Chapter 19: 18. Voice of the Earth Abyss

18. Voice of the Earth Abyss

"I feel so terrible... Li Ang..."

Zoe bit her lip tightly. Her cute cheeks, usually full of vibrant, rosy color, were now completely pale, like a doll that had been drained of its vitality.

"Where do you feel terrible? Has this happened before?"

Li Ang quickly observed her body, trying to find the source of the problem.

"No, it's the first time... My head feels so swollen, there are so many voices inside, talking to me..."

Voices? Did this have anything to do with the roar from just a moment ago?

"What are the voices saying?"

"Pain, hatred, rebirth..."

Zoe squeezed her eyes shut, her long, curled eyelashes instantly covered in teardrops. Hair dampened by sweat stuck to her face, and her lips trembled uncontrollably.

Li Ang hurriedly picked her up, returned to her room, and laid her on the bed.

The girl's body kept trembling. She gripped Li Ang's arm with difficulty, only relaxing slightly when he held her hand, their palms clasped together.

Only then did he realize how small and cute her palms were, though they were white from the force of her grip.

Several minutes passed before Zoe's pain seemed to subside slightly.

Outside the window, the night hung low, and the entire Satus Island was deathly silent, which was unusual.

It was the season when grass grew and orioles flew; in the past, after nightfall, the mountains and meadows of Satus Island would be filled with the chirping of insects.

He still wondered if it was because Zoe's house was soundproofed well, but he focused his hearing and still heard nothing.

A few minutes later, that low roar, sounding like an echo from a cavern, appeared once again. This time, it startled a large flock of birds in the forest.

It seemed that the sound just now wasn't heard only by Li Ang, but had spread across the entire island.

But Zoe seemed capable of receiving more voices.

Li Ang took the adventurer's lantern from his waist and lit up the room.

As an adventurer, he always carried this kind of tool with him. Though called a lantern, it was actually a product of magitech production; as long as the energy stored in the core didn't run out, it would keep shining, unaffected by wind or water.

After staying with Zoe for two or three hours, as the sound of insects gradually rose outside the window, the girl suddenly sat up from the bed.

The pain seemed to have vanished in an instant, and her face was once again wearing a vibrant smile.

"I'm all better."

"Is there anywhere else you feel uncomfortable?"

"No, I feel great, refreshed and clear-headed."

After getting off the bed, the girl even jumped in place.

Li Ang felt a bit strange and opened her character panel.

【Name: Zoe】

【Race: Unknown】

【Class: Swordsman, Tier 2.】

【Summoned Beast: ?】

【Energy Source: ?】

【Equipment: Sinking Steel Bracers, Tier 3. Wasteland Beast Leather Boots, Tier 3. Wind-Breath Sword [Treasure], Tier 3.】

【Ultimate: Class Ultimate - Gale Rapid Slash】

【Skills: Star Soul Greenhouse, Swordsman [Sturdy Physique, Morale Boost]】

Soon, Li Ang discovered she had gained a passive skill, and it was a concept he had never heard of.

What was a Star Soul? And what was a Star Soul Greenhouse?

Selecting the skill individually yielded no specific information.

【Skill: Star Soul Greenhouse】

【Activation Method: Passive】

【Special Constitution, status unknown】

From this moment on, the mystery surrounding Zoe's identity as the "world's female lead" seemed to reveal a tiny corner.

Li Ang began to think about things he hadn't noticed before.

Her summoned beast and energy source were displayed as question marks, and her race was "Unknown."

When she drew the Wind-Breath Sword, the energy source was the wind element crystal inside that treasure. This suggested that the question mark might mean "exists, but not yet revealed."

If looked at from this perspective, she had a summoned beast already contracted, but he didn't know where it was.

In the three days Li Ang had been in contact with her, he hadn't felt any trace of it at all; even she herself showed no sign of knowing she could command a summoned beast.

As for race, "Unknown" was a classification method in the Newbis world.

On the islands scattered across the various sky domains, which were difficult to count, there were numerous races. Even if the same race had been separated by the sky for tens of thousands of years, they could still be biologically confirmed as the same kin.

But there were some people who, while appearing identical to a certain race—and even believing themselves to be so—would exhibit completely different traits.

Either their physical strength was countless times greater, or they were born with energy stored in their bodies; the most extreme among these people would even grow features of monsters.

Scholars in the City of Magic speculated that this was caused by them possessing a mysterious lineage.

Such cases were all classified as "Unknown" race.

The system wouldn't lie; Zoe indeed had a special nature, it was just that Li Ang couldn't see it.

Whether in appearance, physical ability, or even talent, she was no different from an ordinary human.

Now, the only thing that could be said to be related to it was this "Star Soul Greenhouse."

"Zoe, do you feel any changes in yourself compared to before you heard the voices?"

"I feel like my body is lighter."

Li Ang had originally thought the girl jumping around after getting off the bed was just her personality, but now it seemed otherwise.

Whether one admitted it or not, a person's actions and thoughts were often related to their physical state. Since she felt great now, it was very likely that her Star Soul constitution had activated some kind of power.

"Can you tell where the voice you just heard came from?"

"It feels like... over there..."

Zoe squinted, recalling the sensation, and then pointed in a direction.

The girl pointed in the direction and moved forward. Li Ang followed behind. After leaving the room and rounding a corner, he discovered that the place she was pointing to was exactly her family's basement.

"What's in your basement?"

"I don't know. When my parents left, they told me not to go in, saying it was just unwanted clutter."

"Let's go take a look." Li Ang felt it was very necessary to check.

"Oh."

Zoe glanced at him, a subtle emotion flashing through her eyes, then she obediently went to open the door.

As the basement door was pushed open, countless dust motes fell down with a rustle. Li Ang shone the lantern at the entrance and saw that it was indeed piled with some clutter.

He adjusted the adventurer's lantern to beam mode, which functioned like a flashlight. The two followed the stairs down and entered the basement.

There was a long table here, with dust-covered books, dried-up ink bottles, and curled-up quill pens left on it.

Not far from the long table, there seemed to be a water well.

A water well in a basement? This kind of setup was rare.

The well had no drawing mechanism; a giant boulder was pressed onto the wellhead built of stone bricks.

Arriving before the boulder, he saw a seal on it, and the pattern of the seal was one he had never seen before.

Without breaking the seal, it was impossible to move this boulder.

【Hint: Satus Island exploration rate reached 90%, hidden location: Earth Abyss has been unlocked. Hidden locations contain rich rewards, please strive to explore.】

Zoe's basement counted toward the exploration rate? A hidden location?

Li Ang opened the mini-map and saw a label named "Earth Abyss" appear on the map, currently overlapping with his position.

It was almost as if it were saying the entrance to the hidden location was right here.

What meaning did this basement hold?

Li Ang came to the long table, set down the lantern, picked up the book, and saw that it was actually a notebook.

He opened the first page, and Zoe leaned her little head over, the two reading together.

"Guild Calendar Year 291, September 17th

"Today, the new home is finished. Zoe is running up and down the stairs; it seems her body is no longer affected, and Lily and I are both very happy. Satus Island, such a remote and backward island, shouldn't have any more Star Souls. I only hope that child grows up healthy."