Act 13: Divine Bloodlines

Foreword:

There is only one thing in the world that is truly precious, and that is knowledge.

--Socrates

After crossing the mountain valleys and traveling about fourteen kilometers further, Xue Ming saw a vast and expansive forest.

Oscar, carrying a half-skewer of roasted moles, followed the priest to the valley's exit. Standing on the high ground, they gazed at the entire Elf Sanctuary. Oscar was speechless with astonishment at what he saw—he had been to this place many times, but every time he saw this sanctuary, his mind would involuntarily leave his body.

This depression is full of life. In the freezing cold, many towering trees pierce the sky. Looking up, you can see the cave ceiling more than a thousand meters away, with many caves at the top.

Looking ahead, there was a maze-like forest of gray and green woods, the gray woods being ancient, petrified timber.

A beam of shimmering blue light shot into the sky, illuminating every part of the cavity in the very center of the sanctuary.

A misty haze rises from the mountains and forests, as if the trees in the woods are breathing, constantly radiating heat and exhaling clouds and mist.

Every now and then you can see one or two calamity beasts flying low overhead. If they fly a little higher, they must have found suitable prey and are about to hunt in the treetops. When they fly high, they are aggressive and fierce, circling and speeding through the air, using altitude to increase speed, and then diving down into the mountains and forests. Once they disappear from sight, you can immediately hear a shrill and mournful cry.

Rhythmic, slow footsteps echoed from the forest. In the dim light, enormous shadows could be seen, hundreds of meters apart, each marking its own territory. They appeared to be bipedal humanoid creatures, ranging in height from tens of meters. The one closest to the valley exit—the "little giant" that Xue Ming could clearly see—was over twenty-two meters tall.

These strange and unusual people are the mountain demons described in the "Great Rift of All Things," and also the ancestors of the calamity beasts.

"Let's go." Oscar let out a deep breath, mentally preparing himself.

Xue Ming didn't answer. He helped Wolf Brother hammer in the safety rope spikes, and at a low slope platform at the valley exit, the two found a simple campsite for the expedition team.

This campsite was for the expedition members to change their equipment and also served as temporary accommodation. There were two stone buildings to protect them from snakes and insects. Wolf Brother and Xue Ming took turns sleeping for four hours. When they woke up, they had changed into lighter clothes. The further they went down, the higher the temperature became. By the time they reached one-third of the way down, the temperature was almost back to eleven degrees Celsius.

After passing six temporary settlements, the further they went, the more dilapidated these settlements became. It wasn't that time had caused them to fall into disrepair, but rather that the range of the calamity beasts was getting closer and closer. Saladin's hunting ban period was also the period when the beasts of the Elf Holy Land were active.

After the two of them had been lowered their safety ropes for more than 300 meters, the slope in the depression finally came to an end. Xue Ming looked closely and saw that the fossil forest in front of him was like the entrance to a maze. The giant trees, which were over 100 meters high or even 1,000 meters high, had pitted and uneven surfaces with many weathered caves and fissures.

At the entrance to the road, there are four routes marked by the expedition team, leading to Hill 1 through Hill 18 respectively.

If you want to go to the 30,000-mile outpost, you have to bring an ice axe to climb the mountain. The 12th hill that Alfons had previously gone to was on a platform of a broken fossil giant tree. However, it had been a long, long time since Homo sapiens had set foot there, and a nest of Golden Eagle Gryphon had taken over this prime location.

At that very moment, both of their phones rang simultaneously.

Oscar immediately called to the priest, "Don't take it!"

Xue Ming saw the communication device light up and instinctively grabbed it. He saw the caller ID on the phone screen—it was Xiao Qi calling. Along with the call notification, Xiao Qi's picture popped up, along with a photo of the couple.

Oscar grabbed Jiang Xueming's hand, immediately hung up the phone, and turned off his own phone as well.

He dared not speak loudly, hunching over to bring the wolf's kiss to the priest's ear, whispering a reminder: "There are no communication lines or signal here."

Xue Ming was now completely baffled.

