"What is all this written here?"
Enjou spread out the scroll the Lieutenant gave him. It was still the same problem: he couldn't read.
He stared at it for a long time but couldn't make heads or tails of it. So, Enjou simply opened an Abyss Passage and tossed the scroll and map inside.
This Abyss Passage connected to Enjou's private secret space, filled with all his collected treasures.
Since the Lieutenant had given him his research findings with such care, Enjou felt it would be rude to just throw them away. He'd just return them to him sometime later.
"With a devout heart?" Enjou murmured the Lieutenant's words, looking thoughtfully at the dilapidated shrine.
He glanced around, saw no one, then knelt, pressing his palms together.
"great serpent god, great serpent god, open sesame!"
"Whoosh..."
The sea breeze blew, rustling the withered branches and fallen leaves.
"What the hell is this 'devout heart' thing anyway?!" Enjou rolled on the ground, screaming.
He was an Abyss Lector! Asking him to feel devout towards that great serpent god of Watatsumi Island was like asking him to die.
"Damn it! Let's see what's so special about this broken thing!"
Enjou looked at the dilapidated shrine and stone tablet, then immediately kicked it.
"Bang!"
Enjou's kick landed, but nothing happened. He twitched the corner of his mouth and slowly retracted his foot.
He had twisted his ankle.
"Hiss..." Sitting on the ground, Enjou sucked in a cold breath. What was going on today? Why was he getting thwarted at every turn?
Besides encountering that group of Fatui earlier, nothing good had happened.
He recalled his experiences since arriving in Inazuma, being robbed every three days and pickpocketed every two, and the more he thought about it, the angrier he got.
"Wah-yah-yah! My body's been restless lately, so I'll try it here!" Enjou's malice flared, and a burst of crimson-black smoke rose as he reverted to his original form.
The abyss chapter in his hand flipped open without a breeze, and a new page of text appeared on the all-too-familiar book.
Ever since receiving a warm reception in Higi Village, especially after being forced to drink the water infused with Washizu's tree bark, Enjou had felt a certain restlessness in his power.
And now, that restlessness troubled and tempted Enjou at every moment.
"#&..."
Looking down at the text in the abyss chapter, Enjou, who usually couldn't read more than a few words, found these characters so familiar that he could recite them after just one glance.
As the words were chanted, the forbidden power within Enjou began to interact with the elemental energy in the air.
More than an interaction, it was as if the Abyss power was forcibly pulling elemental energy into Enjou's body.
"Hmph..."
A completely different sensation appeared within Enjou. Unlike the scorching heat of previously introducing Pyro elemental energy, this time, a needle-like pain resonated within his body.
"Sublimate!"
Enjou roared, and then purple lightning spread and rose, engulfing the entire shallow beach.
"Sizzle~, sizzle~"
Enjou looked at the purple glow covering his body in surprise and couldn't help but cheer.
"Could it be... am I an Abyss Herald now?!"
Unfortunately, facts proved Enjou was overthinking. Before his cheers even stopped, the purple glow on his body rapidly diminished.
"My body is rejecting Electro elemental energy?" Enjou felt the persistent stinging pain inside him, as if he understood something.
"Next time, I'll have Enka shock me more!" Enjou immediately thought of a good way to adapt to Electro elemental energy. He was now eager to find Enka.
"Whoosh—"
The ground beneath him suddenly became extremely damp, accompanied by the ethereal sound of large schools of fish swimming, which jolted Enjou out of his fantasy of becoming an Abyss Herald.
"What is it?" Enjou turned around and saw a sky-blue spiritual orb that had appeared in the shrine at some unknown time.
He extended a hand, and the spiritual orb automatically flew into Enjou's grasp. "Does this count as... succeeding?"
Enjou scratched his head, put away the spiritual orb, and ran towards the designated meeting point without looking back.
As for how this thing came out, who cared? As long as it got into his hands, that was all that mattered!
Enjou left, leaving only the thunderstone on the ground sizzling.
Perhaps the person who set it up never imagined that one day, someone would solve this mechanism without even looking at the thunderstone.
..."Buzz—"
The Abyss Passage, reflecting starlight, opened, and Enjou emerged from it.
