He changed Tiwat

"What kind of lousy plot is this?! This part wasn't in the book I read when I was a kid... And this princess is so useless, I would never let this happen!"

Hmm... Yura had no idea what secrets were hidden here; she was genuinely watching the show. Wearing that princess costume, she was quite immersed in the role...

At that moment, a bolt of lightning suddenly flashed across the starless, dreamless night, followed by a deafening roar of thunder.

Lightning illuminated the stage.

The stage was lit up with fire.

The six dwarfs successfully set up a large pot and simmered a thick soup with foul-smelling moss and highly poisonous mushrooms.

But just as the murderers were rejoicing, the spirit of the Prince of Light suddenly appeared before the six dwarfs.

His face was blurred, as if it had been wiped off, and his soul had been divided into seven parts—his neck, limbs, and abdomen all showed signs of being severed, as if his body had been cruelly divided into seven parts and then boiled in a large pot.

The shattered soul used its last strength to cast a curse on the six dwarfs.

"I curse you! I curse you to suffer eternal torment, that even death will not bring you relief, that you will be confined to the abyss of darkness, never to see the light again!"

Han Fulai's eyes widened suddenly.

"The Curse of Immortality"?

Is this the "curse of immortality" that turned ancient humans and the Kanreia into Hilichurls?

So those six "dwarfs" are the ones who appear as Hilichurls?

He recalled what Dain had told him at the bottom of the Abyss of Lava: "It is the causal mark of this world, a curse of the gods that is even higher in status than humanity itself."

"The cause and effect of the world"... Is this the "cause and effect" of the curse?

The "curse of immortality" is actually a punishment from a "power representing light" for "traitors."

Chapter 334 Big Bones Simmered into Soup

The dwarves, cursed by the "Prince of Light," didn't seem to care much—if they feared karmic retribution, they wouldn't have committed such evil deeds.

They mocked the prince's soul and continued their wicked revelry.

The thick broth in the pot was shared among them, and in the end only some chopped bones remained—it seemed to be a pot of "bone soup".

One of the six dwarfs, the "deformed dwarf" who poisoned the prince, was ordered by his companions to dispose of the remains.

Whether out of fear of the curse's retribution or out of a sliver of loyalty to the princess, while his companions were drinking, he secretly used a dirty tablecloth to roll up the prince's mangled body, which should have been buried.

Han Fulai saw a strange light flash by inside the bundle—it was something like a "relic," radiating a seven-colored luster, like the glow of elemental power.

The "deformed dwarf" carried the prince's body into the damp bushes, far away from his evil companions.

The flames on the stage went out, and the five evil dwarfs left, leaving only a dwarf with a sliver of conscience carrying his bundle as he crawled along the dark beast path.

The narrator's voice rose eerily, sounding slightly sinister and unsettling in the darkness:

"He went into the dark forest to find the princess, hoping to find a way to call the prince back. He searched for the pure spring in the forest, which was where the princess had camped before."

"However, what the dwarf did not know was that the wicked Night Mother already knew where the princess was. Silently, the Night Mother followed behind the dwarf."

A dark figure suddenly appeared behind the "deformed dwarf".

Like a wildcat stalking its prey, a calm shadow trailed behind him, obscuring the scattered moonlight along the way.

When the dwarf arrived at the spring, the princess had already disappeared.

The once pure and pristine spring has become foul-smelling and black, filled with unknown toxins.

Suddenly, the mournful cry of an owl rang out from the treetops—the sudden cry of this creature, known as the "night owl," often foreshadows impending disaster.

The dwarf was so frightened that he backed away repeatedly, seemingly wanting to turn around and run away.

However, it was too late.

The Mother of Night rises from the decaying spring.

"Laughable creation, have you come here to find your master?"

Her voice was very pleasant to hear, and just from her voice one could imagine that she must have a stunningly beautiful face. Unfortunately, this "Night Mother" did not show her face.

Similarly, there were no subtitles or other introductions above her head.

Han Fulai could only see that she was emanating a black aura, and that the spring water at her feet was bubbling up black mud—the same kind of black mud he had seen in the Layered Rock Abyss.

Is this... the aura of the abyss?

The dwarf lay trembling on the ground, too afraid to reply.

He was terrified that even the slightest movement would anger this terrible god.

Night Mother laughed contemptuously.

