Chapter 204 Across The River [Part 1]
Two distinct lands were cut in half by a raging river.
On one side of the river was a verdant valley that gave way to a vast expanse of greenery, with towering trees whose majestic forms almost pierced the clouds.
Crossing the river with the cold, biting wind, one would come to see an equally vast desolate expanse.
The lush greenery on one side of the river faded into an arid, sun-scorched plain devoid of life.
The brilliant green that reigned on one side had been replaced by a harsh, bleached-out haze that hung heavy over the barren landscape.
In the midst of this forsaken landscape stood an imposing sand tower, seemingly sculpted by the formidable strength of relentless winds over countless eons.
The monolithic structure pierced the heavens like a colossal thorn. No life stirred in this barren landscape.
The only movement came from the ever-present winds that howled across the dunes, carrying stinging particles of sand that scoured any exposed surface.
The sense of desolation and emptiness was palpable, as if the land itself had been cursed and drained of all vitality.
At the edge of the green valley, three individuals could be seen standing with contemplative looks on their faces.
One was a black-haired lady with red eyes, donned in black lithe armor, her gaze coldly overlaid on the expanse before them.
Behind her cold front, a slight trepidation could be discerned upon closer inspection.
The second individual was a white-haired male, his hair disheveled and his thoughts seemingly scattered.
His white clothes of armor would have glistened if he had done the laundry when he should have, but currently, he looked like a battered hero, one who was lost and forgotten—a wanderer on an odyssey finding his way home.
The last person, standing slightly behind the boy, was the most pristine of them all.
A young white-haired lady with golden eyes that seemed to reflect the distant daystar, her face contorted with heavy and strained lines of worry.
She was donned in a body armor that clung tightly to her skin, accentuating the subtle curves flanking her sides.
Pausing for a moment, she glanced at the black-haired lady standing slightly to the front and asked:
"Light, did you have something planned for this particular occasion?"
Raven turned her head and nodded with a confident look in her eyes.
Immediately, Terence touched her chest and let out a sigh of relief.
"Whew, I almost thought you were about to be crazy again."
With a frown etched across his face, Northern interrupted, "At least let her speak of this something she has planned..."
Raven looked at him, then turned her gaze to the river. "It's simple," she stated, stretching her hand out over the water. "We will swim to the other side."
Terence's eyes grew wider with each passing millisecond.
"Wait, what? Light, we can't swim across this river. You know it'll be brimming with monsters."
Raven turned her eyes to Terence, a glint of determined seriousness igniting within their depths.
"Don't worry, I will protect you."
At this point, Northern didn't further confirmation:
'She's crazy. Yeah, I think she's just mentally sick,' he thought to himself, smacking his lips and looking irritatedly at her before shifting his gaze to the river.
'Damn, do I even still remember how to swim?'
Indeed, Northern had learned how to swim when he was human, but even before his death, he hadn't swum in a long time.
Now, in this new life, the prospect of swimming in a raging river, one likely infested with various kinds of monsters, seemed daunting.
Would it even be possible?
Northern momentarily contemplated turning back and heading to the capital instead.
But he quickly shook his head.
The ship was more important.
'This is crazy... well, I've seen worse, so it should be nothing, right?' he mused, trying to bolster his resolve.
However, he knew deep down that it wouldn't be any less harrowing just because he had experienced his own personal hell.
All hells hurt differently, hell in the depths of a river was definitely bound to have a different feel from the hell on the surface of a blood-soaked ground.
But he wasn't without a plan.
A small wide grin parted his lips.
'I have to give a special thanks to Hao when I see him.'
He threw a strained glare into the river, then looked at Raven one last time and said, "You know... you are one very stupid girl."
And with that, he jumped.
As Northern launched himself into the river, the cold water engulfed him, instantly sending shivers down his spine.
The currents were strong and fierce, tugging at his body and threatening to sweep him away.
Northern at first felt it very hard, surviving and fighting against the tumultuous waves of water.
However, it suddenly began to feel less burdensome.
And then a panel appeared before him.
[Charm Ability: Breath Of The Seas has been activated]
[You can breathe comfortably in water]
Northern dove into the depth of the river and drew a long comfortable breath.
His lungs felt cold, but breathing was not strained.
It was quite amazing how an item could make it so that he could breathe underwater.
Very impossible, drawing another breath, he swam forward.
Raven looked at Terence and held out her hand.
With a slight hesitation, the beautiful oracle held Raven's hand, allowing herself to be swept into her embrace in a swift motion.
Raven smiled and said:
"Hold on tight."
Immediately, she followed suit, diving into the river with a grace that spoke of her familiarity with such perilous situations.
Despite clasping Terence tightly in her arms, she swam with purpose, cutting through the water like a knife, her eyes focused on the opposite shore.
The weight of responsibility and determination she had shown just now seemed to radiate from her as she forged ahead.
Of course, compared to the both of them, Northern found it way easier to cross and was already ahead.
So far so good, there was no peril in their journey, and honestly, he just wished that things would end that way.
'Ah, crap... I feel like I just jinxed...'
Northern gritted his teeth in irritation, he was beginning to feel very uncomfortable.
Perhaps it would have been better if it never crossed his mind that they should cross without being attacked by any monster.
But the shore was getting closer with each stroke of his hands.
So maybe he would get to the shore before anything serious happened.
However, just as that thought crossed his head,
Northern heard a loud shriek from behind him.
A pale and fake smile graced his lips.
'Yeah... I know, right...'