The Record of Unusual Creatures

The knights climbed the mountain in heavy armor. At first, Hao Ren thought that they were ordinary human beings, but when he saw how the men climbed to the top of the mountain with dozens of kilograms of armor and weapons without panting for breath, he realized that they were probably superhumans in another sense.

The gate of the ancient temple had collapsed, making it impossible to shelter them from the wind and rain. Hundreds of years of abandonment had left most parts of the temple covered in dust and debris. The empty hall did not provide any comfortable environment for rest. However, even in such a bad situation, it was precious enough to the weary knights.

As Hao Ren said, there was no fog on the holy mountain. Perhaps the temple, which had been abandoned for years, still offered a weak shield from the Chaos. Veronica felt a reassuring breath flowing into her heart as she stepped into the temple. She gave Hao Ren a grateful glance and sat down on the ground, disregarding her image as a princess.

“Your Highness—” Morian wanted to say something, but Veronica interrupted him, “Sir, it is all right. What matters most is that we regain our strength. I can feel the power of order here. It is weak but still strong enough to dispel the Chaos. It is safe here.”

Morian blinked. There was no doubt about the inherited ability to “detect the Chaos” in the Taros royal bloodline. So he took off his gauntlet and waist armor, and put his sword within arm’s reach. However, he still stood right next to the princess.

“Incredible…” The old knight looked around the ruined temple. His eyes swept over the exquisite ancient reliefs and murals, then he gazed at the statues of the ancient heroes. Finally, he saw the big holes above him and the things floating in it. “…This is a legacy of old times. I can’t believe that it really exists…”

“I told you there had to be something good in those ancient books,” Veronica said, smiling weakly. Although she was the best of the young generation in the kingdom, she was still too young. The exhaustion she accumulated over the past few days was released all at once. She felt like she could hardly stand up. She looked at herself, shook her head, and said, “Those old nobles will surely lash out at me again when they see me in this disgraceful state. They have not found a reason to criticize me for a long time since last year’s parade.”

“Decency,” Morian shook his head and said in a disdainful tone. “Those people… If they were thrown into the border of the Chaos, all they would be able to do is talk to the Servants of Chaos about propriety and etiquette.”

Veronica smiled. She turned to Hao Ren and said, “Mighty hermit, thank you for your help. Please forgive me for my rudeness at the moment. My knights and I are too tired. I am the eldest daughter of the Kingdom of Taros, Veronica St.Taros.”

The princess spoke scrupulously, but she was leaning lazily against the stone wall behind her.

Hao Ren was a little surprised. He did not realize that the girl in front of him was actually a princess.

Hao Ren then quickly introduced himself the same way as before, “Oh, Your Highness, hi, I am a traveler passing by…”

Before he could finish, he held back his words because he suddenly remembered the damned nature of their surroundings: a barren rocky mountain, a desolate and dead wilderness, and a legion of monsters constantly emerging from the fog. Although he did not know what the monsters and fog were about, it was clear that he was not in the best place for a road trip.

These thoughts raced through his mind. “… Ah, I can’t remember where I came from.”

Veronica looked puzzled. “You’ve… lost your memory?”

“Not really. I’m just a little confused,” Hao Ren said while he scratched his head. “I woke up and found myself in this place. I vaguely remember some of the things that went on here, but I have no idea what went on in the outside world. Where do you think I’m from?”

“You’ve lost your memory… And you said, you woke up?” Veronica frowned. She quickly put together the knowledge she had gathered from the Royal Library and her tutor in her mind. “That seems to make sense… Have you been sleeping in this temple since the holy war years ago?” she asked.

“The holy war? Hao Ren was puzzled. “Oh, yes, the holy war. I remember there was a war going on before I fell asleep.”

Veronica seemed to realize something and started to look at Hao Ren in awe.

And in that short conversation, Hao Ren could roughly guess what the princess was thinking.

She probably thought that he was an ancient man who had been sleeping in the temple for many years. Since there was a temple on the mountain, it meant that the place may have been a popular religious site many years ago. But as time went by, the place was devoured by the wild. This guy, who ran out of the temple, naturally reminded her of the legend about the man sleeping in the temple.

In a world where magic existed, such things did not seem so unimaginable.

Having worked as an inspector for several years, Hao Ren had long been trained to face anything with the greatest degree of compatibility. Staying calm and accepting the flow was key to successfully integrating into any observing role.

Thus, Hao Ren tried not to speak. He just tried to listen to the princess as she talked to the old knight next to her. He occasionally cut in with a word or two but did not reveal any valuable information. This was perfectly in line with the identity of an “ancient guardian” who had been sleeping in the temple for many years.

“When did you wake up?” Veronica looked at Hao Ren curiously. The way Hao Ren dressed was a novelty to her. His clothes were clean and tidy, and there was no sign of them being worn for years, which made her wonder. “Did the ancients wear such clothes?”

“I woke up a few days ago,” said Hao Ren, shaking his head. “I don’t remember much about the old times. What is the situation in the outside world now? Are we still at war?”

Being too careful about what you said could also put you in a passive position. So, Hao Ren took the initiative to ask questions before she asked him more. This was also a result of his work experience.

“Peace has never really come to the land of Collow,” the old knight explained. “The Servants of Chaos strike every century, and their attacks are getting increasingly fierce. This year marks the seventh year of the Chaotic War. This year’s attack is more ferocious than any in recorded history, and plenty of lands have fallen.”

Veronica looked ashamed too. “We are ashamed to face our forefathers who fought so valiantly. In the seventh year of chaos, we have lost more land than in any other century. The Border of Order has retreated to the Wall of Dusk… The Theocracy has stabilized the defense of the Wall of Dusk, but the land outside is now semi-polluted.”

Hao Ren looked away slightly. The princess was sorry to her ancestors, not him, a fake guardian…

But what the old knight and Veronica said gave him something to think about.

The place seemed to be deeply troubled by a long war. Every century, the civilized world would be invaded by the enemies known as the Chaos. People in that world seemed to have a way of resisting intrusions, but they were still struggling.

He had seen a lot of trouble in the Plane of Dreams, but what was this “Chaos”?

Perhaps it had something to do with the Mad Lord of the Plane of Dreams? But he had seen the dark monsters summoned from the debris of the universe. And earlier, he had been fighting some of the monsters that were formed out of the fog. There seemed to be a difference between the two…