The giant turtle's eyes were filled with the weight of endless years.
When it looked at the people still trapped in the illusion, its gaze held neither joy nor sorrow—only ancient indifference.
It began to turn its massive body, crawling toward the shore. Its mouth slowly opened, as though it wished to change its diet and swallow all the "intruders" whole.
This horned bone-crusher noticed something unusual among the humans—
An "outsider."
And this outsider… was staring right back at it.
For a moment, actual emotion appeared in the turtle's eyes—something that could only be called surprise.
But it vanished in an instant.
Surprise turned into curiosity, and then into doubt.
Viserys realized it had noticed him. He clenched his back molars tight.
The muscles on his jaw bulged from the pressure. Understandable — any ordinary person would tremble if a mountain-sized creature fixed its gaze on them.
"This must be the Old Man of the River, right?" he thought.
The initial wave of fear passed, and Viserys forced himself to calm down.
He noticed that this enormous turtle didn't seem to be a mere beast. In its turquoise eyes, distinct, almost human-like emotions flickered one after another.
Suddenly, the giant turtle opened its mouth and let out a hoarse hiss toward Viserys.
With that sound, the river began to churn. Black shapes spilled out from the riverbanks.
Crabs, turtles, and giant toads.
The crabs were massive—some as large as a human head, others nearly the size of a hound. Their hard shells clacked together with a chilling sound, like bones being struck.
The turtles and toads that followed were no less intimidating. Especially the toads—their calls were so loud they drowned out all other sounds.
Viserys calmly drew his sword.
He hadn't expected Nasar to be this strange and cursed.
He clearly remembered that in the original events, the "Maid of the Shy Grass" had also passed through Nasar.
The little dwarf and his crew had seen this same giant turtle—and it hadn't been aggressive at all.
So why was it hostile now—toward him?
For Viserys, escaping alone wouldn't be difficult. The problem was Arthur and the others behind him.
He dragged the edge of his thumb across the blade. Flames burst forth along the steel.
Orange fire lit half his face.
He suddenly felt as though he were some tragic hero, standing alone before thousands, refusing to flee.
Only this time, there was no army behind him—and his enemies weren't men, but monsters.
Crabs, toads, turtles—he wasn't even sure he could cut them down. Their shells alone would likely dull his sword.
Four large turtles surrounded him, while the rest of the river creatures scuttled and hopped toward Arthur and the others.
"Grandfather, take me next time too~~" Jona mumbled sweetly into empty air.
A toad's long tongue coiled around her slender waist.
Still trapped in the illusion, she was like a lamb being led away—no resistance at all.
It was the same with everyone else—some were being dragged by crabs gripping their ankles, others pushed along by turtles butting their backs toward the river.
The scene was so eerie it made one's scalp tingle. For a moment, Viserys wondered if he was still dreaming in the illusion.
He wanted to save them, but the four huge turtles kept him completely surrounded.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed one of his guards—Gorys—had somehow lost a shoe.
Blood trickled down from his ankle, caught in a crab's pincer.
Viserys gripped his burning sword, staring at the giant turtle on the riverbank.
His mind spun rapidly. As a water mage, he could force the river to rise into a mighty tide.
Yes, that technique was almost suicidal—but what other choice did he have?
But just then, the giant turtle—likely the Old Man of the River—suddenly turned its head toward Gorys.
In its turquoise eyes, a flicker of alarm appeared.
The next second, all the creatures dragging the illusion-trapped people released them at once, as if they had touched something they should not.
They retreated swiftly, slipping back into the water.
Viserys didn't notice.
He was too focused on channeling water magic—churning the river's surface into violent ripples.
The giant turtle, its attention briefly fixed on Gorys, now sensed the rising river and looked back at Viserys.
A new emotion appeared in its eyes—something wary, cautious.
It opened its mouth and let out a deep call toward Viserys.
The water creatures surrounding him immediately parted, forming a clear path leading to the turtle.
Realizing his threat had worked, Viserys exhaled slightly in relief.
After all, these were river dwellers. If a battle broke out… who knew which side would suffer more in the end?
The giant turtle looked at him and nodded ever so slightly. Its eyes were no longer cold—it now regarded Viserys as someone it could speak to.
"Is it… asking me to come over?"
Viserys hesitated, but he really had no other choice.
Even a dragon must bow before the local gods—and this turtle had likely lived for centuries.
The distance between man and turtle was roughly a quarter of a league—about half the length of a training field.
Viserys walked forward slowly.
The surrounding creatures watched him in total silence.
Toads with pitch-black rectangular pupils, crabs with stalked eyes like antennae, turtles with their murky green irises.
Being stared at by one person makes you uncomfortable.
Being stared at by a group makes you want to run.
Being stared at by a crowd of things that aren't even human—
No words could describe that feeling.
His heart slammed against his chest as though it wanted to burst free. After what felt like ten minutes, he finally stood before the giant turtle.
The turtle lowered its head, gazing down at Viserys.
Its eyes were full of curiosity.
"Are you a Blessed One? A child of the Rhoyne? Or a follower of the Red God?"
An ancient, weathered voice echoed in his mind. Like an artifact buried in the ruins of Nasar, whispering across centuries.
"Blessed one? Red God? What does that mean?" Viserys muttered softly.
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