So, who made the call?

As Oscar walked toward the entrance to the giant tree maze, he explained in a low voice, "During World War II, the expedition also encountered similar paranormal events. They set up a radio station at their temporary settlement, but they were always subjected to strong magnetic interference. A child of a Mountain Giant was hunting Homo sapiens."

"It uses this method to locate Homo sapiens groups, simulating electromagnetic signals with its powerful and intense psionic tides, causing your electronic devices to become [haunted]. When you answer these communication requests, you will also hear the hysterical cries for help from your closest loved ones—it is a cunning hunter."

"Legend has it that in an earlier time, King Arthur came to this sacred land with the sword of the lake, searching for the Stone of Plenty, which forms the Holy Grail. His army fought with trolls in the labyrinth, and one of them pierced the hunter's eye. The troll fled in defeat and has held a grudge against Homo sapiens ever since, targeting their weaknesses."

At this point, Xue Ming glanced down at the rune stones in his backpack.

[Of course I didn't do it.]

Wolf continued—

"--Archaeologists have given it a code name, [Divine Bloodlines]. These mountain monsters inherited the wisdom of their father; they are all children born from Mimir/Mim's corpse."

"I remember the nameless man had a child of the Surter fire people, his name was William."

"DB (short for Divine Bloodlines) was also born in this way, but compared to William, a descendant from Muspelheim, DB's bloodline is purer and higher."

After the two entered the giant tree maze, their protective gear became useless.

The compass started spinning, and the readings of the Spirit Calamity probe and barometer kept fluctuating.

The environment gradually darkened, as the lush foliage of these giant trees partially blocked the light source of the sanctuary. Following the signs, every few hundred meters, Oscar had to use his sharp claws to climb the tree trunks of the maze to reach a place with a clear view and confirm his location.

This happened several times, and Wolf's stamina was quickly depleted. By the time he landed on the fifth landing, Oscar was already panting heavily.

Jiang Xueming didn't understand. He pointed to the road markings at each fork in the road and said, "Oscar, the expedition team has already marked these intricate forks in the road. Why do you still need to climb up to confirm your location?"

"Because it's the closed season," Oscar explained. "In this complex ecological niche, many lower-level creatures have disappeared; they've retreated back into the soil and hibernated in burrows."

"These markings are unreliable." Oscar tapped the nickel-iron alloy sign, which had its location marked in Chinese, English, and Russian: "Balloon scorpions prefer environments above 17 degrees Celsius. Based on our experience exploring caves and searching forests in the summer, we should spray insect repellent now. Not only will scorpions come looking for us, but three types of blood-sucking worms will also be coming from these areas."

Oscar pointed to the numerous pits and holes at the base of the tree trunks in the woodland.

His sharp claws pierced the pit opening, digging a hole more than twenty centimeters deep.

"It's this kind of insect."

He pulled out two shriveled, shelled worms. They resembled centipedes, but were much larger.

"Biologists call it the tree snake worm. It has now entered a dormant state, and its predators have also gone to sleep. Without a food source, many predators along this food chain need to expand their territories to find enough elemental matter."

"Therefore, the hunting ban period is also the time when the Elf Sanctuary redivides the territories of ferocious beasts. Its environment is not as stable as in other seasons. The larger the calamity beast, the more elemental energy it needs. If it does not have the habit of hibernation, regional overlords like mountain demons, who are huge in size, will not be able to find food. In order to survive, their territorial battles will become more and more frequent, and there will even be cases of cannibalism."

As he said this, Oscar cut off the head and tail of the tree snake worm, squeezed out its internal organs and chitinous carapace, and stuffed it into a food bag.

"Think positively. If you follow your brother Wolf, you'll never lack food or drink. The Sanctuary is full of food in winter, and these hibernating insects won't fight back."

"As for this road sign, take a good look at it."

Oscar pointed to the markings on the metal plaque--

"--There's a large, blue humanoid unit, which indicates the presence of trolls here. But it's the closed season, so nobody knows about it."

Oscar read aloud the troll's signature on the road sign.

