Thousand-Faced Dragon

Chapter 216 Whisper
"The smell of evil"

Holy light pierced through the floor, and for the first time, Rean used radar to detect evil.

This evil lurking underground emitted a dazzling red light.
"Click,"

The feel of the place where he landed was somewhat familiar to Rean.

A quick glance confirmed it: broken bone fragments, many covered in dark, dried blood.

The scattered bones and the pile of skulls on the side spoke volumes.

The stench of flesh, corpses, and some unidentified liquids reminded Rean of the filthiest sewers, but even more so, it was the overwhelming "evil aura" that assaulted his senses.

The feedback from the detectives was a constant reminder to Rean of the monster before him.

The aura of death? Broken particles of the undead? A place of negative energy, enough to form undead but forcibly dispersed.

This seems to be a monster's canteen.

"Oh!"

The deep roar from behind the heavy gate not far away seemed to be a deterrent to the intruders who had invaded the territory.

"call."

But for Rean, it was a familiar flavor.

Problems that can be solved by fighting are not really problems.

With a gentle swing of the holy sword he held tightly, the lowest level of its radiant power swept away the stench in the air, which meant that the smell itself might be a kind of supernatural attack.

"Come on, let me see what Whisper is." He stepped into the room, and there seemed to be a faint light behind him.

"Silence! No noise allowed in the library!"

The sudden rebuke startled Rean, who instinctively stopped.

He looked around and realized that the door had disappeared and he was in a completely different place.

It was a huge library, with countless books on its white walls, including books of various unknown paper types.

The one who rebuked Rean was a monster, or rather, a "person" who looked like a monster.

He was tall and strong, yet he wore a strange and gorgeous golden suit.

Above the lower half of the body, which resembles a small chariot, is a forked upper half.

He has two upper bodies, one resembling an swollen tumor, and the other a miniature assembly of a clock tower.

He sat at the largest table in the middle of the library, and in front of him stood a line of people, all dressed in white robes, signifying that they were visitors seeking knowledge.

"Huh, how do I know?"

Rean looked down and realized that he was also wearing a white robe at some point.

He suddenly realized that this was a sign of respect for the library owner and for knowledge itself.

This is a temple of knowledge where everything can be known, and I have paid an unimaginable price to acquire it. A little etiquette and patience are necessary steps on the path to knowledge.

Rean instinctively walked to the back of the line, watching the strangely shaped group of people slowly move forward.

The people among them were still whispering and discussing the preferences of the scribe in front of them, but in this temple of knowledge, no one dared to raise their voices; whispering and murmuring were the most basic etiquette.

"So, we are the Whisperers."

Rean also whispered to the long creature in front of him, discussing the "price" of acquiring knowledge.

“My hometown hasn’t seen rain for over 300 years. If this continues, no new generation will be able to hatch.”

Rean then noticed that it was a loach-like creature, covered in a slimy substance, with swollen "pus-like bumps" that appeared from time to time. Rean didn't feel disgusted, however; he inexplicably sensed a surging life force within it, and this must be his child.

The procession moved forward slowly and steadily, and one by one the "whisperers" received their answers from the librarian.

They disappeared, either with joy or surprise, making way for their seats.

Even so, all people remain silent in the face of knowledge and truth, and all people must remain humble.

Soon, the group reached the front of Rean's line.
"The reason for the drought in your hometown? Sure, a head, and your child."

That twisted and enormous "librarian" came with a rather wicked price.

Strangely enough, even the paladin Rean thought it was perfectly normal.

Knowledge and truth certainly have a price!

"Is it really that cheap?" The long, thin man happily agreed.

"Snapped!"

The bisexual librarian's sarcoma expanded directly onto one half of his body.

A gaping maw, reeking of blood, tore off half of the Whisperer who had just been talking to Rean, before the Whisperer fell backward.

His mutilated body collapsed amidst spurting blood, and the "tumors" on his body were sucked into the giant mouth one by one.

"The reason your homeland is experiencing drought is because there is a planetary earth dragon in the Earth's core. It is awakening and subconsciously draining the water from your planet's food chain. Killing it will restore the water, but killing it will also cause your planet to experience heat death and perish."

Part of the Librarian's Clock Tower provides the answer.

