Fairy tale: Little Red Riding Hood's wolf mentor

The beautiful, magnificent scene of paradise began to distort like a phantom.

The colorful flowers began to wither and decay rapidly.

Those neon lights dimmed and dirtied, gradually becoming... a dirty color as black and mixed as the surface of oil!

The sacred spiritual songs began to gradually change their tune and become chaotic. The clear and melodious sounds transitioned into extremely chaotic whispers, a million times sharper and more piercing than noise, mixed with countless wails and screams—

More like the fallen melodies from the depths of purgatory than the sounds of heaven!

Black blood tears flowed from the eyes of the angels.

Wings withered, halos shattered, flesh and skin peeled away...

Transforming into one dried corpse after another, hanging in mid-air and swaying!

The light was completely extinguished, the sun and moon glowed with blood, and all the exposed brilliance was sucked back in even more quickly than before. Those sounds became increasingly chaotic, finally losing all rhythm.

Or rather... it had merged into that strange world behind the mirror.

Becoming... a frenzy of sound that completely betrayed reason!

"All these changes, the boundless darkness, originate from..."

The mirror's voice echoed in front of the mirror, still clear and steady amidst the shaking of the entire world...

But at that moment, its voice stopped abruptly.

Inside the mirror, above the dark and fallen high heavens, God's white robe rapidly turned a decaying, dirty yellow. The human face formed in the darkness grew darker and darker, as if absorbing all the light!

Finally, His entire human form completely transformed into a pitch-black black hole.

All the light of the entire dark paradise was absorbed by Him!

The final scene left was only the rustling whispers within the boundless black tide—

That dirty, yellowed white robe.

In the center of the vortex, within the yellowed white robe, an indescribable figure that no ordinary person could look directly at, His gaze, inch by inch, was cast over—

"Crack—crack—"

The surface of the magic mirror instantly filled with spiderweb-like cracks!

"Bang—"

Immediately afterwards, it collapsed and shattered!

Only the last piece, in the center of the mirror, flashing with some magical light, remained suspended in mid-air.

"For the past hundred years, I have been giving true knowledge to those who ask questions. Today, you have given me one instead—

You should be called Polo, but in any case... thank you, Polo."

The mirror's voice regained its composure, but sounded weak.

Within the mirror, two points of light flickered, like two flames about to be extinguished.

"First, a piece of advice: although I don't know where your 'supreme beauty' comes from, try to reduce its use as much as possible.

As for the answer I owe you, I'm sorry, today I can only say an incomplete sentence.

Don't be sad, I won't die. Although I haven't seen the reason yet, I just felt that you carry a trace of my... fragment of omniscience."

Speaking of which, the magic mirror paused, let out an inexplicable chuckle, and without waiting for Polo to ask further, spoke again,

"Finally, listen carefully, the answer given to you in installments—"

In the horrified gazes of several people, the magic mirror said, word by word:

"God is dead."

In the next moment, the voice of the magic mirror disappeared, replaced by the extremely strange and depraved hymn from that dark paradise!

The last piece of mirror fell to the ground, the two points of light within dissipated, and pitch-black darkness surged out from the shattered mirror on the ground like a tide!

They spread rapidly across the ground, a silent erosion!

Polo and the others watched the ground, collapsing into a tide-like abyss!

The moment their vision came into contact with that darkness, everyone began to experience a violent tinnitus—

"What... what is this thing?!"

Polo even clearly felt his soul trembling in fear!

Body and soul were urgently warning—coming into contact with this thing would definitely not end well!

All the displays in the room began to decay rapidly before touching that darkness. That atmosphere filled with withering chased behind them, like a breaking tide of death!

The walls full of books, the knowledge recorded by the Queen for many years...

Were about to fall into the abyss, without a trace.

"Quick, take everything you can, and then—get out of here!"

Looking at the wall full of books, and listening to the tearing of the bricks and stones of the house behind him, Polo gritted his teeth at the cold light intertwined with shadows and rushed to a bookshelf on one side—

There were too many books, and even if he took them all away, it would be difficult to read them all.

Polo's eyes quickly scanned over, locking onto the one on the very edge. The appearance of that book was much older than the others.

And the books that the Queen often read—were very likely to carry stronger magic!

Leike also quickly ran to a bookshelf on the side.

The Queen's bookshelves were not stacked randomly, but stored books according to the laws of a certain region.

