The world controlled by dice [Western Fantasy]

They appeared from La Mifa City on February 2, and now 22 days have passed, but they still haven't arrived in Bethune.

Such a long distance makes everyone feel tired.

So, after leaving the train station, the guide Isaac Cobden took them to the hotel to rest, while the translator Johnny Hoyt and Professor Bella went to buy the boat ticket to Bethune .

The hotel they went to was not far from the train station, about 500 meters away.But this short 500 meters made Siles feel a kind of exotic style.

Strange city, strange language, strange people.The Kingsley people who come and go have slightly dark skin and very strong arms, regardless of whether they are men or women.

Siles saw some people cast vigilant and cold eyes.He realized that Middleton's xenophobia was really obvious.

However, after the guide Isaac made a gesture—it was probably similar to stroking his chest and pointing to the sea—and said a word, the expressions of the residents who came and went were much better, and they could even be called friendly.

Lorenzo asked curiously what that meant, and Isaac explained that it meant that these people were tourists from a foreign country and respected the sea.

The rest of the people suddenly realized.Chester also said curiously: "So, can we say this?"

"No," said Isaac immediately, "don't even try to say that."

Lorenzo was already trying to repeat that sentence, but he stopped immediately after hearing what Isaac said, and looked at him in surprise.

Isaac explained: "Middleton is indeed a very exclusive country, so you must have a guide and an interpreter with you. We must come to introduce you to the residents of Middleton, and then they will maintain a friendly attitude."

As he said that, he looked further away, and that direction was the sea.He looked in silence for a moment, then looked around, and then said: "I just introduced you to them.

"Your arrival will soon be known by more residents, so you don't have to worry about being targeted or making bad words. Of course, you can't just wander around.

"The belief in the sea is deeply rooted here. If you do something offensive, it is likely to cause bloodshed. That's all I can say. Of course, overall, people are still very friendly."

However, the last sentence seemed a little pale.Everyone was thoughtful, and at the same time felt Middleton's unique temperament.

They walked straight along the road by the sea, and finally arrived at the hotel.It was a bit old building, but the decoration inside was pretty and fashionable, although on the whole, Kingsley was not as prosperous and lively as Lamifa City.

Siles surveyed the city thoughtfully.He found that, as Qindo said, Middleton's urban construction is not as advanced as that of Conster, and many facilities here are old, such as some exposed water pipes and so on.

Of course, that will not affect the use or aesthetics, but the development level of the two sides is obviously not the same.

Isaac reserved a room for everyone.It can be seen that the boss has become more friendly because of this sudden business.They confirmed their respective room numbers and went to their rooms.

Siles' room happened to face the ocean.He put down his luggage and breathed a sigh of relief, then walked to the window and looked at the distant ocean.

From this angle, the sea does not look beautiful, at least not very clean.The muddy water and mud on the shore mixed into the clear water.Farther away, gray-black fog loomed indistinctly in the sky, making people feel even more depressed.

Suddenly, Sirius saw another dark cloud.It looked very heavy, already faintly covering the ocean on the right side, and it seemed that it was not too far away from Kingsley.

...Is a storm coming?

Soon after, the translator Johnny and Professor Bella also came to the hotel.They returned empty-handed, with not-so-good news.

The sea of ​​Fuliou in winter is full of uncertain factors, and they just happened to encounter one - a storm.Recently, large or small storms have always appeared in the Folio Sea.

They had to stay at Kingsley for a day or two, because no captain would choose to sail under such weather conditions, they could not buy tickets, and they themselves could not dare to embark on the journey at this time.

"So, when will the storm pass?" Lorenzo couldn't help asking.

Johnny shook his head and said with a hint of apprehension, "Maybe tomorrow, maybe never."

Everyone was stunned.

Isaac scratched his hair before explaining, "Johnny was saying a Middletonian saying that means life is always in a storm and all we have to do is fight hard."

Lorenzo suddenly realized, and then said: "So, the saying is still positive."

Instead, Chester said quietly: "But we can't fight the storm on the ocean."

Everyone else laughed.

The atmosphere didn't get depressed because of this, because everyone was mentally prepared when they embarked on this journey.It should also be said that the blizzard at the beginning of the journey already made them feel a little bad.

