Devouring World Dragon

Chapter 57 The Girl Who Died Young

Time flies, years pass like flowing water, and I have no idea how many years have gone by...

In the east of the human world, in a place known as the world of jungles and swamps, somewhere in the Kingdom of Rist.

On a beach in the twilight, a group of men and women dressed in black are gathered around a small boat. Most of them are silent and sad, and the whole group is shrouded in a heavy atmosphere of sorrow. Among them, a young woman dressed in gorgeous silk clothes is sobbing and crying, her cries are mournful and saddening.

"Okay, stop crying. What kind of behavior is this, crying like that?"

Seemingly annoyed by the woman's crying beside him, a tall, middle-aged man scolded her.

His thick eyebrows resembled two large cleavers, exuding an imposing aura even without anger. His imposing presence clearly indicated that he was no ordinary person.

"But... our daughter was so young when she passed away, how can I bear it?"

The young woman looked up at the small boat in front of her, which was covered with oil lamps.

On a small boat lit by dozens of oil lamps, illuminated by the flickering light, a young girl who looked no more than eleven or twelve years old, dressed in elaborate and beautiful clothes, lay peacefully on the boat.

Her face was incredibly pale, and her hands and feet were as slender as a doll's. One could imagine that she must have been an adorable child with an extremely pure smile when she was alive, and she must have grown up to be incredibly beautiful.

However, this child, as beautiful and pure as a flower, withered before she could bloom, just like a flower...

Looking at her, the young woman's sorrow deepened.

Upon hearing this, the man frowned, about to say something, but the reprimand he had prepared remained stuck in his throat for a long time, and he finally sighed helplessly and fell into a bitter silence.

No matter how much power he possessed, he was ultimately powerless in the face of this sudden death, and could only kneel before it, as weak as an ant...

Sunset, the beach, a crowd dressed in black, small boats shrouded in dim light—everything exudes a deep, melancholic atmosphere of death.

"It's almost time, let's get started."

At this moment, a priestess with her face veiled and her body shrouded in a black dress stepped out from the crowd and calmly addressed the middle-aged man.

Her face was not clearly visible; only her beautiful features could be vaguely discerned. Above the veil, only her vertical snake eyes stood out. She was covered by a pure black high priest's robe, symbolizing her identity as a death priest who guided the dead.

The man nodded, and the woman beside him, though reluctant, obediently stepped aside.

Led by the high priestess, several young priestesses followed slowly behind, holding snake statues in their hands, heads bowed, and constantly murmuring prayers.

The leading high priestess stood before the small boat, gazing at the young girl lying inside. Her face, etched with the experience of death, was utterly calm as she murmured to herself.

May the flute-playing squid guide your way...

In the ancient legends of the snake people who live in the eastern swamps, the squid is the messenger of Jormungandr, the father of snakes. It plays a flute for the deceased, guiding them to the world of snakes to meet the great father of snakes, the serpent that coils around the world—Jormungandr.

Afterwards, people untied the ropes binding the small boat, allowing the boat, filled with lights, to slowly sail towards the deepest part of the sea with the ebb tide and the wind, where the slumbering serpent would be welcomed into the serpent city of Nano.

Meanwhile, the priests slowly sang ancient ballads...

A mourning song sung for the deceased.

"KAGIROHIHA, YOMINIMATAMUTO (Dawn, waiting in the underworld!)"

“SAKUHANAHAKAMINIKOHINOMU (Blooming flowers are a prayer to God.)”

“IKERUYONI, AGAMIKANASHIMO (Though my body is filled with sorrow in this life)”

“IMEHAKENU (Dreams Shattered)”

"URAMITECHIRU (Death with Resentment)"

"URAMITECHIRU (Death with Resentment)"

"MOMOYOKANASHIKI, TOKOYAMINI (Countless nights of sorrow, hidden in eternal darkness.)"

“KAHIKONOKOMUYOWO, SUMEKAMININOMU (I pray to the noble god for the birth of the egg.)”

The mournful songs were sung, offering solace to the deceased and comfort to the living.

"Crash..."

The seawater kept crashing against the shore, and the young woman on the beach kept crying. Finally, she collapsed to her knees on the beach, sobbing uncontrollably as she watched the small boat gradually disappear into the distance...

...On the calm sea, a small, unclaimed boat is driven by the wind, drifting aimlessly.

The moonlight, like water, gently spilled onto the small boat with its swaying lights.

Bathed in moonlight, a girl dressed in a magnificent robe lay peacefully on a small boat piled high with various precious gifts and souvenirs. Her pale, bloodless face possessed an inexplicable beauty, as if she had simply fallen into a deep sleep.

The sea was as calm as a lake, without a ripple, except for the faint, strange noises coming from afar.

The small boat, laden with lights, drifted quietly.

How long have they been adrift? Nobody knows...

On the ship, the flickering lights gradually dimmed, one by one going out as they ran out of oil. After struggling for a long time, the last oil lamp finally gave out.

As the last lamp went out, the entire small boat was plunged into deathly darkness.

The only thing connected to the human world has finally gone out.

Without any warning, the small boat calmly glided into the sea...

"Gulu..."

There was no sound; everything was so quiet, leaving only a small bubble in place.

In the sea, the girl with her eyes closed, her slender body falling helplessly into the deeper waters, along with the treasures and gifts that carried people's memories and sorrows, which were scattered one by one into the deep and dark ocean.

The body is falling.

Like death, there is no turning back.

Unaware of her surroundings, the girl continued to fall deeper into the sea.

In the darkness, countless unfriendly eyes were watching her, but the owner of those eyes dared not make a move.

Her carefully tied-up long hair fell loose, and her gorgeous robe, soaked in water, was disheveled, inadvertently revealing a small patch of snake scales on her shoulder.

She didn't know how much time had passed, but she, who had already fallen into a deep sleep, seemed to hear a low, mournful melody.

"FOR ALL THE NIGHTS AND DAYS, THE BLUEGREEN MOON IS HIDDEN AWAY."

A plaintive, melodious female voice came from the deepest part of the sea.

Her long eyelashes trembled slightly, and her tightly closed eyes slowly opened, revealing a pair of beautiful, amber-like snake eyes.

In his clear and pure pupils, there was still a hint of confusion and bewilderment from waking up.

The girl stiffly moved her limbs, feeling her lifeless body that would never breathe again. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out.

And just then...

"Woooo..."

Suddenly, a low whimpering sound came from beside the girl.

The girl looked up at the sound and saw a giant squid covered in tentacles lingering beside her.

This huge and peaceful squid had its two long tentacles, like human fingers, resting in a remarkably human way on a long flute, as if it were quietly playing a melodious tune to accompany a mournful song.

Its tentacles wandered aimlessly in the sea, unconsciously circling around the girl, as if immersed in this beautiful dirge.

As if sensing the girl's gaze, the giant squid slowly opened its eyes...

A pair of cold and indifferent eyes.

He stared at her.

Then, the squid closed its eyes again, ignoring the girl in front of it, and leisurely swam into the deeper parts of the sea.

For some reason, the girl felt an impulse surge within her. She opened her arms, splashed the seawater around her, and chased after the squid.

(End of this chapter)