Devouring World Dragon

Chapter 50 Whispered Dreams

In the human world, deep in the mountains next to a remote village.

Everyone in this small village knows that a mysterious witch lives deep in the mountains. She never shows herself, and no one has ever seen her. No one knows what she looks like. Only when someone tries to ask her for help with prophecies such as marriage, hunting, or driving away ferocious beasts will she give them some revelations through her voice from behind a wall in her thatched hut.

Once the person seeking help receives the revelation, they will leave the witch a sheep, a cow, or some other valuable goods as a reward.

This way of life continued for decades without ever changing.

On this day, another confused person came here seeking guidance.

"Mysterious witch, please tell me, what will become of this child's future..."

An elderly farmer, dressed in simple clothes, led a goat with one hand and a young boy with the other, and asked in awe.

The farmer's awe of witches began in his childhood. Even before he could remember much, he heard many rumors about witches from his parents and elders, which instilled in him a deep sense of awe.

They came here to ask the witch about the future of their beloved youngest son, whether there was any danger, and whether it could be avoided.

Before him, inside the simple thatched hut, a deep and aged female voice finally emerged after a long while.

"He will become a brave warrior, and in the future, his name will surely resound far and wide. However, when he comes of age, an unspeakable misfortune will befall him, causing him immense pain."

Upon hearing the first half, the elderly farmer's face lit up with joy, but upon hearing the second half, he became alarmed.

"Then... what should I do..."

The farmer, at a loss, panicked, while the little boy beside him looked at his father in confusion, unable to understand what was being said in the thatched hut and what his father was talking about.

"...Remember, he must not kill a pregnant doe, and in this way he can escape this future."

After a long silence, the person inside the thatched hut finally spoke.

After expressing his gratitude profusely and respectfully leaving the sheep behind, the delighted farmer left the place with his youngest son.

For a moment, peace returned to the area outside the thatched hut, with only the rustling of the wind.

After a long while, the simple wooden door was pushed open, revealing a slender and fair arm behind the door, and the owner of the arm—a woman draped in a black cloak.

A silent woman draped in a black cloak, her face obscured, simply stepped outside, led the goat into the thatched hut, and then closed the wooden door.

Inside the simple thatched hut, it was pitch black, with only a little light shining in through the narrow window.

The contents inside were extremely scarce: a few essential daily necessities and a bed made of dry straw. Even the pottery consisted of only one pot for holding water. That was all. Undoubtedly, this kind of life was extremely difficult, but the witch didn't mind at all. She had long been accustomed to such a simple life.

A glass of water and a few pieces of black bread—that was the witch's entire diet for the day.

She released the sheep rope from her grasp, then removed the cloak covering her head, revealing a young and beautiful face.

With her bright and calm pupils, long, slender, crimson hair flowing smoothly over her shoulders, and her well-proportioned figure, this witch looked more like a peaceful, serene, and untouched young girl than a mysterious prophet who would answer the world's questions and reveal prophecies.

The young red-haired witch knelt slowly before the pure gold statue on a small altar in front of her, then clasped her hands tightly against her chest and murmured a prayer.

Before her, the pure gold statue on the mysterious altar was almost completely out of place with the entire simple thatched hut. The statue looked like a coiled snake, and the snake's posture and aura revealed an indifferent and cold aura, exquisitely lifelike.

To create this statue, a statue befitting its owner's status, this mute woman, who had once witnessed the World Serpent Jormungandr, devoted all her energy over the past hundred years to obtaining sufficient funds to create such a pure gold statue. For this, she had to live frugally, to the point that it became a habit.

All of this was simply to offer her reverence and faith to her master.

After the simple prayer was over, she took a sharp dagger from the altar.

"Mea~"

Beside them, sheep bleated blankly.

……

Without much effort, her skillful technique allowed her to easily dismember the sheep into pieces of fur and meat.

She knew that her master would like this flesh and blood.

