He changed Tiwat

The Abyss Order has been pursuing this power for years, and it's quite normal for them to have acquired new powers unknown to Daines Reeb, who wanders the streets. This mechanism could indeed enhance the "purifying" power of the fountain water, and might even be able to remove the curse—although that possibility is less than ten percent.

But for the people of Kanria, tormented by the "curse of immortality" for five hundred years, even a 10% chance was enough to make them risk their lives. After all, even death from failure would be a kind of liberation, wouldn't it?

Even though Dainesreb was a very rational person, he had to admit that this was a very tempting trap for him, the kind of "Kanria remnant trap" that he was willing to try even if he knew it was a trap.

At that moment, a "clattering" sound suddenly rang out behind the three of them; it was the sound of heavy military boots hitting the ground.

The "Black Serpent Knight" Hafdan, whom they had met before, appeared on the top floor.

Hafdan looked at Dain quietly, and Dain looked back at Hafdan calmly. There was no verbal exchange between them, yet it seemed as if they had already said a thousand words.

Then, Hafdan made a gesture, turned around, and disappeared down the stairs.

This means they need to catch up.

"They've arrived." Han Fulai broke the silence. "Now, you two should be careful."

Daines Reeb and Jiang Xue's gazes both fell on Han Fulai's face. The latter remained calm and nodded in response.

The two looked at Han Fulai not for any other reason than that Hafdan would appear at this time to guide them away from this place, which was also within Han Fulai's calculations!

If the two had previously been skeptical of Han Fulai's plan, they now undoubtedly have more confidence in it.

Dain led the way down the steps with Hafdan, followed closely by Han Fulai and Jiang Xue.

They knew in their hearts that the "Abyss Order," who was manipulating this trap behind the scenes, would soon reveal themselves.

An hour ago, the three of them were gathered in front of the Hilichurl room on the second floor of the "Clock Tower".

Han Fulai posed a rather pointed question to Daines Reeb—

"Mr. Dain, what level of strength would be needed to kill you?"

Generally speaking, no one will answer such a question, or even if they do, they won't give a real answer.

But Daines Reeb answered Han Fulai very seriously.

"The Seven Gods".

Jiang Xue's eyes narrowed. If Daines Reeb wasn't exaggerating, the strength of this last captain of the Kanria Palace Guard, the "Sword of the End," might far exceed his imagination.

He also knew that the legendary battle that destroyed Kanria was accomplished by the combined forces of the seven ruling powers of the mortal realm at the time. Thinking about it this way, only a nation with such power would warrant the combined intervention of the seven gods.

And what kind of terrifying power must a trap capable of targeting this "Sword of the End" be?

Han Fulai simply nodded calmly. As a transmigrator, he already knew that Daines Reib was incredibly strong, but he didn't know the exact extent of his strength.

Being able to survive the war that destroyed Kanria, and even stand alone against the entire "Abyss Order," even if there might be some hidden reasons behind it, Dain's strength should not be overestimated.

When Han Fulai saw Dain fighting Ye Mingxiang, he had already assessed Dain's strength as at least at the Immortal level, but this still seemed to be an underestimation of Dain.

"Next question: If the 'Abyss Order' were to launch a full-scale attack, in conjunction with... or even more 'Black Serpent Knights' who just appeared, could they kill you?" Han Fulai asked.

Dain gave the answer after only a moment's thought.

"...I am confident that I will get out of here unscathed...if he doesn't come."

The "he" that Dain refers to here should be the "Prince of the Abyss," the older brother of the Twin Travelers, Sora.

As "Ying's old friend," Han Fulai didn't ask any more questions, but directly gave the conclusion: "I know the idea behind this trap. Simply put, the 'Abyss Order's' trap is to make you commit suicide."

"Suicide?" Dain almost laughed, which was rare for him. For someone with such a strong will that he could coexist with the curse for five hundred years, what reason would he have to commit suicide?

Han Fulai nodded again, looking at Dain seriously and said, "Mr. Dain, with your strength, the 'Abyss Order' would have to pay a huge price to kill you by means of an ambush. Moreover, they may not even be able to succeed. I have already witnessed the power of the 'True Technique'—I believe that even when facing a demon god, you at least have the means to escape."

