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墨書 Inktalez
Lalaye was an immensely vast city, completely submerged beneath the sea, with only a massive stone fortress rising above the water's surface.
According to legend, one of the Great Old Ones, Cthulhu, lay sleeping there.
The city's architecture resembled futuristic art, with structures that defied conventional geometry and were entirely contrary to Euclidean principles.
Its unprecedented spatial configurations and dimensional sizes evoked a strong sense of revulsion.
These buildings were constructed from enormous green stones, too large to have originated from Earth, adorned with towering stone carvings, grand statues, and exquisite reliefs; the entire city emanated a powerful aura of uncleanliness.
When Chu Donglin and his companions arrived at the coordinates 47°9′S, 16°4′W, they were greeted by a coastline composed of massive stones covered in mud, wetlands, and moss.
These stones were identical to those used to construct Lalaye.
Lalaye—the embodiment of nightmarish terror—had been built countless centuries ago, its colossal and fearsome form birthed from the dark stars.
For eons, Cthulhu and its kin had dwelled here, hidden within the damp caves cloaked in moss.
The wooden Lonely Boat gently bumped against the massive stone steps as Chu Donglin and his companions reached the edge of this city.
He still clutched the ball of black smoke in his hand, while in his right hand, the twisted Evil God's Sword, Cold Light, flickered ominously, ready to pierce into the body of the wailing monster lurking within the black mist.
They disembarked from the Lonely Boat and stepped onto the land of Lalaye.
There were no stairs for ascent; miasma continuously rose from the waterlogged twisted structures. Under its refraction, even the sun appeared distorted. The surrounding stones initially seemed convex but upon closer inspection appeared concave; their twisted angles seemed to conceal sinister threats and restless emotions.
As he gazed at this city filled with a warped aura of evil, Chu Donglin couldn't help but furrow his brow.
He lowered his head to glance at the struggling black smoke in his hand, his eyes filled with vigilance.
"Is this Lalaye?"
The black smoke trembled and nodded fearfully, letting out a shrill cry.
"Yes! Yes! This is Lalaye."
It looked at Chu Donglin with dread, desperately trying to distance itself from the Cold Light of the Evil God's Sword, writhing but unable to escape.
"I have fulfilled my promise and brought you here. Can you let me go now? The eternal secret lies deep within the city; you should feel that power. You just need to walk in. No need to drag me along."
Chu Donglin snorted coldly and squeezed tightly, causing the black smoke to howl in agony, its piercing wails echoing throughout the Abandoned City.
He stared expressionlessly at the black smoke's cries and said coldly, "Don't think about playing tricks. I will only confirm you're not lying first. Until then, you will obediently follow us."
The black smoke twitched slightly, showing anger and resentment but ultimately helpless.
Thus, Chu Donglin continued deeper into the city, while the demon hung back at a distance, not getting too close but also not straying too far.
Chu Donglin couldn't help but glance back at it.
"Why aren't you coming along?"
The demon shook its head.
"I come from another dimension; I am a demon, not a being of this world. For me, there is no position to intervene in your world's affairs. Although I must intervene now, I will try not to overstep my bounds. Observing from the sidelines is sufficient."
Chu Donglin walked alongside, glancing at the demon who maintained a certain distance from him, feeling a bit curious.
"If you really intervene, what punishment would there be?"
"Punishment? No, there is no punishment."
The demon spoke with a calm expression. "No one can punish me... or rather, no one has the qualification to do so."
The calmness with which the demon made this statement somehow conveyed a sense of reality rather than mere boasting.
The black smoke in Chu Donglin's hand began to swirl. The head formed from the black mist revealed a fierce expression as it bared its teeth and growled at the demon.
"Don't underestimate him. Nyarlathotep. This bastard before you is a demon from another dimension, the master of Death World. In his realm, he is the strongest villain; even gods must kneel before him. In our universe, the only one who might be able to contend with him is Azathoth... and even then, the odds are not in favor of victory—quite low, in fact! You'd better be cautious; who knows what sinister intentions this terrifying dimensional demon harbors."
Azathoth, mentioned by Cthulhu, is the leader of the Great Old Ones and the most powerful Evil God.
He is a god that operates purely on instinct, depicted as a massive, formless mass of darkness and chaos residing in a palace at the center of the universe, madly beating an invisible giant drum and playing a flute that produces only nauseating and monotonous tones, accompanied by the howls of the Great Old Ones in madness.