After respectfully offering this flesh and blood as a sacrifice on the altar, the girl began her long prayer once more. "'AI_C_GNAIIH, Y_GOF'NN, Y_HRII_ULN! (My Creator, your descendant, your servant, I call upon you!)..."

The girl prayed fervently, and even though the object of her prayers never answered her and the flesh and blood she offered as sacrifices were never consumed, she still persisted in her prayers.

For hundreds of years, even as human kingdoms rose and fell, villages were born and disappeared, and generations of people were born and died, she never gave up praying and worshipping, because she always believed that her master, her creator, must have heard her prayers.

The evidence was the tiny snake scales behind her ears, the snake scales growing in every inconspicuous corner of her body, and her vertical snake eyes.

Whenever she prayed, the snake scales would tremble slightly, like the low murmur of some giant beast responding to her in a dream.

These snake scales prove that she is no longer the human mute girl she once was. Or rather, after witnessing that magnificent scene that shook the world, the human mute girl died, and in her place came a non-human life that used the mute girl's flesh and blood, a mixture of human soul and giant snake power.

A youthful appearance and an immortal lifespan are merely byproducts of this product.

Just as her prayer suggests, Jormungandr, the serpent, is her creator, her father, and her master, while she is the serpent's descendant and servant.

She could never go back, for her entire being already belonged to her master, Jormungandr.

After finishing her lengthy prayer, she drank a little water, ate a small piece of black bread, and then prepared to go to sleep.

Lying on the straw bed, the girl murmured a short prayer once more before drifting into a deep dream.

On the altar beside her, a pure gold snake statue coldly gazed down at her, as if it were alive.

……

"..."

In my ears, it sounded as if someone was singing, or perhaps someone was whispering.

The sound was indistinct, yet it was melodious and awe-inspiring, as if it were celestial music coming from the heavens. Accompanying the celestial music was the breathing of some kind of giant beast in its slumber, a deep breathing that sent chills down one's spine.

"..."

Everything around her was blurry, as if shrouded in white mist. Her hazy consciousness prevented the girl from clearly perceiving everything around her.

The heavy breathing of the giant beast echoed in her ears, accompanied by inexplicable murmurs and what sounded like a dream. The girl wandered aimlessly in the white mist, as if she were in the clouds, or as if she were in a dream.

The sound of breathing that would make ordinary people tremble inexplicably gave the girl a sense of security and fascination.

After wandering for an unknown amount of time, the girl suddenly remembered something she had subconsciously overlooked.

"Where am I...?"

The moment this thought arose, everything that had been peaceful shattered instantly, replaced by a ferocious, terrifying, and violent force, as if a giant beast sleeping in the white mist had been awakened.

An inexplicable and overwhelming sense of fear and trembling instantly enveloped the girl's heart. The calmness and wisdom accumulated over hundreds of years were utterly insignificant in the face of this deep-seated fear that stemmed from the most primal instinct of life, and were instantly torn to shreds.

He collapsed to the ground, his body limp.

Her teeth chattered, her body trembled, but along with the fear arose a deep, fanatical worship. The girl realized that she had finally seen it again…

"Roar!!!!!!"

A deafening roar tore through the white mist that shrouded everything, revealing the truth hidden beneath...

In the vast sky, terrifying and ferocious pupils coldly surveyed all things below. A body covered with countless scales stretched out quietly, almost covering everything in sight. A long tail swayed gently in the air, causing the whole world to be stirred up by a storm.

As far as the eye could see, from directly overhead to the farthest horizon, the entire sky was covered by this enormous, unbelievably massive beast.

Or rather, it is the sky itself.

Looking at the colossal beast in the sky above, the girl who had collapsed to the ground revealed a deep excitement and fervor on her face.

Just like the scene the girl had witnessed, the scene she would never forget...

The master she worshipped with all her heart finally heard her call.

(The prayers in the text are not in any language on Earth, but in R'lyeh from the Cthulhu Mythos, which the author composed himself, purely to enhance the atmosphere.)
(End of this chapter)