School Transmigration: I, Chosen as the Saint by Dragons at the Start-Chapter 97 --The Mysterious Goddess in the Underground Chamber
"It seems highly improbable," Owen said, "those ghosts are frenzied, frantic. How could they possibly turn into law-abiding citizens here in Loka?"
Despite Loka being a deserted city, everything was in perfect order, devoid of any signs of decay, damage, or disrepair.
The ghosts that surged from the well outside were filled with deep-seated hatred and rage, almost as if they wished to tear the world apart.
If they resided here, how could Loka remain so immaculate?
"It’s probably the effect of the Heart of the Ocean," Stanbeck mused beside him. "The Heart of the Ocean has the power to calm spirits."
"But where do we find the Heart of the Ocean?" Boyd asked, looking up at the sky and then surveying his surroundings cautiously.
Owen remained silent.
The more he spoke, the more he would reveal.
He didn’t want the others to know how little he understood about the Heart of the Ocean.
Quincy, with a cold expression, looked towards the center of the city: "We must head to the temple; only there can we find the next step forward."
The group dispersed to search around the city center. Before long, they regrouped.
"Did you find the temple?" Stanbeck asked Owen as soon as they met.
Owen shook his head. Boyd hadn’t found it either. Neither had Quincy.
"How odd that there would be no temple," Quincy said, frowning in deep thought.
Owen also found it strange.
The temple on Heartstealer Island was obviously part of Loka, yet Loka seemed to lack a corresponding structure.
"Could it be..." A fleeting glint of realization sparkled in Owen’s eyes, "that the timeline of Loka doesn’t extend beyond the construction of the temple?"
Quincy’s eyes also lit up, glancing at Owen and affirming, "That would make sense. Originally, Hope built Loka merely as a haven for his brothers-in-arms."
"But as General Hope grew increasingly powerful, more and more races from the Novalia continent flocked to him, leading to the rise of the Luminous Ancient Kingdom."
"It must have been during the early days of the Luminous Ancient Kingdom that the temple was erected, coinciding with General Hope mastering the God Descending Spell."
Understanding dawned on Stanbeck, his face turning grim: "This means that the timeline of this space predates the establishment of the Luminous Ancient Kingdom. At that time, General Hope hadn’t yet practiced the God Descending Spell, and he probably hadn’t obtained the Heart of the Ocean either."
Boyd’s features knitted together in consternation: "Following your logic, does that mean this space shouldn’t possess the Heart of the Ocean?"
A heavy silence fell over the group. Boyd’s summary was spot-on.
Their only lead seemed to have hit a dead end here.
Without a corresponding location for the temple, they had no way to seek out the Heart of the Ocean.
After a prolonged silence, Owen spoke gravely: "There’s still one thing we can try – visiting General Hope’s castle. It’s our only remaining option to break this deadlock."
Quincy nodded slightly, "Right, let’s all brace ourselves and head to General Hope’s castle."
Finding General Hope’s castle in Loka wasn’t difficult, considering the entire city was under his dominion.
The most extravagant castle was likely to be General Hope’s.
Soon, the group located General Hope’s castle.
The castle was nestled in a vast valley, towering into the clouds with a majestic presence.
Its outer walls, built of durable granite, still shimmered resplendently, having withstood the test of time.
Surrounding the castle was a broad moat, its crystal-clear waters reflecting the castle’s image like a mirror, creating a picturesque scene that mesmerized everyone.
Stanbeck squinted his eyes and chuckled lightly, "This is no mere castle; it’s a city within a city. General Hope really knew how to live in luxury."
Quincy pondered and added, "According to historical records, General Hope achieved fame and fortune at a young age, amassing vast treasures. It’s no wonder his castle is so lavishly built."
Boyd was practically drooling. "Human race castles look so comfortable. We of the sea race can only live in corals, seashells, and conches."
Hearing this, Stanbeck and Quincy turned to look at Boyd, who bashfully lowered his head.
Owen cracked a smile.
Stanbeck, seemingly in a sarcastic mood, quipped, "Aren’t dragons still living in caves?"
Owen didn’t even glance at Stanbeck, instead pushing open the castle gates and entering.
Upon opening the grand doors, a vast courtyard unfolded before their eyes.
At its center stood a massive fountain, with water spraying from all directions, forming beautiful columns of water, like a moving tapestry.
