The portal opens, and I walk through it. The other side reveals the large cavern where the cloud island and the bones originally were, but now I have exchanged the bones and retrieved the island. Before leaving, I took great care to prepare for my departure.
Now that the cavern is empty, it appears even larger than before. It allows me to examine the ground more closely as there are traces of battles here and there, whether it's pits, giant scratches, or pieces of worn-out and half-decomposed equipment. I still wonder what happened here in the past. I imagine that once the library is translated, I will have some answers.
I resume the path leading to the lower level. The exit from the large cavern reveals the depths of a corridor where darkness prevents me from seeing anything. Upon entering, I quickly realized that the corridor is not natural. The floor is even, the walls and ceiling are featureless, and I would even say it's hand carved.
After walking for what seems like about thirty minutes, luminescent stones embedded in the wall now illuminate the path. Surprisingly, the left side of the corridor is adorned with what appears to be remnants of a mural, a painting that stretches across the entire wall, and it seems to continue on for a long way. The condition is not great due to the ravages of time, but a significant portion is still visible. I continue to move forward, the sounds of my footsteps constantly, and as I progress, I can learn more about the history of the Blue Empire...
.....
I finally caught sight of the end of the corridor after walking for a few hours. I can finally take a break. I sat down and started thinking about the mural from earlier. At first, the story was difficult to follow, but over time, I understood that I was seeing the events in reverse. The beginning is here, and the end is near the entrance of the cave where I found the cloud island.
The story begins with the arrival of the cloud island, pulled by a giant whale, to what appears to be a planet. The inhabitants of the island settled in, and the people began to worship them. This dedication and devotion made some people jealous, and they declared war on them. Weakened and almost annihilated, the inhabitants of the island hid in this cave and waited to regain their strength. Which never happened, I thought, recalling what Sola told me. The story is vague since the mural was incomplete, but I believe I'll find more information in the castle library, so there's no need to worry about it. I double-check that I'm ready and continue moving forward after my short break.
As I approach the mouth of the cave, I can hear various sounds more clearly, crashing water waves, whistling, and what seems to be hysterical laughter. I catch sight of a giant monster partially emerging from an underground lake. It is attacking a small creature wiggling on the shore.
I believe the large monster is a Turdra, a giant turtle with four heads of rank S and sometimes SS. According to some, it is the result of the mating between a hydra and a giant turtle. Usually, this monster is defensive and territorial, often guarding a treasure, which suggests that the other creature must have disturbed it.
I move silently to avoid being noticed and try to examine the smaller laughing monster. Its laughter, or rather its snickering, is high-pitched, as if mocking the Turdra. This other creature resembles a small elf with long pointy ears and a pointed nose. Its skin is golden, and it is dressed in brightly colored clothes, striped in red and green. The small monster also wears a pompom hat. In its right arm, it holds what looks like a large sack on its back. It jumps and snickers while dodging the coordinated attacks of the Turdra's multiple heads. The Turdra seems furious that it can't reach the small creature and periodically emits roars of rage.
I take advantage of the opportunity to sneak towards what appears to be the exit of this cave. I could try to fight against the two monsters, but I don't think I can defeat the Turdra, and as for the second creature, I imagine killing it and gaining its hysterical laughter as a passive ability, which gives me shivers. So, I decided to continue on my way, avoiding the fight if possible.
I traverse the cave and use my Shadow Stealth skill when there's no place to hide, while the battle continues. The creature's laughter pierces my ears; it's by far the most irritating sound I've ever heard, aside from my sister's voice, I think to myself, laughing.
I must have been walking down the corridor for almost eight hours, but it seems endless. I decided to go back to the shop to rest and continue the next day.