Chapter 209: Memory
Chapter 209: Memory
"Hey, Lindsey!"
"If you run off like that, how am I supposed to get down there?"
Lindsey dove into the ground, leaving Hong alone on the surface.
The girl looked at the small hole in the mound, even dragging the unconscious Dark Tide Lizard over, and then gestured with her fair palm:
"This... is barely enough to fit my thigh, right?"
It was obvious.
Without the ability to burrow, there was no way Hong could get down there.
A hint of reluctance flashed in the girl's fiery red eyes as she lay on the ground, pressing her ear against the earth to listen.
"Boom! Rumble—Roar!"
Hong stood up helplessly.
Although she could hear some sounds by pressing her ear to the ground, it wasn't clear enough to understand the situation.
"Leaving me alone up here is quite amusing, isn't it?"
Hong patted her right cheek.
The ground was damp, and her face was already covered in dirt from just lying there.
Unable to join the fight below, Hong found herself with nothing to do on the surface.
As boredom set in, her gaze wandered, and the quiet starlight of the night gently descended.
The twinkling starlight fell upon the three massive stone pillars, reflecting a dazzling array of colors in the clear water, and then, following the ripples, it flowed out in a mesmerizing dream.
The three enormous stone pillars stood tall, towering over the starry sky.
They resembled giants leaning against each other, or perhaps the framework of a palace under construction.
Meanwhile, beneath the ground, the battle had reached its most critical turning point.
The Moles, who had been retreating step by step due to the Dark Tide Lizard's sneak attacks, were now turning the tide with Lindsey's arrival as reinforcements.
In this small-scale battle, the addition of a powerful ally was enough to dominate the battlefield, and the numbers of Dark Tide Lizards were rapidly dwindling.
At the same time, Hong, sitting alone on the ground, gradually fixed her gaze on the nearest stone pillar.
had something to say.
When she was farther away, she hadn't sensed anything, but now, observing carefully, she felt a certain power emanating from the pillar.
"Essence?"
In that moment of confusion, Hong immediately sprang to her feet and, without bothering to dust off the dirt on her buttocks, took a few strides and plunged into the lake.
She approached the stone pillar, her hand outstretched in thought.
"This feeling..."
Hong reached out thoughtfully.
She was certain that the stone pillar contained Essence, but this power was unique. It wasn't like the Essence controlled by humans or beasts, nor did it feel like Essence merging with natural substances to form special minerals or herbs.
"This is... a power closer to the source."
Hong made a vague assessment.
Or perhaps she was following her intuition, trying to understand the stone pillar.
The girl, with her knowledge gained from traveling with Lindsey for half a year, was momentarily at a loss for what to do with this unusual situation.
Hong caressed the rough surface of the stone pillar, feeling the traces left by wind and sun, as if she were personally experiencing the pillar's long history.
Hum—
Suddenly, something strange happened.
The once calm stone pillar's Essence began to change.
The power started to gather in Hong's hand, and with it came an increase in the quantity of Essence.
"Hmm?"
Hong's eyebrows furrowed.
This situation, if it occurred to a typical Awakener or beast, would be a heavenly gift, a boost in strength.
But Hong was different.
As an Essence Lost One, she was still in a slow process of recovery, the speed at which her body could adapt.
The sudden increase in Essence quantity directly pressured her body.
As she felt her body becoming uncoordinated, fragments of broken images began to surface in Hong's mind.
The all-consuming black mist, the collapsing earth amidst the impact and shockwaves, the shattered space with distorted light and shadows...
One by one, these surreal scenes flashed through her mind.
Hong seemed to understand something, but these memories were not meant to linger in her consciousness, vanishing without a trace in the blink of an eye.
The final image that remained in her mind was a beam of white light.
It seemed to be a direct stab from a white steel sword...
"Ugh!"
Suddenly, Hong felt an indescribable, intense pain in her heart.
This was not a physical ailment but a remnant of some will rule, which manifested alongside the revival of her memories.
"Damn it!"
"Get away from me!"
Hong covered her chest with her right hand and let out a roar.
In an instant, her hand detached from the pillar, and she took two steps back, splashing water in disarray.
Then...
"Huh?"
Hong blinked.
The intense pain and the surge of memories abruptly ceased, as if everything that had just happened was an illusion. Only the cold sweat-soaked clothes on her body remained as proof of what had occurred a second ago.
"Me... the white light, was that my memory?"
Hong realized what had just happened to her.
The next moment, she reached out towards the pillar again, her determined gaze showing not a trace of fear.
Hong didn't care about the pain that seemed capable of tearing one's consciousness apart.
Or perhaps, in the face of her desired goal, she didn't care about any hardship or torment.
Slap! Her white palm touched the pillar, and the surface of the rock remained rough.
"..."
"..."
However, this time, the pillar didn't react.
Hong stood there, maintaining her pose for a long time, even actively probing the pillar with her essence.
Yet, the ancient pillar before her showed no change.
Although the essence within it could still be sensed, it no longer responded to her actions.
"It can only work once?"
The girl clenched her teeth, her eyebrows furrowed.
This was the first time she had the chance to access her past memories since regaining her status as an Awakener.
At this moment, the only thing she could recall in her mind was the white light that pierced her heart.
But Hong was certain that strengthening her power was the right path to recovering her memories!
The girl stood silently in front of the pillar.
She began to contemplate her next move.
After waiting for a minute or two, she decided to bring over the Dark Tide Lizard she was responsible for guarding, using it as a carpet to sit on while carefully studying the pillar that had brought her a turning point.
Meanwhile, the battle underground also came to an end.
Most of the Dark Tide Lizards that had launched the surprise attack were eliminated during the counterattack.
Although a few managed to escape, their numbers were no longer significant enough to form a substantial population.
After confirming the results of the battle, Lindsey finally returned to the surface.
By his side was a mole with an eager expression.
The mole's attitude towards Lindsey, the human who had saved its race, was one of utmost gratitude.
As Lindsey returned to the surface, he scanned his surroundings.
He immediately spotted Hong, deep in thought, standing before the pillar.
Lindsey approached her and asked with concern, "Hong, what are you doing?"
Hong turned her head to look at him.
Before the girl could respond, the mole spoke up, explaining to Lindsey, "Human, the first pillar has enhanced her power."
"She must have felt the power and is showing respect to the pillar!"
(End of Chapter)
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