风像刀一样.
The wind was sharp as a blade.
暴沙原的东线被烈日烤得扭曲.
The eastern dunes shimmered under the heat.
远处的沙丘在风中流动,
像一条睡着的巨兽.
Dunes shifted like the back of a sleeping beast.
林烬一行人沿着风脉前进.
Lin Jin's party followed the wind vein.
他们听说过这里.
They'd heard stories of this place.
有人说这里有"失序洞".
A place called the "Cavern of Aberration."
那是世界自己挖出的疤.
A scar the world carved into itself.
---
霍斯走在最前.
Hoss took the lead.
薇尔在后面警戒,
目光一直没有离开天边的阴影.
Viel watched the horizon without blinking.
那阴影一动一静,像在呼吸.
The shadow seemed to breathe — sometimes still, sometimes pulsing.
莱伊走在最后,
沉默地背着破旧的圆盾.
Lai walked at the rear,
a worn round shield across his back.
没人知道他在想什么.
No one knew what he thought.
也没人注意到,
风经过他肩膀的时候,总会慢下来一点.
And no one noticed
that the wind slowed slightly whenever it passed his shoulder.
---
洞穴入口在第十七个沙丘下.
The entrance was beneath the seventeenth dune.
沙地塌陷,露出一条深口.
The sand had caved in, revealing a deep rift.
空气往里吸.
The air pulled inward.
那是一种有生命的呼吸.
A living breath.
> "进去吧."
"We go in."
薇尔第一个开口.
Viel spoke first.
她的声音冷静.
Her voice was calm.
像对死亡习惯的人.
Like someone long accustomed to death.
---
洞内的风温柔许多.
Inside, the wind was gentler.
岩壁上刻着奇怪的纹路,
像有人在石上写过语言.
Strange patterns were etched on the rock,
as if someone had tried to write with stone.
没有人认识这些符号.
No one could read them.
但当林烬的刀光照过,
那些纹路就会微微亮起.
Yet whenever Lin Jin's blade caught the light,
the carvings faintly glowed.
---
霍斯在前方探路.
Hoss scouted ahead.
> "这地方有股怪味...像血."
"Smells off... like blood."
他刚说完,
脚下的地面动了.
He'd barely finished speaking
when the ground moved.
沙石翻起.
Sand and stone rolled.
从洞底爬出的,
是一只巨大的裂砂虫母.
From the pit rose the Matron of the Rift.
---
它的身体由岩与虫甲构成,
胸口镶着一块金红色晶石.
Its body was built of rock and shell,
a red-gold crystal embedded in its chest.
它的呼吸能让沙丘塌陷.
Its breath could make dunes collapse.
所有人下意识后退一步.
Everyone took a step back.
唯有林烬,
拔出双刀.
Only Lin Jin drew his blades.
---
> "霍斯,左侧.薇尔掩护.盾——守前线."
"Hoss, left flank. Viel, cover. Shield—front line."
他没有看那名盾士,
只是说.
He didn't look at Lai —
he just said it.
莱伊举起盾.
Lai raised his shield.
那是个旧的圆盾,
表面有裂纹.
An old, cracked shield.
但当光落上去时,
裂痕仿佛消失了.
Yet under the light,
the cracks seemed to vanish.
---
兽母怒吼.
The Matron roared.
声音在洞内震荡,
像石头在心脏里砸.
The sound echoed,
like stone thrown into a heart.
薇尔的箭先飞出.
Viel's arrow flew first.
三箭连发,打在兽母眼口之间.
Three arrows, one after another,
striking between its eyes.
它嘶叫着甩尾.
It screamed, tail sweeping.
盾撞上尾.
The shield met the tail.
撞击声如铁落.
The impact rang like iron.
莱伊被震退半步,
脚下的沙陷下去.
Lai staggered half a step,
the sand sinking beneath him.
他稳住.
He steadied himself.
什么都没说.
Said nothing.
---
林烬趁那空隙冲上前.
Lin Jin charged forward.
双刀交错,划出弧光.
Twin blades cut in crossing arcs.
金属穿过虫甲,
发出破裂的声响.
Steel split shell,
a cracking sound that echoed deep.
热流涌出.
Heat burst out.
不是血.
Not blood.
是流动的沙.
It was moving sand.
---
霍斯大吼着把长矛刺入胸口.
Hoss roared and plunged his spear into its chest.
长矛断成两截.
The spear snapped in two.
兽母回头甩尾,
将他整个掀飞.
The Matron turned and flung him like a rag.
沙浪扬起数丈高.
Sand waves rose stories high.
---
林烬一转身就看见那名盾士挡在他前面,
挡下了第二次尾击.
Lin Jin turned —
the shieldbearer was already blocking the second strike.
他的脚陷进沙里,
膝盖弯曲,肩膀稳得像岩石.
His feet sank into the sand,
knees bent, shoulders locked like stone.
那不是奇迹.
It wasn't a miracle.
只是一个人,
在挡.
Just a man,
blocking.
---
薇尔喊出信号.
Viel shouted the cue.
林烬抬刀.
Lin Jin raised both blades.
光从刀身爆出,
像被世界回应.
Light burst from the blades —
as if the world itself responded.
刀切穿虫母的颈部.
The blades cut through the Matron's neck.
风停了.
The wind stopped.
然后,
一切倒塌.
Then — everything collapsed.
---
尘埃落定.
The dust settled.
兽母的身体崩成沙.
The Matron crumbled into sand.
地面在微微发光.
The ground began to glow faintly.
那枚红金色的核心,
从沙里慢慢升起.
A red-gold core rose slowly from the sand.
光不是刺眼的,
而是温的.
The light wasn't blinding —
it was warm.
林烬伸手接住.
Lin Jin caught it.
---
薇尔靠近一步.
Viel stepped closer.
> "那是什么?"
"What is it?"
林烬低声说:
Lin Jin murmured:
> "也许是...世界的回应."
"Maybe... the world's response."
没有系统提示,
没有奖励.
No system message,
no reward.
只是安静,
像一口被世界吞下的气.
Only quiet —
like the world exhaling.
---
队伍走出洞口.
They walked out of the cave.
沙丘上,风重新开始.
Wind started again above the dunes.
霍斯还活着.
Hoss was alive.
薇尔在处理伤口.
Viel tended the wounds.
那名盾士坐在沙上,
靠着盾呼吸.
The shieldbearer sat on the sand,
breathing behind his shield.
夕阳把他影子拉得很长.
The sunset stretched his shadow long.
那影子延伸到林烬脚边.
It reached Lin Jin's feet.
林烬看着那影子.
Lin Jin looked at it.
他突然觉得——
And he thought —
世界的秩序,
也许并非全然冷漠.
maybe the world's order
wasn't entirely cold.
---
风继续吹.
The wind kept blowing.
白塔在远方,
光微微闪.
The White Tower gleamed faintly in the distance.
没人抬头.
No one looked up.
也没有人知道,
那光曾短暂地停了一秒.
And no one knew
that its light had paused for one brief second.