The Passage as a whole trended upward, and every so often a gentle breeze would waft in—this was unquestionably good news.
It meant the Passage connected to the surface, and as long as they followed it, sooner or later they would reach the ground.
Whether or not they could find the thing Aphrodite had in mind was another matter entirely.
As they walked, Aphrodite suddenly felt the force pulling on her from behind snap tight, almost causing her to stumble.
She turned around in displeasure, barely able to make out Alice’s face flushed bright red by the faint holy light shimmering from the depths of the Passage.
Alice’s eyes flickered nervously, her lips pressed tightly together as if steeling herself.
After a long moment, she forced out a voice almost squeezed through clenched teeth:
“Wait a moment!”
“What’s wrong?” Aphrodite stopped, puzzled.
Alice’s face grew even redder, her ears flushed pink as well.
She glanced at Aphrodite quickly before lowering her head again. “I… I need to… go to the bathroom!”
“…” Aphrodite was instantly speechless.
Why did this girl always have so many issues? But on second thought, if she needed to go, did that mean she could finally let go of his hand?
At the thought, Aphrodite’s heart leapt, and he was eager to pull his hand back.
“Alright then.”
Aphrodite quickly scanned the surroundings and pointed toward a relatively dry corner not far off, partially shielded by a few large stones.
“You go over there. I’ll wait right here.”
But what happened next wasn’t what he expected.
Alice didn’t loosen her grip; instead, she squeezed his hand even tighter!
“No!” Alice suddenly lifted her head, her voice rising sharply. “You… you have to come with me!”
“Huh?!” Aphrodite was genuinely stunned this time, eyes wide. “You’re saying what?! You want me to come… to the bathroom?!”
“Yes! You have to come with me!” Alice said resolutely, her face taut with determination.
It wasn’t because the place was dark and scary, or that she feared bugs crawling on her legs while she was relieving herself.
The real reason she wanted Aphrodite to accompany her was clear…
Yes, Auntie had said to protect Aphrodite well.
Now Alice was just following orders.
“What if a monster suddenly appeared while I’m going? You… you have to be right beside me so I can protect you at any moment!”
The more Alice spoke, the more convinced she became of her own logic, her confidence growing.
She even tugged Aphrodite hard. “Hurry up! Don’t dawdle! I… I really can’t hold it anymore!”
Aphrodite felt a rush of heat flood his face uncontrollably.
He simply couldn’t believe his ears!
This… this demand was ridiculous!
Although he knew girls often liked to call their close friends along when going to the bathroom, it was hardly ever this clingy.
“Alice! This won’t work! Absolutely not!”
“I’ll wait right here, I swear, I won’t move an inch! I guarantee there won’t be any monsters! Look, it’s quiet here, not a sound…”
“No means no!” Alice wasn’t listening at all, her tone unyielding. “Who knows if some monster might sneak up on you from your side! You have to stay right next to me! Hurry! I really… really can’t wait!”
Before Aphrodite could refuse again, Alice yanked him along, striding briskly toward the corner he had pointed out earlier!
Aphrodite stumbled under her pull, his mind roaring in frustration: What on earth is going on?!
He tried to break free, but Alice’s strength was terrifying.
In his current state, he couldn’t possibly escape her grip.
And so, Aphrodite was forcefully dragged behind the large stones.
Just as Alice was about to squat down, Aphrodite quickly turned his back to her.
His eyes locked onto the faint glow deep in the Passage ahead, as if willing to pierce through the rocky wall to distract himself.
If possible, he even wished he could vanish right then and there.
Behind him came the soft rustling of fabric rubbing together, followed by…
The unmistakable sound of trickling water.
It echoed clearly into Aphrodite’s ears.
And the hand Alice held so tightly became the center of all his senses.
He could distinctly feel the slight tremble of her fingers from the grip, the clear warmth and dampness of her palm… this was more tormenting than facing a hundred tentacle monsters!
In the Garden of Maidens…
Finally, the sound of water stopped, followed by another round of soft rustling as clothing was readjusted.
“Okay… I’m done.”
Hearing Alice say this, Aphrodite’s heart at last eased somewhat.
“Let’s… go!” Alice cleared her throat and tugged Aphrodite as they continued upward through the Passage.
Aphrodite was pulled along, stepping mechanically, his mind blank except for the lingering, sweaty warmth on his palm and the haunting… sound of water.
After walking for an unknown length of time, the Passage’s slope gradually leveled out, and the air grew fresher.
At last, around a bend, a long-missed brightness filled with the scent of grass and trees suddenly appeared before them!
“Ah! We’re finally out!” Alice nearly shouted in joy, the stifling pressure of the dark cave instantly lifted.
She released her tight grip on Aphrodite’s hand, stretched out her arms, and took a deep breath of the forest’s earthy, grassy fragrance, her face beaming with the delight of escape.
Aphrodite also breathed a quiet sigh of relief, thinking to himself, “We’re finally out…”
The feeling of returning to the open sky slightly eased his nerves.
However, the calm did not last long.
As Aphrodite’s eyes adjusted to the light and she took in her surroundings, a sharp sense of unease gripped her instantly.
Everywhere she looked, thick tree trunks had been snapped in half by some terrifying force, the broken ends jagged and uneven, as if ripped apart by immense power.
“Look at this.”
“Hm? What’s wrong?” Alice’s excitement faded, and she followed Aphrodite’s gaze.
“Looks like we’re in the right place.”
“Wow…” Alice was stunned, her mouth slightly agape. “What kind of thing did this? That’s some serious destruction!”
She cautiously approached one of the broken trees, running her hand over the smooth snapped end, then looked at the deep, bottomless ruts gouged into the ground.
“These marks… are strange. It doesn’t look like the work of normal magical beasts. Auntie’s Report never mentioned monsters like this in the Forest.”
Aphrodite didn’t answer immediately.
She knelt down, fingertips brushing over the churned-up earth, trying to sense any lingering energy fluctuations.
Besides the high concentration of Corruption Aura, there seemed to be something else mixed in—an incredibly violent… holy light?