Chapter 871: The Siren’s Shadow

Inside the deep cave, danger lurked everywhere, with dark-elemental beasts ready to appear at any moment.

As Xie Yao had just entered the cave, three dark shadows began moving toward her.

Xie Yao raised her right hand, and with a pop, a white glowing orb burst into existence in her palm, radiating dazzling light.

The three shadows paused momentarily. When they regained their vision, Xie Yao had already vanished.

Successfully using the flash to evade the three shadows, when Nie Yan looked ahead, Xie Yao had already disappeared into the cave’s darkness.

Checking the time, roughly ten minutes had passed, Nie Yan entered stealth mode.

The dark shadows in the cave were Shadow Mages—monsters with fast movement speed and strong physical attacks. Most were around levels 160–170, some reaching levels 180–190. Occasionally, an elite Shadow Mage would appear, wandering around the cave.

Nie Yan slowed his pace, carefully sneaking past them.

With so many monsters here, entering as a rogue wasn’t extremely difficult. However, as a Sage Enchanter, passing through such a dangerous area unscathed would be very difficult. Most enchanters would likely clear the monsters before advancing cautiously.

All along the way, there were no monster corpses on the ground—Nie Yan wondered how Xie Yao had managed to avoid them all.

Having played the Sage Enchanter for so long, Xie Yao was exceptionally smart. With her experience in Niu Ren Tribe, numerous raid participations, and Nie Yan’s guidance, her skills had become quite impressive. That was why she firmly held the title of the top Sage Enchanter in Niu Ren Tribe.

Thinking about this, Nie Yan smiled slightly.

Passing through the winding, narrow cave, the space suddenly opened up into an entirely different world. Dark energy filled the air, making one feel uneasy.

Crossing a grassy field, they arrived at a large lake. The surface was eerily still, the water pitch black with no boats or vessels in sight.

At the lakeshore, Nie Yan finally reunited with Xie Yao.

“Are we supposed to swim across?” Nie Yan asked, gazing into the distance where mist covered the lake, completely obscuring the opposite shore.

Xie Yao shook her head. “The lake is full of monsters, and the water is highly toxic. Contacting it causes continuous damage. Swimming across is impossible.”

“Then how do we proceed?”

“There’s a small boat on the lake. It should arrive shortly.”

Nie Yan and Xie Yao sat down by the lake, waiting while chatting.

“Apparently, Tang Yao is in love. He sends flowers to Zi Yue every day, and she’s practically tired of it,” Xie Yao suddenly changed the topic. This was a major piece of gossip in Niu Ren Tribe.

Nie Yan’s mind conjured an image of a face. Zi Yue was an alchemist in Niu Ren Tribe, a master-level one, and quite high in level. Tang Yao had learned the gathering skill, and every time he went out, he would bring back one or two high-grade herbs, handing them over to the tribe’s alchemists. It was probably through this back-and-forth that they became close.

“Does Yaozi have a chance?” Nie Yan asked. He cared about Tang Yao, hoping his friend could break free from his past curse and find happiness. In the previous life, Tang Yao had fallen for a bar hostess, knowing she was fickle, yet still being hopelessly infatuated. His quarrel with Liu Tianshi, which led to his death, all stemmed from that woman. In this life, Nie Yan hoped Tang Yao would no longer interact with her, and since Liu Tianshi was already dead, the shadows of the past could finally dissipate.

“Probably not. Zi Yue is a real beauty,” Xie Yao giggled.

“Then he’s doomed,” Nie Yan said, slapping his forehead. Tang Yao had always pursued beautiful girls since childhood, but never succeeded. This time likely wouldn’t be an exception.

“Why do you have so little confidence in Tang Yao?”

“It’s not that I lack confidence in him, it’s that he never gives anyone confidence. The kid stutters when he sees a pretty girl, and talking to him can drive anyone crazy.”

“And you, when you see a pretty girl, are you super smooth?” Xie Yao placed her hands on her hips, pretending to be fierce as she sized up Nie Yan.

“Why did the topic suddenly shift to me?” Nie Yan sensed the strong hint of jealousy in Xie Yao’s words, realizing he had said something stupid. He awkwardly chuckled. “Hehe, pretend I said nothing.”

They teased and chatted for a while. A few minutes later, through the mist, a shadow faintly appeared, slowly drifting toward them across the lake.

“The boat is here,” Xie Yao said.

Nie Yan’s heart tensed as he looked ahead. A small, unoccupied boat was slowly approaching, like a ghost emerging from the fog.

No one was rowing, yet the oars moved on their own, creating an eerie sensation.

