novelraw Chapter 422: Conclusion
Chapter 422: Conclusion
Lu Li felt no joy in victory, only an exhaustion that pierced him to the core, body and soul.
He watched as the Face-Worms gathered once more, sensed their collective emotion, and opened his hand, releasing the First Pistol.
The silver frame of the First Pistol hovered before him. On its barrel, three bloomed roses looked both elegant and beautiful.
Without hesitation, the remaining Face-Worms surged toward the First Pistol, seeking liberation for their souls.
A small vortex formed before Lu Li. His black hair drifted in the viscous, deep-sea currents, and his dark, slightly narrowed eyes calmly watched the scene unfold.
With no farewells, no delays, the last Face-Worm collided with the spirit gun and dissolved into oblivion.
The turbulence in the water stilled, and tranquility returned to the viscous depths.
Lu Li had no more reason to stay.
Reaching out, Lu Li drew upon a fraction of the Old Mother of the Swamp's power sealed within him, pulling the spirit gun back into his palm before holstering it.
Lu Li glanced down at the gaping abyss below. It had not vanished with the Old Mother of the Swamp; instead, it had grown even darker, more somber than before.After staring into it for a moment, Lu Li looked away and began to ascend toward the surface.
In the dead silence of the viscous depths, only a faint whisper drifted up from the abyss.
...
The husk of the Old Mother of the Swamp was dying.
Its blood-red flesh faded to a dark crimson, like cooling lava.
A ripple shimmered in the space before the petrified statue of the Mother of the Swamp. Lu Li's form emerged from it, returning to the surface world.
With the Old Mother of the Swamp gone, the seal restraining the Mother of the Swamp began to weaken. The statue radiated a dark violet glow that steadily intensified.
Besides the Mother of the Swamp, who was struggling to break free from her seal, Lu Li saw another figure—a ghostly one that should not have been there.
Lu Li frowned. "You've been in contact with the In-Between?"
The power of the Old Mother of the Swamp still resided within him. Lu Li couldn't describe or wield it, but the heightened perception it granted allowed him to clearly sense the sinister aura Anna had just suppressed.
Anna sensed the same thing. An oppressive power emanated from Lu Li, much like the one that radiated from the Mother of the Swamp, as if he had ascended beyond humanity, closer to the heavens.
For a human, this was not a good sign.
Anna looked away slightly, avoiding his gaze. "I need to become stronger... to protect you."
"If the price is losing yourself, then it's meaningless," Lu Li said, watching her closely.
Aside from the coldness deep in her eyes, she hadn't lost her essence.
That was good news, at least. Anna hadn't gotten any worse.
The cold in Anna's eyes gradually faded. "If you're so worried about me, then stop taking such risks."
"I... underestimated you..."
A sudden whisper cut Lu Li off. Anna's expression darkened again as the Mother of the Swamp continued to mutter, "A weak human... was able... to kill the Old Mother of the Swamp."
"The Old Mother of the Swamp destroyed herself," Lu Li said, shaking his head.
He had merely nudged a ball resting on the edge of a slope, like a child starting a game. The rest had simply followed its course.
"How long will it take you to break the seal?" Lu Li asked.
The dark violet glow emanating from the Mother of the Swamp stopped intensifying.
After a brief pause, the Mother of the Swamp replied. "I... find it difficult to remove the remnants of the Old Mother's seal."
Lu Li caught the key piece of information. "So you can't free yourself?" he asked.
This time, the Mother of the Swamp was silent for much longer before she whispered, "Will... you keep your promise?"
"Our deal was to oppose the Old Mother of the Swamp. That is now done. You are a dangerous Evil Spirit to humans, and this seal isn't a bad fate for you."
The Mother of the Swamp fell silent for a long time, as if pondering how to respond to Lu Li—and how to escape her trap.
"How do I remove the seal?" Lu Li asked unexpectedly.
"The power of the Old Mother of the Swamp is sealed within you," the Mother of the Swamp whispered. "Give it to me, and it will become my power... A human cannot bear the power of an Evil God, not even you. It is corroding your consciousness, and one day, the Old Mother of the Swamp will be reborn in your body."
Sensing the dark power pulsing within him, Lu Li answered calmly, "How do I give it to you?"
"Touch me..."
"Be careful," Anna warned quietly. Lu Li walked up to the statue and placed his palm against it.
The dark power drained swiftly from his body. The violet glow around the statue intensified, nearly engulfing Lu Li's figure. As the power left, exhaustion washed over him once more.
Just as he was about to collapse, a force emanated from the Mother of the Swamp, pushing him back. Anna, anticipating this, caught him gently.
"My true form... to gaze upon it or touch it for too long leads to madness," the Mother of the Swamp's whisper echoed from within the radiant cloud. "I have broken the seal. Return to the surface. I do not like it here..."
The dark violet radiance suddenly engulfed Lu Li and Anna.
Anna sensed no malicious intent and allowed the violet light to envelop them.
A few seconds later, the glow faded, revealing Lu Li and Anna once more.
They were outside, standing by the enormous fig tree.
Lu Li looked up at the sky. The blood-red rain, which had fallen day and night, had ceased with the Old Mother of the Swamp's demise.
He could only hope that when the crimson clouds finally scattered, the sun would appear.
"Is it over?"
"It's over," Anna said, looking at the dark hollow in the tree's trunk. "It seems we've been kicked out... without so much as a goodbye."
The Mother of the Swamp had not followed them out.
"That's for the best," Lu Li replied calmly.
Humans and Evil Gods were natural enemies, so if the Mother of the Swamp wanted to keep her distance, Lu Li was all for it.
"Let's go," Lu Li said, pressing a hand to his stomach as he stepped forward. Anna moved to his side, supporting him.
Suddenly, numerous figures emerged from the darkness, surrounding them.
Anna watched warily as a black-robed figure approached.
"The deal is complete, is it not?" the Mother of the Swamp's whisper came from beneath the figure's hood. "You know too much. Perhaps I should not have let you leave my swamp..."
Lu Li said nothing, his gaze fixed intently on the figure.
Time stretched on, and then, the black-robed figure stepped aside.
"My servants will escort you... from the swamp."
It felt more like revenge for Lu Li's initial refusal to break the seal.
As if he had anticipated this, Lu Li said calmly, "I made a promise on your behalf. The steamship that ran aground in the creek wishes to return to the sea."
"I will send it where it belongs..."
"Let's go," Lu Li said to Anna.
"Wait," the Mother of the Swamp whispered suddenly. "Accept my gift..."
Lu Li lowered his gaze to the bright-red agate bracelet held in the dark figure's hands.
The last time he had seen that bracelet, it had been on a cold, lifeless wrist.