Siles stood there silently, subconsciously stroking Lycardia's amulet with his fingers.There was a cloud of cloud hanging over his heart, but he couldn't be said to be very worried.

They had dinner at this hotel, a very delicious seafood dinner, full of Middleton flavor.Both the guide and the translator seem to have retrieved some memories of their childhood, showing nostalgic expressions; but the people in Const can only praise its deliciousness again and again.

Some people even lamented: "When I go back to Lamifa City, what will I do if I can't eat such fresh seafood!"

They all laughed, but empathized.

They were not the only group staying in this hotel, there were several other travelers as well.Siles accidentally found the businessman Ambrose among them.

He still looked worried, eating his dinner absent-mindedly. He was afraid that after arriving in Kingsley in the afternoon, he would not get any good news, and he was also trapped in Kingsley because of the storm.

When leaving the restaurant, Celeste greeted him politely, after all we talked on the train.And Ambrose also looked at him unexpectedly, apparently not expecting to run into Siles again.

He said, "Mr. Noel, as I recall, you are planning to go to Bethune?"

"Yes." Siles said, "We originally planned to go by boat, but now that the storm is about to hit, we probably have to stay in Kingsley for a while."

"Oh, that's actually the case." Ambrose showed a surprised expression, and at the same time looked at Sirius with some hesitation.

With a thought in his heart, Siles asked, "Have you encountered any problems?"

Ambrose was silent for a while. In the end, he shook his head and didn't say what happened to him.He kept such silence that there was nothing Celest could do.Then he said, "Then I wish you all the best."

"Thank you." Ambrose forced a smile.

Siles suspected that his troubles had something to do with his business, but that didn't seem to be the case either.Could it be that the fleet hired by Ambrose encountered some trouble?

Siles guessed in his mind, but couldn't come up with an answer.Soon, he returned to the room.

After days of train journeys, it was comforting for Celes to take a warm bath in the comfort of his room.However, when he was standing by the window wiping his hair and looking at the scenery outside the window, he suddenly realized that the storm was very close.

The hotel attendants knocked on the door and reminded them one by one that they must lock the doors and windows and not turn on the lights when they go to sleep tonight, lest the rainstorm invade the room, and at the same time go to bed early, lest they cannot fall asleep due to the noise of the wind and rain.

Plus, travelers can rest assured that their building is strong enough to not be destroyed by a storm.

Although the waiter's tone was unremarkable, when Siles opened the door and noticed the expressions of his companions in the nearby room, he found that the people from Const were a little dazed as expected.

Who would have thought that on the first night in a foreign country, they would face a storm from a distant ocean?

It was getting dark, but it was hard to tell whether it was the night or the clouds.The wind picked up and was getting stronger.The whistling wind accompanied by dense raindrops quickly invaded the city next to the port.

Siles saw the brightly lit port in the distance.Some ships returned to port before the storm hit, but there are still some ships that have not appeared in a hurry until now.

After the last ship returned to port, the lights in Kingsley Harbor suddenly went out.

Siles was startled, and then suddenly, as if being pulled by something, he looked towards the distant ocean.

He saw layers of dense and constantly rolling dark clouds, and the dark clouds contrasted with the mist not far away, and it was impossible to tell who was who for a while.Lightning flashed occasionally, suddenly illuminating that area, and even the scene in the fog seemed to illuminate.

Siles narrowed his eyes.

He hesitated for a moment, then took a sip of the potion from his pocket, then put on the [Silent Heart] brooch and [Akamala's Spectacle Frame].

He looked over the area.

Now or never.He knew it was a dangerous attempt, but after all, the lightning in the storm illuminated the scene in the mist, which was also an excellent opportunity.

No one knows when the storm will strike again, and they may have already left Kingsley by that time.So in the end, Siles chose to take advantage of this opportunity.

He looked over.

He saw billowing clouds, dense raindrops, and terrible winds.He saw the island, the crowd, and the altar.He saw broken hands, miserable blood, and wailing people.he sees...

He saw God!

Siles suddenly came back to his senses, and almost subconsciously took a breath.

The beep of dense dice came from his ear.

