radicalducati Chapter 147 A Gloomy Night
Chapter 147 A Gloomy Night
Chapter 147 A Gloomy Night
In the frozen continent, people may believe in the ancient ice spirit, worship the Lord of Shadows, or follow the Lord, the Sea God, the Wise Old Man, and other gods.
Every deity has its own unique myths and legends, which have given rise to a systematic belief culture.
Among various belief systems and cultures, the most unique and popular elements will continue to be refined and sculpted.
Until it becomes a symbol of the entire culture.
As a powerful tool for cohesion, appeal, and inspiration, festivals will inevitably give rise to a dazzling array of religious festivals in the process of faith development.
Festivals are scattered throughout the frozen continent, but no matter which community you belong to or which god you worship, as long as you set foot on that cold continent, you will all celebrate the same festival, which is a gloomy night.
Having lived on the frozen continent for many years, Natalie had some understanding of the eerie nights.
The perpetually frozen continent is a desolate and bitterly cold land all year round, and the eerie night is considered to be the coldest day of the year.
On this night, the people of the Ice Lands will eat an ice ball, symbolizing their acceptance of the extreme cold trial of the year.
So in the coming year, ordinary cold waves will not bring illness or disaster until the next eerie night arrives, when new trials will be necessary.
At that moment, a witch brought Natalie an ice ball.
Natalie thus knew that tonight would be a sinister night.
Although Natalie participated in every eerie night during the years she spent on the frozen continent, she adapted to local customs.
But Natalie didn't have the obsession to eat the puck that night, so she couldn't really say how grateful she was to the puck.
What she cared more about was that these witches of the frozen continent had prepared an ice ball to protect her for the next year, so that the cold wave would not cause people disease or disaster. Could it be that these witches planned to let her live through the next year?
Natalie then laughed self-deprecatingly...a wizard couldn't possibly be that kind.
Once Natalie loses her value, it means her life is coming to an end.
However, Natalie still swallowed the puck.
The witch didn't intend for her to live, but she herself wanted to live and had to live.
She still has unfinished business; she cannot die yet.
On her way to this sea area with the witches, Natalie kept looking for an opportunity to escape, but unfortunately, she found none.
But she wasn't angry; even now, she's on edge, constantly on the verge of fleeing.
However, Natalie did not expect to receive an unexpected piece of information.
The weather in the northern part of the gloomy sea is particularly extreme, to the point that even a compass needle becomes ineffective.
This caused the witches' ships to lose their way in that sea area, and they eventually returned safely to the southern part of the gloomy sea.
They tried many more times, but still could not overcome the problem of getting lost on the gloomy sea.
It is for this reason that they have not yet found Mermaid Bay.
Even witches needed rest, and they had to sail their ships into the port on the north shore of the Kingdom of Giants many times.
Just before this voyage, a major event was circulating in the port.
The navel harbor of Vila Wetlands was attacked by pirates.
The pirates' ship was a gigantic lion that blotted out the sky.
The roar of the sea lion was deafening, almost swaying the souls of all the port's inhabitants, and even the city walls trembled.
Natalie's concern, however, lay with the navigator who had attacked the port, Henry Gijano Panza.
Over the years, whenever she hears a discussion about navigators, Natalie stops to listen.
As far as she knew, Henry's stronghold seemed to be in the Sea of Despair.
The Sea of Despair and the Sea of Gloom are separated by thousands of miles. How did Henry suddenly end up here?
Natalie was somewhat skeptical of the rumor's veracity, especially since she had never heard of Henry attacking a port before.
But then I thought, if it weren't for Henry, or the eight pirate leaders, how many would dare to attack the port so rashly?
Even if the attack is successful and the attackers escape unscathed, it leaves a nightmarish and unforgettable memory for everyone in Du Navel Harbor.
But if it really was Henry, why would he suddenly attack the port?
Natalie didn't know, nor was she sure, how credible this rumor was.
However, being able to hear news about Henry even in such dire circumstances was a kind of salvation for her.
And according to rumors, the ship piloted by the navigator...
"Two Gold Coins"
Natalie Du.
Hmph! She couldn't help but raise the corners of her mouth, you stupid ox!
