Night Journey

Chapter 15 The Creation of All Things
Regarding his origins, Cillian heard countless versions from the townspeople. After filtering out the embellishments in others' retellings, he was certain that he was found by Nunn among the remains of a troop.

In the days that followed, Cillian made many speculations about his origins. He believed that his parents were also members of the traveling group, traveling between various city-states to conduct trade, but now they had become withered bones in the wilderness.

Ciri has no memory of what happened before he was taken in by Nunn. It's possible that the chaos that plagued his mind during those days and nights in the wilderness caused his amnesia.

Humans are always prone to self-deception, and Cillian is no exception. After years of repeated reflection, he has long been convinced of his true identity.

Until tonight.

Cillian had thought about how angry Nunn was about his concealment, and he had also wondered if the tattoo was some kind of ominous sign, that Nunn would chop off his left hand with his sword after seeing it.

But no matter what, Cillian never expected that Nunn would say such a thing.

Cirien said absentmindedly.

"An iron coffin? What iron coffin!"

Even with his optimistic mindset, Cillian still felt a strong sense of absurdity at this moment, just as he had when he first realized he had been transported to this damned world.

"That was more than ten years ago."

Nunn said slowly and deliberately.

"In order to solve the predicament of White Cliff Town, I prepared to personally cross the wilderness and reach Hel City, but one night on the way, I encountered the Source Energy Tide."

Seeing that Ciri was somewhat confused, Nunn took the opportunity to explain, "The Sea of ​​Origin itself has tidal patterns. When it rises and falls, it will cause huge fluctuations in source energy. These fluctuations will be further transmitted to the spirit world, and then the spirit world will affect reality."

"The most direct manifestation is that when the energy tide rises, more chaotic forces will seep into the real world, causing the danger level of the Gray Zone to increase several times over."

"It was a night of nightmares. The night sky was so dark that even the two moons could not be seen. The Soul Flame in my hand flickered and went out several times. The extreme cold caused a layer of frost to form between my brows."

Nunn recalled carefully, speaking slowly.

"A colossal chaotic creature, a follower of chaos, or a legendary evil?"

These beings, who have long hidden in the Sea of ​​Origin and the Spirit Realm, can easily be pushed to the surface of the real world by the power of the energy tides. Therefore, I was prepared for a bloody battle that night.

Nunn shrugged and said disappointedly, "Unfortunately, I didn't encounter any enemies that night. The Gray Zone was completely empty, as if it had been cleared out in advance by some force."

“Except for you,” Nunn drew a rectangle with his hands, “or more precisely, the iron coffin containing you.”

“I’m certain that before nightfall, there was nothing but stones and weeds on the wilderness, but after nightfall, an iron coffin suddenly appeared beside me, so it could only have come from the spirit world.”

"It was an extremely heavy iron coffin, covered with characters I couldn't understand. But judging from the shape of the characters, I guessed it was some kind of ancient language, the language before the Dayless Catastrophe. On the front of the iron coffin was a pattern of an ouroboros."

Ciri instinctively looked at his left palm; the tattoo still shone brightly.

“When I pried open the iron coffin, you were lying there, looking only six or seven years old, sleeping peacefully like a baby.”

Nunn recounted his feelings at the time, saying, "Even after experiencing so much, this is the first time I've seen an example like yours."

"You know, I wouldn't be surprised if any monsters or demons appeared in the Gray Realm, but it suddenly sent me a child..."

I've thought about killing you, or abandoning you there and pretending I didn't see anything.

Despite saying that, Nunn still took Ciri in and raised him.

“I took you out and checked your condition. You are healthy, and even with the billowing gray fog, there are no signs of decay... This is the first time I have ever seen a child like you.”

"When I turned around again, the iron coffin containing you was sinking little by little, literally sinking."

It was only then that I noticed that, without my noticing, dawn had broken, and the gray abyss was receding, taking everything within it with it back into the spirit realm.

"As for what happened next, you already know."

Ciri remained silent, pondered for a long time, and then asked Nunn his first question.

Why didn't you tell me all this?

“The more you know, the less likely you are to be a good person,” Nunn said. “My childhood was not happy, so I don’t want you to be born with some grand mission and mystery on your mind.”

"Like... Cillian, have you ever thought about what your life would be like if you couldn't become the Torchbearer?"

He continued, “You will patrol the high walls day after day, and one day when you grow up, you will start a family with a girl from Baiya Town, and day after day, you will grow old, get sick and die.”

It sounds monotonous and boring, but there's no pressure; you just need to live well.

