The Record of Unusual Creatures

Hao Ren had been waiting for the old general to say that. Wading in the wilderness and forest of Collow for the past 10 days, he never had a decent meal. Even if there was no lack of food and water, enjoying a meal in the alien realm was not a good idea. When Marcus said that meals were being served, Hao Ren suddenly liked the guy.

The old general admitted that they had limited resources in Fort West, and since Princess Veronica was not fastidious, he decided to hold a simple reception in this room. Hao Ren had learned that this room was, in fact, the best looking room of the entire Fort West. This fortress might look magnificent on the outside, but it was purely a battle fortress from the inside out. Everything here was functional for the sole purpose of resisting the Chaos. There were no extra luxury and decoration. Even the quarter where Marcus lived was only a little larger than that of the ordinary soldiers. Channeling all their energy to fight the Chaos, and squeezing the last drop of their resources for the war was a normal state of life at this border.

The banquet was not sumptuous, but delicious and nutritious. The kingdom would not mistreat its soldiers when soldiers were fighting on the frontline. Fresh vegetables and soft and sweet bread had caught Hao Ren’s appetite. There was a kind of soup made with fungi that could reduce the fatigue he had over the past few days.

All Hao Ren could think of now was eating. But Princess Veronica was not interested in the food in front of her. The princess was very worried about the abnormal changes in the chaotic border. “When did the monster attack on the city start?” she asked.

“On the day of your disappearance, Your Royal Highness,” said Marcus who was sitting across the table. His size made him look like a behemoth beside the table. “It was the fourth hour after the collapse of the entire Shadowy Forest defensive line to be exact. When the Chaos reached the peak of the day, those things suddenly appeared in the air. The attack came without warning, and even the wizards in the magic tower did not find any signs. If not for the perpetual Runes of Order on the wall of Fort West, we would not even be able to survive the first round.”

“Was the attack continuing?” Veronica asked.

“It lasted for one to three days, and the interval between attacks was uncertain. The Chaos would linger outside the city. No matter how many times the power of the Kindle Tower broke them apart, those things seemed to have no signs of weakening. It is an alarming trend. This year is already the seventh year of the tide of Chaos. After the peak period, they should gradually decline, but now it seems it is strengthening instead.”

“The territory of the kingdom—”

“Thank goddess. The road is still open, and so is communication. A small number of the Chaos’ forces have infiltrated the corridor in the mountains of the western front, but they are not a threat. If the reinforcement from the Kingdom is interrupted, this place would not stand.”

Veronica breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s good. Father and General Gloen should have been discussing countermeasures.”

“Countermeasures? I am afraid there is no countermeasure.” The old general shook his head. “Your Royal Highness, I have been battling the Chaos for seven years, and in the year of the Order, I have been fighting the various chaotic tearing points in the kingdom. I know very well what kind of enemy we are facing; it is unknowable and uncontrollable. It is sad but true that in the face of the tide of the Sea of Carnos, humans can only passively accept and resist. Every time we survive the tide of Chaos, it is not because we have defeated it, but because the tide has ended before we are extinct. If this trend continues, I can only fight until I die on the battlefield to buy more time—this is the only countermeasure.”

Hao Ren looked at Marcus in surprise.

He did not expect to hear such pessimistic and desperate words from this veteran. But he knew this was the reality the people of Collow had accepted.

But for the old man to have such undying courage to fight to his death was indeed most admirable.

Veronica knew the old general was stating the fact. She could only bite her lip. “I got it. There is another matter. It’s about the furnace outposts in the Shadowy Forest.”

“After that day, we lost contact with all the outposts,” Marcus said. “The Chaos attack was frequent and had completely blocked all the crossings between the fort and the defenses in the forest. Our best reconnoiters could not even make it through the shadows. Until recently, a team of death squads succeeded in crossing the chaotic blockade and found the nearest outpost. But only two scouts made it back alive, bringing back a piece of terrible news.”

“I know.” Veronica lowered her eyes. “The outpost guards are all dead. They all seemed to die from a frenzy.”

Marcus pressed his hands on the table and looked at the princess. “You and your knights miraculously crossed the forest. Do you know what happened there?”