[Knowledge +2. 】

[You need to make a will judgment. 】

[Will: 93 (+2) (+1)/96, success. 】

[Don't look out to sea when the storm is coming, that's an old Middleton saying.There are always many ways to interpret this statement.Anyway, you don't know the phrase anyway.But the will is your strongest weapon, so congratulations, you escaped. 】

Siles lowered his gaze, and then took off [Akamala's glasses frame].The only thing left to restore the clear view is the continuous storm and rain.No one knew that the isolated island in the ocean was conducting a sacrifice, and no one knew...

No one knew that the god really responded.

Siles closed his eyes.

That picture is still playing back in his mind.The lonely island of silence, the crowd in carnival, the flood of blood, and the high above, above the sky...

shadow.

Before he knew it, the room was completely dark.Siles came back to his senses, walked to the door, and was about to turn on the light in the room, but he hesitated again, feeling that the scene just now made him a little wary.

He couldn't help thinking of what the wandering poet Aldous Gershwin once said, "Under the light, there must be a shadow."

...so he kind of didn't want to turn on the light.

So he took two steps back and sat on the bed, thinking silently in the darkness.

In fact, it was difficult for him to describe the scene he saw just now.

It should be said that the part of the ritual that took place in the ocean is very clear, but the part of the gods seems to be just "perception" in a certain sense, rather than really seeing it, just like he saw the fine grains of stars in the stardust mine. The wailing hidden in the dust.

But that is indeed a shadow.

If there is really a way to describe the existence of this thing, then Brewer Darrow's words are quite appropriate—the chaotic lines in the sky, the things hidden in the dark clouds.

That's...that's exactly, "Shadow."that god.

Shadows are still there, and have always affected the world in some way.There are still shadow believers in this world... and their stories also survive in some way.

Siles thought for a moment, and decided to analyze bit by bit.

An isolated island in the ocean.People on the isolated island cut off their own hands as a sacrifice.

Before he set off to start this trip to Middleton until he arrived in Kingsley, he had already learned some stories related to this matter through various means.

For example, in Maltz's fireside chat, Herd Dreyson once mentioned the history of his family's migration from the north to the south. He mentioned that the wise men in the village told them to go to the sea an isolated island in the

That isolated island shall be the Promised Land of the North.Meanwhile, the Dreysons did find the island in the middle of the ocean, though they later left.

From this perspective, do the Dreyson family have the same beliefs as the people who performed sacrifices on the isolated island that Sirius saw just now?Or, their behavior of leaving the isolated island happened to mean cutting seats with these people?

Just as Siles always thought, the position of the Dreyson family determines the true intention of the family secret letter, and also determines how Siles will treat this matter.

Another thing worth mentioning is that, also during the fireside chat, a man from Middleton mentioned his father's experience.And in that experience, this group of people who sacrificed on the isolated island made their debut.

This shows that the existence of this group of people is not completely unknown, but few people can actually encounter them.Well, there's a good chance this has been going on for quite some time.

A similar conclusion can also be drawn from another circumstantial evidence, that is, the story about Cynthia's seaside fishermen mentioned by the boy Hal Goss in the dream.

The fishermen by the sea are always fishing, and the fish are almost extinct, so Cynthia stops them from doing it.Afterwards, this group of fishermen chose to feed the ocean with their own flesh and blood.

This approach seems a bit bizarre.Meanwhile, in Hal's story, Cynthia simply stops them from continuing their fishing spree, rather than letting them go straight to this ritual.Therefore, it is very doubtful whether the spread of this bloody atmosphere is really related to Cynthia.

In all three stories, Cynthia appears as a sort of maintainer of order.Siles is not quite sure what method she will use to maintain these balances and order.

In short, in the story told by Howl, it is mentioned that the fishermen cut off their hands and threw them into the sea.This is very similar to the scene Siles saw just now.

...This is a blood sacrifice through and through.

If the mysterious Mr. Dreyson wrote to the family in order to get Herd Dreyson to participate in such activities, then how does this matter have anything to do with what happened at Hales House? ?

Siles pondered the question.Because he realized that in the face of this secret family letter, the members of the Dreyson family in Lamifa City were very caught off guard.

Neither of them expected such a thing to happen, so they kicked Hurd out of the house after a night of heated arguments.

In other words, they haven't encountered this matter for many years-whether it is really related to the sea sacrifice or not-but now, the Hales House incident has become an inducement.

The matter of Hales House is only related to Huddoka and Menawaka.It seems that there is nothing to do with some things about the sacrifices in the sea.

