You Didn't See Anything Just Now, Right?

I had a dream.

In my dream, there was no Corrupted Ones, no shrine, and no shrine maiden.

I live in a city full of skyscrapers, leading an ordinary life. I need to go to a place called "school" to receive education and live a repetitive yet fun-filled life with my friends.

In that world, one would not need to face monsters, be involved in conflicts, or be polluted by the world.

But then, a voice rang in his ear.

"You are Amber, the strongest priestess in the world. You must become the Head Miko for the sake of all living beings. Only you can save them."

The voice carried a mixture of old age, youth, naivety, sighs, expectations, and helplessness.

The voice came from family, from mentors, and from himself.

From a young age, I've used this reason to tell myself to persevere.

Only I can save the world, so no matter how Affliction the cultivation is, no matter how severe the backlash from the Word Spirit is, I will not give up.

Because this is something only I can do.

However, perhaps it was under these circumstances, in such a life-threatening situation, that she hesitated.

The thought of retreating and giving up arose.

If we just keep sinking like this, will we be able to reach that Affliction, mundane, and monotonous world, yet full of hope and joy?

Exhaling like this, letting the cold, salty, and bloody seawater flow into one's throat and lungs, in the brief moment of completely sinking.

A force gripped her wrist tightly.

Then, that force pulled the Amber out of the sea.

"Puff--"

The instinct for survival caused Amber to spit out seawater, and her body, which was not very resilient, began to use healing techniques to repair the contaminated traces and the necrosis caused by drowning.

Even death isn't so easy for a shrine maiden.

As Amber was lamenting, she had already been thrown onto a wooden board.

"This is getting a bit troublesome."

Amber heard a familiar voice. She turned her head and saw the man from before. His name was Lu Ban.

"All the ships were destroyed. I should be grateful that I at least escaped?"

Lu Ban glanced at Amber, who was lying on the broken wooden planks of some unknown ship.

You'd better hold on tight.

"What?"

Before Amber could react, Lu Ban materialized his [Last Words] and fired at the wooden plank beneath him.

The plank immediately began to move at an extremely high speed, riding the waves as if it were equipped with the most advanced engine.

Amber spat out a few mouthfuls of water. She raised her head, her wet hair sticking to her cheek. The icy seawater was taking away her body heat, but what she saw before her was even more shocking.

A huge tower stands on the sea.

The tower seemed to be made of countless tentacles, constantly writhing and twisting. Its black body seemed to be made of shadows, and anything that touched it would be covered by darkness and merge into it.

Countless shipwrecks floated on the sea surrounding the tower, but not a single body was visible.

As she considered a certain possibility, Amber felt her body grow increasingly cold.

"They were all eaten?"

Amber looked at the enormous monster, and never before in her life had she felt such fear of the world.

"It looks like it's full, we're quite lucky."

Lu Ban didn't tell her that he had given that thing ten bullets containing the Speech Bullet of Great Being to keep it in its current state.

Suddenly, a black object emerged from the sea on one side.

"Wait a moment."

Lu Ban cried out, and the black thing immediately fell back into the water.

Although Amber didn't have time to look closely, she could still vaguely make out that it was something that resembled flesh and blood, eyes, and tentacles.

The next moment, Laika, now a corgi, jumped onto the fast-moving wooden plank.

"You didn't see anything just now, did you?"

Lu Ban asked.

"Of course not."

Amber chose to follow her heart.

On this vast ocean, Lu Ban is the only one I can rely on.

When she confirmed this fact, she felt unexpectedly relieved for some reason.

Perhaps deep down, she had always hoped to escape her duties, to escape her role as a priestess, because of this uncontrollable force.

"Now we have good news and bad news. Which do you want to hear first?"

Lu Ban asked.

"Bad news?"

Amber hugged her shoulders; her clothes were soaked through. These silk clothes would stick to her skin when wet and offered no warmth. She curled up in a ball, her lips pale, shivering.

Seeing this, Laika moved closer to Amber.

The water stains on its body had disappeared sometime during the day, leaving only a warm, fluffy feel.

Even though she seemed to have sensed Laika's secret, Amber still chose to get closer to Laika for warmth under its warm allure.

"Aww!"

Laika snuggled into Amber's arms as if she were thoroughly enjoying herself.

"The bad news is that the ship is gone, and we don't have any nautical charts. Although we can use these to move around now, I don't know the way."

Lu Ban glanced at the dog and said.

"And what's the good news?"

Amber felt her body warm up a little and pressed for an answer.

"The good news is that there is no more bad news for the time being."

Lu Ban smiled.

As for food, Laika can at least catch fish, and the fish meat can also replenish their water, so they don't have to worry about starving to death for the time being.

The most crucial issue is indeed navigation.

Lu Ban was able to use this plank to carry Amber to Harmony Island, but without knowing the route, he didn't know which way to go. It was already lucky that he could turn back to Narcissus Island. The worst thing was that he would rush directly into the Ashen Sea. Even if Lu Ban himself was okay, Amber might not survive.

"However, I remember looking at the nautical chart beforehand. There are some uninhabited islands or something like that nearby. If we're lucky, we might be able to find one before dawn."

Lu Ban said.

Why did you save me?

Under the starlight, Amber suddenly asked.

"Under these circumstances, I certainly won't be able to reach the Wa Island Grand Shrine in time, nor will I be able to become the Head Miko. Everything you and your companions are pursuing will come to nothing. You have absolutely no need to save me. You might as well use me to collect the bounty on those people."

She was very curious.

Although Amber rarely left home, she had read many books and knew the principle that everyone was driven by profit. These mercenaries were only protecting themselves for their own benefit, and now, she clearly didn't have that much value anymore.

"I will send you to the Wa Island Grand Shrine and make you the Head Miko."

Lu Ban gazed into the distance, searching for any possible uninhabited islands.

"I told you, you can always trust me."

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