Dain gave a nonchalant "hmm," showing no need for modesty in this regard.

“Surrounding you with manpower is undoubtedly a poor strategy, and the ‘Abyss Order’ must have tried it in the past… If I were the one who orchestrated this, the first step in killing you would be to restrict your mobility and create a situation where you have no way to escape.”

"There are two situations."

"Firstly, there's the fact that you walked right into the trap. I suspect there must be some kind of mechanism on the rooftop that seems capable of lifting the 'curse of immortality' from the people of Kanria, freeing them from their suffering. Even you would find it hard to resist such a temptation. But in reality, that mechanism should be able to severely injure you or even kill you, and the principle behind it is probably related to the 'curse of immortality' you're under..."

Although Han Fulai didn't know exactly what the "curse of immortality" was, Dain had already said that the "curse of immortality" was not true "immortality." Those Hilichurls would still "wear down." Dain himself used some special means to protect his willpower, but the effect of "wearing down" still existed, only it was relatively weaker compared to other Kanria survivors.

Even a powerful demon god like Zhongli would find it difficult to resist "wear and tear," and the "wear and tear" of five hundred years is not something that Dain's Reibu, a human, can easily deal with. Assuming that Dain possesses some special magic or amulet to resist the effects of "wear and tear," then we should target this point and eliminate Dain's "special" abilities.

Dain's former travel companion, now the leader of the "Abyss Order," the Traveler Kong, should be very aware of Dain's weaknesses. Even if Kong didn't act personally, the mastermind should have known the relevant information and made arrangements to address this.

Daines Reeb's eyes flickered, and he remained silent.

“Then there’s… the second scenario,” Han Fulai said, turning his head to point behind him.

Behind him was the small room where the Hilichurls awaited their end.

“If you don’t step into the trap on your own, we’ll use ‘hostages’ to force you into it. And right now, the ‘Black Serpent Rider’ and the Hilichurls in this ruin… are all hostages.”

Chapter 207 "Intiwat"

Hafdan silently led the way, and the three followed behind, leaving the "clock tower".

Throughout the journey, Dain kept recalling what Han Fulai had said before he arrived—

“I know you are strong-willed, Mr. Dain. Simply threatening the lives of these Kanriar survivors won’t work, since they were just waiting for their deaths in this ruin anyway… But what if the ‘Abyss Order’ tortures them?”

"It's like a 'kidnapping,' I've heard of cases like this. Some stingy businessmen, even when their own children are kidnapped, refuse to pay the ransom, boasting that they're not afraid of the kidnappers killing them. But if you send them parts of their children, like ears or fingers, they often give in..."

“If you do not step into the trap set by the ‘Cult of the Abyss’ on your own, then they will use some means to torture these Kanriar remnants and force you to submit.”

“I suspect their second plan is to separate us from you. Senior Jiang Xue and I are unplanned, so they won’t prepare any special methods to deal with us. To prevent our presence from changing this deadly situation, the ‘Abyss Order’ will definitely adopt a ‘divide and conquer’ approach.”

"Therefore, the first step should be to have Hafdan lead us away from the 'Clock Tower,' and as far away as possible."

If the "Clock Tower" can be considered the "city center," then they are now heading towards the "suburbs."

As they moved further and further away from the "Clock Tower," the number of torches increased, and the three of them had by then guessed their destination—a larger Hilichurl settlement located in a more remote part of this ruin.

The "Black Serpent Rider" doesn't need torches for lighting; it's the Hilichurls who do.

As Dainesreb said, this ancient civilization ruins are a huge "coffin" for the Hilichurls, or rather, for the dying people of Kanria, who are corrupted by the curse.

Hilichurls who foresee their own death will come here to await their demise.

This place is like a legendary "elephant cemetery".

However, not every Hilichurl who enters this place dies immediately. Compared to the span of five hundred years, these Hilichurls die a day or a month later, which is what is called "not long for death".

Han Fulai also speculated about this.