... Could it be because of the sky?Siles thought so.

Because the "shadow" he just saw was above the sky.And Huddoka used to be a very arrogant god. He also made himself high above the sky and made believers prostrate under his temple.

However, even if the images match, where is the essential commonality between the two?

Siles was puzzled.

He once again reviewed the information he had gained during this journey, and suddenly recalled a thing that had been mentioned all the time—the shadow under the sea.

During the fireside chat, Fred Dudley, the initiator of the event, mentioned that he once met an old man who, because of his yearning for the ocean, embarked on a journey to the sea in the north.

When he arrived at the city by the sea, he wanted to commit suicide because of physical discomfort.When he really stepped into the icy sea, he suddenly saw the shadow under the sea, which made him extremely panic and uneasy, so he immediately gave up the idea of ​​seeking death.

Not long ago, when Siles and the businessman Ambrose were discussing some legends about Kingsley on the train, the businessman mentioned that some sailors would claim to see the shadow under the sea.

And now, Sirius knows that there are indeed "shadows" above the ocean sky, but one is above the sea surface and the other is below the sea surface...

Wait, up and down?

Siles suddenly reacted—reflection!

The essential meaning of "stars are reflected on the sea" is "shadows are reflected on the sea".Because, "Under the light, there must be a shadow."

... So, it is the "shadow" above the sky that is reflected on the sea as if it were under the sea.Fortunately, people did not look directly at the "shadow", they did not meet the gods, but only saw the shadow of the gods.

Siles saw the god just now, even though it was just a glimpse, he also needed to make that judgment of will.

The decision number of 96.Even with the ritual of [Silent Heart], Sirius' current will attribute is only 95.It was the commendation ceremony held at the Historical Society before that gave him a continuous addition to his will, so his determination of will was able to succeed this time.

This can't help but make Sirius feel scared.

Moreover, the number 96 is already within the scope of judging a big failure.If he fails to make a judgment this time, it will be a direct failure.This made Sirius even more uneasy.

Importantly, this was not the first time he encountered a will determination related to the gods.

He once looked at the rotten stars in the dream without vigilance in the deep sea dream, so he encountered a judgment of will.At that time, the will determination number he needed was 95.

That should be the will attribute corresponding to Luthmi, the god of stars and light (at least it can be used as a reference).

But now, the will attribute of this mysterious shadow is a little higher than that of Luthmi!

From this point of view, if Luthmi faced the "shadow" and made a determination of will, the result he would get would be...

Big failure.

God's big failure.

Also, if "shadows are reflected on the sea," wouldn't Amois, the god of the sea, be affected?

Siles pinched the bridge of his nose subconsciously to calm himself down.He seems to know some very important information, but from another perspective, these things are supplements to the past.

The "shadow" still exists, and there are still people who believe in the "shadow".

This time he took the risk to look at the picture in the storm, and finally came to the conclusion that these two pieces of information corresponded to the two knowledge attributes he added.And this also means... What Dice said, hoping that he saves the world, is very likely to be related to "Shadow".

... against shadows?

Siles pondered the question.

In the end, he really couldn't think of any possible way to do it, so he could only tease himself with a cold joke - turn off the light, wouldn't there be no shadow?

For example, he is now in the dark, and of course any shadows cannot exist.Darkness and shadow are not the same thing.

He was lost in thought.Time passed by little by little, and he didn't realize it at all.It wasn't until the cold of the night finally soaked through his hands and feet that he suddenly came back to his senses and stood up to move around.

Siles walked to the window and stared at the dark sky outside the window.He thought that ordinary people in this world would probably not know that there was a god who was still active in an unknown way.

...However, having said that, he seemed to have ruled out the possibility that Antinam was the shadow.Everyone knows that Anti-Nam is the only god in the world, but they don't know anything about "Shadow".

Is The Shadow really a god that no one knows about?

From the standpoint of the dice alone, that seems to be the case.However, he also failed to get any confirmation from the dice.Siles wanted to make a judgment at this time, and called out the dice to ask.

But considering that the sacrifice not far away was likely to continue, Sirius finally cautiously gave up this approach.

Since Antinam could sense the dice's appearance when it appeared in reality, no one could say for sure whether "Shadow" could do this.

