Novel Full Chapter 408 Answers
The aftermath of the battle left a heavy tension hanging in the air. As the corrupted creatures were cleared out and the remaining villagers and members of the Order regrouped, Kain couldn’t shake the questions swirling in his mind. He glanced at Serena, who looked just as troubled.
“We need answers,” Kain muttered, his gaze fixed on Galadriel, who was organizing the young dragons into clean-up teams.
“Agreed,” Serena replied. “This wasn’t just an ordinary attack. The dragons knew something like this might happen, didn’t they?”
Kain nodded, his jaw tightening. “And if they knew, there’s a chance the Order knew too. That means we were sent like lambs to the slaughterhouse without being told the full truth.”
As the dragons finished regrouping, Kain and Serena approached Galadriel, whose usual jovial demeanor had not yet returned. Vauleth was standing nearby, scowling as usual, but he didn’t make any snide remarks for once.
“Galadriel,” Kain began, his tone firm, “we need to talk.”
The prince glanced at them, golden eyes narrowing slightly. “Talk? About what?”
“About this,” Serena said, gesturing to the battlefield. “About the corrupted creatures, the black smoke, and why the dragons didn’t seem surprised by any of it.”
Galadriel sighed, wings drooping slightly. “Fine. Ask your questions.”
“Did you know this was going to happen?” Kain asked directly.
Galadriel hesitated, then shook its large head. “We didn’t know about this specific attack, no. But we did plan to delay you here until another attack started.”
Kain’s eyes narrowed. “Why?”
“Because we needed you to see,” Galadriel admitted. “You humans, and even those cowardly Elorians, have been shirking your responsibilities for far too long. It’s time you understand the stakes.”
Serena crossed her arms, her tone icy. Many innocent people had died due to this attack. “What responsibilities? And what do the Elorians have to do with this?”
Galadriel’s expression darkened. “The Elorians and their ancestors were once responsible for guarding these lands alongside us. But over the centuries, they’ve withdrawn further and further into their precious forests, hiding behind their barriers and letting us handle the real danger.”
“What danger?” Kain pressed.
“The Abyss,” Galadriel said, voice dropping into a growl. “The mountain range we live in wasn’t formed naturally. It’s a giant array constructed jointly by the most powerful beings of several races including dragons, humans, and elves—it’s built atop one of the entrances to the Abyss. That black smoke you saw? It’s a byproduct of the Abyss’s influence leaking out due to the weakening seals.”
Kain and Serena exchanged a shocked glance.
“The Abyss?” Kain murmured under his breath, the unfamiliar word heavy on his tongue. He had never come across the term before, even despite having access to far more information than the average citizen.
Galadriel nodded. “The Abyss is an endless void of corruption and destruction. It’s a realm of chaos where even the strongest creatures can be turned into mindless abominations. Our job—our burden—is to guard the entrances and ensure nothing escapes.”
“But if you’re immune to this corruption,” Kain began, “why do you need help?”
Galadriel’s gaze hardened. “Figures you’d make the same excuses as your lazy leaders! Immune doesn’t mean invincible! Abyssal creatures can’t convert us, but they can still kill us. And dragons, especially pure-blooded ones like me, are slow to reproduce and take decades to centuries to grow to full strength. Every loss we suffer is a devastating blow.”
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“And those Elorians are just as useless.” Galadriel finally snapped and went on a tirade. “They call themselves guardians of the forest, but when the corruption began seeping into their lands, they retreated behind their barriers and left us to deal with it. That’s why we took their villagers. Yeah, we needed new servants since most intelligent creatures closer to the mountain range had already been corrupted, and we figured those pointy-eared cowards could at the very least be servants if they wish to shirk the responsibilities of their ancestors. But even more than that, we needed leverage to see how much the situation has declined and force them to take this seriously!”
Serena’s eyes narrowed, “And the barrier was to prevent anyone too powerful from coming in to rescue the villagers before the attack occurred? Or was it just to prevent anyone too powerful among the Elorians from possibly being corrupted and giving you a bigger headache?”
Galadriel nodded its head hesitantly, before shaking it. “Yes and no. The barrier was to prevent them from being rescued too soon. But while not immune like dragons, Elorians who have awakened, unlike these ordinary ones, are also very resistant to the corruption of the Abyss. That’s why they were also tasked with guarding this entrance! But just because one of their higher-level Elorians got corrupted back then, those cowards got scared and decided to completely withdraw!”
Serena’s eyes narrowed. “And the Order? Did they know about this?”
Galadriel shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe. The agreement was between my father and your higher-ups. But your presence here was deliberate. Apparently, there has been a lot of conflict even amongst the humans about whether or not to help. After all, unlike dragons who are immune, and Elorians who are more resistant to the corruption, humans have very little resistance. But if we can’t hold on to this mountain range, you would also be in danger. Some of those in favour of supporting us wanted you to see what we’re dealing with. I believe most of the young members brought this time are valued talents or from influential households?”
Kain clenched his fists, frustration boiling beneath his calm exterior. “So, the Order, or at least those in favour of assisting the dragons, sent us here to witness this… as a scare tactic?”
“Call it what you want,” Galadriel said, tone unapologetic. “The point is, this is a war that affects all of us. And whether you like it or not, your kind will have to step up.”
Kain’s thoughts spun as Galadriel’s words sank in. But many questions lingered in his mind, all about one thing: the Abyss.
The dragon-like creature they had fought in the relic—was it an Abyssal entity? And if so, was that just the tip of the iceberg?
Are there other entrances to the Abyss or sealed Abyssal creatures whose seals are weakening?
How powerful is this Abyss that so much effort needed to be made to seal its entrances rather than just try to destroy it?