Chapter 161: Cycle
Evelyn's mouth gaped open in surprise as she asked, "Isn't that just tricking children?"
"Indeed," Alice shrugged, "It's more of a trick to amuse kids rather than seeking genuine good wishes."
"Maybe it did serve that purpose originally?" Evelyn speculated. "Hmm, I'll ask my mom about that thing you mentioned... um..."
"'Jiaozi'," Alice helpfully reminded her.
Evelyn nodded, "Right, I'll ask my mom if she's heard of this 'jiaozi' thing."
After thinking for a moment, Evelyn added:
"Even if she hasn't heard of it, we should be able to recreate it... Just prepare the filling and dough, then wrap the filling inside the dough. Sounds simple enough!"
"Exactly," Alice nodded, "And when cooking, you just need to boil them in water. It's not complicated at all!"
Evelyn nodded seriously, heading home with confidence in Mrs. Greenland's culinary skills.
...
In the God-forsaken Land.
As the lightning gradually subsided, Silver City's exploration team finally entered the darkness.
The beast-skin lanterns emitted a faint glow, sheltering the entire exploration team to prevent anyone from falling into danger in the dark.
After a journey that was neither long nor short, punctuated by sporadic battles, they finally reached their destination.
They rested briefly at the camp to adjust their condition before officially beginning their exploration.
Standing outside the ruins of their target, aided by the weak but persistent light of the beast-skin lanterns, Derrick saw the almost completely collapsed city walls and the dilapidated streets devoid of even a single weed.
On both sides of the street, most houses had collapsed, with only a few barely standing, their surfaces covered in mottled marks - the dust left by time.
The architecture here differed from Silver City's pointed structures, with a coating primarily in blue and white. But now, everything was gray and dim, its original appearance indiscernible.
Derrick stood still, imagining this city's past.
This city must have endured for ages. In the past, it surely had many residents who developed their own civilization in the dark era.
The humans here, like those in Silver City, would have consumed potions, repaired buildings, and defended the city walls.
They would have formed teams of five or six or more to explore outside, hunt monsters, and search for resources necessary for survival.
They may have celebrated during brief periods of stability, worshipped deities, longed for responses, and given birth to the next generation to keep hope alive.
However, they ultimately received no response, perishing hopelessly in the darkness, losing all their voices, leaving only ruins behind.
This place was the ruins of a city, and also the tomb of a civilization.
"Hunter" Colin looked around, his expression somber.
These ruins seemed to convey an unsettling implication, making him worry - would Silver City become such ruins in the future?
However, as the chair of the "Council of Six," as a leader, and as the head of this exploration, he couldn't be the first to give up hope.
Colin Eliot suppressed all his emotions and pointed ahead:
"The other areas have been cleared.
"That temple is at the center of the city."
His voice was as calm and steady as usual, his expression betraying no abnormality.
The exploration team spread out in an orderly manner, beginning their search with caution.
After passing through ruin after ruin destroyed who knows how long ago, walking down street after street quiet enough to drive one mad, a broad, high platform built entirely by human hands appeared before them.
Atop the platform stood a half-collapsed building, strikingly similar to Silver City's temple, with stone pillars supporting a dome and arches framing the entrance.
Completely different from the style of other buildings here, it was indeed the later adopted "Fallen Creator"... Just as Derrick had this thought, the four lanterns in the team simultaneously extinguished.
Pure darkness instantly enveloped the entire exploration team. The sky had no lightning, the ground lost its candlelight, and even breathing seemed to have disappeared.
Derrick's body instantly tensed. He felt as if some monster in the darkness had extended its tongue, tentatively licking his scalp, but his intuition told him that nothing tangible had actually appeared.
He should have immediately emitted light, but at that moment, a childish, helpless, fearful, and dry voice suddenly sounded in his ear:
"Save me... save me..."
It was a child's plea for help.
Derrick froze for a moment, unsure how to react, but in an instant, tiny specks of glowing dust appeared before his eyes.
Those specks of dust burst open one after another, igniting flashes of silver-white light, illuminating the surrounding area.
Colin stared at Derrick and said in a lowered voice, "What were you thinking?"
Derrick immediately came to his senses, shamefully clasping his hands together and placing them in front of his mouth and nose, as if in prayer.
A rather pure light immediately radiated from his body, causing the surrounding darkness to silently retreat.
Other team members quickly relit the candles.
Fortunately, due to Colin's prompt reaction, no team members went missing this time, nor did any new members appear.
Colin shifted his gaze from Derrick to the half-collapsed temple atop the platform and solemnly said, "From now on, there can be no negligence. Raise vigilance to the highest level."
...
After reaching the altar without incident, Derrick and another exploration team member, Joshua, followed "Hunter" Colin's instructions and circled to the back of the altar.
As the darkness was gradually dispelled by the light, they saw a dark figure crouched behind the altar.
They took two more steps forward, and the protagonist of the shadow revealed its true form.
It was a child of seven or eight years old, with soft, smooth blonde hair.
He closed his eyes, seemingly uncomfortable with the light, and excitedly shouted:
"Save me... save me..."
Derrick's pupils constricted as he recalled the plea for help he had heard in the pure darkness earlier, and he instinctively raised his "Hurricane Axe."
At this moment, "Hunter" Colin, who had already come to their side, stepped forward and asked gravely, "Who are you?"
The child stopped pleading for help and said, as if remembering, "My name, my name is Jack..."
...
Derrick stood outside the city wall again, observing the wall's appearance by the faint light of the beast-skin lanterns, imagining this city's past.
"Hunter" Colin Eliot looked around, his expression solemn as he pointed ahead:
"The other areas have been cleared.
"That temple is at the center of the city."
A new round of exploration began once more.