Inside the study, the candle burned quietly.
A heavy wooden desk stood between them.
Hong Chen remained standing.
He did not sit.
Nor did he urge anyone to speak.
He simply looked at Rhea, waiting.
Silence lingered for a moment.
Finally, Rhea spoke slowly:
"Do you know…
the Elven Kingdom was once so powerful
that it needed no vassal states?"
His voice was calm, measured.
"They were independent of humans.
They formed no alliances with orcs.
They were self-sufficient,
considered themselves above the world."
Hong Chen's gaze did not waver.
"The orcs," Rhea continued,
"sent envoys to Moon City several times.
They proposed alliances.
They even offered to submit."
Rhea shook his head slightly.
"All of it… was rejected by the Elf King."
The candle flickered faintly.
"That one refusal," Rhea said,
"infuriated the Beast King completely."
He raised his eyes.
"And so the orc tribes,
with all their strength,
launched a war to annihilate the elves."
Hong Chen's brow twitched ever so slightly.
Rhea went on:
"That war nearly exhausted the orcs entirely.
And because of that, humans gained several decades of temporary peace."
Finally, Hong Chen spoke, his tone laced with restrained impatience:
"And… how does all this relate to my question?"
Rhea did not show anger.
He merely raised a hand, indicating Hong Chen should listen.
"Yes."
He paused.
"And it is deeply connected."
His gaze fell on a corner of the study, where yellowed old scrolls lay.
"Before the fall of the elves…
Elf King Xuya was a frequent visitor here."
Hong Chen's eyes flickered.
"He liked Mossland… its people… its customs," Rhea continued softly.
"But… unfortunately… my daughter… Xiao Yao… crossed paths with him."
The air seemed to thicken.
Rhea spoke slowly:
"You know the elves… value bloodlines above all."
Hong Chen instinctively began,
"So I am—"
But his words were cut off.
Rhea lifted his head, locking eyes with him.
"Yes."
No hesitation in his tone.
"You are a hybrid of elf and human.
A child cursed in the eyes of the elven kind.
And…
you are my daughter Xiao Yao's child."
For a long moment, Hong Chen did not shout.
He did not deny it.
He did not even ask a question.
After a pause, Rhea spoke as if casually, yet with a subtle test in his voice:
"I am curious… what is the Black Sea Forest really like?"
He smiled lightly.
"Tell me.
Just… speak to this old man to ease his boredom."
Hong Chen did not answer immediately.
His eyes suddenly became vacant.
It was as if the candle in the study had gone out,
replaced by
the pitch-black forest.
Deep within the Black Sea Forest.
The moment they stepped inside,
the air grew heavy.
Not cold.
Oppressive.
As if some unseen force
pressed against their chests,
against their consciousness.
The trees towered, twisted,
their limbs like bent bodies,
swaying slowly in the darkness.
As if… observing them.
Panic did not arrive suddenly.
It seeped in, little by little.
Then the monsters appeared.
In countless forms,
with clear signs of "mutation,"
like failed life, forcibly stitched together.
They hesitated not.
They probed not.
At the sight of the living, they struck immediately.
Hong Chen and the Ten fought.
Wave after wave.
After wave.
Without pause.
The monsters came like a flood,
as if the forest itself
was expelling their presence.
They killed.
And killed again.
Until their arms went numb,
their breaths tinged with blood.
Finally, when a brief respite was gained,
Hong Chen sensed something.
Time…
did not flow.
No day, no night.
No change.
Even fatigue stretched, dull and endless.
Each moment lengthened infinitely.
A single day felt like a year.
When hunger came,
they tore flesh from the monsters,
without fire.
Without seasoning.
Just bite. Swallow.
Survival itself became the purpose.
No one knew how long passed.
Hong Chen finally spoke to the Ten:
"If that is the case… don't think about leaving."
The Ten looked up.
Hong Chen's gaze was calm,
not one of despair.
"Treat this place as your training ground.
Turn survival into strength."
No one objected.
Days "passed."
At first, monsters charged them.
Later, hesitation crept in.
Eventually, the creatures, sensing them from afar,
began to avoid them.
The forest did not change.
They did.
During this time, they also discovered remnants
deep within the forest.
Ancient runes carved into stone walls.
Fragmented,
yet bearing traces of extraordinary power.
No one could decipher them.
So they recorded them.
And left them be.
The vision snapped back.
The candlelight of the study returned.
Rhea watched him quietly.
Hong Chen said nothing.
As if all that had passed
was but a breeze sweeping through his mind.
He turned toward the door.
Hand upon the handle.
Just as it was about to close,
he slightly turned his head.
His voice was low,
but distinct:
"Old man."
Rhea stiffened.
"Wait for me… I'll tell you when I return."
The door closed slowly.
The study was left with only the soft crackle of the candle.
Rhea stood there.
Motionless.
He realized clearly:
that child
was no longer merely "surviving."
He was being,
step by step,
forged into a weapon.
书房内,烛火静静燃烧.
厚重的木桌隔在两人之间.
红辰站着.
