Goddess Kaleidoscope

So Lud explained that the idea suddenly popped into his head on the way here. If it really worked, Nidhogg's wife and children would be spared from being harassed, the adventurers would have something to do, and Pine Village would be able to develop its economy. It would be a win-win-win situation.

End of this chapter

On the way here, Lude had been thinking about how to balance the interests of all parties and try to achieve a win-win situation.

The villagers only wanted to make money but didn't want to offend the dragon, while Nidhogg just wanted to live a peaceful life with his wife and children and didn't want to be constantly targeted by malicious human adventurers. As for mercenaries and adventurers, as long as they could be given money and fame, they didn't necessarily have to go against the dragon.

So after thinking it over, Lude came up with a good idea: why not create some hotspots to attract the adventurers' attention elsewhere?

It's important to know that the Void Forest is currently the largest primeval forest on this continent, located at the northernmost tip. It stretches for several kilometers from east to west and extends tens of thousands of kilometers from north to south. Even at its peak three hundred years ago, humanity was unable to fully explore it.

According to current common understanding, the Virtual Forest is divided into two layers, an outer and an inner layer. The outer layer refers to the area one to two thousand kilometers south of the forest. Three hundred years ago, this area was a region where civilized races were relatively active and many countries once existed.

However, during the War of the Gods, this area unfortunately became the main battlefield, and almost all countries suffered devastating blows. The surviving population migrated south to seek refuge, and towns and villages were abandoned. As a result, the people retreated and the forest advanced, swallowing up the Void Realm Forest.

Therefore, at least in the outer forest area, there are still quite a few ancient city ruins, which are being rediscovered as humans expand northward.

Ludwig remembered that when he went to Nidhogg’s house for a “medical visit”, he saw many ruined city ruins while sitting on the back of a dragon. Among them, a few looked quite intact, and Ludwig marked their approximate locations in his notebook.

Nidhogg noticed Ludwig's actions and realized he had designs on the ruins, so he advised him against courting disaster. Because in these relatively well-preserved ancient cities, there was often one or more formidable individuals, some of whom even Nidhogg himself had to be wary of.

Now that the adventurers have arrived, and Nidhogg doesn't want to be disturbed by them, Rudd came up with a "substitution" idea to divert people's attention from the dragons to something more powerful.

The man and the dragon plotted their scheme in the camp until dawn the next day when Lud returned to the temple.

In the following days, Denzel and his companions felt that everything was going wrong, and their original itinerary was repeatedly postponed due to various unexpected events.

They waited for three days for the exorcism holy water made by Lud. Then, on the night before they were to set off, the mage in the team suddenly got an upset stomach, as if he had eaten something unclean. He had diarrhea so bad that his legs were weak, and Denzel carried him to the temple overnight to ask for help.

Lude then explained that he could not only cure diarrhea, but also had two treatment options. One option was to use divine magic, which would cure the illness instantly, but the consultation fee would be three gold coins according to international practice. The other option was to take medicine, a course of three doses of decoction that would only cost sixty copper coins, but it would not be as effective as the divine magic, and it would take at least three to five days to fully recover.

Although the young men came from good backgrounds, three gold coins were still a considerable sum for them as they ventured out into the world. Therefore, after much hesitation, Denzel chose the slow-acting but inexpensive herbal medicine.

The repeated delays made Denzel and his companions increasingly anxious, because the longer they waited, the smaller their "first-mover advantage" would become. If other adventurers arrived and discovered that they possessed the "Complete Guide to Dragon Slaying" and the Dragon-Slaying Sword, there was no guarantee they wouldn't try anything funny.

However, just when they were getting impatient, the dragon they had been searching for suddenly appeared on its own without warning.

On the evening of the third day that the young mage was recuperating in bed, a huge black shadow suddenly appeared in the sky above the forest north of the village. It quickly flew to the vicinity of the village and was none other than Nidhogg, the black dragon that Denzel and the others wanted to "hunt".

