren’t obedient?”

Arthur sighed, “It’s hard to explain, child.”

Thorn hugged his sister tightly.

After a moment of silence, Rose patted her brother’s head.

Then, with a determined expression, she said to Arthur, “If it helps you get rid of that monster, we’re willing.”

Thorn wiped away his tears and nodded.

“Thank you.”

Arthur stood up and walked towards the two skeletons. He picked up a skull and ordered the Knight to destroy the mark on it with his sword.

As the last two marks were destroyed, the intelligence changed.

[Purple Intel / Enhanced / Follow-up] All riddles are solved, all allies have joined.

Please sacrifice the foreign Knight in the final ritual, fulfill his wish, and save the souls trapped here.

The newly updated intelligence invigorated Arthur.

It turned out these poor souls could still be saved.

Everything was ready. The young priest used the ruby ring to command the armors on the second floor to follow him.

He returned to the initial reception hall, where a hidden door leading downwards appeared in a corner of the room.

Just as Arthur was about to enter, Thorn called out to him.

The little boy gave his doll to Arthur.

“Take Tippas, Arthur, it can protect you.”

Arthur smiled, took the rag doll, and thanked the boy: “Stay with your sister, everything will be resolved soon.”

With that, Arthur entered the passage and headed to the basement.

The Duerst Family had hollowed out the entire small slope beneath the house, creating a vast underground space.

This basement was like a labyrinth, but fortunately, Rosalie was leading the way.

Arthur and his group were able to avoid all traps and monsters, successfully reaching the ritual site.

Ever since entering the basement, Arthur had continuously heard mysterious singing.

The smooth stone walls of the basement provided a reverberating effect.

But when he arrived at the site, the singing abruptly stopped.

The entire ritual site was quite wide but very ordinary.

Torches on the walls illuminated the entire place, and granite pillars supported the ceiling.

A gap in the west wall allowed an underground river to flow into the room.

Most of the floor was submerged under dark, murky water.

A circle of dry stone platforms clung to the four walls, with four steps each leading from the platform into the water.

In the center of the room, more steps Rose from under the water, forming an octagonal raised platform.

On the platform was a stone altar, and a rusty iron cage hung from the ceiling, suspended directly above the altar.

“Where is the Princess?” Xiao Lingdang asked uneasily.

The entire ritual site looked ordinary, yet a terrifying aura continuously pounded at her brain.

All the allies who had accompanied Arthur seemed very uneasy.

Even the black-armored Knight took a stance, as if something would attack from all directions the next second.

Arthur motioned for Xiao Lingdang not to worry.

He walked down the steps towards the altar, the black-armored Knight following closely behind him.

The underground water was icy cold, but this chill was far less impactful than the documents and carvings that appeared on the walls, pillars, and altar.

Unlike what others saw, Arthur witnessed the Duerst Family’s final madness—the pathetic infant was sacrificed here, and an evil god from another world noticed these humble believers.

With just a glance, that terrifying power drove most of the believers mad; the remaining ones foolishly believed they had gained power, completely unaware of the horrifying mutations this power would bring.

The proud Dark Lord, Marcus, believed he had killed everyone and stopped the ritual.

But in fact, that defiling power had not completely disappeared; it had twisted all the dead together.

So the curse still existed, and whoever inherited the Duerst Family’s legacy would have to bear this curse.

Arthur finally reached the altar. He ordered the Knight to take down a small cage—the Pixie Princess was inside, seemingly in some kind of slumber.

Xiao Lingdang flew out of Arthur’s pocket, fluttering outside the cage with both surprise and joy.

“What happened to her?”

Arthur asked, while motioning for the Knight to forcefully destroy the cage.

“She used Fae Dust on herself,” Xiao Lingdang explained. “This allows her to enter the planar void.”

“She only uses this method to save herself when injured.”

“But… but where’s her weapon? That sword! Where is her sword?”

The moment the cage was torn open, the singing, which had vanished, began again.

Thirteen black figures appeared on the rock formations of the ceiling, looking down into the ritual chamber.

Each of them wore yellow robes, pale masks adorned with gold threads, and held torches.

From the torches, black flames Rose, as if to devour the surrounding light.

“One must die!” they chanted, repeatedly, “One must die! One must die!”

Arthur motioned for everyone to retreat from the altar and move back to the shore.

As the last person left the altar, the entire ritual site began to shake.

The water churned as if boiling.

The chanting of the yellow-robed figures changed: “the king in yellow descends! We command you to awaken!”

Amidst the continuous chanting, something Rose from beneath the water, and a unique voice joined the chant.

That voice was sweet as honey, yet held a deadly aura: “The end has come! Death shall glorify its name!”

By the time Arthur and the others climbed onto the platform, the monster that had emerged from the water finally revealed its full form.

It was a humanoid creature wrapped in a long yellow robe, quite tall, almost twice a man’s height.

It wore a glittering golden crown, and beneath the crown was a very delicate face.

Arthur had seen that face in a painting; it was Elizabeth Duerst, the mother of Rose and Thorn, and one of the cult leaders.

Her eyes were closed, and she wore a smile, like a sacred angel—if one ignored the face growing on the back of her head.

The chanting reached its peak, and the monster swiftly attacked Arthur.

The black-armored Knight charged out, deftly dodging the opponent’s attack.

He swung his sword, cutting the monster’s arm, and golden blood gushed from the wound.

The monster turned its head, and another face appeared before everyone—it was Gustav Duerst, the master of the house, who also looked as sacred as an angel.

The monster’s speed became even swifter. It dodged all of the Knight’s attacks,

Seizing a momentary opening in the Knight’s defense, it struck his chest forcefully with two of its hands.

The black-armored Knight was sent flying, crashing hard against the wall.

