Preparing to find a way back up, Grin naturally turned his gaze toward the hole they had fallen through.
Viseliane’s original path had already collapsed.
At a height of over fifty meters, it was something Grin could barely manage to climb in his current state, but trying to bring Viseliane along would be quite a struggle.
“I can do it, Mr. Grin,” Viseliane said with a nod. She could see where his gaze was lingering.
Suddenly, the ground behind them collapsed again, revealing a hollow leading downward. Beneath the path of soil mixed with architectural debris lay a group of eerie, sinister buildings.
This was clearly a part of the Past Kingdom of the Surand Region.
Grin, of course, had no intention of going down there.
But…
A monster slowly crawled out from that opening, seemingly attracted by the massive commotion. Just looking at its size—several times larger than a horse—made it clear that it was not something to be trifled with.
“…”
Grin turned his head to look back, and Viseliane gave him a nod.
They entered the Past Kingdom through the collapsed opening.
The various buildings of the city carried a sense of age and decay. Grin could not tell which country’s ruins these were based on the few remaining landmark structures.
At the hole they had just descended from, the monster poked its head out and looked around before settling down to rest at the top.
Grin and Viseliane found a house that was still relatively intact to take shelter in. After sealing off the surroundings, Viseliane used magic to light a fire.
“What should we do now?” Viseliane asked Grin.
“Wait for that monster to leave, or try to find an exit down here,” Grin said after a pause. “This place connects to the Underground Area outside the Royal Palace, but it is a one-way exit. If we do not lose our way, we should be able to exit through a Great Hollow similar to the one on Mercury Street.”
“However, I do not know if there are new dangers in this city. Since the Undead in the Great Hollow were resurrected by the Wonder, I do not know if this place has been affected as well.”
Viseliane shook her head and replied, “There is no influence from the Wonder here. There are no Undead rising from the dead. At most, there will be special traps, magic arrays, and native monsters like the one above us.”
An Elf’s perception was far sharper than that of a human like Grin.
Suddenly, Grin thought of something. He opened his hand and spread out a Bark Scroll to show Viseliane.
This was the cursed item he had taken earlier, the [Elf’s Last Wish]. It had Viseliane’s name written on it, but he had been hesitant to tell her about it until now.
Now that everything was out in the open, he decided to let her make her own choice.
Viseliane was a bit confused at first, but once she saw the contents and her own name, she understood Grin’s meaning.
“Mr. Grin…”
“I found it in the hollow under Mercury Street. It was placed on an evil magic array to serve as a power source,” Grin answered, anticipating her question. Viseliane nodded, indicating his explanation was sufficient.
The author of the Bark Scroll was Viseliane’s grandmother, who was also a traitor to the Elves.
Though titled a “Last Wish,” it was effectively a suicide note.
It detailed matters regarding the curse, yet the entire text was filled with words of despair and helplessness. The very end read: ‘I am sorry, Viroya. I am sorry, Viseliane.’
Aside from its evil aura, it possessed no other special characteristics, which was why Grin had only been surprised by Viseliane’s name when he first obtained it.
“The Aihexie region is my home. The Elves born in that area carry a curse from a God, one that has been passed down for nearly five thousand years.”
“Because of this, countless Elves have tried to find a way to break the curse over these five thousand years, but all have returned empty-handed. Among them, some went to extremes and committed grave errors because they came into contact with the Abyss.”
“This includes my grandmother,” Viseliane explained to Grin, while simultaneously pointing toward the center of the Bark Scroll.
“There should be hidden text in the middle of this Bark Scroll. Those words require the spring water from my hometown to reveal their contents. That is the true message.”
Moved by the scene, Viseliane’s gaze drifted slightly as she recalled some unpleasant memories of the past.
“We Elves of Aihexie sometimes use these methods to pass on hidden information. Although it is often a suicide note, it is used because it is usually reserved for the worst-case scenarios.”
“In such scenarios, this is typically the only way to leave behind information that can be discovered by those who come after.”
“I am sorry to ask this, but if possible, I would like to request that you continue to keep it, Mr. Grin. If one day you can take it to my hometown, the people there will dispose of it properly.”
Grin was somewhat puzzled. “This should belong to you. Are you not going to keep it?”
“It carries a bit of the aura of the Abyss, which will affect me. That is why I want to ask you to keep carrying it,” Viseliane said casually.
Though Grin still found it a bit strange, it did explain why the Bark Scroll had an Abyssal aura but lacked the “Curse” component. That part was likely hidden within the concealed text.
“Cough, cough…”
Suddenly, Viseliane coughed several times and spat out blood. Her complexion rapidly turned ghastly.
Grin handed her a potion. After hurriedly drinking it, Viseliane leaned her head back against the wall, her chest heaving violently.
She spat out a mouthful of blood. It left a deep purple stain, looking like a venomous snake.
Viseliane propped herself up with a slight tremble and then suggested to Grin, “Let us take the roads through the city to get out.”
“The curse?” Grin asked.
“It seems so. I have some medicine hidden back in the Royal Palace. As long as I get up there and take it in time, I will be fine,” Viseliane replied.
Viseliane picked up her bow and arrows and continued to Grin, “It is my honor to be able to fight by your side again.”
She had become much more frank and talkative. At the same time, she held up a fist.
“Me too.”
Grin bumped fists with her. A situation that should have been frantic felt much lighter simply because he had someone to talk to.
“I will also do my best to protect you, Mr. Grin.”
Grin nodded and then walked onto the streets of the ancient city with Viseliane.
Calling them streets was generous; in reality, it was a field of ruins. Almost none of the buildings on either side were intact.
A few high-rise buildings looked like they might contain treasure, but none of that was within Grin’s considerations. The priority was to get Viseliane out and find the “medicine” she mentioned.
Since it concerned her life, Grin’s pace involuntarily quickened.
Just as Viseliane had said, there were only a small number of monsters and old mechanical traps along the way. Grin handled these easily.
Viseliane proved reliable as well, using her bow from behind to help him clear away any dangers he could not attend to.
Finally, they passed through the exit and saw the light pouring down from the sky at the end of the tunnel.
“Viseliane, we are out… Viseliane?”
There was no response to his call. Grin turned around to find that, at some point, Viseliane had completely collapsed onto the ground. Her breathing was faint.
Purple patterns had surfaced across her face.
Oh Dear. Thanks for translating.