Chapter 1457 - Guards of the Dreamland (1/2)
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The Soulless sleeping in the shadowy realm had been awakened.
They were the inhabitants and masonry of the shadowy realm and dreamland. Before the disturbance, they were fused together with the world. They were the stone carvings and murals, the twisted faces on dead trees, weird stones in the corners, and the shadows of overlapping clouds. They were all hidden in various corners of the world. When the intruders came in, they all “woke up” and emerged everywhere.
As Hao Ren and the rest retreated, they shattered many phantoms on the way. They finally found their way into a tall and sturdy castle. As they shut the heavy oak door behind them, the never-ending shrills in the courtyard finally calmed down, becoming soft like a breeze.
However, that did not mean it was safe. The Soulless Guards were ubiquitous in that world. Hao Ren watched cautiously as they were now in a spacious, Gothic-style promenade. Pillars, semi-inlaid in the walls, divided the boardwalk into hundreds of sections. The narrow, tall windows in between the pillars overlooked the intruders like eyes hanging high above one’s head. Under each window, there was swaying, white candlelight, illuminating the oil painting that hung under the window. The atmosphere was eerie.
Just like any medieval mansion of nobility, the castle in the reflection had oil paintings and photo frames to accentuate its architecture. It was as if they were there to match the building’s atmosphere, style, and content. The oil paintings were morbid and strange; the portraits in the photo frames were blurry, faceless, and covered in shadows. Hao Ren was very wary of them; they could suddenly come to life under the shadows.
As if in response to Hao Ren’s vigilance, when everyone took a breather, the oil paintings near the door suddenly went up in flames. As white flames swallowed the pictures, translucent phantoms emerged and broke free from the smoke, each holding a long sword, just like an armed knight of the nobility. A knight even held a flag depicting wild rose and long sword. The Soulless, who awakened in the form of phantoms, shrilled as they charged toward the intruders.
Greeting the Soulless were the magic whip of Hessiana and the firepower of Hao Ren.
“There are just too many of them!” Lily cried after finishing off these phantom-like Soulless Guards. “Who are these Soulless Guards? When did Vivian have this army?”
“The Soulless is born from the dream of Vivian,” Hessiana said as she led everyone running in the seemingly endless promenade. “The Soulless will only appear during her hibernation. The longer she hibernates, the stronger the Soulless will be. These Soulless Guards are born out of the past memories of Vivian, and people and things she has touched may emerge as the Soulless in this shadowy realm. No one has ever dared to disturb Vivian in her hibernation except for the daredevil demon hunters. Any disturbances could wake up the Soulless, which then could leak out from the dream. There used to be a city thus destroyed in history when people dug the caves where Vivian was hibernating to steal the relics. The nightmare had devoured the city and left nothing behind.”
If given a choice, the demon hunters would not want to look for trouble with Vivian. They are just to protect their homes, Hao Ren thought to himself.
“Whoa, Battie… I mean Vivian is so cool.” Lily stuck out her tongue after the Freudian slip. “Do we have to fight all the way in? Did you not say that you can control the Soulless?”
“I am headed to the tower that controls the Soulless!” Hessiana was a little impatient now. “What more do you want? The route I choose is already the safest! I am afraid the other routes may be full of monsters. You would have died from exhaustion even before the monsters killed you on the outside.”
As Hessiana spoke, strange shrills and sinister laughter suddenly burst out from the surroundings. Hessiana immediately clenched her whip. She noticed that they had come to the end of the corridor and before a rectangular hall that looked like a crossroad. There were opened black doors on the four sides, from which the ghost laugh came. A gorgeous chandelier hung at the center of the hall, swaying without wind.
The temperature in the hall was dropping. A layer of frost had formed on the floor.
“How come the butler is here?” Hessiana face was solemn. “Is it not supposed to patrol the cemetery?”
“Who is the butler?” Lily asked curiously. “Now Vivian has a butler?”
“The Soulless is an empty shell without soul and thoughts, but they still instinctively form a family structure and hierarchy. The butler is the head of the Soulless Guards who specializes in the defense of the inner court. Under normal circumstances, it always stays in Vivian’s place of hibernation, patrolling the cemetery. But somehow, it has wandered into this place.”
“This time, Vivian has chosen to hibernate in such a troublesome place.” Hao Ren sneered while raising his spear slightly.