Athena's Unease

It also seems like something terrible is about to happen to me.

That indescribable and elusive feeling terrified Athena.

Since the last time she compared Qin Chu and Jello in her mind and came to the conclusion that Jello was inferior to Qin Chu, and even began to question her feelings for Jello, although Athena had been trying to deepen her feelings for Jello, a vague unease still lingered in Athena heart.

Athena even had a real urge to turn around and leave, but she held back, because there was a fragment of Jello's Soul Fragment here.

The images of Qin Chu and Jello flickered in his mind.

Athena felt ashamed of her chaotic relationships and considered herself a shameless woman.

But this time, as long as I can successfully obtain Jello's Soul Fragment, I will definitely be able to strengthen my feelings. I definitely can.

Taking a deep breath, Athena's gaze hardened again. She lifted her foot once more and walked forward.

A long trail of footprints was left behind, which quickly disappeared under the cover of the wind and snow.

After a long time, Athena finally discovered a cave on the side of a mountain peak.

A hint of joy flashed in Athena's chestnut eyes, Athena quickened her pace, flying towards the cave.

Huff... Huff... Huff...

As soon as Athena arrived at the cave entrance, she immediately sensed heavy, beast-like breathing coming from inside.

Is there life inhabiting the cave? Could it be the Muse?

A wary Athena strengthened the magical shield around her before speaking, "Muse? Are you in there?"

Athena's clear voice echoed and reverberated through the cave amidst the wind and snow.

Huff... Huff... Huff...

The only response Athena received was the same panting as before, which made Athena frown. Muse fallen asleep?

Athena a brief hesitation, Athena stepped into the cave. As soon as she entered, Athena instinctively raised her small hand to cover her nose.

It smells awful.

It was the smell of stench and decay mixed together.

Rotting? Can anything rot in a place like this?

With a gentle wave of her magic wand, a fireball the size of a human head appeared and, under Athena's control, flew into it.

The firelight dispelled the darkness in the cave, and footprints were clearly visible on the ground, indicating that humans had been active there not long ago.

The fireball penetrated deeper and deeper, Athena chased after its light, her long, beautiful legs crossing as she moved forward step by step.

This cave is very deep.

After several minutes, Athena suddenly manipulated the fireball back.

The fireball moved too fast; only after the flames had passed did Athena realize that there seemed to be a shadowy figure huddled in the corner of the cliff.

When the light shone on it again, the first thing that caught the eye was a bright, cold glint—it was a huge axe.

As a member of the Hero's Party, Athena recognized it immediately; it was Muse's weapon. Sure enough, that guy was here.

As the light continued downwards, Athena finally saw clearly a figure curled up at the foot of the mountain, fast asleep, the snoring sounds coming from the creature.

Upon seeing that messy, bird's nest-like hair, Athena immediately knew who this guy was—who else could it be but Muse?

This guy is actually sleeping?

Athena had a black line on her forehead.

Slightly exasperated, Athena rubbed her forehead and spoke again, "Muse, I'm here. Wake up."

The Muse was still fast asleep, showing no sign of waking up.

Athena had no other choice but to walk towards Muse in her sexy black high heels, making a clattering sound. She bent slightly at the waist and patted Muse's shoulder, saying, "Hey, wake up... ah..."

Before Athena's fingers could even touch Muse's shoulder, she screamed as if she had suddenly discovered something terrifying, her body jerking backward, her face turning deathly pale.

Chapter 5 is here. Please vote for it and give me your monthly tickets.

Chapter 291 Athena's Anxiety (1)

Ah!

Athena's screams still echoed in the cave.

Even with Athena's strength and composure, she was startled when she suddenly saw Muse's current appearance. She retreated a great distance until her smooth back touched the cold stone wall before stopping.

Athena even doubted her own eyes. If it weren't for the axe next to her and that signature messy bird's nest hairstyle, Athena would have definitely thought she had mistaken someone for someone else.

The Muse is a madwoman.

That's how he got his reputation as a madman and berserker. No matter when, his face was always dark with a hint of red, but now it was pale with a bluish tinge, and his lips had almost turned blackish-purple.

If that were all, Athena would be shocked but not terrified. What truly frightened her were the things on Muse's skin.

His face was covered with a dense network of blisters, some as small as sesame seeds and others as large as peanuts, spreading across his entire face like a honeycomb without leaving a single gap.

At first glance, it only evoked a strong sense of fear and nausea in Athena, even giving her goosebumps.

Remember when the First-Generation Hero, Jello, mentioned claustrophobia, acrophobia, and trypophobia... Could this be what they call trypophobia?

Athena felt that Muse's current appearance should be a perfect match.

Occasionally, the Muse, fast asleep, seemed to feel an itch all over her body and reached out to scratch.

Crackling sounds...

A large number of blisters burst immediately, and clear mucus rolled down Muse's skin.

That's where the fishy, rotten smell comes from.

Then, it got even more disgusting.

Athena felt a chill run down her spine; she never imagined that the Muse would turn out like this.

Athena's relationship with Muse was never that great; although they were both members of the Hero's Party, that was all. Now, Muse's appearance made Athena subconsciously want to stay away from him, the further away the better.

So, what's wrong with Muse?

Are you sick?

Suppressing her nausea, Athena flicked her finger, sending a small fireball that struck Muse's hand, instantly burning several blisters.

The sleeping Muse seemed to be stimulated by the burning pain of the flames. She rolled over, sat up, and swiftly reached out her right hand towards the battle axe beside her.

Although he looked sickly and his body was swaying slightly, Muse's fighting spirit seemed to be branded into his bones and would never disappear. This man was ready to fight almost immediately.

His slightly swaying body still exuded the ferocity of a beast.

