Chapter 473: Trial and Betrayal

After the Fire Pit was extinguished, the village fell into silence, only the Church still emitting a faint warm yellow glow.

A Stone Descendant guard holding a spear stood at the Church entrance. Hearing footsteps, he glanced into the darkness, then gave a slight bow: "Elder Camila."

The newcomer was an elderly Stone Descendant woman.

Camila Belmont, one of the few priests in the Stone-Heart family.

In a clan that had been stranded overseas for hundreds of years, the Priest should have been the one closest to the ancestors, yet the inheritance of spells on this island had been broken for the most part.

Now, she was the only priest left capable of performing soothing rituals.

"Are they all doing alright?" Camila asked in a low voice, her gaze passing over the guard's shoulder and looking into the Church.

The guard replied: "Still the same as always. A few of them stirred up more trouble tonight, but after the others held them down, they quieted down."

"Damian has been quiet the whole time though. Doesn't make a fuss, doesn't cause trouble, just stares blankly into space."

Camila nodded without saying anything more and walked past the guard.

The interior of the Church was much more spacious than it appeared from outside.

This building had originally been constructed when the Stone Descendants first settled on the island. The walls were carved with ancient reliefs, depicting the migration epic of the Stone Descendants' golden age.

Several ore fragments were embedded in the dome, reflecting the light of the flame-extinguishing stones.

Camila slowly walked past row after row of seats, her gaze sweeping over the seated figures one by one.

Some hung their heads low, others stared at the walls with hollow eyes, their lips twitching as they muttered unintelligible words.

They all wore gray robes, but they were kept very clean.

After confirming that no one had soiled their clothes from vomiting, she stopped at the front of the Church, folded her hands over her chest, and began to chant a prayer in a low voice.

As she whispered, a soft halo of light spread from between her hands, like warm tides slowly washing over every corner of the Church.

The figures that had been murmuring in the darkness gradually quieted down, the madness in their eyes slowly sinking into calm.

Soon, they fell asleep one after another, their bodies naturally petrifying, wrapping themselves in stone shells.

Camila lowered her hands, and the halo slowly faded.

She looked at the rows of petrified figures before her and let out a sigh.

She knew these spells could only grant them temporary peace, not truly heal them.

This madness originated from the depths of their souls, a manifestation of Hopkins' will, something that prayer alone could not purify.

All she could do was ease their suffering and let them find a moment of tranquility in their petrified dreams.

Perhaps one day, they would break free from the madness on their own. She didn't know how long that would take, or whether it was even possible, but she was willing to keep watching over them here.

She took one last look at this quiet field of statues, then turned and walked along the corridor toward the entrance.

As she passed the end of the benches, her steps paused. She glanced at Damian.

This young Stone Descendant who had just returned with the mainland Stone Descendant fleet seemed to be much calmer than the others. Whether that was a good thing or not, she couldn't tell.

Camila looked at him for a few seconds, turned off the lights, and continued toward the entrance.

"Keep a good watch tonight," she said to the guard at the door.

The guard nodded to her and tightened his grip on his spear: "Rest assured, Elder Camila, I won't let anything disturb their slumber."

Camila's figure disappeared into the darkness. The guard stood at the Church entrance for a while, then slowly sat down against the wall.

After who knows how long, the Stone Descendant guard on night watch also felt a wave of drowsiness wash over him.

His eyelids grew heavier and heavier. He slowly closed his eyes, and the skin on his body gradually hardened, freezing him into a stone statue.

And at that moment, faint whispering sounds rose from the darkness of the Church.

"...Master... I can sense Master's presence," a voice said quietly.

"He... is nearby. He is in trouble."

"...He needs... our help," another voice followed.

"We are Stone Descendants," a voice suddenly struggled uncontrollably, trembling. "Not... slaves..."

"...No..." More voices surged up, layering on top of one another. "We are only... slaves."

"We are his creations... our souls... belong to him."

"Stop struggling. The pain... will disappear."

"..."

These voices continued in the shadows, murmuring endlessly, never ceasing.

Damian sat on the bench, completely still.

His hollow eyes stared ahead, as if listening to those conversations, or as if thinking about something entirely unrelated.

After who knows how long, his cracked lips finally twitched a few times.

"...Trai... traitor..."

...

Over the next few days, life on the Sea Island gradually returned to calm.

Captain Jack led the sailors and mages to find a shallow bay on the southeast corner of the island. They ran the Golden Lady aground on the shore and began working frantically to patch up the riddled hull.

The islanders had completely let down their guard toward these outsiders. Some of the younger Stone Descendants even often squatted on the rocks by the harbor, watching the sailors repair the ship with rapt attention, occasionally even passing them tools.

They had lived for hundreds of years and had never seen this many living foreigners.

