The further east we sailed, the thinner the fog became, but the sky was still gloomy, as if the sun could not penetrate this sea.) >?? >] >??} ]
The surrounding reefs were also getting higher and gradually turned into thick stone pillars. For some reason, the water level was obviously dropping, but the ship was still very stable. Even the waves on the sea had reduced, and it was as calm as a windless lake.
"Why didn't you wait for the water to completely recede before entering the Shadow Sea?" Tilly asked puzzledly, "If all the reefs were exposed, you wouldn't have to be afraid of hitting the reef."
"Because when the water recedes, we won't be able to see the Ghost Shadow Red River, and it's the only way to guide explorers to the ruins," Thunder explained, "These pillar-like islands are not fixed. Every time the tide rises and falls, the position of the islands will change. In addition, most of the markers will be swallowed by the sea, so it can't be used to determine the direction. "
"Ghost Shadow … Red River?" She repeated.
"Yes. Look, this is it. "Thunder whistled and pointed to the bow.
The witches looked in the direction he was pointing and saw a few red figures in the dark green sea. They flashed like phantoms. But soon, two or three red figures floated by, and this time Ashes saw the target clearly. It was actually an orange-red fish.
"This is … a fish?"
"A red-scaled fish unique to the Shadow Islands." Thunder touched his chin and smiled, "You'll see the true face of the Ghost Shadow Red River in a moment."
Gradually, there were more and more fish, and they no longer appeared in twos and threes, but instead gathered into a group and swam towards the stern of the ship. Looking far ahead, Ashes was shocked by the scene she saw. More and more fish converged into this torrent, and a thick dark red line had already appeared in the sea. The sailboat was obviously moving according to this red line. The fish passed through the bottom of the boat, and from time to time, she could hear the sound of collision.
She suddenly realized that this was the Ghost Shadow Red River, a strange river that didn't exist! As the ship continued to move forward, the dense shoals of fish had expanded into a channel that could accommodate several ships side by side. The dark green seawater seemed to have disappeared, and the ship seemed to be sailing on top of the shoals of fish. If it weren't for the fact that the two of them were moving in opposite directions, she would have had the illusion that the ship was being dragged by the fish.
"Why is it like this?" Tilly asked in surprise.
Ashes also wanted to ask this question. If she was in Graycastle or any other kingdom, it would be impossible to see such a scene. The fog that shrouded the periphery, the gloomy sky, the grotesquely shaped boulders, and the "river" formed by red-scaled fish. For the first time, she was awed by the wonder of the sea.
"Because of the main island," Thunder said, "It's like a triangular spire, with a huge hole in the middle that runs through the body of the spire. These red-scaled fish like to lay eggs in the hole and reproduce. When the tide fell, the hole would surface, and the fish would always be the first to feel the change in the water level, and they would swarm out. Therefore, as long as we follow the Ghost Shadow Red River, we will be able to reach the Shadow Main Island. "
"Lord Thunder, there's a huge obstacle ahead! It looks like a huge mountain! "The lookout shouted.
"It looks like we're almost there," he shook out his pipe, "Ladies, welcome to the Shadow Islands."
After a while, Ashes also saw the appearance of the main island. Just as Thunder had said, it looked like a few triangular pieces put together. It was wide at the bottom and narrow at the top. The surface looked very flat at first glance, and it didn't look like a natural creation at all. However, to say that the whole tower was cut out by a human would be too shocking. Just the exposed body of the tower was almost half the size of a city, and the hole in the middle was enough to accommodate the Babel Tower of Hermes Church.
The sea was still receding, and the water at the top of the giant hole was like a waterfall, while the submerged part below was completely covered by the fish, dyeing the sea within the range of vision red. Ashes couldn't help but think that there were probably millions of red-scaled fish living in the hole.
It was not until the sky turned dark that the sea completely receded to the bottom of the hole. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Thunder ordered the sailors to stop the boat and dock, and then used a thick hemp rope to connect to the copper stake at the entrance of the hole. Standing at the edge of the giant hole, they could see the hole on the opposite side. The light coming from both sides could only illuminate a very small area, and the center of the hole was almost completely dark, making people feel inexplicably depressed.
"These stakes were left behind when you came last time?" Ashes asked.