The Bell Tower is the most peaceful place for the cursed Hilichurls, but its limited area cannot accommodate all of them—so the Black Serpent Knights, who are responsible for protecting these Hilichurls, seem to have divided the ruins into two areas.

Hilichurls who sense they may die in a few days will enter the "Clock Tower" to await their death, while Hilichurls who will die some time later will gather in another area.

The "Clock Tower" is like a "cemetery" for the Hilichurls, while the open space where simple tents gradually appear in front of them is their "retirement home".

Hafdan disappeared into the darkness shortly after entering the clearing, as if to say that his mission of leading the way was complete and that they should see for themselves.

What came into their view was this camp where a large number of Hilichurls had gathered.

If it were on the surface, such places would usually require the entire Thousand Rock Army to be mobilized, or be cleared away by immortals like the Great Sage Subduing Demons.

Even if these Hilichurls were once human, after being cursed and turned into Hilichurls, they are now "monsters".

Monsters, on the other hand, attack humans.

But these Hilichurls are very well-behaved. Even when they detect the presence of humans, they do not react at all, or rather, they hardly move.

Like the Hilichurls in the "Clock Tower," this group of Hilichurls living in the camp are also waiting for the end of their lives; attacking humans has long lost its meaning for them.

Some Hilichurls lay on their "beds" made of dry thatch, almost lifeless, with only the slight rise and fall of their chests indicating that they were still alive.

—But their bodies have begun to ooze "black mud," almost merging with the darkness.

Other Hilichurls sat around the campfire. Occasionally, a Hilichurl would suddenly retreat as if startled by the firelight, but it would soon slowly crawl back to the fire on its own.

—As Dain said, Hilichurls age and become photophobic in their later years, which is why they saw the Hilichurls hiding in the darkness in the "Clock Tower." But perhaps, even in their final moments, they still yearn for the light and warmth they once knew…

They walked deeper into the camp, and the Hilichurls along the way seemed to ignore them, simply staying quietly in place. It was hard to associate them with the Hilichurls who were always shouting and making a ruckus around the campfire in the wild—until they reached the very center of the camp.

In the center of the camp, several dead Hilichurls lay dead, and in front of them was a bouquet of white flowers, the gift of whom was unknown.

Such flowers do not exist in the deep rock abyss.

Moreover, Han Fulai recognized that bouquet of flowers.

As if drawn by some inexplicable force, he slowly stepped forward and picked up the bouquet.

The bouquet felt very hard to the touch, like artificial flowers made of plastic.

The Hilichurls around him, who seemed indifferent to everything, suddenly turned their gazes in this direction. Although Han Fulai could not see the faces of those Hilichurls hidden behind their masks, he could feel the atmosphere—solemn and sorrowful, as if they were mourning, mourning their dead compatriots, mourning their destroyed homeland.

"It is the national flower of Kanria—'Intiwat'. It once bloomed in every corner of the Kanria land."

Daines Reb's voice was equally solemn and deep.

"This flower's blooming period is originally only two weeks. But if someone plucks it and takes it away from the land of Kanria, the petals will stop growing and become very hard. Only when it returns to its homeland will the petals soften again and eventually disappear into the dust..."

“Therefore, ‘Intiwat’ also symbolizes ‘the wanderer’ and signifies ‘the tenderness of home’,” Dainesreb said, his tone softening slightly.

"Is this... the flower that Ying wears in her hair?" Han Fulai asked.

“Hmm. I think… Kong was here before.” Dain’s expression was thoughtful.

Kong's arrival here to offer bouquets to the deceased Hilichurls signifies—

Han Fulai heard Dai Yin's sigh.

"...That stubborn fellow, he really hasn't given up after all...'restoring his kingdom'."

Chapter 208 The Memories of "Intiwart"

"'Restoring the kingdom'..."

After hearing Dain's words, Han Fulai also fell into deep thought. Before he transmigrated, the plot only vaguely mentioned that the traveler Kong had awakened earlier than his sister Ying, had traveled with Dain, and seemed to have witnessed the destruction of Kanria.

According to the setting, both Sora and Ying are travelers from another world. It's unclear why Sora is so obsessed with Kanria, and even has the idea of ​​restoring Kanria to its former glory.

