The tranquil water of the pond stirred without wind, the swirling current like boiling water in a kettle.
A figure resembling a Nymph slowly rose from the pond.
Lake-green skin, long dark green hair, and... the same celestial presence.
The only distinction from Miss Nymph’s natural beauty was that the Lady of the Lake seemed to emit a soft, subtle glow from her skin.
Thanks to Lann’s experience with TikTok—she had a divine filter.
This easily distinguished the Lady of the Lake from ordinary Nymphs in essence.
After the lady appeared, the Nymph gracefully stood up, walked to a stone by the pond, and elegantly sat down, facing Lann with the lady.
The Demon Hunter felt this indicated that the Lady of the Lake wasn’t particularly concerned with her majesty.
So he also abandoned his formal posture.
"Hello, Demon Hunter."
Contrary to the imagined grand or majestic voice, Lann felt speaking with the Lady of the Lake was no different than speaking with a Nymph.
"You are even more radiant face-to-face than in the reflection on the water."
Lann pursed his lips.
Alright... The goddess sure is down-to-earth.
"Lady, I came here..."
Shaking his head, Lann prepared to directly propose a request for mutual assistance to the Lady of the Lake.
But before he could finish, the Lady of the Lake interrupted him with a smile.
"You want a person who died unexpectedly to speak. The purpose is to save more kind-hearted children, which is admirable. But as I see it..."
"This person did not die due to ’accidental’ causes."
"You’ve been targeted by some ’thing,’ right, Lann?"
The Demon Hunter’s once calm demeanor began to surge and swirl within the two sentences spoken by the Lady of the Lake.
His cat-like eyes narrowed slightly, and his brows furrowed tightly.
"It seems, Lady, you know the intricacies of that ’thing’?"
The Lady of the Lake shrugged gracefully and amicably.
"’Ancient evil from beyond the world’... Knowing just this concept is sufficient for you. More detailed information is too much for you to bear at this point."
Lann gritted his molars secretly.
The notion that even the information was unbearable for him now... was identical to Gant Odim’s self-introduction.
She truly understood the existence of that guy!
Lann’s gloves creaked with the sound of leather rubbing.
While facing the Glass Boy, he had maintained a calm disposition, even slightly mocking.
But in reality, he fully understood that compared to that entity’s level of existence, he might just be a little puppet enacting a story on a piece of paper.
Whether it was his insistence on retrieving Ubank’s corpse or probing for information on [Necromancy],
these were all his acts of defiance, yearning to grasp any glimmer of hope.
But he always felt, if his actions were of any use, then why would Gant Odim, who could see through time, ignore them?
However, now, a goddess herself appeared, showing understanding of Gant Odim.
And "understanding" meant it wasn’t untouchable!
"Please forgive me, Lady. I initially thought you were just a small deity residing in the lake, trying was worth a shot. That’s why I concealed... certain things."
"But even if the outcome isn’t successful, as long as you try, I will fulfill our agreed promise to drive away Da Gun for you."
Lann sincerely apologized to the lady.
The Lady of the Lake chuckled, waved her hand, and walked from the center of the pond to the side of the Nymph Messenger, sitting down close together.
She truly lacked the demeanor of a "divine being."
The lake-green skin rubbed together affectionately, their dark green hair intertwined.
Both of their teasing gazes fell on Lann.
It was the Nymph who somewhat begrudgingly responded to the Demon Hunter’s apology.
"The lady’s power isn’t just Vizima Lake; as long as the world holds the five virtues of a knight—honor, wisdom, generosity, bravery, and compassion. As long as these virtues exist, the lady will always be with them!"
Lann understood in his heart.
The Lady of the Lake is not an Earth God confined by geology or location. In fact, even the Deer-headed Spirit that can manipulate forest strength counts as a kind of Earth God.
And that’s a pretty mighty Earth God.
She is a conceptual deity born from and symbiotic with the concept.
"In that case, my concealment was unnecessary."
"Lady, can you dispel that ’thing’s’ influence and let this corpse speak to answer questions?"
"Before answering you, you must clarify one thing—have you formed any intention of a deal with that ’thing’? Even verbally?"
Lann shook his head without hesitation.
Mentos recorded his every move, and within a second, it retrieved all the dialogue scenes between Lann and Gant Odim.
After three rounds of analysis, it confirmed that even in implicit agreements, the two had not reached any consensus on intentions.
So Lann responded confidently.
The lady’s fingers were twirling her long hair, her tone relaxed.
"Beings that reach agreements with that ’thing’ always bear some mark, akin to a branded mule. Perhaps it’s its sinister humor. To confirm it, I’d have inclined to strip you down and check thoroughly."
Here, the lady and the Nymph exchanged glances, laughing uproariously like girls hearing a bawdy joke.
"But I assume you’d probably be displeased, and your character earns my trust, so let’s leave it at that."
Lann’s mouth twitched slightly.
He was quite serious at the moment, but unfortunately, the ones who could get things done were not serious.
After the laughter, the lady composed her demeanor.
"Without a mark, it doesn’t have binding power over you. It can only do minor antics around you, as it did with this corpse. These are the rules it set for its own game."
"Someone who prides themselves on their profound skill and wishes for full enjoyment of the game is least likely to cheat."
"Da Gun’s evil equals that entity’s force in essence, bestowed by Da Gun’s Sect Leader. But due to the loss caused by the celestial sphere’s intersection projection, it can be contained by my manipulation of Vizima Lake’s power here."
"Trying to break through this evil power without ’cheating’ is impossible."
The Lady of the Lake’s explanation eased Lann internally.
Though Lann’s knowledge in the occult could be considered that of a layman,
the current explanation, at least logically, was sound.
The Demon Hunter nodded slightly, indicating his acceptance of the suggestion.
A sudden applause came from the island.
Accompanied by a voice seemingly amicable on the surface, but chilling within.
"Splendid! Splendid! Lann, truly splendid!"
A bald man, resembling a down-and-out traveling merchant, walked past Lann and stood between him and the Lady of the Lake.
In an exaggerated, theatrical gesture, he bowed to the people on both sides.
"Congratulations, you’ve eluded my sight once again, Lann."