Chapter 46: The Book of Oracles
“This place doesn’t feel right.”
“As the two of them deemed they had escaped far enough, Tyr began to observe the surroundings. The originally rough rocks here were polished to an extraordinary smoothness, with some carvings resembling text. Traces of torches being inserted into the walls were evident, each piece of evidence indicating that others had been here before.”
“What do you think?”
“It might be a relic, which isn’t uncommon. What we need to be careful of is whether there are any traps,” Dragon Slayer said casually, waving his hand and smoothing out his somewhat messy golden hair before continuing.
“Plus, getting out is also a problem. Forget about the ogres; this place is so dark that finding an exit might be difficult.”
“What should we do?”
“Let’s search. With luck, there might be some sort of teleportation array.”
“Teleportation, a teleportation array,” Tyr repeated, feigning calmness. If Zack were present, he would surely detect Tyr’s embarrassment and promptly help him out of his predicament.
“The two of them analyzed the situation while advancing into the darkness. Gradually adjusting to the gloom, their eyes could now see the path clearly. Surprisingly, the place was very warm, much warmer than the ogres’ cave above. Tyr didn’t understand the principles behind it, and even asking the Dragon Slayer yielded no results.”
“The path soon came to an end, presenting before the two individuals a shrine. Surrounding it, there was a small pool formed by inexplicable clear water, enveloping the shrine. A plethora of celestial decay flowers grew around, emitting a fragrant scent, while luminescent grass shed a faint glow, illuminating the shrine with a sacred beauty.”
“This place couldn’t really be a relic, could it?”
“Up ahead is a shrine. It’s highly probable. Let’s go up and see if there are any clues to an exit.”
“Alright.”
“The two climbed the steps, traversed numerous celestial decay flowers, and stood in the center of the shrine, where there was a stone tablet inscribed with characters.”
“Do you recognize these? They don’t seem to be modern characters.”
“Yeah, I can understand some of it. It seems to be the language used in the older days of your Sigril Empire.” The Dragon Slayer’s expression became slightly solemn, indicating considerable effort in deciphering the text. Tyr, with hands on his chest in surprise, remarked, “I didn’t expect you to have studied this kind of knowledge.”
“I didn’t expect you to have studied this kind of knowledge.”
“Heh, isn’t learning the languages and cultures of various countries a prerequisite for traveling abroad?” The Dragon Slayer replied casually before continuing.
“It seems like this inscription is about the history of a sacred artifact, the ‘Oracle Book’.”
“The Oracle Book? Sounds familiar…” Tyr furrowed his brow slightly but couldn’t recall where he had heard that name before. It seemed like someone had mentioned it in the past. Then he asked again.
“Is there any useful information?”
“In historical records, it’s mentioned that the sacred artifact, the ‘Oracle Book’, originally belonged to the Kingdom of Milik but was later stolen by someone named Cyril. Is this Cyril from your homeland?”
“Oh, right! Now that you mention it, I do remember. The Duchy of Cyril does indeed possess the Oracle Book. A friend of mine mentioned that it was acquired when the King of Milik lost a wager to Cyril. The most recent use of it was supposedly to eradicate a demonic presence in the Kegasu Plains. This incident caused quite a stir, with Milik Kingdom strongly condemning it and demanding the return of the sacred artifact.”
“History is always a mix of truth and falsehoods. Who knows which side is fabricated? But even if we understand this part of history, it doesn’t solve our current dilemma.”
“Yeah…”
“Wait a minute, Mister 123, do you feel the flow of wind?”
“What do you mean?”
“Oh dear, it means there’s a passage leading to the outside. Mister 123, did you even graduate elementary school properly?”
“Uh…” Feeling embarrassed by the sarcasm of a girl who seemed no more than eleven or twelve, Tyr suddenly felt self-conscious. He realized that while he had been asking Zack about various matters in the past, Zack might have been considering this very question.
“Follow me!” The Dragon Slayer waved to Tyr, slowly descending from the shrine. Occasionally, he paused, closed his eyes to feel the flow of the wind, or held his hand with clear water in the air to determine its direction.
Tyr followed silently behind, bored, and started to size up the Dragon Slayer.
He’s quite charming, Tyr thought to himself as he followed along. Leaving aside the fact that he’ll surely be breathtakingly handsome in the future, his skin is also incredibly smooth. Look at that physique; even though we’re currently on the grasslands, it doesn’t mean he won’t grow to be towering like a mountain in the future. Those long legs look incredibly tempting wrapped in those tight pants. But what’s truly admirable is that even in the intense battle just now, the Dragon Slayer didn’t even get a speck of dust on him… Hmm, wait, I shouldn’t dwell on these thoughts too deeply. It might awaken some strange preferences if I keep going like this.
“Mister 123…”
“Mister 123?”
“Mister 123!”
“Oh! What, what’s wrong?”
“I should be the one asking you. What’s the meaning of staring at my thighs since just now?”
“Well, I was pondering how someone with seemingly no muscles on their body could unleash such terrifying power.”
“Isn’t it a simple question? Everything is amplified by qi. Without qi, just look at how much weight my flabby flesh could lift.”
