Chapter 869: The Role of Affinity

The "resurrected" wolf led the way in front, and the knight led the horse, walking through the forest in the sunset.

As the intense sunset gradually became dim, Xia De also went deeper into this logging site.

Time and space seemed to become chaotic here, and the rippling light made everything in the logging site look like it was attached with strange luster. In a trance, Xia De seemed to have walked into the light and shadow of the old era, like a real knight, holding a sword and leading a horse, pursuing everything he longed for.

He stared at the wolf intently. As the forest became denser, it finally drilled into the grass in the depths of the forest and disappeared. Xia De subconsciously quickened his pace, and when he led the horse out of the grass, what he saw was the forest lake rippling with water under the last ray of sunset, and the island in the middle of the lake.

The wild wolf stood by the lake and didn't move forward. Xia De opened his mouth in surprise, hearing the horse behind him snorting from its nostrils, somewhat impatient, stepping on the ground with its iron hooves.

He stared wide-eyed at the scene in front of him. The last sunset in the distance of the horizon reflected on Xia De's face, and Xia De couldn't believe that he had found this mysterious lake under such circumstances:

"But why would the 【Swamp Witch】 lead me to find this place?"

He let go of the reins, holding the sword and subconsciously walking toward the lakeside, but at this moment, the mysterious lake under the sunset, like a projected phantom, suddenly shook, and then the image of the lake faded little by little, revealing the real appearance of the forest.

The keen Xia De had already noticed the spatial change, knowing that this was because this lake would only appear during the day, and night had arrived at this time.

The wolf, which was closer to the lake water, had already plunged into the lake and then swam toward the island in the middle of the lake with a dog-paddling posture. Although Xia De didn't know what would happen if he disappeared with this lake, he still anxiously wanted to get closer:

"Space Stabilization Halo!"

Invisible ripples spread to the surroundings, but the miracle had no effect on the lake that was about to leave.

Xia De finally arrived a step late, watching the mysterious and tranquil lake water disappear before his eyes, leaving only the empty logging site, bathed in the moonlight.

Around that mysterious lake, there were genuine miracle elements, but these elements also lost their traces with the disappearance of the lake. Even, because of the departure of that wolf, the whisper elements around also disappeared completely, leaving only the date-red horse behind him still waiting for Xia De.

"The experience of Old Mr. Grave in Lower Lu Se Village is like a fairy tale, and my encounter today is also like a fairy tale."

He picked up the reins again, preparing to set off to return to Huntington City. He didn't have no harvest; at least he could be sure that the "Lake of Cherub" where the "Goddess of the Lake" lived in the western part of Huntington City in the Sixth Era was not the Lost Lake visited by the Witch Empress when she visited the deity in 5177 of the Fifth Era.

Leading the horse and walking two steps, he looked back at the forest with some reluctance, at the position where the lake should have existed:

"Does this luck count as good or bad? Clearly found it, but because the time was wrong, watched it disappear before my eyes. Next time that lake might not appear here... But since I was able to find it the first time, I will definitely be able to find it the second time."

Although he didn't set foot on that lake water, Xia De subconsciously felt that what he was looking for was on the island in the middle of the lake. This mysterious lake, although completely different from the terrible Lost Lake in 5177 of the Fifth Era, also hid the power Xia De wanted to pursue.

The task of pursuing divinity had become increasingly clear. Xia De knew that he had already found the right direction. All he needed to do next was to find the lake again, and then, face the trial waiting for him.

After riding the horse back to the city, Xia De didn't immediately go to the White River Valley Vineyard, but found the retired folklore professor Mr. Kansas Drake, who lived in the old city area in the western part of Huntington City, again.

When Xia De rang the bell outside the fence gate, the gas lamps in the entire block had already been lit. The air pollution in the old city area was better than in the main city area of Huntington, so one could see the brilliant starry sky in the early winter season.

It was still the fat maid who opened the fence gate for Xia De and led him to see the professor in the study. The maid had already prepared dinner and was just about to push the professor's wheelchair to the dining room, but when Xia De entered the study and seriously explained that he wanted to talk about the "Goddess of the Lake" again, the professor hesitated for a moment, then looked at him in surprise, and it took a long time before he waved his hand and said:

"Okay, Mrs. Sendy, you go out first, and call us when we're done talking."

The fat maid closed the study door in the corridor, Xia De sat on the chair outside the desk, and the professor turned the wheelchair wheels with effort to return behind the desk:

"Mr. Watson, you... you found it?"