The courtyard was surrounded by an array of exotic flowers and plants, their fragrance permeating the air.
Passing through the courtyard led to the main structure of the castle.
This building was designed in a Gothic style, complete with pointed arches, flying buttresses, and stained glass windows – all elements contributing to its mysterious and solemn appearance.
"Indeed, this bears the architectural style of the Luminous Ancient Kingdom. This must be General Hope’s castle; the architectural influence of that era clearly persists to this day," Quincy murmured with a gleam of excitement in his eyes as they entered the castle.
The luxurious décor inside the castle prompted Quincy to speak again, "Let’s split up and search. We need to find anything related to the Heart of the Ocean."
Without any objection, the group dispersed to conduct their search.
Boyd and Stanbeck, with a sense of urgency, rushed to the second floor.
Their experience told them that valuable items were often hidden upstairs.
Owen, in no hurry, exchanged a glance with Quincy, a curious smile playing on his lips: "You’re heading that way?"
Knowing Owen’s strength, Quincy didn’t dare to be reckless and simply pointed to the left, "I’ll search here; you take the other side."
"Agreed," Owen nodded and headed to the right.
On the right was a long corridor, flanked by various rooms.
Display rooms, cloakrooms, gift rooms... there was even a room solely dedicated to storing wines.
Owen felt almost numb to it all.
Dragons, by nature, are treasure-loving creatures, fond of collecting spiritually significant and valuable natural wonders.
Yet, General Hope seemed to surpass even dragons in his passion for collecting.
Each room hid treasures, but Owen remained unaffected, knowing these were mere illusions created by the fantastical realm.
At the end of the corridor, Owen found himself facing a dark, descending spiral staircase.
"A basement," he blinked, considering the vastness of the castle; it would have been odd not to have one.
Yet, there was something eerie about this particular basement.
The staircase, dark and foreboding, seemed less a path to a basement and more a descent into the underworld.
The world outside was bathed in brilliant sunshine, rays of light streaming in.
However, no trace of light seemed to penetrate the basement stairs, which absorbed all illumination like a black hole, ruthlessly swallowing any light that dared to venture into its depths.
A chill inexplicably crept up Owen’s spine.
"What have you found?" Quincy’s voice suddenly emerged from beside him, startling Owen, whose heart skipped a beat.
When had he become so lost in thought?
Owen turned to look at Quincy. "Have you finished your search?"
"Yes," Quincy replied, his gaze fixating on the spiral staircase, his expression turning wooden. "I saw you standing here, lost in thought, and thought you’d discovered something."
"And you? What did you find?"
"Nothing at all. The rooms on that side were just living quarters for the castle’s servants, not a shred of useful information, not even a book to be found."
"Shall we go down and take a look?" Owen raised an eyebrow.
"That’s exactly what I was thinking."
A sea folk and a dragon, side by side, made their way to the staircase, shoulder to shoulder.
Neither wanted the other behind them, each fearing a sudden betrayal or a stealth attack from the rear.
Had they not been trapped in Loka, these two would never have found themselves in such a strangely cooperative situation.
Step by step, they descended the spiral staircase, finally reaching the basement.
The basement was initially engulfed in darkness, but as they entered, the sound of "thud thud thud" echoed, and one by one, the lights flickered on.
The entire space brightened, revealing a singular statue standing in the center.
The statue, about three meters tall, depicted a woman with distinctive features.
Her head was exquisitely carved, her hair rendered as smoothly as silk, cascading naturally over her shoulders.
Her eyebrows were long and elegant, her eyes bright and intelligent, exuding a sense of wisdom and compassion.
Her nose was high and proud, her lips slightly upturned as if in a gentle smile.
Such a lifelike statue prompted Owen to ask, "Who is this woman?"
Quincy, mesmerized, replied softly as though afraid to disturb the goddess’s slumber, "I don’t know."
Owen raised his eyebrows, sensing something peculiar. Quincy, that rascal, must know something.
The torso of the goddess was sculpted with fullness, her breasts and waist curving gracefully.
A third of her ample bosom was exposed, emitting an inexplicable allure.
Her arms were slender; one hand held a golden lotus, while the other rested lightly on her waist, seemingly grasping something.
Her thighs were, needless to say, of a divine caliber – full and elastic. Her calves were long and powerful.
The detailing around her ankles was intricately done, adding depth and dimension to the entire statue.
