Magic that can play a role in mind control was actually very common in various virtual reality games in the past. Even Duan Qing, who only specializes in physical melee combat, was forced to study the spirit of confrontation in some game battles.
Regarding magic, Val is just a blacksmith who has been a veteran. Being able to make him believe in the power of magic is already very extreme. Things like the mental control that Duan Qing once mentioned are in pursuit of true freedom.
There have always been unimaginable existences on the continent.
Although at this moment, this bald man who has been in Greenstone Village for many years seems to have some knowledge that is more unscientific than magic.
"The mayor of Cesc Fabregas once told me something."
Amidst the still crackling sound of the fire, Val's voice sounded again under Duan Qing's gaze: "Some of them are about the past of Green Stone Village, and some of them are about the Emerald Forest. I didn't know it at that time.
I don’t quite understand the meaning of those words, but now... I seem to understand a lot."
"Are you referring to...the Emerald Stone?"
"No, that's just a kind of illusion." Val slowly shook his head, and his voice remained as low as it should be: "The village chief once told me several stories about the abuse and consequences of magic.
A few stories, now that I think about it...most of those stories come from some real history at the end of the ancient Magic Empire."
"...What was mentioned in that?"
"The emergence of the Emerald Stone once attracted the attention of the Magic Empire at that time, but the chaos from all over the world and internal instability did not give them much time for research, so when no one cared about it, those green stones piled up into mountains
When a large-scale illusion was formed in the area around the Emerald Tower, the people around it were powerless to stop the spread of this state. The civilians living nearby also entered some kind of abnormal state as the energy spread and became mentally unstable.
He is in a trance and acts in a disordered manner, as if due to the influence of that strange energy, he regards everything around him as his enemy."
"After self-elimination like a jungle, only a few 'monsters' survived in the end, and then... the forest seemed to absorb their existence, transforming into the Emerald Forest." Val's voice changed when he said this.
Very slowly: "This is the origin of the so-called Emerald Forest that has been circulated for a long time. What I just said is just some elements inferred from this story."
"You mean...those stones have a will of their own?" Duan Qing's face became more solemn: "And then simulate and change the surrounding environment based on the characteristics of the surrounding life forms?"
"These conjectures you have made are all too professional. I don't have the ability to answer them." Val shook his head and whispered: "But... powerful, crazy, and indistinguishable between friend and foe - through the description in the story, I can still
You can imagine the state of those civilians."
"Before there is no strong dominance and shaping, people in those energies should see more bizarre things." Duan Qing pondered and guessed: "For example... things you expect to see, or things you don't want to see.
Something to see.”
"You... seem to have a lot of similar experiences." Val raised his head and looked at Duan Qing with a bit of surprise in his eyes: "Is it an experience from that adventure trip?"
"No, it's some recent experiences." Duan Qing lowered his head and replied: "I treated you as an enemy for no reason... The situation seems to be similar to what you just described."
"There should be no way to investigate what happened to me and Captain Sranko now." Val sighed and stood up: "Those people who pretended to be soldiers of the Principality and infiltrated our regiment, probably at this time
It’s probably nowhere to be found.”
"Perhaps there are still such people in the principality's troops?" Duan Qing asked tentatively: "Do you have any similar clues?"
"I am not the other people. I have been living in seclusion in Greenstone Village for such a long time." Val shook his head and replied: "What I know should have been explained clearly before. If you really have doubts,
If so...it would be better to ask more professional people."
"A more professional person...you mean the village chief?"
"Including the other elderly people in the village."
Pointing in a certain direction in front of him, Val's eyes gradually lowered: "They..."
"You should know something."
The cold wind became more intense with the sound of this voice, rolling up the surrounding pieces of snow into the sky. Duan Qing's figure then appeared in front of the courtyard,
He gradually walked towards the distance where the light became gloomier again. Because the temperature dropped again, the number of pedestrians who occasionally appeared in the town became less and less. He also continued to drive them through several empty streets.
With the coldness on his body, he finally followed Val's prompts and came to another large mansion: "Excuse me..."
"Is the mayor of Greenstone Village here?"
"...Ah, it's you."
Surrounded by countless wounded people lying in the hospital, an elderly woman in a white coat turned around and stood up in the direction of the gate where Duan Qing was: "Since escorting us away that day, we haven't seen each other for a long time.
Your Majesty the Adventurer."
"I can't afford this, Lord Claire." Duan Qing hurriedly leaned over and bowed: "Just call me Mo Shang Qingshan."
"The village chief and the two are waiting for guests inside."
The doctor named Claire showed a more kind smile, and at the same time put down the hand of the injured person he was treating: "If you have anything urgent, I can go in first and inform you..."
"No, I'll wait here."
Looking in the direction of the house that Claire gestured back to, Duan Qing pushed his hands in vain: "It's just some questions about the Emerald Stone. I don't know if the village chief will answer..."
"Emerald Stone?"
Claire put down the work at hand, still hanging the nameplate on her chest, and slightly opened her kind eyes: "What...what do you want to ask?"
"Why, Lord Claire also knows these things?" Duan Qing raised his eyebrows in surprise: "Could it be that you..."
"... He's just an old man who has lived for a long time. It's no big deal."
