115 - Dungeon Growth Log

The chime of the "questioning bell" rang a few times before finally dissipating. Chu Yi's voice was soft, nonchalantly asking back, "What is the wake-up bell?" Xia Ge replied, "...It's nothing." Chu Yi laughed gently, "The dream isn't over yet. Why the rush, brother?"—Does brother wish for this dream to end quickly? Doesn't she have any reluctance at all? Though her brows concealed a darkness, Chu Yi's voice remained tender. She's not in a hurry, but it would be nice to leave quickly. Xia Ge, unaware of the dark thoughts within Chu Yi's heart, remained entirely pragmatic. The entrance of the White Dream Cave was a vast sea of clouds, seemingly infinite, making any escape impossible. Xia Ge pondered, then decided to carry Chu Yi: "Let's go see other places." But what these "other places" might be, Xia Ge had no idea. Retracing their steps would lead back to where the eight-part serpent lay, and it would take a long walk to reach there. By then, the serpent's wounds would likely be mostly healed, resulting in no advantage gained. Xia Ge sighed internally. This feeling of being aimlessly directionless was truly awful. Chu Yi docilely let Xia Ge carry her, habitually asking, "Brother, where are we going?" Just like many years ago. Xia Ge murmured in a low voice, "I don't know either." Chu Yi was silent for a moment, her arms subtly tightening. Her voice was soft, "...Wherever you go, brother, it's fine." As long as you're there. —Just the two of us. The place doesn't matter. With you by my side, wandering to the ends of the earth is romantic, the flames of the volcano are warm. —I can't forgive you. —Yet, I can still love you. Even at the risk of life and death. Who knew Xia Ge would barely take a few steps when— A sudden gust of wind swept up the sea of clouds outside. The wind was fierce. Xia Ge stumbled slightly while carrying Chu Yi, instinctively turning her head, only to widen her eyes swiftly. The once surging sea of clouds vanished, replaced by a vast sweeping illusion. This constant change had become customary for Xia Ge. It's the White Dream Cave; if nothing changed, it would be odd. But as she slowly discerned what the vision transformed into, Xia Ge was no longer as calm. It was an icy temple, emerging from the layers of cold mist, casting a gloomy chill despite the moonlight that barely filled a bowl. Gradually, even that moonlight disappeared. In its place, a torrential downpour poured from the sky. Drip drop, drip drop. A raggedy child hugged their knees, crouching under the eaves of the leaking temple rooftop. The dilapidated plaque hung askew, looking as though it might fall at any moment. The golden characters upon it had faded, and no one had come to repair it for many years. Rain God Temple. It was a familiar yet strangely foreign sight. Chu Yi felt Xia Ge's body stiffen, prompting her to ask, "What happened?" Yes… Chu Yi couldn’t see. This should be the White Dream Cave presenting Xia Ge with her own memories. Xia Ge paused for a long time, then chuckled softly. "Nothing, it's just that this time..." she murmured, "it's brother's turn to dream." She lifted her eyes, gazing at the child hugging their knees under the eaves, staring blankly at the rain puddles. It was… Xia Wu Yin. It was herself. "Brother is sad." Chu Yi's voice came gently by her ear, "What are you sad about?" What is there to be sad about? In the vision, the child slowly stood up, black hair wet, face smeared with dirt, gender indistinguishable. She stood and pushed the shattered doors aside, seeming to exert too much force as the doors swung open more easily than she anticipated. She staggered, falling into the leaking Rain God Temple. Knees knocked onto the uneven floor tiles, she slumped as if drained of energy. After a long, slow breath, she finally propped herself up from the floor, remaining on her knees, gazing up at the Rain Goddess placed centrally in the temple. The Rain Goddess wore a raincoat and bamboo hat, holding a water bottle in one hand and a willow branch in the other, appearing benevolent and kind. Yet, after so many years, parts were peeling off. No one came to repair it, making the golden body appear patchy. The roof even leaked, making her title as the Rain Goddess all too fitting. Thus, naturally, there were no offerings to steal or eat. The child stared blankly at her for a little while, then slowly crawled under the empty altar, curling into a ball beneath the Rain Goddess’s feet, gradually closing her eyes. "...Thinking." Xia Ge murmured, looking at that child under the altar with eyes closed, "Why was it so difficult to survive back then?" In truth, it wasn't as hard as it once seemed. It was just genuinely so heartbreaking at the time. Like carrying a hefty burden, trudging forward with weight on her shoulders. Living felt torturous, she carried another’s life. Yet living was also salvation because it