Shrouded Seascape

Despite the incessant murmurs of advice from her descendants around her, Lilith refrained from making a move. There were many ways to resolve a problem, and violence, as far as she was concerned, ought to always be the last resort.

With that in mind, she decided to make the girl retreat with a different approach.

"Little girl," Lilith called out. "You need to be clear of one thing before you make another move. Dark Crystal Island is not an isolated island. In fact, we have a strong partnership with the famous Hope Island.

"One out of every four ships that depart from here heads directly to Hope Island. Perhaps you might want to think twice about angering their governor and the consequences of it."

Every living soul in the Subterranean Sea knew well of the might of Hope Island. However, Lilith had clearly miscalculated the person she was talking to.

Hearing Lilith's words, Lily arched an eyebrow with a confused look. "Stop lying. There's no trade relationship between Mr. Charles and you."

Lilith felt a wave of relief wash over her at the mention of Charles' name.

She knows Charles. That makes things much easier.

The dark, inky shadow blanketing Dark Crystal Island didn't retreat. But from within their depths, Lilith emerged with her alluring form clad in a dangerously revealing gown. In her hand, she held a dark red crystal, so dark that it was nearly black.

"Actually, we do," Lilith explained. "Dark Crystal Island earned its name for a reason. High-quality crystals like this are abundant here.

"The Industrial Revolution drives demand for materials, and having a reliable crystal supply chain is essential," Lilith said as she extended the crystal toward Lily.

Lily accepted the crystal, feeling the cool, smooth surface on her palm. She toyed with it for a moment longer before handing it back to Lilith.

The two began to exchange words, and the tension between them began to dissipate. Truth be told, there was no deep grudge between them. Rather, it could be considered to be a series of misunderstandings.

With a hint of guilt in her tone, Lily explained, "Actually, they really did attack me first. Also, I had no idea those little energy orbs would cause such a huge reaction from everyone. I'm really sorry about that."

Lilith could sense the evident sincerity in Lily's words. The corners of her lips curled into a gracious smile as she said, "It's fine. I'm sure they were the ones who were senseless and provoked you first."

After all, gaining a potential ally was always better than making an enemy—especially if the other person was probably more powerful.

The fact that some of her descendants had died didn't affect Lily in the slightest bit. To Lilith, everyone on Dark Crystal Island could be considered a descendant of hers. Vampires died every day, and she couldn't simply mourn for each and every one of them, even if she was their Mother.

Unable to bear the awkward silence, Lily shifted her weight uncomfortably before saying, "If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave first. I'm really sorry for all the trouble I caused earlier."

Just as Lily expressed her intention to leave, Lilith had a different idea. With a warm and inviting smile, Lilith said, "Wait. Since you know Charles, you are my friend as well. As the owner of this island, would I have the honor to invite you to visit my castle?"

As soon as Lilith's words left her lips, the dark, ominous shadow behind her began to part. Several pale-skinned men and women stood in a row on each side of the dock. Their faces were somber yet dignified as they welcomed the guest of their mistress.

Elsewhere on the island, the other members of the Blood Clan emerged from their rooms. They nursed their injuries as they glared at the perpetrator of it all. However, none of them dared to make a move.

"Erm…" Lily was clearly reluctant to accept the invitation. Yet, she was really bad at expressing refusals, especially not when the other party had gone to lengths to show such grandiosity.

Taking the hesitation as consent, Lilith smiled faintly as she turned around and gestured for Lily to follow her. "Come along, it's rare for someone to get a chance to freely explore all of Dark Crystal Island. You know, many parts of the island are off-limits to outsiders."

"By the way," Lilith probed. "How did you come to know Governor Charles?"

Lily immediately caught on—Lilith was fishing for information.

"I am one of his crew members. But the Charles I know is from another plane," Lily replied truthfully. She didn't see the need to hide it; if anything, Lilith might even be able to provide some useful leads about the whereabouts of Charles in their current plane. Ŗã𐌽Ȯ₿Ês

After hearing the detailed response from Lily, Lilith couldn't help but marvel at the strange nature of the Subterranean Sea. Even after living over a thousand years, there were still things that could surprise her.

By this point of their conversation, the two had reached the inner district of Dark Crystal Island. Tall, slender buildings dominated the area, their sharp spires stretching toward the sky. The architecture, with its cold, muted tones, added to the distinctly gothic atmosphere.

Walking amidst the structures, Lily felt as though she were treading across the back of a spiked stone porcupine.

"My apologies," Lily replied. "Though I've lived for almost a thousand years, I've spent most of that time confined to this island. It's far too dangerous outside, after all.

"As for the island that allows you to traverse planes, I don't recall ever hearing anything remotely close to it."

However, Lily wasn't one to give up so easily.

"What about a moving island?" Lily asked. "One covered in trees and has a small house on it. Have any of your descendants reported encountering something like that?"

Lilith pondered for a moment as her eyes narrowed in thought. "Hmm… There are plenty of moving islands in the waters around the area. I'm not too sure which one you are referring to. Do you have any other details?"

Lily parted her lips, about to provide more details, but eventually stopped herself just before those words left her mouth. Even if she told Lilith that the island was Charles himself, it would prove useless.

If Charles didn't want anyone to recognize him, then no one would be able to, no matter what.

"Forget it, it's nothing," Lily muttered in disappointment. She raised her head, her gaze landing on the hollow spires of the distant castle.

"Do you mind telling me where the power inside you comes from? In my thousand years of life, I've seen and encountered much on both the surface world and in this Subterranean Sea.

"Aside from the death light back then, I've never encountered such overwhelming power. It's like… like the power of the actual sun."

Lily herself wanted to know the answer to this question as well.

"Honestly, my power comes from the Light God, but I have no idea why He gave it to me."

Lilith circled around Lily slowly before she stopped and asked. "May I… touch you?"

"Sure."

With Lily's permission, Lilith extended her hand, allowing her slender index finger to gently press on Lily's smooth cheek.

A sharp sizzle erupted as though the flesh had been thrown into a pot of hot oil. Black smoke rose from Lilith's fingertip as the acrid scent of burning skin filled the air.

Clearly, the power within Lily was hurting Lilith. Yet, Lilith didn't withdraw. Instead, she pressed her entire hand firmly against Lily's face.

Feeling this familiar pain coursing through her, Lilith's breathing quickened. As if caught in some intoxicating euphoria, her cheeks flushed a rosy hue, and her knees wobbled beneath her, threatening to give out.

"You sure you don't want to let go? You don't seem okay," Lily asked with a confused expression.

However, Lilith shook her head repeatedly as she continued to subject herself to the pain from this energy.

Her sharp fangs bit down hard on her bottom lip as she endured the pain and said, "Ah… this pain… It reminds me of those days on the surface world. Those special days…"

Suddenly, Lilith lunged forward and pounced on Lily. Her entire body trembled uncontrollably, and her skin began to blacken and crack to reveal stark white bone beneath.

Yet, despite her severe injuries, Lilith refused to let go.

"Have you ever been to the surface?" Lily asked, her voice laced with a hint of curiosity. Charles came from the surface, and she had always wondered what it was like.

"The surface…is unique. For you humans, it could be considered a wonderful place. But it's been so long…I don't remember much.

"What left the deepest impression was the time I was a captive of the Foundation. They locked me away, tortured me, tortured all of us…

"They even experimented on me and my kind. Back then, they weren't even called the Foundation… I can't even remember their original name then. But it wasn't what they go by now."

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