Chapter 422: The Old Site

Chapter 422: Chapter 422: The Old Site

The sight quickly drew the attention of the still-chattering group.

Lily Hart gazed at the waves, which towered over ten meters high. They were incredibly imposing, surging violently as if threatening to drown everyone on the shore.

She was suddenly reminded of Cheryl Rivers. Her superpower was also water-related, and she too had a habit of conjuring massive waves at a moment’s notice.

The group stood on the shore with no protection whatsoever. The wind blew a fine mist over them, which felt like a hydrating facial spray.

The massive waves lasted for a full half-minute, merely sloshing back and forth on the lake’s surface and occasionally blanketing them in mist.

It was completely harmless.

Lily Hart wiped the water from her face and motioned for Frost Shaw to put away the umbrella. "That’s all?"

When the waves subsided, the lake’s water level dropped abruptly. From the locations of the twelve zodiac heads, twelve paths faintly rippled into existence, all leading toward the center of the lake.

The zodiac horse was directly in front of Lily Hart, and behind it stretched one of the paths to the lake’s center.

Frost Shaw took the lead. He vaulted over the railing and activated his superpower, freezing the watery path solid.

He then turned and offered Lily Hart a hand, but she had already vaulted the railing and landed steadily on the ice, waving his hand away.

"Let’s go, let’s go. To the center of the lake," Lily Hart urged.

At her words, Frost Shaw quickened his pace, freezing the lake water ahead of them as he went. Roman Rowe and the others followed close behind, making sure to keep Simon Keane flanked in the middle of their group.

They reached the center of the lake, where a massive whirlpool was spinning at high speed. It felt as if a single glance could get you sucked right in.

Just then, Simon Keane said, "Jump in."

"Huh?" Before Frost Shaw could even process what was said, Lily Hart had grabbed his hand and pulled him down into the whirlpool with her.

Seeing this, the others behind them paired up and jumped in as well, trying their best not to be left alone.

Owen Warren and Stan Sterling took Simon Keane with them and leaped in.

After jumping in hand-in-hand, Lily Hart and Frost Shaw were instantly enveloped by the water. They spun and spun with the whirlpool... for who knows how long...

"Lily Hart? Wake up? Lily Hart..."

She shook her head, feeling sticky and incredibly uncomfortable all over.

’What’s going on? Did I not shower before bed? And what’s that constant buzzing in my ears?’

’So annoying! Can’t a person get some sleep?!’

She rolled over, but the sound was inescapable. Was someone even patting her face?

Lily Hart’s eyes flew open. She was about to yell, but was met by several pairs of worried eyes. Their heads were circled above her, completely blocking her vision.

She counted them one by one: Frost Shaw, Roman Rowe, Owen Warren, Leo Colby, Seth, Stan Sterling, Cynthia Whittaker, and Simon Keane.

They were all there.

Lily Hart instantly felt much more at ease.

"Where is this?" Lily Hart asked.

"The old headquarters of The Mysterious Clan," Simon Keane said, his expression complex.

Lily Hart sat up and surveyed her surroundings. She was on a beach with fine, soft white sand that didn’t prickle.

In the distance was the sea, with waves periodically lapping at the shore, carrying a salty breeze.

Along the shore were rows of single-story houses. They were surprisingly ancient and primitive, with an old-world charm.

’Lily Hart found it hard to believe. Did this place really exist at the bottom of that lake?’

’Or... was this a parallel universe? A place that didn’t exist in their post-apocalyptic world, with Glimmerfall merely being one of the entry points.’

Lily Hart asked, "Then where would Elder Shaw and the others be?"

The place looked vast. Before them was a boundless sea, and the shore also seemed to stretch on without end.

Nearby were the single-story houses, while in the distance, a castle seemed to loom, shrouded in a thick white mist that obscured the view.

Simon Keane thought for a moment. "Follow me. I think I know the way."

He looked so at ease, as if he knew the place well. Lily Hart couldn’t help but wonder, ’Could he be an elder from one of the families?’

They headed toward the single-story houses. The surroundings were utterly silent, broken only by the soft whisper of their footsteps on the sand.

The sound made Lily Hart’s skin crawl.

As they walked on, the vegetation grew denser. There were tall coconut trees and low-lying shrubs.

The plants here didn’t seem to be mutated at all, retaining their pre-apocalyptic forms.

A gust of wind rustled the bushes, and Lily Hart felt even more on edge. She had a bad feeling that something was about to happen.

"Stop! Who are you!"

Suddenly, a group of people burst out from the houses. Though unarmed, they had an intimidating presence and immediately surrounded the newcomers.

The two groups immediately faced off, and everyone instantly shifted into a defensive or offensive stance.

Only Simon Keane remained perfectly calm. He reached into his cloth bag, fumbled around for a moment, and pulled out a small wooden token.

He tossed it on the ground in front of them with a CLACK. It wasn’t thrown with much force, but it landed with a solid, definitive sound.

At a moment when everyone was on high alert, this single action shattered the tense standoff.

The group stared at it, and a chill went down their spines. Someone cried out, "Ah, it’s the Sanctioner! We’re done for!"

With that, they scattered, fleeing back into the houses at the speed of light. Then, there was complete silence.

Lily Hart and the others were left speechless.

All heads swiveled in unison toward Simon Keane. Roman Rowe, quick as a flash, snatched up the small wooden token.

It was exquisitely crafted with intricate patterns. The front depicted a pair of lifelike lips, encircled by countless vines.

He examined it from every angle but couldn’t see anything special about the token, so he handed it back to Simon Keane.

Lily Hart asked, "You’re a Sanctioner? The Sanctioner from The Mysterious Clan?"

Simon Keane spread his hands, dropping the act. "That’s right," he said, laying his cards on the table. "It’s me. The last Sanctioner on Earth."

The last one.

That sounded very important. Very precious.

The group immediately closed ranks around Simon Keane. He definitely needed to be protected, treated like a national treasure.

Suddenly, Lily Hart understood why he was unwilling to show his face.

The Mysterious Clan had eyes and ears all over Cathaya. If he were to be recognized, the world’s last Sanctioner would be no more.

But that raised a question. Lily Hart asked curiously, "Are they allowed to attack a Sanctioner?"

Simon Keane shook his head, then nodded. "Technically, they’re not supposed to kill humans, but..."

That’s exactly why The Mysterious Clan cultivates teams of superpower users to do their dirty work, sending them in one after another.

Roman Rowe was also curious. "Then how do you, an ordinary person, sanction them?"

Simon Keane’s brow furrowed. "I may not have a superpower, but Sanctioners are born with a special ability. That, however, is classified."

Everyone gave him a knowing look and didn’t press the matter.

They chatted as they hurried along, finally arriving at the place Old Man Keaton mentioned, where Elder Shaw and the others were being held.

Strangely, aside from the group that darted out of the single-story houses, they hadn’t encountered anyone else along the way.

’They had superpower users stationed at Glimmerfall, so why was their old headquarters completely quiet?’

Lily Hart and the others were on high alert.

The single-story houses were gone. In their place stood a magnificent medieval castle.

But years of being uninhabited had left it devoid of life. Thick green vines clung tightly to its surrounding walls.