"Ms. Olisis, where does it go in winter? That's impossible to say—the cleverer trolls will even change the location of road signs, like this iron sign, look closely."

Wolf Brother removed the signpost, which was originally hung on the tree trunk with two sets of hooks for easy removal and replacement. Every year, the mountain monster's territory had to be re-defined.

But now its hook is deformed, seemingly crudely nailed to the bark.

Jiang Xueming exclaimed in surprise, "What an intelligent predator!"

"Yes, trolls are highly intelligent." Oscar flipped the metal plaque over, revealing some mud spots. He stuck out his tongue and tasted the mud. "This was done by another troll, unrelated to this Ms. Olisis. It was probably a fairly good-natured male—it was eating a variety of things while changing the beacon, already gnawing on tree bark and looking for insects. Its claws carry a slight toxicity from two types of reptiles that eat fluorescent grass, which has a numbing effect."

"If this mountain demon were a bit more irritable or stronger, it wouldn't have bothered with these lower-energy-density elements—just like the basic principle of carnivorism: animals that can eat meat will never eat grass. Nature doesn't care about nutritional balance; to sustain their hunting stamina, lions have to eat meat all the time."

"Once a mountain troll, an omnivorous animal, starts gnawing on tree bark, it means it is becoming weak, starving, and on the verge of death."

With that, Wolf changed his route. Originally, the two of them were going to choose a route from five directions that was not inhabited by mountain demons. Now, based on the clues Oscar had obtained, the directions seen from the tree trunk observation point, and the distribution of feces and pheromones, they determined that taking the clear stream path on the southwest side was the safest option.

Jiang Xueming greatly admired Oscar's navigation skills. Without Wolf Brother's help, the pampered Homo sapiens of modern society probably wouldn't have survived to the next day in this environment. Even with psionic abilities as a trump card, this treacherous mountain and treacherous water were almost full of deadly creatures.

Continuing forward for another four hundred meters, Wolf walked faster and faster, seemingly having adapted to the dry, cold, and hard woodland of winter. He climbed a tree trunk once more, reaching a height of over thirty stories, nearly a hundred meters, to determine his location.

While waiting for Wolf Brother to return, Xue Ming also observed the surrounding environment. It was an open space, and the giant trees did not grow as densely as the surrounding woodland. The road also gradually widened out.

This made Xue Ming feel vaguely uneasy—because the winds coming from all directions were chaotic, and the smells could be carried to different places by these winds, as if an unseen hand was stirring up a hurricane.

Before Wolf Brother could even get down to the ground, a series of rustling sounds emanated from between the lush branches of the tree trunk. Xue Ming instinctively turned his head to look, and under the dim blue light, a pair of bright blue beast eyes sped across the tree trunk and "flew" over his head.

Its agile figure resembled a cheetah, with a body length of about two hundred centimeters. It was like a nimble big cat, its fur almost identical to the bark of the gray fossilized giant tree. Its two tails swirled in mid-air to maintain its balance, scratching at the bark and clinging to the branches. Then, with a sudden burst of force from its gleaming claws, it leaped ten meters, jumping from one tree to another.

"Oscar!" Xue Ming didn't care about keeping quiet, nor did she want to remain silent.

Think about it carefully. The leopard-like monster fleeing overhead is clearly trying to escape its predators! And it deliberately flew over Xue Ming's head. This clever beast obviously can't outrun the hunters behind it, so it's trying to divert the trouble. It smelled Oscar and Xue Ming's scent and is trying to bring the predators over.

Hearing Jiang Xueming's shout, Oscar almost fell off the tree. The lapis lazuli wolf leaped back and forth between the two giant trees, and in just a few breaths, it was back on the ground.

"Let's go, let's go!"

Oscar hurriedly pulled the priest along, practically tucking Xue Ming under his arm; it was at this moment that he used the half-slung meat from the Mole King's hairstyle—

He sliced through the thick layer of fat on the Kukuka's body, and as he ran, he took out a blowtorch to reheat the roasted meat, letting it release its pungent aroma.

