V3: Chapter 78: At the Bottom of the Sea, There is No Light
Just then, Liang Lin suddenly felt a powerful force coming from behind. She turned around abruptly and saw a gigantic tentacle attacking her. The tentacle was as hard as steel, covered with sharp barbs.
Liang Lin couldn't dodge in time and was struck by the tentacle, instantly losing consciousness.
Before losing consciousness, she heard Octaville's urgent calls.
When Liang Lin awoke, she found herself trapped in a huge cage woven from tentacles.
All around was pitch black, with only the eerie light of that eye flickering in the darkness.
Liang Lin felt despair. Her life force was rapidly draining away. She knew she had to find a way to escape as soon as possible, otherwise, she might die here—no, she definitely would die here.
How could I die before completing my mission?
The surroundings were dimly lit, and there was no sign of Laura or Octaville; she had no idea where they had gone. However, she could still breathe, unsure whether it was because Octaville might be nearby, or because the magic Octaville had cast on her hadn't completely dissipated.
Of course, now wasn't the time to think about such things.
Splash~
Liang Lin drew her enchanted sword from her waist.
To be honest, the resistance in the water was immense. Liang Lin couldn't even muster the strength to swing her sword. Although she was still fast and precise, compared to on land, her movements were much weaker and even slower.
Liang Lin tried to use her enchanted sword to break the cage, but the tentacles were alive and quickly repaired the damage from her attacks.
At first, seeing that she could cut through the tentacles, Liang Lin felt quite excited and hopeful. However, the tentacles' regenerative ability was simply too strong, and their healing speed was simply too fast. Before Liang Lin could even swing her sword a second time, the severed area had completely healed.
Liang Lin wasn't one to give up easily, and she persisted, continuously swinging her sword, hoping to speed things up. At the same time, she harbored a sliver of hope—
What if I swing faster, and the tentacles don't grow back so quickly?
Unfortunately, it was all in vain.
Time passed second by second.
The surroundings were so dark that she didn't know how much time had passed.
Was it ten minutes?
An hour?
Three hours?
Twenty-four hours?
Liang Lin had no idea.
She only felt that time was passing incredibly slowly, and the movements of her arms gradually slowed down. Even with her strong body, she couldn't withstand such a drain on her energy, and her arms began to ache.
In this dim light, with no pocket watch around, she couldn't see anything, not even how many times she had slashed—
Hundreds? Thousands? Tens of thousands?
Ah…
Liang Lin had lost all sense of time.
But this wasn't her fault; besides herself and the tentacles, there was nothing else around.
What was going on? Why? Why had I been slashing for so long without any effect?
Evan felt despair; she wasn't sure if she could leave this place alive.
Ah…
Why did I suddenly feel this frustrated and dejected?
She was never one to give up easily, but why did she feel increasingly negative, increasingly unwilling to move?
Liang Lin's sword movements slowed, and her eyes became vacant.
Why am I here?
If she were at the Langwendi mansion right now, she should be chatting and having dinner with her sister, wife, children, and friends.
Why am I here, doing things that endanger my life?
She wants to go back, she longs to go back…
She regrets it so much.
Why did I come here?
I'll die here, won't I?
I'll never see my sister again, never see my newlywed wife again, never see my lovely children again, never see my friends with whom I have such deep affection.
Ah… why must life be filled with regret? Go back, go back home, that's where I belong.
Liang Lin's eyes became completely empty, the light in them gradually disappearing, turning into a murky darkness.
She lowered her head, looking at the sword in her hand. It seemed to have become dilapidated from long-term use, the blade still sticky with murky fluid. The longsword that had once fought alongside her through life and death was now mottled, as if dried by time and rusted.
Why has it become like this? It shouldn't be like this…
Yes, it shouldn't be like this.
Her longsword shouldn't be like this.
It has slain so many evil enemies, so many dark monsters, severed so much injustice and ugliness in the world. It shouldn't be like this, and it never will be.
Why has it become like this?
Liang Lin felt wave after wave of dizziness and disorientation.
No…
Something is wrong...
Her longsword, a fine sword that had been with her for twenty years, had never been so mottled, so worn.
And… Liang Lin's eyes brightened slightly.
Isn't my longsword enchanted?
It could harm Liang Di's tentacles, and it could harm the tentacles of other monsters, so why couldn't it harm the tentacles of the seabed?
Is it because the tentacles of the seabed were different?
No… that can't be.
Liang Lin suddenly shook her head violently, her mind instantly clearing considerably.
"Phew!"
How terrifying!
The instant she regained consciousness, goosebumps rose all over Liang Lin's body.
That sudden surge of negative emotions couldn't possibly have been of her own making; she was never that kind of person.
So there was only one possibility:
The influence of the tentacles, or perhaps she… had unknowingly become immersed in an illusion!
Thinking this, Liang Lin's eyes widened sharply.
The latter was far too likely!
The tentacles always loved to play these tricks, silently pulling people into illusions, torturing them, watching them suffer in fear, or perhaps indulging in false happiness. This was the terrifying aspect of these indescribable beings.
Thinking this, Liang Lin raised her longsword once more.
This time, Liang Lin's gaze was resolute and powerful. She gathered all her strength and launched a final attack on the cage.
Buzz!!!
With a deafening roar, the cage finally broke open, letting in a faint ray of light.
Liang Lin's eyes regained their brilliance.
Yes!
Just get out!
Just get out…
Liang Lin struggled to swim towards the glimmer of light.
But just as her hand touched the light, she abruptly pulled it back, hesitating, and didn't continue swimming.
Two voices swam through her mind.
One voice urged Liang Lin to swim out quickly, that getting out would end this illusion.
The other voice told Liang Lin not to go out, absolutely not to go out, for going out meant going to hell!
"Why hell?"
Liang Lin asked the second voice.
"Because… haven't you noticed? There's should be no light at the bottom of the sea."
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