However, now that Kong Ge has joined the "Abyss Order" and even become a "prince," at least in terms of their positions, he and Dain, who has been obstructing the "Abyss Order," are already enemies.

Dain's tone clearly indicated that she opposed Kong's approach.

But... why is it that it's not the Kanrean people who are eager to restore Kanrean, but rather the Kanrean people themselves who have no desire to restore their kingdom?

Han Fulai looked at Dai Yin, but Dai Yin avoided his gaze, staring blankly at the dead Hilichurls on the ground.

After a long silence, he finally managed to squeeze out a sentence: "If only we knew his purpose in coming to the Laminariat... It's a pity these Hilichurls probably can't provide us with any information."

"Yes..." Han Fulai also had many questions swirling in his mind at this moment.

The "restoration of the kingdom" that Dain mentioned actually reveals a lot of information.

Although Han Fulai hadn't told Dai Yin about it beforehand, the whole thing had a strange feel to it from the very beginning.

If we follow the timeline, this trap set against Daines Reeb should have been set up almost a month ago.

According to the foreman Yuehui, some time before Han Fulai came to unseal the Layered Rock Abyss, some miners working on the surface of the Layered Rock Abyss witnessed dazed Hilichurls walking into the depths of the Layered Rock Abyss, and those Hilichurls never came out, causing panic among the workers.

In other words, at least a month ago, this site had not yet become a "cemetery" for the Hilichurls!

Even Jiang Xue, who had visited this ruin before, said that the last time he came here, there were no torches, and the ruin wasn't like this.

The timing of the "Abyss Order's" plan is quite intriguing.

According to the clues left by the Fools, this ancient civilization ruin was occupied by the Abyss Order at least six months ago and shrouded in a black mist barrier. If they wanted to target Daines Reeb, why didn't they begin their preparations then? Surely they didn't wait for Han Fu to arrive before making their move?

Even stranger, according to Zhiqiong and Jinwu, the "Black Serpent Knight" was here at least two years ago when the Black Mud Proliferation phenomenon appeared in the Layered Rock Abyss, and he even chased down members of the exploration team back then.

The Laminaria isn't Kanri's territory, and there weren't any Hilichurls here two years ago. Surely the "Black Serpent Knight" didn't foresee that the Kanri's remnants would come and came here two years in advance to set up camp and wait for orders?

Moreover, the fact that the Hilichurls would run into the Deep Rock Abyss was entirely controlled by humans!

With the Seven Stars Magic Array sealing it from the outside and the Black Mist Barrier blocking it from the inside, how did those Hilichurls know that there was a "cemetery" here?

With the Hilichurls' rationality worn down over hundreds of years, even if they sensed their impending death, they could simply find a secluded cave to lie down in. In the vast wilderness of Liyue, where could they not be buried? Why would they travel over mountains and valleys to venture into the towering, rocky abyss they had never set foot in before?

Furthermore, the miners' descriptions of the Hilichurls as being in a "trance" state... easily evoke the idea of ​​"hypnosis."

Han Fulai was certain that these Hilichurls did not come to the Abyss of the Rocks voluntarily; they must have entered this ancient civilization ruin under the covert manipulation of someone like the "Abyss Mage."

So, why?

Why would the "Cult of the Abyss" go to such lengths? They lured a large number of Hilichurls, who were once the people of Kanria, into this ruin, controlled the "Black Serpent Knights," who were once the Kanria court guards, to serve as guards in this ruin, and even created a mechanism to strengthen the fountain pool, all in order to kill Dainesreb?

It's definitely not just that!

Combining this with the "Prince of the Abyss," the traveler Kong's arrival at the Laminariat to offer flowers to the dead Hilichurls, and Daines Reeb's earlier mention of "restoring the kingdom"... Han Fulai guessed that these actions all had special meaning, or rather, a "sense of ritual"!

The mention of "restoring the kingdom" is clearly inextricably linked to the remnants of the Kanreia people within these ruins. The empty space could very well be a form of "oath-taking," as ancient people often visited ancestral temples or similar places to worship and pray for their ancestors' blessings before war. This bouquet of flowers likely served a similar purpose as an "offering."