Kilauea was one of the rare few active volcanoes nowadays, but thankfully the torrential rain had caused the ground to cool down. However, even so, going closer was not a good idea.
Just as he was going to voice that out, he noticed that Silverlight had suddenly picked up her pace. Silverlight looked very strange with her solid body, her white feet leaping across the cooled lava, but somehow managing to avoid being stained by dust or mud. Compared to walking, it was more accurate to say she was teleporting, or at least it felt that way. Every step she took covered several meters.
Even Phantom Steps could not keep up, and Xiao Lin prepared to use the higher level Footprint Mirage, but when he heard Gu Xiaoyue panting next to him, he paused. Turning around, the rain had long completely drenched her. Even with the raincoat he had given her, Xiao Lin could tell that the beads of water on Gu Xiaoyue’s forehead were not raindrops, but rather sweat.
To Gu Xiaoyue who had very ordinary endurance and physique, she was already at her limit. Any increase in speed would be torture for her.
Xiao Lin sighed, saying, “This is an active volcano; it could erupt at any moment. Let’s just let Silverlight scout ahead. We’ll wait for her here.”
Gu Xiaoyue subtly nodded, but glared at him. She was smart enough to know that Xiao Lin was using that as a reason for them to rest. With her unyielding temperament, she would not allow herself to hold anyone back, even if her body could not keep up.
It was desolate and empty near the volcano. Xiao Lin had seen on the news that the area used to be inhabited, but everyone had moved away due to the constant eruptions. There was nowhere for them to seek shelter from the rain nearby, so the only thing that could give them any cover was the raincoat that Xiao Lin had given Gu Xiaoyue. Due to how rushed everything was, they failed to prepare a lot of things.
Gu Xiaoyue naturally wore the raincoat, but she quickly noticed that Xiao Lin only had a T-shirt on. Her lips moved as she said softly, “Together.”
“What?” Xiao Lin paused.
Gu Xiaoyue’s face seemed to redden a bit as she shyly repeated, “You must be very cold there; the raincoat can somewhat block out the rain, so let’s share. It’s fine if you’re not willing.”
“Of course I’m willing!” Xiao Lin immediately scurried over.
Even though the raincoat was large, the two of them barely fit in together. Their bodies hugged closely together, and with only their thin clothes between them, Xiao Lin could feel Gu Xiaoyue’s heat and subtle fragrance.
Gu Xiaoyue pursed her lips tightly, lowering her head, refusing to meet Xiao Lin’s gaze or say anything else.
TIme seemed to freeze at that moment, even though it could not be considered romantic with the torrential rain. Xiao Lin nonetheless felt a strange sense of peace, even somewhat hoping that Silverlight would not come back.
However, his happiness was short-lived. After a little over ten minutes, Silverlight could be seen coming back. Gu Xiaoyue leapt away from Xiao Lin like a frightened rabbit, Xiao Lin somewhat regretfully licked his lips, even staring at Silverlight with an aggrieved look. It was hard to see anything in the curtain of rain, but Silverlight’s third eye glowed brightly in the dark, and could be seen from far away. When Silverlight closed in, Xiao Lin’s attention shifted toward an object Silverlight was holding.
Silverlight was holding a rugged rock with distinct edges. It was gray throughout, looking like a volcanic rock formed by cooled lava. Xiao Lin curiously teased, “Did you spend the entire day performing a geological check on the volcano?”
Silverlight ignored his joke, saying, “We need to use this to enter the remnants underwater.”
“What?”
Xiao Lin and Gu Xiaoyue’s eyes widened, and their questions quickly got an answer. Silverlight was probably too lazy to explain again, so she immediately took action in front of them.
Silverlight raised the rock in a very careful manner, as if what she carried was a living thing instead of a rock. She held it slightly high, right in front of the eye on her forehead and letting the light that shot out cover the rock before standing there, unmoving.
After about half an hour waiting, Silverlight still stood there like a statue. Xiao Lin was getting impatient, but he quickly sensed a change in the rock. The rock’s pitch black hue was quickly fading, as if it had only been painted with a layer of black by someone and the white light was stripping away the paint, washing the rock clean.
After the black surface was peeled off, what appeared in front of them was a half-transparent, faintly glowing glass-like and pearlescent…animal?
The white rock suddenly moved by itself, causing Xiao Lin who was observing to jump in shock as well. He rubbed his eyes in disbelief, and the rock in Silverlight’s hand started to struggle violently. It started to reveal eyes, mouths and other organs, then legs, a tail…
Turning a rock into an animal, Silverlight looked like she was performing transfiguration. Xiao Lin started to get even more curious about the mysteries of Atlantis under the rain.
When the final speck of black disappeared from the rock, Silverlight’s body started to sway before she collapsed. Xiao Lin was quick, and he shot forward to support her, but his hands only flew through Silverlight’s body. Silverlight’s third eye was once again shut tight, only revealing a protrusion. She had also returned to her spiritual form, floating once again after she collapsed.
Silverlight gasped slightly, her face full of fatigue despite being in spiritual form. Xiao Lin also noticed that her body had darkened. Spirits were just a gathering of energy; once that energy was used up, spirits would dissipate.
Thanks to Dawn Academy’s library, Xiao Lin had learnt quite a bit about undead spirits. Even though Silverlight did not say anything, and she also seemed very strong, Xiao Lin could not help but worry. She was probably the last creature left from Atlantis. Even just looking at it that way, Xiao Lin did not wish for SIlverlight to die there.
