Chapter 202 Seven Days
Li Wen walked out of the temple and looked back as the temple’s large doors slowly closed.
“You did very well, child,” the old woman said, walking over and gently stroking Li Wen’s hair. “Today’s ritual went exceptionally smoothly, all thanks to you.”
Li Wen stared at the old woman, unsure of what to say. She had no memory of presiding over the ritual inside the temple, as if some power had invaded her brain and erased it. Even the strange script related to the “Sunset Ritual” had vanished.
“Will there be another time? That ritual.”
Noticing the old woman’s mention of “today,” Li Wen carefully chose her words and asked tentatively.
“Of course, just as the sun always rises in the east and sets in the west,” the old woman nodded slightly, a smile on her face. She took Li Wen’s hand and led her somewhere unknown. “The next Sunset Ritual will be in seven days.”
“What happens if it’s not done?” Li Wen asked again, her tone now carrying a trace of inquiry.
The smile on the old woman’s face gradually receded, replaced by a solemn expression. Her eyes deepened, as if gazing into the most hidden depths of Li Wen’s heart.
“If the Sunset Ritual is not held as scheduled, then eternal night will descend, bringing extreme and terrifying calamity. All things will wither and decay. And our world will be destroyed.”
Is this the period of the Deep Dark Pillar’s overwhelming power? The thought flashed through Li Wen’s mind, but she quickly dismissed it.
After all, whether this city dreamt by a deceased god truly existed in history or was a bizarre and eerie illusion remained to be determined.
However, none of that really mattered. Li Wen didn’t need to unravel the mystery of this world. What she needed to do was find a way to enter the black spire surrounded by the temple, which was where the Emerald Tablet was located.
Three hundred and thirty-three steps.
Li Wen still remembered the number of steps she had taken from the temple gate to the domed hall where the ritual was performed. Estimating the distance and height of this journey, she realized she had been directly beneath the black spire at that moment, only a step away from the Emerald Tablet.
This meant that the next Sunset Ritual would be the best opportunity for her to enter the spire.
Li Wen lowered her gaze, her fingertips unconsciously rubbing the golden embroidery on her ritual robe. The old woman, mistaking her for someone worried, softened her tone. “Don’t be afraid, child. You’ve done better than anyone. Everyone will believe you and thank you. Look—” She turned and pointed to the spire, where a crimson crown was slowly rotating at the very top. “Even the Red Crown is three parts brighter than usual.”
“I understand,” Li Wen replied softly, her voice conveying the appropriate obedience. “I will prepare for the next ritual.”
A sound like silver bells came from afar. Several young children in white robes ran over, carrying golden trays filled with pomegranates and figs.
“Lord Tris!”
They tilted their faces up, their pupils reflecting the same golden flames as the adults, but their eyes held no numbness or fanaticism, only childlike innocence and purity. “The sacred tree has borne fruit!”
It turned out they had arrived at the entrance of a monastery. Several towering fruit trees were planted in front of it. Their pale golden leaves were scattered on the ground, exuding a strange and sacred aura.
Li Wen took a pomegranate. A golden halo could be vaguely seen beneath its deep red skin.
Pomegranates were called the fruits of life by the Silver Elves, hence their noble status. The fig tree, it was said, grew from the blood of a Glorious Saint that flowed and burned the ground during their ascension, symbolizing “sacrifice” and “wisdom.”
Li Wen broke open the fruit. Inside were bright red, transparent arils, and within them, golden seeds. She picked a crystal-like aril and put it in her mouth. A slightly wine-like sweetness bloomed on her tongue. While the taste wasn’t entirely to Li Wen’s preference, it was indeed delicious.
But it was just delicious. Although they were fruits from a sacred tree, they possessed no wondrous power; they existed merely as symbols.
Perhaps the identity of “Tris” in this city was also like this.
Li Wen distributed the pomegranate seeds to the children, watching them scatter with cheers, her thoughts drifting.
“Good child, go and rest. Don’t forget your bedtime prayer.”
Li Wen followed the old woman into the monastery. Along the way, various clergy members respectfully bowed and greeted them, to which the old woman responded warmly. Through these interactions, Li Wen learned the old woman’s name was “Afonsina,” and that she seemed to be the abbess of this monastery.
After escorting Li Wen to a room, Afonsina departed.
Li Wen walked to the window, her fingertip tracing the sun patterns carved on the windowsill. The room in the monastery was more simple than she had imagined—a narrow wooden bed, rough linen curtains, and an oak desk. The only decoration was a golden oil lamp that was constantly lit in the corner.
There wasn’t even a mirror in the room, preventing Li Wen from judging her appearance in the dream. Had she become “Tris,” or had she merely replaced her identity?
She looked down at her hands. She could neither wield the power of a Witch Disciple nor the abilities of a Candleholder. The only reliable thing was that the game panel could still respond, although the information on it was vague and abstract, much like this dream world.
“As expected of a god’s dream.”
Despite having memories from two lives, this was Li Wen’s first time experiencing something like this. She had initially thought the real challenge would be how to snatch the Original Text from the god, but now it seemed she didn’t even have a way to enter the spire.
Moreover, the key given to her by someone from the “Impurities,” which could open the spire’s portal, was stored in her Fairy Pocket. Now, let alone the key, she didn’t even have her Fairy Pocket with her. What should she do?
Li Wen stood by the window, gazing at the rotating crimson crown on the distant spire. The afterglow of the setting sun filtered through the stained-glass windows, casting dappled light and shadow on her pale face.
The sun was setting, and the night seemed to be approaching, but it would never come, for this was a land of eternal day. As the last ray of light turned red, golden liquid began to flow from the crimson crown on the spire, but it was not liquid; it was pure light.
“There will be a way,” Li Wen murmured softly. “After all, even calculating by the shortest time, I still have seven days.”
Seven days should be enough for her to gather some information. By then, she would have understood the so-called “Sunset Ritual” and its purpose. Some hidden impulse told her that once she understood these things, the spire would open its doors to her, even without a key.
