V2: Chapter 31: That Feeling was Called Heartache

Bradrick shut his mouth, refusing to continue.

“Miss Magician, I suspect you’re trying to trick me,” Bradrick said, somewhat angrily. “If you don’t want to join, I won’t force you, but there’s no need to try to trick me.”

Octaville laughed. She wasn’t angry; she found him amusing and pulled down her sleeve. “Well, Bradrick, do you know who I am?”

“I don’t care who you are…”

“My name is Octaville.”

“So what if your name is Octaville? What’s wrong with your name? Your name is Octavi– wait, what did you say your name was?”

Bradrick, who had been furious, wilted like a cauliflower after realizing what she meant, collapsing onto the sofa.

Octaville was watching him with a smile.

Bradrick made a last-ditch effort, asking, "Hey, do you share the same name as the Tower Master of the Magic Tower?"

Octaville chuckled at his words, sitting back down on the sofa.

"Hmm~ If you think I share the same name as the Tower Master of the Magic Tower~ then let's just say it's she who share the same name as me~"

Bradrick: "....."

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"You didn't ask me either." Octaville shrugged. "I never said anything, you could have asked me, but you didn't."

Bradrick: "....."

Silence fell again.

Until finally.

"Fine, fine, consider it bad luck today. You guys should leave now." Bradrick, pale-faced, waved them off, starting to see them out.

Octaville, however, refused to leave.

“Bradrick, I’m very curious about what you’ve been talking about. Could you tell me about it?”

However, after Bradrick learned that the other party was the Tower Master of the Magic Tower, he refused to cooperate any further.

“Impossible! What even the things the Magic Tower doesn't know? Why are you asking me here? I don’t know, I don’t know! You should leave now, leave now!”

“I can give you things from the Magic Tower that you don’t have, and we can exchange them.” Octaville raised an eyebrow, certain that the other party would agree.

“From what you’ve said, you probably don’t have any magic potions, and you don’t have many magicians. Your combat strength must be very weak. How can you fight against monsters like this? Even if you don’t want to fight, many people will die if you want to investigate.”

Octaville’s voice was extremely persuasive.

“How about it? As long as you tell me everything you know, I’m willing to give you the most precious potions from the Magic Tower. And the Seaside Magic Tower welcomes you anytime. You can come and investigate! You don’t have to sneak around anymore.”

This…!

This temptation was simply too great for Bradrick. His expression visibly wavered, but after less than a second, he immediately agreed.

"Alright! It's a deal!"

He reached out to give Octaville a handshake. "You're the Tower Master, you can't go back on your word. You can't deny it after you've said it, and then stop us from investigating."

Octaville smiled and nodded, giving him a handshake.

"Of course, I wouldn't lie to you. As long as you can guarantee your own safety during the investigation, that's fine. We can't guarantee that, so don't blame us if you've lost your lives."

"No, no, we have plenty of methods." Bradrick finally smiled again. "Alright, alright, sit down, I'll continue."

Liang Lin showed little interest. She started petting the dog on the sofa, completely forgetting that she had a child. Carol, held in Liang Di's arms, looked around curiously but didn't make much noise.

The adults were talking, while Liang Lin was playing with the dog. As she played, she felt like she'd forgotten something. She thought carefully, checked her clothes, and rummaged through her pockets, but couldn't remember anything.

Liang Lin shrugged, picked up a chubby puppy, and instinctively held it like a baby.

"Holy crap!"

Liang Lin slapped her forehead, her face contorted in terror. "Where's my baby?! Where's Carol?!"

If Carol could talk, she would surely express her deep dissatisfaction.

Liang Di: "...Sister Liang Lin, Carol's in my arms. You handed her over, did you forget?"

"Oh, oh, oh...!"

Liang Lin finally breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing the baby in the other woman's arms, patting her chest.

"Phew~ That scared me to death! I thought I'd carelessly put Carol somewhere. I thought my baby was lost!"

What a wonderful mother.

Meanwhile, Bradrick continued talking.

“The Great Old Ones are usually sealed away at the bottom of the sea, and the objects that seal them are the Old Gods, the true deities I'm referring to. They are benevolent towards humanity, and even those who aren't, they won't cause any harm. But the Great Old Ones are different; they are aggressive, they are evil, they represent destruction.”

Bradrick recounted the story vividly.

“Some say the Great Old Ones are enormous, terrifying behemoths, covered in countless tentacles and possessing countless enormous eyes. They are sealed in the ocean depths, unable to emerge. However, they can control all evil—even the monsters we can see with our naked eyes, the monsters you magicians speak of.”

