In the dream, he was in a different world where he did not exist.
In the universe of that world, all things and all laws, without his participation, all proceed in an orderly manner according to the existing track.
Kingdoms one by one are like crucian carp crossing a river, chaotic and numerous, rising one day and falling tomorrow.
All events, like nodes on a circular orbit, occur one after another and the cycle continues.
He could only stand aside, as a bystander, watching the ebb and flow of the tide, the flowers blooming and withering, no matter how much he shouted or struggled, he was unable to make any changes or fight for it.
Finally, a dazzling light shone in from the darkness, taking him away from the endless nightmare.
Todd slowly woke up and found that his vision was blurry and he could only distinguish faint lights and shapes.
The huge dragon's body was covered with large and small wounds. One side of the dragon's wing was almost completely broken off, leaving only a few bones and muscles connected. The dragon's scales all over its body fell off due to the explosion, revealing the bright red fleshy membrane underneath.
Todd wanted to speak, but found that his vocal cords were also severely damaged and he could only make some indistinct noises.
"It's a miracle that you survived." Meredith's voice suddenly appeared in Todd's mind: "When I found you, you were like a pile of sausages hanging in the market."
Todd opened his eyes wide and looked forward, unable to make out anything more than a blurry figure.
Meredith's voice sounded again: "Just lie here like this, don't even think about moving around."
Todd responded in his mind: "Where am I?"
"Shadow Kingdom, when I rescued you from the battlefield, it took a lot of effort."
Hearing Meredith's answer, Todd was stunned subconsciously.
This woman brought herself from the battlefield back to the Kingdom of Shadows?
The dragon-shaped body weighs dozens of tons. How did she do it?
Putting this question aside for the time being, Todd asked: "How is my physical injury? How long will it take for it to fully heal?"
"It's hard to say. Although my master Scathach has rescued you, your injuries are still very serious. As for when you want to know when you will recover, I'm afraid I can't give you an exact time."
Todd was silent for a moment and asked again: "How long have I been unconscious?"
"Five months."
"What did you say?!" Hearing this answer, Todd became anxious and struggled to get up, but the severe pain all over his body forced him to lie down again.
Meredith said helplessly: "I just finished my instructions, and you forgot what I said. Your injuries haven't healed yet, so don't even think about moving around."
Todd, who realized that he couldn't move at all, sighed slightly and slowly calmed down.
"I still remember the explosion during the battle with Cu Chulainn, but what happened next?"
Meredith said while recalling: "The fire and vibration caused by that explosion can be clearly felt even by me who is far away in the Kingdom of Shadows. By the time I arrived at the battlefield, it had become an approximately
A huge crater two kilometers wide and nearly a hundred meters deep."
Hearing this, Todd was a little puzzled. The power of spore parasites is indeed very powerful, but not to this extent, right?
Perhaps, in Cu Chulainn's tyrant body, there is an organ for digesting corpses, which stores the flammable gases produced during digestion? (mainly carbon dioxide, methane and sulfur-based gases)
Meredith continued to narrate: "When I arrived, the Valkyrie, who was quite hostile to me, had already led a group of people to dig up the explosion site like crazy. After some coercion and inducement on my part, I finally managed to
It was to persuade them to let me take your body away."
"In the first month after returning to the Kingdom of Shadows, you couldn't see your original appearance at all. Fortunately, my master Scathach extended a helping hand in time and you were able to save your life."
Todd let out a long breath: "Then... Cu Chulainn..."
"You ask him? Although my master has told me to bring back Cu Chulainn's body... But in that deep pit, it is no exaggeration to say that there are pieces of meat and body parts scattered everywhere, and it is impossible to distinguish them at all.
Which wreckage belongs to that guy."
Meredith said helplessly: "I have always been curious, why does my teacher care about that kind of stubborn and conservative guy?"
Recalling what Cu Chulain said to him before the mutation, Todd said with emotion: "Perhaps it is because of Cu Chulain's stubbornness and conservatism that Scathach feels that his soul has special value?"
Meredith approached Todd, patted the latter's dragon head with her hand, and said with a pun: "There is a saying that seems to be true, the people who know you best are often not your relatives, but your enemies...
"
Feeling Meredith walking further and further away, Todd couldn't help shouting in his mind: "Hey, where are you going?"
Meredith said angrily: "Of course I'm going to inform your lovers that you're awake! Otherwise, those people would come over every once in a while to cause trouble. Do you think I want to see them?!"
Todd shrank his neck and closed his mouth.
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Muxi City, Muxi Cathedral.
Alfonso, who was dressed in black armor and carrying a big sword on his back, looked at Huggins limping towards him and was filled with emotions for a moment.
Huggins walked up to Alfonso, pounded the other man's breastplate hard, and laughed and said: "How long have we not seen each other?! Two years? Three years?"
Alfonso whispered: "I am in the north..."
