booktalesy Chapter 4376 Listening to the Lament
Chapter 4376 Listening to the Lament
Chapter 4376 Listening to the Lament
Uriel's tone was resolute, and his expression carried an unusual firmness.
Blanche and Kemai exchanged a glance. Kemai stepped forward and said, "You're right. From a musical perspective, we are indeed not as good as you, but..."
Before he could finish speaking, Uriel interrupted him, saying, "I know you want me to perform 'Moonlit Haze' outside. But why does it have to be me?"
"The main problem is, we don't know how," Ke Mai said, spreading his hands with an innocent look on his face.
Uriel instinctively wanted to blurt out: If you don't know how, you can learn, just like Luigi.
But looking at Kermaine's rough, calloused hands and Blanche's shifty eyes, Uriel knew that those words would have no effect on them.
After a moment of silence, Uriel's eyes suddenly lit up, as if he had suddenly thought of a good idea: "That's it, we can let Guleimo in!"
“I will teach him then. With his skill on the harp, he will definitely learn it in one go.”
"Then let him play 'Moonlit Haze,' and I'll go to Fantasy Dream!"
A look of confusion crossed Kemai's eyes. He didn't understand what Uriel meant. And who was Guleimo?
However, Blanche understood.
She had seen Guleimo in the Uriel instance, where he would come in every night to teach Luigi the harp, and Guleimo's name was also on the entry list for the Misty Forest instance.
Therefore, it's reasonable for Uriel to think of Guleimo.
only……
As Blanche was pondering this, Angor's voice came through: "Are you sure you want to send Guleimo into the Misty Swamp dungeon?"
“I don’t know much about Guleimo, but you should know him well. If he knew that there might be a sister named Rigota in the dream world, do you think he would obediently play music outside, or would he risk everything to be cursed by the Whispering Curse?”
Uriel froze in place.
Angell was right. Given Gulemo's personality, if he knew the truth, he would probably be even more radical than himself and would definitely not wait outside.
“Then, then as long as we don’t tell him the truth…” Uriel murmured softly, his tone no longer as certain as before.
“You could certainly not tell him, but as far as I know, he’s never been interested in you to begin with. On the most crucial issue, you’re going to deceive him and hide it from him. How do you think he’ll treat you in the future?” Angell said quietly.
Uriel pursed his lips: "As long as we can find Rigota and rescue her, he will eventually understand me."
Angel sighed softly: "But have you ever considered whether Rigota is truly at the end of the dream? If she's not there, what does everything you've done mean?"
Uriel was speechless for a moment, as if something was blocking his throat, and he couldn't say a word.
After a moment of silence, Angell suddenly changed the subject.
"However, the key point you just mentioned is also correct."
“Blanche and Kemai don’t understand music, so they’re likely to get lost in the dream world,” Angel said slowly. “Perhaps they can learn from Darkman’s experience in the second level, the City Dream, and the third level, the Corridor Maze, but if they can’t even get through the first level, the Dark Space, then it’s meaningless to copy the experience of their predecessors later.”
The Dark Space, this dreamlike scene, is set in a completely dark and void world without any coordinate references, which is why Angor didn't have Darkman construct this illusion.
Therefore, if Blanche and Kemai enter the dream world and pass through the dark space, they can only rely on themselves.
There is a high probability of failure in this stage.
Look at Bourko, he failed in the Dark Space level.
Rebecca seemed to have passed the first hurdle, but it was a close call; had she been even a little later, she might have failed.
It's clear that the success rate in the Dark Space is not high; even if Blanche and Clementine enter, there's probably a one-in-three chance of failure.
However, if Uriel were to go, he would not fail the first level, and with Darkman's experience to draw upon, he would also not fail the second and third levels.
As for the subsequent levels, Uriel's knowledge of music aligns perfectly with the core of the Dream's "finding the song," making his success rate much higher than that of Blanche and Kemai.
After listening to Angell's analysis, Uriel's eyes lit up and hope rekindled on his face, while Blanche and Kemai looked hesitant.
From a rational perspective, Uriel, who understands music, is indeed more suitable than the other two to tackle the Whispering Curse.
“But ‘Moonlight in the Haze’…” Ke Mai still hesitated.