“The Outer Gods, on the other hand, are the most powerful gods in the Cthulhu Mythos. They are also evil. But unlike the Great Old Ones, they are not sealed in the ocean depths; they are sealed in a place beyond this world, a place we cannot reach. So, for now, we don't need to worry about their appearance, unless this world is destroyed and we appear in other worlds, where we might encounter the Outer Gods.”

Liang Lin listened, completely bewildered, but Octaville understood; this was similar to what was described in those ancient books.

“I’ve probably seen most of these things in books. Can you mention something not in the books? For example… you said you’ve seen a god with your own eyes, that Old God. Did you really see him? Or were you… trying to get me to join you, and it’s a lie you made up?”

Bradrick’s eyes darted away, a little guilty. “Uh… I wouldn’t say I saw him, but I definitely saw him… uh, okay, I’m not sure if what I saw was real, or if it was just something I imagined during the day and dreamed about at night, but… but, I definitely dreamed about it.”

“So, you dreamt about it, not saw it in reality?” Octaville chuckled. “Then you also…”

Bradrick interrupted her.

“The method I told you earlier to heal the black mist on your hand is the one I dreamt about. No one has ever suffered this kind of injury before, and no one has ever tried it. You’re the first to try. At first, I wasn’t sure either, but I saw the black mist on your arm disappear, so now I’m certain. What I dreamt about was the Old God!”

His face once again showed that ecstatic expression, and he involuntarily hugged his arms tightly.

“This is God’s kindness to humanity! He wants me to be his follower, to spread this kindness, to let more people feel it! To let everyone become a follower of the Old God!”

Liang Lin despised his behavior. She looked down on those who believed in God, and at this moment, she also looked down on those who believed in other gods.

“If there are any gods, like the Old Gods you mentioned, why don’t they just quell all the wars and eliminate all the monsters? Why make humanity suffer here? Why make humanity struggle and hold on?” Liang Lin scoffed. “So, all gods are just creations of humanity, mere fantasies. They’re just objects of hope created because we can’t rely on ourselves.”

Liang Lin clenched her fists. “We still need to become strong to protect ourselves and others.”

“What you say isn’t undeniable, but the Old Gods are real,” Bradrick insisted. “Miss Liang Lin, if you don’t believe me, we can take you with us next time we investigate.”

“No!” Liang Di and Hilary exclaimed in unison.

“The seaside is too dangerous, Sister Liang Lin. You can’t go. It’s different from the border battlefield. There are too many unknown creatures there. Humans alone can’t kill them. Even if you’re strong, you can’t take the risk.” Liang Di’s refusal was firm.

Hilary chimed in, and the two were finally on the same side.

Liang Lin felt bewildered. She hadn't even mentioned going to the Seaside Magic Tower yet, so why were these two suddenly so agitated?

"No, the way you two are acting, I'm actually curious about what's there."

"Monsters." Octaville answered succinctly. "Liang Lin, don't even think about going to the Seaside Magic Tower. If you go, we'll just have one more... uh, we'll have to take care of you."

She didn't dare use the word "burden." She knew Liang Lin hated that word.

But those words still deeply stung Liang Lin's heart. She could no longer return to the border battlefield because her belief in protecting the Soteland Empire had crumbled. Moreover, the border war had subsided, and all the land had been reclaimed; she was truly no longer needed.

She felt like a stray dog.

"....."

Seeing Liang Lin's dejected figure, Octaville realized she had said the wrong thing and instantly wilted. She looked helplessly at Hilary. Hilary glared at Octaville and subtly pinched her wife's arm.

"Liang Lin... if you want to go, it's not impossible." Hilary took her sister's hand. "As long as you promise me you'll stay in the Magic Tower, won't go out, and won't go to the beach, then it's fine."

Liang Lin silently withdrew her hand.

"No need, sister. I know I'll have a hard time dealing with those monsters. I won't be a burden to you."

It's over.

Everyone felt a sense of foreboding.

Although Bradrick was confused, seeing the oppressive atmosphere, he didn't dare say another word.

"No, Liang Lin, that's not what I meant, and neither did Octaville. We're just worried about you..." Hilary became flustered.

Just then.

“No, Sister Liang Lin, you’re not a burden,” Liang Di spoke up, her tone firm.

“If Sister Liang Lin is willing, I can personally teach you how to fight monsters. I can take you with me to fight them.”