Arthur’s magic was ready. A light-guided arrow shot towards the yellow-robed monster.

But as the light arrow was about to hit, a baby’s cry rang out, and the light arrow immediately dissipated.

Arthur knew this creature was immune to magic, or rather, it could maintain an anti-magic field around itself in a bizarre way.

However, he had a way to break it.

The baby’s cry caught Rosalie’s attention, and the vengeful spirit floated towards her enemy.

The models also rushed over.

Their combat power was limited, but they made up for it in numbers and fearlessness of death. Even when disemboweled by the monster, they continued to throw themselves at it. While the yellow-robed monster and the models were entangled, Arthur cast magic again, and holy fire descended from the sky, but it also had no effect.

The baby’s cry rang out again, this time clearly audible. Rosalie shrieked and rushed into the yellow-robed monster’s body.

By now, all the models had been killed. Arthur commanded the armors to guard in front of him.

The monster turned its head again, and Elizabeth’s face reappeared.

The next second, eight rays of light—red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, purple, and indigo—shot out from its body.

Blazing red flames melted a large hole directly into one armor; blue ice struck the adjacent wall, forming a sharp ice spike on it;

Another armor crashed to the ground under a yellow electric current:

The remaining two armors blocked the rest of the light, but one of them had its shield-holding hand melted by acid.

The reason Arthur brought these armors was for this very moment.

The monster’s recently cast Prismatic Spray was a seven-ring spell, with eight colors of light possessing eight different effects.

But among them, the green poison, indigo petrification, and purple blindness had no effect on the armors.

The last intact armor faithfully guarded Arthur, but it was soon melted by a scorching spell.

Just as the yellow-robed monster was about to cast its next spell, the black-armored Knight charged from behind Arthur, his longsword striking down from above.

The yellow-robed monster raised its hand to block, and the longsword only cut into its arm, getting stuck in the bone.

The chanting became high-pitched, and magical energy gathered in Elizabeth’s other two hands.

The next second, a blur flashed, and one of the monster’s spellcasting hands was severed.

“I found the Princess’s sword in Thorn’s doll!” Xiao Lingdang excitedly cried out, “I sensed its presence.”

“Well done, little one,” Arthur praised. “Your Princess seems to be an excellent swordswoman.”

“Of course, she’s the best swordswoman in the Feywild!” Xiao Lingdang proudly declared.

The Pixie Princess did not stop, but changed direction in mid-air, rushing straight towards the monster’s back.

The black-armored Knight seized the opportunity to pull his longsword from the opponent’s bone, spun to the monster’s side, and swung his sword again.

The monster let out a shriek, and a powerful sound wave repelled the two attackers.

It wanted to switch back to Gustav’s face to deal with the two formidable warriors.

But a terrifying tearing sound came from within its body, and the vanished Rosalie burst out of the monster’s body.

She was holding a bloody infant, and the deformed hands extending from within the monster’s body were desperately trying to stop her.

The Pixie Princess swiftly swung her sword at those hands, helping the vengeful spirit break free.

Having lost the infant, the monster began to roar hysterically. It was no longer elegant and sacred.

Instead, its robe was torn to shreds, and its body, composed of countless faces, also screamed and roared incessantly.

“Seize the chance!” Arthur shouted to everyone, “Finish it!”

The black-armored Knight and the Princess attacked simultaneously, their swords piercing the monster’s two faces respectively.

The monster’s body began to disintegrate, but the eerie chanting did not stop.

The central altar and the monster’s body began to shatter together, and a throne made of unknown material slowly appeared.

“the king in yellow, the king in yellow, the king in yellow!”

The thirteen yellow-robed phantoms kept repeating this phrase.

Everyone was bound by an inexplicable force, compelled to move towards that throne.

“What—what is happening?” Xiao Lingdang asked in a panic.

The Princess was also quite confused. As an excellent swordswoman, she sought worthy opponents across various planes, but she knew little about magic.

“Perhaps, perhaps I can tear open a rift with my sword and get us all out.”

She tried to swing the longsword in her hand, which resembled a brass key, but failed.

“Don’t worry, I know what to do,” Arthur said.

The Knight, as usual, did not respond.

Upon reaching the throne, the binding was released, but a terrifying mark appeared on everyone’s body.

“Human, what is this?” the Princess asked Arthur.

Arthur replied, “Don’t look at that thing; it will steal your sanity.”

“Someone must make a sacrifice to break the curse.”

Before Arthur could give the order, the black-armored Knight laid down his longsword and walked towards the throne without hesitation.

“What is he doing? By the Queen, is he going to sacrifice himself?” the Princess asked again.

The Knight sat on the throne, and his armor melted away, replaced by a yellow robe.

The thirteen phantoms, while shouting “the king in yellow” loudly,

Took the crown from the monster’s head.

Arthur saw the Knight’s face; it was his own, or rather, his former self.

As the sacrifice was offered and the new King was born, this drama finally came to an end.

A void rift began to appear, the chanting abruptly ceased, and the phantoms all vanished.

Countless tentacles extended from within the rift.

Those tentacles seemed incorporeal, passing through the rock walls and the cave ceiling.

Soon, a large number of screaming souls began to be carried away by the tentacles.

As the last member of the Duerst Family was taken away.

The rift began to shrink violently, and the throne slowly retreated.

The new King on the throne had been watching Arthur.

Finally, it disappeared into the shrinking void rift.

Everything seemed to return to peace, but Arthur still had one last thing to do. He recited a spell, preparing to guide the remaining souls to heaven.

Accompanied by the chanting, a curtain of light descended from the sky.

One by one, the souls trapped here came from all directions and walked towards that curtain of light.

Among them, Arthur saw Rosalie holding a child.

Rose and Thorn were the last to leave. The two children waved at them, then disappeared into the curtain of light.