Natalie huddled in a dimly lit corner of the cabin, the cold sea wind howling outside, and she had to carefully protect the faint but burning flame in her chest.
Suddenly someone pushed open the door, and an old man gave a brief order in his aged voice:
"come out."
Natalie absorbed the flame deep into her heart, rose without hesitation, and walked toward the hatch.
Follow the old man to the deck.
The ship rocked violently, and the biting sea wind whipped at Natalie's skin.
Natalie couldn't remember how many times the witches had tried, but at this moment, they had undoubtedly reached the northern part of the gloomy sea.
Mermaids may not be afraid of the cold, but ordinary people will.
Natalie was shivering with cold; she couldn't understand what these witches were thinking.
They are all from the frozen continent, and should understand how foolish it is to travel far away on a gloomy night.
Natalie receiving a puck proves they haven't forgotten about it.
Celestia stood against the wind, her snow-white robe trailing behind her.
The fierce wind, mixed with icy sand, tore at it mercilessly.
The comb beside her made a "clunking" sound, and the canvas above her head emitted a sinister "whistling" sound.
Celestia saw Natalie and approached her with a fawning air, taking Natalie's hand and bringing it to her lips, exhaling a warm breath:
"My dear sister, are you cold?"
Natalie's fingertips were already completely bloodless.
She was certainly cold, but she didn't want to answer such a pointless question.
"What do you want with me?"
"You're such an ice beauty—" Celestia chuckled under her hood. "Even though I'm from the Ice Lands, I've never seen such a cruel wind before. But I must say, it's a good wind, and the ship is speeding forward."
“This area is full of icebergs, and it’s nighttime,” Natalie said. “I don’t see any benefit in the ship speeding up.”
Celestia shook her head: "Don't you understand?"
Natalie raised an eyebrow: "Understand what?"
"It's winter now, my dear sister, and all winter long, the north wind should be blowing the most."
As Celestia spoke, she rubbed Natalie's fingertips together.
"After entering the northern part of the gloomy sea, although we cannot determine the exact location, we can still roughly estimate whether the ships are going deeper or leaving the northern waters. We are indeed going deeper now, but the longship is accelerating, which means—."
"It's a south wind!" Natalie exclaimed.
Celestia nodded:
"It may not be surprising if a light southerly wind blows in a local area, but such a strong southerly wind blowing in winter is unheard of."
"It is a gloomy night right now. I only wanted to take advantage of the good fortune brought by the most important festival on the frozen continent to help the ship find its way to Mermaid Bay. I never expected to encounter such rare weather."
"This is no coincidence, sister. Wizards don't believe in coincidences. Every power can be traced back to its source, and the power of nature is no exception. And look again—"
Celestia took Natalie's hand and walked towards the edge of the wall.
She stretched out her other hand, gesturing for Natalie to look towards the sea.
The sea was calm and undisturbed.
But in such strong winds, it seemed somewhat out of place.
Moreover, tonight is the night of the crescent moon, and the moonlight should be extremely dim, but after being reflected on the sea, it actually made Natalie feel somewhat glared.
Only then did Natalie suddenly realize:
"ice!"
“That’s right,” Celestia said. “The sea has frozen over! And not only that, the frozen sea is not a single continuous piece, but is divided into several pieces. Between the ice, there are waterways that allow ships to pass through, like mud hills and rivers and streams crisscrossing them!”
"Such a spectacle, occurring precisely on a gloomy night, and just happened to be witnessed by us, cannot be mere coincidence! Or rather, it is precisely because it is a gloomy night, the coldest day of the year, that this phenomenon occurs!"
Or perhaps, the name "Gloomy Night" wasn't meant to describe the coldest night, but rather that the gloomy night brought the coldest night. Thinking of this, Natalie recalled the sea diver's notes:
"A gloomy sea route, Mermaid Bay."
Only then did Natalie fully understand the meaning of those words.
It is not "a gloomy sea, a path", but "a gloomy sea path".
The sentence not only refers to the sea route on the gloomy sea, but also implies that it is a hidden waterway that only appears on dark nights.
Natalie had heard many versions of the creation myth.
Some say that all the earth was actually born from a single primordial soil.
Some say that the continent of Ancent is the oldest continent, while the other lands were created by the gods for their respective followers.