"If that's really the case, then all you'll find in this unfortunate situation is despair."

“That foolish princess has been nailed to heavy chains by me. I caused the kingdom of moonlight to crumble before her eyes, and I cursed her subjects, leaving them to linger in a state of half-life and half-death, without souls or moonlight.”

The voice of the Night Mother was like raindrops falling on the crumbling tomb wall.

“Poor dwarf, you should see what your master’s face looks like when he sees all this.”

The dwarf's heart was filled with fear, as if a nightmare was pressing down on his chest.

The Night Mother disdainfully abandoned her creations and turned to leave.

But whether out of cruel malice or a sudden pity, she left a glimmer of hope for this ugly dwarf.

"A thousand years from now, my great enemy will descend, wielding a sword that heralds the dawn, his armor reflecting the dazzling sunlight. He will destroy my kingdom, causing the prince's decaying corpse to rise from his grave, and freeing the princess from the eternal torment of night. Until then, you may be my enemy. For I fear no challenge from the Kingdom of Night, except for the prophesied catastrophe. As for you, wicked servant who poisoned your master, when retribution comes, your fate will be sealed."

After she finished speaking, the Night Mother's human form disintegrated and dissolved, turning into mud and poisonous insects that scattered into the swamp.

Overwhelmed with grief and regret, the dwarf stood motionless on the stage, seemingly lost in thought.

Han Fulai, who was sitting in the audience, also remained motionless.

He has come to understand many things, and has also discovered many more questions.

This "drama" is certainly not a "fairy tale"; it is a veiled record of history and a "prophecy" of the future.

He had never heard of some of the six dwarfs' names, but he was very familiar with others.

For example, his friend whom he met at the bottom of the Abyss of Lava, the last captain of the Kanria Royal Guard, "The End of Light," Dains Reeb.

The last king of Canria, the one whose statue was carved on by Dain, the "One-Eyed" Ilmin.

The "mother" of Abedo and Durin, the witch codenamed R in the Witches' Guild, and the alchemist Rhinedot who caused the "Dark Calamity".

And then there's... Piero, the commander of the Fools, who was also the first "fool" in the world to join the organization and was once the "clown" of the court mages of Canria.

Following this pattern, the "Prophet" and the "Extreme Rider" he didn't recognize were also Kanriyans, and had played important roles in the "Dark Calamity" five hundred years ago...

Five hundred years ago... there was someone who had a significant connection with Kanria—the traveler Ying's older brother, now known as the "Prince of the Abyss," Kong.

Just then, Han Fulai heard a faint sound.

The voice seemed to resound directly in his head:

"The beginning reversed destruction, the Sky Isle burned the Earth Kingdom. Chalk chased after gold, the Crimson Moon avenged itself on the Black Sun. The future saved the past, the elders and the young fought each other with blood. — This is the cyclical fate of the world. Dain, what does that strand of golden hair mean to you? Someone who must be killed, or an object of repentance?"

The dwarf on the stage seemed to have heard those words as well.

The previously dejected "deformed dwarf" suddenly began to move.

He hid the prince's remains in a tree hollow, then walked alone into the night.

The light was focused on the hole in the tree.

Seven colors of light quietly appeared in the tree hole. The light changed and condensed, eventually turning into seven things that looked like "chess pieces".

Han Fulai had seen such "chess pieces" in games before.

He almost cried out the name of that thing—

"The Heart of God".

As the "deformed dwarf" disappeared into the night, the stage curtain slowly fell.

The narrator delivered the closing remarks:

"'The deformed dwarf' embarks on a journey of self-exile, and the story begins a new chapter... Will 'Princess White' find liberation? Will 'Prince of Light' be revived? The ending of the story is left for our dear audience to imagine... But I hope that this story can accompany you and become an 'unending legend'."

"Thank you to my friend, dear Nicole, who guided me through countless nights of mental exhaustion... and to you, my dear reader. It is because of your reading that this story has meaning. I am Anders Dort, and it is an honor to share the story of 'The White Princess and the Six Dwarfs' with you. Good night."

Chapter 335 Time Bug

That "goodnight" is like a spell, possessing an irresistible magic.

Yura felt drowsy, her eyelids drooped instantly, and she fell into a deep sleep.

When I opened my eyes again, there was no longer any "opera house".