Ingres: "I used to think that Uriel's 'Moonlit Haze' was very important, and that he could be more valuable outside. But then I thought, if the two of you can't even get through the first level of the dark space, what's the point of 'Moonlit Haze'?"
Although the chances of them both crashing in the dark space are very small, the probability is not zero.
"So, after thinking it over, I'm actually leaning a bit towards Uriel, but I still have some reservations."
Angor's concern was simple: if Rigota was truly the core character of this instance, then the final outcome would be completely different with Uriel present versus without him.
It's like a hero confronting a demon king. In the final battle, the demon king suddenly discovers that the hero is actually his long-lost flesh and blood, his own son.
The Demon King might then back down and directly grant the hero the final treasure.
But if there were no such relationship, the Demon King would still unleash his ultimate attack when necessary and kill without hesitation, showing absolutely no mercy.
In other words, there is one less possibility of an "easy way to pass the level".
Similarly, in Angor's view, Uriel's existence could potentially lead to this "easy victory" ending.
Therefore, even though Uriel is indeed more suitable for venturing into the Dreamscape, Angor still has some concerns. After all, while he may be more suitable, there is still a possibility of death. Once he dies, the "easy clear" ending will naturally disappear.
"However, when Uriel mentioned Guleimo, it reminded me and made my last bit of concern disappear."
If Uriel unfortunately dies in the dream, there is still Guleimo.
Uriel and Rigota are the perfect couple, while Gulemo and Rigota are siblings by blood.
For Rigota, both Uriel and Guleimo are important.
As long as one of them remains, the hidden ending of "easy playthrough" can still be triggered.
“Therefore, I think Uriel can go.” Angleton paused. “As for ‘Moonlit Haze,’ it can still be performed.”
The three of them were taken aback: "Huh?"
“Don’t forget, I’m here too.” Angell smiled.
……
After some discussion, they finalized a new version of the plan.
Uriel, as their representative, was sent to be infected by the Whispering Curse.
As for Kemai and Blanche, they will skip the infection step for now. Their main responsibility is to perform "Moonlight in the Dark" in the outside world.
The performance here is not about having the two of them play music, but rather about Angell replicating the piece "Moonlit Haze" through illusion nodes.
Transform it into an effect similar to a "phonograph".
All they need to do is find the right moment outside and turn on the "phonograph".
This version of the plan places almost all the possibilities on Uriel.
However, Uriel did not show any pressure; he was filled with excitement and anticipation.
If the "female singer's voice" really came from Rigota, perhaps he could meet Rigota again in his dreams!
Without delay, they got to work the moment the plan was finalized.
Using Kerma's mini-map and Angor's "secret guidance," they found the evil spirits roaming the bushland.
After glancing at the evil spirit from afar, Kemai and Blanche turned and left, leaving Uriel behind.
According to the information provided by One Ear, there are two ways to trigger the Whispering Curse. The first is the random triggering that the Forty Thieves obtained through countless trials—when they get close to the evil spirit.
No one knows the evil spirit's modus operandi. All that is known is that it roams the Misty Swamp Forest, indifferent to all living things around it. Even if someone is nearby, it will simply ignore them and walk away.
However, if someone actively approaches it, it will trigger two completely different outcomes:
One type is where the evil spirit remains completely unresponsive, as if the people around it are just air, continuing on its own path without ever stopping.
Another type is that, upon approaching, one can clearly hear a strange and low wailing coming from the evil spirit.
If you hear this mournful cry, then congratulations, you have been afflicted by the Whispering Curse.
The second type is forced triggering.
If you actively attack and provoke the evil spirit, it will enter "killing mode," during which it will attack while continuously emitting mournful cries.
Similar to the previous attack by the caravan and the Forty Thieves on the evil spirit, the evil spirit eventually killed those who attacked it, and then the curse cast by the lament took away a large number of onlookers.
This is forced triggering.
After discussion, they decided to try "random triggering" first.
If Uriel approaches the evil spirit and hears its mournful cries, then all will be well.
If the evil spirit doesn't cry out, then try to force a trigger... But even if it is forced a trigger, it's not about having Uriel attack the evil spirit, but about having Angor create an illusion, draw his bow and shoot an arrow to enrage the evil spirit.