For them, even listening to Captain Jack boast about how he had single-handedly recaptured a ghost ship in the Storm Strait back in the day was the most entertaining pastime of the past few decades.

Viola, meanwhile, continued her daily patrols of the village.

Every time she passed by the two tree houses whose doors remained tightly shut, her steps would unconsciously slow down.

These two Stone Descendants from the mainland had been holed up inside for days without coming out.

Viola knew roughly what they were doing, but she understood better than anyone how difficult that path was.

She had seen too many confident young people walk into the cave, and too many silent statues carried back out.

She didn't want to discourage them, but she also found it hard to believe that these two young people would be any exception.

...

In a space resembling nothingness, Nilly sat cross-legged in the center of a black rock, her eyes closed.

Her face was pale, her forehead covered in sweat. Stone-like mottling was slowly creeping up from her neck, eroding her skin bit by bit, until it finally covered her cheeks.

Her body was like a statue slowly solidifying, completely losing its vitality.

But the next second, as if an invisible hand had rewound time.

The petrification mottling suddenly receded like an ebbing tide. Her stiff body became supple once more. Nilly's eyes snapped open, and she gasped for air, her chest heaving violently.

She wiped the sweat from her forehead and slumped her head in frustration: "Why is this trial so difficult?"

"How did that ancestor manage to pass it back then?"

This was already her seventh attempt at facing the false Petrifying Gaze.

Every time, she felt like she was on the verge of touching something, but she always fell just short.

Could it be that she truly had to lock eyes with the Medusa Queen's head to find the Stone-Heart?

Just then, with a "pop" sound behind her, a mass of emerald green slime bounced into this space.

Nilly turned around and immediately asked: "Your Majesty, has Yano found the Stone-Heart yet?"

Chen Yu wobbled his gel body: "Same as you. He always feels like he's just short of something."

"Always just short..." Nilly put her hands on her hips, her face full of suspicion. "Your Majesty, what if this Stone-Heart thing doesn't actually exist at all?"

"Maybe that ancestor's knowledge was too shallow and he couldn't explain it properly himself."

Well, now she was even questioning her own ancestor's education.

Chen Yu said slowly: "Want to try the real Medusa Queen's gaze?"

Nilly's face instantly turned white. She waved her hands frantically: "No no no no... you're joking. I don't want to turn into a stone statue and just stand there for hundreds of years while the younger generation gathers around and chit-chats about me."

"Your Majesty, please spare me. I haven't lived enough yet."

Chen Yu sighed: "With that much fear of death, how can you become a Legendary?"

Nilly immediately conceded defeat, but her mouth still refused to admit it: "Who... who said someone who fears death can't become a Legendary? This auntie is just being cautious, you understand? Cautious!"

"Alright, I'll stop teasing you." Chen Yu's tone suddenly turned serious. "Actually, I asked the mages of the Dawn Council. The Medusa Queen's petrification isn't completely irreversible, but the potion capable of lifting this curse is extremely expensive, and the materials are hard to come by."

"Even I only managed to get this one bottle."

He puffed up his gel body and spat out a sealed crystal vial from within.

The liquid inside the vial gave off a faint silver-blue luster, like melted moonlight.

The vial floated over to Nilly and was caught by both of her hands.

"You only get one chance. Make good use of it."

Nilly looked down at the potion in her hands, her face brimming with joy.

She carefully rubbed the walls of the vial, then suddenly thought of something and looked up in confusion: "Your Majesty, why not give this potion to Yano? Logically speaking, his chances of passing the trial should be higher than mine."

Chen Yu spread his little gel hands: "That guy is still fighting himself. His state right now is too unstable. Who knows what would happen if he received the Medusa Queen's gaze. I don't want to take that risk."

Nilly looked at the potion in her hands, then thought about Yano's distracted demeanor, and nodded thoughtfully.

She suddenly felt that this vial of potion in her hands was exceptionally precious. She cleared her throat and spoke in the most sincere tone imaginable: "Your Majesty is indeed wise and brilliant, thoughtful and thorough, the greatest in all the..."

"Stop." Chen Yu raised a hand to cut her off. "Spare me the slime-kissing. Go give it a try. Maybe you really can save those Stone Descendants."

Nilly nodded seriously, tucked the potion securely against her person, and turned to walk out of this space.

When she found Viola, Viola was patrolling at the village entrance.

Seeing her appear, Viola was clearly taken aback. She obviously hadn't expected Nilly to come out of the tree house at a time like this.

"Miss Nilly, is something the matter?"

Nilly stood before her and took a deep breath: "Ancestor Viola, I've made up my mind. I intend to undergo the trial."

Viola was stunned. Her gaze lingered on Nilly's face, trying to discern her true thoughts.

