Mystery: When the Fool Meets the Masked Fool

Chapter 416 The Bells of Silver City
Step, step, step.

As Colin Iliad descended the passageway and stairs, he felt no impatience or unease in the complete silence, letting the sound of his footsteps echo around him.

After walking through one floor after another, a phantom and dark river suddenly appeared before his eyes.

The river water crashed against the bank, but made no sound, as if even sound had been killed.

Beneath the river's surface, there were blood-red arms with their skin peeled off, and green vines with baby faces growing from them. Slippery tentacles with eyes were densely packed together, constantly leaping upwards, trying to grab everything in their path.

It's clear that this is a river with considerable "vitality".

Near the river's entrance, a group of figures, some tall and some short, dressed in worn clothes, paced back and forth with their backs to Colin Iliad, seemingly also troubled about how to cross the river.

Suddenly, one of them noticed someone approaching and slowly turned to look at Colin Iliad.

This was an old man with completely white hair, deep wrinkles on his forehead and around his mouth, light blue but empty eyes, and a numb and bewildered expression.

Colin Iliad sighed softly, recognizing the other person.

This was his brother, the brother whose life he had ended with his own hands.

Just then, the other figures turned around, revealing faces that Colin knew very well but were strangely numb to.

A cold wind blew in from that direction, hitting Colin Iliad's face.

Looking at them, Colin Iliad squeezed his eyes shut.

Without hesitation, he raised his hand and lifted the heavy sword.

Like the light of dawn, it spread out, and towering buildings rose up, sheltering the world.

He created a dream world using his memory and imagination.

This is similar to the ability of the "Dream Weaver" in Sequence Seven of the Preservation Path. Although Colin is not a destined extraordinary being in that path, as a true Preservation Walker, as a Preservation Walker who has been watched over by the Amber King, it would be easy for him to do something similar.

In the blink of an eye, birds soared in the wind, and decaying wood blossomed.

His free left hand kneaded the beautiful dream in his palm, like playing with a piece of clay, which freely deformed until the waves of imagination crashed onto the shore.

He created a vibrant world where stars sang and a gentle rain fell.

He held his heavy sword high, as if holding an umbrella, standing amidst the singing, bathed in the violet dawn.

Facing the undead before him, Colin Iliad swung his greatsword with force from a considerable distance.

Click!

bump!
The extinguished fire ignited and, in the explosion, obliterated the undead and the living in their dreams, leaving no trace.

"Phew..." Colin let out a long breath.

He felt a pang of sadness, but that didn't stop him.

Colin resumed his steps and walked towards the silent river.

Lift your leg and step directly into the flowing river water.

When Colin stepped on the water, the part under his feet turned into bronze-colored tiles.

That was the floor inside a building in Silver City.

Wherever Colin Iliad "protects," he can easily make it materialize.

And so, step by step, one manifestation appeared, creating ripples on the dark water.

Those bloody arms and slippery tentacles frantically reached upwards, but were repelled when they got close to Colin's calves.

In just ten seconds, Colin reached the other side.

At that moment, on that illusory, dark river, a gloomy little boat sailed from the opposite side and silently docked at the shore.

The ship was empty, yet it exuded a faint chill.

Colin completely ignored the ship and walked on. After Colin walked away, the ship turned into black mist and disappeared.

“The ferryman…” Colin murmured to himself, looking ahead.

Here stands an altar, upon which rests a heavy, iron-black coffin.

With Colin's arrival, the area around the altar grew darker and more desolate.

From within the iron-black coffin, a voice, accompanied by the sound of bones grinding together, rang out: "Why?"

Why are you disturbing my slumber?

The undisguised malice suggests that the "former chief" in the coffin may have already turned into a monster.

Colin remained silent, staring at the coffin with pity in his eyes.

"Did you come alone?" The voice from inside the coffin sounded hesitant.

"Yes," Colin answered without hiding anything.

There's nothing to hide.

There was silence inside the coffin for a few seconds.

"Go back, while I can still control myself."

Colin remained silent.

boom!
The coffin lid flew off and shattered into pieces, releasing a continuous stream of black mist from below.

A figure slowly rose from inside the coffin. He was nearly four meters tall, with long arms and legs, and his body was covered with white feathers stained with pale yellow oil. Behind him, there seemed to be illusory black tubes connecting to the infinite distance.

This is the former chief of Silver City.

A powerful extraordinary individual who jumps from the Warrior path, Sequence 4 "Witcher," to Sequence 3 "Ferryman."

His mixed and extraordinary methods make him both bizarre and terrifying, and powerful enough.

Even compared to Sequence Three, it is a formidable opponent.

Sequence three is the closest to "angel," and it's only one step away from becoming a complete mythical creature.

Not to mention, this former chief lived in the mausoleum for decades, so how much of the potion did he actually digest?

He went mad, lost control, and became a monster. This, ironically, allowed him to use the incomplete mythical creature form without restraint.

Colin stared at the former chief.

You can see that every inch of his skin, every pore, every piece of flesh seems to defy normal human senses, combined in a special way, containing an unimaginable sense of impact.

This can no longer be described in two or three dimensions. Just as in addition to length, width, and height, there are additional measures such as information, power, spirituality, and death.

They appear to be condensed into mysterious and complex patterns, symbols, and logos, but in reality, they have not changed at all. The former is merely a partial impression obtained by humans due to the limitations of their own sensory abilities.

Even so, when faced with similar creatures, humans who do not possess divinity can still experience spiritual corruption, mental devastation, and brain damage. It is not uncommon for them to die on the spot or go completely insane.

But Colin showed no signs of being affected or going crazy.

Her amber eyes looked at the former chief with regret.

"Leave here..." The former chief seemed unwilling to harm the junior in front of him who was only at the fourth rank.

"At least... come back when you've reached Sequence Three..."

But Colin ignored him and instead saw the image of the former chief in the pupils that had changed color.

It looked as if he had been trapped inside an amber stone.

The former chief suddenly turned around and tried to escape.

He could clearly sense Colin's presence; how could he possibly mistake him for an ordinary Sequence Four?

The once still river suddenly boiled, churning up huge waves that seemed to engulf Colin from behind.

Boom!
The vast and magnificent bell tolled!

The bell tolled throughout the entire city of Silver, and every citizen of Silver could hear it.

But no one showed any sign of panic.

On the contrary, because they knew who was behind the bell, they felt more at ease when they heard it.

A few minutes later, Colin Iliad, who hadn't even broken a sweat, left the mausoleum, found the leader of the exploration team, and told him that they could continue exploring the mausoleum.

Inside the mausoleum, the river of death has evaporated.

(End of this chapter)