Falling into the Abyss

The city of Xiluoan spreads on a piece of undulating hills, like a piece of white fine sand scattered all over the field.Many criss-crossing flight tracks above the city are woven into a fine net, and many colorful aircraft or dual-purpose vehicles reflect the golden sunlight and gather into a colorful fog.In the city center with dense buildings, there is a circle of exquisite gardens. The center of the garden is surrounded by a circular or octagonal building complex, and a crescent-shaped red building is surrounded by stars, which is the Temple of the Red Moon.

The silver-white dual-purpose vehicle slowly landed in front of the two humanoid sculptures.Those two sculptures are the same as the sculptures in the bay where the spaceship is anchored. One is a white old man with a long beard, and the other is a black young man in a gorgeous golden robe.They all have the appearance of Eve people, but the weirdness and unnaturalness in their expressions feel a bit inconsistent.

Ethan and Samuel followed Tanithel out of the car, wearing the dark brown priestly clothes that Tanithel had found for them. It was the most elementary apprentice clothing, and many people could be seen coming in and out at the gate. The boy who came out was wearing the same clothes, with the Wanxi ball flying around him, holding some heavy paper books in his hands.Ethan and Samuel looked at each other, they were not used to each other's young and unfamiliar appearance, and they both saw a trace of tension in each other's eyes.

The crescent-shaped building standing in the center of the field of vision in the distance is like an outstretched arm, opening to both sides. The dense reliefs on it are woven into dense and complex light and shadow, and the whole building looks thick and vicissitudes, with a kind of blood General pathos.Surrounded by trees, the hustle and bustle of the city seems to be blocked, the air is quiet and solemn, and there seems to be no one who speaks loudly.

Tanithel came out of the aircraft and immediately attracted the attention of many apprentices.Ethan noticed many shy, hidden sights coming from every corner, and whispering groups of people could be seen from time to time.Tanithel seemed to be used to this kind of attention, and smiled at Ethan and Samuel without seeing them, "Let's go."

Almost all the apprentices who passed by them along the way were saluting to the priest who was working neatly to Taniser, and Taniser also nodded calmly in response.It's just that Ethan noticed that there were many apprentices who were walking far away, but they wanted to come forward to say hello to Tanithel.Taking advantage of the fact that there were fewer people, Samuel sneered, and elbowed Ethan, "It seems that you have many rivals in love."

Ethan gave him a blank look, "What are you talking nonsense like a dumb, shut up."

They walked straight to the central temple, the tall pointed door was open, and inside was a prayer hall wide enough to accommodate hundreds of people.There are murals with a strong Eve style on the vaults on the walls, and a tall machine is displayed next to the frontmost pulpit, with many colored glaze sheets arranged in order from large to small. There were some sort of cotton pads, and some cogs closely intertwined, attached to a platform of pedals.It looks like it should be Eve's unique musical instrument Tianyinqin.

Ethan couldn't help but look at those pianos more.The only musical instrument similar to it on earth is the glass zither, which has been lost for a long time. It is said that the sound played by that wonderful instrument is ethereal and mysterious, and has the ability to charm people. Some people call it "the voice of an angel", and others For the "devil's harp".And Eve's Tianyin Qin is obviously many times larger than the glass piano, and it does not rely on the touch of fingers to "play", but relies on people's feet to step on the pedals skillfully, and the glass sheets are rotated, Go and touch the cotton pads near them to make sounds.Ethan saw Eve playing this musical instrument once. The way that person stepped on the pedals was extremely elegant and beautiful. It was a unique and light dance. Under his dance steps, the glass sheets rose and fell like tides, and the music was played It is vast and far away, like clouds, rain and fog in the sky, light and ethereal. After listening to it for a long time, it will indeed make people enter a state of meditation. After the concert is over, they will not be able to return to their senses for a long time.

Tanithel noticed Ethan's gaze and smiled, "Are you interested in Tianyinqin?"

"Ah...no..."

"That's such a pity." Tanithel said lightly, "It will be the Holy Spirit's Day in two days. At that time, the temple will hold a grand requiem ceremony, and I will play it myself."

"Holy Ghost Day?"

"That's right, it's a festival to commemorate the dead praying for them."

Speaking of the dead, Samuel had a flash of sadness on his face.Probably reminded of Schneider.

But at this moment, a timid voice came from behind, "Taniser, you are back."

Tanithel turned around in response, and saw a very handsome and lovely young man wearing a light blue priestly uniform.Ethan recalled the grade of the color, which should be the grade of the junior priest.

Tanithel smiled gently at the young man, "Ah, I'm back. Is the priest looking for me?"

The boy nodded with a kind of obedient obedience, but there seemed to be stars shining in his eyes looking at Tanithel.But then his gaze quietly turned around Ethan and Samuel.He withdrew his gaze and said respectfully, "The priest heard that you are back, and I hope you will go see him immediately."

"Do you know what it is?"

"It seems to be about the king's participation in the soul sacrifice on the Holy Spirit Festival."

"What?" Tanithel seemed to be very surprised, and it was not the kind of surprise that was joyful. He frowned, "The king is coming?"

Samuel and Ethan looked at each other with curiosity.Isn't King Eve the uncle of Tanithel?Why did Tanithel have a headache expression on his face?

Eve Wang and the others occasionally saw it on TV. He was an alpha male in his sixties.This age is considered middle-aged for humans with an average life expectancy of 120 years, and King Eve is indeed a very energetic and handsome man.

The boy replied, "Yesterday, the lord of the state came to discuss this matter with the officiant. It should be true."

Tanithel looked back at Ethan and Samuel, and suddenly turned to the boy and said, "Hadir, these two are my apprentices, this one is named Erdrin, and the one next to him is Yasani Er, I haven't had time to take them to register their names, help me take them there."

