Fortunately, as Kyle had assured, Muell’s magic had some sort of barrier and there was no sensation of resistance from the pressure of the currents. Noah didn’t even feel her clothes becoming drenched.
“You have to open your eyes again, Miss Noah.” Kyle tapped her cheek with his finger and Noah crept close to him, slowly opening her eyes. The splendid sight engulfed her, and immediately her eyes opened wide on their own. A sound of awe fell from her lips.
“Woah…”
When she was Park Noah, she had gone to an aquarium only once: when she was in high school. Every corner, from the floor to the ceiling, was connected like a huge tank, so she felt the pressure as if she was submerged in water. The scenery surrounding her now was just like the aquarium she saw then.
Underneath the lake was a richer shade of emerald than seen from above. The surface of the lake, which will soon be completely enveloped by the sunset, was colored with a soft orange. On the other hand, the deep waters they were currently immersed in, was relatively darkish blue, owing to the lack of sunlight. However, it wasn’t extremely dark that they wouldn’t see; somewhere, there must have been a light source that illuminated the bottom of this lake.
A school of yellow fish swimming in a row passed right in front of Noah’s nose. She glanced below and saw the bottom of the lake. Beneath was a picturesque spread of coral reefs of all colors. Every time a giant black dragon smoothed the water, the green seaweed fluttered along the current; some even got caught in Muell’s claws. Hundreds of marine animals swarmed past each side. A water snake that was as thick as Noah’s head swam over her as if it was dancing.
Rather than be surprised to see the hovering black dragon that suddenly invaded their ecosystem, the underwater creatures approached intimately and rubbed their bodies against the dragon’s black scales. As Noah looked up, the workshop on the bottommost floor where they had been was becoming a blur of shadows as they swam deeper into the lake.
Noah looked around the endless world of waters and murmured in a daze, “There’s too much under the lake…”
“Whatever it is, it’s not surprising. It was the place where the holy dragon rested until a thousand years ago. And given the dragon’s characteristics, known as the owner of Maobiana or the cradle, it’s not unreasonable that this environment was created.”
“What dragon used to live here?”
“Records show that about 1,100 years ago, Sailor, the dragon who lived in the western sea of Mute, used it as a resting place when he came ashore. It wouldn’t have been too difficult for an almighty dragon to have a small ocean beneath the mountains.”
“I see, then…” Are those creatures that are stuck on Mu’s claws left behind by an ancient dragon? Curious questions lingered in Noah’s mind when she had seen a mysterious creature floating around. Its body was so translucent that it was almost indistinguishable, but at the center of it was a sparkling yellow color. When she touched it, the transparent lump of jelly, about the size of a palm, mounted fearlessly on her hands.
“What is this?” she wondered.
When she poked it with her finger, the jelly split into two pieces. Then, it broke into smaller pieces ceaselessly, and soon took on a form. It was a small man with wings of a butterfly on his back. The next moment, the creature flew to her neck.
Noah thought it was about to rip her neck apart, but the creature landed on the chains around her neck. The restraint began to crack with a small growl. As soon as she felt the chains were loosened, she called Kyle. “Sir, what’s this? Please take a look.”
“Yes?” Kyle, who was carefully examining the bottom of the lake, looked back at her. Then, he calmly lifted her head and examined the restraints. “It’s a place where the power of dragons remains, so man-made objects seem to break down easily. It’s not completely broken yet, so don’t turn your head around and stay still in case you get a scar on your neck. I’ll check it from time to time.”
When the restraint is broken, the dragon’s immense power flows straight into Noah. Adrian had also said that the chains were the last fortress to protect her humanity.
Would everything be alright?
The translucent creature that had clung to her neck had already vanished among the waters from the moment she called Kyle. Now, she could feel Muell’s mana slowly seeping into her.
It’s gonna be okay, right?