The warm yellow light of the grape-shaped gas lamp in the study illuminated Professor Drake's face, which had various expressions such as worry, surprise, fear, and expectation. The elderly man had received countless young people eager to find legends, but this was the first time he had such expectation at this moment.

Xia De nodded lightly, but shook his head again:

"It can be said that I found it, but I didn't find it. To be precise, at the last moment before sunset, I saw that lake. But when I got close, it disappeared. I can be sure that it was not an illusion; that lake really appeared before my eyes for a short time."

He described the scenery of the lake and the blurry appearance of the island in the middle of the lake to the professor.

The professor in the wheelchair widened his eyes, his body leaned back slightly, and he breathed heavily:

"This is truly... Mr. Watson, you found it so easily, but you found it at the last moment of sunset, this luck..."

His face turned red, and then he suddenly covered his forehead. Xia De stood up immediately upon seeing this, and the professor waved his hand to let him not worry, but took a small bottle from the desk drawer and tremblingly put a black pill the size of a sesame seed into his mouth:

"My blood pressure has been a bit high in recent years, and my heart has also had some problems, but my friend prepared herbs for me. I really didn't expect that you could bring me such a surprise before I die."

He stabilized his emotions, closed his eyes to adjust his breathing, then shook the small bottle at Xia De, and then asked:

"Can you tell me what you encountered today?"

"Of course, I also have some questions I want to ask you."

Xia De started from arriving at Lower Lu Se Village today, omitted his experience of riding a horse around Lu Se Lake to look at the scenery, and went straight to encountering the wolf pack in the evening.

This gave Professor Drake a fright:

"I know there are wolf packs outside the city, you actually ran into them?"

"Yes, fortunately I brought a gun."

Xia De said, and then mentioned that he was chased into the forest by the wolf pack, and after helplessly shooting and killing one of the wolves in self-defense, the other wolves scattered. But the wolf that should have died was resurrected, leading him all the way into the depths of the forest until he saw the mysterious lake.

Professor Drake sighed endlessly after listening to Xia De's "story":

"Every story I once recorded about encountering the 'Goddess of the Lake' was so fascinating, Mr. Watson, your story is also so fascinating. Of course, it is also the most dangerous one among them. The wolf pack in early winter is extremely aggressive. If you hadn't brought a pistol, I really don't know what would have happened."

After obtaining Xia De's consent, he decided to add this story to his records, and the reason Xia De specifically came here was to ask another question:

"I heard that in recent years, more citizens have encountered the 'Goddess of the Lake' in the eastern part of Huntington City than in previous years.

Do you have more specific information about them here? I want to visit them. Since I was able to really find that lake nearby based on the experience of the villagers in Lower Lu Se Village, maybe I can find that lake again in the areas where others encountered the 'Goddess of the Lake'."

The information Professor Drake gave Xia De respected the privacy of those who provided stories, so there were only a few records from long ago, such as Old Mr. Grave who was blind in one eye, that contained the real identities of those people.

Xia De wanted to know the real identities of the citizens who had encountered the "Goddess of the Lake" in recent years, or even this year, from the professor, but the professor hesitated:

"Mr. Watson, I know you want to truly set foot on that island in the middle of the lake. But in the current records, no one has ever been able to see that mysterious lake twice."

"But my experience this time is clearly different; only I saw the lake, but I couldn't walk over."

Xia De emphasized very seriously:

"So, that lake might give me a second chance. In this way, I might also be able to help you find out what you encountered that year."

The old professor pursed his lips and frowned slightly, as if thinking. Although he longed to know the truth about what he encountered that year, those who shared their experiences with him also said so because of trust. Professor Drake wanted to know the truth, but didn't want to violate his principles because of it.

He wanted to open his mouth to refuse the young man in front of him, but looking at his serious appearance at this moment, he subconsciously believed that he would definitely be able to succeed. Neither of them spoke. Under the bright gas lamp in the study, Professor Drake felt in a trance that this guest was so approachable and so reliable.

Finally, he sighed:

"Okay, young man, you convinced me. But I must tell you in advance that I have hired people to investigate all the locations mentioned in the records, and there was no harvest at all."

Not only the professor, Xia De believed that the local Orthodox Church must have also sent a team of ring warlocks to investigate the situation, but there was also no harvest:

"It doesn't matter, you just need to give me the name and address, and I will solve the rest."

He reached out to the professor, and the professor closed his eyes:

"Some people are not so easy to hand over their stories."

Xia De showed a smile:

"It doesn't matter, you just need to tell me one thing."

"What thing."

"Among these people, does anyone like to play Rod cards?"

7017k ===== CHAPTER 870 =====