If it weren’t for Xie Yao guiding him all the way, Nie Yan would have struggled to reach the other side.

The boat drew closer, eventually anchoring at the shore. A ghostly figure appeared at the bow, continuously rowing. His appearance was unclear, only his hands vaguely visible, as if they might vanish at any moment.

Nie Yan gripped his dagger, contemplating whether to eliminate the ghost. Xie Yao stopped him. “Without him, we can’t reach the other shore.”

Xie Yao led Nie Yan carefully onto the boat from the edge, sitting at the central seat.

The ghost raised his head, gazed blankly at Nie Yan, then at Xie Yao, and lowered his head again, beginning to row. The boat slowly drifted away from the shore.

Nie Yan cast Analyze on the ghost.

Lost Ferryman: Level: N/A, HP: 100.

He had no attack power; any player could instantly kill him. However, eliminating him would likely prevent completing the quest.

The boat slowly entered the foggy area, drifting aimlessly across the lake, making directions indistinguishable.

After about twenty minutes on the lake, the scenery remained unchanged. Indeed, without the ferryman, they wouldn’t know the way. Looking down, the lake water became clear—it wasn’t deep, and underwater plants were visible.

Looking into the distance, golden light seemed to emerge from the lakebed.

“What is that?” Nie Yan asked. The golden glow suggested something hidden underwater.

“There’s a chest at the bottom. We should see it in about three minutes. I’ve been here a few times before but never dared to retrieve it. There are water demons underwater. Once we dive in, the ferryman won’t stop the boat for us. Due to the fog, the boat will quickly disappear into the mist. If we go after the chest, we’ll have at most two minutes. Teleportation and similar items also fail in this area. If we’re left behind, we’ll only be able to wait for death at the same spot,” Xie Yao explained. This was a dangerous situation, and after careful consideration, she had never dared to retrieve the chest.

Nie Yan checked his pet interface. “Can’t we summon flying mounts here?”

“No,” Xie Yao nodded.

“What level is that chest?” Nie Yan asked.

“There’s too much underwater vegetation. I can’t see clearly,” Xie Yao shook her head.

Nie Yan began estimating the boat’s speed and his own swimming speed.

“Are you planning to dive in and retrieve the chest?” Seeing Nie Yan deep in thought, Xie Yao asked.

“Yeah, I want to give it a try,” Nie Yan nodded.

“But it’s very dangerous!” Xie Yao was concerned.

“If the system placed a chest there, it’s meant to be obtained. So we’re not completely without hope, right?” Nie Yan smiled. Fortune favors the bold. Many players in Faith lacked an adventurous spirit, overly focusing on stability and avoiding risky endeavors, eventually becoming mediocre. Nie Yan didn’t want to become like that. The greater the danger, the greater the reward.

Xie Yao understood Nie Yan’s personality; she couldn’t stop him.

“Be careful,” Xie Yao said.

“Don’t worry, wait for my good news,” Nie Yan replied confidently. He estimated the distance, roughly twenty to thirty yards from the chest’s location as described by Xie Yao. Using his jump skill, he leaped into the air, flying twenty to thirty yards across the water’s surface before plunging into the lake with a splash.

Upon entering the water, Nie Yan activated his underwater breathing skill, swimming around to locate the target. Soon, he spotted the chest Xie Yao had mentioned.

It lay quietly at the bottom, glowing with golden light. Due to the dense vegetation, Nie Yan could only glimpse parts of it.

Time was limited. Nie Yan dove down, swimming toward the chest’s location.

His altitude rapidly decreased. Nie Yan had often swum since childhood. After strengthening his physique, his swimming speed increased significantly. With underwater breathing, he moved even more freely.

About thirty seconds later, Nie Yan finally approached the chest. Standing at the bottom, he reached out to clear the vegetation. There, nestled in the sand and mud, was a golden chest, half-buried. Its unique design featured snake patterns carved on its surface, and the lock bore a symbol of a trident—a mark of the sea god.

It was a sub-legendary chest. Legendary chests were rare, so encountering a sub-legendary one was already fortunate.

Nie Yan quickly scanned the surroundings. The lakebed was quiet, and he didn’t spot the water demons Xie Yao had mentioned.

Staying too long might attract the water demons.

He needed to open the chest quickly, or else he might miss the chance! Nie Yan crouched down, extending his right hand toward the golden lock.

System: Opening chest, progress 3%…7%…36%…

Time ticked by. Nie Yan’s heart was filled with tension and anticipation. He hoped no monsters would appear to interrupt him, allowing him to successfully open the chest!

Looking up, Nie Yan noticed several dark shadows about ten yards away, rapidly swimming toward him.