Siles just had an invisible confrontation with him, and he won once with such a high will attribute for no reason.Siles was not willing to risk exposing the existence of the dice again.

The storm is still going on.Siles didn't continue thinking.He went to wash in the dark, then drew the curtains, and soon fell into sleep.

When he was on the train, he didn't go to the Deep Sea Dreamland. Originally, he wanted to go there tonight to see if there was anything new, and at the same time contact Qin Duo.

However, since this happened tonight, Siles also carefully chose to postpone the trip to the deep sea dreamland by a day.He doesn't want to take any risks.

Before falling asleep, he thought vaguely, since his will attribute is already so high, does that mean he is considered a god?

This question troubled Sirius a bit, because he felt that he could never be called a god.Even if the will is high, the power of the gods is obviously not limited to the will.

For example, the wonderful paradise of the gods, the use of the incredible power, all these things, Sirius does not have.

If he is the god of fate, then indeed, there is something happening around him that has to do with fate, coincidence, or whatever.However, he has not been able to actively use this power.

Compared with Akamala's power, he has already been able to use Akamala's basic power, but he has not even glimpsed what the power of fate is.

...So, he can't be called a god yet.It can only be said that it is... a reserve of the gods?

Then maybe Ginto does too.he thinks.

These thoughts just flashed through his mind.When he woke up the next morning, he had pretty much forgotten about it.It was bright daylight, and he opened the curtains and looked out the window.

The storm has died down.

It's still early, just 06:30.The morning sun seemed very lazy, shining weakly on the land that had just been hit by wind and rain.People have crowded the streets bustlingly, busy with their affairs.

Siles noticed that the lights in Kingsley Harbor were on again.However, no boats came in or out.Maybe it's too early, or maybe it's because...

Because of the storm, he thought?

Is this storm really just an ordinary ocean storm?Or, because of that sacrifice, because of the appearance of the "shadow", did the storm appear?

It was difficult for him to come up with an answer, but it was too coincidental.He came to Kingsley, and on the first day, a storm hit, and he had to be trapped in the city; then, by coincidence, a bloody sacrifice was going on in the depths of the ocean, and the "shadow" also appeared at the same time.

He thought for a moment, and finally had to admit that anyway, he was used to such a coincidence of fate that happened to him.

To some extent, he had already collected enough information to explain the sacrifice that took place in the depths of the ocean. Isn't this something even more frightening to think about?

……prophet.he thinks.

In the past, he didn't quite agree with the term "prophet", because at that time he believed that he was only rationally using the information at hand, and then the information could just be combined to form a suitable answer.

However, as he learned more and more information, he himself gradually realized that this kind of thing is unlikely to happen in reality.

Because people get invalid information anyway.This is an unavoidable objective situation.But there is so little invalid information around him, as if a pair of invisible hands planned everything that happened around him.

This situation seemed unbelievable, so Siles thought that this might be the power of fate.The power of fate that he himself cannot control.

...the power of the dice of fate.

He needs a communication with the dice.Siles thought absently.However, he was still a little worried.

Perhaps, when the sailing time for Bethune is confirmed, he can communicate with Dice before that.Anyway, he was about to go to sea, which was also a headache.

...hope nothing happens.He sincerely looks forward to it.

The two interruptions since his journey began were a blizzard and a sea storm.

The former led him to meet Hurd Dreyson.The latter allowed him to see the scene that happened in the depths of the ocean.To some extent, this obstacle in the journey also seems to be to provide him with some kind of information.

It's just that, for his companion, the journey this time seems a bit too twists and turns.

At six o'clock, Siles went out to the restaurant for breakfast.He happened to meet the sleepy-eyed Captain Bunyan.Bunyan looked sleepy, and that sleepiness took away from his overly gentle and polite air.His hair was even a little messy.

He greeted Siles, and then said with a wry smile: "The storm last night was so terrible that I couldn't sleep much all night."

For some reason, these words made Sirius feel a little ashamed.Relying on the power of Akamala last night, he can be said to have had a good night's sleep - of course he has always been like this.

He comforted him and said, "Perhaps you can go to bed after breakfast."

Bunyan nodded.

They ran into the rest of their mates at the restaurant, and sure enough, no one slept well.They yawned so much that they didn't even notice how out of tune the sprightly Sirius was with the rest of them.

