1novels 059. Remains at the Bottom of the Lake
059. Remains at the Bottom of the Lake
Hinging a little tune in mid-air, Xinlai leisurely followed Eve as they left the castle and headed towards the garden.
Lorenz didn't follow, seemingly heartbroken. After Eve left, he stayed alone in the bathroom, burying his face in his hands and weeping.
Even tap water can become contaminated, so the state of human nature is even more perplexing.
But Sinley realized that Eve hoped Lorenz could understand her difficulties and her ambition to avenge her family and parents.
But in Lorenz's heart, there was only love for Eve...
Such a devoted man, if he were in a female-oriented novel, would surely find a good match.
……
Hovering in mid-air, Xinlai watched Eve sitting alone in a corner of the garden, her eyes downcast with pity, seemingly still unable to recover from her argument with Lorenz.
Damn it.
Where the damn "self" went at this time? Just being there for a woman when she's most helpless would have been enough to win her over, wouldn't it?
Why haven't you come to the lakeside to meet Eve yet...?
……
As it turns out, Sin Lai in the simulation is never reliable.
After waiting for nearly twenty minutes, Eve had finally composed herself, but he still hadn't appeared.
I guess they've run into some inexplicable trouble again.
Eve realized that something might have happened to him, so she stopped waiting.
She looked around and, seeing no one else, immediately took off her high heels and held them in her hand. With her other hand, she lifted her long skirt and quietly walked barefoot to the lakeside.
The lake surface was as smooth as a mirror, calm and undisturbed.
The distant mountains and the bright moon are reflected in the water, and white birds occasionally fly across the lake's surface.
Eve put down her shoes, tied her long hair up, lowered her head slightly, and unzipped the long dress on her back.
Like unwrapping a gift, the black outer shell slid off her shoulder, across her soft, slender waist, over her firm, rounded buttocks, and finally fell to the ground.
She was wearing only a black bodysuit underneath. She lightly lifted her jade-like foot and stepped forward. She then took the rubber band off her wrist and put it in her mouth, carefully tidying up her hair that might get in the way while diving.
Xinlai watched with great interest...
Although I've seen this scene many times, the curves of that body are soft and perfect, as pleasing to the eye as a sculpture, and I never get tired of looking at it.
Eve walked to the water's edge, stretched out her fair, pinkish toes, and touched the surface of the water, creating ripples as if testing the water temperature.
"call……"
After taking two deep breaths, she no longer hesitated and slowly stepped into the water. The lake water gradually rose above her thighs and then above her waist.
Finally, he completely disappeared beneath the calm surface of the lake.
Xinlai followed suit and dived down. Everything at the bottom of the lake was clearly visible to him, as bright as day.
That's the advantage of being an observer.
As for Eve, Xinlai wasn't too worried.
Water is more precious to her than herself.
Perhaps she can find that so-called water god manuscript before Xinlai, who has X-ray vision, does.
After swimming for a while, I noticed that the bottom of the lake was very clean, indicating that someone was maintaining it regularly.
The aquatic plants swayed, and the fish tails swayed gently. If it weren't for the lack of depth, the Dragon Palace of the East Sea could have been moved here without any sense of incongruity.
Eve swung her legs and slowly descended.
With the help of water magic, she quickly reached the bottom of the lake.
She landed steadily on the bottom of the water and bent down to begin searching, while Xinlai had already left her side and was wandering around a "seabed relic" in the middle of the lake.
The site is small, consisting of a circle about eight meters in diameter with eight pillars standing on it. Some pillars are incomplete, some are broken in half, and some are still relatively intact.
The once meticulously crafted lines and patterns are now overgrown with aquatic plants, a testament to the vicissitudes of time.
At the very center is a protrusion resembling a lectern, which is imprisoned by a magic circle with intricate patterns carved on its bottom. It seems that the so-called manuscript of the water god Bernis is on it.
Xinlai moved closer and circled her twice, quickly confirming her suspicions.
This is the underwater dungeon in "Asgard Elegy," the place Lorenz and Eve explored together in the story.
However, the plot did not explain how to activate it, and Xinlai did not notice this loophole at the time. She will have to ask Eve if she has any relevant clues later.
As for what the dungeon is like, what kind of monsters will spawn, and where they will spawn, he knows it all perfectly well, so exploring it won't be too difficult.
He looked up and realized that Eve had also arrived near the ruins, her face showing an excitement and exhilaration rarely seen since returning to Tansteen Castle.
Eve swung her legs lightly and quickly approached the place that resembled a podium.
She steadied herself against the edge, standing firmly in the very center of the ruins.
Xinlai floated to her side and saw that she was curiously looking at the inside and outside of the podium, which allowed him to calm down and examine it carefully.
After looking closely, Xin Lai realized that this was not a podium at all, but a tripod lying on its side!
However, the shape of this cauldron is quite strange, with one side higher than the other, and it is filled with mud and sand, making it look more like a lecture platform.
Since it's just an ordinary cauldron, how exactly should this relic be opened...?
……
……
"Hey, you rascal, you haven't forgotten you're going to a banquet tonight, have you?"
A question tinged with resentment suddenly reached Xin Lai's ears. He slowly opened his eyes, feeling the already scorching sunlight, and turned his head to look in the direction of the voice.
Eve obediently squatted beside the recliner, one hand resting on her knee supporting her head, the other gently poking his cheek.
Seeing him wake up, a hint of joy finally appeared on Eve's sullen face.
"Why are you sleeping so soundly... Are you too tired these past few days?"
Xinlai sat up from the recliner, nodded, and habitually reached out to ruffle Eve's hair.
"Yes, a little... You went out this morning, did you buy the clothes you liked?"
"Hmm." Eve didn't dodge Xinlai's hand, but turned to show him what she had gained on the trip.
A black sequined maxi dress, a pair of black high heels with red soles, and a haute couture suit and leather shoes.
The two had come to Guna City in a hurry and hadn't brought any clothes for the banquet, so they had to ask Eve, who was familiar with the area, to go out and buy the clothes they needed.
Eve's dress was no problem at all; it was custom-made.
But that suit was essentially custom-made from a distance, based entirely on Eve's memory of Xinlai's appearance, and was made urgently through magic; whether it would fit was still unknown.
Xinlai glanced at the clothes, then sighed and lay back on the recliner: "You change first, then I'll come in."
"Pretentious."
Eve scolded him, leaving behind Xinlai's dress, and went inside to change.
When I left the balcony, I also drew the curtains.
Xinlai didn't pay much attention, sorting through the information obtained from the simulation.
Importantly… Skechers’ father, Kirkbock, was also present at his costume party.
Based solely on Kobock's reaction in the simulation, Sinley had reason to suspect that Kobock might have realized it was "Eve".
Therefore, he had to keep Eve by his side at this masquerade ball, at least to prevent her from becoming the target of everyone's criticism.
As for Lorenz...
Sinlai wasn't worried about Eve, but she was afraid that Lorenz would cause trouble, so she had to give Eve a heads-up beforehand.
As she pondered, the curtains on the balcony were drawn back, and a beautiful figure stepped lightly through the balcony door and came to Xinlai's side.
Xinlai turned her head and saw Eve, who had changed into a black sequined dress. She was a little shy, but dignified and composed. Her hair, which had been dyed blue by the cold blade snowflakes, fell peacefully. She was no longer nervous and embarrassed as she had been when they first met.
"Not bad, you have good taste."