"Wait, why can I understand Bug Language?" Shen Yu grumbled. He had no idea what those bizarre sounds were, yet he could understand what the other party was communicating.
At this, the Godseeker's disdain only deepened, and she looked at him with contempt.
(Lada bis, kalai) "How ignorant. This is a place ruled by void and soul. Beings from all realms communicate through the voice of the soul. Why cling to the sounds of mouthparts?"
"All right." Shen Yu spread his hands. "Then how do I prove I'm qualified?"
"Fight. Attune with those lesser gods, shed your wormlike form, and prove your worth."
With that, the Godseeker turned around and dragged her spindle-shaped body into the pale Godhome.
How does she walk with that body without falling over? Shen Yu grumbled inwardly, following her into Godhome with small steps.
The light that once shone here had faded, and all of Godhome lay shrouded in endless shadow.
As Shen Yu stepped inside, a pale pattern emerged from the darkness beneath his feet. Under his and the Godseeker's footsteps, that ancient, pure light awakened once more.
Beneath the vast black vault, symbols representing souls lit up one after another. Images of towering, strange spires appeared on the walls, outlining the ancient kingdom lost to the river of history.
Then, in the dim Abyss, Shen Yu spotted four pale gates.
Above the four gates hung an oval orb shining with golden light. Four channels extended from it, lighting up four other round orbs.
On closer inspection, the two on the left contained an intricately patterned Charm and a Nail, respectively, while those on the right held an oval mask and a semicircular mask.
But the Godseeker ahead kept walking, showing no intention of stopping.
"Godseeker," Shen Yu called to stop her. "You've gone too far. The gates are over here."
The Godseeker stopped and turned her head slightly. (Hmph, dolia) "You pitiful crawler, with your lowly form-what right have you to lay a hand upon the lord's gates of trial?"
"If I can't enter the gates, how am I supposed to take the test?"
(Dopu, mo-rua) "Crawler! You must first pay homage in the Hall of Gods. Only then will you be worthy of touching the lord's gates of trial."
So I have to fight through the figurine room first? The Godseeker's temper was awful. She had been insufferably arrogant when she first met the Little Knight, too, only to become a fawning bootlicker the instant the Little Knight proved their strength.
Let's see what you have to say after I clear all five gates. Shen Yu chuckled and followed the Godseeker down a corroded slope into the "Hall of Gods."
The Hall of Gods had two floors, lined with statues of various shapes. Brilliant orbs shone on their bases. Aside from the original dark gold turning pale, little else had changed.
(Nosai) "Lowly one, choose. May your fragile shell survive annihilation." The Godseeker stopped and looked at Shen Yu.
Shen Yu drew EGO Solitude from his waist and inspected the statues one by one, finally stopping before the fifth.
The statue had two pairs of pointed horns longer than the Little Knight's. Its battle dress billowed, and a needle-shaped weapon rested behind it. (Image)
Unknown runes were engraved on the base, but Shen Yu could sense their meaning:
"Godly protector of a lost land-Hornet (Protector)"
The protagonist of Silksong (still delayed)... Shen Yu turned to the Godseeker. "This one."
Before he had finished speaking, the tuner on Shen Yu's chest flew out on its own and divided into three sections, glowing bronze, white, and gold.
Better choose the lowest attunement level, just to be safe. Shen Yu raised his hand and pressed the section glowing bronze.
Once Shen Yu confirmed his choice, the Godtuner abruptly returned. With a crisp ding, a dazzling light blossomed before him.
When Shen Yu opened his eyes, he found himself in an arena, with deafening roars rising from the surrounding stands.
Gray-brown stone slabs lay beneath his feet. Vegetation with brownish-yellow branches and leaves covered the walls, and several strands of spider silk dangled from above. The arena was circular, surrounded by tiers upon tiers of stepped stands packed with spectators.
But to Shen Yu's astonishment, the arena had two distinct kinds of seating.
The lower stands were wooden, occupied by all kinds of insects wearing different white masks. Most were beetles with black shells.
Their bodies were plump and their shells pitch-black. They scrambled over the planks, jostling for space and shrieking.
Some beetles opened their mouths and let out harsh, raspy whistles, as though mocking one another. Others beat their wings and slammed into their neighbors, venting their excitement.
(Doska) "Look at that pitiful fellow. He has no shell, and his body is as feeble as a worm's." A beetle looked at Shen Yu, wheezing with laughter behind its four-eyed white mask.
(Karas) "Hopefully his corpse will taste as good as a worm, too." Another beetle, wearing a six-eyed mask, sucked on its foreleg with its mouthparts. "I'm hungry."
Above them were stands glowing with golden radiance, occupied by cicada-like beings who, like the Godseeker, wore golden masks and wrapped their bodies in gray cloth.
They sat quietly, conversing in hushed voices.
(Wo dopu lai) "Why must we share our seats with such lowly, ignorant insects!
"Why allow such base creatures into our dream, defiling our ritual? The stench of their bodies makes us sick!"
A taller "golden cicada" looked down at the "fool" spectators with contempt and spoke in displeasure.
(Wo lasuo) "This is the will of the God of Gods. We must obey," another short, stout golden cicada replied, looking toward Shen Yu.
"Do not worry. This worm will die soon. We will not have to endure this for long."
The two kinds of stands sat side by side, enclosing the central arena in layer upon layer. Everywhere Shen Yu looked, he saw insects. Farthest away stood Godhome's majestic pillars, towering into the clouds.
What's going on? Why are the spectators from the Colosseum of Fools here? Has it merged with Godhome? Shen Yu looked toward the leaders' seats in the center.
A broken mask with six eyes and four horns hung from the wooden throne on the left. Its owner was a giant six-legged bug with four horns on its head and a crimson shell, now leaning quietly against the right armrest-the King of Fools.
On the right, the Godseeker sat upright in a golden chair.
Behind the two seats stood the Pale Throne, rooted in the Abyss. Huge, sharp, precisely formed spikes surrounded its central seat.
A statue stood behind the throne, obscured by swirling shadows. Only its endless void tendrils were visible.
The one upon the throne had eyes that reached straight into the Abyss. A dull gray cloak draped down, concealing two small, round hands. Their head was tilted as they dozed, a sight that struck Shen Yu as utterly jarring.
Come on, Little Knight. At least pick a better time and place to sleep. Shen Yu couldn't help grumbling inwardly as he looked at the enemy before him.
She wore a white mask similar to the Little Knight's, but with longer horns. A crimson battle dress fluttered around her, and a pure white spear rested behind her-Hornet. (Image)
Hornet studied Shen Yu, looking at the unfamiliar weapon at his waist, and asked in confusion:
(Kalari, pusa?) "Outsider, why have you come here?"
"Would you believe me if I said it was an accident?" Shen Yu gave a wry chuckle and drew EGO Solitude from his waist.
(Sayi, xigalai) "It is getting late. Be careful, outsider. My Stinger is swift." Hornet glanced up at the seething swarm around them and warned Shen Yu.
"Garama!" Hornet crouched, gripping the Stinger in her right hand as spider silk released from her left danced through the air. Then the Stinger shot from her hand toward Shen Yu's head.
At the same time, the entire arena erupted as countless insects of different species shouted:
(Wo la!) "Hornet, tear him apart!"
Suddenly, Shen Yu felt a pang of loneliness. Black dust spilled from the rust-covered revolver in his right hand, the Godtuner on his chest vibrated, and a message appeared in his mind:
EGO Resonance initiated. [1-10-12] Old Lady Attunement Rate increased: 0% → 1%
Before you continue