TTGOL CH88

This time, the Secret Lake was calm and tranquil. Aside from the dense fog that still lingered and refused to dissipate, it seemed no different from an ordinary lake. But Tang Cuo didn’t approach rashly, stopping over ten meters away from the shore and looking back at the others who had followed him.

Kelt, Hamur, Hei Meng and Hei Si, the two druids, and the three adventurers led by Dorn—nine people in total. The three from the Little Windmill Harbour were nowhere to be seen.

Hamur was still a bit groggy. He rubbed his eyes vigorously and stared for a long time before reacting, “The Secret Lake!”

As his words fell, he rushed toward the lakeshore in a frantic hurry, so pleasantly surprised that he completely abandoned his liquor bottle. Seeing this, Tang Cuo kicked a pebble over to stop him.

“Reckless human, what are you doing?! How dare you smack your Lord Hamur’s bottom!” The dwarf, hit in the rear by the pebble, stomped his feet in anger. He really wanted to make these oversized humans properly learn dwarven humility, but then he noticed everyone’s expressions were very strange, staring in shock at something behind him.

The splashing sound of water and the roar of some monster crashed into his eardrums at that moment. He abruptly turned around. When he saw the churning surface of the lake, he was so terrified he nearly fell flat on his rear. “God of Forging, what is that…”

A two-headed giant python broke through the surface of the lake. Its massive body churned the thick fog, and even before fully extending, it was over twenty meters tall. It seemed annoyed at having its slumber disturbed. Its scarlet eyes swept across the shoreline, locking onto the group.

In the next moment, both heads opened their bloody maws simultaneously, roaring furiously at the shore.

A wind thick with a foul stench blew away the fog. The intense shockwave hit the shore, snapping all the grass and leaves in half. Unsteady on his feet, Hamur fell flat on his bottom. He raised a hand to wipe his face, finding several drops of moisture—whether it was lake water or the beast’s saliva, he didn’t know.

“Step back! That’s an Abyssal Giant Python!” Hei Meng instantly called out its name. Everyone’s expressions changed drastically as they rapidly retreated to a safe distance.

Dorn’s face was filled with irrepressible horror. “Aren’t Abyssal Giant Pythons found in the Crimson Highlands? How could one be here? And what exactly is going on with this Secret Lake?”

Hamur: “Yeah, how could it run into the birthplace of the elves!”

Hei brothers promptly informed everyone about the illusions, which finally made everyone understand. One adventurer asked trembling, “So, you’re saying the Abyssal Giant Python is f-fake too?”

Another grabbed his arm tightly. “But someone really died!”

The dwarf’s Secret Lake, death toll: one.

Hearing this, everyone retreated a few more steps. Only after confirming the Abyssal Giant Python wasn’t coming ashore did they breathe a slight sigh of relief. Tang Cuo looked at the two druids. “The adventurers who returned with you—are you sure they just got separated?”

“What are you suspecting?” One of the druids swept his gaze over the group. “It seems some people from your side have disappeared as well.”

Hei Meng: “Let’s leave them aside for now.”

Hei Si: “We can’t beat the Abyssal Giant Python. It’s the overlord of the Crimson Highlands. Only a great figure like Lord Roger Reeds would have the power to fight it.”

If destroying or killing the thing in the lake could break the illusion, they could handle the Black Iron Furnace and the Alchemy Colossus, which lacked autonomous attack capabilities. But what could they do about this giant python?

And who triggered this illusion? Was it the five missing adventurers, or the three from the Little Windmill branch? Everyone present was still awake, so it couldn’t be them.

Hamur finally processed the earlier information. “You destroyed the Black Iron Furnace and the Alchemy Colossus???”

Dorn kindly reminded him that they were fake, but Hamur couldn’t listen anymore. Those were sacred relics! They were divine artifacts the dwarven race dreamed of recreating. Even if they were fake, he would have desperately wanted just one glance, and now they were gone!

