Chapter 175
The bubble crept stealthily toward the water's surface, while Ye Bai remained hidden, wedged between the tentacles of the Kraken. Her gaze was fixed on a vibrant green life branch that looked no different from an ordinary twig.
In the next moment, the solitary leaf on the life branch began to change, its vein patterns shifting as if responding to an unseen force.
The Infernal Demon, sensing something amiss, turned its attention to the branch that was embedded in its wound.
Suddenly, the demon's eyes widened in shock, as if it had seen a ghost. It watched as the leaf on the branch trembled twice, alive and quivering.
The Infernal Demon blinked, and the leaf quivered again, resembling the flick of a fish's tail.
Beneath this absurd scene, an even more ludicrous sight unfolded.
A mysterious fishhook descended, drawn by the gravitational pull of the Infernal Core behind the demon, landing right in front of the leaf.
Following the direction of the fishhook, the demon saw a fishing line connected to a rod, emerging from the surface of the sea behind the Kraken, creating a bizarre image of fishing from below the water.
And this 'fish'... the leaf on the life branch quivered twice and stuck to the hook.
Though the Infernal Demon had no desire to be caught by this elven 'gift,' it certainly didn't want its enemy to succeed. It unleashed countless 'killing gazes' upon the fishing rod, but could neither destroy it nor the life branch, which was teeming with vitality.
"Rip..."
The fishhook relentlessly pulled the life branch toward the opposite side, part of it sticking to the demon's wound. It struggled fiercely to stop this from happening, but the curse bound it to the Infernal Core like tape.
"Crack!"
Finally, with a sharp sound, the life branch broke free from the demon's wound and shot toward the surface of the sea.
In that instant, the demon's senses, which had been suppressed by the life branch, were suddenly released, and it 'saw' the true instigator behind all this.
The expression of this powerful deity shifted dramatically: "You are—!"
**Chapter 122**
"You are—"
As the Infernal Demon 'saw' Ye Bai holding the fishing rod beneath the water, its expression changed violently, causing the Infernal Core behind it to tremble as well. The core, akin to a star, surged with power, as if it were about to erupt with multiple 'solar flares.'
"Boom..."
This violent change in the Infernal Core shattered the previously stable balance of water and fire, causing the opposing depths of the sea to churn in response to the rising pressure.
The rushing water surged, colliding with Ye Bai, who was trapped in the bubble, pulling her backward into the depths of the sea.
Above the Infernal Core, the demon's greenish wounds remained, but compared to its initial state, the once-vibrant 'scars' began to show signs of halting their growth.
Yet, the partially liberated Infernal Demon kept its gaze fixed on the green bubble being swept away into the deep sea.
After uttering that 'you are,' its words faltered, and its expression became extremely complex.
There was incredulity, judgment, hesitation, and even a hint of... anxiety.
Then, the Infernal Demon suddenly fell silent, quietly bracing itself against the Kraken.
...
The world spun chaotically, a tumultuous whirlpool.
Under such powerful currents, Ye Bai could no longer maintain her balance with the bubble, and the Kraken was too preoccupied to notice her. She could only grip the fishing rod tightly, determined not to let go of the life branch she had just obtained.
But amidst this dizzying turmoil, all Ye Bai could think about, aside from holding onto the rod, was the half-uttered words of the Infernal Demon amidst the roaring flames and rushing waters.
'You are—'
Was the 'you' the Infernal Demon referred to Ye Bai, or the paper figure that had invaded the life branch?
Was it a reference to someone familiar, or a certain identity?
However, as the wave of chaos pushed her deeper into the sea, when everything finally settled, she could only see a faint light source, partially obscured by the Kraken's massive form, leaking through the water from the direction she had come.
But the searing heat of the Infernal Core had already faded, and Ye Bai found herself in the cool depths of the sea, protected by a light shield released by the Sea God.
The bubble emitted a soft green glow, slowly rising.
Suddenly, with a 'pop,' the bubble burst.
Immediately, the familiar sensation of being transported washed over her, and Ye Bai landed on solid, dry ground.
Before her lay a desolate, barren world, with a gloomy sky that could never be described as bright. A gust of wind blew past, devoid of heat or magma. Ye Bai realized that the Kraken had sent her out of the Inferno, back to the surface.
The image of the opposing forces clashed in her mind; if the Kraken still had the strength to send her to the surface, it meant it still had some power left. The bound Infernal Demon was now like a giant battery, and Ye Bai need not worry; in a way, it was helping her 'nourish' the Kraken.
Regaining her composure, Ye Bai looked down at the fishing rod in her hand.
The rod was still firmly gripped in her hand, and on the other end of the hook, a refreshing shade of green was emitting a faint glow in the depths of the sea.
Then, suddenly, Ye Bai slapped her forehead:
"Oh no, Ottofis!"
The Kraken had sent her back to the surface, but Ottofis was still waiting for her in the eighth layer of the Inferno!
Ye Bai's mind conjured an image of Ottofis looking utterly bewildered in the eighth layer—this time, it was its turn to miss the ride.
She knew Ottofis was no ordinary donkey; it had escaped from the Dragon Tomb last time, bringing back the Codex of Death and the Dragon Language Spirit Whistle. However, the underground city was in a different space altogether, and this time, the surface and the Inferno were two completely different realms.
"Ahh!"
Just as Ye Bai's exclamation faded, a familiar braying sound came from beside her.
She turned her head and, sure enough, saw a grayish-white donkey standing next to her.
"Phew... thank goodness, the Kraken is quite considerate!" Ye Bai praised.
"Ahh!" Ottofis immediately brayed in dissatisfaction upon hearing this. Thinking it was hungry, Ye Bai offered it a piece of bread, and sure enough, Ottofis happily began to munch on it.
Meanwhile, in the eighth layer of the Inferno, unbeknownst to Ye Bai, a green bubble slowly emerged from a crack in the ninth layer, drifting in the empty surroundings as if searching for something. There were no creatures around, and the bubble could find no target until it exhausted its energy and ultimately burst with a 'pop.'
...
With a sigh of relief, Ye Bai removed the life branch, which had temporarily changed its properties, from the fishing rod and stowed the rod in her backpack.
As the life branch fell into her hands, a system notification chimed:
[You have completed the quest 'The God King's Treasure - The First Key.']
This life branch, which had dealt significant damage to the Infernal Demon, now displayed its information in Ye Bai's view.
[God King's Treasure Key 1]
Level: Mythical
Attribute: Quest Item
Description: It is not yet complete.
Seeing this simple and blunt description, Ye Bai was somewhat surprised; it was so straightforward that it hardly resembled the usual style of the myriad realms. She had expected to glean some information about the quest from the description, but that thought was dashed.
'It is not yet complete' was information Ye Bai already knew, as the quest had stated this was the first key.
Then, Ye Bai turned her attention to the leaf on the branch.
The patterns on the leaf were unique, delicate, and beautiful, composed of elven script. Upon closer inspection, it indeed triggered the archaeologist skill of the historian.
[You have discovered 'Life Branch,' gaining 10 points of historical experience and 200,000 experience points.]
[You have gained 10 points of proficiency in 'Elven Language.']
"Unnamed, are you still there?" Ye Bai addressed the elven script.
"I'm here." At Ye Bai's call, the paper figure immediately responded, its new form composed of elven script appearing on the small leaf.
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