At that time, Uriel only needs to linger nearby and use a Howling Curse.
A few minutes later.
“Kemay and Blanche are already far from this area, you can begin.” Angel’s voice reached Uriel’s ears.
Uriel nodded, his gaze fixed on the lingering evil spirit in the distance, his eyes swirling with complex and unfathomable thoughts.
He had imagined countless times the scene of reuniting with Father Sean.
He hated the person who "killed" Rigota and vowed that if he ever saw him, he would make him pay the price.
But who could have predicted that the truth would take such a dramatic turn? Not only did Father Sean not subject Rigota to the burning boots, but he was actually her benefactor.
Unfortunately, bad luck struck, and a robbery and murder ultimately led to a tragic end for both of them.
The closer I got, the more complex my feelings became—guilt, resentment, and a touch of indescribable melancholy.
His steps were heavy as he walked towards the evil spirit, each step feeling like he was stepping on past obsessions and present truths.
As he drew closer, Uriel saw the evil spirit's tattered armor, the bluish-black scars on its skin, and its grayish-white, empty eyes, and his heart ached even more.
He closed his eyes tightly, trying to ignore the scene before him and just listen to the "lament".
Unfortunately, the evil spirit did not make any sound on its own; the only sound was the creaking of its tattered iron boots as they stepped on the dry branches of the bushes.
Uriel reluctantly opened his eyes and quietly followed behind the evil spirit.
But the evil spirit was completely unaware of his presence and continued to wander aimlessly.
He tried to step forward and stand in front of the evil spirit, but the evil spirit only paused slightly, without any intention to attack or let out a mournful cry. It simply turned its body slowly to the side, bypassed him, and continued along its own path, as if he were nothing more than an insignificant dead object by the roadside.
Uriel hesitated for a moment, looking at the evil spirit walking ahead. His fingertips twitched slightly, and he subconsciously wanted to reach out and grab the figure that he once hated to the bone but now only felt pity for.
Just as his fingertips were about to touch the tattered armor, Angel's voice came in time, carrying a hint of warning: "His current situation is very special. He is more indifferent to living things, but if he senses a threat, he may retaliate instantly."
"For example, if you touch him right now, he will most likely attack you. With your current physical condition, once you are attacked by him, you will have virtually no chance of survival."
Angell's words were like a bucket of cold water, instantly sobering Uriel up. His outstretched hand froze in mid-air before slowly retracting.
"Leave the rest to me."
As soon as he finished speaking, Uriel felt a gentle breeze around him.
A gentle breeze swept by, lifting the strands of hair from his forehead and obscuring his vision. In just a moment, when the hair fell back down and his vision cleared, a phantom figure appeared on the open ground in front of him.
The figure was blurry and the face was indistinct, but the drawn longbow in the hand was clearly visible.
The arrow in the figure's hand was aimed at the evil spirit not far away.
The moment the evil spirit caught sight of the bow, its aimless wandering abruptly stopped, and the atmosphere around it rapidly changed.
Uriel, standing behind it, couldn't see clearly, but Angor could see that the evil spirit's originally gray and empty eyes were now rapidly turning scarlet, churning with boundless rage and resentment.
It was as if that bow had awakened a painful memory buried deep in its mind.
The next second, the illusory figure released the bowstring, and the arrow whistled out. It did not hit the evil spirit, but instead fell heavily into the soil in front of it, splashing up a cloud of fine dust.
"Ow—"
A low, mournful cry suddenly erupted from the evil spirit's mouth, its voice filled with pain and rage.
It suddenly sped towards the illusory figure, the clanging of armor breaking the silence of the misty swamp forest with a piercing clatter.
Uriel, who was standing not far behind the evil spirit, was thinking of sneaking forward to touch the wailing and trigger the curse.
But before he could even make a move, the mournful cry clearly reached his ears, carrying the eerie power unique to curses, and instantly swept over his entire body.
The next second, Uriel felt dizzy and disoriented. The scene before him twisted and blurred rapidly, and all his strength seemed to be drained away in an instant.
Before he could react, everything went black, and he collapsed onto the cold earth, falling into a coma...