TGS - Chapter 191

Chapter 191: A Thousand Years Ago

Outside Yilulaila City, Jadaar Lake lay nestled between low mountains and a rocky plain.

The lake’s surface was as smooth as a mirror and vast in area, yet its overall shape was quite regular. Viewed from the sky, it looked just like a smooth, azure gemstone.

The last time Lotus had come here, she had been sightseeing with Alyuin, with a dedicated and lively handmaiden from the city lord’s manor serving as their guide for the entire trip.

The fishermen of Yilulaila had cast their nets upon the lake from their boats, their tamed cormorants preening their feathers on the prows. Children played and tussled on the shore, all wanting to jump into the water, only to be quickly scolded back by their mothers, who were chatting while harvesting reeds… Jadaar Lake had been bustling with life then.

But now, because Yilulaila was quite close to the front lines and had recently been attacked by the Kasnie army, there was hardly anyone by the lake.

The water was quiet and clear. A flock of blue herons lingered near the reeds, occasionally plunging their slender necks into the water to snatch fish, leisurely and content.

Other than being exceptionally beautiful and relatively deep and wide, there was nothing special about Jadaar Lake.

What secret could such a place be hiding?

Lotus hovered in the air above the center of the lake, looking down. The water’s surface reflected the form of the silver-tailed mermaid. It was almost as if her avatar had created another avatar—one in the sky, one in the water, gazing at each other from a distance through the mirror-like surface.

After a moment of thought, Lotus flicked her tail and plunged into the water.

Just like last time, the giant fish living in the lake sensed the goddess’s arrival and swarmed over eagerly.

These beautiful, large fish circled Lotus, their long tail fins, similar to the silver mermaid avatar’s, slapping the water joyfully. If Lotus hadn’t been in the water, they probably would have surfaced to leap and dance again.

Lotus allowed her divine power to spread, an invisible force surging with the waves like a summons.

The school of fish circling her gradually quieted down, as if waiting with her.

After a long, quiet wait, a streamlined shadow swam over from the depths of the lake in the distance.

It was hard to imagine such a massive freshwater fish without seeing it in person. Compared to its kin, this giant fish was nearly twice as long. Its movements were more dignified, yet it was not slow, and it quickly arrived before Lotus.

This was likely the longest-living giant fish in Jadaar Lake. The eyes on either side of its head seemed to hold a human-like gentleness.

Lotus raised a hand, her fingertips brushing over the giant fish’s broad, moon-white scales before finally resting on its smooth head as she conveyed her thoughts.

She asked: was there anything special in this lake?

Something that felt similar to herself.

Lotus hadn’t held much hope and was already prepared to search on her own, though the task would be more troublesome now that she had lost her divine perception. But the giant fish nudged her palm, then turned its body, signaling for the river goddess to follow it.

The giant fish swam almost vertically downward, its gleaming, lustrous tail fin swishing as it shot forward in the blink of an eye.

Lotus followed closely behind it, with more giant fish circling her and trailing after. The scene was magnificent, comparable to the spectacle of a hundred fish leaping that had taken place here years ago.

The deeper they went, the darker the water became.

Jadaar Lake’s depth was as astonishing as its area. Before long, the water was completely opaque. Only the frost-blue divine power radiating from Lotus illuminated their surroundings, creating a dreamlike and silent scene.

After diving to an unknown depth, the lead fish stopped before a rock wall. A deep crack opened in an inconspicuous spot on the wall. It slapped the edge of the fissure with its fin, as if to say: This is it.

The fissure was just wide enough for a person to pass through, as could a juvenile giant fish, but the leader was too large to enter. It stopped there.

A few of the young fish that had been following swam cheerfully into the crack. The adult fish didn't stop them, which clearly meant there was no danger beyond the fissure. Perhaps these young fish were used to darting in and out of this place since they were small.

Lotus nodded, leaving behind a portion of gentle divine power as a sign of thanks, and followed the young fish into the fissure.

The mermaid avatar swam through the dark passage. After she had counted to nearly one hundred in her mind, the way ahead suddenly opened up—

Lotus paused at the exit, her frost-blue eyes reflecting the scene before her as she unconsciously held her breath.

Before her was a magnificent stone temple.

It had no dome, its structure both harmonious and peculiar. It was difficult to even describe whether it was a building or a stone forest composed of massive pillars.

Despite the dual barrier of water and rock, this vast space was bathed in a soft light, allowing the temple, filled with a primitive, wild, and majestic solemnity, to reveal its full form to Lotus.

This was completely illogical—both the suddenly bright world and the stone temple. Lotus looked up to where there should have been rock. It seemed as if there was nothing there, yet it also seemed as if deep blue water was surging above.

—A temple that defied description, exhausting all words.

Yes, a temple.

Lotus looked to her left and right. The young fish were frolicking in the vast space, but they didn't avoid the stone pillars at all, as if they couldn't see them.

In fact, they passed directly through the stone, just as Lotus could pass through walls in her spiritual state.

This place no longer belonged to reality. Like the floating island where the Kingdom of the Gods resided, the stunning temple at the bottom of the lake actually existed in another dimension, between the illusory and the real. It was a creation of myth.

Lotus moved forward. The sensation of moving here was strange, making it impossible to tell if she was floating in the air or swimming in the water.

The farther she went, the denser the pillars on either side became, until several stood side by side, marking the end of the temple.

Below the aligned pillars, Lotus saw a square stone slab, held aloft by several smaller, exquisitely carved stone pillars.

In the center of the slab was an irregularly shaped cavity.

Was that stone meant for this?

Lotus stood before the slab for a long time before finally taking out the black stone. She aimed it at the cavity and pressed it in. It fit perfectly and seamlessly, as easy as placing the last piece of a puzzle.

