Chapter 205. Irish Town Ⅱ (3) Avalon and the Crystal Towers

     With a true native of the Eastern Continent present, the Eastern Continent naturally wouldn’t take the blame.  

     A certain blond, brown-eyed survivor, for some reason, claimed to be from the Eastern Continent. When faced with the polite treatment from the elven guard captain Sen, he not only responded with disdain but also proceeded to mock and provoke others.  

     In the end, he drew his longsword, intending to showcase his might by using Captain Sen as a sacrificial offering for his blade.  

     At this point, Ye Mo could no longer stand by and listen. In an instant, a red silk ribbon shot from her hand, wrapping around his longsword.  

     With a slight exertion of force, both the man and his blade were sent flying.  

     The onlookers only saw a flash of red light before Survivor A came crashing down onto his lackeys, knocking every single one of them flat on their backs, without so much as grazing a single extra blade of grass or flower around them.  

     Not even the floor cracked.  

     “Who was that?!” 

     Survivor A sprang up like a carp leaping from water, his face flushed with humiliation and rage as he glared in the direction where the red silk ribbon had retracted.  

     When he saw that the one who had struck was another survivor, he barely held back his murderous glare and changed his threatening tone: “Do you even know who I am? I’ve survived since the very first trial! If you value your life, stay out of this!”

     “How impressive,” Ye Mo replied flatly, her tone indifferent. “Then why do you drag the Eastern Continent’s name through the mud? A dog’s mouth spews no ivory!”

     “You—!”  

     The phrase ‘A dog’s mouth spews no ivory’ was originally a Chinese idiom, and translating it into ancient Irish might have left people scratching their heads. But on Earth, many survivors especially the seasoned ones had begun learning Chinese.  

     Survivor A understood the insult immediately, and his cursing had already begun: “*Fuck*——”

     But before he could finish, two of his lackeys frantically tugged at his clothes, whispering urgently, “Two women and one man, Easterners, fluent in Ancient Irish… Boss, do you remember who that matches?”  

     Survivor A’s words instantly died in his throat, neither swallowed nor spat out. His face flushed red, then paled, and he was so terrified that tears nearly welled up in his eyes. He bowed deeply, forcing out a stammered reply:  

     “I-I’m not from the Eastern Continent… I’m from North America.” 

     “???”  

     What else could Ye Mo say? This guy clearly knew how to ‘bow when the wind blows’. After all, surviving this long without a single redeeming quality would take nothing short of a miracle.

     Just then—  

     “Ah!”

     In the next instant, Survivor A and his lackeys were swept up into a series of tornadoes that erupted from the ground. They spun violently in the air like clothes in a washing machine for a full minute before being slammed back onto the ground.  

     Survivor A was merely dazed, but his followers, most of whom were far weaker were left utterly disoriented, their stomachs churning as if carsick. They not only ended up polluting the surroundings but also crashed down hard enough to bruise their faces, break their noses, and even split their heads open.  

     “Trash from the North American continent, huh? You’re really doing your homeland proud,” came a mocking voice.  

     Two more groups arrived at the mercenary guild. These two groups were different from the temporary, scattered group that Survivor A belonged to. Just looking at their aura, each individual was extraordinary, and their mutual understanding was definitely not something that could be cultivated in a day or two.

     They weren’t loose alliances. Rather, they had gathered fifty or sixty survivors in this Irish town alone, a testament to their size and influence. The one who had spoken was either the leader or a core figure of one group: a striking, exotic Latina beauty.  

     The Latina beauty wore a golden mask purchased from Maria’s shop. Her figure was undeniably alluring, and though her outfit was revealing, it avoided looking vulgar, just a bit too “refreshing” for the conservative Irish locals, who couldn’t help but blush.  

     Though her words were directed at Survivor A, the woman had already walked toward Ye Mo’s group, extending a hand. “Jing, Watson, long time no see. Wang Xue, right? Pleasure to meet you. I’m Bella, from the Cobra Intelligence Agency.”

     At this time, another core member of the group who was not wearing a mask also came forward and greeted them in a similar way, and introduced himself as Arthur in crisp British English.

     Ye Mo, Wang Xue, and Watson exchanged glances. Given that these two were practically VIP customers of Maria’s shop, they responded with polite courtesy, shaking hands cordially.  

     Meanwhile, Survivor A and his lackeys, still sprawled on the ground, were now utterly terrified. They wished they could melt into the cracks of the earth and vanish from the presence of true powerhouses.  

     But for now, nobody paid them any attention.  

     But they couldn’t flee either. The moment they twitched a muscle, their fellow survivors from North America immediately locked eyes on them.  

     “… …”  

     Bella and Arthur’s true target, of course, wasn’t Ye Mo’s group. It was Captain Sen, the guard leader.  

     Bella had always been skilled in social maneuvering, and Arthur’s faction also had specialists dedicated to such dealings. Unlike Ye Mo’s trio, who had merely skirted the periphery today, they had already gathered thorough intelligence on recent events in the Irish town.  

     Take the beast tide, for instance, it wasn’t something to discuss openly, but they could hint at it with carefully chosen words. Then there were their suggestions on handling troublesome survivors in town. Or, say, the minor marital spats between Mayor Feitan and his mermaid wife.  

     Wang Xue was completely lost, but Ye Mo and Watson exchanged a knowing glance. As expected of intelligence gatherers, Bella’s team is truly formidable in this regard. Meanwhile, Arthur’s group held the natural advantage of being inheritors of Celtic mythological legacies on Earth.  

     The competition in this dungeon was really fierce.  

     Perhaps it was the last piece of information that did the trick. Before long, Captain Sen formally extended invitations, not only to Arthur’s and Bella’s factions, but also to Ye Mo’s trio, who had been mere bystanders until now. However, given the respect Arthur and Bella had shown them, ignoring their group was out of the question.  