But no matter how different the legends are, the definition of the mainland is exactly the same.
With the discovery of the New World, the places that can be defined as continents are nothing more than four continents: Ancent, the Permafrost Continent, the Far East Continent, and the New World.
But in the far north, there is another frozen continent that exists only in the eerie nights, where people are born in the dark and die in the morning!
Its brilliance was astonishing for a time, but its fleeting existence left people feeling melancholy.
Natalie suddenly realized why they had been unable to find Mermaid Bay.
The clues indicate not only the location, but also the time!
She raised her hand and pointed with the wind:
"This is the road leading to Mermaid Bay."
"Just as I expected," Celestia said with a smile. "From the first moment I saw this waterway, I was certain that as long as I sailed in this direction, I would surely reach my destination, which I have been searching for so long. My dear sister, how much further is it?"
Natalie wasn't sure either, but—
"It won't be too far."
This is a route that only appears on eerie nights; if it's too far, even with the best winds, you'll never make it there in time.
Celestia then gave instructions to the sailors, and the ship's speed increased slightly.
The icebergs at the edge of the waterway approached and receded, while the channel behind the ship stretched endlessly, its end nowhere in sight.
The cold wind pushed Natalie toward the bow of the ship. The road ahead was still winding, and between the blue and white ice, there was a dark ribbon connecting to the deep starry sky.
Natalie couldn't bear to enjoy such a beautiful view alone; she wanted to share it with her friend, Cathy.
Of course, it would be just as good if that clumsy cow could see it too.
But the cruel cold was too much to bear. Mermaid Bay was just ahead, and Natalie couldn't afford to catch a chill at this time, so she retreated to the cabin.
About three hours later, the cabin door was opened again, and Natalie was summoned up.
At this moment, the ship has already dropped anchor and is moored on the water.
Celestia said, "There's a fork in the road ahead. Which way should we go?"
Natalie walked to the bow of the ship, where a flat ice surface lay before her.
The outline of the ice surface's edge shows a slight inward curve.
Looking at both ends, you can clearly see the obvious curve.
Therefore, Natalie speculated that this icy area should be circular, with a ring of waterways forming around it.
Natalie looked toward the center, but a thick layer of icy fog completely obscured that area.
Natalie couldn't see inside, but she did see the strong wind whipping up ice shards and blowing them into the icy mist.
At the same time, Natalie noticed that the winds blowing from all directions were all converging towards the center of that area.
Ultimately, they clashed and neutralized each other, rising into the clouds to form a pale white, hazy, towering pillar.
Natalie immediately guessed that this was the center of the frozen continent.
And the route leading here must be more than just the one they came by.
They are currently at the intersection of a waterway and a circular waterway.
“No need to go any further,” Natalie said. “We’re here. This is Mermaid Bay.”
Upon hearing this, several excited laughs came from behind.
Celestia took a step closer to Natalie: "My dear sister, so how can we see the mermaid next?"
"Can your boat sail onto the ice?" Natalie asked Celestia out of the corner of her eye.
Celestia turned her head, faced a certain direction for a moment, and then shook her head, saying:
"cannot."
"Then how else can we see him?" Natalie said. "We'll stop the ship, dock, go ashore, and then walk there."
"But this ice surface is so vast, where exactly is the mermaid located?"
Natalie slowly spoke:
"In the middle of the harbor, there is a mermaid soup."
Celestia pointed to the icy mist: "There?"
"Probably," Natalie nodded.
After saying this, Celestia immediately turned around and shouted:
"The ship docked, and the mermaid was in the mist!"
Then, cheers erupted from the deck.
As the ship began to move, Celestia said to Natalie again:
"You've worked hard, dear sister, you can go and rest now."
Natalie said firmly, "I want to go too."
"Hmph," Celestia chuckled, "I'm afraid things won't go as you wish. The visibility in that fog doesn't seem very good, and you might take the opportunity to escape. If you've withheld some important information from me, then my entire trip will have been in vain."
"Without a boat, where can I escape to?" Natalie retorted.
"How would I know?" Celestia shrugged. "But as long as there's a possibility, I can't let my guard down."