The dwarf beat his chest and stomped his feet, almost on the verge of tears.

No one had time for him; the most urgent priority was solving the illusion. But despite everyone talking at once for a long time, no one had a good idea. Facing the overly powerful Abyssal Giant Python, it seemed their only option was to remain trapped in the illusion forever.

Tang Cuo asked Kelt, “Does the Abyssal Giant Python have any natural enemies?”

Kelt nodded. “Yes.”

Tang Cuo crossed his arms, gesturing for him to continue. Kelt told him, “Dragons. Dragons are the natural enemies of all living creatures.”

If Kelt’s expression hadn’t been so serious, without any hint of a joke, Tang Cuo felt he might have hit someone on the spot. He pondered for a moment, his peripheral vision catching the two druids, and his eyes lit up slightly. “Are druids good at shapeshifting?”

Suddenly singled out, the druids looked slightly guarded. “What do you mean?”

Tang Cuo: “You can transform into a dragon.”

The druids’ faces turned dark, suspecting Tang Cuo was taking the opportunity to mock them. Dorn quickly tried to smooth things over, explaining, “Sir Theodore, although druids can shapeshift, turning into a giant dragon is really asking the impossible, let alone fighting an Abyssal Giant Python.”

Hei brothers, however, looked thoughtful, both pairs of eyes staring straight at Tang Cuo.

Tang Cuo paced slowly in front of them. “This is an illusion. If there can be a fake Abyssal Giant Python, why can’t there be a fake giant dragon? There are two of you, and the giant python has two heads. You can combine to transform into a two-headed giant dragon.”

Pure fantasy.

In all their lives, the druids had never heard of such a ridiculous method. This was an insult to druids! Oh, no, it was an insult to giant dragons! Wait, no, that wasn’t right either. Regardless—

“That’s impossible!” a druid couldn’t help but shout in rebuttal.

“Saying it’s impossible before you’ve even tried—that’s the real origin of the impossible.” Tang Cuo stopped pacing, turned sideways to look at them, and spoke with righteous conviction: “There are no roads in this world, but when many people walk, a road is made.”

Tang Cuo felt they really needed some modern education.

The two druids still couldn’t agree. They couldn’t help but look at the Hei brothers, who seemed the most calm and composed present. After some thought, the brothers said, “We can give it a try.”

The druids’ faces instantly fell. “You people from the Greenvines Alliance are indeed all the same. Even if we successfully transform into a giant dragon, can we actually beat it? Meanwhile, you won’t have to lift a finger.”

Kelt frowned and couldn’t help reminding them, “You already ran away earlier and came back. You didn’t contribute anything in the previous illusion either.”

Choked by his words, the druids looked awful. They exchanged a glance, seeing deep worry and the awkwardness of being caught in an impossible situation in each other’s eyes. Ultimately, the Abyssal Giant Python was just too terrifying. Even knowing it was an illusion and fake, they still couldn’t muster the thought of being able to defeat it.

In the distance, the three from the Little Windmill branch hid behind a tree, spying quietly.

“Are they arguing?”

“It’s good if they argue.”

“But if this is an illusion, the thing we’re looking for definitely isn’t here. Do we have to wait for them to break the illusion?”

“The Lord said the Secret Lake represents the unknown; we cannot overlook a single detail here. Even if it’s an illusion, it doesn’t necessarily mean everything we see is fake.”

Listening to his two companions, Hawke kept his eyes fixed on Tang Cuo and said, “There’s something weird about that guy. I’ve never heard of anyone like him in the Principality of FalanFalan office.”

Companion: “He’s a knight, probably a young master from some minor noble family?”

The other companion said, “I actually think his companion and those two druids are more suspicious. That Kelt got separated right from the start and then suddenly reappeared. The druids clearly left with the adventurers, so why are they the only two who came back? They are friends of the elves; they might know some inside information.”