For the first time in their lives, these adventurers witnessed this incredibly powerful creature at the top of the food chain. The unparalleled sense of oppression they felt was beyond description by simple words or language. They were all stunned and speechless, and for the first time, they began to doubt whether they could really kill such a terrifying creature with just a book and a sword.

However, the group soon noticed that the massive black dragon seemed to be in bad shape, as if it had suffered a serious injury. Large drops of blood fell from the sky as it flew overhead.

The wounded dragon flew straight toward the temple located in the very center of the village, and then, as if exhausted, collapsed onto the earthen slope outside the temple gate, letting out a rather weak and mournful cry.

"Captain! Dragon, Dragon!"

"I saw it..."

The adventurers exchanged glances. Denzel pinched his cheek hard, the pain reminding him he wasn't dreaming. After hesitating for less than three seconds, he quickly ran back to his room, grabbed his ornate Dragonsword, and carried it out. The rest of the team also picked up their weapons and followed their captain toward the temple.

The group of five rushed straight to the temple gate, where many villagers had already gathered. They were quite familiar with Nidhogg; it was this dragon that had caused them to be displaced last winter, but it was also the dragon that helped the entire village get through the cold winter.

Fortunately, Hamilton took the blame later, the corrupt mayor of Riverwood diverted the main hatred, and with the help during the attack on the demi-human camp, the villagers are now mostly grateful to Nidhogg.

After all, no matter how much you hate someone, you can't beat them, right?

However, less than a month after the demi-human incident ended, Nidhogg reappeared before the villagers in a very miserable state, covered in wounds, and looked quite badly injured.

After several adventurers arrived, Denzel drew his Dragonslayer Sword, ready to rush forward and finish them off. However, the seemingly dying dragon merely turned its head and glared at him, and Denzel felt as if he had been frozen in place. An unprecedented fear rendered him and his companions completely unable to move.

Fortunately, the dragon did not have no intention of killing them. It first used the unique racial pressure of the dragon race to immobilize them, and then directly lashed out the greatsword from Denzel's hand with its tail, and then ignored them.

Without the suppression of the dragon's might, Denzel and his companions collapsed to the ground, completely exhausted.

At this moment, Rud emerged from the temple. Upon seeing him, the dragon vomited a mouthful of blood, then collapsed to the ground, speaking in a very weak voice.

"Your Excellency, that thing has awakened!"

End of this chapter

Without any preamble, Nidhogg finished speaking and then fainted, lying motionless on the ground. Ludd, seeing this, appeared outwardly grave, but inwardly he couldn't help but chuckle.

"The acting is indeed much better than during the rehearsals."

A week ago, Ludwig secretly approached Nidhogg and decided to work together to stage a grand scheme called "framing" to divert the adventurers' attention from the dragon to other formidable figures in the Void Forest.

Ludwig first conceived a script. He asked Nidhogg, who was familiar with the distribution of local "gangster forces," to make a list for him, describing the situation of these powerful individuals in as much detail as possible. He then used this as material to create a very shonen (mainstream) storyline.

The opening act of this script features Nidhogg, the black dragon, emerging severely injured to deliver a message to his human friends.

After Nidhogg "fainted," Ludwig rushed forward to check on his injuries. His expression grew increasingly grave as he looked at the wound. Danzel and the villagers standing nearby instinctively assumed that the black dragon's injuries were very serious.

In reality, the seemingly gruesome, blood-soaked wounds on Nidhogg's body were all illusions created using high-level illusion magic, and the blood was actually wild boar blood.

Lude only recently learned that Nidhogg's wife, Tawawa, was extremely skilled in dragon illusion magic, creating illusions that were indistinguishable from the real thing. In comparison, Nidhogg, raised by humans, was rather pathetic; he was simply stronger than the average dragon, and his magic consisted of only one breath attack and a passive wind manipulation.

