nucmednet Chapter 66 Under Those Black Wings (2)
Chapter 66 Under Those Black Wings (2)
"There are five beings who can truly be called gods. Apart from the living [Harakti, the Creator God of Light], [Obelisk the Tormentor], [Osiris the Sky Dragon], and [the Winged Dragon of the Sun God], there is also the fifth god who has been confirmed to have disappeared—[the True Ancestor].
On the night Mo Yu learned the full story of the legend, Mo Qingfeng took Mo Yu and Mo Xin to Luo Yi's house for a banquet.
Before they even reached the Luo family's gate, the three members of the Mo family saw Luo Yi standing at the entrance, looking around. Upon seeing Mo Yu, Luo Yi jogged over, patted Mo Yu's shoulder, and teased him with a smile, "Why didn't you insist on doing any cultivation this time?" "Ah haha, I didn't understand the trials before..." Mo Yu scratched his head, looking slightly embarrassed.
In the past, in order to pass the trials after awakening, he would often engage in what he considered cultivation training all day long, ignoring being called for meals. It wasn't until he returned that Mo Qingfeng couldn't stand it anymore and punched him to stop his so-called "cultivation".
"The trial is related to card duels, what's the point of training your muscles every day?"
Mo Qingfeng listened to the two children's conversation without saying anything, just smiled and greeted Luo Yi before taking Mo Xin inside, leaving Mo Yu with Luo Yi.
The friendship between their parents did not fade in their generation. Luo Yi spent most of her childhood in Black Feather Village, and the two, who grew up together, can be said to be childhood sweethearts.
However, when Luo Yi grew up and wanted to go to the city to study, her parents wanted to take Mo Yu with them, but Mo Qingfeng politely declined. This resulted in Mo Yu and Luo Yi having less contact, but when they met again, the two children seemed to have gotten even better.
"It's still early before dinner, let's take a walk around the neighborhood. I haven't been back in so long, take me to see if the village has changed at all." Luo Yi took Mo Yu's hand naturally, just like when they were children, and stepped into the village alley.
They walked along the road, Luo Yi complaining about everything at school, while Mo Yu listened quietly, nodding occasionally. Time flowed by quietly, gently and reassuringly.
"We've been talking about me for so long. What about you, Xiaoyu? Do you have anything fun to do?" Moyu felt a little embarrassed in the face of the girl's probing gaze.
"What fun things could I possibly do in the village..." But being clumsy with words, he still tried to start a conversation: "Luo Yi, did you participate in the awakening ceremony?" "Of course! I successfully awakened two months ago. I was originally going to brag to you since you haven't awakened yet, but I didn't expect to catch up with you just as you were awakening." Luo Yi's tone sounded a little helpless. "Let me show you my awakened spirit, [Demon Savior Explorer]. Isn't it amazing!"
"Hmm, as expected of Luo Yi." Mo Yu also took out his Black Feather Magic Card from his pouch, and the two exchanged cards to examine them. "Little Yu, is this Black Feather a new card? I've never seen a Black Feather like this before. Looks like you're in luck." Luo Yi nudged Mo Yu with her elbow o(￣▽￣*)ゞ))￣▽￣*)o
Suddenly, Luo Yi stopped, but didn't let go of her hand. Mo Yu turned around, puzzled, and asked, "What's wrong?"
"Xiao Yu, are you going to start your training tomorrow?" "Yes, why?" "Honestly, we just met..." Luo Yi's tone was clearly a little dissatisfied. Mo Yu looked at Luo Yi with a smile, his smile carrying a hint of helplessness, "There's nothing I can do about it. I'm the one with the best chance of becoming the next Guardian, and I'll be undergoing trials in three years, so I have to hurry."
“Hey, Xiaoyu, how about we make a promise? Three years from now, when you finish your trial, remember to tell me, and we’ll go on a trip.” Luo Yi looked up at Mo Yu, her eyes full of anticipation. “I want to see other countries, but my parents won’t let me go alone. When you finish your trial, you can come with me. Even if something happens, you can protect me!”
The girl continued, "Anyway, your father isn't retiring now, and you don't need to take over immediately. At worst, you can fulfill your duties after we return from our trip. I'll stay with you, and we'll protect the village together, okay?"