“We need to go find those five adventurers.”

Hawke frowned slightly. If he could, he really didn’t want to bother with those five cowardly idiots, but remembering the purpose of this trip, he suppressed his annoyance and said, “This operation absolutely cannot fail. Only if we succeed will my father help me figure out a way to persuade Roger Reeds to take me as his disciple. And only then will we have enough of a voice on Popolo Island. This is all for the Little Windmill branch, understand?”

“Understood,” the other two nodded in agreement.

Hearing this, Hawke narrowed his eyes to stare at Tang Cuo one last time, let out a cold snort, and then turned to leave. The other two followed behind him, their eyes slightly downcast, hiding a hint of impatience and annoyance.

The departure of the Little Windmill trio attracted no attention. By the lakeshore, the druids were attempting the Duo Transformation: Two-Headed Dragon 2.0. The first transformation predictably failed; let alone a two-headed dragon, they couldn’t even turn into a regular one.

In the end, they morphed into a bizarre creature with a dragon’s body and a snake’s tail.

If Jin Cheng had been here, he definitely would have watched this transformation show with great amusement. But Tang Cuo was a resolute warrior of action. He grabbed the dwarf’s liquor flask and threw it at them.

“Drink.” Having lost the system’s character restrictions and no longer afraid of breaking character, Tang Cuo became increasingly cold and relentless.

The druids caught the flask, utterly confused.

“Let the alcohol numb your brains. You need a little imagination.” With that, Tang Cuo administered a final, heavy dose of reality to them. “Do you know what imagination is? The world is created by you; you are gods. In this world, humans can pilot giant constructs forged of black iron to fly in the sky, and the Abyssal Giant Python is nothing more than a dish on the dining table—fried, boiled, or stewed depending entirely on one’s mood. What is a mere dragon compared to that?”

This time, even Hei brothers were stunned. The druids were completely bluffed. They wanted to argue back, but felt there was nothing left to say, so they could only take a gulp of liquor to calm their nerves.

By the time they finished drinking, Hamur, who had been immersed in sorrow, finally reacted, his grief doubling. “My liquor!!!”

You—you detestable, long-legged human, do you have a vendetta against your Lord Hamur?!

Tang Cuo, of course, remained entirely unmoved.

Hamur wailed for a bit, then couldn’t help but inch closer and ask, “That black iron construct flying in the sky you mentioned… what is it? Does such a thing really exist?”

Tang Cuo: “Just believe in yourself.”

Hamur looked thoughtful, his expression easing slightly. But then he glared and blew his beard again. “Don’t think that just because you’re trying to flatter me I’ll forgive you!”

Tang Cuo: “…”

Which ear of yours heard me flattering you?

Just then, a brilliant light erupted from ahead. Tang Cuo instinctively raised his arm to shield his eyes. When the light faded, a massive entity cast a shadow, enveloping all of them within it.

“A dragon! It’s really a dragon!”

“A black dragon!”

Perhaps it was the intoxication, or perhaps they had truly been bewitched by Tang Cuo, but the two druids actually managed to combine their power and transform into a dragon. The joy of success diluted their worries. The black dragon roared at the sky, its roar disturbing the giant python in the lake.

The lake water began to violently churn. The giant python roared back, looking as if it wanted to smash the waves apart, but there seemed to be a faint hint of apprehension in its scarlet eyes.

A great battle was on the verge of breaking out.

Tang Cuo drew the Sword of Judgment, turned his head to look at Kelt, and suddenly asked, “Do you think we can win?”

Kelt was slightly taken aback, then looked deeply at Tang Cuo’s sword and said, “We can.”

Tang Cuo smiled.

This was the first time Kelt had seen him smile. His gaze couldn’t help but follow Tang Cuo’s figure as he charged forward with his sword. His agile body was like a hunting cheetah. Giving it his all, he slashed his sword into the surface of the lake.