But in Nilly's eyes, she saw no fear. In fact, she felt like Nilly was eager to give it a shot.

"Actually, you don't need to..."

Nilly waved her hand, cutting her off: "Just trust us. Behind us stands the Empire."

Viola fell into thought and finally nodded.

She figured, maybe these two Stone Descendants from the mainland really did have some way after all.

She didn't ask any more questions, only said seriously: "Then we'll follow the rules. The trial ceremony will be held tomorrow morning. The clansmen will come to offer you their blessings."

"Alright." Nilly agreed readily.

...

The next morning, the ceremony was held in the cave as scheduled.

When Nilly and her group arrived at the cave entrance, they found it nearly surrounded by Stone Descendants.

Jack and the sailors stood behind Nilly, whispering to each other as they took in the scene.

He clicked his tongue: "Well now, this is quite lively."

"Even those old pirates who love to brag could never have imagined there was such a lively place inside the Sea Vortex."

His first mate beside him smacked his lips: "Last time it was this lively, I think, was back when we first arrived."

"Everyone was holding a harpoon, itching to string us up and roast us."

They chatted as they quickly came to a stop before the altar.

Yano and Jack stood off to the side, while Nilly was invited up onto the stone platform by Viola.

Nilly instinctively took a look at the altar. The stone platform was simply arranged, with only a grayish-white stone box resting on top.

After confirming that Nilly was ready, Viola turned to face all the Stone Descendants.

"This is Nilly Belmont, a Stone Descendant from the Empire of the mainland, carrying the same blood that flows through our veins."

"Today, for the future of our clan, she will walk the path that so many of us have fallen on."

"Please, everyone, offer this brave warrior your blessings."

The Stone Descendants stopped their conversations and bowed their heads slightly to Nilly with respect in their eyes.

After a brief silence, low voices rose from the crowd as people chanted the solemn and sacred prayer together.

Amidst this prayer that seemed like it would never cease, Nilly felt her tense heart being soothed without her even realizing it.

She looked at those faces, at the respect and expectation in their eyes, and felt like she was no longer alone.

She could almost see those who had fallen, standing together on this path, walking one by one toward that abyss with the same unwavering will.

A strange feeling sprouted in her heart. She vaguely sensed something.

"Miss Nilly, please begin." Viola's voice came from beside her, pulling her back from her daze. "The Medusa Queen's head is in the stone box. Only you may open it, and only you may gaze upon it."

Nilly nodded and walked up to the stone platform.

After taking a deep breath, she slowly opened the lid.

Inside the stone box lay a grayish-white head, but the snake hair on top of it was still alive. Dense masses of gray-green little snakes writhed in the air, emitting hissing sounds.

The moment her eyes met the head's gaze, Nilly felt as if something had smashed into her brain, ringing loudly in her ears.

An icy chill poured down from the top of her head, spreading along her spine through every limb and bone, freezing her entire being from the inside out.

Her fingers began to stiffen, and even breathing became difficult.

But just as the cold was about to completely swallow her consciousness, a warm current suddenly surged up from within her body, dispelling the petrification.

It was the Stone Bloodline at work.

But the cold wasn't completely driven away.

She could clearly feel the curse taking root in her body, like a snake coiling around her limbs.

In just a few days, it would completely turn her into a stone statue.

Just as she had expected, her petrification was happening much faster than the ancestors'.

But at the same time, she still couldn't feel that so-called "Stone-Heart."

She felt somewhat disappointed.

"Miss Nilly." Viola's voice came from beside her. "The trial has begun. Please close the stone box."

Nilly steadied herself and closed the lid.

She couldn't help but ask: "I... I don't think I felt anything."

Viola nodded slightly and comforted her: "Many of the ancestors were the same as you. They felt nothing upon contact with the gaze. Even Ancestor Hailam only realized the Stone-Heart on the fifth day after contact."

Hearing this, the unease in Nilly's heart immediately dissipated considerably.

Five days. She still had five days.

Five days. Maybe she really could touch that door.

She was about to say something more when a commotion suddenly erupted from the edge of the crowd.

Everyone turned to look, and saw two guards chasing a figure running toward them.

That figure stumbled and staggered, shouting something unintelligible: "Traitors...! They're all traitors!"

Damian?!

Why would he come running here, and what did he mean by "traitors"?

Viola's expression suddenly changed.

She spun around instantly, her gaze shooting toward the direction outside the cave: "The silver-thread... it's been triggered?"

The silver-thread being triggered meant that Hopkins had already cracked its secret and was following the route to find them.

But how had he done it? Could it be related to the traitor Damian mentioned?

Nilly had just received the ceremony, so she couldn't possibly be suspected.

Then there was only one possibility left—someone among those bewitched Stone Descendants had betrayed them?!