Chapter 324 - Silence
324 Silence
From the moment it was roused from its lengthy slumber until it was knocked to the ground, Silence had no gripes.
On the one hand, this was due to its nature. Silence couldn’t complain in any sense. On the other hand, and more crucially, it had always yearned for the day it would be unsealed.
Upon awakening, Silence promptly and proficiently carried out the mission Lady Beatrice had assigned it 800 years ago—to annihilate the delicate Astral Lighthouse and expose Ravenwood Forest to the corrosion of the Moon Realm rift.
As for its compensation, it would gain freedom.
It no longer had to serve the Whispering Empress, nor did it have to submit to any Void Sovereign. It could choose to manifest its own domain in the Moon Realm and become a potent Moon Realm Overlord. Of course, it could also choose to remain in Currere and enjoy itself in its own way.
Very few Moon Realm Void Sovereigns would offer complete freedom as compensation to Their Demon Generals because this was tantamount to taking the initiative to divide their authority. It was a veiled act of weakening Themselves.
However, the Void Sovereign—who was notorious for Her deviousness and treachery—agreed to its terms in exchange for being sealed beneath the Astral Lighthouse for extended periods. She even opted to use Her true name as a witness and swore an unbreakable oath.
Of course, as with all of Beatrice’s contracts, there was an additional clause at the end of this agreement.
If you wish to recover the protection under me, the Whispering Empress, Beatrice, your Moon Realm Elementium will be entirely under my control for 1,000 years in Currere from the moment you seek refuge again.
It was an obvious trap, but Silence was unconcerned that such a scenario would arise. This was because She had confirmed that after the Astral Laws were established, no mortal in Currere could pose any threat to it.
In this era where the castrated modern magic system was the primary axis, it was invincible on the Vic Continent if it could silence all casting intentions.
Therefore, when Silence detected that an individual with an exceedingly terrifying mana reaction had abruptly barged into the sky above its Silent domain, it felt no unease.
In the past, it had witnessed the pinnacle of what a magic chanter could achieve. The man named Yeats—he could execute all 13 spells flawlessly and was regarded as the ultimate peak of mortal magic.
However, even the man who dared to attend the meetings of the 13 Void Sovereigns in Gray Castle and return to Currere unscathed did not wish to engage in direct conflict with it. Instead, he ultimately relented and signed a contract with Ms. Beatrice, allowing Her to clandestinely seal it in the Astral Lighthouse in this erased history via the causal connection between the Astral Lighthouses.
Since even Yeats was unwilling to engage in direct conflict with it, it was even more implausible for a magic chanter to pose a threat to it on the Vic Continent 800 years after the establishment of the Astral Laws. If it hadn’t been for Silence being knocked to the ground by the man who suddenly appeared, it would have been able to maintain its confidence for a longer period.
The massive mana that blasted its face immediately caved in Silence’s head and the ground surrounding it. Black smoke billowed out of its shattered skull as if it had ignited a smoke bomb.
Why is this happening? Shouldn’t he be unable to activate any magic spells in my Silent domain?
This was the sole question that arose in Silence’s mind after it was slammed to the ground.
How did the other party achieve this?
Gazing up at the other party, the heavy lead-colored staff in his hand glowed with colorful light once again.
There were no indications of spells being activated. It was simply a phenomenon of mana condensation.
How could this be possible?
Absurdity surged into Silence’s heart.
Without the conversion of spells and relying purely on quantity, the mana required to produce the same destructive effect increased by dozens or even hundreds of times.
In other words, the scale of mana the other party could command in the ether domain was over a hundred times that of ordinary Divine Realm mages?
Then, was this even a creature from Currere?
Observing that the next blow was about to descend upon its head, Silence immediately dissipated its body into black smoke and reformed itself at the farthest distance possible.
What kind of monster is this? Could it be a descended Holy Spirit shrouded in human skin?
As it reconstructed its body to heal its previous injuries, Silence pondered.
With this in mind, it peered at the spot from which it had fled, wary that the other party might charge over…
At this moment, the depression that had been smashed open was empty, and only a temporary portal still flickered.
A portal?
Silence was momentarily stunned before instinctively turning its head. A sharp dagger with a purple glow, less than a meter away from it, effortlessly ripped through space like paper before prying open a temporary portal.