Only after seeing Athena opposite him did Muse release her hand from the axe handle. "Athena, it's you! You've finally come... cough cough... cough cough..."

The Muse spoke.

Athena was also surprised by his voice; it was dry and cracked, as if something was blocking his throat, and he spoke in a hoarse, rapid-fire manner.

He had barely uttered two sentences when he suddenly began coughing violently, spitting a mouthful of dark, thick phlegm onto the corner of the wall.

Athena felt increasingly nauseous, barely managing to suppress the creeping fear rising in her chest. "Muse, are you sick?"

Muse forced a smile and gave a wry one, "Lately... I really haven't been feeling well... Damn it... I guess I've caught a cold."

"I keep getting blisters all over my body; I'll have to go to the church for treatment."

It wasn't just blisters; when Muse swayed as she stood up, her bald upper body and face were almost indistinguishable, completely covered in a dense mass of blisters.

Is this a skin condition?

I've never heard of any skin disease being this severe.

"Let's get this done quickly and get out of this hellhole," Muse said breathlessly.

The once frenzied warrior has become so weak; where is the bravery and rage that once swept through hordes of Magic Creature?

"Although my healing skills are not as good as the church's... I'll still heal you first, it might make you feel better," Athena said.

"Really? Thank you then." Muse didn't refuse, even though he didn't like Athena either. But if Athena could treat him and relieve his itching and pain, Muse wouldn't refuse.

Athena's face was still somewhat pale, and the inexplicable fear and bad premonition in her heart grew stronger and stronger.

She was very uneasy!

Regaining her composure, she gently waved her magic wand, and a Water Healing enveloped Muse.

The Water Healing is merely a mid-level water-based spell.

It is also one of the few water-based spells that can heal injuries.

Of course, it can only treat injuries and not cure diseases, but it still has some effect, at least it can heal the scratches on Muse's body.

As for healing, the Holy Light of the Holy Church has some effect, and the Earth Mother Church also has many professional magical potions in this regard.

After a brief hesitation, Athena unfurled another scroll of Holy Light, and a hazy glow enveloped the Muse.

Muse's voice had recovered slightly, no longer as hoarse as before, and the blisters on her body seemed to have shrunk and were not as dense as before.

After undergoing both Water Healing and Holy Light treatments, Muse, though not fully cured, has improved considerably. To completely heal his illness, he will likely need to receive more advanced healing magic from the Holy Church, or perhaps receive a potion specifically formulated for his condition from the Earth Mother Church.

Although Athena had taken a lot of potions from the Earth Mother Church, she didn't know what Muse's illness was, and potions weren't something to be used casually.

Muse grabbed the axe handle and swung it around casually a couple of times. The axe blade whistled through the cold air, and she seemed to have regained some of her strength.

A smile of excitement spread across his face, "Athena, thanks!"

Although I don't particularly like Athena, this thank you was genuine.

After a brief pause, Muse continued, "Look, that's the secret room over there... That damned magical seal is blocking the doorway; I can't open it and I can't force it open."

Muse gestured towards a spot not far ahead, and Athena maneuvered the fireball toward it. A dark purple barrier appeared in front of Athena.

It seems that this is what is known as a magical seal.

Taking a deep breath, Athena walked towards that direction. She wanted to break the magical barrier as soon as possible, take the fragment of Jello's Soul Fragment, and leave this awful place. Although there was no one else here except Muse, a strange and eerie sense of fear lingered in Athena's heart.

Muse's condition had improved somewhat, but she still emitted an unbearable stench, so Athena maintained the magical barrier and it did not dissipate.

Sizzle... Sizzle...

As they approached the magical barrier near the cave, a faint fluctuation suddenly emanated from it, as if something had collided with it and been scorched by the intense flames.

This strange situation caused Athena to frown instantly, increasing her vigilance.

"How can... can it be untied?" Muse urged from behind.

Muse was getting impatient; he couldn't wait to leave this place.

But Athena didn't rush to break the magical barrier; instead, she first peered inside...

The stone slab is engraved with dense, tiny characters. The blackened, corroded, pitted remains clearly show the immense suffering endured before death. A fragment of Jello's Soul Fragment is made into a ring from his finger bone.

Dark red blood of some unknown creature was contained in a glass bottle.

A bizarre skull...

Metal implements covered with incomprehensible runes.

A strange earthenware jar... Inside the jar, tiny black worms wriggled incessantly.

The air was filled with a putrid stench.

The strange scene in the sealed room was unsettling to anyone. Were those remains the work of an alchemist in life? Or perhaps a magician skilled in potions?

But whether you're an alchemist or a magician, the materials in this secret chamber seem far too strange.

Especially those tiny, still-wriggling black worms inside the pottery jar... This secret chamber has existed for so many years, even the remains are just bones, the flesh and blood have completely rotted away, yet those worms are still alive?

The earthenware jar seemed to contain many strange things; as the black insects wriggled, one could occasionally sense a distorted mist emanating from the jar's opening.

Athena felt that the strange objects in the secret room were even more captivating than the fragments of Jello's Soul Fragment.

"Athena, what are you standing there for? Quickly release the magic seal!"

Seeing Athena standing there motionless, Muse grew impatient. What was this woman doing?

Urged on by the Muse, Athena's consciousness finally returned. Composing herself and suppressing her unease, Athena began to study magical restrictions.

This restriction wasn't particularly powerful, but its methods were quite ingenious. The restriction at the entrance was connected to the mechanisms inside the secret chamber. It was only because Muse had some sense that she didn't use direct violence to destroy it. If she had violently destroyed the entrance, the interior would have been affected, ultimately triggering a chain of explosions that would have completely destroyed the secret chamber.

By then, even Jello's Soul Fragment might be blown to bits.