NOVPUBWhile everyone was trying out the Cube Island’s facilities, Elysia formed a team of four to embark on a journey to a particular region in the southwest of the Aquatic Continent, the Lorelei Clan’s territory.
For some reason, He-Dao and Amy also joined the team, leaving Yuna on Cube Island to accompany the other Elysium Goddesses and monitor the overall situation. The new rules have just been implemented, so those trainees would need to be monitored to avoid unwanted problems.
Elysia and Dory swam side by side, clad in flowing white robes adorned with gold embroidery. Elena and Gaia were escorted closely behind, dressed in a similar outfit. They embarked on a pilgrimage to an underwater town that was once filled with life and laughter.
The town that had fallen victim to a devastating stampede of corrupted monsters four years prior. The once vibrant town was now a desolate wasteland, with remnants of its former glory buried under layers of ruins and rubble.
As they approached, the atmosphere grew heavy with sorrow. The silence was punctuated only by the soft whispers of the water flow.
Broken buildings stood like silent sentinels, their charred skeletons a stark reminder of the chaos and destruction that had befallen the town. Streets that were once bustled with activity were now overgrown with purple mosses. The remnants of lives lost were scattered everywhere. Tattered clothing, broken toys, and shattered household items, each telling a story of sudden, tragic endings.
"..." Dory bit her lower lips. She already knew this tragedy had occurred about four years ago.
It was one of the many destructions caused by the Polluted Sea God. Even though the sea was purified, the lost could never return.
When they arrived at the Lorelei Clan’s main residence, everything had been destroyed to the ground. No living creatures could be detected, leaving only the remnants of a desperate war that left nothing but ruins.
Under the Polluted Sea God’s dominion, prey was devoured whole without leaving any remains. It was either the great evil absorbed them as nutrients or consumed by the corruption and became the cursed creatures.
"Master, is it possible that any of them survived? The purification can save the corrupted, right?" Dory recalled about her master’s greater purification light.
It was so formidable, and she witnessed it herself. The fish and other marine life were purified from the corrupted energy and reverted back to becoming what they should be.
"The thorough purification may take time, but everything will slowly restore the underwater civilization to heal the past." Elysia didn’t dare come with certainty as she knew Dory’s family would choose to die as heroes to protect their territory rather than submit to Delora or run away from the enemy.
If the pollution and corruption only affected the flesh, then the infected could still be saved. It would be the tasks for Timus, Oceanid, and Water Djinn. If the survivors chose to seek asylum, far from Delora’s domination, then they would be saved in due time.
Dory’s heart felt heavy. Because of the previous battle, she was somewhat exhausted, and the sorrow that enveloped her almost felt unbearable. If it weren’t for her master by her side, she might have collapsed. She went into the ruins and dug up the ruins, scavenging several items.
Elysia used her magical power to create a massive gravestone to honor the dead. Dory wrote something on it and placed the scavenged items around it to commemorate that the Lorelei Clan was once there.
Elena and Gaia swam around the place like investigating officers, examining the scene and looking for some clues. He-Dao and Amy also looked around in case there was a secret bunker or something. Sadly, there were no survivors. Everyone in the city perished without intact corpses.
A few moments later, Elysia and Dory went to the town’s central square. They formed a circle, their hands intertwined, and began to chant a sacred hymn.
Their voices rose in harmony. The water around them shimmered with a soft, golden light as their prayers invoked the divine phenomenon. The ground beneath them seemed to respond, trembling with a gentle hum as if acknowledging their presence.
They moved through the ruins, each carrying a lit underwater candle. They paused at various spots, sensing the lingering spirits of the departed. With gentle words and soothing hymns, they guided these lost souls toward the light.
The spirits, once trapped in a cycle of regret, fear, sorrow, and confusion, began to rise. Their forms turned into ethereal wisps that ascended toward the afterlife.
"???" Dory’s candle flickered as the passing water fluctuation flowed out of nowhere. She was confused, but she followed her master’s lead without a word.
Elysia spoke to the spirits in an inaudible whisper, offering the departed solace. The ruins glowed softly, and a sense of calm enveloped the area. The remaining spirits gathered around her, drawn by her compassion and divine light.
"!!!" Dory widened her eyes in surprise as she could see the familiar spirits of the departed rose from the destroyed city gate. It was her father, brother, and Lorelei Clan’s warriors. They died in the battle to protect the town.
They smiled at her, bidding their last farewell before ascending to the path of the afterlife.
Dory could see her father and brother move their lips as they conveyed their last goodbyes. Their words couldn’t be conveyed in voice, but Dory could interpret them clearly.
Dory’s eyes brimmed with tears, blurring her vision. She bit her lower lips as various emotions filled her heart, but she smiled and waved her hand as she didn’t want to look pathetic in that last farewell.