As it was still within the Silence domain, Silence did not perceive the teleportation that would have triggered intense lightning flashes. By the time it turned its head, the man had already amassed strength in his staff once again.
This time, it was sent hurtling.
Intense mana erupted above its head once more. In its dazed state, it silently witnessed something.
It was its origins as Silence…
Although it had heard that mortals would have their lives flash before their eyes prior to their demise, would a Moon Realm spirit experience something similar before they died?
Silence’s thoughts were swiftly overwhelmed by images.
It was outside the cave where the tribes gathered. A young guard tasked with sentry duty had dozed off, thus failing to detect the humanoid creatures gradually approaching under the cover of darkness.
However, he did not have the opportunity to be punished by the tribe since he was the first to have his throat slit when disaster struck.
Then came the second and third, with no end in sight, until blood flowed like a river.
When the black shadows—who were skilled in hunting—infiltrated the cave, most of the human clansmen perished in silence. As for the few individuals who were awakened by the massacre, they only had time to scream before falling into silence.
A child was concealed beneath the straw used for insulation by her mother. She was fortunate because the straw, which gradually began to rot, masked her scent. However, at the same time, she was unlucky because the straw was insufficient to conceal her mother.
Thus, she could only observe as the humanoid beasts with ears as sharp as knives plunged their daggers into her mother’s heart and dragged away the woman she had believed would never leave her side like a dead dog.
That was an era before words existed. Humans could only utilize a few basic syllables to communicate.
The child’s gaze met her mother’s through the straw. She opened her mouth in excitement, desiring to shout out a syllable used to address her mother—she did not know if it was due to fear, sorrow, anger, or other emotions.
However, her mother’s almost imploring glance halted her in her tracks before she died.
Thus, she covered her mouth, tears streaming uncontrollably as she stifled her instinctive cry. This cry that failed to be voiced would transform into a blazing flame of revenge in the future.
However, she had no inkling that this unspoken cry was instantaneously reflected in Currere’s mirror, the Moon Realm, before silently reverberating through it.
This silent roar traversed timelines—both the past and the future—simultaneously, echoing in the hearts of every avenger who maintained their silence. It echoed in the hearts of every martyr who was tormented by physical and mental agony, yet remained silent. It echoed in the hearts of every man and woman who did not want to expose their innermost thoughts.
It quietly passed through the silence of countless individuals, from nobles and generals to commoners and beggars. Each time they suppressed their true emotions, they became nourishment for its thriving growth.
The greatest distinction between humans and animals was that they could restrain their instincts and remain silent.
Finally, it was ensnared by a conspiracy network woven from countless silences and brought to a resplendent palace woven from countless threads.
So, your origins are from that unfixed place? Very well. From now on, you shall be known as the new Silence.
It was bestowed a name by that mighty entity and was granted intelligence and form, but it did not express its gratitude.
It was not that it did not want to, but as its name suggested, it could only remain silent.
Similarly, even after its creation, the first thing it did was to be abandoned and sealed in that cramped space.
Even after being sealed for over 800 years and then being unexpectedly awakened only to be tossed around like a ball by a humanoid monster that appeared out of nowhere… it did not complain in the slightest.
It was not that it did not want to, but as its name suggested, it could only remain silent.
You are about to perish. Without my protection, you will meet your demise when the Calamity draws Judgment equipment.
A whisper resounded from the depths of its heart after the flash of memories concluded. This was the first time Silence had heard a sound in the past 800 years.
In general, Moon Realm spirits could not recollect their origins. This was akin to how mortals could not remember their memories when they were submerged in their mother’s amniotic fluid.
In other words, the memory from before was likely the scene the Whispering Empress had shown it—it was to guide Silence in making a choice at this moment.
Hence, Silence, who was soaring in midair, nodded.
Then, it disintegrated into countless tattered spider silk and vanished into thin air.
At the same time, the Silence domain dissipated. Everyone present, including William, seemed to have switched off the mute button in their minds and regained their ability to hear.
After a prolonged silence, even the forest at night appeared to be bustling.
William gazed at Silence, who had been reduced to a spiderweb by his final strike, and plunged into deep contemplation.