That lingering sense of weakness and internal heat seemed to be truly alleviated slightly by this gentle and continuous flow of energy.
"As I thought... soaking in the sea was the right call..." Lovia sighed contentedly.
If she had known it was this simple, she wouldn't have forced herself to go out last night—not only did she almost collapse on the road, but she also ran into Xingqiu again.
Thank goodness it was Xingqiu; if it had been some native NPC, she surely would have been treated as a magical creature and sold off in a heartbeat!
Speaking of Xingqiu, he had helped her a lot. Once she recovered from this illness, she would definitely have to pay him a proper visit to thank him.
While thinking, Lovia breathed freely in the sea.
Just as she was immersed in her "seawater therapy" and felt her condition improving bit by bit, a faint "gurgling" sound interrupted her relaxing thoughts.
(It was the same sound from before she fell asleep last night, but Lovia had forgotten about it in her half-awake state.)
The sound was very faint, echoing directly in the depths of her mind, yet it also felt as if it were behind a thick curtain of water—unclear, but possessing a rhythm and a sense of intimacy.
Lovia snapped her eyes open and looked around alertly.
The seabed was very peaceful, with only shimmering light. Except for her and some leisurely marine life, there was nothing around.
"A hallucination? Or have I become muddled from the illness?" She shook her head in confusion, trying to attribute the sound to tinnitus caused by her fever.
However, when she calmed her mind again and tried to continue the "Hydrotherapy," that "gurgling" sound appeared once more!
This time, it was a little clearer—no longer just meaningless noise, but more like a call.
The feeling was truly bizarre; it wasn't heard through her ears but acted directly upon her perception, ringing inside her mind.
It seemed to originate from the depths of Lovia's bloodline as a Melusine, yet it didn't seem entirely so.
Lovia was stunned, allowing the cool seawater to gently push her body, her emerald eyes filled with uncertainty and alarm.
"What was it?"
"Is something in the sea calling me?"
"Or... does every sick Melusine receive this kind of 'mother's greeting' when they return to the sea?"
"No, no, it should be a 'father's greeting'?"
Lovia tried to decipher that faint "gurgling" sound, but it was too weak and intermittent to understand its meaning. She only instinctively felt that the sound held no malice and even gave her a strange sense of peace.
Just what was it?
Was it a phenomenon unique to this sea area? Or... was it related to her sudden "illness"?
"Forget it, I can't figure it out..." Lovia finally decided to give up thinking about this question that was beyond her scope. Anyway, soaking in the seawater did make her feel better, and that was enough.
Although she gave up active thinking, in such a comfortable state, Lovia's mind began to go blank, and her thoughts unconsciously drifted toward the fragmented memories she possessed as a "player."
Melusine... a name suddenly flashed through her mind—Elynas.
That massive, gentle "Father" who had fallen deep within the Erinnyes Forest of Fontaine and was regarded as the origin of all Melusines.
She remembered the game saying that all Melusines were born from the flesh and benevolence of Elynas, and that there existed a mysterious connection between them that transcended distance.
This thought gave Lovia a sudden jolt.
Could it be... that this call ringing in the depths of her consciousness... came from Elynas?
But how was that possible?
She looked up subconsciously, her gaze seemingly trying to pierce the surface of the sea to look toward distant Fontaine (though her direction was actually wrong, as Lovia didn't really know where Fontaine was).
This was Liyue, separated from Fontaine by more than ten thousand miles. At such a vast distance, how could she still receive a message from "Father"?
Even with a shared bloodline, this resonance was far too exaggerated and bizarre... or was it a "message" received passively?
Just as a sick child might unconsciously murmur for their parents, could it be that as a child far from "home," in her state of extreme weakness and instinctive search for comfort, the resonant connection deep in her bloodline with "Father" had allowed her to capture a "message" from him?
At this thought, Lovia felt a strange throb of emotion—not fear, but a deep sense of belonging originating from her very body.
-------------------------
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!"