Liang Lin’s eyes, however, were filled with confusion. “What’s the point? Who am I fighting for?”

“Then what about before? Who were you fighting for before?”

If it were the old Liang Di, she would never have said such a thing, but now it’s different. Liang Di has been studying Liang Lin’s heart; she wants to help her, to make her genuinely happy because of her.

"Were you truly fighting only for the Soteland Empire before? Did you raise your sword to ensure the Soteland Empire's eternal existence, or for all the people of the Soteland Empire? Sister Liang Lin, you yourself said it, you fought to protect the Soteland Empire, to protect its people. So, if it was only for the people, then going to the beach to stop the monsters' invasion—how could that not be protecting the people of the Soteland Empire?"

In truth, Liang Di herself couldn't believe she could say such a thing.

"Even if you fought for a long time and only killed one monster, that's still a contribution to protecting the people of the Sotrland Empire! Sister Liang Lin."

Liang Di's eyes were sincere; she wanted to immediately grasp Liang Lin's hand and affirm her, but she didn't dare. She didn't dare have too much physical contact with Liang Lin; she was afraid Liang Lin would dislike her.

After these words, everyone fell silent; the room was extremely quiet.

Hilariously's gaze towards Liang Di changed.

This child… seems a bit unrecognizable. Is it true? Or is this just a temporary concealment?

Liang Lin lowered her head.

She seemed to be pondering.

Three minutes passed.

“Then, umm, may I continue?”

Bradrick silently raised his hand, his voice weak, “I… I still have something to say. Do you need me to provide more of what I know?”

“Yes, please continue.” Octaville snapped out of her reverie. Now was not the time for sentimentality. A crucial clue lay before her; she needed to know it quickly.

“Didn’t I just say I saw the Old God in a dream?” Bradrick began again. “Besides telling me how to heal the wounds marked by the Great Old Ones, it also told me that the Great Old Ones have always been sealed in the sea, but not completely. Over a thousand years, a small crack has appeared, allowing evil thoughts to escape from the deep sea, thus forming those monsters on the shore.”

This was the first time Octaville had heard this. She asked, “So, is the other side of the sea real? Or is it fictional, and the monsters only exist on the seabed?”

“Good, you’ve hit the nail on the head. The Old Gods also told me this.” Bradrick clapped his hands. “The other side of the sea is real. Although the Great Old Ones are sealed in the seabed, all their evil thoughts have been released to the islands on the other side. In other words, those monsters come from those islands.”

Hearing this, Liang Di suddenly remembered the battle a year ago, when a sound suddenly came from the other side of the sea, and then the monsters all went back.

"Hmm... I think I understand."

If that's the case, then it makes sense.

"Anything else?"

Bradrick shrugged. "No, in short, it boils down to this: only by completely sealing away that Great Old One in the deep sea can this world truly be at peace."

"But, do you know how to seal it?"

Bradrick hesitated, scratching the back of his head.

"Uh... well, I don't think I really know. I haven't dreamt about it, and the Old Gods haven't told me. But I've had that dream more than once; maybe I'll dream about it again, and maybe the Old Gods will tell me?"

Octaville didn't hold out much hope for this.

Liang Lin stood up.

"I think I'll go back first. I feel a little hungry." She walked straight to the door, opened it, and went out. Because she walked so fast, no one could see the expression on her face.

"Liang–..." Hillary was about to stand up when Liang Di pressed her down beside her.

“I’ll take Carol to see her. You two continue discussing important matters here.”

Liang Di, holding Carol in one arm, opened the door with the other. She noticed the worry and suspicion in Hilary’s eyes.

“Don’t worry, I won’t do anything to hurt Liang Lin again. Now, what I want more is Liang Lin’s heart, not her body.”

Everyone has an obsession, and Liang Di’s obsession was always Liang Lin.

Well, actually, she was still lying. She wanted both Liang Lin’s heart and her body.

Liang Lin walked quickly, striding out of the underground passage and reaching the center of the dilapidated church. She stopped. Sunlight streamed in from the roof, illuminating her face. Perhaps from spending too long in the dark basement, the gentle light now felt blinding. She raised her hand to shield her eyes.

Liang Lin stood quietly in front, while Liang Di, holding Carol, stood silently behind her.  

Finally, Liang Lin lowered her hand and slumped to the ground, utterly dejected.

Seeing this scene, Liang Di's heart ached. She now understood what this feeling of pain was called heartache.

"Sister Liang Lin..." A sense of helplessness washed over her.