“Could the iPad grimoire have sensed something?” Ye Chui’s heart leapt with joy as he noticed the sudden appearance of a small dot on the map. The iPad grimoire still held many mysteries. Could it be guiding him to something extraordinary? He hurriedly followed the cursor’s direction on the map.
Minutes later, he arrived at a dilapidated temple.
“This… seems to be the Temple of the Wealth Goddess?” Ye Chui pondered, drawing on Wade’s memories.
“In this world, after the famous ‘Fall of the Gods’ event five thousand years ago, the old gods were replaced by new ones. Most temples of the old gods were demolished, and information about them was lost to time, not even their names preserved. The Wealth Goddess was one such old god, but for some reason, this temple in Stan Town has remained intact. The dot on the map points here, but what’s here? Could it be treasure?”
With these thoughts, Ye Chui cautiously stepped into the Temple of the Wealth Goddess.
The temple’s hall was in ruins, overgrown with weeds, its stone walls cracked. Several stone pillars adorned with ancient patterns lay toppled across the central hall. The roof had long collapsed, and every corner bore the cruel marks of time. Yet, miraculously, despite five thousand years of weathering, the temple still stood.
It was as if it stubbornly persisted, waiting for something to arrive. Standing in the hall, Ye Chui inexplicably felt this sensation.
Located on the outskirts of the town, surrounded by barren grasslands and near the town’s cemetery, the temple had likely been forgotten, allowing it to endure.
The most striking feature in the abandoned temple was a stone statue at the far end. Though heavily damaged, it depicted a petite female figure, undoubtedly the legendary Wealth Goddess. What puzzled Ye Chui was that she held a massive, imposing sword almost as tall as her body.
“The Wealth Goddess wields a giant sword? What kind of bizarre goddess is this?” Wade had never been here, so seeing the statue filled Ye Chui with a powerful sense of intrigue, urging him to learn more about this strange deity. He approached the statue and gently reached out to touch it.
Then, something extraordinary happened.
The moment his hand made contact, a crack appeared at the point of touch, rapidly spreading in all directions. A cacophony of crumbling sounds echoed from the statue and its surroundings. Ye Chui snapped to attention, his expression one of utter shock. Bloody hell, he’d only touched it. Was the whole place about to collapse?
Boom!
The already ruined statue of the Wealth Goddess completely collapsed. Ye Chui scrambled out, covered in dust. Turning back to the cloud of debris and scattered rubble, he panted heavily, wondering if someone would suddenly appear, accusing him of destroying an ancient relic and demanding compensation. Surely this wasn’t some elaborate scam?
“Hm?”
As these thoughts swirled in his mind, Ye Chui’s expression shifted. A door appeared on the ground amidst the ruins, a portal floating in mid-air!
His eyes widened at the surreal sight. Through the door, he glimpsed a dim world, like a shadowy corridor in a grim castle. He saw a rough stone wall, and more astonishingly, a girl.
She wore an ornate robe, though it bore signs of damage, as if she’d just endured a fierce battle. Exhausted, she leaned against the wall, catching her breath. The appearance of the door made her turn her head, and through it, her gaze met Ye Chui’s. Her delicate, pretty face was overcome with astonishment, her mouth agape. She rubbed her eyes with one small hand, as if ensuring she wasn’t hallucinating.
The Wealth Goddess statue had collapsed, and a door appeared above the ruins, through which Ye Chui and a girl locked eyes across space. What kind of development was this?
Suddenly, the girl glanced behind her, her face tightening with urgency, as if something was chasing her. Hesitation flickered across her small face before resolve settled in. She took a few steps toward the door, reaching out to Ye Chui, her large eyes pleading for help.
The scene before him surpassed Ye Chui’s imagination. Even Wade likely couldn’t have made sense of it immediately.
Yet Ye Chui remained calm. After a brief moment of shock, he reached through the door, grasped the girl’s hand, and pulled her out with all his strength.
Thud!
