Chapter 36: The Final Truth

While they were ready to depart, Murong Xun and his companions were not quite finished. Although they had harvested a bounty of rewards, a primary quest still weighed upon them.

They did not leave the Deep Blue Kingdom immediately; having received an invitation to a royal wedding, they intended to use the opportunity to question the Deep Blue King. As the sovereign of the realm, he was bound to know something.

Three couples were to be wed: Aladdin and the Sleeping Princess—also known as Sleeping Beauty; Snow White and the Frog Prince; and finally, Prince Charming and Cinderella. That night, after Cinderella fled the manor, she had encountered Prince Charming, who was on his way to confront the Rose Prince. The two had fallen in love at first sight.

Following the triple wedding, the Frog Prince and Snow White returned to the Snow Kingdom to inherit the throne, while Cinderella and Prince Charming departed for the Kingdom of Charming. Aladdin, having inherited the Deep Blue Kingdom, used his third wish to harness the power of the Genie to transport mountains of gold and treasure to his new domain. Later, unable to resist the temptation of the lamp, he used its power once more, only to summon a demon that devoured his soul—though that was a story for a much later time.

At that moment, Murong Xun sat in the garden with the Deep Blue King, surrounded by vibrant, multi-colored flowers, chatting over desserts.

"Speak," the Deep Blue King said without beating around the bush. "You stayed behind specifically to ask me something. You helped my family, and I shall repay you."

"My thanks," Murong Xun replied straightforwardly. "I have heard of a meteorite falling, followed by the emergence of the mist. I wish to know what happened."

The Deep Blue King smiled. "You must be from Fairytale Town. Only those from Fairytale Town still remember the origins of the mist."

"Indeed," Murong Xun did not hide his origins.

"Fairytale Town... that is a word from long ago. Many no longer know it even exists," the King sighed. "The Fantasy Wonderland was perfect—no chaos, no war—though time passed a bit quickly, at least in the past. Everyone lived in harmony on this land. It has only changed in recent years. Everything began with the fall of the meteorite and the arrival of the Blood Moon."

"Darkness is constantly eroding the Fantasy Wonderland, which is why it is no longer as harmonious and peaceful as it once was."

Murong Xun nodded, listening quietly without interrupting.

"I do not know the exact relationship between the mist and the meteorite, but someone does," the King said, pointing him toward a path. "Legend speaks of a Golden Palace that cannot be seen by day, appearing only under the cover of night. Upon the Golden Throne sits an omniscient prophet who knows everything that occurs in the world. If you have questions, perhaps you should consult him."

"A prophet?" Murong Xun frowned.

"How should I find this Golden Palace?"

"Follow the path of the sun. Where the sun sets, there lies the Golden Palace."

The Deep Blue King provided his guidance, yet Murong Xun felt a sense of bewilderment. This was not what he had originally envisioned. He had thought the mist outside Fairytale Town was merely the manifestation of the negative emotions generated within the Fantasy Wonderland, expelled through some mechanism to keep the realm forever happy and peaceful, while the outside world grew increasingly wretched. Now, he dared not be so certain. After all, anything was possible; his theory was merely a hypothesis, unverified and far from proven.

By this time, Ding Xiang and the others had dispersed, searching for various tasks while attempting to uncover the truth of the mist in their own ways. With no further answers to be gained from the Deep Blue King, Murong Xun followed his instructions and embarked on the journey to find the Golden Palace.

Along the way, he encountered many things. He met the Seven Ravens, cursed because their parents had sacrificed their seven sons in a desperate wish for a daughter. He encountered singing bones and dodged a demon blocking his path, relying on his strength and a bit of wit to escape unharmed. He intervened against injustice, slaying several highwaymen who sought to rob him. He met the Goose Girl, a princess who had been forced to swap identities with a maid; because of her own timidity, she had become the oppressed, while the maid enjoyed everything that was rightfully hers. He even glimpsed a giant in the depths of the forest, marveling at the creature's immense stature.

He realized this was merely a derivative world of a fairytale, not reality itself, yet he had encountered giants, dwarves, elves, demons, gods, humans, and all manner of wondrous beings. Beyond the life-or-death dangers, he gained invaluable experience. Through repeated combat, his swordsmanship became more refined and intuitive. Though his level did not increase, his movements became more fluid—a gain far more precious than mere statistics.