Upon hearing this, Natalie could only say:
"But I have to go. You're right, I didn't tell you all the information."
"What do you mean!"
Celestia's gentle tone vanished instantly, and her face darkened.
"I've kept a secret, the secret to finding the Ice Heart Hot Spring," Natalie said. "Without me, finding it wouldn't be so easy."
"Tell me the secret!" Celestia commanded.
"I refuse."
"Snapped!"
A resounding slap landed on Natalie's face.
"I was really too polite to you, woman. Don't push your luck."
"You should have done this a long time ago," Natalie said without backing down, "Why put on such a tough act?"
"Don't provoke me, or I'll kill you," Celestia threatened.
"Then you will miss out on meeting the mermaid at the last moment."
"Don't get too cocky, woman," Celestia said, raising her chin. "I have a thousand ways to get the information I want out of your head."
"Then you would have done that already, and I wouldn't have been able to follow you here."
"Are you saying I'm lying?"
"That's not the whole story," Natalie said calmly. "I don't think you can do it immediately, and the Night of the Dark only comes once a year. If you miss tonight, you'll have to wait another year!"
Celestia fell silent after hearing this, clearly concerned about the time.
Natalie seized the opportunity to continue persuading, "Let me go. I can't guarantee that every one of you will see the mermaid, but I will definitely bring back the mermaid's tears for you."
But can the tears of mermaids really grant immortality and eternal youth?
Natalie didn't know, all she knew was that this was what these witches craved.
Natalie didn't care how they came to this conclusion.
After a long silence, Celestia finally spoke:
"But it's better than you running away."
Natalie certainly wanted to run away, and she felt that this might be her only chance.
Even now, she still doesn't understand how to escape from the desolate ice surface.
However, the more important issue at the moment is how to persuade Celestia to let her go with her to find the Ice Heart Hot Spring.
Just as Natalie was racking her brains for a solution, a witch with a hood trimmed with grey duck down suddenly stepped forward:
"How about this?"
Natalie and Celestia both looked at the witch.
"Say it," Celestia said.
"I cast a shadow spell on her, planting it within her body," the witch said. "Within a certain period of time, unless I personally dispel the shadow, it will turn against its host."
Celestia's face brightened with a smile, and she turned to Natalie:
"At that time, my dear sister, I will definitely hold a memorial service for you—okay, let's do it this way!"
Natalie protested, "But what if I get my things back, and you're unwilling to help me resolve this?"
"Haha," Celestia laughed, "You've got it wrong, sister. This isn't a discussion with you, is it?"
"Let's do it!"
No sooner had she spoken than a witch used witchcraft to bind Natalie's movements.
The woman from before then took out a knife, cut her finger, and tried to squeeze out a drop of blood:
"Damn it! It's so cold! My blood isn't flowing properly!"
Then another wizard stepped forward, turned his palm upward, and with a burst of power, a ball of flame appeared in his palm.
Even Natalie, who was a few steps away, instantly felt the warmth.
A moment later, the witch finally dripped blood.
Blood dripped onto the deck, instantly boiling and bubbling, then forming a misty, ethereal black shadow.
As the witch manipulated her powers, the dark shadow entered Natalie's body.
The witch let out a long sigh of relief before announcing:
"Alright, in twelve hours, the shadow will kill its master!"
The force binding Natalie loosened its grip, and Natalie took two steps to the side to regain her balance.
Celestia supported her: "Did you hear that, dear sister? You still have twelve hours."
Natalie shook off Celestia's hand: "Since I can't escape death anyway, why should I bother to find mermaid tears for you!"
Celestia said, "I assure you, I will have her help you resolve the shadows within you."
"You expect me to believe your empty promises?"
"I want your trust, but you really don't need to," Celestia said. "Don't you understand? This is your only way out; you have no other choice!"
As Celestia said, Natalie really had no choice at that moment.
She could only point to the witch who had cast the spell on her and say, "She can't go. If she doesn't come back, I'll have to die with her."
The ship is anchored on the icy shore.
Natalie, leading a group of witches, stepped onto the ice.
With each step she took, she could feel the cracks in the ice beneath her feet deepening.
This indicates that the ice layer is not very thick and may melt quickly once the temperature rises.
