Hollow Knight: Hallownest

Ida covered the big bulge on her head and stared at Mo Rong's arms carefully. She wanted to raise her hand and try to touch it, but she recalled the residents of the main city who were affected during the previous abyss riot and took it back angrily. hand.

"This...how is this possible..."

Ida's brain was already spinning, and her eyes were rolling to the back of her head, but she couldn't think of a reason.

"Hey~, let's not talk about how deadly that thing is. I think your body is like a puddle of water. How could you..."

"Not like a living thing, right?"

Mo Rong looked at his body. Indeed, it looked like a slime. No wonder Ida had such doubts.

"Do you still remember why I was caught and taken to the palace?"

"...You killed the Soul Master, right?"

"That's right, that guy captured my friend and experimented on countless residents of the main city. Even if they didn't die, those residents turned into mindless mud."

Ida was silent for a long time. He never doubted Mo Rong's words, and he never thought that the soul master with a very high status in the City of Tears would do such a crazy thing.

"But that's with you..."

"Do you know why he is called Soul Master?"

"Then how did I know? Maybe just like his name, he is very good at soul experiments?"

Ida was a little confused about what Mo Rong was doing, but the way Mo Rong looked straight at him represented affirmation.

"Yes, I was created by him. That guy's soul experiment gave me life."

Mo Rong breathed a long sigh of relief, but Ida obviously hadn't come back to her senses yet.

"You mean, you were created by the Soul Master?!"

"Well, I'm quite grateful to him for this, but that's about it. That guy's heart is darker than what I have on him."

The footsteps behind him gradually became clearer, and a guard walked to Ida's side, glanced at Mo Rong, and then turned away.

"Captain, it's all done."

"Okay, you go back to the tram and wait. I'll be there in a minute."

After the guard left, Ida knew that the time for her and Murong to reunite and reminisce was over.

"Where are you going next?"

"Crossroad, I have to go there to get something."

"It's not very peaceful outside recently, and some fish may have slipped through the net due to lack of security. Please pay attention to yourself..."

Having said this, Ida smiled and patted Mo Rong on the shoulder.

"Forget it, if I didn't say anything, those things probably can't do anything to you. I'm leaving. We'll see you again when we have the chance. Take care."

"Ah."

The rumble sounded again in the deep lair, and the warm yellow light gradually disappeared into the darkness.

"Can you tell me? It's obvious that the king will never let you go free in Hallownest."

A strange and brisk voice came from behind Mo Rong. To be precise, it came from the cave he left not long ago.

Faced with this character who had almost no interaction in the game, Mo Rong became interested in something different.

The mask maker is still carving on the workbench with the carving knife, his hands are flying very fast, and the masks are being formed at will, without any impact due to distraction.

"Why are you asking me this?"

"You have to listen to some stories to make your boring life more interesting, right? Although I don't think life is boring, I like to lend a helping hand to bugs who need masks."

The sound of the carving knife rubbing against the stone is not harsh, but forms a beautiful melody unique to the mask maker.

"I can't tell you plainly."

"I thought you would hesitate to answer because of the mask. Tell me, I'm very curious about the answer to this question."

Mo Rong's condition was very simple. He pointed to the mask on his head and asked:

"I want to take this thing off, is there anything you can do?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the mask maker paused with his carving knife, and his head, which was staring at the mask, slowly raised for half a minute.

"You don't need a mask?"

“I need a mask, but I can’t be held back by a mask.”

There was some confusion in the mask maker's eyes.

"Since you don't want to wear it, why don't you just take it off?"

"You still have to say, if I can take it off, I will..."

As he spoke, Mo Rong put his hand on the mask and pulled it off with a sudden force.

"Um?!"

Looking at the mask lying on his hand, Mo Rong was immediately stunned. He remembered that he couldn't take off the mask despite all the effort in the abyss.

"It's you who need the mask, not the mask who needs you, so why can't it be taken off?"

The mask maker chuckled lightly, with a hint of realization in his eyes.

"That's what I love about masks, once it's off I can always see something clearly."

"It turns out you are not them. You are really unpredictable after putting on the mask."

The carving knife wandered over the mask again. Mo Rong looked at the not yet fully formed mask on the stage and was silent for a moment.

"Thank you for the mask. My name is Mo Rong. May I ask what your name is?"

"Name? I don't remember. I would rather be called a mask maker than that. That's my honor."

"...Are you the only mask maker in this land?"

The mask maker didn't answer. Mo Rong thought it no longer wanted to be disturbed by him, so he sighed lightly and turned around to leave.

"Except from the King, I can't remember how long it has been since I heard a word of thanks."

"Perhaps because of my obsession and mission for masks, when someone needs a mask, they always say, 'Go find a mask maker,' and I never refuse."

Merong paused and looked back at the maker who was still carving the mask. Different from what it said, there was no dissatisfaction in its eyes, but rather profound memories.

"I still remember that era, when there was little need for masks. Bugs who admired strength did not hesitate to show their proud faces. Only the weak needed masks to hide the fear in their eyes."

"Of course, there are also some insects that wear masks for rituals. They are more powerful, but for some reason they don't show their true colors."

"The mask maker is special because he is caught in the middle. No bug will attack the mask maker because they know that apart from me, there is no other maker who is so obsessed with masks."

"I don't know when, the masks behind me have piled up, but I can't see the bugs that came to beg for them."

"I'm not discouraged. I'll keep waiting. I know there are always bugs out there who need them."

"So I waited for the king, and he told me that all the bugs in the land were begging for masks."

Having said this, the carved knife in its hand waved even faster.

"I don't know what those masks are hiding for the bugs, and I'm not going to ask, because that's the mask's mission, not mine."

"I will answer all requests for faces. This is my mission, and one day, this will also be my epitaph."

"It's been a long time since I've said so many words. Thank you for listening. If your mask or someone else's mask is damaged one day, don't hesitate to think of and say those words."

"Go find the mask maker."