Saul lowered his gaze to look at the other two continents.
The one near the equator was likely Iskaper, and the one closer to the South Pole was probably Nephret.
These two continents didnât have massive mountain ranges like the Wall of Sighs. They didnât appear to be plates split off from the Stat Continent.
âEven though nothing unusual is visible from here, I must find a way to travel across those lands someday.â
Even without color, everything before his eyes stirred Saulâs heart with excitement.
âI wonder what the other half of the planet looks like.â A sudden and untimely curiosity arose in his mind.
Suddenly, as if responding to Saulâs inner thoughts, the black-and-white planet before him abruptly sped up its rotation!
In just a few seconds, it revealed its âbackâ to Saul.
âHsss!!!â
Saul gasped sharply, stunned on the spot.
The backside of the black-and-white planet was a massive sinkhole.
It looked like a whirlpool in the deep sea, constantly sucking seawater inward.
Or like a black hole in space, devouring everything and returning it all to eternal darkness!
But it wasnât exactly a black hole.
Becauseâit could explode.
While Saul was observing it, the interior of the massive sinkhole suddenly exploded.
The explosion blasted seawater from the surrounding continents, sending forth a tsunami that obscured the sky.
Wave after wave of the tsunami spread outward, one side heading north, crashing ferociously into the massive mountains at the northern edge of the Stat Continent.
Though the energy of the seawater had diminished considerably by then, the sheer impact against the Wall of Sighs was still so fierce that Saulâs ears ached faintly.
Even though he hadnât actually heard a sound.
On the other side, the tsunami surged southwardâlikely crashing into the continent of Nephret.
Saul couldnât see in that direction, and he wondered how Nephret would withstand such a massive tsunami without its own Wall of Sighs.
But that wasnât his main concern.
What truly troubled him was this:
How could a planet possess such an immense sinkhole and one capable of exploding?
Can this planet⊠really exist for a long time?
Saul closed his eyes. He felt as though his entire worldview had been upended.
Weariness surged within him. At this moment, he only wanted to sleep.
But thenâhe heard a voice.
âBrother Saul, Brother Saul, are you outside?â
Saulâs heavy eyelids, on the verge of shutting, snapped open.
The terrifying, monstrous planet had vanished. He was once again in the pure white room.
The voice calling to him came from behind.
He turned around, searching for the source. âPenny? Is that you?â
âBrother Saul, Iâm right hereâin the woven tapestry in front of you!â
Saul was startled. He leaned down and looked at the tapestry at the center of the white throne.
Heâd seen it before, but because it was small and not very eye-catching, he hadnât examined it closely.
Now that he leaned in, he found that, although the image was somewhat blurred due to the material, he could faintly make out what seemed to be a forest, with golden threads representing sunlight piercing through from above.
Looking closely, he spotted a patch of silver beneath a large tree.
That silver stood out oddly.
It was, in fact, the only place in the entire tapestry that used silver thread.
âPenny, why are you here? Is this still part of the Elven Valley?â
It seemed the Nightmare Butterfly had entered a world within the painting!
But after the overwhelming shock heâd just experienced, Saul no longer found anything strange. He calmly asked the question.
âThis isnât the Elven Valley. Brother Saul, Iâm with the elves.â
âYou mean the elves who vanished from this world? Are you really with them?â Saul began to question Pennyâs mental state.
Has Penny already been corrupted? Should he call her back into the diary?
âBrother Saul, I havenât been corrupted.â Penny seemed to sense Saulâs suspicions and quickly said, âBut I do need your help with something right now.â
âWhat are you doing?â
âI⊠Iâm trying to confirm the meaning of my existence.â
ââŠ?â The topic suddenly turned so lofty that Saul didnât know whether to reject her outright.
After a momentâs thought, he still decided to agree: âWhat do you need me to do?â
Pennyâs voice immediately brightened with joy. âMaster, could you help the elves retrieve the treasure that was stolen from them?â
Another stolen treasure?
It must be something extremely important.
Saul guessed and asked, âThis treasure youâve all been referring toâis it the thing on Kongshaâs head?â
ââŠâ
There was a three-second silence from Pennyâs end before she suddenly shrieked.
âNo wayâno way! Someone actually placed the Elf Kingâs skull on their own head!â
Pennyâs shock was contagious. Saulâs jaw dropped as well. He didnât even know what to be surprised about first.
Should he be shocked that elves had a king?
Or that an elfâs physical remains still existed in this world?
In the end, Saul could only sigh, âWhat on earth is Kongsha doing?â
First, she risked everything to listen to the whispers of the elves. Then, she disregarded Haywoodâs objections and bought the key to the Elven Valley from Billy. And now⊠sheâd actually put the Elf Kingâs skull on her own head!
Saul had suspected that the changes to Kongshaâs head were connected to the elves, but he hadnât imagined it was in such a crude and violent way.
After all, while Kongshaâs face was beautiful, it wasnât quite so stunning as to make one lose all sense of reason.
Penny was equally shaken. âBrother Saul, the urgent task now is to retrieve the Elf Kingâs skull and place it hereâon the pure white throne. Only then can we leave the Elven Valley.â
âThatâs the only way to leave?â To be honest, as a wizard, if Saul got his hands on the Elf Kingâs skull, his first thought wouldnât be to return it here.
Even though he had been cautious about elven relics before, now that heâd come all this wayâand An had nearly sacrificed herself for himâit didnât suit his style to leave empty-handed.
After all, he hadnât come here just to save people!
Penny immediately understood what Saul meant. She paused briefly and then said softly, âBrother Saul, I understand. But I have something in here thatâs an even better prize for you than the Elf Kingâs skull. If you can return the skull to the throne, I can persuade the elves to open the path and let you come see it.â
âI promise youâonce you enter, even if you just take one look, the rewards will far exceed the danger of stealing the Elf Kingâs skull!â
âYou have a way to confirm Iâm not lying.â
Saul understood. Penny meant the diaryâs constraints. She couldnât lie to Saul.
Not even a misleading hint was allowed.
Saul remained silent for a while, then let out a breath.
âAlright. But the environment here is quite unusual, and with Kongsha holding the skull, Iâm not confident I can take her down. Can you provide any help?â
âIâm sorry, Brother Saul.â Penny didnât bring him any good news. âI canât give you any direct help right nowâŠ
âBut I can give you all the remaining Veiled Crystal Essence in this palace. You can keep absorbing it to maintain your soul bodyâs stability. Of course, you can only do this inside the Elven Valley. Outside, youâd risk attracting dangerous contamination from the interlayer consciousness. Thatâs something I only recently learned here.â
So the elves inside either couldnât or wouldnât help him directly.
Saul straightened up and thought helplessly.
Who lost the treasure, anyway? Shouldnât they be the ones most anxious to retrieve it?
He crossed his arms and gently tapped his fingertips on them, mulling over a strategy.
âKongsha, Mark, Monroe, and that Kasila⊠those four might seem divided, but since theyâre still alive, theyâll definitely band together if necessary. If the other three find out Kongshaâs head holds the elven treasure⊠whether or not they return it, their alliance will surely break.â
Saul nodded slightly. âThatâs my chance!â
Saul: This world is terrifying.
(End of Chapter)
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