bookbashuk Chapter 1424 The Death of Daughtore
Chapter 1424 The Death of Daughtore
The group followed Vanessa, walking slowly down the pristine white corridor. Stardust overhead cast shadows on the stone bricks, reflecting their figures. The surrounding silence remained otherworldly, with only the sound of their footsteps echoing softly in the corridor.
But at that moment, Shao Yun stopped in his tracks, his gaze fixed on a figure not far ahead in the corridor.
There stood a figure frozen in place, motionless, completely out of place in the pristine white corridor.
Shao Yun frowned, squinted, and carefully examined the frozen person. A sense of familiarity welled up in his heart, but he couldn't remember where he had seen him before.
"Strange, why does this person look so familiar?"
As he spoke, he unconsciously took a step forward, and the people behind him followed his gaze, their faces showing more or less curiosity and wariness.
Shao Yun strode forward and stood in front of the frozen figure.
The most striking thing about the man was the iconic bird-beak mask he wore, which covered most of his face, revealing only his taut jawline.
Upon seeing the bird-beak mask, Shao Yun's pupils constricted sharply, and he instantly recognized the other party's identity, exclaiming in surprise.
"Holy crap, isn't that Doctor 'Dotore'? What's he doing here? And in this state!"
Upon hearing the name "Dottore," Paimon was so frightened that he quickly hid behind Ying, only peeking out with his eyes to timidly observe the frozen figure, muttering under his breath:
"Dottore? Is that the really, really bad Fatui Enforcer? What's he doing here?"
Seeing Shao Yun standing beside that figure, Vanessa turned around, walked over, and stood beside him, explaining:
"Oh, you mean that rude guy? He's the challenger who recently stormed Sky Island, and he's incredibly arrogant."
Shao Yun stared at Dotole's figure, reached out, and gently tapped the other's stiff shoulder with his fingertips.
It felt cold to the touch, and the skin was somewhat stiff, but it didn't have the hard texture of a sculpture. It was more like a body that had lost its vitality and was frozen in time.
He withdrew his hand, turned to look at Vanessa, his eyes full of curiosity, and asked:
"He's dead? But this texture doesn't feel like a sculpture. Unless it's a life-size statue, how can it be so realistic?"
Vanessa nodded gently, her gaze falling on Dotore's figure, her tone tinged with regret as she explained the whole story in detail.
"He's not some statue; he's really dead. He thought that by seizing the power of the Three Months, he possessed the power to shake the order of the heavens. He was incredibly arrogant and dared to force his way into Sky Island. And what happened?"
"Before they could even enter the main hall of the Primordial Lord, the Primordial One used supreme power to immobilize them in this corridor, leaving them unable to move."
"Finally, the primordial One stripped him of his soul and all his powers, leaving his soulless body here as a statue to warn future generations against those arrogant individuals who attempt to challenge the order of Heaven and covet supreme power."
Vanessa paused, then marveled at Dotore's strength.
"Speaking of which, he was quite impressive. He was able to seize the power of the three months and even dared to venture into Sky Isle alone. Unfortunately, his fate was bound to Teyvat from the very beginning, and he could not escape his predetermined trajectory."
"Just as a person cannot lift himself up, he tried his best but could not break free from the shackles of fate, and in the end he died here, becoming a joke."
Shao Yun looked at Dotole, who was frozen in place, again. He felt no sympathy, but rather a strange sense of absurdity.
This is the man who stirred up trouble in Teyvat, committed numerous evils, and was reviled by countless people as the greatest beast in Teyvat. He spent his entire life scheming and plotting, believing that by seizing the power of the three months, he had mastered the ability to break free from the shackles of fate.
But what was the result? They didn't even get to see the face of justice, nor did they have a chance to resist. They were easily frozen in time, their souls stripped away, and turned into a "statue" to warn future generations.
This stark contrast made Shao Yun chuckle and say sarcastically, "The first lesson in entering society is: don't think too highly of yourself, and don't think too stupid of your opponents."
He paused, then added, "The second lesson is: don't think too highly of yourself, and don't think too highly of your opponents. Being too arrogant will only lead to your own demise."
At this point, Shao Yun shook his head and sighed, "I knew he was an arrogant guy all along. When I chatted with him before, I thought he had some real skills and would be smart."
"And what happened? He's still a brainless idiot."
Vanessa listened to Shao Yun's rambling complaints and couldn't help but roll her eyes, offering her heartfelt assessment:
“I’m saying… your nonsense is pretty much like that Barbatos guy’s, rambling on and on without any point.”
In her memory, Barbatos always liked to say some irrelevant nonsense (but with hidden clues), but she never expected that Shao Yun would have this ability as well.
When Shao Yun heard Vanessa mention the word "Barbatos," his expression immediately became somewhat subtle, and he lost his previous ease.
"Speaking of Barbatos, you should know that I have already killed him."
Vanessa nodded slightly, showing no surprise; she already knew about this news.
"I know, how could I not know? After Barbatos died, the wind field in Mondstadt still hasn't disappeared. Often, some rubble and broken trees are blown to Sky Isles by the turbulent winds, which is troublesome to clean up."
As Vanessa spoke, her expression softened, a hint of melancholy appeared in her eyes, and her tone became more regretful.
She and Barbatos had a close relationship dating back a thousand years.
She still can't understand why Barbatos would kidnap Ying and threaten Shao Yun; it's not like he would do anything like that.
“I really feel sorry for what happened to him,” Vanessa said, pausing halfway through her sentence.
She was thinking that perhaps Barbatos had no choice but to resort to this tactic for the survival of Teyvat.
But the words caught in his throat. After all, only the victors are remembered, and only those who survive have the right to write history. Shao Yun was undoubtedly the victor in that confrontation.
Moreover, now is no longer the time to lament Barbatos' fate.
The "dark fate" from beyond the heavens is still lurking, and the power of the abyss continues to rise. Teyvat could be swallowed up at any moment, and they simply don't have the extra time to reminisce about a dead friend.
Vanessa took a deep breath, suppressing the loneliness in her heart, and cleverly changed the subject, no longer mentioning Barbatos's past.
"Forget it, let's not talk about him anymore. Besides, the problems in the Abyss right now are much more troublesome than your killing of Barbatos. Let's hurry up and move on. The Primal Lord is still waiting for us, and we can't afford to delay."
Looking at Vanessa's deliberate attempt to change the subject and her unwillingness to mention Barbatos any further, Shao Yun couldn't tell whether he felt a sense of loss or something else.
He lowered his eyes, put his hands on his hips, and muttered to himself, seemingly lost in thought, "Should I be happy about this?"
Vanessa heard his whisper, but did not turn around or give any reply; she simply maintained her role as the guide.
……