So, in front of hundreds of onlookers, Ludwig pretended to cast "High-Level Holy Healing" on Nidhogg. Under the gentle holy light, the terrible wounds on the black dragon's body healed rapidly at a speed visible to the naked eye, and soon they were all completely healed.

After Nidhogg recovered from his injuries, he slightly opened his eyes, managed to squeeze out the word "thank you" through his teeth, and then fell back asleep.

The villagers present already knew that their priest was a powerful chosen one, so while they marveled, they weren't too surprised. On the contrary, the adventurers were astonished, unable to believe that Rudd was such a high-ranking priest who could even heal a dragon's wounds.

However, after a brief moment of surprise, the adventurers quickly realized something was amiss... Why was this old priest healing a dragon?!

It's important to understand that while the relationship between humans and dragons isn't exactly one of mortal enmity, it's certainly not harmonious. The vast difference in individual strength between the two races leads many dragons to view ordinary humans as ants, always holding them in a condescending and disdainful manner.

While humans acknowledge the power of dragons, they often view them merely as "intelligent beasts." The fact that dragons are often portrayed as villains in the stories of many bards makes it easy to discern the public's perception of dragons.

Therefore, in the eyes of several adventurers, Rudd's failure to finish off the severely wounded dragon and his subsequent use of divine magic to heal it was clearly a "politically incorrect" act of aiding the enemy.

"Priest, why...why did you save this dragon? Rumor has it that this guy attacks border villages everywhere. Now that you've healed him, what if he wakes up and harms the villagers?"

“Child, some dragons are more grateful than humans. I witnessed what happened last winter firsthand, and I know the truth better than you who have only heard rumors. Besides… this dragon is a guardian; he just risked serious injury to deliver crucial information to us!”

"Important intelligence?"

Lude's words left the young people completely bewildered. Although they didn't quite understand what he was saying, they vaguely sensed a sense of awe and wonder.

However, before they could ask what had happened, Lud turned and strode into the temple. Just as the group was about to follow, they were stopped by Fallen Leaf, who was 1.2+1 meters tall.

Back inside the temple, Lud knew that the first step of his plan had succeeded. He had implanted "doubt" into the adventurers' minds, and they would then act according to his expectations, driven by their curiosity.

That night, many people in Pine Village couldn't sleep. They may not have heard Lud's mysterious words, but they all saw the severely injured dragon. So they couldn't help but wonder what kind of terrifying thing could have injured such a powerful dragon like that.

Several adventurers who had been dreaming of slaying dragons were now at a loss, pondering the hidden meaning in Lud's words.

What is a Guardian? And what about the dragon saying it awoke?

The five members of the team seemed to have inadvertently glimpsed the "face of truth," unaware that they had unwittingly fallen into Lud's trap. They would become seeds planted by Lud, influencing other adventurers who would later arrive.

The next morning, Nidhogg, who had been "in a coma" all night, woke up and let out a high-pitched dragon roar, instantly waking everyone in the village.

Several adventurers who hadn't slept well all night hurriedly opened the window and looked out. They saw that in the direction of the temple, the awakened dragon seemed to be saying something to the priest, and then it flapped its wings and flew high, heading towards the depths of the northern forest.

So the group hurried over to the temple, and as soon as they arrived, they saw the old priest sitting blankly on the stone steps at the entrance, gazing at the northern forest with a melancholy expression, just like an NPC who was about to give a quest to the hero!

"You've arrived."

"Priest, what exactly happened?"

Do you know anything about this forest?

Instead of answering Denzel's question, Lude asked them how much they knew about the Void Forest. The adventurers exchanged bewildered glances. Even at their peak three hundred years ago, humanity hadn't been able to fully explore the Void Forest. The subsequent War of the Gods destroyed almost all the northern kingdoms, and much data and documentation was lost or damaged. As a result, humanity, having just recovered, had to start all over again.

Seeing that the group was stammering and unable to answer, Lude turned to them and said in a meaningful tone.

"Sometimes, ignorance is bliss!"