Leike had noticed this keenly when she first entered the room!

She ran to a category of bookshelves marked "Kingdom of Bo Ren" and, with a hand more agile than Polo's, pulled out several notebooks in one go!

And after that, the bookshelf closest to the magic mirror had fallen into darkness!

"Bang—Crack—"

The bookshelf cabinet decayed rapidly under the darkness and crashed to the ground!!

The few people reacted instantly and ran towards the bottom of the tower without looking back.

And as the few people ran down the hanging ladder, the speed of the black tide began to increase exponentially!

"Run—don't stop!"

Feeling like they had thorns on their backs, the few people fled the tower, but the sky outside the tower was also covered with dark clouds, and they could not see a trace of light.

The entire royal capital was shaking, and the sound of the building structure tearing under the weight had not stopped!

"We must... leave here!"

Behind the few people, the tower had been completely swallowed by darkness, and those surging black tides had begun to spread beyond the heavens and the earth.

The speed was getting faster and faster!

The sound of the fallen hymn became louder and louder.

The cold and decaying air entered and exited the lungs, like a knife, bringing out a stinging bloody smell.

The black tide was spreading.

But it was more like... the entire royal palace was voluntarily falling into the abyss.

One corpse after another was swallowed, the golden and white palace walls, the gorgeous decorations and treasure houses, the most wealthy and luxurious area of the entire Sino Kingdom, all fell into the twisted, ugly, and irreparable abyss!

The golden spires, towering towers, and precious flowers and plants withered and the fallen leaves withered.

Finally, after Polo and the others fled the royal palace, the black tide began to slow down.

But at this time, the entire Sino Royal Palace had completely disappeared.

The earth's roar throughout the world began to gradually stop.

Polo, Leike, and others gasped for breath. Snow White was using the Queen's body, so although her soul was originally a weak girl, she still managed to escape this time.

The substantial darkness stopped at the periphery of the royal palace.

Falling, receding, returning to normal...

All the matter covered by the shadows sublimated like shadows.

In the end, all that was presented in front of everyone was a huge pit, empty, with only the darkness in the bottomless abyss below.

...

The few people looked at the huge pit in front of them and were speechless for a long time.

Such extreme terror... a scene that exceeded the limits of human imagination, made everyone feel cold all over.

Under the dark clouds in the sky, lightning flashed.

The pale lightning reflected on the faces of the few people.

Then, cold rain fell from the sky.

It was bone-chillingly cold, seeping into the spine from the outside to the inside, but... it calmed the two people and one wolf down a little.

"God is..."

Polo repeated it involuntarily, but still forcibly stopped the urge to finish reciting them.

"Can such things happen in fairy tales?"

Leike's eyes also stared blankly at the chasm-like scene.

"If I really lived in the kind of fairy tale you told before, that would be great."

Snow White suddenly said with some sadness.

She looked at the part of the world she had come into contact with since she was a child, which had finally been completely destroyed today, without even a brick or a tile remaining, only a... bottomless pit filled with nothingness.

The few people stumbled and walked towards the outside of the royal capital.

There were also many common people's houses in the Sino Royal Capital.

But those houses were much more fragile than the buildings in the royal palace.

In the earthquake that had just occurred, countless houses had collapsed on the ground, with broken bricks and beams scattered on the ground.

Cries rose and fell one after another. Many people were crying and stretching out their hands between the ruins, digging for something.

Polo saw a man covered in dirt holding a child covered in blood in his hands.

He knelt on the ground and kowtowed on the stone bricks in the mud one by one!

Tears were mixed with rainwater.

He raised his upper body, with blood flowing down his forehead, and looked at the gloomy sky, shouting in a trembling, hoarse voice—

"God—why, why is this happening!?"

A hellish scene.

God.

God!

"Did this happen because of God's death...?

Did the magic mirror see the truth covered up by that 'heaven'?"

Leike looked blankly at the surrounding scene, where living beings were suffering. These people had done nothing wrong, but suddenly encountered disaster under the earth-shattering and mountain-shaking.

Polo also inexplicably remembered the decaying and collapsing paradise inside the magic mirror.

And he also thought of... the bishop who indulged in evil desires in the name of God outside the original forest!

The words of the magic mirror became more and more profound and deafening.

God exists in this world, but... God is dead!

"I... don't know either."

Polo's dark green eyes also slowly sank.

His footsteps stepped on the accumulated water on the ground, splashing a touch of water.