Claire waved her hand slightly and her expression returned to calm, pointing to the corner of the yard where the temporary tent was set up: "But... if you are really interested in those things, I can give you a little answer."
"So...I have a few questions to confirm."
Following the other party's slow footsteps, Duan Qing then came to the warehouse tent full of medicinal smell: "I wonder... have you ever heard of Mestrada's name?"
"It's a very old name."
After a slight daze, Claire's face regained its former kindness: "It's so old... I almost forgot about it."
"I see."
Understanding the meaning of this sentence in his heart, Duan Qing bent his straight waist again: "Mestrada should be the magician who ruled the Emerald Tower and the surrounding areas during the ancient Magic Empire, and was also the later Emerald Tower.
The creator of forest, do you know anything about how he created this substance?"
"You can actually ask such a question..." The smile on Claire's face faded slightly: "Where did you know these contents?"
"From... a diary in the Emerald Tower." Duan Qing replied in a low voice: "I originally thought that no one in this world knew about these things, but according to Val's description..."
"Valar, this guy, seems to be quite enthusiastic."
Claire, who assumed a standard standing posture, her face and hair accessories were extremely neat, smiled and replied: "As long as you become friends with him, he will definitely do his best to help you... I guess everything in his past,
I should have explained it to you, right?"
"You...know about his past?" Duan Qing's face became surprised: "Did he tell you personally? Or..."
"Let me think about it..." Claire, who squinted her eyes, made a recalling expression: "Oh my god...it seems like he never mentioned it."
"Then you..."
"He has a special aura about him."
Raising her hand to interrupt Duan Qing's words, Claire pointed to the northwest of the town with a smile: "Just like people who have been contaminated by the incense of thiobofum will never be cleansed, we will kill those who have just come to our village at a glance.
We recognized the aura on that person, and it was so familiar that it even made us observe and be wary of the man who claimed to be a blacksmith for a long time..."
"……breath?"
"Yes, breath."
Looking up at the top of the tent, Claire's kind face slowly disappeared again: "We have been fighting those things for so long, and we will never forget that kind of atmosphere..."
"That's the aura of someone who has been in contact with the emerald stone."
call--
Just like it heralded that the heavy snow that had swept across the entire Fenghua Plain was about to fall again, the strong wind from outside once again blew violently from the top of the tent, and the sound of hunting wind that seemed to lift the entire tent roof continued to echo.
The heads of Duan Qing and Claire swayed together with the heavy atmosphere around them: "The aura of the Emerald Stone...?"
"People who have been in contact with the emerald stone and those who are affected by the emerald stone will leave a special aura." Claire replied in a low voice: "It is a kind of aura that is difficult for ordinary people to detect, and it does not have any
Negative effect, its existence only proves one thing, that is, his soul...has been changed by the Emerald Stone."
"...In other words, Val is actually a victim?"
"Influence and change are important."
Shaking her head to deny Duan Qing's question, Claire patted her white collar: "People who are less affected will have mild dizziness, vomiting, and weakness in their limbs. People with low mental strength will also have hallucinations.
As well as some memory loss, this loss will expand as the impact gradually expands. The accompanying symptoms are more obvious hallucinations and unstable mental state. The patient will regard everything they see under the influence as real.
Everything, and gradually fell into a world created by illusions, from which there is no way to escape."
"Your soul will eventually belong to the other person - that's the end result of this change process."
After slightly tidying up her equally neat and clean white top, Claire's voice was full of the doctor's unique seriousness: "And in order to stabilize the host's power, people who are influenced by the power of emeralds will also gain their power and become free.
The bane of the continent.”
"...Has this kind of thing ever spread in the past?" Duan Qing's eyes became equally serious: "Just like Val?"
"Of course it spread, but the final result... is the current Emerald Forest." Claire replied in a low voice: "We have been monitoring the changes in the surrounding area, and at the same time, we have tried our best to prevent excess survivors from getting close to the interior of the forest.
, but this process took hundreds of years, and even when adventurers and young people in the village began to come and go frequently... that influence had become very weak."
"Has the energy contained in it been exhausted?"
"No, we suspect...it's because of the loss of command."
Pointing to the southeast, Claire shook her head slightly: "That is, the Emerald Star that you later destroyed...the substance created by Mestrada did not continue to exist for a long time.
Realizing your own will is like... falling into a deep sleep because you have lost your master."
"Does the power of the Emerald Stone require the control of a magician?" Duan Qing touched his nose and asked: "Is Val's experience really the result of the manipulation of some mysterious people?"
"I don't know what happened to him." Claire shook her head and replied: "As a qualified attending doctor, the only thing I can confirm to you is that Val has been affected by the emerald energy. As for what exactly this energy is?
Where did it come from, and who brought it... I'm sorry, I can't answer these for you."
"Then tell me how to identify this energy." Duan Qing, who had been thinking for a while, asked in a low voice: "If there is a chance, I might be able to investigate the background of this matter..."
"The identification of this kind of energy is actually very simple." Claire showed her usual kind smile again: "And..."
"The best example is right in front of you now."
Amidst the sound of wind that was still blowing outside the tent, Duan Qing, who was thinking, raised his head slightly in surprise, and then followed the direction indicated by Claire and looked at the house on the other side of the courtyard where the village chief and his wife were staying.
.
This chapter has been completed!