Huggins hurriedly stopped the other party from talking: "Well, I know, don't talk about His Majesty's affairs here... By the way..."
Looking at the heavily armed Alfonso, Huggins knocked on his helmet: "In Twilight City, you don't need to carry this iron bucket at all."
Alfonso hesitated: "I'm wearing a keel, you should know, those on my head..."
"It's okay, it's okay!" Huggins said with a smile: "Xenomorphs have already become a part of Muxi City. Let alone showing their heads, even if they take off their armor and walk around wearing dragon bones, it won't be a big deal."
Suspicious, Alfonso took off his helmet, and the parasitic limbs on his head slowly stretched out and began to twist and swing.
The surrounding people who came to worship at the cathedral just glanced at Alfonso and continued with their own affairs.
Alfonso looked around and calmed down: "Your Majesty will tell you about the cross I brought..."
"That matter has been fully handled by Mr. Emerson. You don't have to worry about these things..." Huggins pointed to the door: "I haven't been back to Muxi City for a long time. Otherwise, I will take you out for a walk."
"However, His Majesty also told me to let me be responsible for taking away some people."
Huggins waved his hand: "That matter is not urgent. I will let you meet them later."
Alfonso spread his hands: "In that case, I have to go somewhere first."
Huggins suddenly realized: "Oh, yes, I think I know where you are going..."
An hour later, Alfonso and Huggins stood in a cemetery, the former placing a bouquet of flowers on the tombstone.
"Adelina..." Huggins looked at the name on the tombstone thoughtfully: "It's the woman who died in the defense of Muxi."
"I owe her a lot..." Alfonso, who was kneeling on one knee, slowly stood up: "A lot..."
After looking around, Alfonso asked: "There seem to be many more tombstones here?"
Huggins nodded: "His Majesty ordered that this hilly area be designated as the Kingdom Cemetery. Only those who have made great contributions to the country can be buried here after their death. No one, for any purpose, can conquer it.
Or use the land."
Alfonso sighed: "So that's how it is, now that I think about it... I also owe your Majesty a lot..."
Huggins nodded: "Let's go and walk around the city."
After leaving the cemetery, the two people sat in a carriage and began a city tour along the neat and wide streets.
"The number of permanent residents in Duixi City now exceeds 220,000. If you include tourists, laborers and sailors, it probably exceeds 500,000."
Huggins pointed to the crowded streets and said with pride: "Looking at all the countries in the diocese, even the entire population of the Papal State and its dependent countries is not comparable to the population of Duxi City alone."
Alfonso stretched his head out from the carriage and said a little helplessly: "I would rather ride a horse than sit on this."
Huggins said with a smile: "The cabinet has issued a decree that no horses are allowed in the downtown area. However, MPs and knights are licensed to own carriages."
Looking at Huggins' smile, Alfonso frowned, but ultimately chose to remain silent.
"Look there! That is the Victory Day Fountain Garden. It is the largest man-made lake garden with the most luxurious facilities in the entire continent. The huge fountain in the middle of the lake with a height of more than 20 meters cost a total of 30,000 gold stars.
At night, the fountains, lakes, spotlights, and colored glass turntables are turned on at the same time, making this artificial lake garden look like a paradise."
"That is the pilgrimage palace of the Holy King. A lot of money was spent there to build a golden statue of His Majesty, and precious works of art collected from various kingdoms are also stored there..."
Alfonso turned around and interrupted Huggins: "Who paid for the construction of these buildings?"
"Of course it's the cabinet. I remember that when you first left, the cabinet responsible for the kingdom's public expenditures was very poor. Sometimes even the salary of the staff had to be borrowed from the royal family. Now everything is different. Muxi City is richer
Although the tax rate has not changed, the tax revenue has been ten times the original amount. The cabinet can use more money to spend on public construction and landscape roads. Isn't this a good thing?"
After listening to Huggins' words, Alfonso turned his head noncommittally and continued to look at the dazzling "prosperous scene" of Muxi City in front of him.
Suddenly, something unexpected jumped into Alfonso's eyes, causing him to stop the carriage.
Hearing Alfonso's call, Huggins looked in the direction of his finger.
A middle-aged man in ragged clothes, with two young and thin girls, huddled in the corner, looking at the passers-by with pleading eyes.
In front of them, there was a wooden sign with a piece of bread and a crying face drawn with a pen on the top, and "Hungry! Please give me food!" written crookedly in common language on the bottom!
Alfonso, who looked surprised, pointed at the three people, one large, two small, and asked Huggins: "Are these people refugees who came to Muxi City to escape?"
The latter looked at it carefully, shook his head and said, "No, these people are legal citizens of Muxi City."
Alfonso's eyes widened: "What did you say?! How could a legal citizen of Muxi City be reduced to begging on the street?!"
Huggins lowered the curtains of the carriage and signaled Alfonso to speak softer: "It's a long story, I'll explain it to you as we go."