Yarra's Adventure Notes-Chapter 1416 - 202: Not Much of an Impact

"Although I couldn’t be of much help to you, I’ve been mingling within the throngs of Undead at a safe distance, watching over your actions," said Bone Dragon Lusia. "During the time before you arrived, I noticed that many Undead were madly pouring through Death’s Gate to the other side, and there was also a voice within the souls, urging and tempting me to pass through Death’s Gate. But until you came in from the other side of the gate, I had no idea what lay beyond it, nor did I want to obey that voice’s command, so I held out against going. After you entered, I realized that the other side was the world I was originally meant to guard, and I immediately understood the consequences of a massive Undead exodus through Death’s Gate. In reality, this matter is not important to us, nor is it related to me. It appears to be merely a struggle for belief by the deity governing death, calling reinforcements from his Sacred Land to replenish the frontline forces. In the era when I lived, such events were all too common. Initially, my attention was drawn to you because Mina was in your team. Her presence meant that things might not be as simple as I had imagined, and moreover, the need to call upon forces from a deity’s own world indicated that the war had reached its fiercest point. I was also worried that the deity might lose control of his power in a moment of carelessness and accidentally destroy the world."

"Danacus attempted to cheat and break through the Divine Barrier set by Lord Yarra," Pannis inquired, "That’s a matter of concern for you as well, isn’t it?"

"How would I know that?" Luscia retorted. "I wasn’t even aware of the Divine Barrier’s existence, nor did I know that the Father of the gods had already returned once. How could I possibly have thought of the things you’re mentioning?"

"Er, that’s true," Pannis rubbed his nose, speaking awkwardly. "Your death did indeed precede these events, and having just revived with no source of information, it’s no wonder you’re unaware of anything. However, it’s quite rare for you to take an interest in us. Logically, since it’s unrelated to your duties, you would have flown off somewhere to sleep long ago."

"That’s because Mina is here. The Drakes wouldn’t desert their companion and slip away on their own," Luscia emphasized. "Although I’m no longer a Drake but have become Undead, I still can’t bring myself to just go to sleep and watch my own kind fall into an ambush."

"No, you are still a Drake, still a Guardian," Pannis insisted, shaking his head vigorously, speaking with earnest. "Your consciousness is still that of a Guardian. When you thought this was merely a War of Faith and were concerned about the world first and your own kind second, never once thinking of yourself, it showed that your protective heart hasn’t wavered. You’re still a Guardian, just in a different form."

"Thank you," Luscia bowed her head, gently touching Pannis’s forehead with her smooth skull, her voice carrying a hint of a smile. "Actually, you don’t need to comfort me. I have come to terms with who I am now and have adapted to the dual identity of Undead and Guardian, so I won’t be downcast over it anymore."

"Oh? You’ve adapted to a dual identity?" Pannis stroked his chin, the corners of his mouth wearing an enigmatic slight smile as he nodded softly and said, "It seems I wasn’t wrong after all. But for now, let’s set this aside. Continue, what happened next?"

"I kept watch over you, not only for the two reasons I’ve mentioned but also because my instinct as a Guardian made me feel that your intrusion into this world wasn’t just for a War of Faith; there had to be a special purpose. Precisely for this reason, Mina followed you as well," Bone Dragon Lusia continued. "I lingered near you to see exactly what you intended to do, and if Mina encountered any insurmountable problem, I might figure out a way to help her. But I was somewhat over-worried; you didn’t need my help at all. Fortunately, my following you allowed me the chance to witness a splendid performance offered by you. I saw you charge from Death’s Gate all the way to the temple at the world’s center. The Undead along the way didn’t hinder you at all. At first, I was puzzled why Mina would allow your new generation of beings to fight while she remained in human form beside you; as you know, this doesn’t align with our race’s customs. But later on, I understood. You truly deserved Mina’s cooperation in combat, and all the choices you made were the best ones."

"Let me ask you a question," Pannis suddenly interjected. "In the process of observing, did you receive any orders? I mean the commands from that voice that urged you through Death’s Gate you mentioned earlier."

"I did," Luscia nodded. "It ordered us to do our best to stop you, to create as many casualties as possible, provided we didn’t threaten your life. It would be best to kill everyone else, then force you into the temple."

"I see," Pannis’s expression was strange, his tone self-mocking. "So, from that moment, he was using his words to lure me into his trap, huh? Heh, it seems I was too easily deceived."

"You were deceived?" Luscia didn’t grasp Pannis’s words, pressing him. "It seemed you were doing quite well; why would you think you were deceived?"

"No, no, no, the deception came later, and it’s not important," Pannis waved his hand dismissively. "Forget it, just pretend I never asked."

"Alright, as you wish," Luscia, still puzzled but with the Drakes’ characteristic nonchalance, didn’t dwell on it. She casually flicked her tailbone and continued. "It wasn’t until I watched you charge into the temple that I felt somewhat relieved. I then took a moment to think carefully and recalled that many of you belong to different races, each following different deities—some deities even hostile to each other. Yet, you were all here together, cooperatively aligned. It seemed that something I was unaware of had occurred during this time, something significant that must have forced the followers of different deities to unite and fight together for a common purpose."

"In some ways, your thoughts aren’t incorrect, though not entirely accurate," Pannis scratched his head. "So, after we entered, you just stayed outside the entire time?"

"Yes, I wanted to see what would happen, but the temple had a power that prevented me from entering, so I could only stay outside and observe," Luscia explained. "I was mainly trying to discern your purpose and the potential ramifications your success or failure might have on the world. However, I concluded that the impact on the entire world would probably not be significant; otherwise, Mina would not have come alone, and the impact would likely be at the level of a semi-extinction of intelligent life."