Only then did Rean notice that the sacred desk was now covered with all sorts of flesh and blood, as well as pieces of it.

But he still didn't feel anything was wrong. On the contrary, he was quite happy.

This is the price of knowledge. It is truly gratifying that there are so many devout seekers of knowledge in the multiverse who are willing to exchange everything for knowledge and truth.

"What do you want to know? You can only ask one question."

The librarian finally looked at Rean. "What do I want to know? What am I searching for?" Rean instinctively searched for his own desires.

"How to deal with the owl?" This is the most important question at present.

"An arm."

The librarian glanced at Rean, and part of the clock tower made a judgment.

It's part of its flesh and blood, and it seems a little dissatisfied, but it seems this problem is only worth the price.

But the next moment, Rean shook his head, regretting it. Was it too wasteful to exchange only one chance for this answer?

I still have limbs, a head, and a body; perhaps I can buy more.

"What was the truth about the kingdom back then?"

"Two arms! Plus one leg."

This price perhaps illustrates the "weight" of the truth.

Perhaps this is the price to pay? Rean was about to make a decision, but then hesitated.

Is it really okay to waste a chance that's only once?

What does it matter to me whether the kingdom is good or bad? Why should I save a kingdom that has little to do with me?

If there truly is an "answer," then of course I'll ask myself the question I most want answered.
"Can I ask anything?"

"Yes, Whisper Library knows everything."

After thinking for a moment, Rean asked his own question.

"What is the Thousand-Faced Dragon?" This is the answer to my question.

The calm words were the biggest concern all along.

That is the source of everything, the unknowable truth.

What is the origin of the Thousand-Faced Dragon, why does it keep regenerating, and what is the reason for its reincarnation in another world?
Rean wasn't worried that the other party would misunderstand, nor was he worried that the librarian would distort the answer to only give a part of it. In this library of truth, the answer must be given in full, according to the Whisperer's needs.

"The Dragon with a Thousand Faces"

Unlike the previous instant response, this time, after the "question" was entered, the "answer" hesitated.

"The Dragon with a Thousand Faces"

The scribe's two heads were both reciting this word.

Countless books in the library opened themselves, as if searching for the answer.

"The Thousand-Faced Dragon! The Dragon King! The Weeper! The Liar! The Reincarnated One! The Guardian! The Slayer! The Destroyer! The Outer God! The Old God! The Ancient One! The Evil God! The Righteous God."

They all seemed to have found their own answers, and countless words echoed back and forth in the hall, as if the original rule of "whispering" was being gradually broken.

Those whisperers seeking knowledge, unknowingly, also began to murmur and call out to this ancient and majestic unique existence.

"Snapped!"

The sudden sound drew the attention of all the whisperers.

The clock tower, a symbol of omniscience, has cracked.

He didn't get the answer!

"Liar!" The Whisperer behind Rean suddenly roared.

"You didn't even know!" A lion-like monster rebuked the librarian for his incompetence.

"You know! You know part of it!" The Whisperer of the Feathers pointed out the truth.

"You dare not say it!"

"You do not dare!"

"You are not worthy to be a part of 'He,' you are not worthy."

For some reason, Rean was suddenly filled with anger. This thing wasn't a true knower; it was just a...
"You are not omniscient; you are merely a falsehood!"

Rean pointed at it, his anger causing him to completely forget the rule of "whispering," and his roar echoed throughout the hall!
"Crack!"

And so, the whole world shattered.

"Ah ah ah ah ah"

"Tick-tock, tick-tock!"

When the eerie light faded, the library, which had resembled a sanctuary, was completely gone.

Inside this stinking cave, there was only one assembled monster spitting blood.

One body is a shattered clock, the other a ghoul tied to a pillar; it is a fake, pieced together from flesh and blood.

The ground was littered with bloody fragments and bones, and the monster was covered in cracks, with pieces constantly falling and blood spurting everywhere.

"Cough cough."

Rean gasped for breath, the stench he inhaled causing him to cough incessantly and nearly vomit on the spot.

But the holy sword, which he gripped tightly, began to radiate a sacred light.

The oath, the oath to protect humanity and human nature, has been fully activated by what is before us!

(End of this chapter)