With a casual toss, the fragrant Cool Card hung on the tree, while Oscar, along with the priest, strode swiftly, digging with their three claws as they raced into the depths of the woods.

After running a hundred meters, the two hid back in the maze on the outskirts of the woods, where they heard heavy breathing and heavy footsteps in the distance.

Oscar led the priest further inside, but the sound of their footsteps suddenly disappeared, replaced by the sounds of chewing, tearing, and splitting flesh.

As Xue Ming got closer, he saw a huge "person" standing there.

Its lower limbs are withered and thin, about twelve meters tall, with skin and bones covering its legs. Many green saplings seep out from its bluish-gray skin. Its feet are more than eighty centimeters long and have only eight toes.

Its ankles are distinctly different from those of Homo sapiens, being closer to the tibia and having longer toe bones, much like the toes of an orangutan.

Looking up, its thighs were as thin as its calves, as if it hadn't eaten a full meal in a very long time. Its secondary sexual characteristics were almost invisible because the cold winter had caused its reproductive organs to shrink into its abdomen. It was barely clothed, and there were two patches of excess skin on its waist and abdomen, covered with bright red fungal spots. These filthy places had become the home of fungal communities.

There was a deep pit in its abdominal cavity, which was probably left by the expedition team's weapons. On the lower right abdomen, a twisted mass of charred skin could be seen. The vital essence in this part was thin, and the twisted intestines could be seen wriggling.

It had no hair, and like William, its spine consisted of only twenty-five muscle groups and twenty-five vertebrae. Its shoulders were narrow, and unlike William's incredibly large frame, it was more like a tall, thin telephone pole.

Like its two legs, it only has eight fingers. At this moment, it is pinching the half-eaten meat of Kukuka and using its sharp, steel-knife-like nails to cut the flesh and bone. It is afraid that its big, leaky mouth will waste food. It chews Kukuka's bones bit by bit and slowly swallows them into its stomach.

This mountain troll resembled people of Eastern European descent, with a high, straight nose, deep-set eyes, and prominent brow ridges. Beyond its cheekbones, its ears were no longer visible, only two dark "listening holes." The skin on its neck and face had turned grayish-white, wrinkled like tree bark.

Xue Ming just watched it, watching the huge creature slowly stuff the Cool Card into its belly.

Oscar showed no signs of leaving. Remember when Wolf collected some venom from the Balloon Scorpions in Spinach Heights?

These anesthetics came in handy at this time—

--The mountain demon seemed to have sensed Xue Ming and Oscar's presence.

When its slow and clumsy body turned completely, it felt dizzy. It found a tree nearby, leaned against the trunk, and sat down without making a sound.

It was breathing heavily, grunting, without showing any fierce expression or intention to intimidate its predators. As it closed its eyes, the wrinkled skin on its neck began to spread to its head and face, wriggling towards its gray chest and belly.

In just a few seconds, it turned into a stone statue, seemingly falling asleep.

"It won't wake up until next spring." Oscar breathed a sigh of relief. "Let me introduce you. This should be Gonzalez. He's paired with Ms. Olisis from the road sign. He's not bad-tempered—except that he refuses to sleep in the dead of winter, always trying to take over other people's territory. He always thinks he's a great fighter, and that one 70-milliliter injection is enough to take him down."

Xue Ming had already reached the mountain demon's side. He pressed on Mr. Gonzalez's skin, only to find that the monster had completely turned to stone and could not be pressed at all.

Oscar: "They are all Mimir/Mim's children. After Mimir/Mim died, many Mountain Giants were born, and the Mountain Giant gave birth to them—the ability to turn to stone is also one of their innate abilities."

Xue Ming: "Wow, Wolf Brother!"

Oscar: "There is only one thing in the world that is truly precious, and that is knowledge."

Xue Ming: "We fed it the CoolCard, so what are we going to eat?"

Before the words were finished, at that very moment—

--A fierce roar came from behind the two.

The leopard-shaped monster, which had been focused on escaping, seemed to think it was invincible again, so it returned.