infodatos Chapter 187 The Thing That Hates the Deepest Part of One's Heart
Chapter 187 The Thing That Hates the Deepest Part of One's Heart
Chapter 187 The Thing That Hates the Deepest Part of One's Heart
With the dragon's speed, they broke through the thick layer of thunderclouds in no time.
Suddenly, the view opened up before them. Thunderclouds stretched out like a gray-black blanket beneath their feet, while above them lay a clear blue sky and dazzling sunlight.
At the summit of the mountain, a magnificent and ancient megalithic palace stands silently.
It has no fancy decorations, only the ruggedness of the boulder itself and the mottled marks left by time, as if it has merged with the mountain itself, exuding a solemn and dignified atmosphere.
Olivia landed smoothly on the wide platform in front of the palace.
Maya was the first to leap off the dragon's back, gazing up at the ancient emblem above the palace gate, engraved with a warhammer and lightning bolt, her emerald eyes filled with complex emotions.
She whispered to Li Ang, who had walked up to her, "This is the Ancestral Hall, Lord Li Ang. This is the starting point for every generation of Dwarf Kings, and also—the end point."
She paused, her voice carrying a barely perceptible sigh: "Over the millennia, hundreds of dwarf kings have ultimately found their final resting place here."
Looking at the magnificent yet silent palace and listening to Maya's explanation, Li Ang was struck by a thought and asked his question: "Your Highness, as far as I know, dwarves are not a short-lived race. A thousand years of history, hundreds of kings—isn't this frequency a bit too fast?"
Upon hearing this, Maya gave a bittersweet yet proud smile.
"Speed is normal, after all, it's only been a few decades of relative peace."
Her gaze seemed to pierce through the stone walls of the palace, reaching into the distant past.
"In the past, during times of frequent war, the dwarf kings would sometimes change several times a year."
She straightened her small frame, her voice filled with pride and glory: "Because the king of the dwarves has always been at the forefront of the war!"
Li Ang remained silent, looking at Mei Ya's resolute yet somewhat frail back, and then at the ancestral hall before him, which had buried countless heroic souls.
I finally understand the weight of Maya's statement, "Sovereignty is responsibility," and the awareness she held in her heart.
The group followed Maya into the Ancestral Hall, which appeared even more magnificent and spacious inside than from the outside.
The towering dome was shrouded in shadow, while the magic lights on the walls provided a faint light source.
The light source illuminated the hall, allowing Li Ang to see countless black stone tablets.
These stone tablets are arranged neatly, each one polished to an impeccable smoothness.
The inscription above is written in Dwarven language, with a simple name and the number of years in power.
They silently tell the story of the long and heavy history of the dwarf kingdom.
Sandra Meya slowly walked to the front of this forest of tombstones. Her already petite figure appeared even smaller against the backdrop of the endless tombstones.
She put down her warhammer, crossed her hands over her chest, and bowed her head deeply, chanting an ancient and solemn prayer in the dwarven language.
Her voice wasn't loud, but it resonated clearly in the quiet hall, as if she were conversing with every sage who lay buried there.
Li Ang and the others stood quietly behind her. Even though most of them couldn't understand the dwarven language, they could still feel the awe and remembrance contained in the prayer, as well as a determination to take on responsibility.
At the end of her prayer, she bowed deeply once again.
After doing all this, she picked up the warhammer again and turned to look at Li Ang and the others.
The sadness she had shown earlier was gone from her face; only pure determination remained.
"Let's go, the Titan of Courage is just behind the hall."
She took the lead, guiding everyone through the silent forest of steles to the end of the hall.
There, a huge stone door slowly opened, revealing not the ancestral hall everyone had imagined, but a strange space.
They were now standing on a smooth, mirror-like rock surface.
Above them was a chaotic void.
Here, there are no sun, moon, or stars, only a faint light source that seems to come from nowhere, evenly scattering all around.
At the center of this space stands a stone statue that is quite different from the other Titans.
It was clad in heavy armor, holding a huge tower shield in its left hand, while its right hand was empty, as if it had lost its weapon.
[The Trial of Courage begins.]
A calm yet weighty voice resonated directly in everyone's hearts.
Challenger, step forward. Courage is not fearlessness, but perseverance in the face of fear. This trial requires you to choose a companion to confront your deepest fears. In this trial, if one fails, both fail. Choose your partner carefully.
As the voice faded, a soft beam of light shot from the Titan of Courage, enveloping Maya, seemingly awaiting her choice.
Maya hesitated almost without the slightest hesitation.
She turned around, her gaze passing over Helena, Ludick, and even the strongest Olivia, before finally settling firmly on Leon.
"Li Angqing," her voice was clear and solemn, "please come with me."
Li Ang met her gaze, and in those emerald green eyes, he saw unwavering trust.
"It is my honor, Your Highness."
Li Ang smiled slightly, stepped out, and walked into the beam of light.
[Selection confirmed. Trial begins.]
The Titan of Courage slowly raised his empty right hand, pointing at the two of them.
In an instant, Li Ang and Mei Ya felt their consciousness being pulled away by an irresistible force.
The scene before them crumbled like shattered glass, and they felt as if they had fallen into endless darkness and chaos.
As consciousness returned to her body, Maya abruptly opened her eyes, and a bone-chilling cold instantly enveloped her small frame.
She was curled up in a cold, cramped earthenware pot. Through the crack in the pot's opening, she could clearly see the flickering firelight outside, hear the clashing of weapons, the ferocious laughter of human bandits, and—her mother's muffled groans of suppressed pain.
The strong smell of blood filled her nostrils, almost suffocating her.
Fear, like a cold, venomous snake, instantly coiled around her young heart, making her stiffen, tremble, and chatter uncontrollably.
This scene was exactly the same as the darkest, most helpless evening in her memory.
Her mother, along with several guards, returned from visiting relatives, only to encounter this group of vicious human bandits in the mountains near the dwarf territory.
The guards fell one by one, and to protect her, her mother stuffed her into the empty water jug on the cart.
Outside, the mother's mournful cries mingled with the robbers' sinister laughs, like the prelude to a nightmare.
"No—don't come any closer—Mother—" Little Maya cried silently in her heart, the immense fear almost swallowing her consciousness.
She desperately wished it was all just a nightmare, and that she could wake up to see her mother's gentle smile.
Just then, something hard pressed against her under her clothes.