Chapter 359: Entering the Temple

Although he had collected some seaweed for emergencies, Ivan had never tasted it before.

He sucked in the cold lake water as if his life depended on it.

He swam like a true man of the sea; his head was no longer spinning in the water.

Ivan took another sip of cold water. It was a wonderful feeling. The water flowed gently through his gills and carried oxygen to his brain.

He put his hands in front of him and looked at them carefully.

They looked a little green underwater, strange and terrible. There were membranes between his fingers. He turned his head to look at his bare feet, which grew longer and webbed between his toes, as if his feet suddenly became swim fins.

The afternoon river water was no longer cold or stinging. On the contrary, he felt very refreshed, very comfortable and his body became very light.

After the equally strange Okegiga, Ivan continued paddling forward.

With the help of his two webbed feet, he could now move quickly in the water.

Moreover, his eyesight became so good that he could see clearly ahead without blinking.

Through the narrow river, he soon swam far away, and he could hear the fighting of the centaurs not far over his head and gently entered the huge lake in the center of the colony.

There was no defense, no resistance, and the fallen centaurs did not expect anyone to dive underwater.

The strong figure of Okegiga appeared before him and finally disappeared.

After entering the central lake, Ivan was swimming alone in a dark, misty, alien landscape, and all he could do here was keep silent.

He could see for ten feet around. Every time he moved his feet in the water, a new scene suddenly emerged from the darkness: a bush of waving, tangled black aquatic plants; wide, flat silt dotted with shiny pebbles.

Ivan and Okegiga swam deeper and deeper, heading toward the deepest part of the lake.

Along the central island, the main building of the Temple of the Moon stretched out into the deepest part of the water, and the ancient, massive architectural outline emerged before Ivan's eyes.

Once again, he was amazed at the miraculous feats of the centaurs and immersed in the grandeur before him.

Ivan stared across the gray, winding lake, gazing at the huge shadows in the distance, where the lake was dark and misty.

Countless minnows swam past him, like silver darts.

The next second, Ivan saw a big guy moving in front of him, but it wasn't Okegiga.

As he picked up speed, he realized it was a huge squid.

The squid brandished its claws and stared at Ivan, as if it wanted to attack him.

When Ivan nervously grabbed his wand, it suddenly lost interest in him, tracking the distant fish, and swam away quickly.

Ivan breathed a sigh of relief, but soon found himself in new trouble.

He met a Grindylow in the thick grass under the island. The long-legged monster suddenly emerged from the grass, and its long tentacles clung to Ivan's legs, and its mouth revealed its long, sharp teeth, as if to bite him.

Ivan gently waved his wand, and a column of boiling water erupted from its tip, striking the green-skinned Grindylow.

The monster immediately seized up, turned gray and froze, slowly falling.

Ivan's petrification worked, but more Grindylows emerged from the water weed. Without sea people and other natural enemies living in this lake, these monsters reproduced almost unstoppably.

Ivan wasn't about to let them do whatever they wanted; he was ready to let them know what a bad target he was.

He quickly flicked his wand, and the Grindylow, which was striking him, was instantly split into two halves. Blood stained the large lake, and the monsters began to scatter.

Ivan took the opportunity to swim forward. A few minutes later, he slowed down, looking around blankly, searching for the hidden entrance to the Temple of the Moon that Okegiga had told him about.

But he saw nothing, and was alone in the dark lake.

He turned 360 degrees in the water, sensing only silence pressing against his eardrum.

He knew he must be at the bottom of the deep lake, but there was nothing around him except endless darkness. The great pressure of the water made him feel lonelier than ever.

He and Okegiga had separated, and the latter might have entered the Temple. The effect of the Branquialgas gradually faded. Just to be on the safe side, Ivan added a bubble-headed enchantment to himself.

Then, the tip of his wand began to glow.

The darkness dissipated, and Ivan saw the lonely grass. In front of him, a huge blue-black rock wall was etched with images of ancient centaurs stargazing.

There were several stone carvings of centaurs scattered in the depths of the lake. I didn't know if they had been there for centuries. Some held bows and arrows in their hands, and the others had strange-looking scepters held high above their heads.

Ivan followed the rocky mass of the Temple of the Moon and crossed it in the distance. Just as he was quietly preoccupied, a mighty arm came out from the middle of the wall.

He hastily raised his wand, only to discover that it was Okegiga.

They climbed up the narrow, slippery tunnel, surrounded by thick green moss and aquatic weeds.

Through the paper of light and shadow, Ivan discovered that the entrance to the secret passage was cleverly hidden in a mural. Anyone who didn't know it precisely shouldn't be able to find it.

"I turned around and realized you were gone!" Okegiga said hoarsely. "The Branquialgas effect was wearing off. I couldn't swim very far to find you."

"I met a group of Grindylows and had to fight them." he explained, Ivan lightly clicked his robe with his wand and a large amount of steam came out.

This was a very effective little spell, and his body dried instantly.

"Those ugly water monsters have been hanging around the lake, causing us a lot of trouble. They suddenly attack those who come to fetch water, drive them into the lake and drown them." Okegiga shivered and dried up like a wild animal. "You were lucky. You came to the entrance. Otherwise, I don't know if I could have looked for you!"

"What's the trick?" Ivan asked, "I saw the murals on the lake wall; they were almost the same. How did you find the entrance?"

"It's very simple for us centaurs. We just follow the trail of the stars." Okegiga walked to the top of the narrow tunnel and continued. "Here is the Temple of the Moon. You have to follow the stars to find the moon. That's where the entrance is."

As he spoke, he gently stroked a pattern that looked like a crescent moon, and the thick stone door before him slowly opened.