They all said they were going to sleep for a while after eating.Professor Bella also looked very tired.The guide Isaac and the translator Johnny are better than them, probably because they have already prepared themselves for the storm in Kingsley.

Therefore, they suggested that they could wait for Professor Bella to catch up on sleep before going to the port to buy a boat ticket.

But Professor Bella insisted on going there earlier, after all, they couldn't stay in Kingsley for too long.

So, Siles said: "Professor Bella, why don't you go to rest, and I will go to buy a boat ticket with Mr. Hoyt, how about it? I went to bed early yesterday and was not disturbed by the storm."

Professor Bella hesitated for a while. She confirmed the process of purchasing the ticket with the translator Johnny Hoyt. She only needed to provide the number of people and names. Therefore, she readily agreed to the arrangement of Siles and sent the Give the list to Siles.

At the same time, she also asked Siles to choose a ship that departs after noon tomorrow.

"Anyway, I trust your arrangement, Professor Noel." Professor Bella said kindly, "Please excuse me."

"It's nothing, Professor Bella," said Siles.

Everyone else agreed with this approach.It should be said that they didn't bother to think so much at this time, and sleepiness seemed to permeate their bodies.

Because they have to act separately, the final arrangement is that the guide Isaac stays here to accompany the rest of the people, so as not to have any accidents; while Siles and the translator Johnny go to the port to buy tickets.

After breakfast, they parted ways.

The air after the storm was particularly fresh. Even though Siles knew exactly what happened in the storm, he was also refreshed by the clear air.

The translator Johnny was a silent man, but he also explained to Siles: "The port is about 10 minutes away from here, we can walk there."

"That's all right," Siles said.

So they walked all the way along the road by the sea.Siles discovered that Isaac's statement yesterday afternoon that the people of Kingsley would soon know of their existence was true.

When I just arrived in Kingsley yesterday, the residents here were still wary of the existence of Sirius and others, but now, their eyes are very calm, and occasionally some friendly residents even smile, And nodded.

This kind of wonderful and rapid information dissemination made Siles feel that Middleton really is a very unique country.Even though it has the appearance of a contemporary city, it also retains the close relationship of the village residents in the older era.

They have always exchanged information, and if there is a slight disturbance in the east, the west will know immediately.

This is a habit that people developed in older, less convenient times.They need this information to keep themselves safe, so they maintain the practice of asking others about the situation while giving their own information.

However, nowadays people can already learn some important information from newspapers, magazines and so on.For example, when a storm strikes, the administrative departments of the port and the city will definitely notify the news in place, especially for those ships that go to sea.

Under such circumstances, the information that could only be learned by word of mouth has become a well-known thing.Information becomes less valuable, and at the same time it is not so limited to a certain small circle.

…But, in Middleton, things seem to be sticking to the old rules.

Siles noticed this and was thoughtful.

He realized that the impact of the fog on this country seemed to be more tragic and irreparable than other countries.

So, on the way to the port, Siles took the initiative to ask Johnny: "Has Middleton ever been shrouded in fog?"

Johnny looked at Sirius in surprise, seemingly not expecting Sirius to ask that question.He hesitated for a while, then said in a low voice: "Yes. Most of Middleton's territory was once shrouded in fog."

Siles continued to wait for Johnny's explanation.But Johnny was silent for a moment instead.

After a while, he hastily apologized, and then said: "That happened in the late period of Silence. The fog once covered most of Middleton suddenly, but not long after the period of fog, those fogs It slowly disappeared.

"During those 200 years, the emergence of the fog has discouraged the residents of Middleton. Of course, it is not that they no longer continue to believe in the sea, but... but feel hopeless, I don't know if you can understand I mean."

Siles nodded and said in a low voice, "People just feel abandoned by the gods they believe in."

Johnny nodded.He said: "I don't know any specific things... When I was still living in Middleton, my parents used to let me go to school, so I can know some related things.

"But... I'm sorry, Professor Noel, I mean... I'm afraid I can't tell you more, I'm not as knowledgeable as you. Being an interpreter is already a very pleasant surprise for me."

Siles shook his head. He said, "Johnny, I am very grateful for your help and information, including the conversation on the train. You don't have to be so self-deprecating.

"I also have my shortcomings, for example, I must not accept