The crackling sound of burning wood filled my ears, and I could hear the face of a certain green bard very close to mine.

Wendy smiled broadly: "Miss Yura, you're awake?"

It looks just like the surgeon telling the patient, "The surgery was a success."

Yura blinked blankly, then quickly realized her situation—she was lying on someone's lap, and one of her hands was clasped with his…

Startled, she sprang to her feet, nearly knocking Wendy off balance.

A "Wind Flower" badge landed in her palm, exactly the same as the one she had seen in her dream.

“This is…” she stared at the badge in her hand with suspicion.

The memories of those incredibly vivid dreams resurfaced in her mind.

"Could everything I experienced in my dream... have been real?"

“It’s true.” Wendy still had a grin on her face. “Miss Yura, congratulations on passing the Wind God’s trial. You can now hold your head high and say that you are a member of the Wind God’s familiar!”

"Eh... so... I've passed the trial?"

Yura gently shook her head, feeling as if it were all a dream. She didn't have the real feeling of passing the trial at all; it was like she had taken a nap in the exam hall and then woke up to be told that she had passed the exam...

Well, speaking of which, this so-called "trial" was just a dream after all.

She had many questions to ask, especially the person who had entered her dream.

Only then did she realize that the person who had entered her dream and given her the badge, Han Fulai, had not uttered a single word.

Looking to the side, Han Fulai still had his head down, his breathing was steady, and he remained fast asleep.

She had woken up, but he hadn't.

As if reading her mind, Wendy spoke up at the right moment: "Don't worry, he's just too tired. Let him sleep a little longer."

Upon hearing the narrator identify himself as "Anders Dort," Han Fulai understood immediately—this was the message left behind in history by the witch "M."

The "dear Nico" she mentioned must also be a member of the "Witch's Guild".

Speaking of which, Mona's teacher, the great astrologer Barbiros who invented water divination, was also one of them. These witches truly possessed the ability to "know the past and the future." The story written in "The White Princess and the Six Dwarfs" is, in essence, a kind of "historical allegory."

The key question is... which period of history does this story allude to?

Judging from the names of the six "dwarfs," aside from the "Extreme Evil Rider" and the "Prophet" whom he had never heard of, the other four were all people he knew from Kanria. "The White Princess and the Six Dwarfs" should be telling the history of Kanria.

And that "Prince of Light" is very likely the blood relative that Ying has been searching for all along, the "Prince of the Abyss," Sora.

This also explains why the "Prince of Light" is dressed with blond hair—"blonde hair" is considered a signature of travelers.

Think again about the lines of those "dwarfs".

Ilmin said he would abduct the prince to serve him, thereby gaining "enlightenment" and "wisdom." Historically, Ilmin, the king of Canria, did indeed gain power from "beyond the world," and the traveler is precisely from "beyond the world."

Kong did indeed join Kanria's camp, and held a rather high position. Even within the "Abyss Order," established by Kanria's remnants, Kong was highly respected as a "prince," and he is still plotting to help Kanria restore its kingdom.

Rhein-Dort said that new life is their only hope for continuation, and the prince's body is best suited to be used as "fertilizer".

Throughout history, Rhinedot has indeed been "creating life"—and Abeddo is precisely "the material of the primordial beings." If Sora, as a visitor from another world, possesses certain unique physical characteristics that could help Rhinedot overcome the challenges of creation, this would be entirely plausible.

Han Fulai didn't know much about Piero, the "clown." However, Piero considered his betrayal of the "Prince of Light" a "shameful act" and lamented about it, which seemed to fit his self-perception as a "clown."

As for Dain, he has been in "self-exile" ever since the destruction of Canria, perfectly embodying the ending of the "deformed dwarf" in the story.

The last part, where someone says it to Dain, almost definitively confirms that Dain played a very disgraceful role five hundred years ago.

Based on the game's backstory information he knew, Dain was indeed very familiar with "Prince of the Abyss" Sora; the two had traveled together and should have been quite good friends. If Dain had indeed "betrayed" Sora, it might explain why he had been relentlessly pursuing the "Abyss Order" and felt so guilty towards Sora…

—But there's a strange bug in the timeline of the story.

For example, the "Heart of God" that he saw at the end should have been something that existed as early as the era of the Demon God War. Why was the "remains of the Prince of Light" transformed into the "Heart of God"?