"Everyone's here?" Enjou looked at his companions. Without exception, each of them held a sky-blue treasure orb in their hands.
"Just arrived." Enyu glanced at Enjou, then nodded.
"Enka, give me an electric shock." Enjou leaned towards Enka, pointing at his arm.
"An electric shock? Did drinking tree bark water mess with your head?" Enka looked at Enjou as if he were insane. He turned his head and said to Ensa, who was playing with the treasure orb nearby:
"Ensa, make him another cup of tree bark water."
"Oh."
Ensa responded, then pulled out four glass cups and a handful of shriveled golden tree bark from his blue fur.
Before long, four cups of golden-yellow tree bark water were in everyone's hands.
"Slurp~, speaking of which, Enyu, when do we start our operation?" Enjou took a sip of tea and asked Enyu.
"Slurp~, when it gets dark." Enyu looked at the sky, indicating it was still early.
"Slurp~, speaking of which, do you guys feel like something's off lately? I keep feeling like there's a book in my hand recently." Enka looked at his companions and revealed his secret.
He had considered secretly researching it, but considering his character, Enka felt that if he had a book in his hand... it was very likely he had gone mad from the corrosion of forbidden power.
"Already had it." Enyu was not surprised; he had noticed his companions' abnormalities long ago but just hadn't said anything.
"Slurp~, I have it too. I can make hot tea now." Ensa also raised his hand and said softly.
"It's true!" Enjou exclaimed, raising his glass.
"It's true!" Enka took another sip, equally surprised.
"It's true! We'll make more in the future." Enyu patted Ensa, and his words finally showed some change... At night, Sangonomiya Shrine was still brightly lit, but the guards outside were significantly fewer than during the day.
"No one around, right?" Enjou furtively peered around, muttering to himself.
"If you keep talking, there will be someone!" Enyu clapped a hand over Enjou's mouth, then took the lead, pulling out a treasure orb and throwing it into the underwater cave beneath Sangonomiya Shrine.
The others followed suit, throwing their treasure orbs into what the people of Watatsumi Island called the "Bathing Moon's Abyss."
"Rumble!"
As the four treasure orbs entered, the calm Bathing Moon's Abyss immediately reacted, and the tranquil water instantly roared.
The water surged relentlessly, and a deep void appeared on the surface due to the water's rotation.
"What are you waiting for?! Jump!" Enyu saw the moving figures in Sangonomiya Shrine above, waved to his companions behind him, and then jumped down.
"Enkanomiya! Here I come!" After seeing Enyu jump down, the remaining few followed suit.
After swallowing the four travelers from the Abyss, the Bathing Moon's Abyss became calm once more, as if everything that had just happened had never existed... "What's going on? What was that noise just now?!" Kokomi, who was handling official duties, heard the roaring water outside and immediately rushed out of Sangonomiya Shrine.
"To answer your excellency, it is the Bathing Moon's Abyss that has changed." The Araumi Priestess, who had been standing by in full readiness, replied.
"The Bathing Moon's Abyss? How long has it been since Enkanomiya was last opened?" Kokomi pondered as she asked the Araumi Priestess beside her.
"It has been 427 years, Araumi Priestess-sama."
"Oh? I knew something was off about your Watatsumi Island. So the underwater vortex below is the eye of the formation."
"How about it? Do you need us Fatui to help?" The Lady asked with a smile, sensing the chaotic ley line energy around the Bathing Moon's Abyss.
"Thank you for Snezhnaya's kindness, but the'Spirit' ritual has been performed several times on Watatsumi Island, and for now, we do not need the Fatui's help."
"Ruko, give the order for the Araumi Priestesses to prepare for the ritual. It seems this'Spirit' ritual will most likely be held during my tenure."
"Remember, there must be no mistakes!"
Kokomi nodded her thanks to the Lady, then quickly gave her orders, as composed as if she had expected this all along.
-------------------------
If you enjoy this story, you can read 70+ advanced chapters on Patreon!
Webnovel will keep getting 1 new chapter every day but Patreon readers can stay far ahead.
Maybe it's not a big deal now… maybe it will be later.
[email protected]/Greyhounds
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"