"No," Thunder shook his head, "When I came here for the first time, the copper stakes were already here. They should have been built by the owner of the ruins. "
"The ruins … where is it?"
He smiled and pointed upwards, "It's right above us, we're already standing at the entrance of the ruins."
…
The following journey could only be described as inconceivable. The witches followed Thunder and the others, entering through a stone door at the bottom of the giant hole, following the gurgling water on the stone steps, spiraling up step by step. Although everyone was holding torches, the flickering flames seemed weak and insignificant compared to the endless staircase.
Moving forward in the abyss of darkness, Tilly tightly grasped Ashes's arm, completely losing her usual calm appearance.
This is the Her Royal Highness that I know, Ashes thought. In the palace, Princess Tilly always had her own ideas and was confident in facing any difficulties, but her biggest weakness was that she was afraid of the dark. Even when she slept at night, she would always light candles in her room. When they escaped from the palace, if they didn't have the conditions to do so, Roland would always accompany her to sleep.
Walking in the damp and dark steeple, Ashes's mood became a lot more cheerful.
Along the way, they didn't encounter any demonic beasts, nor did they encounter any traps to hinder the intruders. Even if there were, after being immersed in the sea for a long time, it was estimated that they had already lost their effectiveness. The only problem was that the long climb had consumed most of their strength, and everyone's movements were getting slower and slower. When they finally reached the end of the stone steps, the team couldn't help but burst into cheers.
The last checkpoint of the ruins was not a stone door, but made of metal, which reflected a bright light under the illumination of the torch. Thunder pushed the door with both hands, and the heavy door made a harsh friction sound as it slowly opened.
Ashes held her sword in one hand and took the lead to enter the room. After looking around and confirming that there was no danger, she let Tilly and the other witches step into the room.
As the torches were hung on the surrounding walls, a wide hall appeared in front of everyone. Although it was wide, it seemed empty, and they could see everything at a glance. There was nothing worth pondering about.
"Is this the ruins?" She rubbed the stone table that had been soaked in water, "Except for some stone tables and stools, there is nothing here."
"Indeed, there is not much left," Thunder nodded, "It has been sleeping at the bottom of the sea for too long. Except for the stones, it is difficult to preserve anything. I also told Her Royal Highness Tilly, but she insisted on coming to see it in person. "
"What about those red stones?" Tilly opened her mouth, "Where did you find them?"
"On the ground. At that time, they were scattered all over the ground, probably dozens of them."
However, now there was nothing left. Ashes looked down at the wet and slippery ground where seaweed had already grown. Thunder was not the only explorer who had arrived here. After taking turns to plunder, it would be strange if they could still find Magic Stones.
But Tilly was still full of enthusiasm. She held the torch and carefully looked at every corner of the hall. In particularly dark places, she would also ask the sailors to add a few more torches. Molly summoned her magic servant and spread it out on the ground to serve as a cushion for everyone to rest on. Ashes followed beside Tilly and watched her touch the wall.
"Hey," suddenly, the 5th Princess stopped, "what is this?"
Ashes followed her gaze and saw a wall covered with green moss, faintly reflecting a little light from the fire.
Tilly reached out and tore off the green moss, revealing a gem that was half buried in the stone wall. It was also bright red, sparkling and translucent like the Magic Stone. It was shaped like a prism and was almost as thick as a person's arm.
But there were golden filaments embedded around it, like a card slot to fix it inside. Even after soaking in the sea for such a long time, the golden filaments wrapped around the stone were still as smooth as new.
Tilly tried to pull it, but the gem did not move.
"Let me do it," said Ashes.
The 5th Princess shook her head, as if thinking about something. Then she put her hand on the prism and closed her eyes.
Suddenly, a light flashed in the center of the prism. Ashes thought she was seeing things, but soon there was a rumbling echo behind the wall, as if some mechanism had been triggered, and soon it spread throughout the hall. There was a creaking sound everywhere on the stone wall, and a soft white light suddenly appeared on the wall. Even the ceiling overhead was lit up.
The sailors stood up in panic and pulled out their weapons, but they did not know which side to defend. In the end, they could only stick close together back-to-back, gathering around Molly's magic servant.
However, no monsters rushed out.
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