When the last soul had been released to the afterlife, the town seemed to exhale a sigh of relief.
The atmosphere, once heavy with despair, now felt lighter, as if a great burden had been lifted. Elysia and Dory completed their task. They stood together and offered a final prayer, blending in a harmonious farewell.
With their pilgrimage concluded, Dory fell into Elysia’s arms. Both relief and exhaustion caused her to fall asleep. Elysia wiped the remaining tears from Dory’s cheeks and beckoned to everyone that it was time for them to return.
They left the town as it was no longer haunted by its tragic past. Although the physical scars remained, the spiritual wounds had begun to heal, and the souls of the lost were finally at peace.
---
"He-Dao, what do you think about this world? Why would the Outer Gods wish to devour the world? It’s no coincidence for us to encounter several cases like this." Elysia suddenly asked a moment after they teleported back to the top of the Cube Island.
"The latter one is a difficult question. As for the first question, it takes a lot of effort to make this world beautiful and interesting. One right word to describe it is crippled. The damage from the past is everywhere, and the remnants are starting to rise one after another. However, the heroes stand their ground to protect their land." He-Dao crossed his arms, looking at the distant horizon.
"This world... it doesn’t possess the Heavenly Realm, but why does it have Hell Realm?" Gaia pondered about it while looking up at the sky.
"You’re right. There isn’t even the world’s will and Heavenly Dao. This world’s core was just rebuilt or something?" He-Dao just realized that, and it shocked him.
"Hmm, the world laws are pretty weak and chaotic. Lifa replaced the world core as we did on Earth to prevent its destruction." Elena tapped her cheek as she could recall that she once heard about it.
"The ancient Gods already did their best to preserve this world from the Ruvoid’s clutches. Even though the laws are a bit chaotic, the inhabitants can still cultivate well to-" Elysia replied with a tender smile as she knew the predecessors already did their best, but a sudden vibration shook the Cube Island for a second. "An earthquake?"
"The Cube Island is floating. How can an earthquake affect it? It’s clearly something from within. Err... probably the high-level safety measure. Let’s check it out." Amy scratched her head and went into the Cube Island.
Elysia nodded in agreement. They vanished with a poof, teleporting to the source of the earlier vibration.
"Welcome back." Xentia welcomed Elysia and the others.
"What’s the situation?" Elysia nodded at Xentia and then looked aside. From the nearby battle simulation chamber, Dylan was taken out by medics, suffering a mid-class backlash and energy deviation. Some red lightning flashed and his internal energy was in great turmoil as if he had just tried something crazy. Even with Cube Island’s medical facilities, he would be bedridden for a day or two.
"I almost defeated that monster’s second phase. Why did those stages drain my spiritual power continuously? It’s just so close to my divine ascension!" Dylan raised his hand, feeling that the threshold was so close, but he was still unable to reach it.
"He pushed himself too hard. He tried to make a breakthrough in the fight but failed and it forcefully activated the chamber’s life-saving mechanism." Xentia explained briefly the crux of the problem.
"Shut up. You’re deliberately causing trouble on the Cube Island’s launching day. Didn’t you read the new rules and guidance?" Sylvia emerged from the nearby blood mist and smacked her father unconscious.
"Well..." Elysia could only smile wryly.
The battle simulation would drain the trainee’s spiritual power to a certain extent depending on the desired enemy manifestation. The longer the battle took place in the chamber’s sealed space, the more exhausted one would become. They had to prepare their recovery options beforehand.
After all, the majority of Cube Island’s facilities had self-sustain mechanisms. Thus, Dylan brought it upon himself because he pushed himself too hard without adequate preparation.
Thanks to Dylan’s incident, the other Emperors and Saints didn’t dare to enter the battle simulation chambers without thorough preparation. The Cube Island was created by the Elysium Group to train the god-tier heroes, no less than Spirit-level experts could enter. In return, the opportunities and risks involved in the training facility were no joke.
"Show me his battle history list and record." Lifa tapped the virtual screen, and a list popped out.
Dylan put two Emperors in the first round, four Emperors in the second round, and a team of six Emperors in the third round. The fourth round was the one that caused trouble because he put the low-class Ruvoid God as an opponent with insufficient preparation.
"Why did he challenge the low-class final boss on the launching day? Even the battle junkie pope over there isn’t as crazy as him." Nell peeked at the screen from the side, feeling astonished.
"Who knows?" Rhea shrugged her shoulders. She noticed Elysia had just returned and immediately returned to Elysia’s side. "Welcome back, master. Please allow me to bring her to the bedroom."
"Yes, please." Elysia left Dory in Rhea’s care.
To prevent any accident from happening again, she sent a direct notification to all trainees in Cube Island so they would read the rules and guidebook thoroughly. 𝓃𝓸𝓋𝓅𝓊𝒷.𝓬𝓸𝓂