The next moment, the stone slab suddenly glowed.

It connected with Lotus’s own divine power, as if each had found its other half. The light followed the pathways of her divine power through her body, reaching straight to her divine core. Like piercing a barrier, it made a faint cracking sound.

A torrent of memories instantly overwhelmed all her senses. Lotus squeezed her eyes shut, swept back a thousand years by distant memories that were both strange and familiar.

At the same time, the goddess’s main body, which had been giving Alyuin a real-time report, suddenly froze. Her pupils dilated slightly, her eyes staring blankly ahead.

Alyuin’s expression sharpened. She was familiar with this state; when Lotus’s consciousness was fully focused on her avatar, her main body would assume this posture.

What had happened over there?

The Princess placed her palm on the wrist of Lotus’s main body and called out softly, “…Lotus.”

She made no other move.

If.

If Lotus still hadn't returned within a day, she would immediately rush to Jadaar Lake.

Alyuin lowered her head, resting her forehead on Lotus’s shoulder, and waited quietly.

Her consciousness drifted, her mind completely occupied by memories.

Lotus “saw” them, as if they had never been sealed away.

—A thousand years ago, Solancia during the era of warring city-states.

Lotus opened her eyes, her head spinning. She pressed a hand to her temple and sat up.

She was dressed in a light-colored dress, her slightly curly, pure black hair a little messy. Her expression was tinged with confusion as she cautiously surveyed her surroundings.

Trees grew in dense clusters, their branches and leaves overlapping to form a thick canopy that blocked the sun, allowing only mottled patches of light to sprinkle down from between the leaves. This was a forest.

But Lotus clearly remembered being in a museum before she lost consciousness. How could she have woken up in a forest… Was it a kidnapping?

But who would make a move in a crowded museum with surveillance cameras? Besides, her movements weren't restricted, and there was no one guarding her.

Right, that ancient Solancian bronze mirror.

Lotus looked down. The bronze mirror, its edge inlaid with a golden ouroboros, was safely in her arms. She turned it over, trying to find some clue on its surface—but there was nothing.

The mirror’s surface was clear, reflecting Lotus’s slightly bewildered face, but the “self” with hair so light it was almost silver and a resolute expression did not appear again.

It sounded like some kind of surreal event, like the time travel often depicted in movies and television.

Lotus pressed her lips together. She checked herself over and felt that nothing was wrong. She put the mirror in the shoulder bag she was carrying, stood up, and prepared to leave, hoping she might run into someone.

This forest looked a bit undeveloped. It wasn't some deep, remote mountain wilderness, was it?

Could there be wild animals?

Just seconds after this thought arose, Lotus’s expression froze. She stopped in her tracks and slowly backed away.

Ahead, a leopard had leisurely strolled out, its feral eyes fixed squarely on her.

Lotus tried her best to slow her breathing and remain calm.

She had heard that when encountering such predators, it was best to face them and back away slowly, avoiding eye contact as much as possible so as not to make it think she had any intention of attacking or provoking it.

Humans weren't on a leopard’s menu. With any luck, she could get away safely.

Lotus did just that, but perhaps the leopard was feeling playful, or perhaps it had no intention of giving up the feast before it—judging by its eyes, the latter seemed more likely.

In any case, it crouched low, and in the next instant, it pounced.

Lotus’s pupils contracted.

Just then, a faint coolness emanated from the bag her fingers were pressed against. It was an indescribable feeling, as if she subconsciously felt she could try to save herself.

She followed her instincts and raised her hand. A fist-sized ball of water instantly formed in front of her and slammed into the leopard.

“Awooo—woo…”

It was just a ball of water, yet the leopard acted as if it were injured. It let out a sound somewhat like a cat’s meow, its ears perked up in fright. It slowly backed away, then turned and fled.

Lotus was still shaken, breathing a little rapidly. On the ground before her were the wet marks left after the water ball had burst and splashed down.

“What in the world is going on…”

Lotus murmured to herself. Immediately after, she heard a rustling sound behind her, as if someone was approaching, treading on fallen leaves.

She spun around and came face to face with a pair of pure golden eyes as brilliant as sunlight.

These eyes were slightly upturned, the pupils round and bright like a cat’s, the outer corners long and tapered. They were set in a stern yet magnificently beautiful, honey-colored face.

The owner of those eyes was an exceedingly beautiful and sharp woman. Her long, straight black hair was tied back, and she wore unfamiliar clothes, holding a bow and arrow. She met Lotus’s gaze with a look that was not quite a smile.

Lotus didn’t speak, nor did she move.

Although she didn’t know what was going on, the person before her clearly didn’t belong to any country she knew. Could she be from some tribe living in a primeval forest?

But that didn’t seem right. The style of her clothing felt somewhat familiar. Lotus made a connection to something, but she couldn’t believe it.

Their gazes held for three seconds before the golden-eyed woman tilted her head slightly and said something in an unfamiliar language.

Lotus: “…”

She couldn’t understand a single word.

After trying every language she knew, along with gestures, Lotus discovered that only the gestures were of any use.

The woman revealed a thoughtful expression, then turned halfway and gestured for Lotus to follow her.

Lotus hesitated for a moment.

She was wary. Looking at the bow and arrow in the woman’s hands, which could be drawn or swung like a club at any moment, she could tell this beautiful woman had a formidable aura.

But Lotus had no other choice.

Even if this person truly meant her harm, she could try that trick from before again—though in her past twenty years, Lotus never knew she could use magic. The fact that it could repel a leopard meant it was at least useful.

Speaking of which, did this woman see what just happened?

As this thought occurred to Lotus, she suddenly stiffened.

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