The young priest named Hadir looked at Ethan and Samuel a little strangely, but he smiled friendly, "Hello."

Ethan hurriedly saluted the "kid" in front of him respectfully. After all, judging from his current appearance, he was probably younger than the young man in front of him. Moreover, he was only a preliminary priest. younger generation.Although Samuel was very reluctant, but in order to avoid trouble, he followed Ethan's example and bowed.

Tanithel pressed Ethan's shoulder, leaned into his ear and said, "Call me in your heart if you have anything to do, and I will always listen."

Ethan couldn't help showing a sweet smile, and said in a low voice, "Hurry up, I won't be out so soon."

The priest blinked his right eye secretly at him, pretended to tell Ethan and Samuel to listen to Hadir, and left in a hurry.The remaining three people stared wide-eyed.

Hadir led them out of the prayer hall from the left and into the long and sunny corridor.There are brown-clothed priests or green-clothed apprentices coming and going, but the voices of everyone's conversations are very low, making the air seem very ancient and quiet.The sacred and solemn taste spreads in every ray of sunshine heat.

"You are very lucky." The boy named Hadir suddenly said.

Ethan couldn't be sure if he was talking to himself, "Huh?"

Hadir turned his head and glanced at him, "Did you know that Tanithel never accepted apprentices before? I first entered here as an apprentice, and I originally wanted to be a teacher under his name, but it didn't work. ...how did you know him?"

Ethan laughed dryly, carrying the answer that he had discussed with Tanithel, "When he passed by our planet, the two of us begged him to take us in. He agreed as soon as he saw us as orphans."

But Hadir didn't seem to be persuaded, and there was a ray of sharp edge in his seemingly gentle eyes and shot at Ethan. Although the third eye hadn't opened yet, it gave Ethan an inexplicable sense of oppression.Of course, this oppressive feeling is still too tender compared with Tanisel, so it can be completely ignored.The young man looked at Ethan for a while, and he didn't know if it was an illusion, but Ethan felt that there was a little coldness lurking in those smiling eyes.

"Really, you are so lucky, you must cherish it."

Samuel rolled his eyes behind him, probably because he felt that this kind of encouragement was sour and not sincere at all.Ethan also felt that the atmosphere was a bit weird, so he asked one after another, "Could it be that your mentor is the officiant of Lionel?"

"good."

"Wow, that's amazing! It turns out that the officiant is your mentor!" Ethan pretended to be admiring and coaxed the children, and Samuel could only bear it when he wanted to laugh.

"Then... Did the chief priest of Xi'onier have some disputes with the priest of Tanithel recently?" Ethan continued to probe when he saw the young man showing a somewhat smug expression.

Hadir gave him a strange look, "At first, there was, but it seemed to be reconciled later. What? Do you know the reason?"

Ethan quickly replied, "No, I don't know much about it."

"To be honest, I also find it strange. Tanithel and his mentor are like father and son, and they seldom quarrel. Fortunately, it's all over now."

Is it over?

It's hard to imagine that the terrifying man who smiled and tore through his spiritual defenses would turn a blind eye to such a major matter as Tanisel secretly bringing a bounty fugitive from another country, and even agree with Taniser Searle brought him to the temple.

Is it because he and Tanithel both chose the entropy god as their main god in private, so they favored him, a mutated star with entropy in his body?

Ethan always felt that Tanisel brought him to Eve not just to save him... He was like a prisoner waiting for the final trial, waiting anxiously for the truth to be revealed every day .But the priest has been taking care of him so meticulously that he is almost lost in the tenderness again.

But... after seeing the tomb of Tanithel's father buried under the castle, Ethan suddenly became sober.

He knew that Tanisel hadn't told him the whole truth.

And the weird mausoleum under the castle, as well as the books on the tombstone, always feel a little strange atmosphere.A very foul and evil atmosphere.

That smell has been with him ever since that night, until now.Even in this sacred temple, not only did the smell not fade, but it became clearer and stronger.

After Hadir took them to register their names, he explained to them the apprentices' work and rest time.Most of the time, apprentices have to follow their mentors, as the mentor's assistant and attendant, and at the same time learn the priest's courses at a fixed time every day.The only problem now is that there are not enough dormitories in the temple, and Tanithel may be responsible for arranging their accommodation for the time being.

At this moment, Hadir's Ten Thousand Breath Ball flickered, and a message was transmitted.Hadir glanced at him and said hastily, "The mentor is summoning me. You just wait in the prayer hall for Tanisel to offer sacrifices." After he finished speaking, he turned around and was about to leave, but after walking a few steps, he suddenly used a strange voice. Turning his head to stare at Ethan in such a natural way, he opened his mouth wide to an incredible width, revealing a distorted and frightening smile.

"Eternity is about to end, and the sleeping king is about to wake up. The time has come, and you should accept his blessing."

That was obviously no longer Hadir's voice, but the voice of the black man in the dream.

He actually heard that man's voice in reality, when he was not dreaming at all!

Is the dream beginning to erode reality? !

Ethan froze, but in the blink of an eye, Hadir had already run away.As if it never stopped.

"What did he just say?" Ethan grabbed Samuel and asked.

Samuel was at a loss, seeing no one left and right, he spoke in Earth language, "Let us wait for Tanithel in the prayer hall."

"I mean, after that, he suddenly turned around and said..." Ethan is actually not quite sure now, whether what he saw just now is real or...

But Samuel became more and more confused, "What are you talking about, he left after he finished speaking, and didn't look back."

The author has something to say:

If there are no accidents, the next chapter should be able to make trouble...