In an instant, the Holy Radiance of Judgment flared up, directly cleaving the lake water and sending massive waves crashing into the sky. The fierce sword light extended a hundred meters from the shore. Although it hadn’t hit the giant python yet, it forced the beast to raise its guard.

Seeing this, Hei Meng immediately shouted to the druid, “Attack quickly! We’ll cover you!”

The dragon’s roar shook the heavens.

The black dragon flapped its wings, rapidly diving down, opening its maws to bite at the giant python’s necks.

By the shore, Hei Si also took out his staff and began chanting an obscure spell. As light illuminated the tip of his staff, a magical storm gradually took shape, before being swiftly released at the perfect moment.

“Greater Freezing Spell!” An aura of extreme cold began to spread from the shore. At an incredible speed, it froze the lake surface inch by inch, relentlessly pushing toward the giant python.

With Hei Si’s strength, it was impossible to release a freezing spell powerful enough to freeze the entire lake. His expression was solemn as he stared at the ice, only hoping it could slightly trap the giant python.

In the next second, a figure as swift as the wind darted past his line of sight. Hei Si narrowed his eyes and saw Tang Cuo already charging out across the ice.

Close behind him was his older brother Hei Meng, and Kelt.

Gritting their teeth, Dorn and the other adventurers also drew their swords and followed.

Meanwhile, Jin Cheng indeed found a black bird egg patterned with dark gold in the nest. The egg was massive, about the size of a rugby ball. Fortunately, it could be temporarily stored in the equipment inventory, so carrying it wasn’t an issue.

He then injected the griffin with a sedative. Just like when he walked the bear in Returner on a Snowy Night, he put a rope around the griffin’s neck, deciding to ride it out.

The mouse McKeown had already passed out. Jin Cheng’s combat style made him feel like he was riding a lethal roller coaster; just being alive was a blessing.

But just as Jin Cheng finally tamed the griffin and prepared to leave, voices suddenly echoed from the bottom of the cliff. He instantly went on high alert, patted the griffin’s neck to order it back to its nest, and hid inside the nest himself, quietly peering out toward the source of the sound.

Before long, footsteps appeared, growing closer and closer, and the voices became clear.

“We already searched this area thoroughly before and found nothing.”

“It’s precisely because we found nothing that we have to keep searching. The Royal Court has been searched entirely, and the Cloud Bridge is heavily guarded by the Royal Guard everywhere. He couldn’t have vanished into thin air. If he’s not here, where could he be?”

The people approaching were Elven Guards, five in total.

Listening to their words, Jin Cheng instinctively thought of McKeown.

The guards searched meticulously, but aside from strange rocks, there was nothing in this vast chasm, so their pace remained very fast. When they reached the section of the path near the griffin’s nest, the leader suddenly stopped and frowned. “Why are there signs of a fight here?”

Jin Cheng had recovered all his arrows, so all they saw were craters smashed into the cliff face and rubble scattered across the ground.

Another guard spoke without thinking, “The griffin must have gone mad again. It’s always like this; even a passing bird can agitate it.”

The captain looked slightly suspicious. He looked up toward the griffin’s nest and, seeing it sleeping as usual, looking completely unbothered, he felt slightly relieved.

“This is Elder Evans’s mount, we must not be negligent. We will report this to him when we return.”

“Yes, Captain.”

The squad continued moving forward, remaining silent for a long time. Just as they were about to step out of Jin Cheng’s line of sight, faint conversation drifted back again.

“Captain, what exactly happened in the Royal Court? What did His Highness the Prince do, why…”

“Don’t ask what you shouldn’t ask.”

“But…”

“His Highness the Prince… is beyond our control… understand?”

Jin Cheng couldn’t hear the rest clearly, but the limited information he received left him utterly shocked. He looked down, making direct eye contact with the beady little eyes of the newly awakened McKeown—

You’re a fucking prince?

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Author’s Note:

McKeown: Shy.jpg