"Priest, we really don't understand what you're talking about."

"Kids, I have a task I'd like to entrust to your team. I wonder if you'd be interested? I can't leave the village for the time being, and the only people I can ask for help are professionals like you."

"What mission?"

"I have a copy of this map. You need to go to this place on the map, where there is an ancient city ruin. Once you get there, do not try to go inside to explore. Just bring back what you see from outside the city and tell me immediately."

End of this chapter

Lude handed Denzel a hand-drawn map and pointed to several locations marked with different symbols.

"This is where our village is located. Go northwest, over five mountains, and there's a ruined ancient city. Find a high point on the outskirts of the ruins; you should be able to see the square in the center of the ruins. I need you to confirm whether the stone pillar in the center of the square is still there."

"Is the mission really that simple?"

"Yes, it's that simple. If the pillar is destroyed, don't hesitate to come back and report to me immediately, understand?"

Denzel nodded, but his doubts grew stronger. The more the old priest didn't explain things clearly, the more curious he became.

At this point, Lud asked Denzel and the others to come with him into the temple. To ensure their safe return, he wanted to give them some life-saving items.

The group followed Rudd into the temple, where they saw three young and beautiful nuns standing in the hall, each holding a wooden box. Rudd stepped forward and opened each of the three boxes one by one, introducing their contents to the adventurers.

"These five small bottles contain the sacred medicine 'Evelina's Tears,' which has complete healing abilities. If you have only one breath left, drinking it will bring you back to full health on the spot. These sachets are called 'Guardians of the Medicine God,' and wearing them will keep venomous creatures like snakes and scorpions away. Finally, this scarecrow is called a virtual idol. If you encounter an enemy you can't defeat, just remove the red string from its neck and throw it. It will transform into human form and run away while singing, helping you attract the enemy's attention. That's all I can give you for now. There are some more that are still under development; we'll talk about them when you return."

Upon receiving the items from Lud, Denzel and his companions couldn't help but feel a surge of goodwill towards him. However, they were unaware that these items were products Lud had developed for sale; giving them away for free was purely a test and a way to advertise.

Armed with the tools given to them by Rudd, the group set off that day, heading towards the location marked on the map. Before they left, Rudd solemnly reminded them that if they saw anything incomprehensible in the forest, they should never easily believe their eyes.

After entering the forest, the group had a relatively smooth journey for the first few days. They were about 70 or 80 kilometers away from their target as the crow flies, but considering that there were five mountains and two rivers in between, Denzel estimated that it might take them about a week to reach the ruins.

Since Lud only provided very limited information, the adventurers were unclear about what they were about to face, and inevitably felt uneasy. As they drew closer to their target, strange phenomena began to appear around them.

On the fourth day after setting off, having covered half the distance, the team finally encountered the first river marked on the map. They walked westward along the river for a while and soon found a shallow ford suitable for crossing. After a brief preparation, they prepared to wade across.

But just then, the archer in the team suddenly noticed something in the forest on the other side. She quickly alerted her companions, and when they looked in the direction she was pointing, they could vaguely see a humanoid object that was three or four meters tall, standing there motionless.

Denzel observed for a moment and vaguely realized that it might not be a living thing, so he had the archer shoot an arrow at it. However, the thing did not move at all. So the group crossed the river and only when they got closer did they realize that it was a very strange thing.

Has any of you seen anything like this before?

When Denzel asked them questions, everyone shook their heads. The thing they had found had a torso made of twisted vines, with distinct limbs, but its head was a huge stag skull that had been attached later. At first glance, it looked like some kind of mutated monster.

What's most surprising is its arrogant posture: standing with its legs spread apart, left hand on its hip as if in its pocket, and right hand pointing forward with its index finger, giving off a provocative vibe.

The group had no idea what it was, so they continued onward. Along the way, they would find something similar every so often, in all sorts of strange poses. Occasionally, they would even encounter two of them entangled together, striking a pose.