Ye Chui and the girl tumbled to the ground. For a fleeting moment, he recalled scenes from anime where such falls often led to the boy’s hand accidentally landing somewhere inappropriate. Unfortunately, no such cliché occurred. Through their contact, Ye Chui realised the girl was petite, and notably, her chest was flat as a board.
The girl had black hair similar to Ye Chui’s. As she fell onto him, her hair brushed across his face. Beneath the strands, her face was inches from his, a beautiful and refined visage that looked about fifteen or sixteen. She let out a soft groan. “Ouch!”
She quickly scrambled off Ye Chui, turning to look behind her. Following her gaze, Ye Chui saw the mysterious door slowly closing.
“I’ve finally escaped that wretched place. Where am I?” the girl asked in a language Ye Chui understood, her voice tinged with relief at escaping danger. She glanced around, then at Ye Chui, who was still on the ground. She jumped back, eyeing him warily. “Who are you? Why could you open the entrance to that dungeon?”
“What dungeon?” Ye Chui got up, a bit annoyed. “What kind of attitude is that? I’m the one who pulled you out. And I didn’t open any dungeon entrance. It appeared on its own.”
“Oh, is that so?” The girl’s expression softened slightly. “Sorry, I’m a bit on edge. I’ve been trapped in that awful place for days, found no treasure, and got chased by magical guards. I ran out of food quickly, had no water, and don’t even mention sleep. Ugh…”
Her words sped up, filled with complaints about her ordeal, as if she couldn’t wait to vent. Then she stopped abruptly, realising it wasn’t appropriate to share so much with a stranger. She gave Ye Chui an awkward smile and said earnestly, “Thank you for pulling me out. I’m Debbie, but I can’t share my surname yet. It’s a basic rule for adventurers.”
“Fine, I’m… Ye Chui.” He decided to use his real name.
“Ye Chui?” Debbie paused. The name was strikingly unusual in this medieval European-style world, and pronouncing the Chinese name in this world’s language felt awkward. But she adapted quickly, nodding. “That’s an odd name, but I’ve heard stranger. I’ll remember it. I’ll never forget your kindness. The Anduin family never forgets those who help us.”
Ye Chui raised an eyebrow. “Er, the Anduin family? So your surname is Anduin?”
Debbie’s petite frame trembled, her face shocked. “Oh no, you tricked me into revealing my identity!”
Bloody hell! Ye Chui rolled his eyes. “You said it yourself…”
“Oh…” Debbie looked deflated. “My mistake… Since you know my identity, take me home. According to the old man’s rules, if you catch me adventuring without permission, you’ll get a hundred gold coins as a reward.”
Ye Chui’s eyes widened. From her words, it seemed she craved an adventurous life, but her family elders disapproved, so they set a bounty: anyone who caught her sneaking out for adventures would earn a hundred gold coins.
Looking at Debbie, who seemed to expect him to escort her home for the reward, Ye Chui felt an odd sensation. A possibility dawned on him. “The Anduin family? I’ve never heard of it. Where is your family located?” Wade’s memories held no record of this family.
“You haven’t heard of Anduin?” Debbie’s eyes widened, and she scanned her surroundings again. “Where is this?”
“Stan Town, where the Elf Prairie meets the Wilderness Forest,” Ye Chui explained.
“By the gods!” Debbie exclaimed. “I’ve travelled all the way to the north of the Warmwater River?” Her face lit up with joy. “The old man would never guess I’d come this far. I’m free! Debbie can finally start her adventuring career, haha!”
The Warmwater River was a vast river cutting across the Gustro Continent. Stan Town was hundreds of kilometres north of it. From her words, Debbie was from south of the river. She laughed triumphantly, hands on her hips, looking smug. Then she yelped, “Ouch!” and collapsed onto Ye Chui.
Startled, Ye Chui caught her. “What’s wrong? Were you injured in that dungeon?”
“No,” Debbie’s lively face showed weakness. “I haven’t eaten in three days. I’m starving…”
Ye Chui was speechless.
Though the girl was peculiar, he decided to help her. He struggled to lift her, planning to take her home. But before leaving, a thought struck him. Was it his imagination, or did Debbie bear a slight resemblance to the Wealth Goddess statue?