Veronica shook her head. “I have no idea, General. There are no signs of attack, all buildings are perfectly intact, the guards did not even open the arsenals, but the soldiers inside have all died. We have found some clues though. Some of the outpost commanders seemed to have guarded the furnace for a long time, they held up longer than other soldiers and left behind…”

Veronica detailed her discovery in those outposts. Marcus did not interject during the whole time. The old general was only listening attentively with his eyes tightly knit together.

“We didn’t even know anything about these things.” Marcus’ face was downcast. “I have let your father down.”

“General, no man is perfect,” Veronica said, trying to comfort him. “You have contributed immensely to the kingdom by being able to defend Fort West. What happened in the Shadowy Forest was unusual—not just the attack on the furnace outposts, but also our defeat that day. The behavior of the Theocracy was odd. They are no doubt arrogant, but they have never made this kind of mistake for the past many centuries. We need to investigate all these things. I’m afraid we have to count on the royal scholars in this matter.”

Marcus frowned. “The scholars? Yeah, sound like we can only count on them. We need to report back to the king immediately. I will send a messenger.”

“Messenger?” Veronica’s eyebrows arched. “The teleporting—”

The teleporting device has been useless for the past 10 days.” Marcus shook his head. “The interference is becoming stronger every day. The wizards say that a shadow vortex over Ansu is gradually taking shape, and the space-time structure on the mainland has become very unstable. Other than those of the hinterland of the kingdom, teleportation in other parts of the kingdom have been completely deactivated.”

Veronica thought for a moment. “I have to go back to meet the king,” she said with determination.

“Well, the king must also can’t wait to see you.”

“Not just for this reason.” Veronica put down the tableware in her hand and looked at Hao Ren beside her. “We have experienced a lot of incredible things in the realm of Chaos. Some things are best to tell my father in person. Besides, my sister is more knowledgeable; she might be interested in the guardian. I am also worried about what happens back in the palace. If I don’t still show up, some people may not be able to sit still.”

“Haha, those nobles!” Marcus’ voice was filled with disdain and annoyance.

Hao Ren looked around him and felt that he did not have to get involved. So he lowered his head and continued with his meal.

As the banquet ended, Hao Ren and the other knights returned to their respective rooms while Veronica and Morian stayed.

Together with General Marcus, the trio climbed up a spire via a spiral staircase. The Kindle Tower was right on the pedestal behind them, letting out a brilliant glow and putting the entire fort under its illumination.

Looking into the surroundings, the Shadow Forest was like a dark cloud creeping over the horizon on the west and further away the was all darkness. The mountains on both sides of the fortress extended upwards in the light and disappeared in the dark clouds at high altitudes. Only on the east side of the fort, a shimmering road stretched all the way to the heart of the kingdom through the unpolluted hills and mountains.

If looking to the west alone, there was a feeling of being surrounded by a sea of darkness and stuck on a remote island.

Fort West was the bridgehead of the World of Order, the border of the land of light.

“About the ancient guardian,” Marcus looked at the forest in the distance, “Your Royal Highness, do you trust him?”

“He saved everyone’s life, including mine,” Veronica said faintly.

Marcus could read between the lines. “It seems that you are not so sure about his background too.”

Veronica did not say anything.

It was indeed the princess who first identified Hao Ren as the ancient guardian. But this did not mean that she did not think critically. In those few days of thinking and observation, especially when she discovered that Hao Ren’s understanding of this world was mistaken or even ignorant, she became more suspicious of him.

Memory confusion was not a good excuse all the time.

Marcus waited for a few seconds, and when Veronica did not respond, he continued. “You should already know it; there may be a hermit in the wilderness that has survived in the last century, but it is unlikely to have something from the previous generation. In every hundred-year cycle of the Chaos, except for a few specific tearing points, there are almost no ancient relics in the world that exist have not been discovered.”

Veronica looked at the veteran general. “Mount Cassouin is at a tearing point. Whether it was 100 years ago, 300 years ago, or 1,000 years ago, the Chaos always shrouded it. I know this is unbelievable, but there is a temple there.”

Marcus’ eyes widened.

“His origins are indeed a myth,” Morian finally said. “But he is certainly not a Servant of Chaos, nor a cult. He carries many potent sacred objects. The power of those sacred items not something from this era. I’m afraid that they are ancient relics.”

“No matter what, the most important thing is that he is on our side,” Veronica said with a sigh. “You might think that I am naive, but I have well thought it out. I trust him, and believe that he is the guardian of the sanctum, whether or not he comes from ancient times.”