The ice was frozen to an extreme degree, which explains why this phenomenon only occurs on eerie nights.
Natalie turned around and glanced furtively at the witches following behind her.
They followed closely in Natalie's footsteps, afraid of falling behind.
Celestia was almost touching Natalie's back, and whenever Natalie stopped, she could feel something soft bumping against the back of her head.
After walking for a long time, they finally approached the ice mist on the ice surface.
The fog was thick and filled with ice crystals, making it almost impossible for Natalie to open her eyes.
With each breath she inhaled, she felt as if her lungs were about to freeze into blood.
But the witches did not fall behind and continued to advance deeper into the fog.
However, once you reach the ice fog, it's not something you can simply catch up with by chasing after it.
You must take the same steps as Natalie; one more or one less step will prevent you from reaching the Ice Heart Hot Spring.
Natalie therefore suspected that this area was protected by some kind of supernatural power.
Third from the left — Natalie silently counted in her mind, seventh from the right front —
Natalie moved through the icy mist, and before she knew it, the witches' traces had vanished completely.
Even if she steps back now, she can't feel anything soft.
This means that even Celestia, who was right next to her, was shaken off by Natalie without her noticing.
A smile appeared on Natalie's face.
But her smile quickly faded, because she understood that getting rid of him was pointless.
She is currently under a spell, and she must find the mermaid's tears as soon as possible and bring them back to the ship.
She prayed that the witches would keep their promise and dispel the shadows from her.
However, Natalie also knew that even if she didn't find it, as long as she returned to Celestia's side, Celestia would definitely order someone to remove the witchcraft from Natalie.
Natalie still has information in her mind, so as long as she is alive, Celestia has the opportunity to extract that information.
At the same time, she understood how difficult it would be to escape from a group of witches.
They can use all sorts of amazing methods to easily break Natalie's escape strategy, which is based on conventional thinking.
Am I destined to never escape and never see Cathy again? Natalie can no longer see that stupid bull in her heart either?
But Natalie quickly forced herself to cheer up.
She can't die yet; Cathy is in danger. She must live to save Cathy.
Even if it meant a miserable existence, she had to get to Cathy's side.
Natalie followed the footwork and moved even faster.
Since those sea divers left detailed footwork instructions in their notes, it means they had reached the Ice Heart Hot Spring using footwork. As for why these strange people, who were only interested in the deep sea, would come to the Ice Heart Hot Spring, Natalie had no idea.
However, based solely on Natalie's limited understanding of that group, she speculated that the Sea Divers might believe there were clues here related to the Primal Mother.
Natalie stopped letting her thoughts wander and stopped thinking about the question. What did the current state of the Sea Divers have to do with her?
As Natalie took the last step of her footwork, the fog around her suddenly dissipated, and the surrounding environment became warmer.
Turning around, the icy mist condensed behind her, forming a clearly defined gaseous wall.
The walls extend to both sides until they form a circle.
Looking up, the strong winds carried countless wisps of fog and ice fragments into the sky.
The colossal pillar that had initially amazed Natalie now seemed even more awe-inspiring when viewed from the inside.
The ice beneath our feet had become even thicker; even if we used flames to heat it, it probably wouldn't melt easily.
Natalie looked ahead and immediately noticed a large hole in the center of the circular ice surface.
She took a step and walked towards the cave.
The closer you get to that area, the more rapidly the temperature rises.
When Natalie reached the edge of the cave, she felt unbearably hot and wanted to take off her thick fleece coat.
She looked down into the cave, where a pool of clear, still water lay, and Natalie could even see dozens of feet below.
Natalie concluded that this was the Mermaid Bath and Ice Heart Hot Spring mentioned in the notes.
She suddenly realized that even though it was a dark night with dim moonlight, she could see so clearly.
After carefully observing her surroundings, she concluded that the light source was coming from underwater.
Something underwater emitted a bright light that pierced through the thick ice and the narrow spring, illuminating the entire space. Natalie knelt in front of the Ice Heart Hot Spring, bent down, and reached her hand towards the surface of the spring.
The instant her fingertips touched the water, she instinctively pulled her hand back.
"Hiss~"
Natalie made a sound.
The water is a little hot.