     Night had fallen, the sky now studded with stars. The invitation couldn’t have come at a better time. It seemed their accommodations for the evening were settled.  

     …

     Their Second Visit to Feitan Manor 

     The lifelike sculptures, artificial lake, vineyards, rose gardens, magical beast enclosures, and fountain-adorned rockeries, the manor remained as opulent as they remembered.  

     Perhaps due to the recent survivor disturbances, the number of patrolling guards had noticeably increased that night.  

     Though Mayor Feitan and his wife did not make an appearance, they had arranged for the guests to stay in three castles reserved for distinguished visitors. Overnight, an elaborate spread of fine food and wine was prepared, served attentively by a team of maids.  

     The long dining table was draped in an elegantly understated blue tablecloth, adorned with a vase of freshly bloomed blue flowers. Under the glow of candlelight, the silverware gleamed with a frost-like brilliance.  

     Ye Mo couldn’t help but notice a new layer of reserve between Bella and Arthur, who had once collaborated closely. Yet, judging by the interactions between their two groups, they seemed to have already reached a tacit agreement regarding cooperation in this dungeon.  

     The scene felt oddly familiar.  

     Wang Xue showed little interest in the town’s delicacies and fine wines, but she was utterly fascinated by the maids’ plain, long-sleeved linen dresses. As someone who had dabbled in cosplay before, this was her first time encountering real-life maids. At that moment, she was like a babbling toddler, eagerly gesturing and attempting to communicate with them.  

     Her newfound interest accelerated her language-learning skills at an astonishing rate.  

     After dinner, everyone retired to their rooms. Once again, Ye Mo found herself immersed in the unfamiliar luxury of the manor, enjoying the royal treatment fit for a castle princess, though with one notable difference:  

     For the first night in a long while, she actually slept soundly.  

     By daybreak, Ye Mo and Watson stuck to their usual Earth-style attire, while Wang Xue enthusiastically changed into one of the classical robes prepared by the maids for guests, complete with puffy sleeves, no less.  

     They headed to the main castle for breakfast, where Feitan and his elegant, noble mermaid wife finally made their appearance, and standing beside the mermaid was none other than ‘Lani Shannon’.

     In truth, among the guards, this mermaid wasn’t actually named ‘Lani Shannon’—her real name was Sophie. Had Lani Shannon not revealed her identity in the white space before entering the dungeon, people might have only remembered ‘Sophie’ instead.  

     Lani Shannon had yet to appear in Feitan Manor. Perhaps she had been assigned elsewhere, or perhaps she already had her own objectives and saw no need to gather further intelligence here.  

     Ye Mo also spotted a small, slender figure among the lady mermaid guards. In stark contrast to her own reserved nature, this girl was bright and cheerful, practically overflowing with energy, proving herself a perfect match for Lena as a best friend.  

     The real Maria winked at her. As everyone knew, goblins had large, vivid green eyes, making the gesture impossible to miss.  

     The lady mermaid hand paused mid-toast. After a slight nod, she cast a measured glance in Ye Mo’s direction.  

     Mayor Feitan continued his grandiose speech, asking, “O fearless and valiant guests, your arrival brings fortune to our Irish town. Recently, high-tier magical beasts have been encroaching beyond their territories. A harbinger of the beast tide. We are grateful for your aid in quelling this threat, but tell us: what can we do for you in return?”

     The survivors’ responses were… colorful, to say the least. Some opted to pose questions outright.  

     For instance, one demanded: “Where are the Stone of Fal, Nuada’s Sword, Lugh’s Spear, and Dagda’s Cauldron?”

     Captain Fitan chuckled amiably. “I’m afraid I know nothing of these artifacts, nor these gods or heroes you speak of.  

     When it was Arthur’s turn, he posed a question steeped in Celtic lore: “Where is Avalon?”

     With a booming laugh, Mayor Feitan replied, “The resting place of souls after death? We’ll all find out when our time comes!”

     Bella, however, took a different tack—pointing to the spear in mermaid Sophie’s grip, she asked: “And where did that come from?”

     Indeed, Sophie was holding a spear identical to the one Lani Shannon always carried—a suspected demigod artifact, Lugh’s Spear. Unfortunately, it wasn’t listed on the mission roster.  

     Even if the survivors snatched it for themselves, the Survivor App wouldn’t award them the semi-divine weapon.  

     Ye Mo, Bella, and the others already knew this: both demigod and divine artifacts possessed unique, non-replicable traits, even in the system shop. So how could both survivors and natives possess the same one?  

     It wasn’t Mayor Feitan who answered Bella, but his mermaid wife. “This spear is called Brionac,” she explained. “Before coming of age, every mermaid journeys to the Crystal Tower at the heart of the deep sea to choose a gift. Sophie selected Brionac there and Brionac, in turn, chose her.”

     The Crystal Tower?

     ‘In Earth’s mythology, the Tuatha Dé Danann who possessed those four legendary treasures faced a formidable enemy: the Fomorians, a race of deep-sea giants.  

     Their king, Balor, had received a druid’s prophecy that he would be killed by his own descendant. In response, he imprisoned his daughter Ethniu within a crystal tower. It was there that the Tuatha Dé Danann’s demigod, Cian, infiltrated the tower, rescued Ethniu, and ultimately fell in love with her.  ‘@^[1]In Celtic mythology, the Tuatha Dé Danann, a divine race, are associated with a crystal tower in which the daughter of Balor, Ethniu, was imprisoned to prevent a prophecy from being fulfilled. Balor … Continue reading

     The moment the mermaid queen mentioned the Crystal Tower, the survivors could barely contain their restless excitement.