Chapter 218 - Tunnel Of Dreams(5) - The Willow
Chapter 218 – Tunnel Of Dreams(5) – The Willow
The current Reve looked at this scene and mouthed those familiar words that had now come to age like fine wine.
'One last time….'
Yeah, that was the pledge they had made back then.
Both of them were in their old years. To Reve, death was arriving in months, if not days. To Myrna, death was coming in years, but the true death was idling alone with an uncomfortable bag of bones while being taken care of by servants that only cared about her money.
So, they celebrate the wonders of their life. They embarked on the most dangerous adventure.
Yet, that was just a side wish. Myrna wanted to see the wonders of the triangle before closing her eyes. A wish that she shared with Reve.
It was her desire to uncover more truths that had saved her life multiple times, even when her body failed her, and the mysteries lurking in the triangle could be considered the supreme truth.
It was the perfect closing chapter and Myrna wanted to stare at it while smiling contently.
Yet, out of the two of them, Reve was the only one to see the truth. Myrna died as soon as she stared at the frontmost parts.
'She never accomplished her dream….and that is why I would bring her back to accomplish it!'
As soon as that thought occurred, the scene shattered and Reve was brought back to the real world.
He wasn't in the tunnel of dreams anymore.
No, he was in a divine spot.
Lo and behold, a tree of immeasurable size stood tall before him. The only thing Reve could see with his mortal eyes were the long barks that extended all the way up.
The tree's leaves seemed to sway mysteriously and some of its branches coiled around his face.
Surrounding the tree was a small lake, which was the source of the wetness that Reve felt. Reve stood up and faced the tree radiating with a profound aura.
He shouted, "Isn't that what you wanted?"
Who was he shouting to?
"You wanted to know my reason and conviction. Did you find a pleasing answer?!"
Lashing out, Reve cut apart the branches that connected him to the tree, "Did my true desire come out worthy enough?!"
Suddenly, the tree branches regrew and found their way back on Reve's body.
That was the being Reve was talking to…
Reve had a few suspicions when he traveled through the tunnel of dreams. Everything there seemed surreal, but the craziest thing was that he couldn't use [Appraisal] on the snakes.
This was different from blocking the effects of [Appraisal]. At least, if his enemy blocked his skill, he would still feel it.
However, when trying [Appraisal] on the snake, it seemed as if his skill just went through nothing and thus, brought out nothing.
When trying it on himself, it remained the same scenario.
Hence, was he also 'nothing'?
So, if the snakes and him were 'nothing', did this bizarre occurrence extend to the cave path?
His mind ruminated on the name of the cave; The Tunnel of Dreams.
It could be interpreted many ways, but Reve found one exact meaning that aligned with his present dilemma. This place was false, as false as the flying pigs.
Reve guessed it was a mental structure, a sort of mindscape that adapted to the creator's whims.
Proving that for him was his fight with the snakes. They were endless in numbers and kept coming at him as if he was a supernatural magnet.
The medusa snake showed feats that were outright impossible to think of. It could reactively shift its heart in mere milliseconds.
Its healing rate was also a bit too sporadic.
Combined with its toughness, this would make it a not-so easy to deal with creature. Furthermore, creatures like that couldn't just be found in a place called Tunnel of Dreams.
Reve hollered at the tree once more, "First you test my battle prowess. Then, you probe my reasons."
Back then, after going through all those revealing thoughts. He wondered who was behind all this trickery, but looking now, the answer was clear.
A coven wouldn't just call themselves Coven of the Willow without any meaning behind it.
Right in front of Reve was the true willow. The trademark of the coven.
'It appears to be sentient,' noted Reve.
Yet, the only response it gave to Reve was the movement of its branches.
Reve sighed and walked closer to the tree. His palm touched its rough bark, "A sentient tree. I never knew the coven would be hiding such a wonder. I know of the world tree, but nothing more. This is truly fascinating."
Reve's anger had long died down after he saw the tree.
As a mage with nature affinity, he couldn't deny being attracted to this exquisite being. His mind connected with the tree and indistinct thoughts flowed into his head.
He couldn't make sense of them, but he didn't need to.
Reve sent his thoughts toward the tree, 'So, what is my result?'
Ianthe appeared behind him, "You passed."
Beside her were the other elders with their usual varying expressions.
Reve ignored the element of surprise and looked at her, "How long was it?"
"Her majesty sensed your race against time so she made it quick but still retained the full brunt of the test. She gave you everything at one go while upping the difficulty so as to prevent no shenanigans. Who would have thought you would complete the test in under two hours?"
"Two hours, huh? That is good," sighed Reve.
He feared he might have gone days in the tunnel, but then again, the mental dimensions were weird. A day in one might mean a year in the outside world. A year in one might mean a day in the outside world.
Reve hurried, "Forgive me for being blunt, but where's my reward?"
"I understand. I shall go get it."
Ianthe went to the roots of the willow. She dug her hand into the empty pockets of space where some gold and jewels sparkled.
A long chest appeared in her hand as she quickly left the roots, but not before paying her respect to the willow, "Thank you, your majesty."
She smiled as she opened the chest before Reve.
*Kachink!*
A sigh of relief escaped Reve's lips. He was finally getting what he had worked for for months.
As he stared at the empty chest, he could not help but giggle in joy.
Wait…empty chest!
The chest was barren!