Like dark colors staining glazed glass, silent and still, as if layers of dust had accumulated and were continuously sinking.
This is the abandoned land, the original stage of life, yet ultimately left in desolation.
Do those children wandering the mortal world still remember the significance of this place?
This... is the deep sea.
Darkness converges, evolution halts, growth ceases... It feels as if its master has been lost, like a graveyard... Yes, don't leave... If even you forget... Gurgle, gurgle, bubbles rise along the turbulent current.
Seeing the sunlight again, Linge swam toward the shore. He was originally a landlubber, but the presence of magic allowed him to quickly adapt to the slight discomfort of the environment.
Upon reaching the shore, someone was already waiting for him ahead.
"Oh my, what a sorry state you're in..."
Eva snickered, looking at the man dragging a greatsword with a girl on his back, her face filled with schadenfreude.
"Going to die~ Going to die~ Going to die~" Eva hummed repeatedly.
"Shut up!" Linge snapped in a low voice.
"Mhm, a real man shouldn't be so rude to a lady!" Eva shook her head innocently, speaking as if she had nothing to fear. "She's going to die anyway, so why don't you come with me instead?"
She drew circles in the air with her finger, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Why follow her into all that killing? Come with me... I'll teach you some very impressive things!"
Linge turned his head slightly, feeling the girl's remaining breath. Then, with a grim expression, his eyes fixed on Eva like a hawk perched on a branch.
"What... do you want?!"
Eva flinched, crossing her arms over her shoulders and taking a step back.
"No! Absolutely not! No matter how handsome you are! I'm not ready yet..."
Her voice trailed off, and she kept glancing up tentatively.
"Drop the clumsy act; let's talk business." Linge closed his eyes, calming his emotions.
"I've been found out..."
Eva smiled at his words. Then, her wings appeared, her clothing became more revealing, and totems surfaced on her skin.
"Are you here because you anticipated this situation?"
As he spoke, all emotion seemed to be drained from Linge's voice, making him sound very cold.
Eva shook her head. Seeing how serious Linge was, she responded in kind: "No, but most of her items were provided by me. It wouldn't befit my status if I hadn't tampered with them a bit."
"So how much do you know?"
Linge stared intently at Eva's face, as if he might skin her alive at any moment.
"Ah, I know. She's in this state because she was hit with a lethal poison and used 'Requiem' at the last moment to save her life."
Eva waved her hand, already becoming a bit impatient.
"Is she in pain?"
Linge noticed his own abnormality. He withdrew his gaze and looked sideways at the pale face of the girl behind him.
"Oh, for goodness' sake, what a stupid question!"
Eva put one hand on her hip and sighed. With the other hand, she fumbled around her neck, found a translucent thread, and pulled it up, revealing a purple gemstone.
"Want it?"
She dangled the stone in front of Linge, but he ignored her.
"I have no interest in jewelry."
Linge refused coldly.
"You idiot! This is a damn Magic Stone! Haven't you noticed her magic is almost depleted?"
Hearing this, Linge realized and reached for it, but Eva immediately pulled it back.
"Good. Where there's a demand, there's a deal. Now, what do you think... you should pay?"
Eva tilted her head slightly, her face showing a merchant's shrewdness. With a cunning smile, she continued, "How about spending a night with me?"
"You..."
Linge's face darkened. He wanted to refuse sternly, but he knew the girl on his back couldn't wait.
"You're taking advantage of someone in trouble. How shameless!"
Although his tone was harsh, Linge was actually showing weakness, hinting that they could negotiate.
Naturally, Linge planned to take the item and deal with the cost later.
But he subconsciously forgot that he was dealing with a devil.
"Oh my, such an insincere man. To try and 'get' something through 'deception'... but a deal must be 'honest'."
Eva shook her head, appearing quite disappointed.
"Cut the crap. 'Honesty' is just a tactic you use to deceive people. Merchants create an 'honest' environment only to profit through 'dishonest' means."
Since they were speaking plainly, Linge stopped beating around the bush and held out his hand.
"Give it to me. We'll discuss the price later."
"Hehe, what a terrible man. You have nothing, so why are you so confident?" Eva looked up, a smirk playing on her lips.
"Everything has a price. If you aren't willing to give anything up, you naturally won't 'get' anything."
"Is that really okay... even though your girl is about to die?"
The only response to these words was a gaze cold to the extreme.
"Starting to consider a cost-free deal?"
Eva looked disappointed. The totems all over her body flashed with purple light, which flowed out to envelop her.
"How boring. I was going to give it to you after teasing you a bit more..."
A blinding light flashed. When vision returned, Eva had vanished, leaving only her voice behind.
"Go ahead and be bold. Don't worry about the return journey; I'll be waiting for you on your way back."
Linge stepped forward and found two items left on the ground.
One was the purple Magic Stone, and the other was a small mirror.
"..."
Linge set the girl down. He picked up the still-warm purple Magic Stone, took off Leike's red hood, brushed aside her hair, and put it on her. The gem flickered with light against her chest.
He chuckled, thinking the thing didn't suit her at all.
But the sleeping girl had a different kind of charm; she was very quiet, her golden hair fluttering slightly against her face.
She was clearly just an ordinary girl.
So, she must be suffering... Therefore, it absolutely cannot be allowed... Linge picked up the mirror. His own face was reflected on its surface. He turned it back and forth, shifting the angle of his reflection.
Objectively speaking, it was unremarkable.
But how exactly was this thing supposed to be used?
If magic was its power source, how should it be activated?
Linge didn't know either; he just pondered it in his mind. Suddenly, black ripples shimmered across the mirror's surface.
"I see."
