Chapter 992: Witch Hunt: Edern
Chapter 992: Witch Hunt: Edern
"You're quite adept to have sensed me!" boomed a loud voice that echoed through the entire
room.
Alice turned and saw a towering figure smiling down at her. The man stood several times taller than her, his knees reaching her height. He wore a white fur robe adorned with tribal tattoos across his arms and face.
"Who are you?" Alice inquired.
"Me? I don't really know, but here in this dream, they call me Edern," the giant replied with a grin.
"Dream?" Alice raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, isn't this place a dream? I've been trapped here the moment I was born," Edern explained as he settled into a massive chair.
"You've been trapped here... How?"
"Let me enlighten you. The witches named this structure the Dream Palace, a labyrinth of dreams and dimensions. Look around you..." Edern gestured at their surroundings.
Alice glanced around and finally noticed dozens of corpses lying in pools of blood at the corners of the room.
"They perished when they were brought to this place during your so-called Witch Hunt Game," Edern explained solemnly. "They couldn't withstand the pressures of this space, being ordinary individuals."
Edern paused, then continued, "Don't be surprised that I know about the game. All living beings-humans, demis, or monsters-within Walpurgis Night receive shared information in their minds."
"The Dream Palace is not as the witches portrayed it to you," Edern continued. "Long ago, the witches abducted people from their dreams and imprisoned them here. They used these captives for experiments. Over time, the witches ceased their visits, and the experiments ceased as well. However, those abducted individuals remain trapped here, unable to return to reality, bound by a mysterious power preventing their escape."
Alice regarded Edern and asked, "And what about you?"
"Me? I'm a descendant of one of the giants they abducted in the past," Edern explained. "Just like my parents, my life is bound to this place. I cannot leave."
Edern chuckled before standing up and pointing towards the door. "There are others like me here, and we're planning something against the witches who come to the Dream Palace."
"What do you want from me?" Alice inquired.
"I need you to bring us death," Edern replied bluntly. "Due to the experiments, we are partially fused with the Dream Palace. To end our suffering, you must destroy the Dream Palace itself."
"What do you mean by that?" Alice asked, feeling puzzled.
"When you destroyed those golems, did you notice something?" Edern explained. "Those golems are failed experiments, which is why there are far more golems in the Dream Palace compared to other regions."
Alice narrowed her eyes in thought. The golems seemed to have a directive to eliminate all participants. Who was giving these orders? It must be related to what Edern was describing- the witches who conducted these experiments.
Alice glanced at Edern, her expression reflecting confusion. "Why do you want me to kill you? Is death really the only way?"
"We, the people trapped in the Dream Palace, seek death as a form of liberation," Edern explained. "We are essentially slaves here, unable to move freely without orders. Many of us have begun to plan against the witches who control this place. They want to eliminate everyone brought into the Dream Palace, hoping the witches will retaliate and end us."
Edern paused, lifting a finger. "Another crucial point: we cannot end our own lives, and we are programmed to defend ourselves if attacked. It's as if we are like golems, with commands hardwired into us. The only difference is that we are living beings."
Edern moved toward the door, continuing to speak. "I understand you have many questions, but even I do not have all the answers. I don't know the purpose behind these experiments."
Alice followed quietly behind him, absorbing his words.
"For us, death equals freedom. Our bodies endure unbearable pain every night. We are forbidden from fighting each other, so we seek out monsters that can defeat us. Yet, no matter how many times we are destroyed, we always return," Edern explained solemnly. "The destruction of the Dream Palace will grant us true liberation."
In a hushed tone, Edern stopped at the door and slowly pushed it open.
Edern turned to Alice and said, "That's why we are willing to provoke the witches, even if it means sacrificing all the ordinary people who arrive here."
Alice grasped the gravity of Edern's words. She followed him beyond the door and found herself in a vast land teeming with gigantic trees, sensing the presence of living beings all around.
"I'm asking you again to grant us death," Edern reiterated.
"I lack the strength to destroy the Dream Palace," Alice replied honestly.
"You don't need to destroy the Dream Palace. Let me show you," Edern suggested. "Follow
me."
Edern led Alice into the forest until they reached a village. Alice's heart sank at the sight of hundreds of people bound in every corner. Children cried out of fear, while adults attempted to offer solace, their faces etched with visible terror.
"The atmosphere here isn't as intense as the previous space, so they are able to survive for now. However, they will soon meet their end at the hands of my comrades to provoke the witches. We view this 'game' as an opportunity to attain death. We will obstruct anyone attempting to clear it. Therefore, if you wish to progress in this 'game,' you must be prepared to confront and defeat us," Edern explained as they walked.
Soon, the group arrived at the center of the village where a large altar with various symbols on the ground stood.
"What is this?" Alice inquired.
"You are the fifth person we have brought here. We cannot approach the altar due to certain rules, but inside it is a separate space. You can enter and compete with the first four. Then, you will understand what lies within," Edern responded.
Alice remained silent, eyeing Edern cautiously. Though she had just met him and did not fully trust him, there seemed to be some truth in his words.
"Why hesitate? If you refuse to participate, I will not hesitate to end the lives of everyone in this place, including yours. That way, you will have no choice but to proceed," Edern
threatened.
"Fine," Alice sighed as she walked towards the altar.
The altar erupted in a blinding light, engulfing her body. When the light subsided, Alice had
vanished.
Edern gazed at the altar and muttered, "Whoever emerges from that altar will bring us death. Many are transported inside, but only one will emerge. We have only one hour remaining." Inside the altar, a competition unfolded. Those accidentally transported there faced inevitable death. Edern and his kin had activated this ritual since the Witch Hunt Game began. Edern did not understand the full workings of the altar, but he knew it was a tool used by the
witches who had experimented on them in the past.
"Death... Bring it to me," he whispered solemnly.
...
Alice opened her eyes to find herself inside a colossal arena. Corpses littered the ground, blood staining the earth.
Since arriving in the Dream Palace, Alice had grown accustomed to the sight of corpses scattered throughout this nightmarish realm. It was a grim reminder of the harsh conditions faced by the denizens of Walpurgis Night-a place where survival depended on strength.
The overwhelming presence of death left Alice feeling numb. Though she did not know these fallen individuals, the sight of their pitiful faces of the children reinforced her resolve to see
this place destroyed.
"Edern's plan is to show all participants that the Dream Palace must be eradicated. That's the purpose," Alice muttered to herself. She lifted her gaze to confront the figure hovering above.
"Are you the final challenger?" a woman with blue hair and fiery red eyes inquired, grinning wickedly. "You don't seem to be one of our citizens. I assume you're a guest. In that case, there's no issue if I end you."
"Your attire resembles that of some of the corpses here. Did you perhaps kill your comrades?"
Alice inquired.
"What choice did I have? They attacked me first. We've all been manipulated by those people, right? They're trying to defy the witches, thinking they stand a chance. Are they out of their minds?! They brought you here too, seeking something from this place, didn't they?" the woman replied with a deranged expression. "Stay here with me, and you'll end up like me! There's something twisted about this place! Hahahaha!"
Alice glanced around cautiously before muttering to herself, "This situation must be resolved
swiftly."
"What was that? I'll tear you limb from limb and reveal the truth of this place!" the woman cackled as she bent her knees and charged at Alice.
"There is indeed something wrong with this place, which is why you can meet your end here," Alice stated coldly as she thrust her spear forward.