[Vol. 7] Chapter 6: Through the Deep Sea, to the Other Side of the World
As a brilliant golden light burst from the tip of the black-haired girl's staff, Ming Lan froze for a moment.
Though he didn’t fully understand the extent of Violet’s powers as a priestess, nor how his Young Lady had changed so drastically, he had been one of the first in Spirit Veil Tribe to meet her after Dawn’s "memory loss."
As someone who deeply trusted and respected Dawn, the creator of both the Spirit Veil Tribe and their floating island sanctuary, Ming Lan could guess what state Violet was in now.
Since she had already stepped forward, he didn’t hesitate any longer. Instead, he stepped back respectfully, quietly awaiting her display of power.
At the same time, he grabbed a certain clueless girl and pulled her to the side. Just in case she got caught in the blast of what was about to happen.
“Zzzzt… zzzt zzzt zzzt…”
A chaotic crackling noise, like an electric current dancing through the air, suddenly erupted behind them.
Hongyan, who had just been about to grit her teeth and swing her sword once more, also hesitated for a moment. Sensing something, she turned her head and her pupils shrank in shock.
She saw the black-haired girl with white wings, holding her staff high.
In the air above her, a magnificent golden bow as if forged from pure light and flawless crystal was taking shape.
The arrow of light was already nocked, and countless sparks crackled around the massive arrow, extending over three meters in length.
It was as if an invisible hand was slowly pulling back the bowstring, preparing to fire.
“……”
Seeing Violet’s silent gaze and the small nod of her head, Hongyan understood.
Though she felt a brief flicker of frustration, she knew the truth, her stats were already dropping now that the [Shared Battle Covenant] had been cut off.
Without hesitation, she stepped back, clearing the way on the front deck.
Having witnessed the terrifying power of a certain "immortal" firsthand, Hongyan knew there were some things only a select few could do.
Violet had merely given her the opportunity to push herself. But there was no point in being stubborn now.
In the end, she was still too weak.
Even with Violet’s incredible support, she hadn’t been able to last until the end…
Clenching her fists tightly, the exhausted swordswoman forced herself to stay focused, staring unblinkingly at the slowly drawn golden bow.
She wanted to see it with her own eyes. The true pinnacle of power.
She needed to engrave this moment into the depths of her soul.
"Brace yourselves."
At that moment, the magnificent bow of golden light was drawn to its absolute limit.
“Ninth Tier Spell: [Radiant Sun-chaser Arrow].”
"Voom!"
In an instant, the golden arrow vanished, streaking through the water like an aurora.
Then, a colossal force unlike anything before erupted, pulling [Noah’s Ark] downward into the deep sea at a speed ten times faster than before!
"Waaah!"
The sudden acceleration sent Le Qiaoqiao flying backward, completely out of control.
Luckily, Ming Lan reacted in time, grabbing her mid-air.
At the same time, Hongyan stabbed her sword into the deck, barely managing to keep her balance.
"Splash!!!"
The massive ship, wrapped in a golden barrier, plunged straight into the deep sea.
It was like smashing through solid concrete. The terrifying water pressure crushed down on the [Light Protection] barrier, producing a disturbing crackling and grinding sound.
Yet, the glowing shield remained unshaken, moving rapidly under the pull of the golden arrow.
Only now did the others realize that golden long arrow hadn’t simply shot forward.
A golden thread of light extended from its tail, connecting to the ship's outer barrier, dragging [Noah’s Ark] deeper into the abyss.
If Hongyan’s slashes had only allowed the ship to fall freely, using gravity to descend,
Then this arrow of light was something entirely different.
It was pure, unstoppable force, fighting against the immense resistance of the deep sea, pulling a ship weighing tens of thousands of tons forward at full speed.
Not to mention the gigantic golden shield, also from the black-haired girl, that withstood the immense pressure of the ocean depths, defying the very wrath of nature itself.
Challenging the vast forces of nature alone.
"Is this really... the kind of power a single person can have...?"
Hongyan's whispered words were almost lost in the deafening friction between the light barrier and the sea, while the golden arrow pulling the ship only grew faster.
Like a rocket gaining momentum with every push, it cut through the deep-sea darkness, carving a blazing path through the abyss!
"Crack... Crack, crack, crack—!!!"
The ocean pressure surged to an unimaginable level, so extreme that even the [Light Protection] barrier began to fracture under the strain.
But with Violet’s continuous magic infusion, every crack that appeared was instantly restored.
Unless it was shattered all at once, it would never break. Not as long as Violet had magic left to give.
This was one of the core properties of [Light Protection].
So, while the sight of the cracks was terrifying, they didn’t pose a real threat.
"...Are we still not there yet?"
Suspended midair by her white wings, Violet maintained both [Radiant Sun-chaser Arrow] and [Light Protection] at the same time, her brows furrowing slightly.
At the arrow’s current speed, they had already descended another 5,000 meters in just a short time.
That meant they had long surpassed the 10,000-meter depth Ming Lan had estimated.
And yet, the sea stretched endlessly downward, showing no sign of a bottom.
Just how deep was this trench...?
"?!"
Suddenly, a strange sensation swept through her entire body.
It couldn’t be described in words, as if an invisible membrane of light had filtered through her.
But before Violet could fully process it, the feeling was gone and then…
"BOOM!!! SPLASH!!!"
Like a giant bomb detonating underwater, the golden arrow pierced through the ocean’s surface, dragging the massive, light-shielded ship out of the sea!
Violet reacted instantly, cutting off her connection to both [Radiant Sun-chaser Arrow] and [Light Protection].
The arrow continued soaring toward the clouds, vanishing in the blink of an eye.
Meanwhile, the massive ship, now without its guiding force, arched through the air, and as the dissipating light shield faded, the ship plunged back toward the sea, sending huge waves crashing in all directions!
"BOOM!!!!!!!"
Water splashed violently, and the unshielded vessel rocked on the waves for a long time before it gradually stabilized.
Sunlight once again bathed the deck of the [Noah’s Ark].
Violet lifted her head, gazing directly into the brilliant sun without difficulty.
She could feel the shift in the world’s laws of magic and the sudden flood of divine messages, as if her connection to something greater had just been restored.
"So… we’ve returned…?"
Behind her, Ming Lan and the others quickly gathered, steadying themselves as they took in the mess on the deck. They breathed in the air that rushed towards them, carrying the salty sea breeze, their expressions varied.
"Huh...? Weren’t we just deep underwater? How did we suddenly end up on the surface?"
The clueless rogue still looked utterly lost, but Hongyan, being much sharper, had already put the pieces together.
"This place... could it be…?"
"Yes."
Violet turned to them and nodded in confirmation.
"This is the Origin Realm. Or to put it in your terms, another world."
Everything had gone mostly as planned, but there was still something… unexpected.
Despite a few complications, their journey through the dimensional rift had been far easier than anticipated.
Violet had expected to face intense rejection from the Origin Realm's world's barrier, possibly even encountering strange, unpredictable forces blocking her entry.
After all, she was currently carrying two “Divinities” without any disguise or suppression.
It was the magical equivalent of walking through airport security while openly holding a loaded firearm.
And yet, the world's barrier… hadn’t interfered at all.
Was it a coincidence? Or was there another reason?