He tried to visualize the location of that room in his mind.
An image appeared in the mirror.
Linge picked up the girl and slung the sword over his back. He whispered, "Let's go."
Being'selected', being 'plucked', being 'dropped'.
This was an unknown, great power. The surrounding scenery folded up, then filled with blackness.
Continuously flipping and whirling, he completely lost his sense of position. Only the sound of the mirror shattering could be heard.
When he came to, he was back in that room that looked like a prison cell.
But this place certainly didn't feel like home... Linge turned around and noticed a stone staircase.
That should be the exit, or perhaps... He carried the girl over and went straight up the stairs.
Lamplight flickered; the house was very bright.
There were pots, pans, dishes, and a sink. The stored food hadn't spoiled either.
This was likely the kitchen.
He hadn't expected it to be connected to that basement.
So they were stocking up on one side, processing on the other, and could even sell... In that case, Little Red Riding Hood should have a room here too, right?
Carrying Little Red Riding Hood, Linge explored further inside.
Perhaps Little Red Riding Hood still had family here?
Linge didn't hold much hope for that.
The rain outside was loud; it must be a rainstorm.
Linge pushed open the kitchen door and walked into the living room.
A large red sofa sat in the middle, in front of a massive table with six chairs neatly arranged.
Further away, against the wall, were several bookshelves with a pendulum clock hanging between them.
To be honest, it seemed Little Red Riding Hood's family was surprisingly well-off. Perhaps there had been many members... yet now it was so silent, not much different from a haunted house.
There was a piece of paper on the table. Linge picked it up to read.
[To Little Red Riding Hood,
The rain doesn't seem like it will stop tonight, so you mustn't leave the house.
The Big Bad Wolf is wandering outside, so before Grandma comes home, you must be a good child and stay inside.
Also, whatever you do, do NOT go into the basement.
—Love, Grandma]
How boring.
The handwriting was very neat, and the ink looked fresh. Linge glanced at it and threw it back on the table.
"Let's find the bedroom first!"
Linge looked around and saw stone stairs. He followed them up to the attic. He found a large mirror in the hallway, similar to the ones in the basement. When he walked over, it clearly reflected his figure; it was an ordinary mirror.
Creak, creak!
He pushed the door, but it didn't budge. It was likely locked. Linge continued further to try another door.
It opened.
Linge stepped inside, his eyes wandering.
The red curtains matched the impression of a girl. The cashmere rug was a sign of a wealthy family. The bookshelf, small desk, vanity, teddy bear, and the clothes hanging behind it all reflected the girl's daily life.
So, one usually isn't allowed into a lady's bedroom.
"Excuse me," he said softly, not expecting a response, and walked in.
Against the wall was a single bed, presumably the girl's.
Linge carefully placed Little Red Riding Hood on the bed, momentarily feeling confused.
"Her clothes... should they be changed and washed..."
Then he immediately shook his head, his tone cold.
"I'm really getting ahead of myself."
Let it be, then. Wearing sour-smelling clothes was part of a warrior's daily life anyway.
Well, the girl wasn't dirty, and she had almost no body odor.
Enough, stop thinking about useless things.
"That 'Grandma' is very suspicious..."
Linge rubbed his chin, then tapped his forehead.
In the story of 'Little Red Riding Hood', 'Grandma' takes up a large portion, and that letter earlier also mentioned the 'Big Bad Wolf'!
Could it be... Linge immediately ran down and searched the kitchen, but only found some fruits and vegetables.
"Nothing. Which means the'story' might not have started yet..."
He closed his eyes, brow furrowed, tilting his head slightly as he began to doubt himself.
Perhaps he was just being paranoid because he spent all day overthinking.
But something was wrong. The only thing that didn't fit was... Little Red Riding Hood's personality.
The Little Red Riding Hood in the original story should have been an innocent and romantic young girl. She fits the characteristics of'something beautiful' in people's subconscious.
So, could it be that the story has already happened, and Leike has already encountered so much that her personality has changed?
No, that's not right... If her mind were traumatized, there would be traces on her soul. He had seen it before; he had seen the girl's soul. That crimson soul... was very clean and pure.
So, did something happen that caused the'story' not to start, while the 'protagonist' was already in an altered state?
"Is it because of that so-called 'Queen'?"
Ending his brainstorming session, Linge murmured in a low voice, then scratched his hair in frustration.
Because he had no 'evidence', his thinking wasn't rigorous; it was just speculation.
This was normal. After all, he was used to being idle and couldn't be as sharp as Sherlock Holmes when it came to the truth.
"Then I'll go out and see if there really is a 'Grandma' and a 'Big Bad Wolf'."
Linge walked out of the kitchen to the front hall and pushed open the door.
Creak—
The sound of rain came from outside, accompanied by thunder and lightning.
Not far ahead was a dark river. The surroundings were very dim, and the rain had turned the ground into a muddy mess.
"What kind of psychopath would go out in this weather!"
If that so-called 'Grandma' was an old lady, she must have a remarkable physique. And if that 'Big Bad Wolf' was willing to go out hunting in this weather, it had to be a hero among beasts.
Linge thought of the letter left by Little Red Riding Hood's grandma, which looked like it had been written recently.
Going out, the rainy day, the basement... Clearly, it seemed not much time had passed here.
And Little Red Riding Hood was very familiar with those mirror worlds; she had obviously explored them.
In other words, could the flow of time here be different from the mirror worlds, or... was this space-time preserved on the day Little Red Riding Hood's story began?
"I see..."
Linge latched the door and checked all the doors and windows to ensure they were sealed.
Then, he walked into the basement and reached out to touch the third mirror.
That... Pitch-Black Forest.