Although I knew beforehand that this was a "hot spring," the thought of being in the eerie northern part of the sea, with cold ice beneath my feet, still lingered.
She still finds the water temperature incredible.
She touched the water surface with her hand again, and after getting used to it for a while, she submerged her entire palm.
After getting used to it, Natalie was surprised to find it very comfortable.
He withdrew his hand, then lay down on the ice, took a deep breath, and submerged his entire face in the water.
There was nothing underwater except for a long, bottomless ring of ice.
There were no fish, no corals, no shrimp or algae, nothing at all, except for a beautiful creature gracefully dancing in the water between the ice walls.
It has a human-like upper body, long, sandy-yellow hair, deep eyes, and thin lips.
The gaze swept over the smooth neck, the bare chest, and down to the delicate navel; beyond that, the area became difficult to associate with humans.
It was a fish tail with skirt fins covered in colorful scales.
The fins resemble the hem of a noble lady's exquisite gown, while the scales are dazzling and radiate a brilliant light.
Natalie then realized why the place was so brightly lit.
Just seeing it wandering aimlessly there is enough to make one say it's a delight to behold.
Yes, Natalie was certain in her heart that it was a mermaid!
Mermaids are real!
At this moment, Natalie finally saw the mermaid, and the dream she had cherished since childhood was finally realized!
She felt she must have been moved to tears, but the hot spring wiped away her tears.
Natalie couldn't bear to look away, but she was almost suffocating, so she had to raise her head.
But when she looked ahead again, she was surprised to find that there was a person standing in front of her!
The man was over six feet three inches tall, with bronze skin and thick, black curly hair that reached his waist.
On his belt was a very dilapidated and old-fashioned axe.
A logging axe?
Natalie recognized him; she couldn't possibly be mistaken.
If she wakes up one day and finds her sheets wet, then the man she dreamed about last night must be this man.
The man opposite her clearly recognized her as well.
"Natalie?"
Natalie climbed up from the ice.
There are mermaids underwater, but she doesn't want to get involved.
Now, she doesn't want to care about anything.
She walked towards the man.
How did he find his way here?
If you didn't know the footwork techniques summarized by sea divers, it would be impossible to enter this area.
Natalie remembered the contents of the sea diver's notebook, but what about the man in front of her?
There's only one possibility: this man also saw this notebook.
Natalie stuffed the notebook into her son's clothes.
Since this man has read the notes, it means he has met with Cathy.
This means that Casey is saved!
Natalie quickened her pace; she felt her heart pounding and her body burning hot.
But the reason wasn't just because Cathy was saved.
However, it is true that Natalie has finally let go of her biggest concern.
"Damn hot springs," Natalie thought, "this makes me have to go on a huge detour."
The man stood there motionless until Natalie came to his side, at which point he began to speak:
"Natalie! Oh my god! Natalie! I really found you! You know, I got the note you slipped to Cassie, and I knew you were in danger! Oh! Yes! Cassie is safe now! Natalie, don't worry—"
Natalie could tell that the man in front of her was suppressing his smile; he didn't want to appear too excited.
But why did he say so much? And so much rambling, about things that are obvious.
But Natalie didn't have that much time; the shadow within her urged her to return to the witch's ship as soon as possible.
She has to hurry.
So, you idiot, Natalie, look into the man's eyes and shut up!
As for how to shut a man up, that's so annoying, Natalie thought. I don't like the taste of fish, it's too fishy!
Pirates are so rude, they don't even know to rinse their mouths after eating!
However, despite this, Natalie was now captivated by the flavor and didn't want it to disappear too quickly.
Moreover, Natalie concluded that pirates, after a long time, would completely forget their manners.
The curator must have taught him; Natalie bets.
But he? He was anything but a gentleman.
"Last time was like this, and this time it's like this again," Natalie thought resentfully. "Why is it always me who takes the initiative?"
Never mind—she was pressed for time, she didn't have time to wait for this stubborn ox, recalling gentlemanly manners and the importance of taking the initiative.
Time is of the essence, Natalie thought, time is of the essence.
Heh, you silly ox, let me teach you what it means to be concise and to the point.
Natalie reluctantly pulled her lips away and looked into the man's eyes:
"Henry".
"Um?
I want you.