[Vol. 7] Chapter 30: Drowning in… the Deep Sea
That night, after meeting with the Queen, Violet and two other girls returned to their temporary residence on Palut Island.
After a long and exhausting day, the priestess quickly sent the two girls to rest before retreating to her own room to prepare for the next day's operation.
Violet’s main goal had never changed. She needed to understand the situation here, find a safe way to navigate through the Ghost Sea, and leave the Emerald Sea to return to the mainland as soon as possible.
As for the many issues the merfolk were facing, including the sudden disappearance of Nitila and the strange occurrences during the sacrificial ritual, she didn’t mind looking into them along the way. However, if it required too much time or effort, she would have to reconsider whether it was worth getting involved.
After all, her connection with the merfolk was purely coincidental. Even Queen Anies' so-called cooperation never included Violet solving their current crisis. If things became too troublesome, she would at most ensure Princess Nitila's safety, a small favor in return for the trust Nitila had placed in her.
The princess was trapped inside the Ghost Sea.
According to Queen Anies, the vision revealed during the ritual showed one of the islands deep within the Ghost Sea.
But how was the Queen so certain? How did she recognize a place no one had ever returned from? And how did Nitila end up there? More importantly, why was she able to remain unharmed while staying on the island?
The Queen hadn’t explained these details, almost as if she were avoiding the topic.
With the situation growing urgent, Queen Anies planned to personally lead the Royal Guard through a massive deep-sea portal that connected two islands. Their destination was somewhere near the Ghost Sea, a frontline location where they would attempt to rescue Nitila.
Originally, the Queen wanted Violet and her group to stay behind in Eastern Sea Pearl, as venturing into the Ghost Sea was extremely dangerous. However, the priestess had no intention of missing such an opportunity and insisted on going along.
Surprisingly, Queen Anies agreed without much hesitation.
However, due to the portal's limited capacity and the challenges of underwater travel, only Le Qiaoqiao and Hongyan were allowed to accompany them. The rest of the caravan, including several Spirit Veil Tribe members and their ship, [Noah's Ark], had to stay behind in Eastern Sea Pearl and wait for their return.
It seemed that while Queen Anies had ruled out Violet and her group as suspects, she still didn’t fully trust them. Leaving the merchant guild behind in the merfolk's main stronghold was a clear strategic move, a form of mutual assurance disguised as hospitality.
From her perspective as Queen, this level of caution was completely natural. In fact, if Anies had placed absolute trust in them without any precautions, Violet would have found it far more suspicious.
The priestess had a feeling that what they were about to do was tied to something much deeper than it seemed on the surface. Though Queen Anies appeared anxious, Violet sensed a subtle calmness beneath it, as if the Queen was still in control of the situation.
Perhaps… she had even anticipated Nitila's disappearance from the start. When Violet thought back on today's sacrificial ritual, she realized it was likely far more calculated than it appeared.
She needed to be prepared as well.
Just then—
"Knock, knock, knock~"
A soft tapping sounded at the door.
Violet instinctively extended her awareness outward and immediately recognized the visitor.
"Hongyan? It's late. What's wrong?"
There was a brief silence before the voice outside responded in a quiet tone.
"Miss Violet… There's something I think you need to know. May I come in?"
Violet caught the faintest trace of tremor in her voice. Something barely noticeable, but enough to make her frown slightly.
Sitting up, she adjusted her slightly disheveled white nightgown and long black hair, then lifted a hand to dispel the defensive barrier she had placed around her room.
"The door isn’t locked."
"…Excuse me."
With that, the swordswoman stepped inside.
She was wearing a loose nightgown in the style of the Ancient Spirit Realm, her sword still clutched tightly in her hand. Her gaze was unfocused, and her usually steady complexion was now pale as a sheet, as if she had just suffered a terrible fright and had yet to fully recover.
Seeing Hongyan in such a strange state, Violet immediately realized she must have encountered something she couldn’t handle on her own. She didn’t say anything at first, simply waiting for Hongyan to close the door before subtly reactivating the protective barrier around the room. Then, she patted the edge of the bed beside her.