He took care to collect rare ingredients from these strange creatures to hone his cooking skills. With the aid of his talents, he produced many peculiar concoctions; some had remarkable effects, while others had terrifying side effects, but progress was progress.

The greatest gain for Murong Xun on this journey was a flask of Water of Life. It was a rare material with countless uses, whether consumed directly or used in alchemy; had he attempted to purchase it with Paradise Coins, the cost would have been painful even for him. He also saw people who had regained their youth, witnessed the agents of Death harvesting souls, and observed farmers outwitting demons.

After traveling for what felt like an eternity, he finally reached the edge of the Fantasy Wonderland, the place where the sun sets. Ahead lay a wall of mist; to go further would be to leave this world and enter the endless void. The mist here was different from the one in Fairytale Town; it did not possess the quality of eroding life force. Despite it being broad daylight, the surroundings were shrouded in fog, yet this did not dampen Murong Xun’s spirits. Looking at his list of completed tasks, only the final and original primary quest remained: *The Truth of the Mist.*

He waited quietly for nightfall. In the depths of the mist, under the cover of darkness, a palace crafted of gold truly appeared.

The towering, majestic palace stood before him, exuding an aura of profound authority. Without hesitation, Murong Xun pushed open the heavy doors and stepped inside. To his surprise, the doors opened easily. The interior was not as opulent as the exterior; aside from the pillars supporting the structure, there were no decorations at all. At the very back of the hall, upon a raised dais, sat a golden throne.

A figure was seated there.

"You have finally arrived, traveler of time and space."

Hearing the aged voice, Murong Xun was surprised. It was not the majestic male voice he had imagined, but the tone of an old woman.

"I have waited for you for a long time, just to answer your doubts." The voice continued without pause. "Perhaps you are curious about my identity. I am Little Red Riding Hood’s grandmother. It was I who orchestrated her resurrection."

Murong Xun’s eyes widened. He had previously wondered how Little Red Riding Hood, a simple hunter, could become a divine being even after being eroded by the mist. He had lacked the connections to solve the mystery, but it turned out the old woman before him was the architect.

"I am the Prophet. I am omniscient, and I am omnipotent! I see many things, and I can do many things, yet I cannot change anything." The old woman sighed. "That is the price of omniscience and omnipotence."

Murong Xun remained silent; he could not comprehend such a state of being.

"The answer you seek has always been in your heart. You came to me merely to verify your own thoughts." The old woman nodded, confirming his hypothesis. "The mist is the product of all the negative emotions of the creatures in the Fantasy Wonderland. When I created this paradise, I did not want it to be destroyed by human greed. So, every so often, I would expel the accumulated negative emotions to the outside world, leaving only beauty within the Fantasy Wonderland."

"Something went wrong?" Murong Xun knew that something must have transpired to turn the Fantasy Wonderland into what it was today.

"Yes," the old woman nodded. "The appearance of that meteorite caused a discord in the functioning of the Fantasy Wonderland, leading to a deviation in the entire world. That is why Little White stole food without telling her parents, why Little Red was framed and could not defend herself as her head grew larger—these are all manifestations of envy."

"In the past, envy—an emotion that never existed in the Fantasy Wonderland—appeared for the first time. Another factor was the arrival of the soul of the Rose. Unlike the creatures born of the Fantasy Wonderland, his desires were complex and profound." The old woman sighed. "There were too many negative emotions, so many that eventually, expelling them to the outside world was no longer enough to eradicate them. The negative emotions began to exert an increasing influence on the Fantasy Wonderland; the scent of darkness is everywhere, and one might be eroded if they are the least bit careless."

Murong Xun was silent, stunned that the truth was like this.

"As for why the mist can erode life, it is because it is a collection of all negative emotions; it has a canceling effect on the positive energy that constitutes life. No human's life force is powerful enough to withstand the combined negative emotions of all the creatures in the Fantasy Wonderland, which is why no one can guarantee their safety within the mist."

[You have uncovered the truth of the mist. You have completed the primary quest.]

[Beginning return to the Magic Tower Paradise!]