They arrived at the intersection where the few people had rushed to the forest before.

At this time, Snow White suddenly stopped.

"What's wrong?"

Polo and Leike were stunned for a moment and looked at Snow White, who had turned into the Queen's face.

"Where are you going next?"

Snow White asked seriously. Polo and Leike both saw a clear wavering and confusion in Snow White's eyes.

"Continue to travel, um... just like the answer Leike got in the first question, to save someone... who is very important to her."

Polo said. Fortunately, when escaping, Leike was still holding a few notebooks tightly in her arms, and the notebook recording the answer to the first question—that is, how to save the forest witch—was placed inside.

Even after the fierce escape, it was still not damaged in the slightest.

"Um..."

Snow White looked at Leike, stopping her gaze on the part of the armor of Prince Bo Ren that she was still wearing, and... the long sword and dagger at her waist.

A trace of sadness flashed in her eyes.

"Thank you, I... don't have anyone very important anymore."

Snow White also looked at the center of the royal capital again. The beautiful golden spire that was originally there had disappeared forever, and the prosperous royal capital now only had the cries and ruins of the Sino residents.

"What do you want to do after that..."

Leike's heart moved and she stepped forward to pat Snow White on the back comfortingly.

This girl with a rough fate finally covered her face and cried.

"My home, all the familiar people, have disappeared. I... although I am a princess, I don't know anything. Everyone is dead...

Why, why can't this world be like a fairy tale..."

Snow White leaned over and leaned on Leike, who was now a section shorter than her, sobbing, "I also want the love of my parents, I also want... to be able to communicate happily with others.

But since I was a child, everyone has treated me with absolute respect.

I thought that such things would one day disappear when I grew up, but what I saw when I came of age—was all undisguised desires!"

Snow White's red eyes slowly raised to look at Leike, saying word by word:

"I really envy you, really... envy you!

I envy you for being able to get along without barriers, I envy you for having the perseverance and ability to travel together, just like... I once fantasized in that destroyed royal palace prison!"

Leike opened her mouth, she didn't know what to say to comfort the girl in front of her.

She just slowly opened her arms, hugging Snow White's somewhat weak shoulders, and gently patted Snow White's back.

And Snow White's emotions gradually stabilized.

She gently pushed Leike away, bent her knees slightly towards the two of them, and performed an elegant and standard court etiquette.

"Thank you for taking care of me these past few days. I won't be a burden to you anymore. Let's separate here...

You are the best and purest people I have ever seen so far, really... thank you very much."

"Where are you going... after this?"

Leike looked at Snow White and finally asked with concern.

"I don't want to... face more people, and... the people of the Sino Kingdom anymore."

Snow White still looked at the lush forest on the east side of the royal capital behind her.

Even after the shocking changes in the royal capital, that forest was still growing luxuriantly.

And for a long time, the hundreds of soldiers swallowed by the forest would make it sparsely populated, becoming a thorough "dead place" in the real horror legends!

"Are you going back to that forest?"

Leike widened her eyes, she had already thought of Snow White's answer.

"Yes, I have lived there for a long time, I know where there is a stream, where there are wild vegetables and wild fruits.

"Although the dwarves' cave is terrifying, perhaps I can live alone in other parts of the forest..."

Snow White said softly.

Lake and Polo looked surprised as they looked at Snow White in front of them, but they did not try to persuade her to stay.

They knew that Snow White had already considered most of the situations when she made this decision—

A princess who has had such an experience all her life might as well live alone in solitude rather than forcibly continue to interact with others.

"Then... take care."

Polo said.

"Goodbye, Snow White."

Lake also waved.

"Yes, thank you."

Snow White nodded gracefully, turned around, and walked towards the vast forest...

The branches and leaves pressed down, shielding the spires of the royal capital's buildings behind her.

The natural scenery and tranquility gradually immersed Snow White's mind. The animals in the forest were startled and left as she crossed the grass, but this still made her feel very at ease.

At least now, there won't be so many eyes filled with desire.

She walked back into the dwarves' cottage, looking at the blood-stained scene after the illusion disappeared. If it had been before, she would have been terrified by this.

But now, for some reason, she didn't feel so scared.

She lifted the hem of the Queen's dress, wiped the blood stains off a small chair, sat down, and spaced out for a while.

Night was approaching outside, and the sky was gradually darkening. Only then did she come back to her senses, reach into her arms, and take out a somewhat dusty book.