"You don’t look well. Come, sit down and take your time."
"Mm..."
Just seeing Violet seemed to calm the swordswoman down a little, but she still kept a tight grip on her weapon. After sitting down, she hesitated for a long time, as if struggling to find the right words.
Violet didn’t rush her. She simply waited patiently, allowing Hongyan to collect herself.
Through her [Yin-Yang Eyes], Violet could faintly see a dark, ominous aura lingering around Hongyan's soul. Something that hadn’t been there earlier that day.
Clearly, whatever was troubling Hongyan was connected to this eerie presence. It was likely she had done something reckless while alone.
After what felt like an eternity, the gray-haired girl finally steadied herself and spoke hesitantly.
"Miss Violet, I… I just saw something. Something… no, it was too absurd, completely unbelievable! This world we live in… The things we see, hear, experience… is any of it even real?!"
"Real…?"
Violet frowned, not just because Hongyan’s words were so erratic and confused, but because as her emotions fluctuated, that dark aura on her soul began to spread deeper, as if it were trying to corrupt her from within.
Was this… contamination?
It felt eerily similar to the mental contamination they had seen earlier today.
But why was Hongyan affected now? She hadn't shown any signs of exposure before. Violet was certain she would have noticed.
Rather than confronting the issue head-on, Violet decided to gently guide the conversation forward.
"Tell me exactly what you saw. Be as specific as possible."
Hongyan swallowed hard, then gave a small nod.
"Miss Violet, you probably know that for swordsmen like me, the most important thing is to train both the mind and the sword's spirit. Every night, instead of sleeping, I meditate and practice controlled breathing to sharpen my mind and attune myself to the flow of the world."
"When my master taught me this technique, he explained that it puts me in a state that is neither fully asleep nor fully awake. My mind rests, but my senses remain sharp, allowing me to wake instantly in case of danger. It also helps me blend into my surroundings and, sometimes… see things that ordinary eyes aren’t meant to see."
"The flow of energy, the pathways of spiritual power, even the internal state of my own body. This breathing technique is the foundation of all my training."
The swordswoman paused, her voice suddenly tinged with confusion and unease.
"But… ever since we crossed the ocean floor and arrived in this world, something strange has been happening. Every night when I meditate, I see nothing. Normally, in a place rich in spiritual energy, I should be surrounded by countless glowing particles floating in the air, the purer the environment, the denser and brighter they become."
"But here, there's no light at all. Except for my own body, it's as if I'm submerged in a vast, pitch-black ocean. And… and it feels like I’m drowning, unable to breathe. If I concentrate hard enough, I can even hear faint whispers. Vague, but definitely there..."
"At first, I thought it was just because this world is different, that my body hadn’t adjusted to the energy flow and natural laws here. After all, there doesn’t seem to be spiritual power in this world, only some complex mix of other elements."
"So for the past few days, I’ve been trying, pushing myself to extend my senses further, to listen to those whispers, hoping to adapt faster. And tonight… tonight, I finally did it. I could hear the voices clearly at last. But then, the darkness suddenly lifted, and I saw… I saw—!"
The dark aura wrapped around Hongyan’s soul flared violently, intensifying as if something deep within her was awakening. Even her once-clear, steady eyes took on a murky, ominous tint, making her look eerie and unsettling.
Violet frowned slightly, fingers tightening around the silver bell hidden behind her back. But on the surface, she remained calm, pressing on with her questioning.
"What did you see?"
As if triggered by those words, Hongyan suddenly clutched her head, her entire body trembling violently like she was struggling to breathe. Strange, bulging veins surfaced on her forehead, twisting unnaturally beneath her skin.
"We… we’re underwater! Everyone is drowning in a sunken archipelago! None of this is real. The darkness, it’s the color of the deep sea! There are no living people here, no one is alive! There’s only… only an endless number of… ghosts!"