was a promise. Chu Yi paused for a moment. Reaching out, she softly covered Xia Ge's eyes. The sights of the Rain God Temple faded from view, Chu Yi's voice soft, "It's not hard." Xia Ge was silent for a moment, then smiled slightly, "Hmm, it's not hard anymore." The hand slowly released from her eyes, she paused, gazing at the mottled statue of the Rain Goddess, "Maybe… up in the heavens, there really is a god." Though so much time had passed. That one night, dream-like in its gentle lingering, upon awakening, a table full of offerings, as if graced by the Rain Goddess’s gentle gifts, allowed her in her loneliness to still, never forget. Xia Ge cast one last glance at the vision of the Rain God Temple, ready to turn and leave, when she beheld an unbelievable sight. Her steps halted. Under the somber night rain, an ominous shadow adorned with a black bamboo hat emerged. Lightning flashed and thunder roared. The cloaked figure, dressed in black, entered and gently closed the temple doors left ajar, blocking the howling wind and rain from outside. Yet the rain continued to drip through inside the temple as well. The figure slowly approached the child sheltering under the altar. Kneeling down, porcelain-white hands emerged from the dark cloak, softly caressing the child’s forehead, smoothing away her rain-damp hair. The child slept deeply, days of traveling and exhaustion rendering her unable to muster the strength to open her eyes. —Who are you?! Outside the vision, Xia Ge's eyes went wide. The black-robed figure paused, stood up, slowly extracting some offerings from a sleeve to place on the altar, then paid respect to the Rain Goddess before gently pulling the weary child from beneath the altar, bending down to kiss her forehead. Finding a dry spot, the figure held the child, allowing her to settle into the embrace. Such gentleness. Until the sky began to glow with the first hints of dawn. The cloaked figure seemed reluctant but ultimately returned the child to under the altar, quietly reopening the closed door, and walked away. Outside, the rain began to halt, and warm morning light cascaded from the horizon along with sky-wide rainbow-like clouds. The figure departed, and everything returned to how it had been the night before. The child sleepily opened her tired eyes, slowly standing, her body weak. She looked at the sunlight filtering through the cracked windows and the puddles reflecting the sun’s light on the ground, tilting her head. She’d had a very warm dream. Dreamt of someone very warm. Even though it rained heavily in the dream as it did the night before, with that person, even the rain felt gentle. It was a good dream. —So where should I go to find food today. Suddenly, she sensed something amiss. She widened her eyes, staring at the reflection in the puddle, where the shadow of the altar behind her lay—on it rested steamed buns and various fruits. And the Rain Goddess’s merciful and gentle smile. She stiffly turned back. This wasn’t a mirage; they were real offerings. Though Xia Ge was a materialist. It was in this messed-up world of hers. The first time she truly believed in the existence of deities. Author’s Note: Today’s… a bit of a Mercury retrograde… Feeling off _( :3 」∠ )_ Fell off my electric scooter and hurt my arm and butt… otz Was planning to take the day off, but I promised to update (scratching head) Tomorrow I’ll make up for it with an extra update (slump) = = sos threw 1 landmine at 2018-08-13 23:38:40 Chongming threw 1 landmine at 2018-08-13 23:45:08 123 threw 1 landmine at 2018-08-13 23:59:05 MeowMeowMeow threw 1 landmine at 2018-08-14 00:11:43 Gu Gui threw 1 landmine at 2018-08-14 00:41:10 Yu Xi threw 1 landmine at 2018-08-14 00:49:04 Always plots against me threw 1 grenade at 2018-08-14 01:11:45 Can’t open the bottle cap threw 1 landmine at 2018-08-14 01:23:50 MeowMeowMeow threw 1 landmine at 2018-08-14 02:56:53 MeowMeowMeow threw 1 landmine at 2018-08-14 03:08:54 you*_feel+ threw 1 landmine at 2018-08-14 04:44:12 MyWishIsTallSlimBeautiful threw 1 landmine at 2018-08-14 07:12:38 EightThousand threw 1 landmine at 2018-08-14 09:01:17 ColorIsEmptinessEmptinessIsColor threw 1 landmine at 2018-08-14 09:29:42 ColorIsEmptinessEmptinessIsColor threw 1 landmine at 2018-08-14 09:29:54 NoCompromise threw 1 landmine at 2018-08-14 09:40:04 BloodChinoiro threw 1 landmine at 2018-08-14 09:53:26 NoSnowRen threw 1 landmine at 2018-08-14 11:31:55 LuoShen threw 1 landmine at 2018-08-14 11:46:19 TheSteward threw 1 landmine at 2018-08-14 11:59:06 LittleWhiteMeowMeow threw 1 landmine at 2018-08-14 12:13:45 LittleStarFan threw 1 landmine at 2018-08-14 12:38:30 Straying threw 1 rocket launcher at 2018-08-14 13:28:03 PeachBlossomTribulationRighteousness threw 1 landmine at 2018-08-14 15:33:44 RedPill threw 1 landmine at 2018-08-14 16:50:03 Thank you, little angels, for the landmines, rocket launcher, and grenades!! Love you all!!