Amphoreus, the Ancient City of Dragonbone of Styxia
After Jiang Xing and Castorice were "delivered" to her, Cipher left with a "Bye-bye~" and disappeared.
The two stared at each other for quite some time.
"Your Excellency... are you alright?"
Xinghou belatedly realized, clutching her dizzy head, "I'm so dizzy... we seem to have been speeding."
"And where did you bring this to? Is it still Amphoreus?"
Xing put away her " Flipping Coin," realizing that pirated goods can never beat the original.
She is the demigod of " Trickery," and when she tosses the " Flipping Coin " high into the air, she gains unparalleled speed, appearing and disappearing in an instant.
"Like now, she doesn't seem to have any intention of staying a second longer... It seems we'll have to rely on ourselves for the rest of the journey."
Mimi popped out of the hourglass necklace, "... You can lean on someone!"
" Mimi, have you paid?"
"Oh, well... I'm so small, I'm not tall enough, so can I get a free ticket?"
"This is Styxia, the city-state of dragons and waves... According to the teacher's conjecture, the missing Thanatos is hiding in these ruins."
"This... is its birthplace, or its final resting place," said Castorice.
"I know the answer to this question: Fallen leaves return to their roots."
"The teacher once used alchemical secrets to successfully merge his soul briefly with Cerces and Kephale, and on his deathbed, guided by Thanatos, he glimpsed the flowing River of Souls."
Castorice speculated, "Perhaps the trial known as the 'blasphemous act' can draw mortal souls to the Titan..."
"Although Thanatos has been virtually unknown for the past millennium and has never been found by believers, perhaps that gravity... can summon it here."
"Oh! So, we're going to use that Philosopher's Stone to... conjure up the Titan here?"
"That must be it. However, the only clues we have right now are the name of this city-state and the legend of the dragon..."
Mimi murmured, " Thanatos is even more mysterious than others..."
"Yes, a teacher's wisdom can only illuminate the small patch of ground beneath our feet. Once we take the first step, the road ahead is shrouded in unknown fog... But this isn't the first time in my long journey."
"I believe... it's better to set off than to hesitate. Perhaps today, fate will show mercy and spare a little kindness."
Suddenly, a butterfly of unusual color flew in front of the two of them, like a guiding fairy.
Mimi's attention was instantly drawn to the shimmering purple butterflies flitting about. "What beautiful butterflies! Are they talking to us?"
"These are the ' Whispering Butterfly,' always fluttering about in places where many have perished."
"In Aidelia, some consider them the mercy of Thanatos. It transforms the last vestiges of the dead into these creatures, as if creating specimens of life."
"Others believe that they are followers of Thanatos, guiding the souls of the dead to the Underworld."
Mimi chased after the Whispering Butterfly flitting about, "I feel the last explanation is more believable, after all, its statement was a bit too... well, too direct?"
"Perhaps. But being able to hear them whispering at least means we're getting closer to the world of the dead."
Along the way, Castorice and Xing encountered many 'phantoms' lingering here.
But it was later learned that these people were not phantoms, but the spirits of the victims.
Castorice found it strange, "They should have followed the River of Souls to the end of the West Wind... but now they are stranded on the shallows of the Styx, hesitant to move forward."
Did Thanatos reject them? Or were they never truly dead at all?
Xing, however, had a different idea. "Is it possible that we're dead?"
"That's impossible!" Mimi complained from the side.
"Sigh... maybe we can still be saved."
"You've already identified yourself as the deceased? Your adaptability is truly impressive!"
Mimi looked at Xing, at a loss for words.
"This is unprecedented..."
Castorice pondered, as if a spirit had mentioned 'living people'? Were they not the only living beings she had encountered?
"Could it be that the departed souls are lingering here because they were tricked by someone?"
In an instant, Castorice seemed to have found the answer in her heart.
As expected, the next second Cipher's light and melodious voice reached their ears:
If it's done out of good intentions, can it still be considered "deception"?
"Kindness? This seems... wait... Cipher Saifeier?"
"Yes, it's me."
Cipher makes a dazzling appearance. It has to be said that having the " Flipping Coin " is indeed convenient, but the power of her " Trickery " is still too much.
"Are you dead too?" Xing asked 'presumptuously'.
" Huizi... it's very unlucky to say that." Cipher tossed Xing a cup of milk tea.
"Could the living beings the dead encountered before be...?"
"I couldn't bear to see it any longer, so I stole some from the east and cheated some from the west, hoping to give them a little more hope in their lives."
Cipher helplessly spread her hands, "You've all seen what this place looks like—these poor people are shut out of the Underworld, trapped within the few snaps of their fingers from their previous lives, unable to move forward or backward."
"Did you see those two blacksmiths on the road? I wonder how long they've been there, trying to forge a shield over and over again... Ugh, Styxia, that's terrifying." Cipher gasped.
"So, why has Cipher returned?"
"Don't get me wrong, I'm not here to help you with your adventures... After all, water is the thing I hate most in my life, especially this stinking River of Souls..."
Xing nodded. "Hmm~ Cats are afraid of water, that makes sense."
"... Ahem, I just suddenly realized something before I left, and I felt I should pass on a message to you."
"That child Death Denial —I found his footprints here?"
" Mydei... Your Excellency?"
Xing and Mimi both turned their gazes towards Castorice. Was Mydei still exerting his strength?
"Oh, I remember now, that's the name! Anyway, I've delivered the message... As for whether it's useful or not, you can decide for yourselves."
"--See you later, Shut-in Princess, Huizi!"
Cipher waved, "This time it's really over~"
In the blink of an eye, Cipher disappeared, leaving Mimi completely stunned.
"Huh... she just disappeared like that?"
" Cipher has always been... capricious. But in any case, she has brought us valuable information."
"If Mydei is also on this shallow beach, then he will surely become our guiding light."
"Because he is different from those wandering souls... even in the world of the dead, he will surely find his way."