This was also... a notebook rescued from the Queen's tower.

She pinched the cover of the book and slowly opened it, looking at the twisted and obscure words within.

Choosing the forest does not necessarily mean decadence and ease—the tide has already begun to surge, so how could it easily return to calm?

"Maybe in the future... we can meet again?"

She shook her head, removing the distracting thoughts from her mind.

...

It wasn't until Snow White's figure disappeared from view that Lake and Polo looked at each other.

"Polo, if I remember correctly... there was another Circular Regression, wasn't there?"

"Yes, but it seems it can't be used actively."

Polo spread out his paws, and gold light condensed.

[Circular Regression: Snow White · Mirror of Truth]

[The unlocking ceremony has been completed, and the Fairy Tale Authority has been obtained!]

[The final question is directed to the ultimate truth, but the truth of the world is distorted and confused... The tool for peeking into the truth is shattered—it is difficult to reunite a broken mirror!]

[Fairy Tale Authority: You cannot use it actively, but at certain times, this fragment will give you the answer you want]

[Description: The storyteller's vision should not be obscured. You need to break through the haze—to see the true face!]

[At the moment of birth, a will hides within it. Will he give you a complete answer according to the agreement?]

[Are you ready? Face... the curse of true knowledge!]

The golden pages of the Fairy Tale Authority were activated, but like the previous [Circular Regression: Snow White · Peerless Beauty], [Circular Regression: Snow White · Mirror of Truth] also carried a strong sense of weirdness.

The magic mirror drawn on the surface of the page has also become somewhat different.

Specifically... there are cobweb-like cracks on the mirror surface.

And in a fragment in the center, there seem to be two points of light?

"Answer?"

Polo sighed, and then said, "I do have a lot of questions in my mind now, but it didn't give me any answers. What does this so-called... certain times mean?"

Lake also thought for a while, patted Polo on the shoulder, and said:

"It's okay, as long as we keep going, we'll always find the answer... When my grandma wakes up, maybe she can tell us directly!"

The gloom on Lake's face gradually dissipated. "My grandma is a forest witch, and she knows a lot!"

Polo looked at the smile on the girl's face, and his mood also relaxed a lot.

This girl's optimistic smile always carries a different kind of charm.

"Well, let's go back to the city to rest for a while, find a map or something, and then we should set off."

Polo nodded, a shallow smile also appearing on the corner of his mouth.

...

In the capital of the Sino Kingdom, the houses near the royal capital were severely damaged.

And in the areas farther away from the royal capital, the state of damage to the houses was much weaker.

The dark clouds gradually dissipated under the torrential rain, but the pattering raindrops still continued incessantly.

Fortunately... Lake's cloak is rainproof.

So she held Polo in her arms, which spared Polo from being soaked through.

But, going deeper into the more populated areas, Lake thought for a while and still made the cloak invisible. The raindrops falling from the air began to deflect to the sides before touching the invisible cloak.

So although walking in the rain, both the person and the wolf were still dry.

The residents on the roadside were busy dealing with this sudden natural disaster.

Or... discussing the sudden earthquake and the disappearance of the palace.

No one noticed the abnormality of Lake and Polo.

Lake's red cloak wanted poster was still hanging on the wall, wet with raindrops, but no one paid attention to it anymore.

The girl walked down the street with Polo in her arms, looking for a shop that hadn't been affected much.

Some shops collapsed in the earthquake.

Disaster victims with dirty soil and scars, and some greedy people, were robbing some of the scattered goods.

But Lake and Polo would not join them.

The backpack hidden outside the city had already been retrieved, and the gold inside was still there, so there was probably more than enough to buy anything.

Now... there are a few more books that may contain magic.

"It's getting a bit dark. It looks like it's a bit chaotic today. Why don't... we find a place to rest first?"

Polo looked at the sky. Although the wind and rain were approaching the edge, the light of dusk was already shining on the horizon.

In this kind of environment, even shops that haven't been damaged will probably close their doors.

"Yeah, let's take a look at the books we found? Maybe we can be magicians too!"

Lake nodded, and Polo thought about finding an uninhabited house where they could rest for the night.

But just then, a tall man walked up to Lake and Polo from the crowd.

His appearance looked weathered and worn, like a retired veteran, with a cigarette in his cracked mouth.

"Are you two looking for... a place to stay?"