Naily desperately tried to drive these introspective and depressing thoughts from her mind, but the sea’s low murmur only further stirred her inner tide.
At the moment of her turbulent emotions, a red light suddenly brightened in the coastal forest, followed by an earth-shattering movement.
Melissa was startled awake, sitting up abruptly, looking around and immediately asking, “Where’s the sea monster?” Seeing Naily and Karl, her voice stopped, looking somewhat embarrassed as she scratched her hair, “It’s great that you’re both okay!”
“She frowned and thought for a moment, looking troubled, “Who else was there…”
“Mr. Gerard,” Naily sighed in relief, temporarily setting aside her own matters. “He has already left. We’ve arrived at the Balkan coast, not far from Harga Fortress.”
“Looks like we’re pretty lucky. The goddess seems to be watching over me, haha,” Melissa laughed a few times, then looked toward the source of the disturbance, “What was that just now?”
Naily shook her head, “I’m not sure.”
Melissa stood up and stretched, looking energetic, “I’ll go check it out!”
“Don’t…” Before Naily could finish, Karl slowly sat up straight, speaking calmly: “Let’s take a look.”
After a brief reorganization and collecting the fire source, the three people groped their way from the beach towards the inland, following the direction of the previous red light. Night owls screeched and indistinct rustling sounds filled the forest, causing everyone’s footsteps to quicken, eager to find the light source. They soon reached their destination—a cave, silently inviting them inside. Melissa, brave and fearless, took the lead with her sword. Naily hurriedly followed, and Karl brought up the rear, holding the glass bottle containing the fire source. The cave floor was covered with fine gravel, crunching beneath their feet.
Naily had been on guard for monsters, but they safely reached the cave’s end. No words were needed; a single glance at the deepest part of the cave revealed the origin of the previous red light. A shrine-like recess carved into the stone wall emitted a soft, warm red glow. This was a pure, warm sacred light. Melissa approached, carefully extending her hand towards the light source. With a humming sound, a long sword jumped into her palm.
