It was a dreadful experience.
In an instant, Li Xiang was thrown upward, wrapped in seawater as if he were on a high-speed pirate ship swinging violently up and down. The disruption in the ocean's balance caused a severe imbalance in the normally even sea pressure. Thankfully, the lifeline secured him, but the wild swings were still nauseating.
Meanwhile, on the seabed, the rock layers began to writhe and shift. It was as though a millennia-old zombie buried beneath the ground was frantically struggling to crawl its way back to the surface. In mere moments, chunks of rock and dirt shot outward, stirring a cloud of dust in the water.
"Pull him up!" Adashino's voice suddenly echoed through the headset.
The lifeline started to reel Li Xiang back in.
Quickly, he cast a spell to stabilize himself, which helped ease the dizziness. As he glanced through his diving goggles, he noticed a brilliant white light glowing from the ocean floor.
What is that?
Li Xiang barely had time to process the thought, but a nagging feeling told him that saying the ancient rune may have triggered this upheaval.
"Get back up here, quickly!"
Reaching the surface, Li Xiang climbed the ladder back onto the deck. The violent shaking finally ceased.
He removed his helmet, gasping for air.
Most of the students were standing on the deck, channeling their magic into the air. Li Xiang glanced up and saw a magical barrier surrounding the ship, which had kept it from being tossed around by the shaking.
Outside the barrier, the island appeared as if it had been struck by a massive hurricane. The lighthouse, which had stood for over a century, now lay broken in half. Rocks were strewn everywhere, cracks ran through the ground, and uprooted trees littered the area, reminding Li Xiang of a scene from the disaster movie *2012*.
Turning his attention to the ocean, he saw the water bubbling violently, like a pot of boiling water. Gigantic bubbles burst one after another, and the sea level visibly rose. Finally, the bulging area shot up into the air, sending seawater raining down from above in a torrential downpour. Ripples spread outward like a swarm of ants scurrying in panic across the water's surface.
A temple emerged before everyone's eyes.
Shrouded in black mist, only glimpses of white columns could be seen inside. Its overall shape resembled a long, black rectangular structure.
A temple—or perhaps, a dark sanctuary?
Adashino took a deep breath and removed her glasses. Her eyes immediately glowed a pale blue.
These were the Mystic Eyes of the Serpent, a power inherited by her family. Mystic Eyes are abilities that turn one's eyes into magical circuits, similar to Magic Crests. Anything within the line of sight would be affected.
Because they appear like normal eyes, it's difficult to defend against them. Possessing Mystic Eyes was often proof of being an exceptional mage.
However, artificial Mystic Eyes are generally weaker, while the most powerful ones are natural-born abilities, such as Medusa's petrification or Ryougi Shiki's Mystic Eyes of Death Perception.
Adashino's glasses, known as Mystic Eye Killers, suppressed her eye's powers. Yet even after removing them, she could not see through the temple's barrier of mist. Disappointed, she put the glasses back on.
After a moment of thought, Adashino gave a serious command.
"Move the ship closer to the temple."
Li Xiang removed his diving suit and handed it to one of the support crew from Team One. After thanking them, he saw Illyana approaching him. She spoke in a low voice, "Li Xiang, the captain will probably send us into the temple soon. You're the weakest in terms of combat ability, so it would be better for you to switch with Arisa Kazano and stay on the ship to help with logistics."
Li Xiang paused for a moment before replying, "I'm very interested in Morgan le Fay's temple. Plus, with the rune that appeared, I might actually be useful inside."
Illyana looked at him, noting his unflinching expression, and thought that his attitude was well-suited for the Archaeology Division. She nodded slightly and said, "Alright, but be careful and stick with the team. By the way, have you considered joining our Archaeology Division?"
Li Xiang was surprised. "Why would you suggest that?"
"If you join Archaeology, you'll have plenty of opportunities to explore ruins. Especially in the Secret Cadaver Dissection Department—they're always looking for people from our division."
Li Xiang felt a bit tempted. If it weren't for his need to prepare for the Fifth Holy Grail War, he might have considered it.
"I'll think about it."
"Let me know if you're interested, and we can help you submit an application."
"Sure."
The yacht came to a stop about ten meters away from the temple.
Li Xiang stared ahead. He could now clearly see the dense mist swirling around the temple's entrance. It was gray and impenetrable, like an abyss. For all he knew, something monstrous was lurking within, waiting to devour him.
"How are we supposed to get up there?"
The temple was floating about twenty meters above the ocean. Even if they deployed a small boat to reach its base, they still wouldn't be able to enter.
"I have an idea, but we should test it first."
Illyana stepped forward, nodded to Adashino, and tore open a rift in the air with her hands. A dark, elliptical door appeared before her.
She opened her right palm and uttered a single word.
A small brown bird materialized in her hand, its forehead adorned with a chestnut-red crest.
"Go."
As the bird took flight, Illyana's irises shifted to black, resembling the bird's own eyes.
The bird, a Skylark familiar, soared elegantly through the portal into the void.
A flash of blue flickered through the passage before revealing the temple ahead.
With the closer view, Illyana could make out details that were invisible from the ship. Hidden within the mist, the white columns bore ancient depictions. One depicted a chariot, drawn by two blood-red horses. Upon the chariot stood a figure, sketched in the same crimson hue. Though the artwork resembled primitive cave paintings more than modern masterpieces, it exuded an undeniable aura of foreboding.
Recognizing the figure, Illyana's heart skipped a beat. This was Morgan le Fay.
In Celtic mythology, Morgan le Fay was depicted as a Valkyrie, riding a red chariot across battlefields.
Having confirmed that the ruins were indeed related to Morgan le Fay, Illyana directed the Skylark to fly around the temple's edges. It encountered no danger. Satisfied, she ordered it deeper into the temple.
However, the mist quickly became so dense that visibility dropped to less than a meter. The oppressive gray fog filled Illyana with unease.
Suddenly, the Skylark froze in fear. Its mind, usually filled with basic thoughts, was now overwhelmed by the instinct to flee. No matter how Illyana tried to guide it forward, the bird refused to budge.
Animals have far better instincts for sensing danger than humans.
Realizing the peril, Illyana pulled back.
Her eyes returned to their normal color, and she dismissed the Skylark. "The perimeter of the temple is safe," she reported. "But about thirty meters in, my familiar sensed danger."