"Now that you have become the torchbearer, you will no longer face ordinary night patrols, but will have to cross the wilderness in real battles, and in the not-too-distant future, even greater hardships await you."

Nunn smiled wryly.

"Besides, I am not good at speaking and do not know how to explain your origins. Perhaps the townspeople will regard you as a confused child and throw you into the fire."

Rather than that, I'd rather tell a white lie.

A rough, large hand pressed down on Cillian's left hand, and Nunn gently rubbed the glowing tattoo.

“I suspect this tattoo is related to your background. You can continue to investigate in the future, but don’t easily reveal it to others, just as you shouldn’t easily mention the Yangkui clan.”

“Hmm…” Cillian nodded, but he still had many questions in his mind.

"Teacher, why am I in that iron coffin?"

Cillian had always believed that his memory gaps before the age of six or seven were due to an accident in the wilderness, but now it seems that the truth is quite different.

"I do not know."

Nuen shook his head and explained, "After the outbreak of the Dayless Catastrophe, many city-states sank into the spirit world, and then suddenly rose back into the real world after thousands of years."

Some city-states still stand, while others have been reduced to ruins, but they have all been well preserved by the spirit world, just as they were when they sank thousands of years ago.

“Not only city-states, but also books and technologies have been well preserved, and this naturally includes… people.”

Cillian asked, seemingly understanding but not quite, "You mean... I might be someone who lived thousands of years ago?"
Then I was placed in an iron coffin and kept in slumber until a surge of energy caused me to be spat out by the spirit world, and then you found me?"

Nunn nodded. "That's possible."

"The chaotic spacetime relationships in the spirit world are more complex and insane than you can imagine."

According to some rumors from the remnants of the Ember Army, when they ventured deep into the Spirit Realm, they even encountered troops that had lost contact during previous expeditions. They were unaware of the disappearance of the expeditionary pioneers and the outbreak of the rebellion. From their subjective perspective, only a few years had passed within the Spirit Realm, but the outside world had undergone a complete transformation.

Nunn said in a low voice, "That's why I've always had high expectations for Commander Frey."

"Perhaps the siege that took place a hundred years ago is still ongoing, and Commander Frey is waging an endless battle."

Nunn tried to give himself hope, "Anything is possible."

The fire in front of them was extinguished, and the demons gritted their teeth and sucked blood, eager to try their luck.

Nunn fell silent again, as if caught up in memories, while Cillian took out a glove from his pocket and covered the tattoo on his left hand.

In the days that followed, Cillian would often walk through the Gray Area, a secret he could tell his teacher but dared not share with others.

“Come on, Cillian, we still have a lot of work to do.”

Nunn drew his cross-shaped sword and invited Cillian.

Cillian did not refuse; he drew his sword and slew the demons.

Everything happened so naturally, with fighting and bloodshed, dancing among the ferocious demons.

It's like wielding a sickle to harvest wheat.

Cillian swung his sword tirelessly, and faintly, amidst this bloodthirsty cruelty, he even sensed a hint of joy.

To verify that this was not an illusion, as the demons collapsed, the burning pain emanating from the Ouroboros Seal also changed.

It was a strange sense of satisfaction, like hatred being vented or hunger being satisfied through gluttony.

Cillian wasn't sure if this was a kind of "pleasure," but he couldn't help but indulge in this "desire."

Slaughter and bloodshed, death and purification.

The more Ciri wielded his sword against the great enemy of Chaos, the more satisfied the Ouroboros mark became.

At that moment, Cillian suddenly realized something.

That burning pain was not a warning to Cirion, but rather...

Urge.

Urging Ciri to take up his sword and kill the enemy, urging Ciri to set fire to the place, urging Ciri to banish this forbidden evil completely.

In a daze, Cillian heard that chorus of voices again, and at that moment, almost instinctively, he realized the power that the Ouroboros Seal possessed.

Blessings and nurturing all things.

Strangely, the Blessing of All Things did not grant Cirion any special abilities; it only craved the slaughter of Chaos.

Perhaps, as its name suggests, it is giving birth to something unknown through endless blood sacrifices.

It wasn't until dawn that Cillian returned to the high wall, covered in blood and exhausted.

Sunlight fell on Cillian, bringing warmth and a crackling sound of burning.

The demon blood and flesh scraps that stained Ciri's body turned into wisps of blue smoke rising under the sunlight, as did the piles of corpses beneath the high walls.

They ignite clusters of fire, which are scattered into ashes by the wind, falling back to dust and returning to the wilderness.

Ciri stood leaning on his sword, muttering to himself.

"Generating all things... what exactly are you nurturing?"

(End of this chapter)