Even Nyarlathotep, one of the three Great Old Ones, is merely a messenger of Azathoth; his power is overwhelmingly strong, beyond that which all Evil Gods can resist.
And there are demons on par with Azathoth... perhaps even stronger...
Chu Donglin couldn't help but glance back at the demon several times.
"Since you are so powerful, why do you seem so hesitant? I thought there might be some force in this universe that would punish an outsider like you for meddling."
The demon merely shook its head and replied calmly.
"Although you have become one of the Great Old Ones and gained the power of Nyarlathotep, your thoughts and principles of behavior are still more aligned with humanity, so it's normal for you not to understand."
"As you gradually adapt to the power of the Great Old One and become accustomed to that kind of transcendent strength, you will begin to impose self-restraint."
"Self-restraint?"
"Yes."
This strange concept piqued Chu Donglin's curiosity. "Why impose self-restraint?"
"Because for gods and demons, mundane beings are truly too fragile. Even the universe is merely a vast hunting ground; the countless stars are just a drop in the ocean. If I wish, I can instantly traverse the fabric of space, reaching the depths of the universe hundreds of light-years away, and return in an instant."
Glancing at Chu Donglin, the demon added, "Of course, you can do it too, but only after the forces that restrain the Great Old Ones on this planet dissipate or once you leave this field of power and regain your peak strength."
"For beings as powerful as us, lacking self-restraint and blindly causing destruction or devastation, recklessly wielding our power without regard for mundane lives will inevitably lead to one outcome: the entire universe will descend into silence, leaving no life behind except for gods and demons."
Pointing at the swirling black smoke in Chu Donglin's hand, the demon spoke lightly.
"A vivid example is the Cthulhu in your hands... As one of the Great Old Ones, it shares the same lack of self-restraint as the others. The Great Old Ones are always unrestrained, using their immense power to trample and destroy mundane beings, annihilating countless worlds and planets."
"Yet, even the most evil and chaotic Great Old One rarely wishes to obliterate an entire planet. Life can regenerate after extinction, but once a planet is destroyed, it is difficult to recreate... and that is their only form of self-restraint."
"Compared to the Great Old Ones, I simply impose more restrictions on myself, which is why I am reluctant to interfere in worldly matters... Of course, there are exceptions at times."
"Like your planet."
The demon spoke calmly, "I should have stood by and silently observed the development of this planet's consciousness, watching Cthulhu seduce that poor girl into stealing the power of the Blood Pool, then encountering you at sea, ultimately leading to a deadly confrontation where your battle would determine the fate of life on this planet... whether it would find redemption or be destroyed by Cthulhu's puppet."
"But you intervened!"
The black smoke in Chu Donglin's hand suddenly twisted and roared, revealing a ferocious face with sharp fangs directed at the demon.
"You scoundrel! You demon! Damn bastard! Mind your own business! This planet doesn't care about humanity's survival, so why do you, an outsider, meddle? You damn bastard!"
Amidst Cthulhu's roar, the demon shrugged nonchalantly.
"I simply do not wish to see humanity perish. Although I impose self-restraint and refuse to interfere with the changes in this world, that does not mean I can stand by while you Great Old Ones bring about destruction without doing anything."
Cthulhu howled in despair.
"You meddler!"
"I do not deny that."
Amidst the wailing and roaring of Cthulhu, Chu Donglin and his companions finally arrived deep within the Abandoned City, where they beheld the Fountain of Immortality that Cthulhu had spoken of.
It was a divine artifact capable of reversing the lifespan of mortal beings, granting them prolonged life, almost akin to immortality. It was the most powerful treasure accumulated by Cthulhu over countless years.
At the same time, it was also its last hope to exchange for its own life.
However, when Chu Donglin and his group stood before the Fountain of Immortality, even the demon, who had always remained aloof and indifferent, was taken aback.
They halted at the entrance, gazing at the beautiful figure by the edge of the fountain, humming a melodious tune, all displaying expressions of astonishment.
Chu Donglin's hand instinctively clenched tightly.
"Ah... Acha?"
In that moment, even Cthulhu forgot the pain in its body, staring in disbelief at the figure by the fountain, letting out an incredulous roar.
"Nyarlathotep? How is this possible?!"
Amidst the astonishment of the three-headed demon, the enchanting woman dressed in a familiar fitted Qipao turned her head to look at Chu Donglin at the doorway, revealing a sweet smile.
"It’s been a long time, my dear man. Have you missed me?" (To be continued)
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