Faced with these words that were almost a confession, Mo Yu remained silent. He remembered what his father had said about the price that guardians had to pay.
“Countless forces covet the remains of the fifth god, hoping to use them to unlock the path to godhood that has been sealed for thousands of years.”
Mo Qingfeng's face was shrouded in shadow, making his expression impossible to see.
"The Black Feather Dragon could not stay in the human realm for long, so our ancestors made a deal with the Black Feather Dragon. He would give our ancestors power and even protect all future generations, but someone had to pass the trial and stay here to guard the remains."
"Only by passing the trial can one be qualified to trade with the Black Feather Dragon; and guarding the skeleton is the price that the guardian must bear."
"The skeletons are imbued with strong spiritual power and cannot be moved. Therefore, our ancestors built a village directly above the skeletons. Since then, our ancestors have received the protection of the Black Feather Dragon, which has enabled us to survive in these deep mountains."
Mo Qingfeng sighed softly.
"After the turmoil in the human realm ended, the ancestors tried to leave. Ordinary villagers found that the Black Feather Dragon's blessing disappeared after they left this mountain range. However, as long as the guardians left a certain range of the skeletons, the villagers' blessing would disappear regardless of whether they had left the village or not."
"Without the protection of the Black Feather Dragon, we are just a group of ordinary people. If conflict breaks out again in the human world, we will have no way to avoid it."
"The Guardian is an anchor point. The Black Feather Dragon bestows blessings upon the Guardian through the skeleton, and the Guardian then spreads the blessings to every villager. Therefore, each generation of Guardians cannot leave this place. Staying in the town at the foot of the mountain for a short time is already the limit. Once you pass the trial, the price will immediately be transferred to you."
Then he revealed an even more cruel truth.
"Not only that, the skeleton is under a 'curse' from an unknown source. The curse cannot affect the skeleton, but it will affect the guardians who are most closely related to the skeleton. Every guardian is 'losing': the previous guardian, your grandmother, lost your grandfather in an accident; and I lost your mother."
He paused, his eyes glistening with tears.
"This is the price our village must pay to receive protection, the price the guardians must bear."
Looking at the girl in front of him, Mo Yu couldn't bring himself to refuse. He turned his head away, not daring to look into her eyes. After a long while, he hesitantly said, "Okay, I promise you." "Yay!" Luo Yi jumped up excitedly after hearing this, then turned his head and looked at Mo Yu's eyes seriously. "Then it's a deal. No going back on your word. Pinky promise." After saying that, Luo Yi stretched out her finger towards Mo Yu, completing the "ritual" before he could react.
"Pinky promise, a hundred years from now! Let's go back for dinner!"
Seeing Luo Yi skip and hop ahead of him with a sense of relief, Mo Yu deliberately kept a distance from her.
If I had never received it, would I not have lost it?
After the banquet, Mo Yu and his family were walking home. Mo Yu was thinking about how to tell his father about it when Luo Yi called out from behind, "Little Yu, don't forget our promise!" "I won't forget!" Mo Yu turned around and replied.
After returning home, under her father's questioning, Mo Yu told him what had happened. Mo Qingfeng sighed, "I'm sorry, Xiao Yu. You shouldn't have to bear this, but the appearance of the new Black Feather Elf is the Black Feather Dragon telling us that a change is about to happen. My power alone is not enough. You must also pass the trial to better protect the village."
Mo Yu didn't speak, but simply gripped the [Black Feather - Illusory of Sudri] tightly in his hand.
Will the costs be reduced after "change"?
The next morning, Mo Yu woke up groggily, and Mo Qingfeng stuffed a deck into his hand.
"This is a deck made up of the spirits that resonate with everyone in the village and magic cards bought from nearby towns. Your training will rely on this to obtain a deck that is uniquely yours in the spirit world."
Patting him on the shoulder, Mo Qingfeng gestured for Mo Yu to follow him.
"Let's go to the stone sculpture. I'll open the 'door' to the elven realm for you."
(The author is not Black Feather, so the subsequent developments will be written by a friend.)
(Professional tasks should be left to professionals; this is absolutely not the author trying to be lazy.)