没有坐下,也没有催促.
他只是看着瑞亚,等他开口.
沉默持续了片刻.
瑞亚终于缓缓说道:
"你知道吗" "精灵王国,曾经强大到不需要任何附属国."
他的声音不疾不徐.
"不依附人类." "不结盟兽人." "他们自给自足,自视为世界之上."
红辰目光未动.
"兽人,曾数次派使者前往月城." "提出结盟." "甚至愿意称臣."
瑞亚轻轻摇头.
"全部,被精灵王拒绝了."
烛火微微晃动.
"那一次拒绝" "彻底惹恼了兽王."
瑞亚抬眼.
"于是,兽族倾尽全军." "对精灵,发动了灭国之战."
红辰的眉头微不可察地皱了一下.
瑞亚继续说:
"那一战,兽人几乎耗尽了全部军力.也正因为如此,人类,才换来了这数十年的暂时和平."
红辰终于开口,语气带着压抑的不耐.
"这些…和我的问题…有关系吗?"
瑞亚没有动怒.
他只是抬手,示意他听完.
"有."
他顿了顿.
"而且关系很深."
瑞亚的目光落在书房一角,那些旧到泛黄的书卷上.
"在精灵灭国之前…精灵王修亚,是这里的常客."
红辰眼神一震.
"他喜欢青苔国,喜欢这里的民风,也喜欢这里的人."
瑞亚的声音低了几分.
"很不幸…我女儿…小瑶…与他邂逅了."
空气,仿佛骤然变得沉重.
瑞亚缓缓说道:
"你知道的,精灵一族极度看重血统."
红辰下意识开口:
"那我是…"
话未出口,便被打断.
瑞亚抬起头,目光直视他.
"是的."
语气没有任何犹豫.
"你是精灵与人类的混血."
"也是精灵族眼中被诅咒的孩子."
烛火发出一声轻响.
瑞亚的声音,终于染上一丝颤抖,却极力压住.
"同时,你也是我女儿小瑶的孩子."
这一刻.
红辰没有怒吼.
没有否认.
甚至没有提问.
过了好一会儿,瑞亚才像是随口一提,语气却带着几分试探的意味:
"我倒是挺好奇,黑海森林里面究竟是怎样的地方."
他轻轻笑了笑.
"不妨说来听听,就当...讲给我这个老头解解闷."
红辰没有立刻回答.
他的目光,忽然变得空洞.
仿佛书房的烛火熄灭了,
取而代之的
是那片无光的森林.
黑海森林深处.
踏入的那一刻,
空气便沉了下来.
不是冷.
而是压迫.
仿佛有什么无形之物,
压在胸口,
压在意识之上.
树木高耸,扭曲,
枝干如同弯曲的肢体,
在黑暗中缓缓摇曳.
像是在...观察他们.
恐慌不是突然降临的.
而是一点一点渗入.
然后
怪物出现了.
形态各异,
带着明显的"异化痕迹",
像是失败的生命,被强行拼接而成.
它们不犹豫.
不试探.
只要发现活物,便扑杀而来.
红辰与十待迎战.
第一波.
第二波.
第三波…
没有间隔.
怪物如洪水般涌来,
仿佛这片森林本身,
正在排斥他们的存在.
他们杀.
再杀.
直到手臂麻木,呼吸带血.
好不容易争取到一丝喘息.
却在停下来的瞬间,
察觉到了异样.
时间,
仿佛没有在流动.
没有日夜.
没有变化.
连疲惫,都变得迟钝而漫长.
每一刻都被无限拉长.
度日如年.
饿了.
他们便割下怪物的肉.
没有火.
没有调味.
只是撕咬,吞咽.
活着,本身就成了目的.
不知过了多久.
红辰忽然开口,对十待说道:
"既然如此那就别想着出去."
十待抬头.
红辰的眼神,冷静得不像是在绝境之中.
"把这里,当成训练场."
"把能活下来的方式变成更强."
没有人反对.
于是,日子一天天"过去".
起初,
怪物主动冲向他们.
后来
开始迟疑.
再后来
那些怪物,在远处察觉到他们的气息,
便开始绕行.
甚至...避让.
森林没有改变.
改变的,
是他们.
期间,他们也在森林深处发现过一些东西.
刻在古老岩壁上的符文.
残缺,却带着奇异的力量痕迹.
当时,无人能解.
于是,记下.
然后放下.
画面骤然断裂.
书房的烛火,重新映入红辰眼中.
瑞亚安静地看着他.
红辰却什么也没说.
仿佛刚才那一切,
只是他心中掠过的一阵风.
他转身,朝门口走去.
手已搭上门扉.
就在门即将合上的瞬间
红辰微微侧头.
声音低,却异常清晰.
"老头."
瑞亚一怔.
"等我回来…再说给你听."
门,缓缓合上.
书房内,只剩下烛火噼啪作响.
而瑞亚站在原地,
久久未动.
他清楚地意识到
那个孩子,
已经不是在"活下来".
而是在被某种存在,
一步一步
塑造成兵器.